The Bride of the Delta Queen Read online

  "And you didn't see fit to warn her this morning when she was suppressing her disappointment with the knowledge she'd be meeting him in Vicksburg?"

  "No, I didn't," Chance admitted without a flicker of remorse.

  "I don't know whether you don't have a heart or if you're just naturally cruel," Selena declared, almost choking with the effort to keep her temper in check.

  He seemed unmoved by her caustic description of him. Lifting his glass to his mouth, he said, "Memphis is our next scheduled stop. I imagine Julia will plan to meet him there."

  "Unless you can find a way to prevent it," she added bitterly, and rose from her chair. "You can keep your drink. I'm not interested."

  Chance made no attempt to stop her as she walked swiftly from the room. As she neared the grand staircase, she overheard a low comment from one of the passengers, "A lovers' quarrel." It only made her more anxious to leave the room.

  At dinner that evening Selena pointedly ignored Chance, her dislike of his heartless ways feeding on itself. It made the meal miserable, turning delicious food into tasteless mush. Julia gave no indication that she was aware they wouldn't be stopping at Vicksburg. She didn't mention either Vicksburg or Leslie at the table. Her conversation was centered on Natchez and the sights that Selena had seen.

  The gift shop in the forward cabin lounge was open when Selena left the dining room. She spent some time looking over its items, then wandered up the grand staircase and out through the double doors of the texas Lounge to the outer deck.

  It was a warm, languid night with a three-quarter moon slipping out from behind a cloud. Selena leaned against the railing and gazed out at the shapeless black shadows darkening the banks, trying to convince herself that she was content with her own company.

  At eight-thirty the announcement came that the Mississippi Queen would be passing them in fifteen minutes on the port side. Selena walked to the left side of the boat to sit in one of the wrought-iron chairs near the fan-shaped air duct. She was soon joined on deck by other passengers, invisible excitement building as the time approached.

  Someone said, "There she is, dead ahead."

  And a crew member groaned, "Don't put it that way!"

  Selena leaned forward to look over the railing and saw the big steamboat coming around the river's bend. She caught her breath at the sight of it. All the decks were ablaze with light, like a tiered birthday cake with all the candles lit in a darkened room.

  In the clear night air came the vociferous music from the Mississippi Queen's calliope. A murmur ran through the passengers as they recognize the tune, "Cruising down the River."

  A spotlight was shining—from the Delta queen, playing over the water ahead of her. The rasping whistle was blown once to officially signal to the Mississippi Queen that they would pass on the port side and her whistle blasted once in agreement.

  As the large paddle wheel steamboat drew steadily closer, one of the bartenders crowded into the railing beside Selena, a flashlight in his hand. He smiled a quick apology, then began flashing the light at the approaching vessel. She caught the answering flash from the forward deck of the Mississippi Queen.

  The bartender let out a short whoop of delight and began flashing in earnest. "That's my brother," he said, offering Selena a quick explanation. "He works on the Mississippi queen. This is about the only time we see each other."

  The bows of the two boats were nearly even now, spotlights roaming over each other's decks. The passengers of the Mississippi queen were all gathered on the outer decks, too, and they shouted in unison, "Hello!" Automatically, Selena heard herself and the others respond with the same greeting. Everyone was waving. It seemed the thing to do.

  Slowly the two sister ships glided by each other, the Mississippi queen floating along in the current, her red paddle wheel motionless to prolong the moment of meeting. Then she was past, and her paddle wheel reluctantly began churning the river water again.

  Selena leaned back in her chair as the other passengers began leaving the railing. The night was once again ink black, the moon and stars unable to match the brilliant lights of the Mississippi queen.

  "Here." A white cloth was offered to her.

  Selena glanced up at the donor in surprise. It was Chance, smiling gently as he looked down at her. She was about to protest that she had no need for a handkerchief when she realized that her throat was tight, gripped by the craziest mixture of nostalgia and happiness and the magical beauty of the event. What was more surprising were the welling tears in her eyes.

  "Thank you," she muttered, and took the handkerchief to dab her eyes. Laughing, with an emotional catch in the sound, she declared, "I don't know what's the matter with me!"

  "I'd say you're turning into a steamboater."

  "What's that?" Selena asked, too unnerved by her reaction to remember that she was supposed to dislike Chance actively.

  "That's a person who loves steamboats," he answered, taking the handkerchief she returned to him and stuffing it back in his jacket pocket. "Do you feel like a stroll around deck?"

  "Yes, I think so." The lump in her throat was beginning to ease as she rose to walk with Chance.

  A companionable silence lay between them, his arm curved lightly and impersonally along the back of her waist. Their circuitous route eventually brought them to the stern of the boat near Selena's cabin. In silent unison, they paused at the rear railing to gaze at the waterfall created by the spotlighted paddle wheel.

  Other passengers, too, were strolling the decks, exchanging quiet greetings as they passed Selena and Chance. However, one man stopped when he saw them, smiling broadly.

  "I see the two of you finally made up after your little tiff this afternoon," he commented, and walked on just as Selena recognized him as being the man she had overheard remarking about their "lovers' quarrel."

  Stiffening under the light pressure of Chance's hand, she gave him an odd look. "Why didn't you correct him?"

  "What was the point?" he shrugged.

  "He thinks we're…"

  "Lovers?" supplied Chance, his mouth quirking in mockery at her hesitation over the word.

  "Yes," Selena clipped out the answer.

  "It's only natural. What do you expect the other passengers to think when they see us together almost constantly?"

  "Maybe if you quit following me around all the time, they wouldn't get the wrong impression," she retorted. "And stop hanging around outside my cabin at night!"

  "Outside your cabin?" he repeated, a dark brow arching.

  "Yes, my cabin," she repeated.

  "It just so happens, Red, that I'm hanging around outside my own cabin."

  "Your cabin? Where's your cabin?" She demanded in disbelief.

  "Number 239, the one right beside yours," he said with a complacent light in his eyes.

  "You're lying," Selena accused.

  Chance reached into his pocket. "Would you like to see my key?"

  She believed him. "No, I wouldn't."

  "Which bed do you sleep in?" he asked. "The one on the right as you walk into your cabin?"

  "I don't see that it's any of your business, but yes, that's the one," she retorted, still trying to recover from the shock that he had the cabin next to hers.

  "We're sleeping side by side with only a wall between us. It's a pity the wall isn't removable," Chance commented in a low voice. "Then I could start collecting on that promise you made in my hotel room."

  "I didn't make any promise." She twisted away from the hand on her back. "I keep telling you that, but you refuse to listen. So, from now on, you can just stay away from me."

  As she turned away, he caught at her hand. "Where are you going?"

  "To my cabin." She slipped out of his grasp. "Good night."

  "Selena, one word of caution," he followed her to the door. "Don't start sleeping in the other bed or the maid will get suspicious and think someone else is sleeping in your room. And you know how fast rumors spread on this boat!"

&
nbsp; Inserting the key in the lock, she jerked her cabin door open and slammed it in his face. But it didn't shut out his remark. When she crawled into bed that night, it was the one she had always slept in.

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  Chapter Seven

  SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE Selena stepped out of her cabin, unable to sleep, and tiptoed by Chance's. The chill of the night was still in the strong breeze whipping around the stern. She buttoned the last two buttons of her jacket and tucked her hands in its pockets.

  Streamers of scarlet pink trailed across the eastern horizon and the sun was a heavy orange ball. Bluffs rose high along the river banks, the water's course a twisting nest of oxbows.

  She wandered around the empty deck and descended the stairs near the bow to the cabin deck. A coffee urn was in the forward cabin lounge for early risers, and Selena helped herself, warming her hands around the steaming cup.

  A figure was standing on the outer deck at the bow, wearing a suede jacket and a scarf tied around her head. It took Selena a few minutes to recognize it was Julia. With her cup in her hand, she walked back on deck to join the woman.

  "Good morning, Julia."

  The woman turned, smiling automatically yet with a touch of absentness. "Good morning, Selena. You're up early."

  "I couldn't sleep."

  There was silence as Julia gazed intently ahead. The Delta Queen glided under a railroad bridge. Around the bend, a highway bridge stretched high across the river. There was a suggestion of activity concentrated behind the river's treed banks. It was this that held Julia's attention.

  As if sensing Selena's curious eyes on her, Julia explained, "That's Vicksburg ahead."

  Selena hesitated an instant before saying, "You do know we aren't stopping, don't you?"

  "Yes." It was a quiet word, but it spoke volumes about Julia's disappointment.

  Again there was silence as the boat moved steadily nearer. The wind gusted, tearing through Selena's uncovered hair. The sun was yellow, the streaks of dawn gone from the sky.

  "I sent Leslie a wire telling him we wouldn't be stopping here," Julia said softly, "I hope he received it,"

  "I'm sure he did," Selena consoled.

  Selena waited with Julia while she maintained her silent vigil on the bow until the Delta Queen followed the channel markers past the mouth of the Yazoo River. Only then did the older woman suggest that they go inside. Vicksburg was behind them and Memphis was ahead.

  Later that afternoon, Selena came up from the Orleans Room after watching a navigation film. Afternoon tea was being served in the aft cabin lounge. Wanting some fresh air, she decided to walk along the outer cabin deck to get to the aft section instead of using the wide passageway through the center of the deck.

  At a leisurely pace, she began walking beside the railing to the stern. A cabin window was open, releasing familiar voices from within. Selena realized she was approaching Julia's stateroom. When she heard her name on Chance's lips, she stopped.

  She didn't hear what Chance had said about her, but she heard Julia reply. "How can you say that? Selena is such a wonderful girl. You should know that by now from spending time with her on this cruise."

  Since her insistence last night that Chance leave her alone, he had been remarkably absent all day. Selena didn't know how long it would last, but she realized that even Julia had noticed how much time he had been spending in her company.

  There was a moment of pregnant silence from the cabin. Selena was afraid that Chance was going to tell Julia the sordid circumstances of their first meeting.

  Instead he offered an impatient, "You're entirely too trusting, Julia. Sooner of later—"

  "You think she's going to hurt me, don't you?" came Julia's gentle response.

  "In one way or another, I can practically guarantee it," he retorted.

  A fellow passenger was walking toward Selena and she realized she didn't dare tarry any longer outside Julia's window or she would risk being discovered eavesdropping. She moved on, knowing Chance was still wrong about her. And she certainly would never do anything that would hurt Julia.

  Two mornings later the Delta Queen steamed into Memphis. The sky was slate gray with a steady drizzle of rain coming from its clouds.

  Selena stood beside Julia on the outer cabin deck beneath the overhang of the deck above them as the boat maneuvered to tie up. Despite the miserable weather, spectators were on the river front to watch the boat's arrival.

  It was these faces that Julia searched so anxiously. When the lines were tied and the gangplank secure on the cobblestoned ramp, she turned to Selena.

  "Leslie isn't there," she announced, pain obvious in her expression.

  "It's a little before nine and we weren't scheduled to arrive until nine, so maybe he doesn't know the boat is in yet," Selena suggested. "He still might come."

  "I'll bet he didn't get the message to come to Memphis," Julia sighed.

  As the minutes stretched into half an hour, Selena had to admit it was possible that Leslie had not received Julia's message. Silently she berated Chance for not being here to comfort his aunt.

  "Listen," Selena said, refusing to give up, "why don't I go ashore and telephone the different hotels to see if I can find out where he's staying? Maybe he overslept."

  "Oh, thank you, but I can't ask you to do that."

  "You aren't asking me. I'm volunteering." She opened her purse and took out a piece of paper and pencil. "What's Leslie's full name?"

  "Leslie Reid." Julia spelled it for her.

  Selena slid the paper into her purse. "Is there any chance he might he staying with family or friends here in Memphis?"

  "I don't think so," Julia replied, shaking her head uncertainly. "When Leslie and I were on the autumn cruise, we stopped in Memphis. He didn't mention knowing anyone here and I'm sure he would have."

  "That just leaves the hotels and motels," Selena smiled, trying not to think about what a daunting list that would prove to be in a city the size of Memphis. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Wish me luck."

  She was off, entering the forward cabin lounge and descending the stairs to the main deck and the gangplank. The light rain made the cobblestones slippery. It was tricky going until Selena reached the sidewalk.

  The downtown shopping mall was only a few blocks from the dock. Every other building along the waterfront seemed to be occupied by cotton brokers or cotton warehouses. As she crossed the street, the clouds opened up, nearly drowning Selena in a downpour. No umbrella, bareheaded, wearing a cotton jacket that wasn't waterproofed, she was soon soaked to the skin before she could reach any kind of shelter.

  Two hours later, with a pocketful of change consumed by the telephone booth in her fruitless search for Leslie's hotel, she made her way back through the driving rain, now being whipped by a cold north wind. Her feet slithered and slipped down the slanting cobblestones to the boat.

  She was drenched by the rain, nearly frozen into an ice cube by the cold wind and disheartened by the long list of calls she had made in vain. At the back of her mind, she kept hoping that Leslie would be aboard the boat when she got there.

  Someone was walking up the cobblestones directly toward her. At the moment her footing was fairly solid. She didn't care who it was, she wasn't going to give ground. He could just go around her.

  The person kept coming directly toward her, not altering his path an inch. She didn't dare take her eyes off the uneven ground for fear of slipping and landing ignominiously on her backside.

  "I thought country girls like you were supposed to have enough sense to come in out of the rain," Chance declared in an exasperated and mocking tone.

  Selena stopped at the sound of his voice, glaring at him through the strands of the hair plastered across her eyes. "That's what I'm trying to do, if you'd get out of my way." Her teeth chattered uncontrollably when she spoke.

  His arm circled her waist, providing solid support as he half lifted and half carried her to the more secure footi
ng of the gangplank. He didn't slow the pace until they were under the shelter of the main deck.

  "Where were you during the first half of that descent?" Selena muttered between shivers.

  "You look like a drowned rat," Chance observed.

  "Thanks a lot!" She was shaking all over, frozen to the bone.

  The arm around her waist pushed her to the staircase. "What was so urgent that you had to go out in the middle of a downpour?" he demanded.

  "I had to make some telephone calls," she answered, gritting her teeth to keep them from clattering together. "To see if I could find where Leslie was staying. Did he show up here at the boat?"

  "Of all the harebrained, wild-goose chases—" Abruptly he cut off his exclamation and snapped, "No, he didn't."

  "Poor Julia," Selena sighed. "She'll be heartbroken. You should be with her."

  "I'm going to talk to her, all right." There was an ominous note in his voice. "But first you're going up to your cabin and get out of these wet clothes."

  "That is where I was going," she retorted with as much strength as her shivering voice could muster. "Or did, you think I was going to wear them until they dried?"

  "I wouldn't put it past you," Chance muttered, forcibly ushering her through the forward cabin lounge, unmindful of the gawking passengers. "Any fool that would go out in a downpour without a raincoat or an umbrella—" he pushed open the door to the outer deck and shoved Selena through "—might not have enough brains to change into dry clothes."

  "It was only drizzling when I left," she defended. "And I'm not made of sugar. I don't melt."

  He gave her a cutting look and demanded, "Where's your room key?"

  "In my bag."

  Before Selena could open it, he was taking the bag from her shaking hands and pushing her up the stairs to the texas deck. Her reactions weren't as quick as they normally were.

  Before she could stop her impetus forward and protest at his taking of her purse, Chance had found the key and was handing back her purse. He hustled her the rest of the way up the stairs to her cabin door, opening it and pushing her inside.

  Now that she was out of the wind and the rain she was shivering even worse. She stopped short when she realized that Chance had followed her into the cabin.