Friday, April 30, 2010 - She couldn't imagine why she had ever wanted to... |
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She couldn't imagine why she had ever wanted to leave this marvelous
party and go back to the deadly quiet at her grandfather's house
"Will you give us some music, then, Daniel, if you've finished eating
most of your sister's cake?" said Maureen when Jamie uncorked a
bottle
of whiskey, and suddenly everyone except Uncle James was up and
moving
around in what seemed to be a practiced routineDaniel began
playing
a rapid, squeaking tune on the fiddle and the others shouted criticism
while the women quickly cleared the table and the men moved the
furniture back against the walls, leaving Scarlett and her uncle
sitting as if on an islandJamie presented James with a glass of
whiskey and waited, half bent, black gucci bags for the old man's opinion"It'll do,"
was the judgment"Indeed I hope so, old man, for
we
have no other kind Scarlett tried to catch Jamie's eye, failed,
finally called out to get his attentionEveryone was pulling chairs into a circle around
the fire, and the smaller children were taking places on the floor at
the adults' feetObviously they were getting ready for the musicale,
and once it started, it would be terribly rude to get up and goJamie
stepped over a small boy to get to Scarlett"Here you are, then," he
saidTo her horror he handed her a glass with several fingers of
whiskey in itWhat kind of person did he think she was? A lady
didn't drink whiskeyShe didn't drink anything stronger than tea,
except chanel handbags champagne or a party punch or perhaps a very small glass of
sherryHe couldn't possibly know about the brandy she used to
drink
Why, he was insulting her! No, he wouldn't do that, it must be a
joke
She forced a brittle laugh
"It's time for me to go, JamieI've had a delightful time, but it's
getting late "You'll not be leaving just when the party begins,
Scarlett?" Jamie turned toward his son"Daniel, you're driving your
new-found cousin away with that screechingPlay a song for us, boy,
not a cat fight Scarlett tried to speak, but her words were drowned
out by the cries of "play decent, Daniel," and "give us a ballad," and
"a reel, boy, let's have a reel"I can't hear you,"
he shouted over the din"I'm deaf as a wholesale rolex watches stone to anyone asking to
go
Scarlett felt her temper rising
When Jamie offered her the whiskey again, she stood up in a rage
Then, before she could knock the glass from his hand, she realized
what
Daniel had begun to playIt was "Peg in a Low Back'd CarShe looked at Jamie's ruddy Irish face and saw her
father's imageOh, if only he could be here, he'd love this soShe shook her head at the proffered drink, smiled
weakly at JamieShe was close to tearsThe music wouldn't allow
sadnessThe rhythm was too infectious, too merry, and everyone was
singing now, and clapping their handsScarlett's foot began
involuntarily to tap the beat under cover of her skirts
"Come on, Billy," said Daniel, singing it, really, to the prada bag metal tune Billy opened the lid of a window seat and took out a
concertinaThe pleated leather bellows opened with a wheeze
Then he walked up behind Scarlett, reached over her head, and picked
up
something shiny from the mantel"Let's have some real music
Stephen-" He tossed a thin glinting tube to the dark silent man There was another arc of silver through the air"And,
for you, dear mother-in-law-" His hand dropped something in
Maureen's
lapA young boy clapped wildly"The bones! Cousin Maureen's
going
to play the bonesDaniel had stopped playing, and
with the music gone she felt sad againBut she no longer wanted to
leaveThis party had nothing to do with the Telfairs' musicale
There was easiness here, warmth, wholesale tiffany laughte |
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