~Chapter 8~
The Captain's Dinner
As Captain Legrande called out the first orders of the day, the mainsail and two front jib sails were unfurled into the gentle Northern winds blowing down from Canada. Reeled up from the clean cool waters below was the massive iron. Two oversized sailors placed into its rightful resting place, on deck. Two large braided ropes were cast-off that had held the ship in place at its mooring. The ship with its two forward jibs now unfurled slowly pulled the ship out of port, and into the mouth of the busy harbor.
It was a clean, clear beautiful day for sailing out of Dory Bay, and into the serene, inviting open waters of the Great Lake. The Cimarron Cutter was away from the docks on the south shore, right on schedule. She was fully loaded with a well-seasoned crew operating her sails.
The trip would take five to seven days depending on the weather being forgiving, and the will, and fortitude of the crew.
Captain Legrange was a proud man who had never lost a single crewmember, passenger, or ship to lake pirates or from the vengeance of the Great Lake herself, in all his years of sailing. A multitude of pirates and thieves were known to prowl, and lurk in these waters, looking for merchant ships to plunder, and children or women to kidnap for ransom.
The most infamous, and notorious pirate captain of them all, Pirate Captain Red Beard had been stalking these local waters for the last few months. Stern warnings, posters, and flyer's with pictures of the pirate captain, and his ship had been posted, at all of the ports-of-call, up and down the coastline. Each notice tacked up or passed out around the ports, vehemently telling all ship's captains to be on the lookout for him, with his crew of cutthroat thieves.
Three merchant ships he had plundered this year alone, with all crew and passengers were never to be seen alive again. His dishonorable and infamous ship called, the Red Ghost had been seen in these waters locally, as recently as last week, so Captain Legrange had watchmen stationed port, stern, and aft, on a twenty four hour lookout, for the large red sails of his notorious ship.
The Red Ghost was the same class of ship, but a little larger than the Cimarron Cutter. It was thought to be one and the same, as fast under full sail, and with an equally well-seasoned crew. It had an evenly sleek design but was lighter, and rode higher in the water, because it did not carry as many passengers or supplies as the Cimarron. It was built for shear speed to overtake any ships lying within its sights. The captain was known to be just unrelenting, and ruthless in his pursuit of treasure's that did not belong to him. If he only knew that, the famed Jupiter the Show Horse, and the lost magic jingle bell was on board the Cimarron, all would surely be lost.
Made as comfortable as possible in the lower ship's hold were Apollo and Jupiter. Made for them was a warm bed of hay, there was plenty of fresh water to drink, and food to eat, per the captains orders. Although the lower inside of the ship was dank and dark, Louis made sure he checked on them both often, to be sure they were as comfortable as they could be, under the circumstances.
Louis, Molly, and Chug all shared a small cabin with limited amenities, but none complained. All were still excited that the voyage, and the journey to the North Pole, was progressing as well as it was, and seemingly right on schedule.
However, they were most excited today because they were to attend a fine, and very regal dinner party tonight on their behalf, sharing the Captains table on the most famed cutter on the high seas.
"Louis the dinner is at seven thirty tonight, that is only two hours away now, and I have absolutely nothing to wear," cried out Molly.
"Nor, me Louis. All I have are a few pairs of wrinkled pants, a winter coat, a pair of blue jeans, and a few pull-over t-shirts."
"And all I have is one sturdy dress, a few pairs of pants, that I might be able to press and clean up, and a few shirts like Chug. How can we go to a formal party dressed like that?"
"Man, I know I'm right with you two, I don't have a stitch to wear either. Maybe we should decline the offer, and just have dinner brought to us in our cabin tonight, or go down into the hold, and have dinner with Jupiter and Apollo?"
The conversation quickly subsided upon hearing a loud knock on the door.
Bang! Bang!
A voice called out from the other side.
"Is the famed Louis Parks, or Molly Jenkins, available to accept a note from the captain?"
Chug opened the door. In walked three of the ship's porters with arms full of boxes, filled with the fanciest clothes Molly, Louis, and Chug had ever seen before. There was a full array of full-length formal evening gowns to choose from, and boxes brimming to the top, full of very modern Ladies dress shoes. There were beautiful headscarfs of all colors, boxes of large brimmed hats with fanciful ribbons, and a few small boxes of very dainty handbags for Molly.
And for Louis and Chug there were: perfectly starched white seaman shirts, and military dress hats, freshly polished dress shoes, and shiny silvery belt buckles found on brand new belts, but what really caught Louis's eye were two smaller, well-pressed French Navy military uniforms.
"Compliments...of the captain, he figured that you would not have the proper attire for the dinner tonight so he had another of our ship's porter's, locate these clothes in the supply room. The Captain even pitched in a few of his own personal things, for you both to wear. I hope that they will fit you properly. If you need anything else, please ring the bell found on the nightstand loudly and I will be right back to service your every need."
"Man this is the greatest" proclaimed Chug.
"You've got that right," stated an excited Louis.
"I am seaman, second-class, Christian Leone from Chateauroux," said the affable sailor, in his thick French accent.
"Thank you seaman second-class Christian, my name is Chug Martin, right fielder for the Centerville Giants. I'm pleased to meet you, and thank you very much for the clothes."
"Likewise" said Louis.
The porter bowed slowly then turned to leave, as he left the room Chug, Molly, and Chug's face lit up in delight, at seeing all of the very fancy clothes.
"Man, it's just what we needed Louis. Those sure are the finest dresses I have ever seen Molly. This is going to be the...best...party...ever."
Molly lost herself inside the wonder that were the boxes full of clothes, and accessories. She tried on every one of the pairs of fancy shoes, lively dresses, and beautiful hats. Louis and Chug did not even want to try on anything else. They went right for the blue seaman uniforms, with the red trim down the legs, and with the gold tassels hanging off the shoulders.
After a thorough cleaning from a hot bath located at the end of the hall, all advanced to dress up for the evening. Molly just could not help herself. She put on just enough makeup, and red lipstick to give her a very womanly glow about her, that Louis was quick to notice.
"Molly I have never seen you look so...ah...ah...I don't know how to say it...ah grown-up, and Ladylike.
"Why thank you Louis, so nice of you to say so."
"Will you be my date for this evening? May I take your hand, and will you accompany me, to the captain's table for dinner tonight?"
"Well, certainly seaman Parks. It would be my pleasure."
"Man I can't wait to chow-down. This is going to be great."
"Chug we won't be, chowing down. We have to dine, with the captain tonight."
"OK Molly. You and Louis dine and I will chow down. Is this, the best or what?"
"It's just about seven-thirty Louis, Chug...so let's get going," said Molly.
The ship's dinner bell was rung right on time, and could be heard though out the ship.
Louis with Chug was dressed so handsomely, never looking more grown-up in their fine blue French seaman uniforms, with the golden tassels hanging off the shoulders. Molly would be attending the dinner tonight wearing: a very demur off-white full
-length, free-flowing dinner gown, with a fine laced light blue shawl draped over her slim ivory colored shoulders. She also displayed a matching handbag, white full-length cotton gloves, with a matching, very fanciful, light blue hat that completed her regal look. The trio of friends looked just resplendent, and perfectly suited for the night's activities.
Upon reaching the ships main dining hall located on the upper deck and upon entering the great room with an introduction from the ship's head porter, the ship's Ma?tre de showed the finely dressed guests, to the captain's table, located at the rear of the grand room.
There were two very large portholes covered in thick glass located directly behind the Captain's table, where everyone sitting at the table, would be able to see the beautiful deep blue waters of the lake, and the black starlit sky above.
Well-adorned was the dining room with, coats-of-arms hanging off the walls, and military uniforms (inside of glass cases) were nicely placed throughout the room. There was a full-length, bronzed statue of Captain Legrande standing proudly behind the large steering wheel of his ship, which could be seen at the entrance to the grand dining hall.
Fanciful gas lamps and gas chandeliers were hanging throughout the room from the broad overhanging, dark colored, wooden ceiling beams. The gas lamps threw off a very lovely, yellow, and orange glow throughout the room, which only added to the overall ambiance of the dinner hall.
Stretched out along the width of the room in two single file lines were very elegant white table clothes covering the long dinner tables. Arrangements of red and yellow roses were tied together with bright green and blue ribbons. All were set in grand glass vases, at the center of every dining table. There was intricately folded white cotton napkins found laying on every piece of the fine China plates, with at least five different pieces of silverware laying on either side of the plates that Molly, Chug, and Louis had never even seen before. This made them all a little nervous.
All of the specially invited guests were finely dressed for the evening. The handsome men in their white crisply starched dinner jackets, with matching slacks, and all the Ladies elegantly dressed in long free-flowing pleasing to the eye dinner dresses, as Molly was wearing.
As the first bell of the night was rung, everyone continued to sit at his or her assigned tables. A small quartet of well-dressed musicians began to play a soft waltz, as the Cimarron Cutter's Captain Sir Legrande Legrange entered the room. Escorted he was by the ship's Ma?tre de walking in front of him, and with his beautiful wife of twenty years, the lovely Lady Angeline Angelique Legrange by his sided.
As Lady Angeline slowly sauntered into the room, with her thin hand lightly touching the arm of the debonair Captain, she just captivated the room with all eyes transfixed on her, as her beauty, and grace, out shined the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling above, and the bright autumn moonlight shining in, from the two portals behind the Captain's table. She resembled a queen or princess, as she glided across the room. She lightly touched down in her high-back chair at the Captain's table, right next to where Molly was sitting.
The captain was equally stunningly dressed in his finest white military dress uniform that was very similar in style and design, to what Chug, and Louis were found wearing. He had taken off his white military cap and had strategically placed it under one arm, as he escorted his wife across the room to her seat at the table, which only added to the theatrics, and grandeur of their entrance.
The band came to the end of their waltz as the captain saluted the room with a tip of his cap, and a low stately bow. He gracefully sat down at the head of the captain's table for the evening next to his wife, all perfectly timed of course with the second ringing of the evening's dinner bell, rung by the Ma?tre de.
The Captain then picked up a glass filled of the finest French champagne. He offered a toast to all in attendance, in his very pleasing French accent.
"Here...here... I want to thank you all for coming this evening to dine with me, and my angelic wife on this most beautiful evening, which the heavens have given us tonight. Please do not be shy. Feel free, enjoy our dinner that our own resident Head Chef, who graduated from the very, esteemed French cooking school, the Cordon Blue...Ms. Telly Bell...has prepared for us.
Chug's ears perked up at the sound of the second dinner bell.
"May I have our famed Ma?tre de Francois Marque present to you, what will be on the menu tonight?"
Mr. Francois who was a large man with a rotund, widespread stomach; he wore a pencil thin black mustache under his thick nose, and who's long hair was slicked down with enough hair grease, that under the right circumstances a grease fire could explode from instantaneous combustion at any moment.
After a few moments of thought, he began describing the evening's service.
"Tonight for dinner we present for your delight, a four course meal starting with: a fine aperitif of the finest French Champagne. A well-cellared Layfette vintage from the 1860, it is golden, and still lively. The Layfette 1860 will be offered with our green-leaf tossed seafood salad, featuring delicious, red vinaigrette dressing...then a fruit platter will served...to clean the palette. Following will be our main course of the evening consisting of: braised and very tender leg of baby lamb, slowly baked in our brick lined French ovens. Served with a delicious minty jelly, a side dish of freshly roasted garlic nu-potatoes lightly steamed and seasoned babe asparagus spears, with gently fresh baked French bread served with lovely garlic dipping oil. Moreover, for dessert we will offer a flaming cherries jubilee, made with the freshest French ice cream, which was just made for you all this morning by me.
After his proclamation, Francois gave a slight upward twist to his mustache, performed a slow elegant bow to the dinner guest, and then exited into the kitchen to start the evening's dinner service.
The Captain rang the small silver bell twice that was sitting on the table in front of him.
Hearing the dinner bell ring signaling the start of service Ms. Telly Bell the not so feminine Head-Chef entered the grand room from the kitchen entrance, with the first course of the evening.
Therefore, it went. All the patrons, and invited guest dined on the most wonderful French food, fine-wines, and exotic full-bodied champagnes imaginable.
Everyone was having a brilliant time as the evening's conversations were kept light and free flowing. Each guest present this evening appeared by all accounts to be: a head of state, a high-ranking military person, or a dignitary that was traveling to a far-away land. Louis, Molly, and Chug all felt right in place, after all they were traveling to a far-away land as well, and were just as important if not more so than anyone in the room, at least that is what they believed to be true and that appeared to be...just enough for them.
After the last course of lamb was, being served Molly turned to Lady Angeline Angelique and asked a question, that only Molly could have thought of.
"Lady Angeline how do you like my lipstick? I got it just last year. It came all the way from your home country of France. It's called Crimson Passion." As she said this, Molly smacked her lips just as Louis and Chug had seen quite a few times before. Seeing Molly smack, her big red lips at the captain's wife, Louis and Chug just about had a heart attack, and died on the spot from laughter. Both of course held it all inside for fear of embarrassing Molly, but they sure would not forget what they saw, and would surely would needle Molly about it, at some time in her future.
"That is a wonderful shade of red, and very ladylike. I happen to have some Crimson Passion myself. All the women in France wear it, it's all the rage. Molly hearing this from Lady Angeline, it made her eyes light up, and the biggest smile appeared across her face. She knew Louis and Chug sitting nearby heard her so she turned to look at them with a face that said, "Ha, I told you so. All the High-Society girls wear Crimson Passion. Take that!"
Chug could not contain himself he just had to imitate Molly smacking those big red lips o
ne more time. This was done of course, very indiscreetly, and most secretly.
Lady Angeline continued speaking.
"Molly you are a little younger than most of the Society Ladies in attendance here tonight, and as you can see for yourself, by looking around the room that some of these young Ladies, are the most beautiful and youthful Ladies that you will ever seen in your whole life. Most of these Ladies come from the most famous families in all of Europe."
Molly looked around the room at all the young women present.
"Look over there, do you see the delightful young Lady wearing that lovely, chiffon full length evening dress; or Toilette de Soir?e with the white petticoat with Volant's, and garniture. She is the very reserved society woman from Bordeaux that sits in the Aquitaine region of France. She comes from a family born to royalty. Her family owns the largest winery in all of France, well over five thousand acres. Now she is a young Society Woman of about your age, and she goes to one of the most private, and expensive schools in all of France. Now, if you look closely Molly...look...there...she is wearing Crimson Passion as well."
"You're right she is...can you believe it?"
"But Molly she is only wearing enough on her lips to stir passion, not so much that she is drawing too much attention to herself or stirring the pot so to speak. Do you understand what I am trying to say Molly? Always be understated in your in your look, and leave something to the imagination. Remember. A woman's charm is fifty percent illusion."
"I didn't know that."
"That is the true key to a woman's beauty. What I am trying to say to you Molly is that I think...you have...a little too much...lipstick on."
"Oh I can see you are right, she is so beautiful, and I want to have that same allure and mystic for myself, for you see I have a little thing for Louis, you know? Therefore, for now on I will use only the fifty percent illusion, and not the seventy five percent that I have been.
"I think you've got it now."
"I will tell you a secret My Lady that is why they call me Hot Tamale Molly. I now know that I must not wear too much lipstick, or make-up for that matter. Thanks for the beauty tip, Lady Angeline Angelique you're so-ooo-ooo refined."
The captain who was sitting right next to Louis, and Chug at the captain's table finally asked about the two boys journey, where they were going, and about what great adventure they were on. Louis imparted to him the long story, being sure the whole time not to leave out any of the important details, especially the parts about Charlie and Santa's Village, and the Magic Jingle Bell, saving Christmas, and the part about Mr. Beamer having already traveled to the North Pole so long ago. Captain Legrange offered Louis some well-chosen words of wisdom, and encouragement for well over an hour, and by looking at Louis's face as the conversation continued, Louis took all of the information, and insights the Captain gave him to heart.
It turns out that Captain Legrange was a dear friend of Mr. Beamer, and that he had traveled across the Great Lake as well, on a different ship that Mr. Legrange was working on as a seaman, many, many years ago, before he became a full tenured captain. They had shared a small cabin during one of those trips. Louis could only respect, and admire Mr. Beamer more, and more, with each story the captain told about him.
As their conversation ended, the captain offered Louis and his friend's gifts of appreciation. He thanked them for attending the dinner and for sailing upon his ship. With the ringing of the small dinner bell again, the Ma?tre de brought in three small boxes, delightfully wrapped, and a bouquet of lovely, long stemmed yellow roses.
The captain arose from the table. He put forward the roses to Molly as a gesture of kindness, he then offered her a very deep, and long bow. He spoke softly into her ear. "I like your lipstick, very good choice of colors. It matches the color of your lovely cheeks when you blush."
Molly, about fell over right there; the captain was just so handsome. She thanked him profusely. Just as she was blushing, the color of her lipstick the Captain took Molly by the hand. He gave it a very, subtle long kiss. Molly thought she about fell off her chair before, this time she almost fainted.
"Why thank you Captain Legrange. The flowers are beautiful."
Mr. Legrange then gave her a small delicate silver necklace with a friendship charm attached made of matching silver. He gently bent down, and placed it around her thin neck.
Turning to face the boys, he asked both of them to open their gifts.
Chug could not wait. He tore into his box as fast as he could. With the top of the box torn off, and the paper quickly removed inside, Chug could not believe his disbelieving eyes. The captain had given him, and Louis an exact copy of the Captain's family crest that was pinned to his own shirt collar, and an honorary Captain's pin, exactly like the one he wore on the epilates, on his uniform's shoulders. The family crest was in the color of the French flag. It had two swords that crossed in the middle over a gold shield. The Captain's pin was made of solid gold, about two inches across. It was very elegant and military-like.
The Captain declared, "Ladies and gentlemen may I present to you tonight two honorary Captain's of the Cimarron Cutter, Captain Sir Louis Parks and Captain Sir Chug Martin. Also may I present to you the lovely Lady Molly Jenkins from Centerville?"
Everyone in the room rose to their feet, giving the two boys, and Molly a well-deserved, and thoughtful round of applause. Well that was enough for Chug and Louis they just could not thank the captain enough. The Captain attached both pins on the boys. When he did, the whole room picked up their wine glass again, giving the two boys another toast.
The boys had simply died and gone to heaven.
The band started to play another lively waltz when Louis: placed his white military hat back on his head, he then stood up from the long table, and strolled over to where Molly was sitting. Extending his hand, Molly placed her fragile hand in his and alighted from the table. Louis then plucked one of the roses from the bouquet lying on the table, gently he pinned it on Molly's dress. Both walked to the center of room with all eyes on them, when Louis with a shy but yet dignified elegance, began to waltz with Molly to the lovely music.
It was such a wonderful sight and a beautiful evening. The captain and Lady Angeline watched, and admired their esteemed guests.
Angeline turned to the captain and said, "That looks just like us so many years ago, when we first met, and danced at your Captains Coronation. I love you today as much, as the first day I laid eyes on you."
"I love you even more with each day we spend together, and with each night I hold you in my arms, and I must say I have never seen you look any lovelier, than you do this evening" said the dashing captain.
Sir Legrande gave the Lady a sweet kiss on the cheek as the song, with Louis and Molly dancing came to a delightful finish.
The evening ended with this last dance of the night by Molly and Louis. All of the guests returned to their staterooms, content and happy that the night was such a success, and so very enjoyable. The calm and serene waters of Great Lake, and the peaceful heavens above had done their part as well, in making this one of the best nights of Louis, Chug's and Molly's young life.