The Vaudeville Star Page 23

  “Is that significant?” Ruby asked, her throat closing up.

  “When I spoke to the coroner, he said the killer was most certainly a man and that the man would have marks on his arms, as Lourdes had managed to claw him before she died.”

  Ruby stood up abruptly and walked to the window. Flinging it open, she gulped in several deep breaths.

  “I can’t breathe,” she said, gasping for air.

  She pressed a hand to her stomach as she tried to calm her breathing.

  “Ruby!” Ford followed her immediately. “What is it?”

  Ruby shook her head. “Please wait.” She closed her eyes, and when she spoke, it was barely a whisper. “I saw his arms. I saw the marks, Ford. I saw them!”

  Ford clasped her against his chest. “Darling girl.” He kissed her temple and moved a blond curl behind her ear. “Darling Ruby.”

  She closed her eyes, feeling faint from the array of emotions that assaulted her.

  “Just hold me. I feel safe when you hold me.”

  Ford stroked her hair. “You are safe, Ruby Sutton. I won’t let anyone harm you. You know that.”

  She looked up into his hazel eyes and smiled. Ford. Ford Rutledge. The man she had always loved. The man who loved her.

  His mouth touched hers, his arms wrapped around her body. She was safe. She was loved.

  “I love you, Ruby,” he whispered to her.

  His hands were moving down her back, and she clung to him. He untied the laces on her dress, and suddenly her dress, petticoats, corset, and chemise were lying in a small heap at her feet. She stood naked except for her stockings and garters.

  “You are a beautiful sight,” he said, catching her in his arms and carrying her to his bed.

  He laid her upon the bed lovingly, pulling off his own clothes before joining her. Pressing her into the soft bed, his mouth was on every inch of her body, kissing her belly, her thighs, her breasts. Capturing one tight nipple in his mouth and then the other. He moved between her legs, separating her naked thighs, delicately touching his tongue inside her.

  She arched against him as Ford continued the delicious assault. When he finally moved over her, she pulled him tightly to her.

  “Ford, I love you so.”

  He looked down at the blond beauty and thought himself a fool seven times over. She had been under his nose his entire life, and he had never really noticed her, but now he did. Now he loved her so fiercely he would do anything to protect her.

  “In Paris. We’ll marry in Paris. Will that make you happy?”

  She nodded even as he slid smoothly inside her, filling her up. He pressed her hands above her head and held them there as he moved in and out of her. He watched her face flush against the white of the pillow, her gray eyes on him.

  Suddenly, she gave a sharp little cry and shuddered, and Ford pushed himself over the edge, spilling himself inside her. When it was over, he gathered her in his arms.

  “What will happen now, Ford? With King?” she said in the darkened room.

  Ford’s hand wandered along her spine, resting at her lower back.

  “I don’t know. I’ll speak to the inspector in the morning. I liked King, and he never gave me any cause to distrust him until now. But I can’t let a murderer go free. All I can do is place my evidence before the inspector. He can either follow the same path I did and get the same answers or not.”

  Ruby sighed, feeling sleep pulling at her. “To take another’s life,” Ruby said softly.

  “Yes. It’s dreadful.”

  “He came to my dressing room. I told him I wouldn’t marry him,” she said sleepily, as if in afterthought.

  “You did? What did he say?” Ford said, suddenly alert.

  “He brushed me off. He didn’t believe that I was serious,” Ruby said as she trailed off into sleep.

  Ford knew exactly what had happened. King had ignored her. He would never willingly release something that he wanted. It was not in his nature. Which was why he wanted to marry Ruby right away. As her husband, he could protect her.

  Ruby looked down at her gloves and then back up again. Seated next to her was Ford, trying to appear supportive and kind. Across from them, behind his desk, sat Inspector Thompson, and standing at the window like a young watchdog was Sergeant Barton.

  “So what brings you both here?” the inspector asked calmly.

  “I’ll let Miss Sutton begin. She has something to tell you,” Ford said and nodded to her.

  Ruby took a deep breath. They had already spoken about it that morning. When everyone else was readying for the trip to Paris, she was dressing to meet the inspector. Ford assured her it was the only thing to do. She agreed.

  “I’m afraid I must apologize. When you came to see me about King’s whereabouts the night Lourdes disappeared, I said he was with me. I lied. He was not. I saw him very briefly at Devonshire House.”

  “I see.”

  “I was asked to lie, Inspector. Though at the time, I was told there was an accident. I didn’t know until I asked the sergeant what had happened.”

  “Now you know.”

  “Yes.”

  “When Mr. Parker asked you to lie, did he give you any indication of where he had been?”

  “He said she had made a scene and that he took her back to her hotel. Then he went home. He said it was late and that no one was about at the hotel, and his staff at home was asleep.”

  Inspector Thompson nodded. “And he told us she was at his home, a fight ensued, and she left. A note was delivered bidding him to come to the hotel, but he didn’t.”

  Ford stepped in. “I’m here in two capacities, Inspector. One is to support Ruby. We intend to marry once we reach Paris. But I am also a detective employed with the Pinkerton’s through the New York branch. I have been employed by King in the past, but this whole affair has me concerned, so I’ve done my own digging.”

  As he spoke, Ruby watched the inspector begin taking furious notes, and the sergeant perked up as Ford relayed the information he had collected.

  “You don’t say!” Thompson shook his head. “The butler. I should have guessed.”

  “Yes. And the pregnancy the coroner informed me about gives King a motive. He wouldn’t want that kind of a mess. He wanted to marry Ruby with no complications.”

  Thompson cast a searching glance at Ruby, then consulted his little notebook. “Seems his first wife, Caroline Parker, had been ill for some time and died recently.”

  “That’s true,” Ruby confirmed.

  “And the rumor mill had it that the death was very convenient.”

  “I don’t know anything about it except what you said. She was ill, and the death was sudden,” Ruby told him.

  “Hmmm. I can’t give you my word that you won’t hear more about this, Ms. Sutton. You lied to a detective chief inspector during a murder inquiry. You gave a false alibi.”

  Ford eyed the man before him. “And I came forward with my own investigation, giving you a lead for a butler who could be a witness as well as bringing Ms. Sutton here to recount her story.”

  Thompson nodded. “True. Very true.” He stood and came around his desk. “Thank you for the information, Mr. Rutledge. We will look into it. Leave your Paris address for me so I can contact you.”

  Ford wrote the address of the Paris hotel, and Thompson inclined his head to Ruby. “Ms. Sutton.”

  As Ruby and Ford stepped into the street, a light rain began to fall.

  “Wasn’t so bad,” Ford said.

  “No. I feel like a weight has been lifted. I never should have lied. That was wrong. It’s been wearing on my conscience.”

  “King is persuasive. He used his financial backing of the tour to place you into a corner. His corner. I suspect he knew what he was doing all along. He never meant to remain an admirer for long.”

  He placed an arm around her waist as they hailed a taxi. “Let’s collect our bags and get to the train station.”

  Bessie was waiting for Ruby whe
n they returned. She had given her a hasty explanation for not sleeping in their room that previous night, and everything came pouring out as she packed. Her relationship with Ford, whom she had always loved, and her avoidance of King, whom she did not love, which Bessie already knew. She omitted the death of Lourdes and King’s role in it as she didn’t want to burden her friend unnecessarily.

  “Marry in Paris? I may swoon from jealousy,” she teased.

  Ruby tossed her gloves and petticoats into the trunk and laughed. “You know I’ve always loved him, Bess. He’s always been in my heart, and now I’m in his. I have everything I want.”

  “I should say you do! The king of England came to our show and singled you out. You are a star, Ruby. You have fans that love you! They send you poems and flowers. I can’t imagine what the French will be like!”

  “Ooo la la!” Ruby laughed, throwing a garter at Bessie.

  Together with Archie and Ford, they made their way to the station and the train that would take them from the London to Dover. From Dover, they would cross the Channel by ferry to Calais, France, and take another train to Paris. On the train, Archie and Bessie moved to the dining car to take their meal while Ford and Ruby stayed behind.

  “Before we join the others, I need to tell you something,” he said in a serious tone.

  “All right.”

  “Inspector Thompson paid me a visit before we left for the station.”

  “Yes?”

  “He believed everything we said, and he wanted to waste no time. So they went round to King’s town house to question him further.”

  “He denied it, of course.”

  “No, Ruby. He’s gone.”

  “Gone? What do you mean gone?”

  “He wasn’t there. His staff hadn’t seen him for a day, nor has anyone else. Apparently, he had a business appointment that he missed. He’s vanished.”

  “Perhaps he’s traveling out of London?”

  Ford shook his head. “No. They think he’s running. From them. And we have to be careful. He may be coming for you.”

  Ruby couldn’t help but shudder. “Me? Why me?”

  “He’s done this for you. He’s done this all to be with you.”

  “Ford—” her voice cracked.

  She realized it was true. Though King had wanted to be free from Lourdes and the constraints of an illegitimate child, he also wanted Ruby by his side.

  He pulled her to him, holding her against his chest. “I’m here. I won’t let him harm you.”

  He kissed the top of her head as Ruby clung to him.

  25

  Ruby toyed with her Brown Windsor soup and watched as Archie and Bessie helped themselves to the crusty bread. She looked about the dining car, where everyone was busy eating and enjoying their meal, but Ruby could only think of King out there, somewhere.

  She cursed herself for not stopping it all sooner. She should have never gone to Europe, never accepted his help, never allowed herself to become beholden to him. But how could she have known it would all lead to this? It felt like a beautiful symphony composed with care and love—until suddenly the piano struck a wrong chord. Then a flute was sharp. A violin was playing all the wrong notes, and it was as it was now. A hodgepodge of notes scattered into the air with no method or meaning. It was ugly.

  Her life with King had become that. She looked over her shoulder and saw an elderly couple enjoying their meal. She forced a smile at them. She could only pretend everything was right, even though it wasn’t. She would perform in Paris as she had in London. She would sing and smile, and they would love her.

  She watched as the elderly couple moved away from their table and past hers.

  “My dear, forgive us for interrupting your dinner. Are you Ruby Sutton?” The woman’s crisp British accent was prominent.

  Ruby smiled. “Yes, I am.”

  “We saw you perform in London at the Matinee Theatre,” the woman said.

  “Yes. We did perform there. We are now on our way to Paris. We’re performing at the Olympia,” Ruby explained.

  “You were wonderful, my dear. Absolutely wonderful. I told my husband that you were worth every penny. So fresh and the voice of an angel.”

  Ruby was caught off guard by the compliment. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you.”

  The woman patted her shoulder. “It’s the truth. You were splendid. Enjoy your dinner.”

  They moved out of the dining car while everyone stared at Ruby. She smiled back at them.

  “Nice of her to say,” she said as she took another spoonful of soup.

  Ford smiled at her, his heart bursting with pride. When they returned to their carriage, Bessie pulled out a book while Ruby turned to the window. She felt Ford’s hand on her neck, massaging it softly.

  “Remember that summer you and Jessbelle climbed into that tree to see the bird’s eggs and you got stuck?” he whispered into her ear.

  “Yes. And your Daddy fetched you to come get us. You looked up into the tree and said it served us right to be stuck and that you were going to leave us there.”

  Ford chuckled. “I said I might come get Jessbelle, but not you.”

  “Meaner than a snake,” Ruby said but without malice.

  “You were always a handful, Ruby Mae,” he said, still massaging her neck.

  She closed her eyes. She loved the feel of his hand on her and his voice as he said her name. No one called her Ruby Mae anymore, not since she had left Mississippi. But Ford was a part of her past and a part of her future. He would be able to understand her like no one else could.

  The trip to Paris was long but uneventful. The ferry from Dover to Calais was a little rough going, but they arrived safely in France. Ruby’s ears pricked at the French language that suddenly surrounded them, and she tried to pick up words here and there.

  She noticed the men stared at her longer than she was used to, and though she dismissed it, Ford grew irritated. When they finally made it to the Hotel Chopin, they were a tired bunch.

  “Spend the night with me,” Ford whispered in her ear.

  Grabbing one of her smaller trunks, she followed Ford to his room, smiling at Bessie.

  “Alone, alone, alone at last. All those Frenchmen ogling you,” he growled, pulling her close.

  “Since when did you become so possessive?” Ruby laughed.

  “Since I discovered I loved you and am about to make you my wife.”

  “Wife? I knew nothing of this,” she said in astonishment.

  He pulled her to the bed, and she fell against him. His fingers tangled in her long blond hair as he kissed her mouth.

  “Do you mind so much that they look? I can’t help it,” Ruby said, looking into his hazel eyes.

  “Darling Ruby. I don’t mind that men look. Because they will look. You are too beautiful,” he said as his hands were undoing her laces.

  Tangled together, their mating was quick and passionate, and afterward they lay together spent, surrounded by their trunks that they had not yet unpacked.

  “I telegraphed the agency and told them I would be taking time off in Paris. They know to reach me here should they need to do so.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here, Ford.”

  “You have nothing to worry about, Ruby. You’ll conquer Paris the same as you did London, and everything will be well.”

  “And King?”

  “King is a smart and powerful man. I think if anything he is headed back to New York to get a lawyer and take it from there.”

  Ruby let the tension drain from her body. “Yes. That makes sense. He has resources there.”

  “Focus on Paris. Focus on the show. Soon you’ll have Paris in the palm of your little hand,” he said as he picked up her hand and planted a kiss in the palm of it.

  She leaned up and kissed his lips before she snuggled against him to sleep. Ford said what Ruby needed to hear, but he knew he must be on his guard. King would want to protect his name and dignity, but he could also be unpredictable.


  Opening night in Paris was much the same as London. Because the king of England had been to see the performance and was popular in France, the Parisians came out in droves to see the American Vaudeville troupe perform. The theater could seat close to two thousand people, and it was overflowing by the time the curtain rose.

  The President of France, Émile Loubet, was in attendance with his wife, Marie-Louise. The troupe was presented to the president and first lady after the show, and each performer was complimented.

  “A wonderful performance,” the first lady told Ruby. “Very lovely.”

  “Merci, Madame,” Ruby responded, causing the couple to smile at her kind attempt to speak in their language.

  The night was deemed a success, and the entire troupe headed to Bouillon Chartier to celebrate. The restaurant had been open a handful of years and provided a delicious meal at reasonable prices. The locals loved it. The troupe laughed and drank, and when the newspapers came out the next day, they received nothing but favorable reviews.

  Le Figaro and Le Temps both proclaimed the troupe “highly original” and an “entertaining night.”

  The next morning, Bessie, Archie, Ford, and Ruby wanted to see the sights of Paris and took a taxi to see the Eiffel Tower. Ruby gazed up at the impressive steel structure that was over one thousand feet tall.

  “Can you imagine?” Ruby gazed at it in awe. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Come. Let’s take the lifts up,” Ford said, holding Ruby’s hand in his.

  “A lift?” she asked as the siblings followed them.

  “Of course.”

  “I think we’ll take the stairs,” Bessie said, and the couples separated.

  Ruby and Ford took their seats in the hydraulic elevator, and as it moved upward, Ruby found herself clutching Ford’s hand.

  “Ford!” she exclaimed as she watched the ground move away from them.

  “Exciting, isn’t it?” he whispered.

  Her eyes were wide, and she smiled as they continued to move higher into the steel structure. She had never experienced anything like it, and eventually her hand was not clutching his but holding it. She glanced out the window and then back at him, a wide smile on her face.