As they enter the small rooms laden with fabrics of all sorts, and headless mannequins adorned with garments of various sorts and sizes, he decides to ask the ladies what is the best choice here.
“Which one?” asks Garty as Joanne shone the lamp over each strange and eerie figure in the night light.
“This one,” says Bubba quietly, feeling so out of her depth that she wishes to end this saga before she faints.
“It is pretty,” says Joanne. “But, the hemline is not finished, she adds, shining her light on the bottom of a wild cotton, lemon floral dress with white trims and stiff crinoline, causing the dress to spread out like a bell.
“But, I can fix this,” says Joanne, searching for a needle and thread, located almost immediately from a box on a nearby bench.
“I knew it would be easy.” She sucks the white strand and with Bubba holding the lamp, threads it through the small needle.
After a few minutes the hem is finished.
“You must become a dress maker now,” says Garty, totally impressed by her ingenuity.
“We had to learn at college,” she says flatly. “Every girl needs to know these things, except princesses,” she says wryly.
“Try it on, Bubba,” she said to the scantily clad younger woman.
The two women disappear behind a screen standing in the middle of the room, whilst Garty keeps a lookout in case anyone spots their lamp through the window. After all, they have broken in and are stealing a dress, if it happens to fit Bubba.
Garty is determined that Bubba must be at the Ball. In a way he imagines himself as a fairy Godfather for her and Joanna as her Godmother. He listens as the tone of excitement rises behind the forbidden screen. That makes him feel happy.
“Garty, what do you think?” Joanne asks. Garty turns around and despite the lack of light he sees that the dress fits Bubba to perfection.
“Very stylish,” says Garty, nodding his head in approval.
“I used the pins to beautify her hair too,” says Joanne.
“I like it very much,” says Bubba.
They find a gold band to place around her crown. It has the royal effect they like.
“You look beautiful, Bubba,” Garty says with sincerity. “But, what about shoes?”
Bubba had jumped into her boots and they definitely did not fit very well with the flouncy dress that made her look like a true beauty.
“Next door?” Garty suggests. He knows the cobbler’s shop.
“Yes, a cobbler works there,” says Joanne. “Come on, quickly.”
They immediately head over that way, towards Cob’s shop. Ten minutes later Bubba has new shoes on, a pair of slip on satin shoes that make her feet appear tiny.
“Sweet feet,” said Garty jovially.
“Now, let’s get out of here before the constabulary makes their move and we end up locked away for a month!”
Garty leads the way back to the Maud and the three of them piled onto the steed, Brill.
“He can take a trio,” he says.“He can take a trio. Two lightweights!”
The females giggle and he laughs.
“For it will be quicker. We don’t want to annoy the king, or Mrs Bouchée by turning up too late. They will be watching and waiting for us soon!”
Several minutes later, the three bolt into the field where the marquee is set.
Garty’s heart is beating as hard as the horses’ hoofs. But, he knows that Bubba must join the throng at the celebrations. He dismounts swiftly and then takes Joanne from the horses’ back, whilst Bubba slid down easily alone.
She fixes her dress flounces and Garty lifts her away from a muddy puddle that Joanne has jumped over. They are in a festive mood as they walk towards the entry point of the marquee.
“We don’t want to ruin your new dress!”
Garty gives the man with a wink another coin as they pass by him and he grunts at them from a chair.
The three waltz into the venue as if they simply “took the air” to be met by Mrs Bouchée, who seems a little frazzled.
“Where on earth have you been, Garty?” she asks the tall male.
He stood taller now, defiant.
“The ladies are still waiting for you.”
“We found Bubba,” he replies.
Mrs Bouchée stares at them with her eyes narrowed.
“Who is looking after the animals now?” She almost spits the words out at Garty.
“They are all happily sleeping,” Garty replies, calming the anxious woman.
“Fine. You look very pretty my dear,” she says, suddenly noticing Bubba.
“Sit with the other young ladies as you should.”
“Yes, Madam,” Bubba says quietly.
Garty catches her arm and holds her firmly.
“No, Bubba, you stay here with this party, if you don’t mind, Mrs Bouchée?” Garty speaks in a dominant tone.
“Certainly, Sir Musdo! Come and eat something, Bubba, for you may not have had any dinner today?”
“Thank you, Madam,” says Bubba, as Garty lifts out a chair for her to sit upon.
She tucks her dress folds under her and sits promptly.
“It feels so strange to wear a dress,” she notes, looking from Joanne to Garty.
“I didn’t know you owned such a fine dress,” Mrs Bouchée comments, noticing her attire immediately the words are spoken.
“Please, everyone, be quiet. We have announcements to make!” A voice thunders over the megaphone.
“Quiet please,” Mrs Bouchée says to the three at her table.
Garty is relieved. I I would not find it an easy task to explain how we robbed the gown now worn by Bubba. But, everyone is enjoying the evening now.
He pours a glass of apple juice for Bubba, who drinks thirstily.
She smiles at Garty, her true hero.
How pretty she is, he thinks.
It was not noticeable before, but now that she is wearing a flattering gown and her hair is prettily tidied, she looks amazing.
He looks at Joanne and his heart swells with pride.
What a woman she is turning out to be! She is a prize not to be turned down in a hurry. But, there is her brother, watching now, waiting to pounce and take her away from any suitor, Garty notes.
“King Justice Swanfeather of Kallai,” says the Master of Ceremonies in a big voice.
Everyone stares at the King, who rises from his position on a high backed chair, the only one Mrs Bouchée found that is elegant enough for a king.
“Good evening, citizens of Scatt and the whole of Kallai,” says the king in his commanding voice.
“Tonight we will bring forth my long lost princess Miron, my daughter who was kidnapped as a baby almost twenty years ago.
“I believe Knight Commander Musdo will bring forth the missing princess, now a young damsel,” he says.
Just as Garty is about to protest the king’s call, a ruckus erupts at Axemanix party’s table.
“Here is your princess,” says Axemanix to the King.
He brought forth a figure hidden within a veil. Everyone stares at this amazing person, who had been quietly biding time. Nobody had noticed this figure with a veil over her whole body. The tent of meeting became so quiet one could hear a pin dropping.
Garty cringes. What is Axemanix up to?
The heel of his hand hugs the butt of his pistol. He is ready to rise up.
The whole assembly looks around to see who this person may be?
With a flourish Axemanix whisks away a golden veil that was draped over the slim figure of a damsel.
She is young, with dark hair and fair complexion. Her head is bowed with shyness.
“King Justice Swanfeather, my brother, this is your Queen, Anna, your beautiful daughter, whom I fathered twenty years ago. She will now be crowned Queen of Kallai”
The king glares at his brother. His face turns bright red with rage.
Before he has a chance to speak, Garty speaks in a loud voice.
“That is not your daughter, for she is right here!” Garty says, as he rises and motions Bubba to stand forward.
“This young woman is Miron!”
Garty displays Bubba to the crowd with a flouncy of his long arm.
“Miron?” she asks, standing as though she is dumbstruck.
“How can this be?” she whispers to Garty.
“I can prove it,” Garty says quietly.
“Let me prove it to you, your majesty.”
He stares at the king.
“This is an outrage,” King Justice Swanfeather,” yells Axemanix.
“This woman is your daughter, you must defect the throne of Kallai,” he roars, pushing the young Anna towards the king.
“Arrest all of these men!” The king orders his guards immediately. Before he can release his pistol, Garty is taken captive by four soldiers with arms, along with Axemanix, and taken before the king, their hands tied behind their backs.
King Swanfeather falls down on his temporary throne and grasps the rests of the chair so fiercely that his fingers turn white.
Garty sees Axemanix’s men cowering in the background.
Mrs Bouchée stands her ground and shelters Bubba on one side whilst Joanne stands on her left.
Bubba stays still between the two feisty women.
Anna, the supposedly daughter of Axemanix and King Justice Swanfeather remains standing. Garty notices that she is supported by Gypsy Janda and her daughter Crystalina.
How strange! Garty thinks, wrestling with the chain they had clapped on his wrists behind his back.
The King speaks.
His voice is baritone and fills the venue to its ceiling.
“My brother, Axamanix, you are making a claim that this young woman is my daughter and therefore the next Queen of Kallai, for I am bereft of offspring. However I now find myself with two daughters and heirs. How do you plead and prove this thing?”
“Please remove these chains,” says Axamanix. “You know how I have a phobia about chains,” he adds, with a sad expression on his face.
“When you deliver your answer and I am satisfied.”
“Yes, your majesty,” he replies, staring humbly at the ground.
“Bring the girl to me,” the king orders, “and I shall decide.”
Janda and Chrystalina take the girl between them and walk beside her towards the king.
Garty stares at the pair with annoyance.
They have betrayed me and done a double deal with Axemanix’s men.
“So, you are claiming to be my daughter?” King Justice Swanfeather says, as the girl comes gingerly forward toward the king. She is dressed in a beautiful flowing white gown and her hair is dotted with hand made flowers of many colours, as a rainbow around her crown. Everyone admires this beautiful young woman and one can hear the gasps as she moves gracefully toward the king.
“What do you remember from your childhood?” the king asks her, smiling at the girl to ease her anxiety.