The Vaudeville Star

“Gorgeous ring!” Bessie cooed as she saw it.

“Congratulations,” Archie said, shaking hands with Ford.

“Let’s celebrate!” Ruby said, smiling at them all.

Paris was a success! The troupe was welcomed with open arms, and Ruby spent her time alternating between performing onstage, sightseeing with Ford, and window shopping with Bessie. Ruby and Ford visited the Louvre and saw the famous painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. They saw the exquisite architecture of the Notre Dame Cathedral and strolled through the Luxembourg Gardens. The city was beautiful, and she never gave King a second thought. She was looking forward, not backward.

Ruby and Ford wed the day after the show finished its run. They married in a small church where English was spoken with Bessie and Archie standing as witnesses. The entire troupe sat in the pews behind the couple and watched as Ruby, in a dove-gray gown with orange blossoms in her hair, walked down the aisle on Vernon’s arm. She held a bouquet of lilies and spoke her vows with soft sincerity.

Ford’s lips twitched when he heard Ruby use the word “obey.” When his vows were repeated, they were the same except they lacked the word “obey.” They were pronounced man and wife and kissed sweetly in front of their guests and the priest.

“You are mine, Ruby Rutledge.” He held her to him.

“So I am,” Ruby said, a small smile on her face. “And you are mine. As I always knew you would be.”

They all returned to the hotel for the reception. Bessie had secretly worked with the hotel to ensure her friend had a lovely reception. The cake was a traditional dark, rich fruitcake with a white frosting of scrolls and flowers.

Everyone enjoyed a piece of cake and congratulated the couple as a small ragtime band played, thanks to Vern’s generosity.

“I am so confused,” Zeta complained to Lou. “I thought she was with King. The financier.”

Lou shook his head. “I already told you. She’s been in love with Ford since she was a child.”

“How do you know this?” Zeta asked.

“Bessie told me.”

Zeta shook her head. “Perhaps. They look quite cozy,” she said, watching the couple as they laughed and took turns eating their wedding cake.

“Be happy for them, my dear Zeta. She’s not a bad person,” Lou said softly to her.

“Hmmm. Perhaps not.”

Ruby and Ford took a turn across the dance floor, and after an hour, they retired, thanking everyone for their support and attendance. Ruby felt as if she was walking on air. She had spoken to Vern with Ford, and they agreed that their next step was to make a tour of the United States. They would begin planning it once they got back.

Now that Ruby was a recognized star in Europe, they would use that back home to propel their tour. They even discussed bringing in new acts. In England, there had been another popular music hall act, the Eight Lancashire Lads, a clog-dancing troupe. They had been delightful, and she had been taken with a ten-year-old boy named Charles Chaplin.

Ruby was thrilled. She had everything she wanted with Ford by her side. It almost seemed too good to be true. When they entered their room, their trunks lay open and half-packed, as they were leaving for Le Havre tomorrow. But tonight was their first night as husband and wife.

When she turned to him, he looked handsome in his dark suit, and he was already pulling her close, his hands in her hair, his lips kissing her temple.

“My God, Ruby. You are so lovely,” he whispered.

She closed her eyes at the feel of his hands in her hair and on her body. He moved away from her only to shrug out of his jacket before returning to her. When her gown fell at her feet, she picked it up to place it over a chair.

When they were both naked, they lay together in bed, caressing and touching each other. Ruby touched his handsome face.

“My husband,” she said in an awed whisper.

“My wife,” he returned.

He entered her swiftly, and her nails bit into his shoulders as he moved in and out of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and his mouth tugged on one nipple as he felt himself getting close. When he felt Ruby shudder, he climaxed as well, holding her against him and feeling his heart race.

They lay together in the bed as the sun began to set and the clock struck the hour.

“As we are married now, have you given any thought to children?” he asked.

Ruby turned to him. “A child? I hadn’t thought of that.”