Irene danced the dance of the seven veils with glorious abandon. The audience was in fine fettle and they accompanied the discarding of every bit of cloth with ribald enthusiasm. I stood at the back, watching, not happy. Whatever this big announcement was, I doubted it meant me any good.
Gold rained down upon her at the conclusion. She stood on the stage, a colourful cloud of chiffon at her bare feet, beaming, accepting the adulation. She picked up some of the larger nuggets and left the other girls to run out from backstage and scoop up the rest. When the booty was gathered, Irene stepped to the front and held up her hands. The hoots that served as applause died down. The men leaned forward in their seats or where they stood. Beside me, I felt Ray stir. He was no happier than I. I put my hand on his uninjured arm and gave him an encouraging smile. He did not return it.
A born performer, Irene stood on the stage, arms held out, waiting until every foot was still and every eye on her. Girls crowded the wings, all of them eager to hear the news.
“I have some hard news for you,” Irene said. She paused. No one breathed. “I will be leaving the Savoy, effective tonight.”
Men shouted, “No!”
I groaned. “The Horseshoe, I’ll bet,” I said to Ray. “They’re losing customers every night because of that pack of mules they call dancers.” I did calculations in my head. How much more could I offer Irene to entice her to stay? Rather a cheap trick on her part, to announce to her crowd of admirers that she was leaving, preparatory to demanding an increase in pay.
“I am,” she said, “getting married.”
Ray choked.
“Come on up, George, and say hi to the boys,” Irene shouted.
The short old miner, the one I’d noticed her paying an excessive amount of attention to, lumbered onto the stage. He smiled proudly, the effect spoiled by the fact that he didn’t have a single tooth in his mouth. He stretched onto his tiptoes and planted a kiss firmly on Irene’s cheek.
The men sat in stunned silence. I saw them exchanging glances, looking for clues as to how to react.
I gave it to them. I didn’t want to chance another brawl breaking out. I applauded, while gritting my teeth. Ray growled at me.
The audience broke into scattered applause. George preened. Irene curtsied. In the wings, the dancers were looking highly pleased at this turn of events. Once again, Irene lifted a hand. The applause died down. “Leastways,” she said, “‘till spring. I’ll be back, boys.”
They leapt to their feet and roared.
Temporary marriages were not uncommon. A woman needed money, particularly over the long, cold winter when the dancehalls were largely empty, everyone huddled in their cabins out on the Creeks. A man needed female companionship. A business transaction. George would have paid a great deal for a temporary arrangement with the most popular dancer in the territory. I looked at him, short and ugly. All I felt was sorry for her.
Show over, Irene shooed her prospective husband off the stage and went to change. Benches were pushed aside, the musicians picked up their instruments, and the caller announced that the floor was open for dancing.
I waited for Irene outside the dressing room.
“I won’t say your job will be waiting,” I said once she emerged. “Who knows what the situation will be like next year. But you can come and ask.”
“Thanks, Mrs. MacGillivray.”
“Is it going to be worth it?”
“Probably not. He’s promised me a lot of money, if I last till spring. I was raised on a farm with ten younger brothers and sisters and a mother who was sickly more often than not. I can cook and clean. Mend his socks. Do whatever else he wants, which likely won’t amount to much. But you know what, Mrs. MacGillivray? I’ll feel a lot cleaner with George. We both know what we’re getting and so does everyone else. He wants a housekeeper and a companion. I want money. I won’t be living a lie, pretending, like with Ray. And I won’t be hiding in the shadows. Like with Eleanor.”
I held out my hand. “I wish you luck, Irene.”
We shook, and she walked away, head high. George was waiting to escort her to their new life. She did not say anything to Ray Walker as they left.