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Endeavour: Feast
By Parakeetist
The reception for the Stranges.
……..
“I’ve loved you ever since you walked through that door!” Morse said.
When he was finished with what he had to say, Morse grabbed Joan by the cheeks and kissed her. He couldn’t help but sense that she returned the kiss with equal emotion.
“Say!” Joanie pulled back. She was breathing heavily. “I hope he didn’t see.”
“Did that just happen? It did?” Morse said. He was reeling around.
“Certainly.” Joan blushed brighter than a lamp.
“Is he looking?”
“I hope not.”
They both turned their faces to look out over the crowd. Jim was at the other end of the room, chatting merrily to his groomsmen. They shoved him playfully. One of them stuck a cup of punch in his hand. “We were generous on the potato juice,” the man laughed, and they all followed suit. Jim drained his cup in a hurry. The other man went back to get him more.
Morse walked toward the snack table. Joan followed. Each picked up a plate. Morse chose from the vegetables and savory biscuits, while Joan picked olives and wedges of fruit. They stepped to the side and ate their snacks.
“He isn’t talking to me,” Joan said.
Morse made careful to finish chewing his food and swallow it before he responded. “What?”
“We haven’t been talking for a long time.”
“Doesn’t he take you out to do things?”
“Not often. He’s missed the last eight, nine dates. I didn’t want to bug him about it. So I went through with it. Here I am.” She put down the plate and sipped some punch.
The music began again. Joan nodded to Morse and walked to where her husband had been seen.
His friend Paul could be seen wandering around with a drink in hand. Joan approached him.
“Have you seen my husband?” she asked.
“Uh, yeah, he went to the bogs.”
“Okay!” Joan said. She walked down the hall toward the restrooms.
She reached the hallway where they were. Yet from somewhere, she could hear chuckling and sighing.
She listened at the wall in several places. Finally she found the source of the noises, a storage room, number 470. One of the bridesmaids must have sneaked off to have some perhaps inappropriate but perfectly normal fun. Joan blushed and giggled again. Time to leave them alone.
“C’mon, Jimmy. I know it’s the day of your wedding,” a female voice said.
“Hush, Jenny! Someone’s gonna hear us!” There was no doubt. It was Jim’s voice.
Joan stepped back. The sounds kept going and going.
She turned and retreated to the main hall.
…….
Morse was having a conversation with Sam, Joan’s brother.
“I’m not quite ready to be an uncle,” Sam said. “I hope they wait a little while. What are the kids going to call me?”
“Sammy, I suppose.”
“Yeah. It’s a big responsibility.”
“Sure is.”
“Hello, sis! How’s the blushing bride?” Sam said.
“All right, thank you,” Joan returned. She nodded.
“What’s up, then? You look a little off. Did you have too many sips of the juice?”
“May have. I would like to pull Morse away from you for just a second?”
“Okay, then.” Morse walked to a corner of the room.
“There’s something I have to tell you,” Joan said.
……..
Minutes later, Morse stepped out of the hall to get some fresh air. It was evening, and the artificial lights in the car park had kicked on.
Jim was a few dozen yards away, smoking a cigarette. He waved to Morse.
“How ya’ doing, mate?” He grabbed Morse by the shoulder and squeezed, a bit too harshly.
“You look live you’ve been dancing.”
“I have not, much. I should go back there.”
“She’s your wife.”
“Now she is.” Jim nodded.
“Is your heartbeat okay?”
“It’s the best day of my life.”
“Hmm. Good.” Jim saw Morse pause and harrumph. “Why, don’t you believe me? You need to go back there and dance yourself. Have a good time.”
“I was. On the waltz.”
“My Nan sent her well-wishes. Couldn’t be here. A little under the weather.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Did you meet her?”
“I did not.”
“A lovely person.”
“I’m sure she is.”
“She’s all I have left on this Earth.”
“She isn’t quite. Now you’ve got another person.”
“Hey, Morse?”
“Yes?”
“Are you worried about the future?”
“I think we all are, at some point.”
“Have you ever regretted something you have done?”
“How much time do you have? Almost a million times, I’m sure.”
“Did you ever do something you knew you definitely should not have done?”
Morse chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood. “Yes, often. We all do things like that.” He paused, then: “You’re sweating. You smell the same way I usually do, when I’ve…” He trailed off. Jim nodded. Morse cleared his throat. “Are you honest? Are you fair?”
“Fine reading material.” Jim chuckled. “Hamlet, Act Three, Scene One. I wanted to be that way. Turns out…” Jim tugged at his lapels. “I am not.” He breathed out deeply. “I heard her father talking to you a little while ago.”
“He did.”
“He said, ‘You’ll keep an eye on her, won’t you?’ Didn’t he?”
“He said that. Yes.”
“Morse?”
“Uh-hum?”
“Keep an eye on her.”
Morse paused, then: “On one condition. Where is your hotel tonight?”
“The Larchmont, in London.”
“You will go with her in the limousine. You will wait there.”
“Go on.”
“Wait for at least half an hour.”
“Yes?”
“You will know what I mean when you see what you are supposed to see.”
Now Jim paused. Then, he said, “I believe I understand.”
“Annulments are available within the first six months of a marriage, in this country.”
Jim nodded. “I understand.”
“I am not going to be Puritan about this. But do right by her.”
“I will.”
“Right, then.”
Morse borrowed a cigarette.
……
The limousine pulled up to the Larchmont Hotel. Jim and Joan got out. They shook hands with the driver. Jim got a luggage cart from the hotel and brought it to the car. He and the driver loaded the cart with all the bags. Jim paid the driver, giving him a good amount in the gratuity. Jim and Joan shook hands with the driver, who tipped up his hat.
The couple went to the desk. Jim checked in. Joan stood next to him, keeping her hand on the valise cart.
Then the Stranges, along with a bellboy, took the luggage in the elevator, to the second floor. The bellboy unlocked the door and let in the couple. Jim paid the young man nicely. The other man smiled and nodded and went back downstairs.
Jim went to look out the window. “Beautiful view.”
“It is. You can’t beat this city for views.”
Jim dipped his chin. “Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll try.”
He crossed the room. They embraced and kissed.
“I hope you’re not – you’ve been using the stuff?”
“I have. I’m clean on that account.”
“Thank you. I wouldn’t want to be leaving a son or a daughter. Not this soon.”
“Okay.”
“I should have told you sooner, Joanie.”
“That’s off your chest, isn’t it?”
“How can you be so cool and collected about this? Why don’t you whack me with a chair?”
“I want to.” She sighed heavily.
“I am sorry.”
“All right, then.”
“I hope someday I can come and visit you?”
“And Morse.”
“And him.”
Joan shrugged. “Go your way.”
“I will.” He gave Joan one last hug and kiss and left the room. He headed down to the restaurant.
…….
Less than an hour later, the phone rang in Joan Strange’s room.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hello, this is the clerk at the front desk. There’s someone here to speak to you.”
“Ah! I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Joan took the stairs back down to the front room this time. She enjoyed the short walk.
Morse found her and smiled when he did. He waved. She walked over to him.
“There’s a buffet over there. It’s mostly dessert,” she said. “They’re having a party for the people who work here.”
“Can we do that?”
“I’ll ask.” She approached one of the men who worked there. His outfit looked sharp. “Is it okay if we join in and eat some of these things?”
“Yes, it is. This party’s for us, but now most of the things are gone, so everyone can eat.”
“Thank you – “ Joan looked at his name card. “Ted.”
The man nodded and gestured to the table. As Ted had informed Joanie, there were some slices of cake left. There were also biscuits, savory and sweet; salad, broccoli, carrots, and dips; plus, cups of fizzy drinks and fruit juice. Joan and Morse lined up with all the others and filled the plates.
When they walked off the line, a woman who was on staff approached them. “Oh my, is it your wedding day?”
Morse smiled a smile of awkwardness. Joan stepped in to cover the gap. “It is. Yes it is.”
The lady, whose nametag said Colleen, shook her hand. “How wonderful. Many years.”
“Thank you.”
Morse shook her hand as well.
“I’m still looking for the right man,” Colleen said.
“That’s the right thing to do,” Morse answered. “What type of dinner places are around here?”
“Oh! There’s Nellman’s Seafood, that’s a pretty good place; there’s Capman’s, they have good steak; there’s the Whistling Kettle tea shop. We have a lot of good places. There should be a phone book somewhere you can grab.”
“Thank you.” Morse nodded.
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash’” came on the radio. On a modest-sized dance floor nearby, some couples were already dancing. Joan and Morse put down their plates and went to join them.
The pop tunes went on. Morse was having a really good time. Joan noticed.
“I thought you didn’t like rock and roll?”
“I don’t live on the Moon. For the sake of present company, I’ll put up with it.”
“I hope you’ll be patient with me when I play records you don’t like.”
“I can manage.”
An elderly woman with curly hair tapped Morse on the arm. “Can I cut in?”
“Why certainly, ma’am.” Morse nodded to Joanie and stepped away with the other woman.
Joan approached a man in his fifties, who was also on the hotel staff. “May I?”
“Certainly, Mrs. Bride.”
The two picked up one another’s hands and began to dance.
…….
When the dancing was over and the food tables were bare of snacks and drinks, Joan and Morse bowed out.
Morse went up to the desk. “Is the gift store still open?”
“Yes. It is.” The clerk pointed to the shop, which was in a corner close to the desk.
Morse went in there and shortly emerged with a bag. Joan took the message and strolled down the hall.
At the room, Morse opened the door and got the ice bucket. He went down the hall and used the ice machine. Back in the room, he set the wine bottle in the bucket. Lastly, Morse went to the air conditioner and turned it on.
Joan opened the suitcase. “We seem to have some of Jim’s things in here.”
“We’ll set them aside.”
“I’m sorry about what happened, Joan.”
“Thank you, Endeavour.”
“I knew you knew my name.”
“My father told me, the first week you were at the old station.”
“I figured on something like that.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes. Today of all days, especially.”
“Why don’t you say your name? Do you not like it?”
“Eh, today, I think I might get made fun of for it. It’s an all-right name as such, but people don’t use names like that anymore.”
“Can I call you Dev?”
“Of course.”
“Do you see yourself ever having children?”
“Ah, wait a little, see what happens, okay?”
Joan took some breaths. “All right, then.”
“I spoke to Jim.”
“Yes?”
“He’ll give you an annulment.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“Do you want to wait until then…?” He trailed off.
She knew what he meant. “No. It’s tonight.”
He nodded.
“I’m not sure you can fit into Jim’s things. Are you the same size?”
“Well, we don’t do birthday gifts at the office, so he never got me a sweater or anything. Tomorrow I can stop somewhere and get a shirt and a couple pair of trousers.”
“Sounds right. I hope you can work with him. You’ll be at the same station for – as long as you want.”
Morse nodded. “When do I get my ring?”
“We can find a store.”
“I’m sure you’ll be covering the expense?”
“All of it.”
“Two months’ salary, how much is that for you?”
They both burst out laughing.
“I get about £440 a month. So, £880.”
Morse stuttered for a second. “This is awkward. You meant what you said. That’s a good sign.”
“A lady owes her gentleman some things.”
“She does.” He paused. “And what do I owe you?”
“Faithfulness, kindness, just the best you can do. I’ll do my best to keep you happy.”
“That’s all I want as well.”
Joan dipped her chin and began to cry.
“It’s going to get better,” he said. “It will.”
“If you ever get angry-“
“Shh. You’ll find I’m better to be around than you might think.”
“I hope I am as well.” She took a deep breath. “Jim left me already, and – I’m not squeaky clean, I was with someone else’s husband for a while.”
“I strayed as well.”
“I don’t want to jump ship again.”
“I don’t either.”
He hugged her and shushed her.
“Do you think we’ll be all right?”
“Yes.”
“We’re different.”
“Very much so.”
“How’s it going to work?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone else does.”
“True.” She laughed a little. “Let’s shut the curtains.”
“Okay.”
Joan crossed to the window and readjusted the curtains. Now they could not be seen from outside.
“Let’s not worry for now,” Morse said, and beckoned to her.
“I love you. Always have. Always will,” Joan said.
“Same, Joanie. Same.”
She sat next to him on the bed and took his hand. They kissed.
He unzipped the back of her dress and pulled it off her. She unbuttoned his jacket and shirt.
It was a night of some anxiety but great joy as well.