The Gay Sisters Page #8

SO I PICKED OUT THE BIGGES AND JUICIEST APPLE TREE

AND PARKED MYSELF UNDER IT.

I KNEW THE GREAT MOMEN WAS AT HAND.

I PUSHED THE GUY ASIDE SO THE MOONLIGH STRUCK MY FACE AT JUST THE RIGHT ANGLE.

AND WHEN HE FINALLY SAID,

"WILL YOU MARRY ME,"

I HUNG MY HEAD,

COUNTED 10,

AND SHYLY WHISPERED, "YES."

I'LL NEVER FORGET THE STINK

OF THOSE APPLE BLOSSOMS!

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN ME

AS A BRIDE.

I WAS TERRIFIC.

THE PICTURE:

OF INNOCENT MAIDENHOOD.

STANDING WITH RELUCTANT FEE WHERE THE BROOK AND RIVER MEET.

AND AS FOR MY COSTUME,

I WENT THE WHOLE HOG.

WHITE SATIN DRESS,

MISTY WEDDING VEIL,

SOMETHING OLD,

SOMETHING NEW,

SOMETHING BORROWED,

AND SOMETHING BLUE.

I EVEN WORE 3 PETTICOATS

TO PUT ME IN THE MOOD.

WITH THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY

SAFELY OVER,

I STARTED TO WORK UP

TO MY BIG ACTING SCENE.

I HAD LAIN AWAKE NIGHTS

FIGURING IT ALL OUT.

WITH CHARLES BARCLAY

IT WOULD BE SO SIMPLE.

HE THOUGHT ALL WOMEN

WERE INNOCENT ANGELS.

SO I SUDDENLY HAD

AN ATTACK OF THE "VAPORS,"

AS OUR VICTORIAN GRANDMOTHERS

USED TO CALL THEM.

I MOANED, GASPED,

AND FLUTTERED.

I PRETENDED TO BE

A LITTLE FAINT AND,

FULL OF APOLOGIES AND REGRETS,

GOT UP FROM THE TABLE,

SWAYED WEAKLY,

AND THEN I-I TOTTERED

TOWARDS THE STAIRS.

THERE I HESITATED AND DRAPED MYSELF

OVER THE BANISTER LIKE MONDAY'S WASH.

I TOOK A PEEK AND SAW THA HE WAS FOLLOWING ME.

I MADE A BRAVE EFFOR TO RECOVER MYSELF

BUT SWOONED IN HIS ARMS.

KATHARINE CORNELL

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT BETTER.

HE CARRIED ME UPSTAIRS

TO THE BRIDAL SUITE

AND LAID ME DOWN ON THE BED

LIKE A LILY AND KNELT BESIDE ME.

THEN I THOUGHT, "GREAT HEAVENS,

HOW WILL I GET RID OF HIM?"

WITH A TERRIFIC EFFORT, I MANAGED TO LE MY EYELIDS FLICKER OPEN AND MURMUR FAINTLY

THAT IF HE'D ONLY GET ME SOME SEL

VOLATILE FROM THE VILLAGE DRUGSTORE,

THAT I'D HAD ATTACKS LIKE THIS OCCASIONALLY,

WHEN MY EMOTIONS WERE DEEPLY STIRRED.

ONE LAST CONNUBIAL KISS, AND MY

ROMEO WAS OFF TO THE DRUGSTORE.

I FIGURED IT WOULD TAKE HIM HALF AN

HOUR TO GET TO THE VILLAGE AND BACK,

AND IN THAT TIME, I'D BE

DRESSED, CHANGED, AND ON MY WAY.

I GOT THE MONEY:

OUT OF THE SUITCASE,

THE RING OFF MY FINGER,

AND I PUT IT IN AN ENVELOPE WITH A

LETTER I'D WRITTEN THE NIGHT BEFORE,

TELLING HIM HE HAD

A WIFE IN NAME ONLY, AND WHY.

I MADE THE EXPLANATION

AS TACTFUL AS I COULD.

IT WASN'T EXACTLY

THE SORT OF THING

AN EAGER BRIDEGROOM IS WAITING

TO HEAR ON HIS WEDDING NIGHT.

I WAS JUST READY

TO SNEAK OUT WHEN-

IT'S

$25,000.

THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

YOU'RE, AH, GOING TO KEEP IT?

YES.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO LET ME LEAVE YOU?

YES.

DIVORCE YOU?

YES.

BUT YOU SAID:

YOU WERE:

GOING TO LET ME:

LEAVE YOU.

I AM.

WHEN?

TOMORROW.

AND DON'T SCREAM.

I'M YOUR HUSBAND.

HA HA HA!

OH, MY DARLING

SPINSTER SISTER,

HOW YOU'VE

BEEN HAD.

OH, EVELYN!

STOP!

BUT CHARLES BARCLAY WILL

NEVER KNOW THAT CHILD IS HIS.

NOW, MY GIRL, LE THAT BE A LESSON TO YOU

NOT TO GO RUNNING AROUND THE COUNTRY

DECEIVING:

STRANGE MEN.

DON'T YOU SEE

YOU WRONGED HIM?

YOU TOOK HIS:

LOVE AND TRUS AND TRAMPLED

THEM IN THE MUD.

HE WAS THE:

VILLAGE MAID:

AND YOU'RE THE

CITY SLICKER.

I DON'T SEE THA IT WAS SO WRONG.

HE GOT $25,000.

WAS THAT THE MONEY

THAT HE USED:

TO WIN HIS WAY TO

FAME AND FORTUNE?

YES.

GRABBED THE GIRL,

GRABBED THE MONEY,

WHIRLED AWAY ON:

A ROLLS-ROYCE

AND LEFT YOU:

WITH THE BABY BUGGY.

NOW, WHY SHOULD YOU TWO

GET ALL THE EXCITING MEN?

FIONA, THERE'S SOMETHING

I OUGHT TO:

TELL YOU.

I WONDER HOW BARCLAY

FOUND OUT ABOUT IT.

I DON'T KNOW. IT MAY HAVE BEEN GIBBON.

THAT MAY BE WHY:

HE THREATENED ME.

I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT.

WELL, HE CAN' PROVE ANYTHING.

FIONA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

WITH AUSTIN ALL THIS TIME?

HE'S ONLY BEEN HERE

3 MONTHS.

KEPT HIM IN WOODLAND WITH MISS COPELAND.

OUR OLD NURSE.

SHE TOOK AUSTIN AS SOON AS HE WAS BORN.

I MEANT NEVER TO

SEE HIM AGAIN.

AS LONG AS I COULD FORGET THE CHILD,

I COULD FORGET TO WHOM

THE CHILD BELONGED.

AND WHATEVER MADE

YOU BRING HIM HERE?

I HAD TO.

COPEY DIED.

THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE I COULD TRUST.

THE CHILD HAD:

TO COME HERE:

SO THAT I STUMBLED

OVER HIM AT EVERY TURN.

THAT FUNNY LITTLE

FACE PEEKING AT ME,

REMINDING ME.

YOU SAY THA I FRIGHTEN HIM.

WELL, MAYBE I DO. MAYBE

I WANT TO FRIGHTEN HIM.

MAYBE I WANT TO KEEP HIM

AWAY FROM ME, MAYBE I-

YOU TWO BETTER:

GO TO BED!

I'VE GOT A LO OF THINKING TO DO

BEFORE I FACE PEDLOCH

IN THE MORNING.

WOULDN'T IT BE IRONIC IF BARCLAY

SHOULDN'T ACCEPT HIM AS HIS OWN SON?

HE'LL NEVER KNOW.

BUT I TELL YOU I'M WILLING

TO ACCEPT THE BOY AS MY SON.

ISN'T THAT ENOUGH?

MR. CHARLES BARCLAY

IS WILLING TO SHARE

THE BOY'S UPBRINGING

AND TIME WITH HIS MOTHER.

WE APPRECIATE:

THAT.

I KNOW THE CHILD

IS YOURS.

IF MISS FIONA GAYLORD

IS STILL NOT WILLING

TO ADMIT THA THE CHILD IS HERS,

THEN MY CLIENT HAS NOTHING LEFT TO DO

BUT TO:

GO TO COURT.

YOU'LL HAVE TO

PROVE IT FIRST.

WE WILL PROVE IT, IN COURT,

AFTER A GREAT SCANDAL.

AUSTIN ISN'T MY SON

AND HE ISN'T YOUR SON,

AND THE WHOLE THING IS

NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

AS LONG AS MISS GAYLORD IS OPPOSED TO

ANY COMPROMISE,

I SUPPOSE WE'LL

HAVE TO RECONCILE OURSELVES

TO LITIGATION.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO LITIGATE.

WE MUST REMEMBER

THAT CHARLES BARCLAY

HAS FAILED TO:

SUPPORT HIS CLAIM.

NATURALLY. WHATEVER

WE MAY HAVE IN THE WAY OF PROOF

WILL BE PRODUCED

AT THE PROPER TIME.

THIS IS MY LAS APPEAL TO YOU.

FROM NOW ON, IF YOU

DON'T LET REASON DECIDE,

THERE'LL BE

NOTHING BUT RUIN

FOR YOU AND:

YOUR SISTERS.

AND IN THE END,

I'LL GET THE BOY.

IF YOU'RE

READY TO GO, CHARLES.

YES.

FIONA.

DON'T DO

ANYTHING MAD.

PLEASE.

GOOD-BYE,

MR. PEDLOCH.

GOOD-BYE,

MR. BARCLAY.

SORRY WE GOT NOWHERE WITH

THIS DISCUSSION, PEDLOCH.

GUESS I HAD:

THE WRONG IDEA.

HAPPENS TO:

THE BEST OF US.

I DON'T THINK THEY

HAVE MUCH TO GO ON.

I KNOW GILBERT WHEELER. IF HE'D HAD

A TRUMP CARD, HE'D HAVE PLAYED IT.

THE ONLY TRICK THEY HAVE

IS THE ONE FACT THA YOU WERE MARRIED

TO CHARLES BARCLAY.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN

PROVE HE'S AUSTIN'S FATHER.

HE DOESN'T NEED TO.

WHAT?

HE ONLY NEEDS TO PROVE

THAT YOU ARE THE MOTHER.

I DON' UNDERSTAND.

WELL, YOU SHOULD KNOW A GREAT DEAL

ABOUT LAW BY NOW, MISS GAYLORD.

LEGITIMACY CANNOT BE QUESTIONED

WHEN A CHILD IS BORN IN WEDLOCK.

IS THAT CLEAR?

NO.

WELL, LET ME

PUT IT THIS WAY.

IF YOU ARE:

THE MOTHER OF A CHILD,

AND IF THAT CHILD

IS BORN DURING A PERIOD

WHEN CHARLES BARCLAY

COULD HAVE BEEN ITS FATHER,

THE COURT, ANY COURT,

WILL ACKNOWLEDGE HIS CLAIMS.

I DIDN' KNOW THAT.

NO ONE EVER:

TOLD ME.

COULD CHARLES BARCLAY HAVE

KNOWN WHEN THE CHILD WAS BORN?

NO.

OR WHERE THE CHILD

WAS BORN?

NO.

YOU'RE POSITIVE HE HAS NO PROOF

WHATSOEVER OF THESE ACCUSATIONS?

HE OR GIBBON?

POSITIVE.

IT WOULD BE:

IMPOSSIBLE:

FOR ANYONE TO PROVE ANYTHING.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMB THE RECORDS

OF EVERY COUNTY SEAT IN THE COUNTRY.

THEY WOULDN'T EVEN

KNOW UNDER WHAT NAME THE

CHILD'S BIRTH

WAS REGISTERED.

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