The Hudson Theater
She could feel her own nails digging deep into her palms as she focused all of her energy on breathing naturally. Even with her attention completely fixated on the one patch of the stage where she could see the shadow of a stagehand, Laces could feel all the wandering eyes on her.
The Opera was about being seen, a place to establish notoriety amongst the rich and even richer. Audrey Kai was posed perfectly in a balcony sitting close enough to the edge as if she were a display at one of the shops on Ladies Mile. For a young lady that had spent her life learning how to disappear from sight and dissolve into the shadows of others, being so highly visible was torture. It wasn't that she wasn't use to being watched, there was always a bird watching even now when she wore more silk than dirt but the stares of society were different. Audrey had learned a Brooklyn bird was a harmless observer while a society member was a vicious predator.
She sat for the first twenty minutes of the performance, perfectly still with a delicate half smile plastered to her face and her eyes remaining popped open. Twenty minutes when she was sure she would rip off the skin on the inside of both her hands. It was forty minutes before she began taking shorter breaths inducing a barely visible panting followed by a slight shaking of her tense shoulders.
"Go on, do try not to draw attention to yourself." Thomas Longfellow whispered her release. Audrey controlled the urge to jump out of her seat as she slowly rose and stiffly turned away from the bright lights and unblinking eyes. She took a step for every three heartbeats making an effort to walk out gracefully, quietly, unnoticed. Once outside the Opera box, she kept her eyes down and drew her arms into her torso trying to make herself smaller in the vastness of the Opera House. Her feet guided her to the wall, to the edge of the hall that lead her out into the darkness of the night.
It wasn't until Audrey stepped out into the cool night air and felt the night embrace her gray evening gown that she closed her own eyes. The chill of the night air didn't take long to settle onto her warm skin before she realized she hadn't collected her coat before exiting her gilded cage. But nothing, not even the night air would compel Audrey to step back inside to become the object of such scrutiny again. Instead the young lady of society began to walk, stroll at a pace unbecoming to any other young lady of her social standing but rather agreeable to Laces.
As she walked, she pulled at the fashionable puff sleeves that reached her elbow and with each tug a piece of paper appeared in her hand. For days, Audrey had been carrying around her letter from Jack Kelly with her everywhere she went. She had read the scratched out words so many times she could recite them from memory. The ink was starting to fade and the smell of the west had long since turned into the perfumed mixture Nancy often used in the wash.
"Reading something interesting?" Les Jacobs asked nonchalantly. The newsboy stood just within arms reach of her, leaning against a lamppost in a familiar stance with newspapers tucked under one arm and a cigarette burning down between his lips.
"Something about a cowboy out west." Audrey smiled. As she looked up she caught the way the Les wrinkled his cheeks into a familiar grin, so much like his brother and sister.
"Cowboys only exist in dime novels and penny comics." Les pressed his fingers over the last embers of his cigarette before throwing it down. Laces' smile twitched slightly distressed by the roughness of Les' voice but her eyes caught sight of the stack of newspapers.
"Why aren't you shouting headlines?" She demanded.
"Waiting for the shows to get out, best spot just down the street in about an hour. Didn't you ever sell with Jack on Saturday nights?" Les asked quirking an eyebrow in surprise. Laces shook her head and noticed the nervous anticipation in the boy as he pushed his palm against his forehead and ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. It was strange how Les Jacobs had become such a product of the two older boys he had considered his brothers. The dimples and the smile, even the shirt were all hints of David. But the long shaggy hair and nervous anticipation to peddle papers echoed of Jack.
"No. I think Jack preferred selling with you until you stopped looking seven. And then, well and then he liked selling alone without distraction for his big editions." Laces explained as she stared at the papers in her hand. Her eyes focused on the cramped handwriting towards the bottom of the second page, clear words she could almost hear Jack laughing.
This kid doesn't even shout his headline, so I tell him I won't buy a pape unless…
She laughs as she reads his words, hears his annoyance at the lack of pride in the trade he had made his entire life out of thus far. Jack Kelly had taught most of Manhattan how to sell newspapers and cleverly made a profit from anyone under ten.
"You haven't written them back." Les sighed. There was no reproach in his voice, just an observation like his older brother would make. The Jacobs brothers were raised with a sister and knew better than to accuse or poke at an emotional girl.
"You write to tell David you've been skipping school?" She shot back at him. The newsboy let a scowl flash across his face before shaking his head.
"Nope, but at least I write to them." Les spat back, his upbringing surrendering to his natural quick temper. "He asks about you, asks me if I've seen you…"
"He is the one who left." Laces responded angrily.
"I suspect Jack Kelly was always meant to leave New York." The subtle sullen voice of Skittery sunk into the air around Laces like a familiar blanket. She let her fingers curl back into her palm, settling her nails into the indents of her skin.
"He stayed for Sarah." Audrey whispered. The young lady stood glaring at Les, or rather past him at some figment of a memory while ignoring the present memories around her.
"He stayed for all of us." Les frowned as he nervously shifted his weight.
A shiver hit Laces with such a force that her entire body shook and goose bumps danced along her arms naturally. For a moment, the illusion of her silk dress and elegant hair do fit the bout of cold that struck her but then the shadow of her reality settled because Laces had been colder than this. Skittery had stepped forward at Les words, anticipating her reaction and wrapping his arms around her waist as if his instinct was an involuntary reaction to her discomfort.
"Kelly was always a dreamer, he hoped you'd come back." Skittery murmured the words into her ear, calming the slight shaking disguised as shivers. In a quick step previously used only to escape foolishly aimed walking sticks, toy swords, flying pillows or open palms Skittery slid Laces behind him letting his hand slip into hers.
"I best head off before some scab steals my spot up near the lights and glitter. You know all them theater goers, suckers for a sweet face…" Les shrugged anxious again.
"You got another face?" Skittery mocked.
Les rolled his eyes as he swung his leg out dramatically. Skittery flipped a nickel up into the air. The coin barely tumbled twice before Les held it tightly in his right hand.
"Two?" He asked excitedly. Skittery just nodded. The newsboy curled the two papers up in the way he had often folded his "last papers" as a child.
"Make sure no one follows us?" Skittery asked with only a hint of command. Les winked his agreement before laying his eyes back on the now quiet Audrey.
"You'll like the story on page 8." He winked before sauntering away, five cents richer. As Les escaped into the shadows and recess of the avenue of lights, Skittery guided Audrey carefully down a wide alley.
"Did Critter send you out to get me?"
Skittery didn't bother to answer the question. He knew she knew the answer. Audrey still clutched the letter from Jack to her chest, as she let Skittery pull her along to the little Hudson Theater.
There was a single door with cracking pale blue paint nestled in the side of a brick building. The door appeared unimportant, almost unworthy of note except for the worn shoelace dangling from a cooked nail and tied to a single gray feather. It was in front of the door that Skittery paused in his guidance.
It was in the familiar partial darkness, creeping odor of garage and seeping sense of hardship that Audrey actually looked at Skittery. She noticed immediately the sudden emergence of facial hair on the once smooth youthful face. Reaching out with the hand still clutching her letter, Audrey tried to confirm the change. But Skittery caught her hand and twisted her wrist around to allow him to study the cramped writing of a certain Jack Kelly.
"What are you waiting for?' He asked.
"For you to open the door, I suppose." Audrey responded smartly. She didn't fight for Skittery to release her hand, but merely stood still enough for him to read the letter.
"I doubt you don't have anything to say." Skittery sighed. No matter how familiar the setting, the world had changed between Laces and Skittery.
"There is not a feather on any of the other doors." Laces replied, starring past the man to the door behind him. Skittery rolled his eyes and dropped her hand. An agitated whistle, low and gravelly as if the sound was pushed through the clenched teeth and only through the tiniest crack at the edge of a pair of lips, screeched through the alleyway. The sound almost hissed, get out of the alley fools. Almost.
The door swung open and then words were actually growled.
"Get her inside."
A hand settled into the nook of her back, shoving ever so lightly but enough to make the young lady move. She swayed forward and clicked the bottom of her slippers clacked against the tiny step. The swiftness of the movement left Audrey confused about if she had always intended to obey the growl. Strong arms caught her as she stepped inside and she didn't need to look up to know the rough touch was Critter O'Connell.
"Audrey," He sighed in an unfamiliar gentle whisper. Before any more words were said, between the door closing and the gas lamp being turned up, Audrey was wrapped in a heavy coat.
"Not cold." She muttered. She still wasn't looking up, instead focusing on working to get her letter buried deep into her fancy dress.
"You look like you could be." Critter replied. His arm was now wrapped around her shoulders and Audrey finally looked up to realize the man had shrugged out of his own coat.
"Were you outside?" She wondered out loud. It was not cold inside under brilliant stage lamps, leaving the only conclusion to be that the man had been outside recently. Critter ignored her question as he guided her around sandbags and half built sets. Skittery was at their heels, unable to walk as quietly as the legendry bird or unwilling to exert the effort.
The Hudson Theater shimmered with warmth and anonymity a stark contrast to the Opera House Audrey had escaped. The young lady was being pushed along so quickly she couldn't see any of the audience or hear any of the performance.
"You were alerted the moment I stepped outside?" Audrey guessed quietly as Skittery ducked forward and unlocked an office door. Critter scoffed quietly as he stretched out to flicker on a gas lamp precariously balanced on a stalk of books.
"You leave that on, it's none to warm up here." Critter commanded. Laces had started to try to tug the heavy coat off her shoulders but stopped at the brisk tone. Instead, she began to study the small office around her.
There were two desks, pushed against opposite walls of the tiny room. One significantly messier than the other, with weeks old newspapers and an old newsboy cap stuffed amongst a large leather bound book and a dusty skull. Dropping her eyes down to the floor, she noticed the extra pair of boots tucked under the neater desk and a basket overflowing with bits and ends of feathers and yarn.
"Got you a pape." Skittery handed over his second World Evening edition. Neither hand was sitting in the tiny office, instead hovering in the small space imposing their presence on the furniture and Audrey.
"Audrey," Critter nodded at the empty chair in front of the cleaner desk.
"Keeping me out of trouble until the dreadful Opera is over?" She snapped at the man, before bending to his order.
Critter smiled as he opened his paper, again not answering a question he knew Laces only asked to interrupt the quiet she so hated. He hadn't seen her in weeks, though he knew about every social activity she had partaken in. The man studied her out of the corner of his eye, as he read his newspaper. He was waiting for her to question him further, but she seemed content studying the office. It did not escape Laces that Critter settled down to read his paper, slightly perched on his own desk next to her, effectively blocking the only entrance and exit from the office.
The office was quiet, an air of familial tranquility hanging just above their heads. Skittery sat down in his chair, folding his newspaper for later as he began to scribble over the ledger still open from his earlier work. Critter purposefully kept reading, ignoring Audrey as she sat perfectly straight expertly hiding her fidgeting hands under the desk. The old bird was allowing the girl to get comfortable, adapt to the new surrounding as he had seen her do so many times before. By pretending she had always been in this place, Critter allowed Laces the ability to settle down as if she was a regular in the tiny office. He waited patiently until the moment when he heard her hands rustling in the basket under his desk.
"You write to Jacob Henry Canterbury often enough." He stated abruptly. Audrey dropped whatever object she had managed to grab from the basket with a clunk. Her bright brown eyes flashed up to meet the steady gaze of Critter. She gritted her teeth ready to reply angrily but Critter didn't give her an opportunity.
"Can't find enough time to write to Jack is it?" He questioned softly. Skittery was trying his best to keep on with his own work, not get involved in whatever methods Critter was taking with Laces.
"Do you even want Jack writing to me? Won't it ruin your plan, their plan to have me be a social delight." Laces once again tried to shrug out of the heavy jacket, now feeling trapped again. Critter reached out with one hand and clasped his thumb and forefinger over the neck button of his own coat forcefully keeping the material wrapped around her.
"It's cold in here." He sighed before proceeding. "Do you want to write to Jack and think I won't allow it?"
Critter O'Connell would bet his life that the thought of obeying such an edict had never crossed the stubborn girl's mind. His shoulders tensed and his dark brows pressed down in a frown at the mere thought of Laces hiding behind such a lie. She caught his change in demeanor immediately and just shook her head.
"What is that?" He demanded.
"No. It's not because of you." She whispered dropping her eyes from his angry stare.
"And I know it's not because of Thomas or Casey." Critter continued. Laces made no attempt to object to the statement of knowledge.
"And we all know he's been writing you." Critter ventured. She just nodded miserably pulling at the corner of the paper that was still visible in the cuff of the coat.
"Do you not want to write to him?" Skittery piped in.
"That's not it…" She tried defending herself.
"Pride is a nasty thing." Critter snapped his wrist and in a quick movement was holding the letter from Jack Kelly.
"Give it back!" Audrey demanded instantly jumping to her feet. "And it has nothing to do with pride."
"Aren't dwelling on how he left? How angry are you at him? At Spot?" Critter taunted.
"Think you know everything!" Audrey growled as she spun her shoulder into Critter's chest and wrapped her hands around the fist holding her letter.
"I do know everything." Critter chuckled as he let her overtake him. Loosening his grip on the letter so she could retrieve it without ripping the paper.
"What do you care if I write to Jack or not?" She demanded.
"I might not care so much about Jack than I do about Spot, but aside from that you are distracted by your feelings." Critter wrapped his arm around her torso pulling to turn her around to face him.
"And that matters because?" Audrey glared at him.
"It makes you vulnerable. You don't notice things, like when someone is following you…" Critter glared back.
"No one is following me, I'm not in danger all the time." She threw her hands up.
"You've been back in the city for almost two months. Have you even been invited to call on any of the prestigious families? The Astors?" Critter crossed his arms over his chest expectantly. Audrey huffed impatiently. She was annoyed at the lack of importance to the conversation she was having with a man that might know something about Jack Kelly or Spot Conlon.
"What do the Astors have to do with anything?" Audrey demanded.
"Everything, according to every newspaper in the city. You are trying to fit in?" Critter reproached.
"You should just stop being angry at them." Skittery sighed trying to control the tempers around him.
"And stop being such a child." Critter added harshly.
"Everyone insists upon treating me as a child." She huffed.
"He is going to stop writing if you don't start replying." Critter barely spoke his threat above a whisper.
"Why did you bring me here?" She cried at Skittery.
"To keep you out of trouble until we return you to the Longfellow Estate tonight." Critter responded before Skittery could open his mouth.
"We don't get to see you often." Skittery added.
"Here, use this and I'll get you a cup of coffee." Critter pushed forward a fountain pen as he pushed his body off the desk. Laces clutched the pen in her hand and watched as the man disappeared down the steps.
"Who does he think he is?' Audrey fumed.
"The man that's going to get your letter in the mail and to the right place." Skittery smiled as he pulled a cigarette.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I was trudging along, trying to write through exhaustion which meant only sentences at a time. But I am pleased with what happened in this section, so hopefully I will jump to the next section pretty quickly. Let me know what you all think!