Chantelle hummed to herself as she pulled a skirt from the rack and held it up for inspection. It would be the perfect match for the blouse she'd bought yesterday, but there was no way she would ever be allowed to wear it out of the house. Her father would be horrified if she showed up in a skirt that displayed so much of her legs. He was so old fashioned that way.
With a sigh of regret, she returned the skirt to the rack. Then the thought of her father suddenly brought her attention back to the reason she was there. She looked at her watch and realized it was almost time for his meeting with his friends, and she wanted to be there to be sure they turned up. With one last longing look at the skirt, she hurried up the steps and emerged into the bright light of the London street.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Perhaps when you gentlemen are done, you would kindly clear the walkway."
The voice that came from behind Casino had him swinging around in defense of his friends and himself. "Now look here, buddy..." but his annoyed comment stopped short when he recognized the man who stood there. He would have been silenced in any event when he was pushed aside by Goniff who'd recognized Actor even faster and propelled himself past Casino to greet him.
"You never did know a good party when you saw one, mate." Goniff gave Actor a brief hug then stood back.
"Hey, Actor!" It was Casino's turn to push Goniff aside as he proceeded with his suddenly-typical hearty welcome. This was not quite as easy as it had been with the others due to the fact that Actor was several inches taller than Casino. He managed it somehow, though.
"Casino, you haven't changed a bit, except for a few gray hairs, though I don't think you ever greeted me with so much enthusiasm." Actor returned Casino's embrace then turned to Chief. "I was afraid you wouldn't be here." He and Chief shook hands, and Actor noticed immediately that the younger man carried an air of contentment about him. He was no longer the aloof, dangerous man he had been twenty years earlier. Physically, Chief hadn't changed much. He still looked fit, and capable of taking care of himself, but no longer like it was a way of life with him.
Chief smiled, "I never forgot the date. I always planned to be here. I'm just surprised that you could have doubted it."
Off to the side, Emily and Beth watched as yet another member greeted their husbands.
"Actor," Beth muttered.
"Um-hmmm," Emily agreed as she watched the most recent display of Casino's particular style of saying 'hello'. With a perplexed look, she glanced over at Beth and then back again at the men...then back at Beth for a longer look.
Beth caught the puzzled glances and realized what they were about. "Well, don't look at me; he doesn't hug me like that, and I don't know whether to be relieved or insulted."
Emily just nodded and tried to remember the description she'd heard of Casino from her husband. She recalled 'quick-tempered', 'complaining', and even 'loyal', but she hadn't expected someone who was so happy. But then, they'd all probably changed some in the last twenty years.
As the men stood in a circle on the sidewalk, each speaking quickly, Beth noticed a teenage girl come out of the door Casino insisted had once led to The Doves. The girl paused for a moment when she saw the men, looking a little uncertain about what she should do. At first Beth thought she was just reluctant to try to walk around the men who were all but blocking the walkway. She thought to go over and suggest that they find someplace where they could reminisce without impeding the way of other pedestrians, but then the girl shrugged her shoulders and easily moved by them, catching sight of Beth and Emily as she did.
"Excuse me." The girl approached the two women. "Are you here with any of those men?"
Beth and Emily exchanged a quick look. This girl was only about 15 so she certainly wasn't the wife of one of the others.
"Yes, we each claim one of them. And you?" Emily smiled at the girl who came over and easily boosted herself up on the wall.
"My father is Charles D'Alessandro."
"D'Alessandro..." Emily and Beth thought for a moment. "Ah...Actor," they both said in unison.
A burst of giggles bubbled from the girl on the wall as she looked at the two women in amusement. "You have no idea how funny that is to me." She giggled again unable to contain her mirth. "He only told me a couple of months ago about being this 'Actor' character. I couldn't believe it. I mean: my FATHER! The man who gets upset if I stay out two minutes past my curfew had this other life and a name like 'Actor'." She shook her head and giggled again. "My name is Chantelle, by the way. Most people call me Chelle.
"I'm Beth; the man with his back to us is my husband, Nick. Your father probably called him 'Casino'."
"And the one standing facing us is Rainey, he belongs to me." At Chelle's questioning look, she added, "Chief. They called him 'Chief'."
"Oh, boy!" Chelle perked up at that news. "Dad didn't think he was coming. Did he bring his knife?"
"I hope not," Emily responded with some uncertainty. She had seen the knife -- she'd even seen Rainey demonstrate his talents with it. On one singular occasion many years ago she'd seen at close range what he was capable of with a knife, and so had the man who had attempted to steal the purse from her arm. But, much like his nickname, his prowess with his switchblade was mostly kept in his past.
"Chelle, is your mother with you?" Beth had also heard many stories about Chief's knife and thought it best to change the subject.
On hearing the question, Chelle's amusement slowly fell from her face and she looked instinctively at her father. He looked like he was doing all right. "My mother died three years ago."
The two women were stunned. "Oh, no!" Emily reached out a hand and laid it gently on Chelle's knee. "I'm so sorry, I don't think Rainey knew. I'm sure he would have told me."
"I'm sure he didn't know; none of them do." Chelle drew in a deep breath, and suddenly looked more mature than her years. "It was so sudden, and Dad was so devastated. He couldn't talk about it. He barely can now. I think the only person he ever talks to about her is me."
As Beth and Emily remained silent, Chelle continued, "One day I came home from school and found her. She had collapsed in the living room and no matter what I did I couldn't wake her. I ran to a neighbor's house and Mrs. Richardson came, but then she just took me to her house and started making phone calls." Chelle paused for a moment as she tried to recall that day which had become a blur in her mind.
"The police came and an ambulance, and finally Dad got there. His face was white, and he didn't even realize I was there. Mrs. Richardson took him aside and said something to him, and he seemed to wake up and look at me." Chelle recalled how her father had gathered her in his arms and held her. And she had clung to him and cried as he told her that her mother was gone.
Beth and Emily remained silent and let Chelle decide if she wanted to tell them more.
"I found out later that it was a brain aneurysm, and she'd probably died immediately. Dad made sure I knew that when I told him I'd stopped at my friend's house on my way home from school. I thought that there was something I could have done if I'd been there sooner."
Chelle sighed, "They really loved each other, you know?" She looked at the two women. "I always knew that I was surrounded by love, and my dad never let me forget it for one single day after she was gone." A slight smile returned to her face. "I think Mom was the reason Dad stopped being 'Actor'."
"I'm so sorry, Chelle." Beth looked at the girl. "And Nick will be too. I remember him saying he had been surprised when he heard that your father was married. He said it would take a pretty special woman to make 'The Actor' settle down. How wonderful that your father found a woman who could make his life complete."
"She did." Chelle looked over at her father. "She really did."
"It must have been hard for him to raise you alone after that." Emily also looked at Actor, hoping the other men wouldn't inadvertently say something that would hurt him.
Chelle shrugged, "He retired early, at least from the office work. He owned several antique shops in the Boston area. In fact, he still does, but he has a couple of partners who work the business end. He works at home as a consultant, but sometimes he takes me with him on weekends or during the summer on buying trips."
"It's easy to see that you're very close." Beth wondered what Nick would do if faced with these circumstances. Of course, Nick had a large extended family to rely on. At least he could rely on some of them--others were still involved in what had once been the 'family business', and Nick kept his own family away from them as much as possible.
Chelle gave a brief laugh and looked at the two women. "Of course we still have our disagreements." And to the amusement of the two women, she told them about the perfect skirt she'd found that she knew would never see the inside of her closet.
* * * * * * * * * *
As the women talked and the men stood on the sidewalk slapping each other on the back, a man came out of the doorway next to the entrance to The Doves. He pulled the upended chairs off the tables and wiped down the tabletops, signaling that the establishment was opening for business.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I think we may as well get comfortable." Emily slowly put some weight on her right leg, working the muscles to make sure it would support her. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself and Rainey by stumbling in front of his friends. "I think the men have forgotten about us."
Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Rainey had been keeping an eye on Emily since he'd recovered from his discovery that Casino and Goniff were right there in front of him. He saw that she was standing and talking with another woman, so he assumed she was all right. An occasional glance in her direction assured him that she didn't need him. He also noticed that when Emily and the other women started to walk away from the wall, the older one casually took Emily's arm and leaned close to say something to her. It had all the appearance of nothing more than a companionable gesture, but it also served the purpose of ensuring that Emily kept her balance.
Nick was also more aware of the women than he appeared to be. Every time he shifted his position, he checked on Beth, but she looked happy as a lark chatting away with another woman. He knew she'd let him know if she needed him.
Charles knew the moment Chantelle emerged from the doorway leading to the boutique. Of course, he'd been expecting her to appear as arranged, so he'd been watching for her. He saw her stand for a moment, then with a quick exchange of glances, she gave a brief shrug and went over to join the two women standing by the low wall. He'd kept an occasional eye on her, but she appeared to be comfortably perched on the wall and happily talking with the women. One of the women he knew was Casino's. She'd already been there while he was pacing away. The other had come along right after Chief arrived on the scene, so he assumed she belonged to him. He did keep a watch out, however, to make sure everything was all right.
Beth, Emily and Chelle moved to the nearby tables and ordered a pot of tea. While they waited, they noticed the same man who had set up the tables on their side of The Doves emerged from the other side of the building and set up tables over there. It appeared that the establishment that sat almost at ground level over the boutique that had once been The Doves served tea and light lunches on one side, and the other side served as a pub.
"Didn't take them long to spot that, did it?" Emily poured some more tea in all the cups and smiled as she watched the men make their way to one of the tables on the other side.
"Look at this place," Beth continued. "The two covered patios on either side of the building make it look like a bird with wings."
"The wings of The Dove?" Emily smiled and took a look. "I see what you mean."
Just then their attention was drawn by a burst of laughter from the men. They seemed to have settled in comfortably with each other, but they were still missing Lt Garrison. Each of the men had a pint of ale in front of him, and they were all talking simultaneously. An occasional burst of laughter assured the women that any awkwardness they might have feared had not been realized. They talked and laughed as if they had last been together yesterday instead of twenty years ago.
Emily shook her head as she saw how happy Rainey and the others looked, amazed at how comfortable they all were with each other. "I wonder if Goniff has a wife."
"No he doesn't."
On hearing the words, Emily, Beth and Chelle turned to look at the young woman who had just sat down at a nearby table. She looked a little unsure of herself. "You were asking about Goniff. You're all here with the others?"
Beth quickly introduced everyone.
"I'm Annie Connell." The young woman rose from her table and walked over to the others. "Goniff is my brother."
The other three sat silently for a moment, Beth and Emily looking surprised, and Chelle looking puzzled.
"I don't recall Dad saying that he knew anything about Goniff having a sister. Let's see...a mother...an aunt...numerous uncles, but I don't recall a sister." Chelle stood and pulled a chair over from another table so Annie could sit with them.
"That's understandable." Annie sat down and smiled at the others, "Even Rodney didn't know about me back then."
"Rodney?" Beth's eyebrows rose.
"Goniff." Annie smiled. She'd always called him 'Rodney' because his mother and aunt did.
"But...he didn't know about you?" Emily asked.
"It's simpler than you might think." Annie smiled up at the girl who brought another pot of tea and a cup for her. "Rod was already over here when I met his mum and Aunt Maudie in New York. My father had been killed in France, and then my mother took sick and died suddenly. I was 13, and didn't have any other family." Annie thought about that time that was still so clear in her mind. She had been alone and frightened and with no money.
"Rod's mum and Aunt Maudie lived upstairs from us. I always thought they were such strange ladies--nice, but a lot different from what I was used to." The others watched as Annie carefully poured first milk and then tea into her cup. There had certainly been some English influence when it came to tea preparation. "But, when they heard that I'd lost my mom, they were right there. And when it turned out that there was no place for me to go except an orphanage, they just helped me pack my clothes and took me upstairs to live with them." Annie smiled, "They were the most amazing ladies."
"You said 'were'," Beth said softly. "Are they gone now?"
Annie nodded, "Aunt Maudie died seven years ago, and we lost our mum last year." A sad look spread across her face. "We still miss her; she had a heart as big as the moon." She took another sip of tea. "It wasn't until after the war that I met Rodney. Of course, Mum and Aunt Maudie talked about him, but I could never quite figure out where he was and what he was doing. Then, when he came home, I was afraid that with him there, they wouldn't want me anymore." She laughed at the memory, "Really. How stupid was that? Once you're a member of that family, you're family forever!"
"And Goniff has never married?" Emily asked.
"Almost. He almost married." Annie took a deep breath. She knew he wouldn't mind her telling this. "By then he had moved all of us to California, and he met and fell in love with a girl there. They were going to get married, then she decided she wanted to be an actress. She kept putting off the wedding and saying she just wanted a chance to act, then she'd be ready to settle down. Rodney didn't mind--or pretended he didn't mind--but then she caught the eye of a producer who promised her the moon. He said he could make her as big a star as Lana Turner. One day she just packed up and went off with the man. Rodney would never tell me exactly what she said to him; I guess it's really none of my business." She looked over at Goniff and then back at the women. "But he deserves better. He has a heart like his mother's. He supported me without question or complaint. He made sure I had everything I wanted or needed. She broke his heart, but he survived, and he has been the best brother in the world to me. My children adore him."
"Wow!" Chelle had listened in awe. "It sure was like a whole different world back then."
Emily laughed, "It wasn't all that long ago, young lady. Wait until you see how quickly the next twenty years pass."
"That's the truth," Beth agreed. "I sure don't know where the last twenty went."
"But what I really want to know," Chelle continued, "is what Chief is doing these days. Dad talked about what everyone else might be doing, but he just couldn't imagine what road Chief would take."
Emily smiled around the table at the others. "Well, I guess it can be surprising how these things turn out."