A LADY NAMED ROSE
Chapter Thirty-Two
When he said he was taking her to Aunt
Mary's, Rose had no idea what was in store. Located in the heart of the New
York theater district, the restaurant was noisy, polluted with cigarette smoke,
and packed from wall to wall with actors, directors, playwrights, stagehands,
and savvy theatergoers who'd heard about the place via word of mouth. Rose loved
it.
The headwaiter recognized Sebastian instantly
and lead them to a small round table near a curtained stage. Rose leaned over,
shouting to be heard. "Where are the menus?"
He laughed. "There's no menus. You have
to know what to order or you don't eat."
"And how does one know what to order if
it's her first time here?"
"Just order whatever you like," he
said mischievously. "They'll let you know if it's not one of the chef's
specialties."
That was helpful, Rose thought, a bit peeved, but prepared to play the
game nonetheless. A homely barmaid in a gaudy costume arrived and placed
glasses of water on their table; it wobbled and water splashed onto the
tablecloth. The waitress made no move to clean the spill.
Sebastian ordered beers for the both of them.
"So where's the old bird tonight, Hannah?"
"You know she's here," the girl
answered, flashing him a surprisingly stunning grin that animated her plain
features. "She could be on her deathbed but she'd drag her ass in here on
Sundays...oops, 'scuse me, Miss." This last was addressed to Rose, who
only smiled politely.
"Rose, this is Hannah," Sebastian
introduced them. "You'll be seeing her name on the marquee at one of these
theaters pretty soon."
Hannah blushed. "Oh, go on with you. Are
you ready to order, Rose?"
Rose was aware of Sebastian's Cheshire cat
smirk, and decided she definitely was ready to order.
"I'll have a cheese steak sandwich,
please. Plenty of mustard and pickles, but light on the onions. And some fried
potatoes."
"Alrighty. And you, Mr. Garrett?"
Hannah flashed her dazzling smile again.
He ordered chicken and dumplings, and two
slices of apple pie a la mode for dessert. After Hannah left, Rose asked why
he'd ordered dessert before they'd even been served the main course.
"It's the best apple pie you'll ever
taste," Sebastian promised. He studied her thoughtfully. A few moments
passed and Rose grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny, turning her attentions
to the pianist who belted out raucous tunes near the stage.
"You really surprise me, you know?"
Rose decided to play at being coy.
"How's that?"
"All that talk of life on the farm. I
toured the Midwest with the Geisels, you know. I doubt if any of the girls in
Wisconsin knew what a cheese steak sandwich was, much less attended finishing
school."
Would nothing escape this man?
"They have them," she replied
defensively, hiding her hands underneath the table so he wouldn't see them
trembling. "Not everyone who comes from the country is uneducated."
Sebastian laughed--that disarming chuckle
again. "Obviously not. And you've been in New York for three years now, is
it? More than enough time to absorb our charming culture."
Rose was about to give a biting reply, but
saw he was joking and laughed nervously. Hannah returned with their beers and
she and Sebastian engaged in more easy banter. She pointed out to Rose a very
rowdy crowd gathered around a prominent table on the second level. Rose hadn't
even noticed there was a second floor. It was the cast of the Ziegfield
Follies.
"They close down this place every Sunday
night," Hannah bragged.
Throughout the evening, Rose's eyes
repeatedly strayed to the table on the second floor. They look like they were
having so much fun.
"Have you ever considered becoming an
actress?" Sebastian inquired.
The question startled her. She had done more
than consider acting as a career; she'd studied the looks and gestures of the
players in the moving pictures her father took her to see, imitating them later
in the privacy of her bedroom. She'd even told Jack...
"Rose? Did I say something to offend
you?"
She realized she had gotten lost in her
musings and allowed too much time to pass in silence. "Oh, no, no, I was
just enjoying this delicious pie."
"Glad you like it." The booming
voice belonged to a short, rotund woman with a silver mane stylishly pinned
atop her head and decorated with a feather. Her flowing white evening gown and
pearl choker put the attire of most of the other women in the place to shame.
"Well, it's about time you graced my joint with your presence. When's the
last time you were here, seven, eight months ago?" she asked Sebastian.
"You know I was here New Year's Eve,
same as always."
"Still too long. Is it loud enough fer
ya?" the woman yelled at Rose.
"Quite. You must be Aunt Mary."
"How'd you guess?" Mary turned back
to Sebastian. "You know, when Hannah told me you was here with such a
well-mannered young lady, I just had to come see fer myself." She winked
at Rose.
Rose smiled and offered a hand.
"I'm--"
"Rose," the proprietor finished for
her. "Hannah told me. Pleasure meeting ya. You folks gonna stay for the
entertainment?"
"What entertainment is that?" As
Rose spoke the curtain suddenly parted and a young tuxedoed gentleman stepped
onto the stage. The crowd quieted.
"It's starting right now," Mary
whispered--an apparent effort for her. "See you later."
She moved on to another table as the emcee
began to introduce the first act of the evening: a comedian who simply went by
the name Joe Bob. The audience started laughing uproariously before he opened
his mouth; his attire consisted of coveralls and a pair of mismatched socks.
"Sorry," he drawled. "If Ida
known this 'ere was a formal gatherin', Ida worn a tie."
And he launched into a series of jokes about
growing up poor in Tennessee. He was a hit.
The next act was a Miss Hannah Burroughs.
Rose gasped as she recognized their waitress, all dolled up now. To the
accompaniment of the piano, she sang, "There's a Broken Heart for Every
Light on Broadway," a new popular song that nearly everyone in the place
knew. By the end a chorus of drunken and largely off-key voices had chimed in.
Three numbers later, while Hannah was taking
her bows to a standing ovation, Rose's eyes wandered to the clock above the
stage. "Sebastian, it's almost 9:00!" She leaped from her seat,
nearly toppling her second beer of the evening. "Curfew's in an
hour!"
"Curfew?" His brows furrowed.
"You actually have to be in the dorm by a certain hour?"
She nodded anxiously. "Preferably in my
room, with the lights out."
"All right. You'll just be a little
late, that's all." Sebastian signaled to another waitress.
But the drive to Poughkeepsie would take
nearly a good three hours, and as soon as they were on the road, Rose lit a
cigarette to steady her nerves. Used to be Miss Henderson never did a bed check
at curfew, but the rules had been tightened a bit since Charlotte's
disappearance. Besides, the matron was a light sleeper and there was a strong
possibility she'd hear the auto approaching.
"Did you hear what I said, Rose?"
"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't paying
attention."
"Don't worry. If we're caught I'll say
it was my fault."
Rose was silent, recalling the Dean of
Students questioning her about Charlotte in a drafty, intimidating office.
Sebastian got back on the subject. "I
was saying you never answered my question about whether you'd ever considered
an acting career."
"No, I haven't," Rose answered
quickly. Why tell him the truth, and risk being ridiculed?
"Well, perhaps you should
reconsider," he said. "You have such a wonderful speaking voice...and
the looks." He eyed her carefully, and she averted her head so he wouldn't
see her pleasure at the compliment.
"I don't have any talent."
"You haven't tried."
They didn't talk much the remainder of the
trip, and when they did it was mostly chitchat about Aunt Mary's and the people
who frequented it. As they approached the campus, Rose instructed Sebastian to
park on the street. Feeling like Cinderella--but more foolish--she took him by
the hand and they crept stealthily to the dorm entrance.
She reached into her reticule for the key,
and Sebastian stopped her.
There was no need for words. They pulled each
other close, ravenously seeking warmth and the taste of one another. The
handbag fell to the ground between them, but neither noticed, nor did they
notice the light that went on in the parlor window.
The door flew open and Rose heard someone
speak her name in a disapproving voice before Sebastian released her.
"I suppose we needn't have
worried," Miss Henderson said in a cool, crisp tone.
Rose stared in dismay as a shadow behind the
dorm matron shifted and stepped into full view.
"Angelica was quite concerned for your
welfare after you failed to make curfew," Miss Henderson continued,
"so she awakened me."
Angelica, who was out of the matron's line of
sight, smiled triumphantly and wagged a finger at Rose.