Bluebird, p.25
Bluebird, page 25
“Surprise!”
They both jumped at the unexpected shouts. Right away, Charlie hobbled over, shaking Jerry’s hand and wishing Adele all the best. He was followed by the rest of the crowd. John stood in the middle of it all, arms folded, smiling with satisfaction as he watched everything going on.
“Aunt Judy!” Jerry cried as she came over. “Adele, this is my mother’s sister. They were twins, so you can almost see what Ma would have looked like. Aunt Judy, this is Adele,” he said, still shocked at how happy he felt, “the love of my life.”
“Wonderful to meet you,” Adele said, accepting his aunt’s embrace with a laugh.
“And Uncle Henry,” he warned her, watching her brace for the incoming hug.
“Maman!” she said, then Guillaume was there, shaking Jerry’s hand with a grip of iron.
While Adele’s mother gawked over her engagement ring, Jerry looked across the room for his brother.
“Did I surprise you?” John shouted over the crowd. “Nobody spilled the beans?”
“You amaze me,” Jerry replied.
“Let’s get some whisky pouring!” John yelled, and Bob Howard started pulling out bottles of Bailey Brothers’ Best, then sending them around to tables with glasses for all. Someone had brought a fiddle, and though it was difficult to hear it sometimes over the celebration, it brought a sweet, homey feel to the room. Over the next hour or so, the door kept opening, letting in more guests, surprising Jerry every time.
“Dutchie?” he exclaimed. “Why, I never expected to see you!”
“You should know that I never miss a party where the whisky’s flowing,” his rival said. He glanced appreciatively at Adele, who was busy speaking with Aunt Judy. “Congratulations, Bailey. I hope she knows what she’s signed up for. She’s much too good for you.”
“Don’t I know it,” Jerry agreed. “Did you get your drink yet? We’re serving BBB tonight, not your lousy hooch.”
Dutchie snorted. “On my way.”
Just then John’s expression changed, his smile hardening to a scowl. He was looking past Jerry, so Jerry turned and came face-to-face with Ernie Willoughby.
“Well,” Willoughby said. “This is quite a gathering.”
“I’m certain you weren’t invited,” Jerry said, heat surging into his face. “Brave of you to walk into this crowd of folks who won’t work with you, let alone speak to you. Probably the bravest thing you’ve ever done.”
But Willoughby wasn’t finding humour in anything. The look he gave Jerry was flat and expressionless.
Adele appeared at Jerry’s side almost immediately, her hands on his arm. “Hello, Ernie,” she said civilly. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
His gaze dropped to her ring finger, where the diamonds glittered despite Willoughby’s shadow, and he sucked in his cheeks. “I understand congratulations are in order, but this is such a waste of a beautiful woman.”
From behind them, Jerry felt the crowd giving way, then John barged through. Jerry put out a hand to stop him. He didn’t want any fighting tonight.
“Get the hell out,” John hissed. “Closed party.”
Then Dutchie was there, and to Jerry’s surprise, Guillaume stepped up beside him, the big Frenchman’s arms crossed over his barrel chest.
“You should leave now,” Jerry said.
Very slowly, Willoughby took a step back, then another. He didn’t say a word, and his dark eyes, so full of threat, never left Jerry’s. Just before he reached the exit he paused, and his expression changed the tiniest bit, the hint of a smile coming to his lips. Jerry waited for Willoughby to say what was on his mind, but he only nodded. In that moment, Jerry saw something in Willoughby’s eyes that froze him in place. It felt like a message. No, more than that. A warning. Deep inside himself, Jerry shuddered, fighting a memory that threatened to bury him in the cold blackness. Jerry could hear the voices on the other side of the tunnel wall again. The enemy had a plan.
twenty-three ADELE
The morning of the wedding, Adele was a ball of nerves. The day she’d dreamed of was here, and she could hardly wait to see what it would bring. She stared at her gown, hanging in the window. Sunlight streamed through the window, setting the silver threads alight, dappling the floor through the delicate lace sleeves. Adele had thought the cost was frivolous, but she had been unable to stop Maman and Guillaume from buying it for her.
“Imagine Jerry’s face when he sees you in it,” Maman had said, and that was the end of the matter.
“I can help you put it on,” Marie said now, from the door of the room. “Maman is dressing Queen Madeleine.”
Adele smiled. “She’ll be a beautiful flower girl.”
“And you a beautiful bride. Come here. You’ll never get those buttons on your own.”
Marie had arrived two days before to help prepare for the wedding. No one was surprised to hear Fred wasn’t coming, though Adele was disappointed on her sister’s behalf, but she was proud with how Marie had handled the situation. When Fred refused, she had informed him that he would be taking care of Arthur, which he hadn’t liked. Nervous at the idea of being alone with the baby, he had called in reinforcements in the form of his aunt.
At supper the night she’d arrived, Marie had accepted a glass of champagne and chuckled. “She’s a well-meaning woman, and she won’t let Fred hide away. We’ll see how he feels after a couple of days of burping and diaper changes.”
Now, Adele felt her sister’s fingers working at the back of her neck, finishing the row of tiny pearl buttons.
“There you are. Oh, Adele. You are a vision.” She held her hand toward the mirror. “Take a look.”
Adele hardly recognized the woman before her. Whoever she was, she looked very sophisticated, she thought, turning a bit to see the profile. So confident. Her wedding gown was threaded throughout with exquisite patterns of beaded flowers, not unlike the diamonds on her ring. What a difference from the first time Jerry had seen her. He loves me, she thought for the hundredth time, awed by the very idea. Soon she would be his, and he would be hers.
She had already received her first wedding gift, and it was more meaningful than the giver could have imagined. She’d told Dr. Knowles of her impending nuptials, then she’d watched conflicting emotions play over his rosy face. After congratulating her with the utmost courtesy, he had chewed a moment on his lower lip, and she knew he had more to say. Eventually, he worked up the courage he needed then peered at her through myopic eyes.
“I understand my breach in etiquette, Mademoiselle Savard. I am aware the idea of married women retaining a career in nursing is generally frowned upon.” His lips tightened slightly. “But I am wondering if you might consider staying on here. You are the most qualified nurse I have ever worked with. The patients and I would consider it the greatest of personal sacrifices on your part if you would remain.”
In truth, she had been planning to ask him about that, whether it was considered socially acceptable or not. She knew without asking that Jerry would have supported her choice to continue her work. He understood it wasn’t just a job to her; it was a calling. Still, she had clarified with Jerry before agreeing, because she knew it was the right thing to do. From now on, she would be sharing her life with someone, not just forging ahead on her own. She assured Dr. Knowles that she had no intention of leaving his employ, and the relief that spilled over the doctor’s face in that moment was worth any hesitation she might have had.
Today, Adele would become Mrs. Bailey, but that would never change the fact that she would always be Nurse Savard. Or perhaps Nurse Bailey, going forward.
At John’s insistence, the couple had happily agreed to hold the wedding, then the reception at the Bailey house. At first, he had grumbled a bit, since he’d wanted to throw a rip-roaring party for the newlyweds at one of the speakeasies, but Jerry had drawn him aside and explained why he didn’t want to do that. After the feeling he’d gotten from Willoughby the other night, he’d decided the wedding would include only family and close friends, which meant there would be no excuse for their rival to wander in again, unwelcomed. John had reluctantly agreed that Jerry was right. Any possible issues with Willoughby would be dealt with after the big day.
As the best man, John had ensured Jerry was nowhere near the house that morning. He’d taken him to the warehouse, then out to the Dominion for a bracing drink, but they were back now. From the room upstairs where Adele had gotten dressed, she could feel the love crowding into the big room downstairs. It had probably been a good thing that Hazel and Lillian weren’t able to come, because there simply would not have been enough room. They’d both sent their best wishes and regrets from the east coast, explaining it would be too far to travel with their new babies, but promising to come see Jerry and her when they could. They remembered him fondly—just as they remembered the glances that had been shared between the two when Adele had thought no one would notice.
Now that Adele was dressed, a crown of pearls pinned to her hair along with its attached veil, it felt to Adele as if the house held its breath, waiting. Then Guillaume appeared at her bedroom door, a bittersweet expression of pride on his face, his arm held out in invitation, and the waiting came to an end.
“Your groom awaits,” he said.
“Your turn,” Marie whispered to Madeleine. The serious little girl was all dressed up in a pretty pink dress Marie had made for her, complete with a stylish dropped waist. “You get to go first. Remember what I told you. You take this little basket, and you be very careful on the stairs. When you get to the bottom, you sprinkle these pretty petals all the way across the room to Grandmère. She will be waiting for you.”
Madeleine frowned. “That will be messy.”
Adele held in a laugh. It would have been a relief to let it out and shake up all the nerves that had congregated in her stomach, but she kept it inside.
“Yes, dear,” Marie explained to her daughter. “It’s just for today. Aunt Adele will be walking over the flowers like a princess. I will be right behind you, but it’s your job to go first. All right.” She hugged her little girl then ushered her toward the door. “Go!”
Then she turned back to Adele, her eyes glistening. Adele held her breath, and for a moment it was just her and Marie, sisters as children, and now sisters on a whole new level. Her best friend her whole life.
“I’m very glad for you, little sister. You and Jerry will be so happy together.” A sound of appreciation carried from the living room as the little flower girl arrived, and Marie started to follow. At the last moment, she looked back. “Don’t chicken out now. I’ll be waiting for you.”
The living room was packed with loved ones, including Jerry’s cousins, aunt, and uncle, but as Adele and Guillaume reached the bottom of the stairs then entered the petal-littered space, all she could see was Jerry’s striking figure, tall and proud and waiting for her by the fireplace mantel. Behind him, the portraits of his parents looked down, and she smiled, feeling their approval. Guillaume led Adele to Jerry, then he took a breath and laid her hands in his. He sniffed lightly as he backed toward Maman, and nostalgia welled up inside her. She was no longer Guillaume’s little girl, no longer her mother’s baby. She was a grown woman, marrying a man who loved her over all others. A man she knew deep in her soul that she could always depend upon. For a heartbeat, she felt afraid, stepping from one lifetime into another, but his beautiful grey gaze held hers, and the love radiating from him filled her heart to overflowing.
She faced him, both her hands in his, so caught up in him that she barely heard the minister begin the service. Then it came time for their vows, and the corners of Jerry’s lips curled slightly, reassuring her.
“Do you, Jeremiah Alexander Bailey, take this woman, Adele Yvonne Savard, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death you do part?”
Adele had thought about those words so many times, she had them memorized. She knew the commitment might seem frightening to some, but not to her. Not to Jerry. She thought of the day they’d met, and her memories replayed his convalescence, with her always at his side. The scars weren’t just his, they were theirs. They’d already been through so much. She wasn’t afraid of anything except being without him.
“I do,” he said without hesitation, strong and sure.
She tried to say her own “I do” without tears of happiness trickling down her cheeks, but couldn’t. Jerry’s fingers squeezed hers to give her comfort.
On cue, John stepped forward and placed a ring in his brother’s palm. Adele held out her trembling hand as Jerry spoke.
“With this ring, I thee wed. With my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
The whole room joined in with a hushed, “Amen.”
Then Adele turned to Marie, who was right there waiting, holding Jerry’s gold ring. She took it, her attention on the precious gold promise, and she gave a silent thanks.
When Adele had first come home and announced her engagement, her mother had burst into tears then run into her room. She returned moments later, holding a man’s gold ring.
“This was your father’s,” she said. “Now it will be Jerry’s.”
Adele had never thought about that before. “Why me? Why not Marie?”
“Fred did not want a ring. It passes to you, if you want it.”
“Oh, Maman. Of course I want it.” The gold had been engraved with a tiny, antique scroll, a subtle design on a perfect ring. “Jerry will love it.”
Now she slipped it onto his finger, speaking her vows, promising him everything she had and everything she would ever have. There was no hesitation in her heart or in her words.
Then the minister addressed everyone in the room. “Jeremiah Alexander Bailey and Adele Yvonne Savard, through their words today, have joined together in holy matrimony, exchanging their vows before God and witnesses. They have pledged their commitment each to the other, and have declared the same by joining hands and exchanging rings. I now pronounce that they are husband and wife. Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” His gaze dropped to Jerry. “You may now kiss the bride.”
The moment Adele kissed her husband’s lips, John let out a whoop, and the celebrations began. Jerry’s uncle Henry brought out champagne for a toast, and Guillaume followed with a tray of glasses. Adele looked into her sparkling glass and couldn’t help briefly remembering her last taste of champagne, in another lifetime at Ernie’s party. There, everyone had been talking and laughing, but she’d sensed no true affection in anyone’s smiles. Here, love was all she saw.
“This is just to start, folks,” John assured everyone. “Whisky’s on its way. For now I ask you to raise your glasses for my brother and his beautiful wife. Jerry’s my best friend. Always has been.” John’s eyes found hers, and her throat tightened at the sincerity she saw in them. “In all the world, I never could have imagined a more perfect match for him than Adele, and I love her as I love him.” He looked back at the others, smiling. “I know you all stand with me as I wish them a lifetime of happiness, love, and prosperity. May you always be as happy as you are today. To Adele and Jerry!”
Jerry’s aunt Judy had put out a table full of food that the women had prepared in advance, then she added punch, which she put beside John’s bottles of whisky. Standing beside Adele, Jerry pointed out little Madeleine practically crawling up the table leg for a cookie, but they only laughed, and Adele assured him she was ready to step in if the tablecloth started to slip. By then Marie had taken over the gramophone, playing from discs she’d brought, and was insisting that everyone dance. As John spun a giggly Madeleine around the room, Guillaume took Maman in his arms, and Jerry stretched out his hand to Adele.
“Care for a dance, Mrs. Bailey?” he asked. She took his hand and snuggled in close with her eyes closed, knowing he’d lead her expertly around the other dancers. “Are you happy, Adele?”
She looked up at his gentle smile, at the lines on his face she knew so well. “I have never been happier in my whole life,” she said, and he leaned down to kiss her.
“That makes two of us,” he replied, holding her close.
A half hour or so later, Adele was dancing with Guillaume when she noticed Walter and John going to the door. They spoke briefly with someone standing outside, then turned back. Unease rippled through her as they walked directly to Jerry.
“Warehouse was raided,” John said quietly, but Adele overheard. She dropped Guillaume’s hand and joined the brothers.
“Is everyone all right?” she asked, concerned.
John shrugged. “A few cuts and bruises. No need to trouble a nurse over it.”
“How much did they get?” Jerry asked calmly.
“Sounds like everything,” John said tightly. “Walter and I’ll head over now and see what’s what.”
Jerry nodded, and she was surprised that he was smiling slightly. Maybe she was wrong, but shouldn’t he be more concerned if his livelihood had just been stolen?
“We saw this coming,” Jerry was saying. He put an arm around his brother’s shoulder as they walked toward the door. “That’s what we’ve been doing all this work for. He has no idea about the tunnel.”
Marie appeared, looking nervously at the departing men. “Is everything all right?”
“I think so,” Adele said, reassured when she saw Jerry returning to her. “Jerry doesn’t seem concerned, at least.”
Marie nodded toward the couch, where Madeleine had fallen asleep despite the noise. “Your flower girl needs to go to bed, and it looks like Maman is close behind. Will you be awfully upset if we take our leave now?”
Adele thanked her sister for everything, and soon the rest of the guests dwindled, and the newlyweds stood on their porch, waving goodbye under a waning moon. When the last had gone, Adele turned to Jerry, remembering what he had said to John earlier.
