Friday evening the red-velvet curtain of the newly completed opera house rose to enthusiastic applause. Will glanced around the theater, pleased with the attendance.
Most of the town had turned out for the grand opening and inaugural performance. The red-velvet seats with carved mahogany backs were filled, and the balcony was standing room only. Pippa had insisted that Will, Daniel, Leah and Noah occupy the center seats of the front row.
Above them an elaborate chandelier cast flickering light over the proceedings. The raised velvet curtain revealed an empty stage save for a backdrop of a lush countryside. Two actors rambled into view from the wings. Judging only by their height and build, Will recognized Pippa and Tomasina. The two were all but unrecognizable. He’d heard rumors of Pippa’s expertise with makeup and disguises, and he admired her skill firsthand. If he hadn’t known the players already, he’d have had a tough time recognizing them.
The two women had dressed in voluminous dungarees and sported fake gray beards and shaggy gray hair. As round as they were tall, they must have stuffed a considerable number of pillows from the hotel into their costumes.
Pippa tugged down her beard. “Hey, Horace. What shall we do today?”
“I don’t know, Gus,” Tomasina answered in character. “The same as we did yesterday.”
A bench slid out from the wings, and the fake Horace and Gus took their seats.
“Yep,” the fake Gus spoke, patting his stomach.
“Yep,” Horace replied, tugging on his beard.
“Did you see what I saw last night?”
“I don’t know, Gus. What did you see last night?”
“I saw D.B. Burrows leaving work last evening. Late. Real late. Why do you suppose he was staying so late at the newspaper?”
“Now, Gus, you know I don’t like to gossip.”
The audience roared. The two men were famous for being busybodies.
Horace looked left and right. “Well, if you’re not gossiping these days, what will we do instead?”
“We could play some horseshoes.”
“That we could.”
“Course we’d have to get up.”
“That we would.”
“What do you think Aunt Mae is serving up for lunch?”
“I guess we could find out.”
When neither man moved, the delighted audience burst into applause.
The two women had captured the essence of Gus and Horace perfectly. Their impersonations were direct without being cruel.
“Say, Gus,” Pippa said in character. “Did I ever tell you about the time a mountain lion chased my pa up a tree and got his teeth in Pa’s boot?”
“You did not.”
“He was pulling my leg. Just like I’m pulling yours.”
The audience laughed on cue.
The two actors stood, took a bow and then exited the stage. The real Gus and Old Horace clapped the loudest. Gus even stuck two fingers in his mouth and blew out a whistle.
Between scenes, the band in the pit struck up a lively gig.
Aunt Mae came out next. Pippa followed close behind. She’d removed her makeup and donned a dress.
“Miss Mae is going to sing you a song,” Pippa said. “There’s nothing funny about this next act, so you all better behave yourselves.”
“What happens if we don’t?” someone shouted from the balcony.
Pippa waved her finger in the general direction of the heckler. “There’ll be no fried chicken at the next county fair and no more pies at the Cowboy Café.”
The audience booed.
“You’ve been warned.” Pippa glared at the rowdy audience. “Settle down and listen.”
After a slightly warbled start, Aunt Mae sang “True Lover’s Farewell.” A couple of the notes were a touch off pitch, but by the end she’d found her rhythm. The crowd grew hushed. When she finished, more than one person surreptitiously wiped a tear from their eye.
Aunt Mae bowed and left the stage, her exit followed by cheerful applause.
Pippa skipped onto the stage next. She wore a blond wig and carried a parasol. Her gown sat high on her waist, and her skirts were full to the point of exaggeration. A tall man Will recognized as Gideon, his blond hair covered by a dark wig, followed her out. The two reached the center of the stage and then faced one another.
“I love you, Leah,” the man cooed.
“I love you, Daniel.”
“I love you more, Leah.”
“I love you more, Daniel.”
Much to the delight of the audience, the two embraced. They separated and Daniel chased Leah around the stage, pinching his fingers while Leah giggled and evaded his seeking hands.
Will cast a sidelong glance at the real couple, who appeared to be taking the impersonation in stride. Daniel’s face flushed, and Leah gently squeezed his arm. He grinned and rested his hand over her fingers. When Gideon and Pippa indicated them from the stage, the real Leah and Daniel stood and took a bow.
Fearing the worst, Will held his breath when the stage was set for the next skit. He recognized a fair replica of his rooms at the Cattleman Hotel.
Remmy Hagermann marched onto the stage carrying a cane similar to Will’s. Amos Godwin, sporting a shaggy blond wig, clearly playing Noah, appeared from the opposite wing.
Remmy waved his walking stick, knocking over a lamp and a side table. “Rules. What this town needs is more rules.”
“What this town needs is fewer people.” Noah harrumphed. “A fellow can hardly swing a stick without hitting another person these days.”
Will swung his cane and whacked the fake Noah in the leg. “I know what you mean.”
Yelping, Noah hopped on one foot and held his ankle.
“You know what we need?” The fake Will spoke loudly. “A rule about swinging sticks. No swinging sticks in the town proper. We’ll need a sign. I’ll make one.”
“You do that!” Noah announced. “I’ll be putting some ice on this leg.”
He limped off the stage. Will followed him off, muttering and swinging his walking stick.
The audience applauded, and Noah and Will dutifully stood and took their bow. More skits followed. Pippa Neely had outdone herself. The show was a mixture of singing and parodies, with most of the prominent residents lampooned in one way or another. The humor was always lighthearted and not mean-spirited. She paced the show well, never letting the audience’s attention wander for too long.
During intermission, the patrons sat at tables arranged in the empty lot beside the opera house. Nels Patterson sold his famous chicken-salad sandwiches along with tart lemonade.
He handed Will a sandwich and a pickle wrapped in waxed paper. “This meal is on the house. I’m making a fortune on these sandwiches. That Miss Stone is smart as a whip.”
“She sure is.”
Instead of eating and mingling, Noah had used the intermission to check on his horse. Will caught sight of Dora seated with her parents. The banker, Mr. Wilson, who’d been her escort the night of the dance, was conspicuously seated at another table.
Leah and Daniel were seated side by side, their heads bent in conversation. The two might have been alone for all the attention they paid to the activity flurrying around them. Everyone was happy and occupied. He was welcome to join any of the conversations, but he held back.
Always a solitary man, for the first time in his life, he was lonely.
He welcomed Noah’s return, though a stab of guilt dampened his enjoyment of the intermission. Constance, the bride they’d sent for on his behalf, was set to arrive soon, and he and Daniel had yet to speak with Noah. Somehow they hadn’t found an opportunity. Each day that passed brought the time of reckoning closer.
Will took his seat for the second half, and the rest of the show proved just as entertaining as the first half. During the last break, he checked his program and discovered Texas Tom was the last act.
Pippa appeared on stage once more, her makeup removed, her hair glistening beneath the oil lamps. “We’re closing out our show with a real first-class act. Texas Tom and her amazing roping skills.”
She made a flourishing gesture with her hands and Tomasina took her place. As Texas Tom, she wore a fringed shirt and skirt with beading on the collar and hem. Twirling her lasso, she hopped in and out of the center. In a blur of skilled handling, she swung the rope left and right and over her head. Her movements were graceful and enchanting. The band struck up a tune, and the audience clapped in time. For the next fifteen minutes she delighted the crowd with her roping skills.
She brandished the rope over her head and took a bow.
Pippa joined her and the theater grew quiet.
“This night would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of one particular gentleman,” Pippa said. “He believed in this theater. He believed in the people of Cowboy Creek.”
Tomasina twirled the lasso above her head and swung the rope. The loop sailed over the audience and landed around Will.
A flush crept up his neck.
Pippa urged him to stand. “Let’s have a round of applause for Mr. Will Canfield.”
Grinning at his discomfort, Noah sank deeper into his chair. Will’s guilt over the coming bride abated somewhat.
Tomasina struck a pose.
The audience applauded. All the townspeople who had taken part in the production filed onto the stage from both wings. When the stage was full to bursting, everyone took a bow and the crowd gave the talented players a standing ovation.
Will stared at the rope in his hands. He wasn’t ready for her to leave. Not now. Maybe not ever.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Tomasina had just said goodbye.
* * *
Tomasina turned and discovered Will waiting in the wings.
He held out his hand. “I believe this is yours.”
She accepted the coiled rope. “Pippa made me do it.”
“Good. You were the best part of the show.”
A blush stained her cheeks. “Pippa was the best part.”
“Cowboy Creek is full of talented actors.”
“You’re a diplomat at heart, Mr. Canfield.”
“Come back to the hotel,” he said in a low, husky tone. “There’s a party celebrating the successful launch of the Cowboy Creek Opera House.”
Knowing her time was running short, Tomasina accepted the invitation. She’d enjoyed the show more than she’d expected. Her fellow performers had encouraged and supported each other throughout the many rehearsals. She’d enjoyed the sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Still flushed from her performance, she wasn’t ready to let the feeling go.
The mood was lively and patrons from the opera meandered down the boardwalk.
When they arrived at the hotel, the lobby was in chaos. The staff crowded near the front desk, their voices raised in overlapping chatter.
Mr. Rumsford approached them, his face red. “We’ve been robbed.”