Disclaimer: This is a non-commercial work of fanfiction. Anything recognizable from Newsies belongs to Disney and not to me.
Chapter 70: Celebration I
Sadie looked up in surprise from packing plates into a basket as Margaret burst into the apartment, not bothering to knock on the already-ajar front door. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Becker," she sang out. "It's shaping up to be the perfect day for a birthday party picnic!"
Sadie's parents returned the salutations from the kitchen where they were similarly occupied in preparing for the festivities, and Margaret flounced over to the sofa where Lilly was currently being served an early lunch by Abby, greeting both of the girls in a similarly hearty fashion before she minced over to Sadie, setting down a beautifully-wrapped box with a flourish.
"I've been dying to give this to you for months," she declared. "You'll never guess what it is."
"Megs, this is lovely!" Sadie picked up the box, admiring its tasteful trimmings and elegant wrapping.
"Open it!" her best friend urged. "What's inside is even better."
Sadie eagerly untied the thin cord surrounding the package and then carefully tore away the paper to reveal a box, its lid monogrammed with the letter 'H'. Removing the lid, her fingers gently parted the layers of crisp white tissue paper...and then her eyes widened in surprise.
There, nestled in between the wrappings, was the hat from the millinery shop that she'd had her eye on several months ago, the straw boater with its lovely hand-dyed ribbon that circled the band like a sliver of sunshine and ended in a charming little bow.
It was the hat that she'd passed on buying to replace Davey's paint-stained shirt instead, the hat that she'd been deeply disappointed to discover was gone by the time she'd saved up enough money again to buy it...
The hat that her thoughtful best friend had apparently decided to purchase on her behalf.
Sadie looked up at Margaret, who was positively beaming. "Megs…" she began, touched by the gesture, "I can't believe you did this. I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll wear it to the party today," the other girl suggested brightly. "You'll look fetching in it, and it will match your dress quite nicely."
"It will," Sadie agreed, a smile spreading across her face at the prospect. She reached over to grasp her friend's hand. "Thank you, Megs," she said sincerely. "I'll admit that I was rather disappointed to find out that someone had purchased this hat from the window at Halston's and that I'd missed my chance. I never suspected that the buyer was you."
"Well, we both agreed that it was the perfect hat for you," Margaret shrugged. "You might have had the self-control to pass it up the first time, but I certainly didn't." Her eyes were merry. "Go put it on, and I'll finish packing these plates for you!"
Sadie did as she was commanded, retiring for a moment to her room where she deftly secured the hat atop her coiffure. She allowed herself only a brief moment to take stock of her reflection in the mirror before she hurried back to the common area of the house to help Margaret and her parents finish packing the various supplies and victuals for the party.
Soon enough, everything had been collected and arranged, and it was time to head to the park. Sadie placed the last basket by the door, then quickly walked over to the sofa to say goodbye to Lilly, who, despite her other sisters' appeals that she venture out for the party, had chosen to remain at the apartment with their mother.
"Goodbye, Lil," Sadie squeezed her older sister's hand. "I wish that you were coming with us, but we'll tell you all about it when we get back." Abby appeared at her elbow, crowding in to give Lilly a hug, and then the two youngest Becker sisters bid their mother goodbye as well and made their way to the door where their father and Margaret were waiting, already laden with blankets and baskets and all manner of provisions.
"Can you manage that hamper, Abby?" Sadie asked, as she picked up a pair of baskets. "I think I can get the rest." The younger girl nodded, and somehow all of the items that needed transport found hands to carry them. The little group exited the apartment, looking like a slightly-awkward parade of pack mules making their way carefully down the stairs of the tenement. As they stepped onto the street, Sadie took in a deep breath, reveling in the feel of the sunshine hitting her face as the slight breeze stirred the wisps of hair that had escaped from under her hat.
It really was the perfect day for a picnic.
The park was surprisingly empty when they arrived, likely due to the fact that they'd gotten there rather early, and everyone immediately got to work, situating the different items they'd brought over. Collectively, they were expecting anywhere from forty to fifty guests, so they'd planned accordingly, borrowing picnic blankets from neighbors and extra croquet and quoits sets from any who could spare them. Miriam Becker had baked up a storm in the days preceding the party, and her work had yielded several baskets of delectable treats that now sat ready to be distributed to hungry partygoers.
Setting up the blankets on the grass, the food on the picnic benches, and the games in their respective areas took the little group of four the better part of an hour, and by the time everything was in place, it was nearly time for the guests to begin arriving. Philip Becker did one final check of the set up before heading back to the tenement to procure the last few items that they would need - including the jugs of punch and lemonade that would be served by the cupful - and Margaret went with him to lend an extra set of hands, leaving the birthday girls to finish up the last of the preparations and wait for their company to arrive.
Several of Abby's school friends were the first to show up, and Sadie cheerfully ordered her sister to go attend to her duties as co-hostess while she finished setting up the last of the croquet wickets. That task completed, she took the opportunity to adjust her hat (which had come a bit loose) and to smooth her skirt before she too was caught up in welcoming the guests who had begun to show up at the park.
Mr. and Mrs. Gorham arrived, punctual as always, and Sadie greeted her employer and his wife with a smile, helping them find a seat at one of the picnic benches and inviting them to partake of the spread of food that had been laid out. She glanced around for her father and Margaret, but they hadn't yet returned with the beverages, so she chatted with the Gorhams for a while before excusing herself to welcome a large group of guests who had just arrived, friends from school and neighbors from the tenement and all manner of familiar faces and eager smiles. Sadie embraced each one, delighted to see so many of her favorite people together in one place and eagerly mingling with her company as they wished her a happy birthday by turns.
She had just finished helping the last of her classmates find a seat on one of the large picnic blankets near a copse of trees when she caught sight of an unfamiliar girl standing by herself at the edge of the lawn. She looked to be around the same age, and was dressed in an elegant ensemble topped off with a hat trimmed in velvet and feathers. As soon as she saw Sadie looking at her, she glanced away, shyly dropping her gaze to her hands and looking uncomfortable and out of place.
Well, that wouldn't do.
Sadie made her way over, not bothering to take a circuitous route or to soften the directness of her approach. As she drew near, she offered the girl a friendly smile. "Hello," she said cheerfully. "I hope you don't mind my boldness, but I couldn't help noticing you standing here, and I'm wondering if I could assist you. Were you looking for someone?"
The girl looked surprised, but she shook her head. "I'm not looking for anyone...not really," she said, her voice elegant and cultured despite the note of hesitation. "My brother and I are guests of David and Les Jacobs. They were walking us down here when they ran across their landlord and another young lady who were overburdened with some jugs they were carrying. David stayed behind to help them, and Les brought us here to the park, but I'm afraid he's run off with my brother to introduce him to some friends, so I've been left behind."
"Les is apt to get caught up in things," Sadie smiled. "I take it, then, that you're Rachel Lieberman?"
The girl nodded. "And you are Miss Becker?"
"I am, but please call me Sadie. I'm sorry I didn't notice your arrival sooner, but come and join the party! We have sandwiches and other edible treats and cake, and the drinks as you know will be coming soon." She took a step towards the picnic area, and Rachel followed cautiously, looking uncertain but too polite to refuse.
Hoping to draw the other girl out of her discomfort, Sadie seized upon the first lighthearted topic of conversation that she could think of. "That's quite a cunning hat you're wearing," she remarked as they made their way across the lawn. "Did you attach the plumes yourself? They really add depth; it's a brilliant composition."
"I did," Rachel answered, blushing at the compliment. "It took me several days, but I finally got the balance right."
"Indeed!" Sadie gave the embellishments another approving look. "It's exquisite!"
"Your hat is lovely, too," the other girl stated shyly.
"It was a birthday gift from a friend," Sadie smiled. "She has wonderful taste."
"It suits you well," declared her companion, seemingly less bashful by the minute. "Something about the color of the ribbon…"
They continued discussing millinery for the next several minutes, Rachel quickly opening up about a subject that it turned out she was quite keen about, and Sadie doing her best to keep up with her comparatively limited knowledge of the matter. Soon they had settled down at one of the picnic benches and were conversing easily, and Sadie was pleased to observe that her guest appeared to be more at ease, though she still held herself with just a hint of reserve. Margaret soon joined them, having finished her task of lugging the beverage jugs back to the picnic site, and the three girls passed the next half hour in blithe conversation over sandwiches and apples and chocolate cake.
Davey carefully set the last jug of punch on the picnic table that had been set aside as a drink station, pushing the crate that had been used to transport the beverages out of the way under the table. It had been slow going getting everything to the park without spilling, but in the end, they'd managed, and now it was time to begin serving the many guests who had already arrived at the party.
Mr. Becker had planned to attend to the task himself, but he'd forgotten that he'd left behind a bag of extra napkins that his wife had asked him to bring to the park, so Davey had offered to take care of portioning out the drinks until the landlord returned. The offer had been gratefully accepted, and Davey quickly set about pouring the jugs of punch and lemonade into two large bowls before he began ladeling the beverages into cups. The jugs had been chilled in the icebox before they'd been brought down to the park, and as soon as people caught sight of the liquid refreshment, they flocked to the table, eager to partake of the cool drinks.
After the first rush of guests had come and gone, Davey replenished the lemonade (which had been the drink of choice and was looking a little low), then wiped up a few of the droplets that had splashed on the picnic table. As he worked, he scanned the party site, quickly locating Ruben and Les. They were in the middle of a lively round of ring toss with Les and Abby's friends from school, who seemed to be making the most of the various lawn games that had been set up. All over the grass, guests lounged on picnic blankets, enjoying the sunshine and the relatively balmy weather. Davey caught sight of several of his classmates who had congregated near a copse of trees, talking and laughing as they ate. Still others had opted to gather at the picnic tables that bordered the lawn area.
The sound of a familiar laugh reached his ears, and he glanced over to see Sadie in conversation with Rachel and Margaret at one of the tables. He was glad that they'd found each other. The intention hadn't been to send the Liebermans along to the party accompanied only by Les, but Davey had seen Mr. Becker and Margaret struggling to carry the drinks to the park and had quickly offered his assistance, though he'd realized after he'd spoken up that he'd have to neglect his duty as host in order to make good on his offer.
Well, hopefully Les had done his part and had introduced Ruben and Rachel to Sadie and Abby. It seemed like all had gone according to plan; the girls had clearly made each other's acquaintance, and Les seemed to be entertaining Ruben for the time being, so maybe he'd underestimated his little brother after all.
He wondered how Rachel was getting along. She was shy by nature and didn't open up to people easily, so Davey had been surprised to see her with the girls rather than sticking close to her brother's side, but it was probably a good sign if she was feeling comfortable enough to socialize on her own. He wouldn't be at all surprised if Sadie had somehow managed to coax the timid girl into a conversation; she had a knack for drawing people out despite any stiffness or hesitation on their part, and if she'd managed to thaw him out, well, it wasn't difficult to imagine that Rachel would be no different.
"David!" Ruben's voice broke into his thoughts. "There you are!" Davey looked up to see his friend drawing near, having seemingly escaped from Les and his group of friends.
"Your brother and his little band are a rascally bunch," Ruben remarked, dropping down on the picnic bench next to the drink station. "I never realized the rules to ring toss were so complicated or so subject to change."
"Les does like to work things to his advantage if you don't call him on it." Davey filled a cup of punch and offered it to his friend. "Something to drink?"
Ruben took the cup gratefully, downing it in one draught before he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his brow with it. His smartly-tailored suit and tie were a little out of place at the park, but he and his sister would be attending a lunch with some of their father's business associates at one of the upscale restaurants in town, so they'd both come dressed for the occasion.
"Thanks for spending time with Les," Davey acknowledged. "I'm sure he's probably bragging to the others right now about having you as a friend. Any time an older boy gives him attention, he's over the moon."
Ruben grinned. "He's not a bad kid. A little too energetic for his own good, but fun in small doses." He held out his cup for a refill, and Davey ladled out another portion of punch. Ruben took a sip, idly surveying his surroundings as he nursed his second drink. Suddenly, he let out a low whistle.
"Hey David, who's the girl sitting over there at the table with Rach?"
"Which one?" Davey asked, already suspecting the answer.
"The brunette wearing the boater hat." Ruben set down his cup.
"She's Sadie Becker. The birthday girl."
"Our generous hostess?" Ruben exclaimed. His eyes were bright and eager. "Why didn't you introduce me to her?"
"I thought Les had already done that," Davey replied, a little tersely. "And I was busy."
"Well, I'd better go make her acquaintance!" Ruben rose and and tucked his handkerchief back into his pocket. "It would be rude of me not to thank her for her hospitality." He grinned at Davey. "I'll be back in a moment."
Davey continued his task, filling the cups of punch slowly and methodically but occasionally glancing at his friend out of the corner of his eye as Ruben made his way across the lawn. Two little girls had come over to the table and were tugging at Sadie's hand, and he wondered if they were trying to convince her to come and play with them. It made sense that there would be quite a few people at the party who would be vying for her attention; she'd been generous to set aside so much time to make sure that Rachel felt comfortable.
"May I have a refill, please?"
The question snapped Davey out of his observations, and he smiled apologetically at the older gentleman who was waiting for some more lemonade and quickly replenished his drink. Several others came for refills immediately after, and by the time Davey had finished serving them all, he'd lost sight of Ruben.
His friend's interest in the landlord's daughter wasn't surprising at all. Even in their schoolboy days, Ruben had always been quick to pick out the most attractive girl in class and set about befriending her, so it made sense that habit would persist even when the context was entirely different. Davey had never understood the inclination (and as a youngster he certainly hadn't appreciated the times Ruben had ditched him at the schoolyard to go play with his newest female friend), but he never really stayed bothered by it; it was just what Ruben did, and he always came back eventually.
Sure enough, half an hour later, the other boy was back with a grin on his face and a plate of chocolate cake in his hands.
"What did you think of her?" Davey asked as he offered his friend another cup of punch.
Ruben smiled, taking the drink and sitting down at the table. "Lovely to look at and almost embarrassingly clumsy," was his verdict. "She'd just begun a game of tag with a pair of little girls when I arrived, and she nearly bowled me over because she wasn't watching where she was going." He took a bite of cake. "She apologized profusely for running into me, but I told her that there wasn't anything to be sorry for. I'm the last person who would object to the pleasant surprise of a pretty girl stumbling into my arms, whether she meant to or not."
Davey set down the cup he'd just filled, unintentionally sloshing some liquid onto the table.
"She seems a little flighty," Ruben continued as Davey grabbed a rag and quickly attempted to mop up the spill, "but she didn't strike me as completely empty-headed."
"She's not. Sadie's smart."
His friend gave him an amused look. "Leave it to you to notice the girl's brain and miss her beauty completely. But she must be remarkably bright if she's managed to impress you with her intelligence."
"She's been tutoring me while I've been out of school."
"So she's charitable as well as pretty!" Ruben exclaimed. "Better and better."
Davey made a non-committal sound.
"What, you don't think so?" Ruben looked incredulous. "I know you're generally oblivious about these things, David, but even you must admit that, despite her clumsiness, she's rather charming. I only spoke with her for half an hour, but found myself heading back here considerably more lighthearted than I'd left...and returning with a piece of chocolate cake to boot!"
Davey took a sip from his cup. "Congratulations," he said. "I'm happy for you."
Ruben shook his head at the dry response. "You're no fun," he lamented. "And you have terrible taste."
"Nothing you didn't know before."
"Ah, true," Ruben grinned. He drank the last of his punch, then glanced over again in the direction of the lawn. "Maybe this business trip of Father's won't be as boring as I feared," he mused, sounding slightly pleased. "I didn't expect Manhattan to afford such pleasant company."
"It's great to know that Les and I stand so high in your esteem."
Ruben chuckled. "Don't be vexed, Friend. You know you both matter to me. But just because you don't care to notice Miss Becker's sterling qualities doesn't mean I should ignore them myself or forgo the pleasure of her company while I'm in town."
"You intend to call on her, then?" Davey asked as Ruben handed him his empty cup.
"Nothing so formal as that, but I thought maybe I'd see if she'd like to take in a show or something, perhaps next weekend before we leave town. Do you think she'd be agreeable to that?"
Davey shrugged. "Sadie's generally agreeable to anything fun."
"That doesn't include tutoring you, I suppose," Ruben jabbed. "She must have a great deal of fortitude to be willing to put up with your staidness." He glanced at his pocket watch. "Well, I'd better collect Rachel and get going," he sighed. "We're due to dine with some of Father's business associates, though I don't know how hungry I'll be after indulging myself in that chocolate cake; it was delicious." He clapped Davey on the shoulder. "I'll say goodbye for now, Friend, but I might have to come by soon and visit this tenement of yours - to see you and Les, of course." He grinned at Davey, then walked off to find Rachel.
A minute or two after he'd taken his leave, Sadie herself appeared, looking a bit wind-blown and flushed as she approached the drink table. "Davey, I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed. "But I see that Papa's put you to work again." She took one of the cups of lemonade that had been poured and took an appreciative sip. "Thank you for filling these," she said. "I'm parched - two of the girls from the tenement coerced me into a game of tag, and in retrospect, I do believe it's a bit too warm for that kind of diversion - or perhaps I'm just getting too slow in my advancing age!" Her eyes were merry as she smiled at him over the cup. "I probably ought to stick to climbing trees when I want to indulge my inner child."
Before he could respond to her eager disclosures, she peered at him curiously, inquiring, "Did you get to eat? You haven't been here filling drinks this whole time, have you?"
"I'm not really hungry," Davey answered, sidestepping the question.
"That can't be true! You've had a whole morning of selling papers; of course you must be hungry!"
He and Les had sold the morning edition before coming to the party, but he was surprised that she'd remembered.
"I'll be fine," he said, giving her a smile. "I told your father I'd take care of..." He trailed off as she set down her cup and abruptly breezed past him, making a beeline for the picnic tables that held the food.
Davey rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her, uneasy that she'd taken it upon herself to make sure that he was fed and that the task had taken her away from enjoying her party. Jack was right; his protesting skills could definitely use some work.
Soon, Sadie was back carrying a plate full of food. "I'll just set this here," she said cheerfully, placing it next to Davey, "for whenever you decide you're no longer 'not hungry.'" To his surprise, she didn't bid him adieu and leave to socialize with her other guests, but instead sat down on the bench next to him, curling her hands around her cup of lemonade and taking in the sight of her friends and family talking and laughing and playing on the lawn.
"Thank you," Davey mumbled, reaching for a sandwich. There was no point in standing on ceremony now; he actually was hungry, and she knew it, and the food was right in front of him, so it didn't make any sense not to eat. "Did your family make all of this?" he asked. "Everyone seems to be enjoying it."
"Mrs. Gerlach made the meat pies and Margaret and her mother contributed the turnovers, but Mama was the force behind the rest," Sadie disclosed. "Oh, and Abby helped with the chocolate cake - she'd want to make sure I told you about her contribution."
"I've heard only good things about the cake." Davey took a bite of sandwich, then glanced at Sadie thoughtfully. After a brief moment of hesitation, he decided to risk the jab. "Your culinary skills weren't called upon?" he asked, managing to keep a straight face. "They somehow muddled through in the kitchen without you?"
Sadie gave him an affronted look. "I'll have you know that I squeezed every single one of the lemons for that lemonade," she answered loftily. "Perhaps you'll find that unimpressive, but for someone who can't boil a pot of water without incident, I'd say you have little room to judge!"
Davey winced. "That was harsh, Sadie."
"It was fair," the girl insisted. "I saw the snafu with my own two eyes."
"It was hardly a snafu."
"Protest all you like," she sniffed. "I call it like I see it."
Despite her imperiousness, he could see the mirth in her eyes, and he only managed to hold on to his own inscrutability a moment longer before they both broke into a lighthearted chuckle.
"You are positively wicked, Davey," Sadie declared, shaking her head. "I'm determined not to let you discover any more of my foibles now for fear of the teasing that might result!"
"Well, you once told me that a good-natured insult is a sign of true friendship," he shrugged. "And I think it's safe to say that we're on equal footing. You know just as many of my shortcomings as I do yours."
"Perhaps I do," Sadie conceded. "But I certainly don't take the occasion to bring them up so frequently at your expense!"
Davey grinned. "Just trying to prove that I'm a true friend." He would have responded to her statement more earnestly if he hadn't seen the merriment in her eyes telling him that she wasn't offended.
Sadie shook her head again, but she was smiling. "Speaking of friends," she remarked, "It was lovely to meet Rachel and Ruben. I ran into the latter just a few moments ago, in fact. He's quite the smooth-talking charmer."
Davey finished the last of his sandwich. "Yes, he is," he agreed. "He's always been charismatic."
"Rachel is delightful, too," Sadie asserted. "Did you know that she makes her own hats? She's quite clever and has excellent taste. I didn't realize that millinery could be such a fascinating diversion, and so finely detailed, too. But I suppose that's why hats are so expensive - the craftsmanship requires such care! I'll have to try my hand at it sometime to see if I've a knack for it at all, though I'm sure it's much different than the work I do at the tailor's..." Catching herself, she gave him a slightly-abashed look. "I'm sorry, Davey. I could go on about silly things like hats and their embellishments for hours, but that probably isn't the most riveting subject for you. I'm sure I've nearly bored you to sleep!"
Davey shook his head, smiling a little. He really didn't mind. She'd listened to his circuitous tangents often enough, and it was endearing to hear her ramble for a change.
"I'm glad that you and Rachel found something you had in common," he said. "And I appreciate you taking so much time to make sure that she and Ruben felt welcomed. I know you have lots of people here wanting to see you, and that you had to give up time with them to converse with my friends..." He trailed off suddenly as he realized that she was doing the exact same thing with him, politely abiding his company when she should have been off enjoying herself instead.
"Speaking of which," he said uncomfortably, "I didn't mean to hold you up. This is your party. I ought to let you go so that you can spend time with your friends."
Sadie looked at him as though he'd said something incredibly bizarre. "That's...what I am doing," she answered slowly, sounding confused. "But would you prefer for me to leave?"
"No! No, I - that's not what I meant," Davey said hastily. "I want you to stay - if you want to, that is. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to. Because you don't. Obviously." He could feel his face getting warm. It had been a while since he'd stumbled over his words in front of her, and he'd almost forgotten what it felt like.
Smooth-talking charmer he certainly was not.
True to form, Sadie didn't pass up the opportunity to tease him. "Well," she declared cheekily, "that was quite the compelling argument for me to spend the rest of my party with you. I do believe you've won me over." To his surprise, she rose and looped her arm through his, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll do as you suggest and go spend time with my other guests, Davey, but only if you come with me," she declared. "I'm sure our classmates will be happy to see you."
He wasn't sure about that. He could only remember a few of their names off the top of his head, and he doubted that any of them remembered his. "I promised your father I'd take care of the drinks until he came back," he said by way of protest as Sadie gently began pulling him away from his post.
"Papa will be back at any moment, and nearly everyone's already been served," she pointed out. "These are all gracious and reasonable people. None of them will object to pouring their own refills if they have to, and you've worked hard enough for today."
"But - "
"This would be much easier if you weren't so tall," Sadie groused, having trouble gaining momentum, "or if you weren't so obstinate." Before he could say anything in return, she gave him a forceful tug, and the effort was enough to get Davey to stumble forward in the direction that she was pulling him.
Resigning himself to his fate, he let her drag him away from the picnic area and over to where a group of their classmates had gathered under the shade of several tall trees. They greeted the new arrivals enthusiastically, clearly used to the sight of Sadie corralling a stray, and she looked on in approval as they welcomed Davey easily into their company. It was a little uncomfortable for him at first, but eventually he felt himself relaxing as faces and names came back to him, and as the conversation resumed, he surprised himself by joining in without difficulty, enjoying the easy camaraderie and finding himself inwardly glad that he was there after all.
He didn't even notice when Sadie eventually slipped away to do her duty as hostess by mingling with her other guests.
