Godfrey: Trouble From Toronto, Page 3

  “ - here, here!” cried the toothless, old timer at the opposite end of the counter.

  “ - I didn't raise you,” Hector paused to glare at the old man for his interruption, “I didn't raise you to be a layabout, god damn it.”

  Feeling completely awkward, Godfrey looked away, wondering how he could make a graceful exit.

  “ - and all you've shown me so far on this visit is that you have one love in life – and that's money. Money, money, money.”

  “Dad!” Eddie was visibly upset now - angry even – and Godfrey could tell he was on the verge of exploding. “You don't know anything about what I do for a living...you shouldn't judge me so harshly.”

  “I call it like I see it, son. You know that.”

  “I think I'd better get off,” said Godfrey quickly, sliding down from his stool. “Got some work around the farm to finish up before it gets too hot out.”

  Both Ryerson's turned to look at him.

  “You see?” said Hector, “Godfrey here knows what it is to work for a living. He earns his keep, boy.”

  “Dad! How can you – you know what – never mind!” Before Godfrey could blink, Eddie rose from his stool and slammed a fist against the counter.

  He glared at Godfrey, took up his hat and his jacket, and stormed from the cafe. The door slammed behind him.

  “Good riddance,” Hector muttered as Godfrey watched the young man through the window. “Be a miracle if he doesn't come back.”

  Wondering what to say, Godfrey simply nodded.

  “Anyway...” The old man smiled. “I don't want to keep ya. Hardworking lad like yourself.” He looked out the window, clearly thinking about his son. “Wish my Eddie was more like you.” He returned his gaze to Godfrey.

  Even more unsure of what to say now, Godfrey shrugged.

  “I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?” Hector laughed. “Someday, Godfrey, you'll understand. When you've got kids of your own.” The man sighed. “You try and do what's best for them...you try and raise 'em right...and it's still a crap shoot. Ain't no tellin' how a kid's gonna turn out. All I know is that I didn't raise my son to be some hot shot investor...making money off the backs of others...” He looked at Godfrey and smiled. “Just had to rant a bit, son. You understand I hope. Get goin'. You've got things to do...you don't need to be spending your morning with an old grouch like me.”

  Godfrey grinned. “You're no old grouch, Hector...you're just being a good father.”

  Hector cocked his head to one side. “Godfrey – you bring your new lady friend here for breakfast one morning – and it'll be on the house. Alright? And you know what, you don't pay a penny when you're here from now on.”

  Godfrey nodded obediently. “Alright.”

  “And don't you go lookin' at me like that Eldon,” he called to the toothless old farmer seated at the opposite end of the counter, “because your tab's long enough to stretch it from here to Edmonton!” He turned back to Godfrey. “Get lost, lad and go do your work.”

  Godfrey tipped his hat. “Thanks, Hec.”

  “Don't mention it.”

  ANTONIA

  Tuesday morning. Antonia has met up with Angelique outside the post office.

  “Angelique...I need you to vote for Huguette. There's just no way I can work with Marie...and we've already had a vote – last week – and it was a draw. And, well, if you were to come tomorrow night...well...Huguette would be our treasurer...”

  Angelique folded her arms across her chest. “I don't like Huguette. What's wrong with Marie?”

  Antonia shook her head. “She's impossible to work with. Have you ever had to work with her?”

  “I have actually. We worked the quilt table together last year at the Fall Fair. She was quite pleasant. Certainly moreso than Huguette.”

  Antonia gave a sigh of exasperation. “Why do you hate Huguette?”

  “I don't hate Huguette,” said Angelique. “That wouldn't be very Christian of me, now would it?”

  “Well, why don't you like her then?” Antonia demanded, growing impatient.

  Angelique shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “She broke my brother's heart.”

  Antonia wanted to laugh, but seeing the serious expression on Angelique's face, she forced herself feeling somewhat sympathetic. “So...that's it? She broke your brother's heart – which one? Armand or Lucien?”

  “Armand.”

  Antonia couldn't believe it. Armand was married and living in Vegreville...and he had to be at least...thirty four? Thirty five? How juvenile Angelique could be at times!

  “That was surely a long time ago. Your brother's married now, isn't he?”

  Angelique shrugged. “What difference does time make? She still broke his heart.”

  It was times like this that Angelique wanted to strangle the woman. Why couldn't she be as practical as her sister? Diana would never hold a ten year grudge... “But he's married, Angelique! And the stuff between your brother and Huguette...that must have happened like...a decade ago!”

  Angelique shook her head. “I love my brother, Antonia. And Huguette...when she told him she didn't want to see him anymore...it damn near killed him. And she's the reason he moved away.”

  Antonia sighed and plonked herself down on the bench. She looked up at Angelique. “Have a seat, dear.”

  Angelique sat down with noticeable annoyance.

  “You know,” Antonia began, reminding herself that with Angelique one had to be tactful, “your sister and I are good friends...and, well, can't you just do me this one favour? Come to the meeting tomorrow night, vote for Huguette – and she would make an excellent treasurer by the way – and that's that. I mean, yes, alright, Huguette may have broken your brother's heart - ”

  “She did break his heart, Diana.”

  “Okay, okay, so she did break your brother's heart...but a lot has changed since then...Huguette has changed since then...why she's always at Mass – almost as much as Marie Poirier - ”

  She actually won a smile from Angelique for this remark.

  “ - and, well, frankly, I just cannot work with Marie. She is overly enthusiastic at the best of times – so much so that it's annoying. And attending Mass every day? That's a bit much, don't you think?”

  Angelique shrugged. “She's dedicated.”

  Antonia clearly wasn't getting through to her. “Please Angelique...”

  The woman sighed heavily.

  “I'll owe you. I'll...I'll cook for you and your husband for a month! I'll have Isaac mow your lawn! I'll...I'll - ”

  Angelique raised a hand to signal that she'd heard enough. “Oh, alright!”

  “Ahhhh!”Antonia squealed. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” She squealed again and kissed Angelique on the cheek. “So we'll see you tomorrow night then? The meeting starts at seven.”

  “I'll try.”

  “Please do,” said Antonia, knowing that with Angelique, this was a victory. “I'll see you tomorrow night.” She squeezed the woman's hand for good measure. “Thank you again.”

  “Don't mention it.”

  HENRI

  Tuesday afternoon. Henri and Isaac are outside standing along the broken section of fence bordering Henri's farm.

  “I appreciate you helping me Isaac. I started on Sunday, but didn't get very far.”

  “Don't mention it. It's just nice to be out of the house for awhile.”

  Henri gave his friend a knowing look. “Antonia bugging you as much as my Diana bugs me?”

  “No...she's actually been really good to me. It's Rouge...I had to put him down.”

  Henri set down the roll of barbed wire in his hand. “I heard a bit about that...from Antonia...at the dance the other night...”

  Isaac nodded as he ripped a broken fence post from the ground. “Yeah...” He tossed it aside and began on the next one, first wrenching it from side to side to loosen it.

  “I guess that horse was pretty important to ya,” said Henri as he finished tying off a length of
barbed wire.

  Isaac sighed. “He was.”

  “And so that's got you down – understandably.”

  “Yeah...and it's making things bad between Antonia and I,” said Isaac slowly, pulling out the remains of the broken fence post.

  “How so?” asked Henri, measuring out another length of barbed wire.

  “I haven't been very nice to her these past few days...been kind of cold actually. She just keeps bugging me and pestering me to talk about that damn horse when...the truth is...there's nothing to say. I mean, there's nothing I want to say. Rouge was my horse.”

  Henri nodded as he threaded one end of the barbed wire through the hole at the top of the new fence post. “Believe it or not, I know how it is, my friend. I've had to put down my fair share of good animals.”

  Isaac sighed, but said nothing as he ripped out the next post, ignoring the giant splinters that assaulted his hands.

  “Thing is,” Henri began, “women...they have to hear you're alright. Otherwise they feel guilty or...they just keep bugging ya. It's just how they are.”

  Isaac nodded, somewhat annoyed that is friend seemed to be doing exactly what Antonia was always doing. “I know.”

  “But, anyway,” said Henri, “you probably hear this stuff enough...so I won't bore ya. Just keep in mind that women need to be talked at. And they need someone to listen. It makes them feel good to have you listen to their stories – as boring as those stories can be at times!”

  Isaac laughed. It felt good to laugh. It'd been days since he'd laughed. “Yeah...”

  “Say, I've been meaning to ask you...my colt's outgrown his plow harness and I'm wondering if you might have an extra one you can lend me...save me a trip to Edmonton before planting.”

  Isaac nodded. He had plenty of extra harnesses from auctions he'd attended that winter. “Sure. Come by any time and get one. I've got a few.”

  Henri smiled. “Great, thanks Isaac.”

  “Don't mention it.”

  LEOPOLD LEDUC

  Wednesday morning. Godfrey and Leopold are seated in Leopold's one room house.

  “God damned tax man!” Leo flung his tea kettle at the wall opposite, rattling the boards and knocking loose a calendar. “Can't keep their hands out of my pockets these god damned - ”

  “Leo, it's not quite as bad as you thing,” said Godfrey consolingly, though he wondered why he was trying to argue with him. Leo's stubbornness was legendary after all. “You just have to file them on time. If you don't, they penalize you.”

  “IT'S MY GOD DAMNED MONEY AND I'LL FILE IT WHEN I BLOODY WELL PLEASE!”

  Godfrey shrugged. It was a losing battle.

  “THESE CROOKS...BLOODY VAGABONDS...OTTAWA'S A NEST OF THIEVES...IT WASN'T LIKE THIS WHEN BORDEN RAN THE COUNTRY!”

  Godfrey couldn't believe what he was hearing. “That's because we were at war, Leo! You can't expect the government to be up on the books at a time like that. Now that the war's over, the government wants their taxes. I'm not saying I agree, but you have to play by the rules.”

  The elder of the two Leduc boys shook his head in frustration. “It's these damn Liberals! King's a leech...bleeding us dry out here...why, if it were up to him, we'd work as slaves!”

  Leo clearly wasn't going to change his mind.

  “I don't know what to say,” said Godfrey.

  Leo looked at him. “Then don't say anything! You talk too much anyways.”

  Godfrey felt stung by the remark, but quickly relaxed. It was Leo after all. He rose from his chair. “Well, I'll leave you be then. Let's have supper at the Hotel tonight.”

  Leo grunted and looked away, glaring at the stack of government-issued papers on the desk in front of him – the government-issued papers that had caused him to explode.

  “I'll be there around six.”

  Leo didn't answer and Godfrey left in a hurry, not wanting to spend another minute with his older brother until he'd had a chance to cool off.

  ANTOINETTE

  Wednesday afternoon. Hattie's Boutique. Downtown Wainwright. Antoinette and Diana are shopping.

  “I don't know, Dee...”

  “Oh, come on!” said Diana, smiling as she wrapped Antoinette in a puffy white feather boa.

  “I feel like a show girl.”

  Diana laughed. “You look good.”

  Antoinette's expression was skeptical.

  “Honest!” Diana exclaimed, adjusting the eye-catching accoutrement so that it hung squarely on her friend's shoulders.

  “It is soft...” Antoinette conceded.

  “And pretty,” said Diana.

  “Yes, but where would I ever wear this?”

  “The Christmas Ball?” suggested Diana, her tone hopeful.

  “That's months away – and I don't even want to think about Christmas until after Fall.”

  “It's never too early to start getting into the holiday spirit,” came a man's voice from behind them.

  Both friends turned to see Eddie Ryerson standing in the doorway of Hattie's Boutique, as well-dressed as always and with a smile on his face that made him look like the wealthiest man on earth.

  Diana nodded. “Eddie, right? You're Guy's friend.”

  “Guilty as charged,” exclaimed the dapper young man, flashing another million dollar smile. He strode towards them, admiring Antoinette. “You look...wow...you'd do great in show business.”

  Antoinette blushed. “Oh, I could never be in the pictures.”

  “Sure you could! Bit of makeup...fix those bangs a bit...” He reached out and took hold of Antoinette's head with both hands. “Why you hide your beauty is beyond me,” he said, taking a step backwards in order to examine her thoroughly.

  The two girls exchanged a glance.

  “You farm girls are far too modest. That's the only difference you know – between you girls here and the girls in Toronto. You don't flaunt what you've got.”

  Diana laughed as though his comment was inappropriate – which Antoinette certainly found it to be. “And what man wants a woman who flaunts her stuff all around for everyone to see?”

  Eddie flashed another one of his dazzling smiles. “A man who knows what he wants. A man like me.” He studied Antoinette once more before she finally removed the feather boa and pulled her jacket more tightly around her.

  “Antoinette's with someone,” said Diana in no uncertain terms.

  Eddie simply laughed. “Sweetheart, I'm not looking for a date here...well...I wouldn't say no...” he smiled, his eyes sparkling. “...but I'm looking for a girl to promote. Big things are happening in Toronto these days and the picture business is really starting to take off. A girl with a face like yours...” he looked at Antoinette, “could make a fortune.”

  “I really don't - ” Antoinette began, before Diana cut in.

  “She'd love to. Now just give her your card and perhaps she can write you when she's not so busy.” Diana smiled and pushed Eddie gently so that he took a step backwards, towards the door. She turned to her friend. “Aren't we meeting Godfrey for lunch?”

  “No...I don't think so...”

  “Yes, we are meeting Godfrey for lunch,” said Diana insistently, giving her friend a look. “He and Henry...they're meeting us at the Hotel. I distinctly remember us agreeing on that over breakfast this morning.” Diana glanced at Eddie, hoping he'd take the bait. “So, your card please, Mr. Ryerson – and don't worry, our Annie will contact you when she's ready to discuss this whole working-in-the-picture-business thing. But we've really got to get going...”

  “I understand...not a problem,” said Eddie quickly, reaching inside his jacket. “Here, take my card.” He handed it to Antoinette. “And call me when you're ready to talk.”

  Diana smiled and wedged herself between them. “Thank you. Thank you Mr. Ryerson – you've been very kind.”

  “The pleasure was mine,” he said, and before she could resist, he'd taken Antoinette's hand in his and kissed it.

  “Alright, yes okay, you're a
charmer, Mr. Ryerson,” said Diana, pushing him away, “now we really must be going and don't you have somewhere to be?”

  The way Diana was talking – he couldn't argue.

  “Uh...yeah...I suppose...” he spluttered, backing towards the door as Diana pushed him away from Antoinette. “

  Diana smiled sweetly. “We'll be in touch.”

  “Uh...yeah...we'll be in touch...bye, Antoinette...”

  Antoinette waved, wanting to laugh at the perplexed look on Eddie's face, but she knew her laughing would only upend Diana's ruse and so she bit her lip, watching the young man as Diana pushed him out of the store. When he was gone, and the door had closed shut behind him, Diana breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Finally! I thought he'd never leave!”

  “A friend of yours?” asked Hattie Stevens, the boutique owner, from the opposite end of the store.

  Diana shook her head vehemently. “No! And Antoinette - ” She turned towards her friend. “You can't encourage him...you can't be so polite with him.”

  “I know...I can't help it - ”

  “You're too nice. Guys like Eddie Ryerson – you've got to be firm with them. Otherwise they'll just keep coming back.”

  Antoinette nodded. “I know...”

  “She's right,” said Hattie.

  Diana nodded and placed her hands on her hips as she stared at her friend. “Do you?”

  “I'll try to be firm with him from now on.”

  “Good. Because you know Godfrey – he'd go crazy if he heard Eddie was trying to get sweet with you – and you don't need him getting himself into trouble by starting a fight with Eddie.”

  Antoinette wasn't sure whether the pit she felt forming at the bottom of her stomach was due to her guilt for not telling Eddie off when she should have or whether it was simply time for lunch. Either way, she resolved to be more firm with Eddie if he tried to get sweet with her again.

  ANTONIA

  Wednesday afternoon. Isaac and Antonia's house.

  “Isaac...how long are you going to keep acting like this?” She shook her head, her eyes glassy with oncoming tears. “I can't stand it. I've got the C.W.L. ladies coming over tonight and I don't want things to be awkward around here.”