The Vaudeville Star

Cooling gales with voices low, In the tree tops gently blow, When thou dost in slumbers lie,

All things love thee, so do I.”

When she finished, she made a small curtsy, and a single rose was thrown upon the stage at her feet. When she picked it up, she breathed in the scent, and the audience cheered. Bessie was backstage with her brother waiting for their introduction, and she grinned at Ruby.

“It seems you can do no wrong. They love you.”

Her final song had also been chosen by King, “Kiss Me Quick and Go Away.” He had been certain that this flirty little song would do well with the men in the audience and that the jaunty tune would be the right note to end her performance on. The song moved quickly along and used the violin to evoke Southern charm.

“ . . . the more we whispered our love talking, The more we had to say. Kiss me quick and go, my honey! Kiss me quick and go, To cheat surprise and prying eyes, Why, kiss me quick and go.”

The audience erupted with laughter as Ruby skipped across the stage with a toss of her shoulders and wagged her finger at the young men who clapped and whistled at her. When the song was complete, several people were standing, and the applause was almost deafening.

She made a final curtsy before leaving the stage, just as Zeta was taking it for the final performance. As she moved backstage, she noticed a man dressed in crisp black-and-white formal evening wear speaking in hushed tones to Vernon. She didn’t know what to make of it, but soon enough she found out. Max was quietly knocking on all the dressing room doors to inform them that after the show they were to all gather onstage as the king would like to congratulate them personally.

Bessie came running into her dressing room just as Max was leaving. “Did you hear?” she asked, grabbing Ruby by the shoulders.

Ruby laughed. “Yes. Max just told me.”

“Can you believe it? Can you? Oh my God! Bessie Moore from Kansas is about to meet the king of England!” she said breathlessly.

“Well, Bessie Moore, you deserve it! I saw you out there tonight! You and Archie were amazing!”

“Thank you, dear Ruby,” Bessie said as she sat on a stool next to her. “But I think the amazing one was you. You had the audience in the palm of your hand. Even the stagehands were talking about you.”

“Is that significant?” Ruby asked.

“When a crusty stagehand who has seen and heard everything is talking about you? Yes. It’s significant.”

Ruby flashed a smile.

“Oh, Ruby. If only I had known when we first met outside the stage door what a lucky charm you were to become.” She leaned down and kissed Ruby’s cheek. “God bless you, Ruby.”

“How do I look? Good enough to meet a king?” she asked.

“Better!”

When the performance ended, the troupe gathered onstage and waited for the king to appear. Bessie clutched Ruby’s hand, and the two women grinned in the dark. The large curtains opened, and though a portion of the audience was leaving, a large amount of people remained behind as the king descended from the balcony with his entourage.

As he made his way to the stage, Ruby noted that he was wearing evening clothes like the rest of his group, but he was given deference by those around him. He was a big, barrel-chested man with a full beard and mustache, and he walked with a sure stride. There were several men in his party but also a woman dressed in a fine gown with ropes of pearls at her throat.

“Excellent performance!” the king boomed as he nodded to Vernon.

Moving down the line, the king greeted everyone and said something complimentary about each performance. When he reached Zeta, he smiled.

“Alice particularly enjoyed your performance. Did you not, my dear?” he said, turning to the woman in pearls.

“I did, sir. Very much so.”

Zeta, for once, seemed at a loss for words.

“I had the pleasure of seeing you perform years ago in London,” Alice Keppel, the king’s mistress, told her.

As the two women conversed, the king turned his attention to Ruby.

“My dear Miss Sutton.”

“Your Majesty,” Ruby replied, sinking into a low and graceful curtsy.