audience?”
Sadie didn’t move, but she knew the feet sticking out of the box were. How did he do that? The audience practically sighed in response. Jack, however, had a uniquely different reaction. He looked at the bottom of the box, then up at Sadie. And when their eyes met, she knew he’d caught on to the trick. How, she wasn’t sure, but when he grinned at her in that delightfully evil way, she couldn’t help but grin back.
Dear God, he knew those weren’t her feet. Somehow, after all these years, he remembered her feet and knew the ones wiggling for the crowd were not hers.
Xavier repositioned the box in front of Jack who, now that he was in on the trick, seemed to have been filled with the spirit of the evening. He raised the saw to demonstrate to the audience how very sharp it was by cutting through a stick. Then, at Xavier’s command, he set the serrated blade into the groove at the halfway mark on the box.
He paused, casting his gaze toward her. For a second she saw true concern in his eyes. Of course he knew this was all a sham, but he was still going to come very close to her person with a very sharp blade. There was a slight chance that something could go wrong.
Odd. He truly seemed to care if he hurt her—physically, at any rate. Why couldn’t he be so solicitous of her feelings as well?
Xavier clapped Jack on the shoulder, a sign that all would be fine. “I would ask now that the audience give Mr. Friday complete silence as he performs this feat,” the magician requested in an ominous tone. “One wrong move on his part could mean dire consequences for Madame Moon.”
Jack grinned rakishly at the audience and then at Sadie. “I promise, dear Madame, that this will not hurt a bit.”
To which Sadie quipped, “I wager you say that to all the girls.”
There was a chorus of titters and chuckles from the audience.
Xavier gestured to the box. “Mr. Friday, please begin.”
Jack nodded at the magician. Sadie could almost imagine his fingers tightening on the handle of the saw. She couldn’t see, but she heard and felt the movement of the blade as it slipped through the concealed slit between compartments.
Xavier must have put something in the space between the two separate halves to provide resistance, because the blade only made it so far before it hit something solid. Always one for putting on a good show: Sadie gasped—and the audience reacted accordingly. Several women cried out.
Even Jack jerked a little. His wide gaze whipped to Sadie’s, but his surprise quickly gave way to laughter. She tried so hard not to smile, but a bit of it slipped out, letting him know that she was fine.
Xavier stepped forward. “Madame Moon, are you all right?”
At Sadie’s nod, the magician bade Jack to continue. And Jack did.
When her erstwhile husband began to saw through the box with great gusto and showmanship, Sadie wasn’t certain if the tightness in her throat was restrained laughter or tears. They used to have such fun together playing tricks and telling jokes. Rarely did either one of them ever get angry at the other for a good laugh at their expense.Even now, after all that had transpired and grown bitter between them, he still appreciated the joke, and embraced it wholeheartedly, even when the halves of the box were pulled apart and ladies screamed in response. One even cried out, “Murderer!”
Jack turned his back to the audience then, unable to keep from grinning.
“My good people!” Xavier shouted to the distressed crowd. “I assure you that Madame Moon is quite all right!” He gestured to the lower box and, this time, because of how the two halves had been separated, Sadie could see the wiggling feet. They were very realistic, even as close as she was. And though she knew it was folly, her heart warmed a little more knowing that Jack had realized they weren’t hers.
As she watched the wriggling appendages, Sadie was quite certain someone in the audience had
Sadie didn’t move, but she knew the feet sticking out of the box were. How did he do that? The audience practically sighed in response. Jack, however, had a uniquely different reaction. He looked at the bottom of the box, then up at Sadie. And when their eyes met, she knew he’d caught on to the trick. How, she wasn’t sure, but when he grinned at her in that delightfully evil way, she couldn’t help but grin back.
Dear God, he knew those weren’t her feet. Somehow, after all these years, he remembered her feet and knew the ones wiggling for the crowd were not hers.
Xavier repositioned the box in front of Jack who, now that he was in on the trick, seemed to have been filled with the spirit of the evening. He raised the saw to demonstrate to the audience how very sharp it was by cutting through a stick. Then, at Xavier’s command, he set the serrated blade into the groove at the halfway mark on the box.
He paused, casting his gaze toward her. For a second she saw true concern in his eyes. Of course he knew this was all a sham, but he was still going to come very close to her person with a very sharp blade. There was a slight chance that something could go wrong.
Odd. He truly seemed to care if he hurt her—physically, at any rate. Why couldn’t he be so solicitous of her feelings as well?
Xavier clapped Jack on the shoulder, a sign that all would be fine. “I would ask now that the audience give Mr. Friday complete silence as he performs this feat,” the magician requested in an ominous tone. “One wrong move on his part could mean dire consequences for Madame Moon.”
Jack grinned rakishly at the audience and then at Sadie. “I promise, dear Madame, that this will not hurt a bit.”
To which Sadie quipped, “I wager you say that to all the girls.”
There was a chorus of titters and chuckles from the audience.
Xavier gestured to the box. “Mr. Friday, please begin.”
Jack nodded at the magician. Sadie could almost imagine his fingers tightening on the handle of the saw. She couldn’t see, but she heard and felt the movement of the blade as it slipped through the concealed slit between compartments.
Xavier must have put something in the space between the two separate halves to provide resistance, because the blade only made it so far before it hit something solid. Always one for putting on a good show: Sadie gasped—and the audience reacted accordingly. Several women cried out.
Even Jack jerked a little. His wide gaze whipped to Sadie’s, but his surprise quickly gave way to laughter. She tried so hard not to smile, but a bit of it slipped out, letting him know that she was fine.
Xavier stepped forward. “Madame Moon, are you all right?”
At Sadie’s nod, the magician bade Jack to continue. And Jack did.
When her erstwhile husband began to saw through the box with great gusto and showmanship, Sadie wasn’t certain if the tightness in her throat was restrained laughter or tears. They used to have such fun together playing tricks and telling jokes. Rarely did either one of them ever get angry at the other for a good laugh at their expense.Even now, after all that had transpired and grown bitter between them, he still appreciated the joke, and embraced it wholeheartedly, even when the halves of the box were pulled apart and ladies screamed in response. One even cried out, “Murderer!”
Jack turned his back to the audience then, unable to keep from grinning.
“My good people!” Xavier shouted to the distressed crowd. “I assure you that Madame Moon is quite all right!” He gestured to the lower box and, this time, because of how the two halves had been separated, Sadie could see the wiggling feet. They were very realistic, even as close as she was. And though she knew it was folly, her heart warmed a little more knowing that Jack had realized they weren’t hers.
As she watched the wriggling appendages, Sadie was quite certain someone in the audience had
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