Blackjack

40

I ate dinner with Virgil and Allie that night, and it was not until we finished Allie’s scalded plum pudding that Virgil said anything to her about his long-lost brother. Virgil took his time and explained to her pretty much the same history he shared with me about Valentine Pell, but without the tidbits that describe the unfavorable character details.

“And he’s the bounty hunter that had captured Boston Bill Black,” she said. “And returned him here to Appaloosa?”

“Yep,” Virgil said. “’Fraid so.”

“Valentine Pell?” she said. “Well, isn’t that a pretty name? I can’t believe this. Your brother?”

“Half,” Virgil said. “Half-brother.”

“Half, yes,” she said. “Well, my lands.”

Virgil nodded and Allie looked at me and grinned.

“My God,” she said.

She shook her head in disbelief and looked to me as if I should say something.

“How about that?” I said.

“I had no idea,” she said.

She remained looking at me as if I needed to say something more.

“Tonight was the first time I ever heard of him, too, Allie,” I said.

“Goodness,” she said. “Well, I just can’t believe it.”

“Yep,” I said.

“You visited with him, Everett?” she said.

“I did, well, some, he did most of the talking... He likes to talk.”

“What did he talk about?”

“Oh,” I said, “this and that.”

“What’d you think about him?”

“Well, he’s, um... an interesting sort of fella.”

“He’ll be moving on soon,” Virgil said.

“Good Lord,” she said. “And what now? What will happen with Boston Bill Black?”

“He will be arraigned in front of Judge Callison,” Virgil said.

Allie’s eyes were wide. They had been wide, looking back and forth between Virgil and me, since Virgil first mentioned Valentine.

She put her napkin to her mouth with both hands and dabbed at any touches of pudding that may or may not have been on her lips as she stared at Virgil. She held the napkin there to her mouth for a moment, then, in a rather dramatic fashion, let her hands go limp and fall to each side of her plate, making the dishes rattle.

“I feel like I don’t even know you, Virgil,” she said.

“What?”

“I don’t.”

Virgil looked to me, then to Allie.

“What are you talking about, Allie?” he said.

“You have a brother?”

“That’s what I just said.”

“And I never knew.”

“We were never really that close, Allie.”

Allie started to frown, then abruptly turned sideways in her chair and stared at the floor.

“But I guess that stands to reason,” she said, shaking her head slightly, as if she were talking to the floor.

Virgil looked to me, then to Allie.

“What stands to reason?” he said.

“That I don’t feel like I know you,” she said. “Because you never feel it is necessary to share anything with me.”

“Not true, Allie,” he said.

“It is true, Virgil,” Allie said.

I thought about what Valentine had said earlier about truth being over appreciated.

“Not intentional,” Virgil said.

“Well, what is it, then, if it is not intentional?”

“Just not something I ever really felt like talking about.”

“Well, obviously,” she said.

“Hell, Allie, if it is any comfort to you, I was not sure Valentine was even still alive.”

“It’s not, Virgil,” she said.

Allie got to her feet. She moved her chair back under the table to give herself room to pace between the table and the cupboard. She made a few turns, cogitating this revelation and its residual, then looked to Virgil.

“Where is he?”

“Boston House.”

“Did you invite him here?”

“I have not,” he said.

“Why?”

“Not necessary.”

“And why not?”

“Just not a good idea, Allie,” he said.

“What about me?” she said.

Virgil didn’t say anything, then Allie pointed to the Boston House.

“You need to go over there and invite him over here.”

“Don’t really want to do that, Allie.”

She put her hands on her hips.

“Virgil, I want to know your brother,” she said. “I have no family to speak of, and, well, family is important, no matter.”

Virgil just looked at her.

“If you don’t,” she said, “I will.”

“He’ll be gone soon.”

“Even more of a reason for us to get to know one another,” she said. “Everett said he was interesting, and I’d very much like to meet him, Virgil.”

I could feel Virgil cut his eyes to me, but I remained looking at Allie.

“Please,” she said.

“Don’t think it a good idea...” Virgil said as he folded his napkin and dropped it on his plate. “But I will ask him to come by and visit before he leaves.”

“Good,” Allie said. “Tomorrow I meet with my ladies’ social, but after I will make something delicious for supper and have a proper sit-down visit with the only known kin between the two of us that we know is alive.”

Virgil looked to me. I could tell the notion of Valentine Pell coming over for a proper sit-down visit was not something he was looking forward to.

“Anybody else?” Allie said.

“What?” Virgil said.

“There’s no one else, is there, Virgil?” Allie said.

“No, Allie.”

“You sure?” Allie said. “Your sister Easter is not gonna show up here?”