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Chapter 94

still June 8

"Fran!" cried Mr. Bennet. "What did you just say?"

"Your daughter has eloped! To Las Vegas!"

"No! I don't believe it. When did she call?"

"She didn't. I had to hear it from Billy Collins. You remember-"

"Oh, yes, I remember him. Why were you talking to him? And how on earth would he know if Lizzy got married?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. I think she called Jane and he was there."

"Well, I won't believe it until I hear it from Lizzy herself."

"Oh, this is terrible. What will people think? Oh, do you think she eloped because she's pregnant? Really, all those biology courses and she can't even-"

"Fran! Enough! Let's don't start borrowing trouble. I don't believe that Lizzy is married."

"Oh, no! Pregnant and not married!"

"Fran!"

"Mom? Dad?" Mary looked into her father's study. "What's wrong? Who's pregnant?"

"Nobody we know," growled Mr. Bennet. "Can we please have a little peace and quiet? Fran, we need to talk. Mary, will you excuse us, please?"

"Sure." Mary shrugged and returned to her room, wondering what was wrong and who was-or wasn't-pregnant.

Tom Bennet led his wife over to the sofa and sat her down. He sat on the arm of the sofa and looked down at her.

"I'm getting worried about you. This whole wedding thing is becoming a circus."

"I know. My nerves are shot."

"Then let go."

"What do you mean?"

"Fran, dear, you're micromanaging Jane's wedding. I know, I know, you're the mother of the bride and have all sorts of responsibilities. I'm just the father. I sign the checks. And if you want me to go on signing the checks, then I want to make damn sure I'm paying for what Jane wants. Let her make her own decisions."

"I'm just trying to help."

"I know you are, dear. But you're turning mothering into smothering." Hmm, that's a good one, must remember that.

Fran Bennet looked down and pouted, "I don't see what this has to do with Lizzy eloping."

Her husband smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Frannie, Frannie, Frannie. Put yourself in the girls' shoes. You're driving Jane crazy. Sweet, placid Jane is ready to scream. Lizzy is watching all this. She sees it as coming attractions and she doesn't like what she sees. Jane will suffer rather than tell you to back off. Lizzy won't go that route."

"But to elope!"

"I still don't believe it. But if she did, I can't say I blame her. A wedding should be a happy event. Is anyone around here happy? Back off, Fran. Let Jane have the wedding she wants. And Lizzy, too, when her turn comes."

"If it hasn't already."

"Let's not worry about that until we know for certain."

"I don't know how you can sit there like that!"

"There isn't much I can do, now is there?"

"Hmph! You now that I hate it when you're so calm. I'm going to the kitchen."

"Good idea. Cooking always soothes your nerves."

"Bread. I'll make bread. Kneading takes away my frustrations," said Mrs. Bennet as she left the room. Her husband watched her go, thinking of all the good baked treats they'd had over the years as a result of his wife's need to work out her nerves on something farinaceous.

The plane landed and Lizzy turned on her cell phone to call Anne. "Omigod! Nine messages. What's going on?" She punched a few buttons and listened to her messages.

Message 1. "Hi, it's Anne. Got your message, we'll reschedule things and pick you up."

Message 2. "Elizabeth Anne Bennet! How could you do this to your father and me? Oh, my nerves! I am very disappointed in you!"

Message 3. "Lizzy, it's Jane. I just had an incoherent conversation with Mom. Are you okay? Call me."

Message 4. "Lizzy! It's your mother. Why don't you have your phone on? Call us!"

Message 5. "Hi, it's Georgie. Is it true? Your mother sounded pretty upset about it. I don't think she believed I didn't know anything. Hey, how come I don't know anything about this?"

Message 6. "ELIZABETH! Why don't you answer your phone?"

Message 7. "Hey, it's Mary. Mom's going nuts, and I didn't get the whole story. I think it's about you, though. What's going on?"

Message 8. "ELIZABETH! If you ever want me to speak to you again, you'll call me back RIGHT NOW!"

Message 9. "Lizzy, this is your father. That idiot Collins called your mother and said that you got married in Vegas. How he knows this is a mystery to me, but your mother is having hysterics. Please call me as soon as you get this message. Use the number for my fax machine, so the phone rings only in my study."

Lizzy almost dropped her cell. Darcy noticed the stunned look on her face and ran over to her.

"Lizzy! Are you all right?"

"Yes, just a bit overwhelmed. There's been a little confusion. It seems that everyone thinks we eloped. I'd better call Dad."

"Hello?"

"Dad! Have you peeled Mom down off the ceiling? She sounded hysterical."

"That's a fair description."

"Well, what set her off?"

"Your supposed elopement. I am correct in saying 'supposed,' yes?"

"Of course. I don't know how the deadly dentist got his information, but it's definitely misinformation. So tell Mom to chill, okay?"

"All right, Lizzy. I'm glad you didn't elope."

"We had to land because of a small problem with the plane. We hadn't planned to stop in Vegas, but once we were there, we did give some thought to eloping. But as much as Will has been asking me to elope, he couldn't get married without his sister there. And he knows I wouldn't want to get married without you giving me away. Although..."

"What?"

"Well, I still think you sort of gave me away the day you and Will met."

"Now, Lizzy, I would think you'd be pleased that your father was looking out for your welfare."

"You know, part of me is pleased that the two men I love most in the world are making sure I'm well cared for. But the feminist side of me finds the whole 'what are your intentions young man' kind of thing a bit much. Listen, Dad, I've got to run. Richard and Anne are here to pick us up."

"Bye, MISS Bennet."

"Say that while you can, Dad!"

On the ride to the house, Lizzy entertained everyone with the story of her many messages and her mother's mistaken notion that she and Darcy had eloped.

"I still kind of wish we had," sighed Darcy.

"William George Alexander Darcy!" cried Anne. If you get married without Georgie and me there, we'll send Richard to break your kneecaps!"

"Annie! What makes you think I know how to do that?"

"Oh, come on, Richie! They teach you spy-guys all that stuff-you know, twelve ways to kill people."

"Annie, m'love, you can't kill a guy by breaking his kneecaps."

"Could we change the subject?" asked Lizzy. "I don't want to think of any of Will's parts being broken. So tell me, Anne, what's happening with our caterer?"

"When I called to postpone our appointment, he said that the later time would require us to go to him,. In return, we get to taste what they are preparing for tonight's events. He'd prefer to meet at the house and double-check the layout, but he has the file from Georgie's party, so he knows the kitchen, seating potential and all that."

"We can't do a contract today," said Darcy, "unless you've got the guest list organized."

Anne groaned, "Mother has a long list of 'must-invites,' you know, all the 'right people,' which pretty much sums up her address book. I'm trying to get her to see this as the NEXT generation of the Fitzwilliam Summer Ball. I refuse to have a party populated with the toe-stomping sons of Mother's posh friends. I swear, Darce, when you played hooky on New Year's Eve, I was friendless at that party. At least Richard had an excuse, he was keeping the city safe for the Times Square crowd."

Richard glanced in the mirror and saw Lizzy and Darcy exchange a tender look. He reached over and squeezed Anne's hand.

"I am sorry that I had to work last New Year's Eve. I hope the next one will be different in many ways. Can you make a new year's resolution in advance?" He saw Darcy's expression change to a smirk. "What's so funny, Darce?"

"Hmm, just thinking about new year's resolutions."

Lizzy looked at him quizzically.

"Tell you later," he whispered.

By the time Tom Bennet had hung up the telephone, his wife was standing in front of him.

"Was that Lizzy?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"They landed safely."

"Tom!"

"Richard and Anne picked them up at the airport on Long Island."

"Thomas Bennet! Stop it this instant! You know what I want to know. Oh, my nerves! you're going to give me palpitations!"

Here it comes, he thought. You don't know how I suffer!He sighed.

"I don't see how you can be so calm at a time like this."

"Would it change anything if I got upset?"

"No. But that isn't the point. I'm concerned about my daughter. You should be, too. Oh, that's right, you know!"

"Yes, Fran, I do know."

"Oh, no!" she cried, sinking down onto the sofa.

"Relax, dear, they didn't get married."

"Oh! Thank goodness! I knew she wouldn't do-"

"Hush. Fran, I need you to listen to me. You've been stressed out all day worrying about Lizzy. You thought she had done something you didn't like and you were powerless to do anything about it."

She nodded and he continued, "It's terrible when someone close to you does something you think is terrible. You'd have been hurt if Lizzy had run off to get married without us being there."

"Yes. I couldn't believe she would be so cruel."

Mr. Bennet nodded and looked at his wife somberly. "Well then, how do you suppose Jane felt when you picked out bridesmaid dresses without giving her a chance to go along?"

"Oh," she said softly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"There, there, Fran. Don't cry. That won't fix anything. The best thing you can do is to change your ways. Apologize to Jane and promise to, well, to back off."

"I hadn't realized things were that bad."

"I know. You mean well. But you've allowed yourself to become too excited."

"But it is exciting, Tom. Just think of it, two daughters engaged-and to such prominent men! Poor Phyllis Long, her precious Bierce may have been prom queen, but she hasn't found a husband yet."

"Fran! You need to put that behind you. I know Phyllis gloated about that. Yes, yes, I know. If Jane had been less modest, she could have campaigned the way Bierce did. But then she wouldn't have been our sweet Jane, would she?"

Mrs. Bennet shook her head and added, "And prom queen is for one night. Mrs. Charles Bingley is forever."

"No gloating, Fran."

"Oh, all right. I need to talk to Jane. I feel terrible about this. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried. You were in full frenzy mode. You weren't listening."

"I'm sorry, Tom. Oh, that stupid Billy! Why did I listen to him?"

"Beats me. Why Jack Collins married Jenny I'll never know. You and Jenny were two of the silliest girls on campus."

"Tom!"

"Well, you were." Mr. Bennet kissed his wife and went on, "But you have many good qualities. You're creative, clever, kind. You've been a wonderful wife and mother. I wouldn't trade my life for another one."

"Thank you. I suppose I should call Billy, too."

"No, Leave him to wallow in his ignorance. His mother was a ditz, still is. I suppose Billy has inherited some of his father's intelligence or he'd never have made it through med school. But he has Jack's pomposity and Jenny's lack of common sense. You can tell Jenny what happened the next time you have one of your marathon phone calls."

Armed with a plate of Mrs. Clark's lemon snap cookies and a pitcher of iced tea, Lizzy, Darcy, Richard, and Anne gathered on the porch to discuss the Summer Ball. Anne pulled out a folder and opened it.

"Check these out," she said As she spread out the old photographs.

"Are these from Summer Balls?" asked Lizzy.

"Yes. Mother and Aunt Sue dug these out for us."

"Look!" said Richard. "There's Grandmother and Grandfather. Look how young my dad looks."

Darcy picked up one of the photos and stared at it while the other shuffled through the rest of the pile.

"Will?" asked Lizzy softly.

"Hmmm? Sorry, Love. I wandered off there for a minute."

"May I?"

He nodded and handed her the picture. A young woman stood on the porch steps. She wore long white gloves and a strapless gown that had a full skirt with layers and layers of chiffon. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a French twist, and the only jewelry she wore were pearl earrings. She smiled at the camera, a bit nervously, Lizzy thought.

"I've never seen a picture of your mother at such a young age."

"It was her first summer ball."

"She was beautiful. Georgie looks so much like her."

"I know. The resemblance has become more striking each year."

Seeing a need to lighten the atmosphere, Richard handed Darcy another photo, this one showing George and Anne Darcy and Matt and Sue Fitzwilliam.

"Look at this one," he said. "What a fine-looking gene pool. No wonder we're so handsome, right Darce?"

"I hate to encourage vanity," said Anne, "But it is true. We have snagged ourselves a couple of lookers, haven't we Lizzy?"

Raising her glass of iced tea, Lizzy clinked Anne's glass and said, "Here's to our superior snagging skills!"

Jane looked around her bedroom. It seemed strange to think she wasn't going to be living there any longer. She was thinking that she would have to tell her mother not to call the apartment when, as if on cue, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Jane."

"Hi, Mom." Jane stifled a sigh. "Are you feeling better?"

"Oh, yes. It was all a mistake. Lizzy didn't elope. I should have realized she'd never get married without her family there. But it got me thinking. Well, to be honest, your father got me thinking about your wedding."

"Mmm?"

"Jane, I realize that I got carried away with the wedding plans. I'm sorry if I've upset you. It's just that I'm so excited for you."

"I know, Mom."

"And I want everything to be wonderful."

"I know, Mom."

"I've got a draft guest list and a to-do list of the details that you may have forgotten."

Jane rolled her eyes, "Yes, Mom."

"I'll go over them one more time and then I'll email the files to you."

"Oh, good. Thanks, Mom."

"And you'll let me know if I can do anything to help?"

"Of course, Mom."

"I'll be happy to help in any way I can. But I promise not to do anything unless you tell me to."

"Okay, Mom.

"But remember that I'm here if you need me."

"I know, Mom." Jane could hear the rumble of her father's voice in the background.

"Well, I have to run, Jane. Talk to you soon. Bye."

"Bye, Mom." Jane hung up the phone and sighed, "Thanks, Dad."

Richard was clearly becoming fidgety. Darcy dutifully stared at the papers on the table, but he wasn't focusing on anything. Anne and Lizzy busily counted the number of tables on the caterer's worksheet. Anne looked up and elbowed Richard.

"Stop playing with that glass!"

"What?"

"Stop fiddling with that empty glass, Richard, and pay attention."

"Anne," he groaned. "How much more of this do I have to sit through?"

"It's your engagement party, too Richard. And it's practice for planning our wedding."

Richard groaned, slumped forward, and let his head fall on the table.

"Oh, come on, Anne," said Lizzy. "I think we've tortured them enough for one day."

"Very well. The boys may be excused."

Richard sat up straight and pushed his chair back. "Come on, Darce. Let's go check on the boat."

Darcy leaned over, gave Lizzy a peck on the cheek and stood up. He and Richard turned and loped across the lawn toward the boat house.

Anne sighed. Lizzy grinned at her.

"Face it, Anne. They can take only so much of this and then they OD. Tell me more about the Summer Ball traditions."

"How do you feel about pink? Mother says that her mother always had lots of pink roses. And pale pink tablecloths."

"Pink is all right. And we can add our own touch to the centerpiece by mixing in other flowers with the pink roses. After all, we have access to a greater variety of flowers now, so we can honor the tradition and update it."

"Did your grandmother wear pink to the ball?"

"No. And once people realized that the color scheme was always pink, most women avoided it. I guess they didn't want to blend in with the decorations. Any progress on a dress?"

"No. I'm supposed to go for an initial fitting on the wedding gown on Monday, and I'll take another look for a ball gown then. I think Georgie might come with me. She needs to start looking. How about you?"

"I'm thinking of letting my friend Niles from the opera design something. He once promised to design my wedding gown. I might let him practice on a ball gown."

"Aren't you afraid of looking like something from La Traviata or Carmen?"

"He'll just do sketches, and then I'll have to take them to a seamstress. If his sketches are too outrageous, then I'll resume shopping."

Lizzy yawned. "Oh, excuse me. I got up sooo early today. I love to travel, but I hate changing time zones. I'm getting punchy. I think it's time to give it up for the afternoon. I'm going to go inside and freshen up. We have to be going pretty soon, don't we?"

"Yes, we do. You go on in. I'll collect our menfolk."

Lizzy went up to her room. From the window, she could see Anne heading toward the boat house. Lizzy was brushing her hair when her cell rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Lizzy."

"Jane! What's up?"

"I called to thank you."

"You're welcome. What for?"

"For scaring Mom. I think she has seen the light. Or Dad has shown it to her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that she called to say she's emailing me her draft guest list and to-do list and that she won't do anything unless I ask her to. Dad has to have used your almost-elopement as a threat."

"Oh, as in 'if you don't back off, Lizzy and Jane will both elope and then won't you be sorry.' I'm glad it worked. Will and I were worried about you."

"I know. But maybe things will be better now."

"I hope so. We're off to visit the caterer in a bit. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye, Jane."

"Bye, Lizzy."

A voice from the doorway asked, "How's Jane?"

"Oh, Will, I didn't hear you come in. She's good. Our little elopement scare has had a beneficial effect. Mom is returning control of Jane's wedding to Jane."

"Hallelujah!"

"We don't think it was an epiphany on Mom's part. We're pretty sure Dad talked her into it. I suspect he used me as a stick to beat her with."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What I mean is, Dad probably told Mom that if I had eloped it would serve her right for all the fuss she has caused over Jane's wedding."

"Ah. Interesting expression. Use someone as a stick to beat someone else with. Must remember that one."

"Will?"

"Yes, Love?"

"In the car, when we were talking about New Year's Eve and resolutions, you had a funny look on your face. What was that about?"

"Remembering our New Year's Eve together."

"Ah. You know, you never did tell me what your resolution was."

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes. Do you remember when Georgie and Anne and I were at your apartment around Christmastime?"

"Yes, I do."

"Afterwards, it struck me that I had been in very few homes where I'd felt so comfortable. It got me thinking about you. And then at our impromptu New Year's party, I realized that you might be what had been missing from my life. And so you were my resolution."

"Me how? A resolution is usually to do something."

"The romantic thing would be to say that I made a resolution to marry you. But to be honest, I wasn't that specific. My resolution was to explore the possibilities. To get to know you and see if there might be a future for us." Darcy pulled Lizzy into his arms and said softly, "I didn't dare hope that things would progress so well. I'm incredibly fortunate."

Lizzy smiled up at him, "So am I."

Mrs. Reynolds answered the door and invited Chris to wait in the living room.

"I think she'll be just a few minutes. Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks, Mrs. R. Do you know what she has planned for tonight? All she would tell me is that it's a play and it's her treat."

"I do know, but I won't tell. I think she wants to surprise you." They continued to chat for a few minutes and then they heard Georgie singing. She skipped into the living room.

"Into the woods and down the dell
The path is clear I know it well.
Into the woods and who can tell
What's waiting on the journey?"*

"Aha!" said Chris, as he stood up to greet Georgie. "Is that what we're seeing?"

"Yes! I'm so excited about this. I've always loved the songs."

"Have you seen this before?"

"Not on Broadway. But I have seen it. Richard was in his high school's production. He played one of the princes, I think it was Rapunzel's prince. He and the other prince sang "Agony," a charming waltz about suffering for love. You do know what the play is, don't you?"

"It's a lot of fairy tales spliced together so that the characters' stories interconnect, right?"

"Yes, and there's more to it than that. It's also about what happens after 'and they all lived happily ever after.' There's Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and a bunch of others, too. Richard learned the wolf's part, too, in case he had to double up. The wolf has a great song called 'Hello, Little Girl.' We should get Richard to sing it for us sometime."

"So, are we having a picnic supper in the woods somewhere?"

"No, I did consider something like that, but I want to try a restaurant I just heard about. Have you ever been to Zanzibar?"

"Isn't that kind of far away just for dinner?"

"No, silly! It's just on Ninth Avenue. Let's go." And as they waited for the elevator, she treated Chris to another sample from the play.

"The path is clear, the light is good.
I have no fear nor no one should.
The woods are just trees,
The trees are just woods."*

"I'm stuffed," declared Richard as he flopped into a lounge chair on the porch.

"We were lucky that they had several events going tonight, there was lots to taste," said Anne.

"Well, Annie, I hope you don't want me to choose the menu because I don't think I could decide. Everything was delicious.'

"I agree," said Darcy. "Any of the foods we tried would be fine with me. You and Lizzy were taking notes. Do you have a menu roughed out now?"

"Kind of," replied Lizzy. "I liked the duck appetizer, but I wonder if it's a good choice for a large group. Will enough people like it? I also liked the Oriental salad with the orange pieces and the noodles."

"Yes, but only if they go light on the noodles," said Anne.

"Aw, the noodles were great. So crunchy. Yum!"

"I know, Richie, but when there are a lot of them, it makes a mess. They fall off the fork and over the edge of the plate, and when the waiters remove the salad plate, you've got a mess in front of you." Anne took out a pad and pen. "Okay, let's start listing what we like. For the cocktail hour, we'll have trays passed. No stations, agreed?"

"Yes, it's so nice to have a waiter offer you yummy tidbits. Which ones did we all like?" asked Lizzy.

"The scallops. I never knew scallops could be good cold. They appeared to have been sliced, then seared, then served on the thin slice of bread. Much neater than wrapped in bacon on a toothpick," said Darcy.

"Right, scallops. Shrimp, of course, pate of some kind, caviar," Anne paused as Lizzy wrinkled her nose. "You don't like caviar, Lizzy?"

"No, I don't see the big deal about it. But we should include it. Very posh. So were the deviled quail eggs. Mom will be impressed. And although we aren't doing stations, some of the trays should be veggies. Since it's summer, I think we can get away with just cold things. I don't think we need anything hot. What else is on his list?"

They spent a few more minutes deciding on food for the cocktail hour, then moved on to the meal.

"If we offer choices, he has to overprepare," said Anne.

"What happens to the leftovers?" asked Richard.

"I don't know. I guess the caterer and the waiters get to eat them."

"I hate to see food go to waste," said Darcy. "If we do choices and expect a lot of leftovers, we should have the number of a foodbank."

"We can ask the caterer. He might know. Lizzy, what do you think about the main course?"

"Well, there are a lot of things that some people won't eat. Some can't eat pork, many dislike fish, a surprising number of people don't like lamb. You have to watch for shellfish allergies. It tends to come down to chicken or beef. And I guess a vegetarian choice, too?"

"Yes, I think filet for the beef, the grilled veggies, and some kind of chicken. Lord, look at the list of possible chicken dishes," Anne held out the list for the others to see.

"Don't get carried away with rich sauces," said Darcy. "Remember that it may be a hot evening. If you really want that newburg first course, I'd keep everything else simple."

"Good idea. What about dessert?"

"I've been thinking about that. Mom has relinquished her stranglehold on Jane's wedding, which means she's likely to want to get involved in our party. I was thinking about asking her to make a dessert. I think it would please her to feel involved."

"Can she make strawberry shortcake as good as the caterer's?" asked Richard.

"Strawberry shortcake isn't hard, Richard," replied Lizzy. "Even I can make that. But by July the local crop will be finished. Those were local berries we had tonight. So much better than the California berries you get the rest of the year. You know, for produce, we do better in the city than my mother does in the suburbs. We have specialty markets and farm markets. Mom just has supermarkets."

"I think asking your mother to contribute something is a lovely gesture, Lizzy," said Darcy.

"Just don't expect my mother to cook anything," laughed Anne. "The only time she goes into the kitchen is to discuss menus with the cook."

Chris and Georgie held hands as they strolled to the theater.

"Great choice of restaurant, honey," said Chris. "It's sort of weird eating off the low tables, but the food was fun. I liked getting to try all the 'small plates.' The scallops were wonderful, and whatever dressing they put on the spinach was delicious."

"I'm glad you liked it. You looked a bit surprised at how small the 'small plates' were."

"Well, I had no idea what to expect. But they cook it so quickly that you can just keep adding to the order. It does add up, though. Thank you for picking up the tab."

"I told you that tonight is my treat. You usually pay when we go out, and I wanted to pay for tonight. It was sort of Mary's idea."

"Mary Bennet?"

"Yes, we were talking a while back, and I said I wanted to see 'Into the Woods,' and she said that I should buy the tickets and tell you it's a surprise. That's how she got Peter to a chamber music recital on campus."

"Did you think I had to be tricked into taking you to a play?"

"No, not at all. Although Mary did say that if there's any chance a guy won't like something, tell him what it is at the last minute. Peter didn't think he'd like chamber music, but he was surprised at how good it was once he heard it."

"So now when you say you have a surprise, I'm going to worry."

"Chris! Don't be silly. I just felt guilty asking you to take me to a play when the tickets are so expensive. I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will. You've been singing bits and pieces of the score to me all evening, and I like what I've heard so far. There's just one thing."

"What's that?'

"You're not one of those sing-along people are you? Because I really hate it when someone in the audience sings along with the performers."

Georgie giggled, "I'll try to control myself. I know what you mean, though. When I was in high school, we went to see Macbeth for English class. And we had studied some of the speeches so much that a few of us started reciting them along with the actors. The girl sitting next to me didn't even know she was doing it! So nudge me if I start to sing along."

They arrived at the theater, and Chris read the cast list posted in the lobby.

"Hey, Vanessa Williams is in this. She's a babe."

"Oh dear, you may be disappointed. She spends a fair part of the play made up as an old crone. She plays the witch."

"The whole time?"

"You'll see," said Georgie as she handed over the tickets.

"So," said Anne, "To recap. Here's our schedule. Friday afternoon and evening, family members arrive. They amuse themselves while we deal with last-minute details. Supper as a group. Then Saturday morning, another wave of guests arrive. We have lunch on the beach-"

"My luau!" laughed Richard.

"Not exactly, Richie, a beach barbecue. But you may wear a Hawaiian shirt if it pleases you."

"Great!"

"Then in the afternoon, guests can relax by the pool, play tennis, whatever. And if we can find a place that will send people to us, we'll do a day spa for the ladies. Massages, facials, all that girlie stuff. I'll do some investigating on that. Then the cocktail hour or hour and a half, with the rest of the guests arriving then. String quartet to play in the background. Everyone with me so far?"

The others nodded and Anne continued, "Toward the end of the cocktail time, we gather on the porch, get everyone's attention and formally announce our engagements. Lizzy, you're going to work on the wording of the no-gifts explanation, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then we go to the tent for dinner. Band plays supper music while we eat, then we dance. Richie, you're going to check out bands." Anne handed him the tapes supplied by the caterer. Then she continued, "Sunday morning there'll be breakfast for guests who stay over, and I know that you two have to scoot to catch your boat."

"Ship," said Richard. "We have a boat here. They're going on a ship, Annie."

"Right, whatever. Guest lists. The invitations have to go out this week. So I think we should each make a list, then compile to see if there are duplicates and make a master list tomorrow morning. Agreed?"

Charles clicked on 'save' and turned to Jane, who had been reading over his shoulder.

"So, what do you think?"

"It's good. I think your column is always good. I didn't know it had been so many years since there was a Triple Crown winner."

"It's funny how there was a cluster in the seventies and then nothing. It's tough for a horse to win all three. A fair number of horses have won the Derby and the Preakness, but not the Belmont. It's a longer race, and the horses who are favored in the shorter runs often are not the horses who can manage the longer distance."

"Did you place a bet?"

"No, I didn't. Sometimes I do. I know it's the image of the sportswriter to be betting on the sports he covers, but we don't all bet like Oscar Madison. Let me go online and email this in. I should have had it in a half hour ago. My editor is probably tapping his toe and frowning at the clock."

When he had finished that chore, Charles shut down his computer and turned his attention to Jane.

"Did you tell your mother yet?"

"About me moving in? No. I have to tell her she can reach me here before she calls the apartment and finds out that way."

"Right. And I have to change my outgoing message on the machine. Maybe I should get a new one with separate mailboxes."

"You don't have to do that, Charles. Unless, of course, you expect messages from your bookie or your old girlfriends."

"I don't have a bookie. I do have a few old girlfriends. But they're way in the past and you, my dearest Jane, have driven them from my memory entirely."

Lizzy rolled over in bed and reached for Darcy, but he wasn't there. Still half asleep, she sat up and looked around. Silhouetted in the moonlight, Darcy stood on the little balcony.

"Will?"

"Oh, Lizzy, I shouldn't have left the French doors open. Are you cold? Did I wake you?"

Lizzy shrugged, "I don't know what woke me. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Just a little trouble sleeping, that's all."

"What's keeping you awake?"

Darcy shrugged.

"I think I know. Come back to bed."

He returned to the bedroom and sat on the bed. Lizzy moved to sit beside him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "You're not happy about the party."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Dissatisfied, then?"

"Lizzy, I don't know. I can't explain it."

"Maybe the problem is that the rest of us each got something we wanted. Richard gets his luau, Anne gets her unconventional engagement party, and I get my no-gifts policy. But there's no particular thing about this party that fulfills some wish of yours."

"I guess that's it."

"Well then, what would you want?"

"There isn't anything I want. I'm just finding it hard to be enthused. All this work for a party. And then we have to go through it all again later for our wedding."

"But aren't you pleased to be reviving a family tradition? That's the part I like best. I mean, it's nice that we're announcing our engagement, but that's a formality. Everyone knows we're engaged. This party, hmm, how do I say this? This party, a family tradition, announces the fact that we're all family. I think that's special, don't you?"

"It is special. I think I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself because Anne and Richard will have their parents at the party and I won't. Seeing all those pictures this afternoon, it really made me miss Mom and Dad."

"I understand. As much as Mom makes me crazy, I can't imagine being without her. I wish there was something I could do, Will. How about this? Remember that, in having this party, we're honoring the memory of your parents and grandparents. They'll be with you at the party. Not in person, but in your heart and in your memory."

"Thanks, Lizzy. That does help. I think I'll go downstairs for a bit. Go back to sleep." He kissed her and left the room. Lizzy stretched out and closed her eyes, but sleep eluded her for quite a while.

When Darcy got downstairs, he was surprised to see that the security system was turned off. Warily, he looked out on the porch. Richard sat on the steps staring out across the lawn.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

"Jeez, Darce, you scared me. Don't creep up on people like that!"

"I wasn't creeping, Richard. I just walk quietly. What's keeping you awake?"

"Anne."

"Richard, if Anne were keeping you awake, you wouldn't be down here."

"My point exactly. It's rather difficult to sleep knowing she's just down the hall. And it doesn't help knowing that you and Lizzy are sharing a room." Seeing Darcy's uncomfortable expression he added, "No, no, you weren't making noise, at least not loud enough to be heard in my room. Enough about my troubles. What's on your mind?"

"Oh, I don't know. Lots of little things. I'm envious of you and Anne because you still have your parents. I'm envious of Jane and Charles because they've set a date. I'm envious of all the people who don't have big deal social responsibilities and can simply get married without having a circus."

"Is everything all right with Lizzy?"

"Hmm? Oh, Lord, yes. We're fine. I'm lucky to have her and I hope I never forget that. I just wish we were married.'

"You had your chance, Darce. You were in Vegas."

"I don't really want to do that. I don't know. I'm like a cranky five-year-old. I want lots of things I can't have and I'm sulking about it. Stupid, I know, but I'm having trouble talking myself out of the mood."

"I have more to be cranky about than you do. I know that Anne wants to wait, and I respect that, I truly do. But she's in the apartment a lot now, redecorating, visiting me, you know. And the more time we spend alone, the worse the temptation gets. I promised I wouldn't pressure her, but I hate this waiting. What's a decent interval between an engagement party and a wedding?"

"I don't know. I suppose there's some sort of rule for that."

"And I suppose the wedding has to be a bigger deal than the engagement party."

"Says who?" asked a voice behind them.

"Anne! What are you doing up?" asked Darcy.

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I could hear you two talking down here and, well, you know me, still following you two guys around." She sat down on the step next to Richard.

"Annie, don't you have a robe?"

"It's a warm night." Seeing the expression on his face she went on, "What? Oh, please, Richie, I seriously doubt I look alluring in this old nightshirt. And you get to see more of me when we play tennis, for goodness sake!"

Richard gestured vaguely at her, "But then you have, um, layers of clothing on. It's knowing that you're not wearing anything under the nightshirt."

"You can't see through this thing."

"Annie, I just know, okay?" Looking at Darcy he said, "See what I mean? The woman is torturing me."

Darcy shook his head, "Aren't we a cliché turned upside down? It's supposed to be the women dragging the men to the altar. And here we are, two bridegrooms eager for the noose, and our brides haven't even picked a date yet."

"I could pick a date," replied Anne. "We could get married the next morning."

"Tomorrow? We don't have a license, or-"

Anne elbowed her fiancé, "No, silly. The next morning after the party. We'd make the Guinness book for the shortest engagement period."

"Are you serious?"

"I don't know. I would like to be married here, and I don't care if we have a huge wedding. We'd have to make sure all the family stayed over."

"Your mother would never agree to it."

"Probably not. We could lie and tell her we had to get married in a hurry."

"But I thought we agreed that we didn't want to start a family right away."

"After the wedding, we'd have to confess to the lie."

"She would kill you for jerking her around like that," said Darcy.

"Hell, Darce, she and I will probably kill each other over my wedding anyhow. The only reason she isn't all over this party is that she doesn't know it's an engagement party."

"Ditto for Lizzy's mother." Darcy stood up, stretched, and yawned. "Oh, for the good old days when all a man had to do was club a woman over the head and drag her back to his cave. I think I'll try to get some sleep. Goodnight you two."

June 9

Darcy and Lizzy sat on the porch sipping coffee and reading the Sunday newspaper. Lizzy was scanning the ads for Fathers Day gifts while Darcy read the sports pages.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "The Belmont was yesterday. I forgot all about it. Charles covered it."

"I'm not that into racing. Once the possibility of a Triple Crown is gone, I lose interest. How's his column?"

"It's good, as always. He did a sidebar piece, too, and it isn't typical at all. Here." He held out the paper.

Cracked Sidewalks?
Charles Bingley
Hey New York, what's wrong with tradition? In Kentucky, they still sing "My Old Kentucky Home," even though the lyrics aren't exactly PC. At the Preakness, they still sing "Maryland, My Maryland," even though most of the television audience think it's a Christmas carol. So why has the Belmont dumped "Sidewalks of New York" as its signature song? "East side, west side, all around the town..." That's a song a crowd can sing, even sway to. For decades, New Yorkers have sung "Sidewalks of New York" before the running of the Belmont. Now the speakers blare "New York, New York." Okay, okay, it's a good song. According to my lovely fiancée it has the best vamp of any song ever written-if not the best, at least the most famous. But the people at the track don't sing along. It's almost unsingable, unless you've got pipes like the Chairman of the Board, and even he struggled a bit when the song shifted into a higher key. Bring back "Sidewalks of New York" and do it now! Who knows, the daisies may be the next tradition to go!

"Wow," said Lizzy. "It isn't like Charles to rant. But I agree with him. They shouldn't have changed the song. It is a good song, but it's getting over-used. And there are easier songs to sing. Some comedian several years ago did an impression of Mayor Koch singing that song. So funny. It really is hard to sing."

"Yes, but that shouldn't disqualify it. What about our national anthem? That's tough to sing, too."

"I know. That's another song that gets up too high for most people. I learned the alto part in choir, and I used to sing that any time the 'Star Spangled Banner' was played. People would look at me like I was an idiot not to know our national anthem."

Their conversation was interrupted by Richard, who tap-danced his way across the porch, singing.

"You're the top!
You're the Coliseum.
You're the top!
You're the Louvre Museum.
You're a melody, a symphony by Strauss.
You're a Shakespeare sonnet, a Bendel bonnet, you're Mickey Mouse!

You're the Nile,
You're the Tower of Pisa,
You're the Smile
On the Mona Lisa-" **

"Richard!"

"What? Aw, Darce, you didn't let me get to the part where Fred Astaire rhymes with camembert."

"Why are you so happy this morning?" asked Darcy suspiciously.

"No, it isn't what you think. Don't I wish! It's a beautiful morning, and it's Cole Porter's birthday. Hence, a small homage to the greatest lyricist ever. Well, one of the greatest, anyway. You could make a case for Sondheim as the best. He has a similar talent for internal rhyme and clever word choices."

"Richard," said Lizzy, "I share your appreciation of Porter Lyrics. I had an English teacher who taught them as poetry. But it's a bit early for singing and dancing."

"Not for me, it isn't. Anne and I have set a date, tentative at the moment. We have to see if we can make it work out. Darce, you will be my best man, won't you?"

Before Darcy could answer, Mrs. Clark arrived with more coffee and a newspaper open to a gossip column.

Ask Augusta
Congratulations are in order for William Darcy and his lovely bride, the former Elizabeth Bennet. It seems the two were in Frisco on business (or so they say), and they just happened (??) to stop at Vegas on the way home. Darcy, a successful businessman not known for impulsive actions, surprised everyone with the sudden wedding. The bride's family could not be reached for comment, but we're sure they're thrilled to have such a prominent son-in-law.

"Not again," groaned Darcy.

Anne shuffled out onto the porch. "What's wrong?" she asked through a yawn.

"August Elton," growled Darcy.

"Stupid b***h," mumbled Anne as she took the paper he held out to her. She read the column and added, "She never learns. As soon as I've had a cup of coffee, I have a phone call to make."

Georgie and Chris sat in the little back yard of the apartment enjoying coffee and the Sunday Times. Chris read the sports pages while Georgie read the magazine. She was just getting up to fetch another cup of coffee when the phone rang. She ran inside and picked it up without realizing that it probably wasn't for her.

"Hello?"

"Is Jane there, please?"

"I'm sorry, she isn't here. Could I take a message?"

"It's her Aunt Maddie calling. Who's this?"

"Hello, Mrs. Gardiner. It's Georgie Darcy. I'm taking over the apartment. I believe Jane and Lizzy set it up with your husband. I hope I'm not giving anything away here."

"No, no, I am aware that Lizzy is living at his place. I thought Jane might be home. Has she moved out, too?"

"Uh..."

"It's all right, I won't tell Fran, if that's what you're worried about."

Georgie sighed with relief. "Good. Yes, she's coming back later for the last of her stuff and then the apartment is all mine. I'll tell Jane you called. Or you could try her cell."

"Actually, you might be able to answer my question. Have you seen the paper this morning?"

"Some of it. Why?"

"I'm asking about Augusta Elton's column."

"Oh, sorry, we only have the Times here. Who's in the column?"

"Lizzy and your brother. It says they eloped to Las Vegas."

"Oh, no! How did it get into the columns? It isn't true. Their plane did make a quick stop in Vegas on the way home, but it was for a minor repair, not a wedding."

The phone rang for the tenth time that morning. "Just unplug the damn thing!" growled Tom Bennet.

"No, no, I'll get it." Fran lifted the receiver. "Hello? ... No, of course it isn't true...Lizzy would never cut her family out of her wedding like that...Yes, I'm certain...And no, she isn't in a hurry to get married, Phyllis, how could you think such a thing? ...Well, at least my daughter has a fiancé!"

After his wife had hung up the phone, Mr. Bennet asked, "Hurrah, you're one up on Phyllis Long. Now, could we please unplug the phone?"

"No!" cried Lydia. "What if it's for me? My friends may want to talk about it."

"Lydia," said Mary, "There's nothing to talk about. Don't your friends have anything better to do with their time?"

Lydia gave the question some consideration then shrugged and said, "No, not really."

Mrs. Clark made another appearance on the porch, this time bearing the cordless phone, which she handed to Anne.

"Hello, Mother."

"Anne, what is going on with William? I thought he was supposed to be out on the Island with you and Richard."

"He is."

"When did he get back from Las Vegas?"

"Mother! You aren't reading that garbage again, are you?"

"And how else would I know what my family is doing? Nobody called me to tell me about this."

"That's because there is no this. Hang on." Anne handed the phone to Darcy and whispered, "You talk to her."

Darcy rolled his eyes, Lizzy giggled, and Richard smirked.

"Hello, Aunt Catherine."

"William! Whatever possessed you to elope?"

"Nothing. We didn't. We had to make a quick stop in Las Vegas for a repair to the plane. We did not elope. I can only guess that some idiot knew we'd stopped there, jumped to conclusions, and called that miserable Elton woman."

"So you aren't married?"

"No. Not yet."

"Well, that's good. An elopement would be disgraceful."

"Yes, Aunt Catherine, I know. I really have to go now. We have to finalize the guest list for the Summer Ball. Bye."

"Did she believe you?" asked Anne.

Darcy set the phone on the table and lifted Anne's hand. Raising it to his lips he murmured, "Yes, my fair cousin, she believed me. And so she still has hope that you'll see the light, dump Richard, and run off with me."

"Unhand my woman!" roared Richard so loudly that Lizzy almost choked on her coffee. All four laughed loudly, then Darcy suddenly sobered.

"Oh, no. Mrs. R. I'd better call her in case anyone phones the apartment.

"It's unlisted, so it shouldn't be so bad," said Lizzy, trying to suppress a giggle.

"Yes, but Dev or some of the other people at work who have my number may call." He reached for the phone and walked toward the door. "I'll just go inside until you get control of yourselves."

Georgie's progress on the crossword was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She glanced at it and answered, "Hi Kitty, no it isn't true."

"How did you know what I was going to ask?"

"It's the question of the morning," she sighed.

"So if it isn't true, how come it's in the papers?"

"Because that woman has no concept of fact-checking, that's why. Remember when she wrote something about Will and Anne? Clueless, what can I say?"

"Well, I'm glad it isn't true. I'd hate for you to miss being a bridesmaid. And you're not going to be mine in any hurry. At least not if I stick with Sandy. Not with med school, internship, residency, and all that."

"Ditto," sighed Georgie. "Hey, let's cheer ourselves up by going shopping tomorrow. I'm going to Lizzy's fitting and I'll look for a gown for the Summer Ball. Come along with us."

"Ah, retail therapy. Somehow your version of it is a bit more high-end than mine. How about we do normal stores for my dress tomorrow afternoon?"

"Great. See you tomorrow, Kitty."

Caroline Bingley crumpled the paper and stomped on it. She picked up a figurine of an orange cat and hurled it across the room.

"It isn't fair!" she cried.

Richard eyed the picnic basket suspiciously. "If I find anyone's cell in there it goes overboard! No more phones!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" said Anne, saluting.

"Arrrr!" replied Richard. "Come aboard, me hearties!"

"Is he always like this on the boat?" whispered Lizzy.

"He gets over it," said Darcy as he helped Lizzy step into the boat. He handed her a life vest.

"Do I really need this?"

"Yes, you do. Have you ever been on a sailboat?"

"No."

"I know it's a fairly calm day, but you need it. At least until you get used to the motion. We all wear them if the water gets rough or if we're racing. Humor me. Please?" He slipped the life vest over her head and fastened the waist buckle. "If you fall overboard, pull the handle and the vest will inflate. There's a little carbon dioxide cylinder in there."

"I know how a Mae West works, Will. I've worn one to go snorkeling."

"Just making sure. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." While they had been talking, Anne had stowed the basket and then helped Richard to cast off the lines. They used the motor to pull away from the dock, but once they were clear of obstacles, Richard killed the motor and he and Darcy raised the sail. Soon they were skimming across Long Island Sound.

"Oh!" squealed Lizzy. "It's like flying. And it's quiet. So much nicer than a power boat. You're all so lucky to have had this all your lives."

"Yeah," answered Richard, "Summers out here were terrific. Even with the brat over there tagging along."

Anne stuck her tongue out at him and he said, "Put your tongue back in your mouth and prepare to come about."

"Not until you apologize."

"We're going to veer out of the channel, Annie. Prepare to come about."

"Apologize for that remark."

"Mutineers get thrown overboard, you know."

"Hah! Apologize, Captain Bligh!"

"All right, I'm sorry I called you a brat. Now, prepare to come about!"

"Aye, aye!" Anne moved to the cleat and partly unwound the line.

Darcy put his arm around Lizzy and explained, "When she releases that line and Richard moves the rudder by turning the wheel, the boat will change direction and the sail will swing across, and you have to duck, so be ready."

Lizzy nodded, "Gotcha."

"Come about!" Anne released the line, Richard turned the wheel, Lizzy ducked, and Darcy wound the line around the cleat on the other side of the boat.

"Wow! That's fun! You guys do that so well. Does it really require three people to do that?"

"No," answered Darcy. "Anne could have moved across and tightened the line on the other side. Since I was over here anyhow, I did it for her. Two people can manage the boat quite well."

"As long as they aren't argumentative," said Richard with a glance at Anne, who smirked in return.

"The boat sleeps six," said Darcy, "Although we mostly used it for day sails. Richard's family took it for longer runs."

"Yes, we would go for a week or two, up and down the coast. It was great. But we didn't sleep on the boat every night. Mom needed a break from the boat after a couple of days. Hey Darce, remember Mark's bachelor sail?"

"Yes, I do. It was the last summer before..." his voice trailed off.

"Sorry Darce, I didn't mean to remind you."

"It's all right, Richard. It seems so long ago. Lord, we were gross when we got back." He turned to Lizzy and explained, "Mark and Erica got married in early August, so in mid July, Mark, Richard, and I took the boat out to give Mark a week-long sendoff in lieu of a more traditional bachelor party. We lived on beer and sandwiches and coffee and donuts. We didn't shave, didn't bathe except for going swimming. It was Mark's last chance to be uncivilized before getting married." And mine before becoming a CEO.

Richard laughed and added, "It was a good thing that we arrived looking so scruffy. At least Erica could be sure we hadn't been hiring hookers or anything like that. We weren't fit to be with."

"I wasn't there when you got back, but Erica told me about it. I hope you aren't getting ideas of a repeat performance, Richie."

"No, Annie, not to worry. Darce and I can't get that kind of time off from work any more. We're all grown up now. Well, Darce is, anyway. And I'm saving vacation time for a honeymoon."

"Now there's an idea I can support." Anne moved to Richard's side and wrapped her arm around his waist. "You know, we could honeymoon on the boat. Not going native with the beer and donuts and no bathing. But a civilized trip. We could sail during the day, have our dinners at nice restaurants in port, and spend some of our nights on the boat and some in hotels."

"Seriously? I'd like that. I'll have to get some charts together and figure out possible stops. Speaking of stops, let's stop here and have lunch."

"How do we stop?" asked Lizzy.

"Well, tell me what makes us go, my precious landlubber." said Darcy.

"The wind."

"And how do we catch the wind?"

"The sail."

"Right. So if we lower the sail?"

"Duh! Of course," laughed Lizzy. She removed her life vest and followed Anne below to organize lunch.

Darcy and Richard set up the folding table on deck.

"So, you and Anne really plan to get married this summer?"

"Unless she chickens out, yes. Darce, you didn't answer earlier. You will you be my best man, right?"

"I'd be honored. And I hope you'll return the favor, eventually."

"I hope for your sake, eventually isn't too far off."

"Amen to that."

"Amen to what?" asked Lizzy, carrying a basket of sandwiches and a bottle. She handed Darcy the bottle of champagne.

"Darce and I have agreed to be each other's best man. Actually, it's something we've dreamed of our whole lives, isn't it?"

Darcy laughed as he twisted the cork, "As I recall, when Mark began to be interested in dating and we were still to young to appreciate the fair sex, we made a pact to keep each other away from girls."

"Yeah, I remember. Glad we dropped that pact."

"So am I," added Anne as she set out plastic plates and wine glasses.

Darcy poured the wine and raised his glass. "A year ago, none of us could have imagined being here like this. My life is far better than I could have dreamed. And you three are so much a part of that. Here's to family, to love, and to happily ever after!"

They clinked glasses and sipped the champagne. They chatted aimlessly over lunch and when they had finished, they relaxed in the sun.

"A sailboat honeymoon sounds idyllic," said Lizzy.

"I had hoped to honeymoon on something a bit larger," said Darcy.

"Right, your cruise. Darce, you should call Cunard. Maybe the captain can marry you at sea," suggested Anne.

"Oh, really?" said Darcy. "And weren't you just yesterday threatening me with bodily injury if I got married without the family in attendance?"

"Right. Forgot about that."

"I don't know how Lizzy and I are ever going to find a date to get married. We have to leave time surrounding Jane's wedding, now yours, if you're really going to do it this summer-"

"We are," said Richard firmly.

"Somehow," added Anne. "I don't know how. I mean, we're still planning the Summer Ball. Which reminds me, we still have to collaborate on a final guest list. I have our individual lists, let's see how it all adds up."

When they had finished this chore, Anne went over the final list making little check marks by some names.

"What are you doing?" asked Lizzy.

"I've already addressed the obvious ones. So now I have just the additional ones to do. They'll go out tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest. And that's the last of our weekend assignments. Come on, Lizzy, let me show you the best place to sunbathe." Anne grabbed a towel and showed Lizzy how to climb out on the front of the boat.

"Lizzy, you don't mind about Richard and me getting married, do you?"

"No, of course not."

"I mean using the weekend of the ball. We're seriously considering getting married the next morning. Our parents will be there, and you and Will. Georgie, too. I'm going to ask her to be my maid of honor."

"Oh, Anne, she'll be thrilled."

"You don't mind that I'm not asking you?"

"No. It's natural that Richard and Will would be each other's best man. They've been best cousins their whole lives. I think asking Georgie is lovely. Chris and I can keep each other company while Will and Georgie do wedding-party stuff." Lizzy paused, then asked, "Will your mother really accept such a small wedding?"

"I don't know. Richard is absolutely sold on the morning wedding, and he has volunteered to be the one to tell Mother." Anne sighed, "I don't want a war over my wedding, and I don't know how to avoid it."

"Tell me about it! If I have a big wedding, it will be hell before the wedding. If I elope, it will be hell when I get back."

"At least you're one of four. Jane's wedding will take some of the heat off you. I'm the only bride Mother is going to send off into the world."

"There has to be a way to manage this."

"Well, when you figure it out, let me know."

"For starters, you'll need a dress. Come with me to my fitting tomorrow."

At the back of the boat, Darcy and Richard sat quietly, enjoying the breeze and the gentle rocking of the boat. They could hear bits of the conversation from the front of the boat. Much of the debate seemed to be about where to stand. On the porch. Too high? On the steps. Should the bride and groom be higher or lower than the minister? On the lawn. Too low? In a gazebo. Build a gazebo? Can you rent a gazebo? Should guests sit or stand during the ceremony?

Richard shook his head, "Does it have to be so complicated?"

Darcy shrugged. He was about to reply when Anne called to him from the front of the boat.

"Hey, Darce! Isn't there some vaguely Fitzwilliam cousin who's a minister somewhere out on the Island? Could you try to track him down?"

June 10

Darcy intentionally arrived at work late on Monday. When he had called Devlin, his vice-president and CFO, he had asked the man to spread the word that the boss had not, in fact, eloped. Darcy wanted to make sure that people knew the truth so that he wouldn't have to embarrass any well-meaning employee who might congratulate him.

When he reached the outer office he said to his assistant, "So help me, if there are flower arrangements in there-"

"Already removed," she answered with a grin. "Just kidding, there was only one. I did save the card, in case you want to see it. And you might want to see this, too." She handed Darcy a florist's envelope and a folded newspaper.

"Thanks."

"Coffee in a minute, Mr. D."

Darcy dropped the newspaper on his desk and opened the little envelope.

"Wishing you and Lizzy all the best,
W. Collins"

When Darcy's assistant brought in his coffee, she found her boss laughing so hard he had to wipe tears from his eyes. When he saw her he sputtered "What were the flowers like?"

"A dozen roses of assorted colors. I distributed them to the assistants on the executive floor. May I ask why it's so funny?"

"The flowers are from the idiot who started the rumor."

She smiled and left. He picked up the newspaper and read Susan Russell's column.

Oh Gussie, girl you've done it again. It's called fact-checking, hon, look into it. I have it on very good authority that the wealthy and handsome CEO William Darcy did not elope last week. He and his fiancé are still happily engaged, no date set yet. So, Dear Readers, watch THIS space if you want to know what's going on with one of New York's (formerly) most eligible bachelors.

Darcy opened his email inbox and groaned at the number of emails. The electronic grapevine was amazingly fast. He composed a polite but terse reply that he pasted into most of the replies to congratulatory messages. But one message deserved special attention. It was from Jeff Mason.

Wow! Can my girl Cynthia spot 'em or what?!? When she gives the seal of approval, it sticks.

Seriously, Darcy, please accept our congratulations. I'm sure you and Lizzy will he very happy. I know, it's what you're supposed to say to newly weds. But if ever I've seen a couple made for each other it's you two. Cynthia and I wish you joy!
Mason
p.s. Cyn wants to send a wedding gift, where are you registered?

Darcy smiled as he clicked "reply."

Sorry, Mason, your wife doesn't get the laurel wreath quite yet. It was only a rumor. We did stop in Vegas, but just for a quick thing with the plane. Wedding date still TBD. But when it happens, you'll be invited.

Thank Cynthia for her kind intentions, but Lizzy has a serious "no-gifts" policy in mind for our wedding.
Darcy
p.s. If you aren't circling the globe in July, can you swing a trip to NY? We're giving a formal ball-old family tradition. We have a rule about not inviting "business obligations," so this is an invitation to you as a friend.

Once he had cleared his inbox of messages from well-wishers, Darcy attended to business messages. When he did his final send/receive, a message arrived from Mason. It was short and to the point.

Darcy, message understood. Cyn is checking our calendar and I won't mention it to Astor. ;-)
BTW, there wouldn't be an engagement party hidden in this traditional ball, would there?

"You don't miss a thing, do you?" muttered Darcy, clicking on reply. This time he kept Mason's message in his email, embedding his responses.

MASON, SEE REPLY IN CAPS:
Darcy, message understood. Cyn is checking our calendar and I won't mention it to Astor. ;-) GOOD, HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT; DETAILS WILL FOLLOW.
BTW, there wouldn't be an engagement party hidden in this traditional ball, would there? NO COMMENT!

June 11
Anne met Niles for lunch at Serendipity.

"Mm, I do love this place," he purred. "There's nothing like a giant ice-cream sundae for lunch."

"I haven't been here in a while. It's a little to 'girlie' for Richard. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I understand. Your family produces such masculine men."

"Cut it out, Niles, he's mine!"

"I know, the good ones are always taken-or straight. So show me what you've got."

Anne handed him a fabric swatch and an old photo, saying "The dress is in the box I have with me. I don't know if you can do anything with this, but for sentimental reasons, I'd love to incorporate something from it into the new dress. And I want to match this fabric."

Niles opened the box and gently lifted the bodice of the gown. He frowned, "You didn't store this properly, Anne."

"I know. It's discolored."

"An anionic detergent might be worth a try. There was an interesting exhibit at the Smithsonian quite a few years ago about how they restored one of the gowns in the First Ladies' collection. They treated samples and found the best cleaning with the least harm to the fabric was an anionic detergent."

"Where do you get it? A chemical supply company?"

Niles laughed, "Spoken like a woman who has always had a maid. No, Anne, it's simply Woolite."

"Oh."

"Now I want to know for sure. I can cut this dress up? You don't want to save it?"

"No. If it were historically significant, it might be stabilized for an exhibit, I suppose. But it's significant only to me. It's falling apart and can never be worn, so I don't need to keep it intact."

"Very well. I'll take all of this home and stare at it and see what inspiration strikes me. And I may cut some samples of fabric to see if will survive cleaning. By the way, where did you get the silk swatch? Do you have enough of this fabric to make a gown?"

"Actually, it's a swatch from a dress that belongs to someone else. I can't get this exact fabric for me. But I'd like to match the shade."

"Hmm, I think we have some shopping to do. But I have to get back to work. I'll meditate on this tonight. And I'll call you as soon as I have some ideas, Anne. Now, tell me more about the Summer Ball."

* "Into the Woods" by Stephen Sondheim
** "You're the Top" by Cole Porter

Continued in Next Section