Chapter 18 #2
Mr. Marcelle nodded, and Suzette took her place on the very small stage.
“Are you ready?” asked Nate Salsbury.
“Yes.” Suzette nodded.
“Good, then I will introduce you.” With hardly a pause, he began his introduction, “Ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure to introduce you tonight to Miss Suzette Joselyn, a lyric soprano from the London Opera House. She has kindly agreed to entertain us with a song. Let us welcome her. Miss Joselyn.”
He gestured toward her, and Suzette, amid applause, smiled her thanks at Salsbury.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she started, “the song I am about to sing is an aria entitled ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ from Friedrich von Flotow’s opera Martha.
Originally a poem by Thomas Moore, it was set to music by John Stevenson.
In the opera, the main character, Harriet Durham, sings this beautiful Irish melody to her lover.
” After she nodded to the other musicians, the first strains of the intro flowed around her.
She sang:
“’Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.”
Not a whisper was to be heard from the spellbound audience. Suzette awaited the interlude, then continued…
Meanwhile, Black Lion had taken a place toward the rear of the room, and with arms folded over his chest, he smiled at her and gave her his fullest attention as he listened to her beautiful and lyrical voice:
“I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I’ll scatter,
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.”
Watching her, listening to her, Black Lion felt as though some mythical force had borne him to another place and time, such was the power of her voice. Though she sang a melody with unfamiliar words, he stood enchanted.
It was the next verse of the song, when he at last caught her eye. Was it his imagination or, from then onward, did she sing only to him?
“So soon may I follow
When friendships decay,
And from Love’s shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie wither’d
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?”
The final note was high, drawn out, and when the music faded into nothing, it took the assembled crowd a moment to recover. At last, brilliant waves of applause greeted her, and the “Brava! Brava!” was shouted out amid further praise.
Suzette nodded, smiling and bowing, accepting her due gracefully. Before she left the platform completely, she lifted her gaze to glance out at him. The others around him faded. She didn’t smile at him, but she didn’t have to. He recognized the hunger echoing deeply within her gaze.
He sincerely hoped it was for him. Having once known the sultry wonder of her affection, these last few days without her had been unbearable. Despite their troubles and the differences between them, Black Lion now harbored a knowledge deep in his soul.
He loved this woman. It was the wrong time for love, the wrong place for love, for he could not afford to give her the attention a wife so thoroughly deserved.
Yet, there it was. He had found his life’s partner. As they stared at one another, he knew their hearts were one. In time her anger at him would cool, and she would come to realize he would never love another as he loved her. For now, this realization was enough.
When she averted her gaze, Black Lion quietly left Buffalo Bill’s welcome tent to keep his promise to his wife and go in search of the Song Bird, Irena.
Suzette accepted the praise from an admirer graciously, beaming her pleasure. Yet when she glanced back to the spot where Black Lion had been, he was gone.
Disappointment flooded her. She had been looking forward to speaking with him. True, she was certain her words to him would have been sarcastic, perhaps even antagonistic, for he still had much explaining to do before she would give him quarter.
Nevertheless, she had welcomed the opportunity to spar with him.
“Miss Joselyn.” It was Buffalo Bill who had come up behind her. “This is the first time I have heard you sing. Does Irena know she has a rival in you?”
Suzette laughed. “I could never compete with Irena, nor would I want to. She is an act all to herself.”
“That she is. That she is, and the Wild West is grateful to have her.” Cody leaned down close to her, and the scent of whiskey was heavy on his breath. “It would be my pleasure, Miss Joselyn, if you are willing, to show you exactly how wild our Western country can be.” He grinned inanely.
If it weren’t for the fact that Cody was completely serious, Suzette might have greeted his offer with a short laugh. The suggestion did seem outrageous. Even more so because, since she had arrived here, Cody had paid her little heed, catering instead to his opera star, Irena.
However, she kept her own counsel, realizing Cody was earnest, as well as drunk, and she chose her words carefully. “It is a fine offer, and I thank you.”
“Fine, fine.” He beamed at her and laid his hand on her shoulder.
“But,” Suzette said, sidling out of his reach, “I already have a private life with…someone else…and it is indeed, thrilling enough for me.”
“You do? With whom?”
She looked delightedly at Cody, remained silent and offered her hand to him. “Mr. Cody, I thank you.” Her voice and her intent were firm. She turned away from him to stroll to the other side of the tent.
“Splendid, dear, splendid,” came a compliment from one of the cowgirls.
“Thank you very much.” Suzette smiled.
“Your song and your voice is beautiful, very beautiful,” said Annie Oakley, as they met in passing. “I hope you will sing for us often.”
“Thank you, I hope I shall do this as well,” agreed Suzette as she stepped out into the night.
The cold air felt marvelous in her lungs; it was clean and invigorating. Wistfully, she wished that Black Lion might find her standing here, if only so they could continue their argument.
What did this say about her? Truly, it spoke loudly of her joy at simply being with him, even if they did nothing more than spit at each other. For a moment tonight, she had felt as if the two of them had connected, being to being. There had been no other people, no environment. Just him. Just her.
And she had found him…magnificent.
Magnificent? She pulled up her thoughts at once. Indeed, until she determined if the man were married to another or not, she would avoid all thought of him…if this were possible.
The prospect of avoidance was unreal, however, since she had promised a rendezvous with the man later this evening. Would she discover him to be truthful after all?
Only time would tell. Until Irena reappeared, Suzette would have to take upon herself her grandmother’s duties, here at the party. Hopefully Irena would return soon.