The Vaudeville Star Read online

  As Archie and Bessie took the stage, a young man came walking into the theater asking for Vernon.

  “Up here, young fellow.” Vernon waved to him.

  The young man delivered a telegram to Vernon and left as quickly as he had entered.

  “Has someone died?” Lou asked drily.

  Everyone watched as Vernon read the telegram, and then suddenly he called out, “Max! Max!”

  Max didn’t immediately appear, so Archie went backstage calling his name as well. Ford watched the scene with interest. There must be something very important in the telegram, though at the moment only Vernon knew its contents.

  “Damn it all!” Vernon moved backstage. “Where is he?”

  Everyone immediately scattered to find the wayward assistant while Ruby took the small stairs to the right of the stage and walked down the aisle toward Ford. She took the seat in front of him and sat upon it, facing him.

  “How do you like the show? Do you think we’ll be a success?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “We haven’t really spoken since that night you got me drunk,” she said softly, her gray eyes meeting his.

  “I got you drunk?” Ford asked.

  “Of course. You know you did. You wanted to take advantage of me,” she teased him.

  He knew she was teasing. She was like that. An impish child wrapped inside a delicious woman’s body. He felt himself harden at her words, and he casually threw his overcoat across his lap.

  “Actually, I think you wanted me,” he teased her back. “You just couldn’t say it. So you got drunk so you could throw yourself at me.”

  She laughed, throwing her head back, which caused Ford to clench his teeth. What he wouldn’t give to caress her throat and pull her tightly against him and kiss her mouth.

  “Now damn it, where is Ruby?” Vernon said loudly from the stage.

  “I must go,” she told Ford before she stood up. “I’m here, Vern.”

  She walked back down the aisle as Ford admired the gentle sway of her hips and her straight back. Once onstage, Ruby saw Max was pouting.

  “I was cataloging the costumes like you said,” he told no one in particular.

  “All right, all right,” Vern said, raising his hands. “I need everyone’s attention. The telegram concerns us all and opening night.”

  Ruby went to stand next to Bessie and Archie and looked across at Vern.

  “I happen to know that the owner of the theater is very influential. He is good friends with several men who were known to frequent Marlborough House when the king was still the Prince of Wales.”

  “The king visited a house? Is that significant?” Bessie asked.

  “Marlborough House was a gathering place for gentlemen and friends of the prince. They dabbled and drank. They played cards,” Vern explained, irritated by the direction of the conversation.

  “And swapped wives!” Lou said, causing everyone to laugh.

  “Marlborough House. The White House. What on earth is all this nonsense? Please get to the point. We have a reservation to take tea at Claridge’s.” Zeta gestured to Lou.

  “If you would all let me finish!” Vern said, exasperated. “The king is coming to our opening night.”

  For once, Zeta was stunned into silence while everyone else clapped and smiled.

  “Apparently this isn’t that unusual, as the king does enjoy the theater immensely,” Vernon explained.

  “And the young singers,” Lou interjected.

  Vernon ignored him. “Nothing has changed. We still have a performance to put on in three days’ time, and we will kill it. Let’s pick up where we left off.”

  Bessie, Ruby, Archie, and Lee Chen went to tea after rehearsal. Though Ruby didn’t spend that much time with the Chinese magician, he was a constant companion of Archie’s, and they made a tidy foursome.

  “What did Lou mean about the king liking singers?” she asked them as their scones were served.

  “He has a reputation. Or he did when he was younger,” Bessie told her. “Although, honestly he’s quite old now. He must be close to sixty!”

  “I doubt age matters,” Archie said, smiling. “And since you asked, Ruby, I think he merely likes the ladies. But as I understand he has a current mistress. Amelia Kollep is her name.”

  “Alice Keppel,” came the quiet words from Lee Chen as everyone else laughed at Archie’s expense.

  Archie slapped him on the back. “You see? Only speaks when necessary.”

  Later after tea, the ladies separated from the men and took a carriage to Hyde Park. They walked along the green lawn and took in the sights before returning to the hotel.

  “I didn’t even think of it,” Bessie said absently as she placed her gloves and hat aside once inside their room.

  “You didn’t think of what?” Ruby said as she moved to the window that overlooked the street.

  “Well, it’s all very exciting for the king to come to our performance. That in itself is a coup. But what if we are presented to him? What then?”

  “And if we are presented, so what?” Ruby asked.

  “Curtsy! We need to know the correct way to curtsy!” Bessie exclaimed. “I mean, we’ve both curtsied on stage, which is well and good. But we need to do a proper curtsy.”

  “Do you think we will be presented? It seems unlikely,” Ruby countered.

  “Listen to me, Ruby. Would you rather learn the correct way and know how to do it and never use it? Or not know how and then we might have to do it?” Bessie said logically.

  “We must learn how to curtsy,” Ruby said.

  Both women stood facing each other, and Bessie tucked her right leg behind her left leg and bent her knees.

  “That’s how you do it,” Bessie assured her friend.

  “Are you sure?” Ruby asked. “That looks like what I’ve done onstage. I think it needs to be deeper.”

  Ruby followed her own advice and almost fell over as both women started laughing. A knock on the door sounded, and Archie entered.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “We are learning to curtsy. Your Majesty,” Ruby said as she descended into a curtsy and again almost toppled over.

  “My goodness, Ruby! What are you doing wrong? You look like a newborn colt!” Bessie laughed.

  “I can’t help it!” she said, laughing. “I want it to be perfect and majestic!”

  “I stopped by to invite you both to dinner. But it seems like you two might be at this for some time,” Archie said.

  “No! We won’t be. I’m starving,” Ruby told him. “Come, Bess.”

  “With pleasure, Your Highness,” she said, sinking gracefully into a curtsy.

  “Stop that! You make it look so elegant,” Ruby complained.

  “Well, think of us poor men. Look what we must do,” Archie said, and he performed a low bow to both ladies.

  “Oh, you!” Ruby smacked his shoulder. “How about I’ll bow and you curtsy?” she told him as they walked along the corridor.

  They decided to dine at The Duke again, which was conveniently located, and discovered it was quite full. She saw Ford sitting with Vern and Max as they grabbed a booth and ordered their food and pints.

  “Do you think we will be presented to the King, Archie?” Ruby asked him.

  “I do.”

  “You’re very certain.”

  “Logical.”

  “How so?”

  “The King will not miss a chance to be presented to all you lovely ladies. So if you want my advice?”

  “Which we don’t,” Bessie teased him.

  “Then learn to curtsy.”

  Ruby nodded. “After dinner, Bess. We must perform the perfect curtsy.”

  Ford had made it a habit since he had joined the agency to study people. Sometimes body language was easy to read. The Vadas sisters were clustered together with three men, and it wasn’t hard to see that the men hoped to bed the vivacious Hungarian women. They sat close to one another with their bodies
turned to them.

  He looked across at Lou seated with Zeta. Theirs was a more complex relationship, he mused. Lou seemed to dote on Zeta while she seemed reserved and cool. It was clear that her heart was not given so easily, or perhaps she was not as invested in their relationship.

  Finally, he turned his attention to Ruby’s table. Their table seemed to be a mix of easy friendship and family. He could tell that everyone was fond of Ruby. Bessie sat nearest her with a shoulder against hers and a smile on her face. The men were animated, but neither man touched Ruby or looked at her longer than was necessary.

  “So what do you think about our news?” Vernon said as he leaned over to Ford, breaking into his thoughts.

  “I think you owe someone a favor,” Ford said as he sipped his pint.

  “Right you are! Truth is, I barely know the owner. Perhaps King had something to do with this. Have you told him the good news?”

  “No. In fact, King had business to take care of, so I’ve not seen him since Liverpool.”

  “Well, if it was his doing, we have him to thank yet again. If he does attend, our tickets will sell like hotcakes.”

  When Ford looked up again, Ruby’s table was empty. After ten minutes, Ford walked back to the hotel. As he turned into the hallway, he heard giggling followed by laughter. Bessie was curtsying to Ruby, and Ruby was doing the same.

  “What are you two on about?” Ford asked in amusement.

  Ruby turned to Ford and laughed. “Nothing.” Then sinking into a curtsy, she said, “Your Majesty.”

  “Ahh. The king’s visit.”

  “Yes!” Ruby said in a delighted voice. “Do you think we will be presented, Ford?”

  “I don’t know the king, but from what I’ve read, he likes the theater very much. He always has since he was a young man.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we will be presented,” Ruby rightfully surmised.

  “He has an eye for the ladies. Especially lovely ones,” Ford said, giving each lady a look before he bowed low to them both.

  “My lady,” he said softly as he bowed to them before he retired to his room.

  Ruby was nibbling on her thumbnail the morning of opening night as she looked out the window from her hotel room. Bessie had ventured downstairs for breakfast, but Ruby couldn’t eat a thing. She sat in her chemise, curled at the window, as she had done so many times in New York, watching the pedestrians pass by.

  She could hardly believe that she had come so far in such a short amount of time. It almost didn’t seem possible. She had left Connecticut with no true understanding of life in New York. She knew what she wanted, but how many young people ventured to New York for the same thing and never achieved their dreams?

  She didn’t consider herself any different than those who had failed. She had talent and beauty, but so did many others. She had succeeded because she had been in the right place and met Bessie, who had also seen something in her and had wanted to help. Now with King’s financing . . .

  She let the thought drop and sighed heavily. She hadn’t seen him since their departure from the ocean liner, and she viewed that as a good thing. She didn’t want to focus on him, rather on her performance and what she wanted to accomplish.

  She liked the camaraderie of the other troupe members. She felt a part of a family that she had never known before. She felt a sudden twinge of guilt. She had never written to her mother or sister since leaving Connecticut, and she wondered if they ever thought of her.

  A knock sounded on the door, and Ford entered carrying a tray of coffee and toast. He kicked the door closed with his foot and moved forward into the room.

  “Ford! I didn’t expect you!” she said, pulling on her dressing gown.

  “I didn’t realize. I thought you would be dressed. I saw Bessie downstairs, and she said you were not hungry, so I brought you some coffee and toast.”

  Ruby saw the little tray also held a red rose in a tiny vase. Ruby felt her heart race.

  “That was kind of you. Let’s each have a cup,” she said, moving to the tray and pouring out the coffee.

  Ford saw her hand trembling, and he stopped her. “I’ll do it.”

  He finished pouring and handed her a cup.

  “Don’t be nervous, Ruby. You’ve no need to be.”

  “Don’t I? It’s London. Maybe they won’t like me. Maybe I’ll sing off-key. Maybe they’ll throw something at me.”

  “And maybe they’ll love you,” he said quietly.

  Ruby smiled. “Maybe.”

  “Then stop all this nonsense. You’re a Southern girl. You’ve got grit. You’re strong.”

  “Is that how you see me?” Ruby asked, smiling.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He nodded.

  Ruby laughed. “Then I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  They finished their coffee, and Ford moved to leave but turned to her.

  “About the king. The real king. Don’t worry about being presented to him or performing the curtsy wrong. Just smile and charm him like you do everyone else.”

  Holding on to his hand, Ruby dipped into a delicate and elegant curtsy. When she rose, she met his eyes. “Your Majesty.”

  “My lady,” he said in acknowledgment.

  20

  Ruby rubbed her hands together as she watched the stagehands scurry about backstage. From her position near the curtain, she could peek out into the theater. The audience was filling up. It was an immense auditorium, and soon there would be several hundred people watching her sing. She shuddered with giddy anticipation.

  Max came running backstage looking for Vernon, and soon the word spread. The theater was sold out, and it was standing room only, which meant that people who had not been able to purchase a seat would be standing in the back of the theater.

  There were now over nine hundred people in the theater, all waiting to see the New York vaudeville troupe. Ruby felt a shiver of dread mixed with delight at the thought. She watched as Vern walked by her wearing full white and black evening clothes. He smiled at her absently while under his breath she could hear him muttering his opening lines.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said as he walked by her. “I would like to welcome you . . .”

  Bessie joined her, looking lovely in her sparkling costume. “Don’t be nervous! I forbid it!”

  Ruby laughed lightly, trying to hide her nervousness. “I am and I’m not.”

  Bessie gave her a quick hug. “They will love you.”

  She hurried away only to be replaced by Lee Chen in his traditional black robe. He bowed slightly to her and moved away as Ruby nibbled on her thumbnail as she looked out over the audience again. It was indeed a packed house. When a hush fell over the assembly, she wondered what had caused it.

  Suddenly, in the balcony, she saw several people enter, and the orchestra struck up “God Save the King.” People in the audience sang along with them. She knew that Edward VII was a popular king. He had waited fifty-nine years to ascend to the throne after his mother, Queen Victoria, the longest wait in English history.

  When the song ended, there was thunderous applause as the king gave a stately wave and took his seat. Vernon took center stage and waited for the curtains to open just as Ruby moved aside.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Vernon began. “I would like to welcome you to the Matinee Theatre!”

  Ruby closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as she heard Zeta introduced. A loud applause greeted her. She knew Zeta had performed in London several times, and she wondered if she would receive the same reaction.

  She paced back and forth as each act was introduced, performed, and completed. She felt the tightness of her corset and the giddiness of being nervous, excited, and feeling a little sick all at the same time. She was next to perform, and she glanced about her. A stagehand was moving equipment, but other than that, she was alone.

  Her first song, “Mighty Lak’ a Rose,” was her most comfortable, as she had been singing it for the New York audiences. She tugged
at her off-the-shoulder sleeves and pressed down the front of dress. She peeked out from behind the curtain and saw the crush of people before her. Soon enough, she would be center stage. She closed her eyes.

  She had to steady her nerves. This was exactly the same as New York. People had paid to see her perform, and she would sing and shine. The king of England and his entourage were watching, but so had many influential people in New York. She had performed for high-ranking officials and important businessmen. She had to be calm and collected. She had step out onto the stage and dazzle them.

  “Another round of applause for Lee Chen!” Vernon said loudly to the audience.

  When they quieted down, he spoke again, “It is my pleasure to introduce our newest member of the troupe. She hails from the state of Mississippi, so she is a true Southern belle. But that’s not all! She is a fine songbird, and we are happy to have her here with us tonight. Our ingenue, the lovely Miss Ruby Sutton!”

  Applause erupted, and Ruby came onstage. She looked up to the right balcony and down into the audience, and when her eyes came upon those seated in the left balcony, she gave a small, elegant curtsy to the king just as the music began.

  Ruby smiled as her song began. She moved across the stage effortlessly and tried to make eye contact when she could through the bright electric lights.

  There was a stillness in the audience, and as she glided across the stage, she tried to remember everything Bessie had taught her and what she had done in New York. Straight posture, smile, and make a little turn. And suddenly the song was over.

  Applause filled the theater with several “bravos” coming from the balcony, and when Ruby exited, she wondered if that had been the king.

  When Vernon announced her the second time, it was a simpler introduction. “Allow me to introduce our Southern belle and songbird, Ruby.”