Somewhere My Love (49 page)

Julia’s jaw dropped
.
She had to remember to close her mouth
and not stand gaping like a stranded fish.

He grinned at her, turni
ng her knees to jelly
.
That was all right because he closed an arm around her waist.

Nora swiveled her head at him.
An unea
sy hush fell over
every guest
wit
hin shouting distance of Will.
Clearly, these people were aware of his grandmot
her’s marital preferences.
The dignified old
lady
swep
t a critical eye over Julia
and then
Nelle
.
In her unpredictable and imperious manner, she
seemed to arrive at a decision. 

“Miss Patterson, I see you’ve had difficulty deciphering our invitation
as to proper dress
.
I should have thought it
within the scope of a lawyer.
Good evening,” she said,
and waved
Nelle
on
with an imperious gloved hand
.

Nelle
stalked away l
ike an offended
feline
,
and
her red-faced mother fled
.  Douglas
offered an apologetic smile
then
bolted after them.
How tha
t nice man
had
got
ten
saddled with those two
predatory
females
, Julia couldn’t im
agine, except that he lacked a single
backbone.

Nora co
n
sidered Julia a moment longer.
“I shall require you by William
’s
and my side agai
n at supper.
I have some particular friends I wish you to meet.”

“I’d be honored, Ma’am.”
W
ith t
hat, Julia
sensed she was in.
Apparently, Nora
wouldn’t hold a trifle
like
possible madness against her.
N
ow, for her father
awaiting her return to England
, and getting through
the remainder of this troubling
eve unscathed
.

****

“‘Come, Hamlet!’” King Douglas beckoned
from his throne, his rotund figure draped in red silk
.
Queen Nora sat next to him, resplendent in
her
purple gown and yellow robe. 

Folding chairs lined the walls of the hall right up to the edge of the wooden platform erected against a bac
kdrop of red and gold banners.
Visitors even sat along the
steps of the staircase and spilled
over into the adjoining parlor.
If the fire warden were present, he’d have a fit. 

A suspenseful
hush
fell over the audience as
W
il
l stepped
onto the
s
tage for the final a
ct
of the play
––
final accord
ing to
his grandmother
, anyway
.
Shakespeare’s work had already been so mangled, what difference did it make?
Besides, the assembly
paid ea
ger attention
.

As in the Bard’s
day, everyone from beggars to
nobility
wanted to see the performance.
The press of people
t
onight was n
o exception, especially with Foxleigh’s
recent notoriety
.
Will
yearned for the excitement to dissipate so he could regain some normalcy and marry J
ulia.
S
taying
apart
from her
for even
one more night
was
unendurable
. 

He smiled to himself at how
his whispered invitation had
brought a
pleasing blush to her cheeks.
At least with their engagement
and his grandmother’s
sup
port, he wouldn’t have to be so
cautious
of spying eyes
.
But he and Julia had
contended
with
worried
calls from her parents.
Now, he
must
convey what would
be an unwelcome announcement to her overbearing father.
Would he descend on them with the wrath of a British lion or welcome this unlikely son-in-law?

Will
glanced at the
colorful
gathering
on
the
stage
.
Most
of the cast were
present
.
Ophelia had already d
rowned and Julia
hovered at the side
.
She’
d changed into virginal white
for the play
and h
er
glorious hair
was
wreathed in flowers, her
face the essence of uneasiness.

Jon,
recycled
from the
deceased Polonius,
act
ed
as
Hamlet’s
attendant and
greeted Will
with a knowing nod.
Hamlet had come before the king and queen to fulfill his duty
regarding
Laertes and
the
solemn
vow to his ghostly father.
The hour
was at hand
for
the p
rince
to settle his affairs; Will had arrived at the same point.

Stripping
off
the
elegant
coat, he passed it to Jon. Lyle did the sa
me with an olive-colored jacket
and handed
it to Paul
,
acting the part of his attendant
.
Will
wore
the
loosely styled
white shirt
, and kept his
s
able
-colored
breeches
and polished
boots.
Lyle was similarly attired
, his red hair
pulled back
in a queue
.
They faced each other across the stage.

A
trumpet fanfare blared
from the musicians seated
overhead.
The reckoning had begun.

Will smiled at hi
s queen
mother and she
regally inclined her head.
He pretended
fondness for his deceitful uncle and bowed graciously to Douglas.

The red-faced monarch
rose from his throne
and gestured to Will and Lyle.  The two antagonists strode to
Douglas
and he held
out a perspiring paw.

“‘Come Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me,’”
the king
said, and joined Will and Lyle’s unwilling hands in a gesture of conciliation.

Will stared
into
blue eyes
that
were none too friendly.
“‘Give me your pard
on, sir. I have done you wrong.
But pardon it, as y
ou are a gentleman,’” he said as
Ham
let, not so sincerely as Will.
“‘Sir, in this audience free me so far in your generous thoughts that I have shot my arrow over the house and hurt my brother.
’”

Lyle’s thoughts
seemed anything but generous.
He
tightened his mouth, annoyed as Laertes woul
d have been at having to feign
appeasement
.

“I am satisfied in nature, but in terms of honor, I stand aloof
and will no reconcilement
.’”

The frown knitted at Lyle’s
forehead
detr
acted from his
al
oofness, a man bent on revenge
seemed
far more apt
. 

“‘
Yet I
do receive your
offer’d
love l
ike love and will not wrong it,’”
Lyle continued, with the false fondness Laertes professed for Hamlet.

“‘I embrace it freely,’” Will spoke out, “‘and will this brother’s wager frankly play.
Give us the foils
!
’”

Will
returned to Jon
,
waiting
with his
blade
, mesh gloves, and chain mail vest
.

“‘And one
for me!’”
Lyle
made for
Paul
ready
with the same
.

Douglas cl
apped his hands for attention.
“‘Cousin Hamlet, you know the wager?’”

They received points
for getting in a tapping blow.
Blood was not required.  “‘Very well, my
lord.
” Will
drew
on the reinforced
gloves.
“‘Your Grace has laid odds on the weaker side.’”

Douglas belted out his lines. “‘I do not
fear it. I have seen you both.
Set me the
stoup
s
of wine upon that table.
If Hamlet give the first or second hit the King shall drink to Hamlet’s better health.’”

Will
drew on the mail vest
and took
the long rapier
in
hand.
Douglas
lifted the
silver
goblet of wine from the
carved table
in front of his and the queen’s seats
.
“
‘Now the King drinks to Hamlet!’”

Douglas took a hearty swallow and turned back to his throne and
his
adoring wife
.
Grandmother Nora
bestowed a warm smile on Will, a
nd he reali
zed
she wasn’t just playing a
part.
For all her fuss and buster, she really
was deeply fond of him and pride shone in her eyes
.

This knowle
dge gave his embattled spirit a
boost.
He tipped his fi
ngers to her in tribute and
stro
de to the center of the stage.
Lyle did the same.
The trumpets blasted again as they took several practice swipes
. Then
they faced each other and touched the tip
s
of their blades together.

The king lowered his hand. At his signal,
they swung.
Steel clashed against steel as it had in practice, only this time
it seemed far more real
. 

The crowd both on and off stage cheered Will on as he ducked Lyle’s intended blow and spun back around.

“Higher, Laertes!” someone called.

Again, Will
and Lyle faced off.
The early part of the duel was
tentative
as Hamlet
and Laertes felt each other
out.
Will swung
and Lyle’s blade crossed
his
.  They circ
led, eyes fixed on each other.
Again and again, they clanged
the
st
rongly wrought metal together.
Then Will whipped to the side and tapped Lyle on the back
with the flat of his sword
.

He held up his finger.
“‘
That’s one!
’”

“‘A hit!
A very palpable hit!’” Jon shouted.

Lyle stormed off
, shaking his head.
 

The audience clapped for Will.

Lyle
turned and tore back at him
.
“‘Well again!’”