Scarlet Feather

by Maeve Binchy

  'Melanie, excuse me, there's someone at the door, back in a second.' Cathy got up and walked three times round the premises, then went over to Tom.

  'Sorry, Tom, I'm going to blow this, there are some people I can't talk to. It's Melanie saying that the orchestra is far too dear… Can you talk to her?'

  'No, no, no, Cathy.'

  'Yes, Tom, I beg you. She needs your dripping sensuality down the phone. Just say something sexy, she'll be putty in your hands like they all are.'

  'I hate you, Cathy Scarlet.'

  'And I hate you a lot of the time, Tom Feather, but for the good of the company I put up with a lot of—'

  'What did you tell her… ?'

  'That I had to answer the door.'

  He picked up the receiver. 'Melanie O'Brien, how are you?' he said. 'Cathy got tied up with someone at the door. Tell me what I can do for you, but before you tell me something, tell me you'll keep me a dance on Wednesday night?'

  Cathy watched Tom make a gesture as if he were stroking a cat.

  'Piss artist,' Cathy said to June.

  'But desperately good at it,' June said shrewdly. 'She's not bellyaching about the cost of the bloody orchestra now, is she?'

  On the Tuesday Maud telephoned Cathy.

  'Excuse me, I don't want to delay you,' she began.

  'Good girl, Maud, I am quite busy,' Cathy said.

  'It's just that you know you said we should be grown-up.'

  'And you are being grown-up by saying we mustn't delay, so what can I do for you, Maud?'

  'You don't want any treasure polishing, you say?'

  'No, not at the moment, thank you.'

  'But Cathy, when you gave us that fiver from Muttie, we went up to Muttie and his wife Lizzie, and they told us that some of your treasures were stolen…'

  'Yes, but don't worry about that.'

  'No, it's just I remember how much you liked the silver thing you called a punchbowl.'

  'Yes, Maud?'

  'Are they very dear?'

  'I don't know, Maud, honestly, and if there isn't anything else…'

  'It's just I saw one in our garden shed. It's usually locked, but I went in today and I thought maybe it might be nice for you instead of yours, and I could ask Father—'

  'Don't ask anything for the moment, Maud, I beg you, we're up to our tonsils here and we'll get back to you.'

  'You said that before, Cathy, and you never came back at all.'

  'Jesus, Maud, don't nag, please, please don't nag, if you knew the kind of day we're having here.'

  'Sorry.'

  'And after we've done this wedding tomorrow, I really will come and see you. Promise. Okay?'

  'Who was that?' Tom asked.

  'Maud. I wasn't as patient as I might have been, but she was going on and on about some punchbowl.'

  'What?'

  'She says there's one hidden in their garden shed up at The Beeches.'

  Suddenly they looked at each other.

  'Oh, my God.' Cathy put her hand over her mouth.

  'Walter,' said Tom.

  It was a day when everything seemed to take twice the length it should have. They just didn't have the five minutes they needed to talk about the possibility of Walter being responsible.

  'I can't believe he did all that damage,' Cathy said.

  'You'd understand him nicking things, it's in his nature.'

  'Maybe whoever was with him.'

  'But how did he get in?' Tom worried

  And that was it. They had to concentrate on the news from the fishmonger's that the catch had been bad last night and the fish they had ordered just hadn't turned up. So the platter that would have looked so well as a starter had to be rethought. Tom had forgotten to ask the butcher to cut and cube the meat, that meant another half-hour with knives. Cathy had arranged the wedding cake, but the confectioner didn't deliver to Wicklow. Yes, they delivered, they had snapped on the telephone, but to Dublin, not the wrong side of the moon. Con had a toothache and needed to go to the dentist. June said her husband Jimmy was behaving like a madman and insisting she be home by midnight, could Tom or Cathy ring him and tell him how far Wicklow was and how unpredictable the time a wedding ended. Lucy said she had had a row with her parents, who had asked were they paying university fees for her in order that she become a waitress. There had been a very firm demand that she spend more time at her lectures and less time working for Scarlet Feather. People who never rang them decided to call today. Joe Feather had rung to know would Tom come round tonight and help him beat the daylighIs out of the guy who had taken all his merchandise. Lizzie rang to say the photographs from Marian's wedding had arrived and they were beautiful. Did they want her to bring them into the premises? James Byrne rang about a final demand for a bill they thought they had paid, and they had to look up the records. Neil wanted to know which night could they invite this guy from Brussels to dinner. Cathy wondered would they maybe eat out, she didn't say since she was cooking all day it might be a treat. She hadn't time to tell him about Walter and the punchbowl.

  Tom went ahead to Holly's with the others, and on the way dropped Cathy at the church. She wore a hat borrowed from Geraldine to honour the day, and a spray of flowers on her lapel. It didn't look promising, the gathering. Two very separate groups standing heads close together outside the church, each darting glances over at the other from time to time. Cathy went to the group that did not have Melanie O'Brien in. This was the family of Sean Clery on his big day, whispering and heads shaking. She introduced herself cheerfully and held a few names in her head, then she more or less backed over to the other group and made some introductions. Both sides were resisting it, but there was little they could do when this woman in the hat was more or less forcing them to shake hands. Then Sean arrived. There were no hugs from his family. Just a shrugging acknowledgement of his great beaming smile as he hurried into the church. Cathy felt an urge to kick them all. Then Stella arrived; she looked lovely in a blue and silver dress and jacket. She wore a little blue hat and huge silver earrings. Cathy felt a lump in her throat at the sight of this generous woman who wanted to spend her savings entertaining friends and family. Cathy looked over at the sour Melanie, who had barely bothered to wash her face or change her cardigan for the celebration, and she swore to herself that she would do everything in her power to make this day a great one, a memorable one for Stella and Sean.

  Tom had everything under control when they got to Holly's. Trays of champagne greeted the guesIs as they came in.

  'What was it like at the church?' Tom hissed.

  'A bit grim. Is the orchestra here?'

  'Yeah, they're a bit way-out-looking.'

  'You haven't heard them play,' she pleaded.

  'No, well, nobody might, go and talk to them, will you? I keep hitting on the ones that can't speak English.'

  'Racist, how much of their language do you speak?'

  ' I don't know, what is their language?' Tom said with spirit.

  'No idea, I'll go and talk to Josef,' she said cheerfully.

  'And Cathy?'

  'What is it now?'

  'Take off your hat, put on your pinny, you're meant to be working here,' he laughed.

  Josef understood weddings: in another life he had worked in a hotel, he said.

  'Do you know what I mean when I say this one needs quite a lot of attention?' she asked.

  'Like that music will be needed to replace conversation at the beginning?' Josef suggested.

  'Let's hope and pray that it's only needed at the beginning,' said Cathy.

  Because of the uncertainty as to who would or would not attend, they had arranged a buffet with open seating. All Sean's side sat at one end, all Stella's at the other. Lucy and Con poured the wine as liberally as they could, but reported a lot of hands placed firmly over glasses. They had even heard one of Sean's daughters saying she wouldn't give the other side the satisfaction of letting them see her drunk. The food went down well, they got some grudging compl
iments and plenty of requests for second helpings, The mazurkas and polkas and whatever else Josef's people were playing did indeed disguise the fact that this was not the most relaxed and happy of gatherings. Stella and Sean were so happy that everyone had come after all, they didn't seem to take in the degree of resentment around them. They were simple enough to believe that everyone had turned up today to wish them well. Lucy reported from the ladies' room that some of them were saying they'd try to escape before the speeches. So Tom nudged them towards the cake, and Josef's troupe gave a fanfare of anticipation. And Sean cleared his throat.

  'When my wife Helen died, and when Stella's husband Michael died, we both thought our lives were over. And then we got a second chance. It's not going to be the same. Nobody can replace Helen and Michael, and no one is trying to, but we want to thank you for coming out with us this day to celebrate the happiness we had in the past and the happiness we hope is waiting for us in the future. This day would be nothing to Stella and myself if Helen and Michael's children and relations and friends didn't come to wish us well, so can I ask you to drink one toast to friendship and the future, and then to join us on the dance floor.'

  They staggered to their feet and muttered the words. Josef struck up with a slow waltz, and turned round to beckon with flamboyant gestures that the group should dance. Sean led Stella onto the floor. It was a time when people should have applauded and looked at each other with warm smiles. But nobody joined them on the floor. Stella tried to encourage people.

  'Don't beg them, don't beg them,' Cathy pleaded. She didn't realise she had spoken aloud.

  'Take off your pinny,' Tom ordered.

  He was ripping off the Scarlet Feather sweatshirt he wore over his ordinary white shirt. Then he dragged her out onto the dance floor. Josef and his friends had been playing something which might have been 'Tennessee Waltz', and now had turned into something that might have been 'Sailing Along On Moonlight Bay'. Cathy had never danced with Tom before. She had forgotten how very big he was, her head was way beneath his shoulder. When she danced with Neil they were the same size. Tom smelled of soap.

  'I'm afraid to look, is anyone dancing?' she muttered into his chest.

  'Con has Lucy out there, but I think it's time to change partners.' He released her suddenly and walked purposefully towards Melanie O'Brien. 'Now Melanie… you promised, he called to her.

  Melanie stood up and accepted his hand. Cathy had pulled a red-faced friend of Sean's from his group, June had joined in and got Stella's son on his feet, Con and Lucy had split up and asked other people. It was done with such authority that nobody could refuse. It happened very gradually, but it happened. They had got them on the dance floor. Tom danced with the bride. Stella smiled up at him.

  'I'll simply never be able to thank you,' she said. 'Better than any son and daughter could have been. My wish is that you two will be blessed with your children in the future.' She looked over to where Cathy was dancing animatedly with the red-faced man. Like so many people, she assumed that Tom and Cathy were a couple.

  'Cathy's married to a lawyer, and I'm, well, I'm still looking,' Tom said.

  ' I hope you find someone wonderful,' she said.

  ' I hope I'm as happy as you and Sean… Whenever I do get married, I'll think of this day, but I'm going to give you back to him now and go back to work.

  He passed round the cake, topped up the glasses and noticed that there actually was some conversation going on as well as dancing. It could never be voted the Party of the Year but the terrible freeze, the chilling silence when the bride and groom had danced alone was gone. He heaved a sigh of relief. If people started to go now it wouldn't be embarrassing. But of course, perversely, nobody now had a notion of leaving. They felt that they had to increase the sum they were giving Josef and his orchestra, since they were now an hour over the time agreed. They did their usual discreet clearing up, removing paper napkins, extra cutlery and coffee cups but without exactly wresting the glasses from people's hands. And soon the guests began to drift home. Tom decided to move the van nearer to the kitchen door of the hotel. It wouldn't start. Not a sound from the engine. They tried jump leads, without success. There wasn't a garage for miles. He moved quickly; Josef and his orchestra would drive June home.

  'All my birthdays at once, I get to go home with the band,' June said, overjoyed.

  Con could give Lucy a lift on the back of his motorbike, which she liked as an idea too. Miss Holly was hovering in the background supervising the departure, clucking with admiration at the spotless kitchen, thanking them for the gifts of food covered with cling film and neatly stacked in the hotel refrigerator. He made sure that the bride and groom knew nothing of what was happening. They sat down in the kitchen to have a badly needed glass of wine.

  'You two are an example to the whole catering trade,' Miss Holly said approvingly. 'And if ever there's a chance of another wedding, I'd really be most anxious to do it, I can't tell you how—'

  'Hold the praise, Miss Holly,' Torn said. 'We can't get the van to start, we have to stay the night here. I'm terribly sorry, it's never happened before

  'Don't worry, you're in the right place, there are plenty of rooms free. Just take the keys from the rack in the hall.'

  It was a feature of Holly's hotel, that old-fashioned key rack with the big tassels in different colours.

  'Will you join us in a nightcap, Miss Holly?'

  'No, I'm overexcited already by all this, I must go to bed. Stay as long as you like; you need to unwind,' she said, and went to her own quarters.

  Tom and Cathy relaxed in the kitchen of Holly's. They talked on and opened another bottle. They could really expand once they had a place like this to do weddings; they must get Ricky to photograph it before the leaves had all left the trees. They talked about giving cookery classes on Wednesday afternoons back at the premises, about freezer packs for sale at the premises or even through stores. Tom would ring Haywards early tomorrow morning to get his emergency breads released from the freezer. How wise he had been to set up the system. ' I must ring Neil now,' Cathy took out her mobile. Tom made a move to give her some privacy, but she waved him back to sit down. It was only the answering machine.

  'Neil, you'll never believe it but the van broke down, so I'm going to stay the night here at Holly's. I don't know what time we'll get it on the road tomorrow, but I'll give you a ring in the morning. Hope you're all right, you're out late but I expect the meeting went on a bit. The wedding down here went fine, by the way. I love you. Bye.'

  'You're very independent, both of you.' Tom admired the way they could lead separate lives.

  'It works, it usually works, but at the moment it's a bit up and down. He thinks I should go on a holiday with him.'

  'Well go,' Tom said.

  ' I most certainly will not. What have we just been discussing? This is our very busiest time upcoming. I want you to take a couple of days off soon, but I'd be very pissed off if you decided to go off on a real holiday somewhere just now.'

  'All right, I won't,' he grinned.

  'We'll have one more glass of wine, Tom.'

  'Sure, and a hangover, but why not.'

  'Let's take it upstairs,' Cathy said.

  They took one of the tasselled keys, and giggling like schoolchildren they went to open the bedroom door. Cathy picked one of the beds, kicked off her shoes and lay down, looking at him.

  'We really should have a notebook to write all these things down. We won't remember anything tomorrow.'

  'Write what down?' Tom sat on the other bed and poured the wine. 'Don't spill it, Cathy, you're very drunk.'

  'Unlike you, who are stone-cold sober. Write down the ideas, the Wednesday cookery classes, the freezer-fillers, whatever.'

  She put the glass down beside her and went straight to sleep. Just like a two-year-old would, or a puppy dog. One minute she was awake and talking about notebooks, the next she was fast asleep. Tom covered her with an eiderdown. He considered going down and get
ting a second key and finding another room. But they were talking about four hours, really. He lay down on the other bed and was asleep a few minutes later

  .

  Walter Mitchell couldn't sleep. Those stupid twins had actually telephoned Cathy Scarlet and told her that half her stolen stuff was still in his garden shed. He couldn't believe it. Maud had been rooting around when he discovered her. Some cock and bull story that Cathy was going to call round after a wedding today and see them, and she wanted to see if there was anything else useful in the shed. Poor Cathy and Tom had this terrible burglary where vandals had got in and…

  ' I told you never to go into my shed, you promised me you wouldn't, but you are such liars, no wonder no one wants you.'

  'People do want us,' Simon said.

  'Name one.'

  'Muttie does and his wife, that's two,' Simon said.

  'They don't want you anywhere near them,' Walter said.

  'They do, Cathy said that. He even sent us a five-pound note for bus fares, but it never got here.' Maud was stung. 'And Muttie is taking us to the races for our birthday.'

  'And did you tell Cathy that you were rooting in my shed?'

  'I told her that there was a punchbowl there like one of her treasures.'

  Walter went white. 'And what did she say, tell me you little halfwit, before I have to beat it out of you.'

  Maud was terrified. 'She didn't say anything, Walter, she only said she was busy but she'd come round after the wedding.'

  'Go to your bedrooms at once,' he ordered.

  'What are you going to do?' Maud asked.

  'I'm leaving this house. I can't bear the sight of you, either of you, liars, messers, meddlers. No wonder nobody wants you anywhere near them.'

  'But—'

  They didn't wait. They peered out and saw him packing a suitcase in his bedroom, and then he went out to the garden. Out of the window they saw him filling black sacks full of things from the shed, then a taxi came and he stacked all the bags in it. He really was going. Father rang and said he had met old Barty, and wouldn't be home until very late tonight or possibly in the early morning, so not to send out a full-scale alert for him.