The door cracked open, and Morgan said, “Are you ladies decent?”
“Of course. Come in,” Rose replied.
Morgan, Clay, and Jack entered the room with U.S. Marshal Holt and Sheriff Trent behind them.
After Morgan introduced Emma to the two men, he said, “Marshal Holt stayed at the farm while he was recuperating.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” She looked at the marshal, and said, “Addie told me all about your ordeal in her last letter. I’m happy to see that you recovered nicely.”
“Your grandmother is an excellent doctor,” Marshal Holt said.
“Marshal Holt stayed in Denver just to hear your performance tonight,” Granny said.
Emma smiled at him. “That’s very kind of you. I do hope you will not be disappointed.” Emma noticed Sweetie got up and walked to Clay, and the pastor rubbed his ears in the specific way Sweetie preferred.
“I saw one of your performances back East. It was a real pleasure,” Marshal Holt said.
“The whole town has been looking forward to this night,” Sheriff Trent said. “Since your posters went up, you’ve been the talk of the town. I’m amazed Morgan was able to get rooms in the hotel.”
“I sent a telegram to the hotel as soon as we found out the date Emma would arrive,” Morgan said.
“But how did you get the rooms directly across from mine?” Emma asked.
“When we arrived, the clerk said he couldn’t give us the room across from yours, so I threatened to shoot him,” Morgan quipped.
Rose’s eyes widened in surprise. “You didn’t!”
Morgan winked at her. “No, I didn’t need to. Jack threatened to put him in jail.”
Addie gaped at her husband. “Did you?”
Jack grinned. He didn’t bother to deny the truth.
Granny laughed at the two men she considered her sons. “You two are a pair of knaves.”
Clay stood back, watching the men tease their wives. It warmed his heart to see the love they had for the women. It reminded him of a time in his life when he’d been that happy. He glanced at Emma, and at the very same time, her eyes met his, but she quickly looked away.
“You ladies look beautiful,” Morgan said.
Jack walked to his wife and stared at the gown she was wearing. “Morgan’s right. I’ve never seen four prettier ladies in my life.” He sounded pleased, but his expression said something else. It seemed to him that his wife’s dress showed too much of her voluptuous figure.
“You’re gawking, honey,” Addie whispered.
“I expect every man in Denver will be gawking,” Jack muttered. He had yet to learn the fine art of patience when he saw men drooling over his shapely wife. She was always tastefully dressed, but the problem was, there was simply no way to hide her curves. Unless he placed a feed bag over her, men were bound to gawk. He glanced at her buxom figure one more time, and thought the feed bag idea may have some merit.
“Granny, you look so pretty, I expect Jack and I will be fighting off suitors tonight,” Morgan said.
Granny slapped his arm. “You are a silver-tongued devil, but I love you more for it. I’d say you’re spending too much time with Jack. I thought he had cornered the market on nonsense, but I may be wrong about that.”
“You know you love me as much as Morgan,” Jack teased.
“You’re both full of nonsense.” Granny hoped Emma would find a man as fine as her two sons-in-law. To her way of thinking, Clay fit the bill. Now all she needed was cooperation from both parties. Nothing would make her happier than to have all of her granddaughters living in Whispering Pines, and giving her many great-grandbabies.
“What time should we leave? There’s quite a line forming all the way down the street,” Morgan said.
Emma looked at the clock on the mantel. “Oh, my heavens, I must get ready. Wait for me so you won’t have to stand in that line. I have reserved a box for you.” She glanced at the marshal and the sheriff, and added, “There are enough seats for everyone.”
Chapter Two
The men were following the women on the sidewalk as they walked to the Grand Crystal Hall. Just as Jack expected, the women captured the eye of every man walking by, and he glared at each and every one.
Morgan noticed too. “I’d say the Langtry sisters garner a lot of attention.”
“I think we can teach them some manners,” Jack grumbled.
“No harm in looking at pretty ladies, as long as all they do is look,” Clay told them calmly.
“Says the man who is not married to one of them,” Morgan said.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “You’ll feel differently when it’s your wife men are gawking at.”
“I don’t think they mean any harm,” Clay said. There was a time he knew exactly how Morgan and Jack felt. His wife was a beauty, and it had rubbed him the wrong way when men would ogle her. Now he’d give the world to have her back so men could look at her.
Jack and Morgan exchanged a look that said, Wait until it happens to him again.
“Have you seen the Grand Crystal Hall yet?” Emma asked her grandmother.
“No, we haven’t, but Jack told me all about it,” Granny said.
Morgan elbowed Jack in the ribs and muttered, “Uh-oh.”
The words barely left Morgan’s mouth when Addie turned around to look at her husband. “You didn’t tell me you have been there.”
“I haven’t, but the marshal and sheriff told me all about it,” Jack said.
“Have you been there, Morgan?” Rose asked.
“No, ma’am. But I hear it lives up to the name.”
Sheriff Trent grinned at the men, but he didn’t dispute their account. “It is a beautiful place.”
They reached the hall, and Granny remarked that it took up more space than any six buildings combined in Whispering Pines. Once inside, the women turned in complete circles to admire the lavish décor of the enormous room. Huge crystal chandeliers throughout the room were glittering like diamonds, and provided a soft golden romantic glow over the opulent interior. One would never know the time of day for the deep red velvet drapes covering the windows, blocking all of the light from the outside. Expensive Persian rugs covered the hardwood floor, and large upholstered settees and chairs were artfully arranged along the walls for more intimate conversations. A massive staircase in the center of the room led to the balcony seats. A long, highly polished mahogany bar spanned the back of the room. Adorning the back wall was an enormous mirror which allowed the patrons lined up at the bar full view of the room. In front of the bar, there were several gaming tables, already filled with players hoping to beat the house. On one side of the room a floor-to-ceiling velvet curtain concealed the stage. People were already seated in the chairs facing the stage, and applause erupted when they spotted Emma in the room. She bowed politely, and turned back to her family.
“This is a beautiful place,” Granny said.
Emma pointed to the balcony and said, “I reserved seats up there for you. You should have a good view of the entire stage.”
“Emma, we plan on eating dinner at the hotel after the performance. Invite the gentlemen we met earlier,” Morgan said.
Emma was grateful to Morgan for including her friends. “I’m sure they would be delighted to join us. Carlo loves a party.”
Granny kissed Emma on the cheek. “Good luck, honey.”
Emma glanced at Clay and asked, “Would you mind taking Sweetie with you? He seems to like you.”
“Of course. I told him I rather he be my friend than my enemy.” Clay watched Emma talk to the dog and explain he should go with him. He had a feeling the dog understood Emma’s instructions. As she walked away, Sweetie stayed with Clay without hesitation.
Within minutes after they took their seats, Granny leaned forward to view the crowd below. “There’s not an empty seat to be found.” As they waited, the women waved to people they knew from Whispering Pines. Granny pointed out to Clay all of the church members in th
e crowd to put his mind at ease. Some of their parishioners were not keen on their pastor attending the event since it was being held at the Grand Crystal Hall, where there was gambling and drinking.
The curtain on the stage parted, the conversations ended, and a rousing thunderous applause filled the room.
* * *
Granny was still gushing over the performance when they sat down to dinner at the hotel. “Carlo, you have a beautiful voice, and Andre, you are a very skillful pianist.”
The two men were instantly charmed by Granny. “Thank you. Your granddaughter makes our job much easier. She sings like an angel,” Carlo said.
“That is exactly what we told her when we were young,” Rose said. “I daresay it is much more entertaining to sing for so many people. I’m afraid Addie and I didn’t appreciate Emma’s talent as much as we should have.”
“She told us you would listen for hours,” Andre said.
“How did you meet Emma? From your performance, one would think you’ve been together forever,” Granny said.
“Andre had accompanied me before he came to America. Once he found Emma in America, he said he knew we belonged together,” Carlo said.
“The three of you are perfect together; it must have been destined,” Granny said.
“Thank you,” Andre said. “It is my honor to accompany your granddaughter and Carlo.”
Clay wondered if Emma was in love with Carlo or Andre. Both men were quite striking in appearance, and obviously men of accomplishment. He could understand how close they would become traveling the world together. “Do all of your performances draw such a crowd?”
“Since our tour of Europe, the crowds have been overwhelming,” Emma said.
“Emma, have you told them what a hit you were in Europe?” Carlo asked.
Everyone turned their eyes on Emma. Emma gave Carlo a pointed look. “I told them our tour was very successful.”
Carlo arched his brows at Granny. “Did your granddaughter tell you that we performed before kings and queens?”
“Why, Emma! You didn’t tell us that,” Granny exclaimed.
“Carlo, why don’t you tell them about the wonderful cities we have seen,” Emma suggested, hoping to avoid the conversation she knew Carlo would broach.
Carlo didn’t need further coaxing. He mesmerized them with his deep voice and animated gestures, relating tales of the many castles they’d seen, and the palaces where they had performed. But he managed to find a way to mention the prince who had become smitten with Emma in France. “The prince wooed her to no avail. He was heartbroken when she left France.” He gave Emma a mischievous grin. “But alas, I’m afraid Andre had already arranged performances in America, and Prince Charming was left alone at the dock.”
Addie asked the question on everyone’s mind. “Is he your Prince Charming?”
“Carlo is exaggerating as usual. Not only is he a brilliant tenor, he is an accomplished actor. And if he doesn’t watch it”—she kicked him under the table—“Sweetie will eat his steak.”
“Ouch.” Carlo groaned and leaned over to rub his shin under the table.
Emma gave him a look that clearly stated she was going to strangle him when they were alone.
“Is he truly a real prince? Did he speak English, or do you speak French, Carlo?” Granny asked.
“He is indeed a very royal French prince. He told me he was tutored in English as a young boy,” Carlo said, smiling from ear to ear. He leaned to Granny’s ear, and said in a lower tone, “When we were departing, the prince told me in the strictest confidence that he intended to come to America to pursue your granddaughter.”
Emma wished the floor would open up and swallow Carlo whole. Naturally, with his perfect theatrical voice, everyone at the table heard what he supposedly whispered to Granny.
“If the prince comes to America, I’m sure it will be to hear us perform, and not to court me,” Emma said.
“Us?” Carlo said. “Prince Henri d’Evereux only has eyes for you, dear Emma. I doubt he even knows I am a tenor, much less sharing the stage with you. I would not be surprised if we see him in San Francisco the first of the year.”
Even though Andre found Carlo’s antics amusing, he took pity on Emma, and he changed the conversation. “Although I haven’t had time to discuss this with Carlo and Emma, we have been offered an opportunity to have two more performances in Denver. After our performance tonight the owner of the Grand Crystal asked if we would be staying in Denver for a while. He said we could select our own dates.” Andre’s gaze shifted from Emma to Carlo. “What do you think? He made us a very generous offer.”
“If my family doesn’t mind. I promised them I’d spend the entire month in Whispering Pines. Carlo may have other plans too,” Emma replied.
“We would love to come to see you again,” Rose said. “What do you think, husband?”
“If the weather holds, which is always something we have to consider in December,” Morgan said.
“Carlo?” Andre asked.
“I had planned to go on to San Francisco, but for no particular reason. Since the offer is a generous one, and this is a lovely venue, I say we schedule the dates.”
“Are all of the places you sing as nice as the Grand Crystal Hall?” Clay asked.
Emma turned her attention on the handsome pastor. While she found him very physically appealing, there was something about him that seemed quite sad. She didn’t know if he was shy, or just the type of man who didn’t have much to say. “No, we have performed in older, smaller saloons. But the people enjoy the performances as much, if not more, as the patrons of the Grand Crystal tonight. They’re always appreciative to hear something they’ve never heard before.”
“We feel it is our duty to bring our music to everyone, no matter their position in life,” Andre said.
“Noblesse oblige,” Clay said, thinking the Frenchman spoke as a man of privilege.
“Not at all. We are not from advantaged backgrounds. We don’t hold the opinion that our performances should only be enjoyed by nobility. It makes us happy to share the music with those who may never have another chance to hear opera.” Andre smiled, and added, “Of course, we charge nobility substantially more.”
Granny noticed Clay had been very quiet tonight, and she suspected he was concerned over the parishioners in the church who objected that he attended tonight’s performance. “I think it’s wonderful that you bring joy to the ordinary people, just as you do for kings and queens. I noticed several people from Whispering Pines were in attendance tonight.”
Morgan understood Granny’s comment was made to put Clay at ease. “Jack and I told Clay he didn’t need to worry about the congregation. There were just as many people from the church in attendance as there were those who stayed home.”
“Why should anyone object to you attending our performance?” Carlo asked.
“A lot of folks view the Grand Crystal as a saloon,” Clay responded.
“I do not understand. Do they think when you walk into a saloon, you can’t resist gambling and drinking?” Carlo asked.
Clay contemplated Carlo’s question. It was a good question to put to his parishioners. “Perhaps they think it is difficult to resist temptation.”
“You shouldn’t have come if it was going to create problems for you.” Emma didn’t understand people being so narrow-minded. His hesitation to attend was understandable since he was new to Whispering Pines and he would naturally worry about offending members of the church.
“I can handle any objections, and I enjoyed the performance.” Clay wasn’t being diplomatic; he felt blessed to hear Emma sing. Her voice evoked emotions in him he thought he’d buried long ago. “I am curious if some of the places get a bit rowdy where you perform.”
“Yes, there have been a few times the local sheriff found it necessary to escort men off the premises. We don’t mind singing wherever we are invited as long as the audience can enjoy the performance. It’s thrilling to see their fa
ces, and to know for one night we’ve taken their minds off their troubles.”
“I’m certain that joy lasts for more than one night. It’s an experience they will recall the rest of their lives,” Rose said.
Clay agreed with Rose. Emma’s performance was one he would never forget. He understood what Carlo meant when he said that the prince didn’t even know he shared the stage with her. She definitely had a gift, and she commanded all of the attention. His eyes had only been on her.
* * *
Once dinner ended, Carlo and Andre excused themselves, but everyone else stayed in the restaurant to talk.
Morgan nudged Jack, and nodded toward the entrance of the restaurant. “There’s Judge Stevens.”
“Who is Judge Stevens?” Emma asked.
“Your brother Frank married his daughter,” Jack replied.
“Is that the judge who dropped all of the charges against him?” Emma asked.
“That’s the one,” Morgan said.
Emma recalled Granny’s last letter to her. “Granny, didn’t you say Frank’s wife was killed during a bank robbery?”
“Yes, she was. They were only married for a few weeks.”
“Does anyone know where Frank is now?” Emma asked.
Everyone looked at Sheriff Trent. “Last we heard, he was still looking for the judge’s girlfriend, Leigh King.”
“Why is Frank looking for his girlfriend?” Emma asked.
“That’s a long story,” Morgan said. “Let’s talk about this tomorrow. It’s late, and we have to leave early in the morning. We’d best retire for the night.”
Morgan started to stand, but Jack put his hand on his arm to keep him in his seat. Morgan gave Jack a quizzical look.
“Frank just walked through the door, and he’s headed for the judge’s table,” Jack said.
The table went silent, and everyone turned to see Frank Langtry stroll through the restaurant as though he were the conquering hero returning home. When he reached the judge’s table, the judge stood and embraced him.
Rose gripped her husband’s hand. She still feared Frank would make another attempt to kill Morgan.
Christmas in Whispering Pines Page 3
