Christie And The Hellcat Part 51

"Is that the marrying squire?" asked Christie.

Zee nodded. "Crutchfield's quite a character. But he's quick and he's legal."

"What do you mean?" Christie frowned as Crutchfield threaded his way toward the front of the throng. There, the little man smiled and shook hands with a wan-looking Blue, then took his place facing the guests. Hogan patted Blue on the back and stood next to him.

A stir to one side proved to be Serena, plonking her shapely bottom on the piano stool and pumping the player piano's pedals for all she was worth. As the first chords of "Here Comes the Bride"

(Angie had come across the piece on one of the new piano rolls) 331.

boomed around the room, the guests craned their necks round toward the entrance doors. Zee was no exception.

In the open doorway stood the bride-to-be, cradling her belly.

Beside her, looking magnificent in crimson Turkish trousers, stood Angie. (Since there was no father to give Jenny away, the madam, who had taken quite a shine to her, had offered to do the job instead.) When Jenny saw all the faces looking at her, she froze, unable to take another step. But Angie whispered something in her ear, and she nodded, took a deep breath, and continued on. As she pa.s.sed, people shouted out well wishes. The fear in her wide brown eyes made her look even more faun-like than ever, and Zee gave her an encouraging wink. Then Jenny saw Blue and had eyes for n.o.body else.

Zee watched the pregnant girl hurry toward her intended, stand next to him, and shyly take his hand. From beside her came a m.u.f.fled sniffle. She pulled out a clean handkerchief and handed it to Christie.

Zee had pegged her as the type to cry at weddings. Looked like she was right.

Crutchfield had been watching the proceedings with a wide smile.

Now, he stepped forward, clasped his sombrero to his chest with one hand and raised the other for silence. With a discordant squawk, the player piano fell silent.

"Howdy, folks." A ripple of laughter met his informal greeting.

"Reckon we all know why we're here this fine afternoon." He nodded at the nervous couple. "Blue Hayes and Jenny Farnham are here to get spliced . . . And by the looks of it," he eyed Jenny's belly, "not a moment too soon."

The couple tried not to look at one another, their cheeks a matching shade of pink. The wedding guests laughed louder, and Zee reached for Christie's hand and squeezed it.

"So," continued the marrying squire, "let's get the formalities over and done with and we can get on with what's importantcelebrating."

He waited for the laughter to die away, a.s.sumed a solemn expression, then turned to Jenny. "Take him?" he asked.

She blinked, looked at Blue, looked back at Crutchfield, who was clearly waiting for an answer, then murmured a rather tentative, "Yes."

Crutchfield nodded and turned to face Blue. "Take her?"

By now the groom had got the hang of things, and he nodded and 332 said, loud and clear, "Yes."

"Done." Crutchfield's face broke into a smile. "One dollar, please." When it became clear that the pockets Blue was patting were empty, Hogan produced a silver dollar and flipped it to the marrying squire. He tucked it in his pocket then asked, "What are you waiting for, son? Kiss your wife."

As Blue kissed his bride, a cheer went up and hats were thrown into the air. The hand holding Zee's tugged her round.

"Is that it?" Christie looked astonished.

"Told you he was quick."

A side door opened and Hattie appeared with a tray of full champagne gla.s.ses. She placed it on a table and disappeared, then returned seconds later with several more.

"C'mon," said Zee. "Let's mosey on over to the bride and groom and congratulate 'em."

They made their way between the other guests, Zee guiding Christie with a hand in the small of her back. The noise rose as trays of food appeared and the mood turned to one of post-nuptial celebration. By the time they reached Christie's brother and his new wife, they were having to shout to make themselves heard.

"Congratulations, Blue. Jenny," bellowed Christie. She hugged them both in turn. "I finally have a sister-in-law."

Jenny gave her a shy smile.

Blue put his arm round his wife. "Do you think our parents would have approved?"

Christie laughed. "Probably not at first, but they'd have come around. You know they only wanted us to be happy."

He grinned and squeezed Jenny who laughingly protested. "Well, Lord knows, I am happy," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Goodness only knows what they'd have made of Crutchfield, though!" Christie craned her head. "Where is he?"

A few inquiries by Zee elicited the fact that the little man had disappeared, saying he had another wedding to officiate at. Not before eating a whole peach pie and drinking three gla.s.ses of champagne though. Which reminded her . . .

A tray was pa.s.sing within reaching distance, so Zee confiscated it, handed out the gla.s.ses of champagne, and took one for herself.

Christie's brow wrinkled. "Should Jenny be drinking?"

"A sip of champagne won't hurt her." Zee raised her gla.s.s. "A 333.

toast. To Blue and Jenny. May you both find as much happiness with each other as I've found with Christie."

Green eyes brimmed and a tear threatened to fall. Zee wound an arm round Christie's shoulders and pulled her close. "I mean it," she murmured. The tear fell.

"Sorry, Blue." Christie produced her handkerchief and blew her nose. "I always cry at weddings."

Zee dropped a fond kiss on her head. "To the happy couple," she said. Gla.s.ses clinked, and they drank.

Chapter 17.

"Waistcoat looks better on you than it does on me." Hogan's voice came from beside Zee. "But not by much."

"Have to take your word for it." She gave her boss a wry smile.

"Be glad to get back into my old duds. This collar's killing me."

She pa.s.sed him the whiskey bottle, whose contents she had made a good-sized dent in. Champagne was all very well for special occasions, but it wasn't a real drink. She glanced across the room to where Christie was talking to a tall woman in a black habit, veil, and pleated cape.

Hogan followed her glance and laughed. "You don't need to worry, Brodie. I don't think she'll be joining the Sisters of Charity any time soon."

Zee grunted and took another sip of whiskey. "Better not. Though it wouldn't be the first time I had to kidnap a girl from them."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Her gaze traveled to Blue and Jenny, who were in animated conversation with Angie, then continued on to where some of the wh.o.r.es were huddled in conversation, sly gazes resting on the newlyweds.

"Hm."

"What?"

"Reckon that lot are planning a chivaree."

Hogan's eyes swiveled to follow her gaze. He became thoughtful.

"Reckon you're right. Want me to put a stop to it, case it gets out of hand?" It wasn't unknown for shots to be fired, or for grooms to be kidnapped and dunked in the river.

Zee considered. "No," she said at last. "Can't have a wedding without a chivaree. But I'll go along, keep an eye on things . . . Jenny being pregnant and all."

335.

He nodded and took a gulp of whiskey. "Know where they're spending the honeymoon?"

She checked for eavesdroppers and leaned closer. "Got themselves a room at Mrs. Sandridge's."

Hogan winced. "Watch out for the rolling pin."

GIF.

"What were you and the sheriff talking about?" Christie had tracked Zee down beside the buffet table.

"Oh, you know." She spoke round a mouthful of apple pie. Not as good as Christie's, but it would mop up the whiskey. "Bit of this, bit of that."

Christie folded her arms and tapped one foot. "Zerelda Brodie,"

she said, her use of Zee's full name signaling her displeasure. "I know you're up to something. If it involves my brother and his very pregnant wife, then I'm ent.i.tled to know about it. So if you don't tell me, this minute . . ."

Zee held up her hands in mock surrender. "All right, all right."

Aware of the glances coming their way, she took Christie by the elbow and guided her to a corner where they could talk without being overheard.

"We're pretty sure that Red Mary and the others are planning a chivaree."

Christie looked dismayed. "But is that wise in Jenny's condition?"

"That's why Hogan agreed to my going along."

"Oh." She looked thoughtful.

"I promise, no harm will come to Blue, Jenny, or the baby. I'll make sure of that."

"And so will I."

"But"

Green eyes fixed her with a look. "You have some objection to my going too?"

Zee knew that tone and conceded defeat. "No, darlin'. It's a celebration. The more the merrier."

GIF.

336.

Zee halted outside Mrs. Sandridge's boarding house. Christie did too, setting off a domino chain of collisions amongst those crowding her heels. Each b.u.mp was accompanied by the rattle of a tambourine, the bonk of a drum, the clang of a tin pail, each in their turn followed by shushing noises and whispered apologies.

Zee rolled her eyes. As though they can't hear us a mile away.

She hadn't expected so many people to turn up. There were about thirty in all, mostly wh.o.r.es and their friends, but also a few old repro-bates and hangers-on who had heard that there was fun and free drinks to be had tonight. Many were already the worse for liquor, which had made instructing them in the "dos and don'ts" more tedious than it should have been. In the end, she had threatened to throw them in jail if they so much as pulled out a gun let alone fired it. What's more, while Blue was fair game, his wife was out of bounds. Many had grumbled at that, but in the end all agreed to her conditions.

The revelers were dressed as was traditional for a chivaree. Some had blacked their faces or donned their clothes backwards, and others were wearing masks. Zee hadn't botheredthere was no way to disguise her height and pale blue eyes. Neither had Christie, who saw herself more as an observer than a partic.i.p.ant.

Zee pointed up at a window on the top floor. "That's their room."

The curtains were drawn, the room dark.

"They're probably asleep," said Christie.

"Won't be for long." She turned to the waiting crowd and signaled. A cheer went up, and suddenly every hand was brandishing a musical instrument.

Well, maybe not musical, amended Zee as the ensuing cacophony threatened the eardrums of everyone in the vicinity. Kettles and tin pails clanked, drums banged, a horn tooted, but the worst caterwauling by far came from a cracked fiddle that Silas Ward had brought along. Christie stuck her fingers in her ears and gave Zee an appalled look.

She laughed and returned her gaze to the window. A lamp had been lit, and as she watched, someone slid open the sash. Next minute, Blue was leaning out, gesticulating and mouthing something that Zee thought might have been, "Keep the noise down. My wife's asleep."

A hand on her shoulder pulled her down to Christie's level, and 337.

she felt warm breath against her ear. "Look at his face! He's furious."

"It's a chivaree. What did he expect?"

Zee straightened then made her way toward the front door. She raised her fist and was about to thump the door for admittance, when it opened of its own accord.

"What on earth's all this noise? Can't decent G.o.d-fearing people get any sleep in this town?"

A middle-aged woman stood there, her hair tied up in papers, her expression stormy. One hand held closed her dressing gown, whose vivid shade of fuchsia made Zee blink, the other clasped a rolling pin.

"Deputy Brodie. Might have guessed you'd be involved in this tom-foolery." She raised her makeshift weapon.

Whoops! Zee held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Evening, Mrs. Sandridge. Sorry 'bout the ruckus. We're here to chivaree Blue Hayes and his new wife."