Beginning, Previous Section, Section XXV, Next Section
Posted on Monday, 25 August 2003
July 9
"There now," said Mrs. Bennet, hanging up the garment bags. "That's done. And with more than a month to spare. I hope you're paying attention, Lizzy, for when you get married. You can't leave the details to the last minute, you know."
"Yes, Mom, I know."
"Where are the rest of my women?" asked Mr. Bennet, looking into Jane's old room.
"Hi, Dad. Lydia asked to be dropped at a friend's house after the fitting and Mary is off to the movies. Do you want to see the dresses?"
"Now, Lizzy, they've been packed into the garment bags already."
"No problem, Mom. Hand me mine. I can repack it." Lizzy took the bag her mother held out. She unzipped the cover and slipped it off the hanger so that it dropped away from the dress. Holding the dress up in front of herself, she turned to her father, "So, do you like it, Dad?"
"Very pretty. Not as boring as Lydia led me to believe. And I think I prefer you all in blue rather than purple."
"Lavender," said Mrs. Bennet.
"Lavender. I still like blue better." He paused and sighed, "I can't believe my little girls are getting married."
"Dad! We're not so little any more, you know."
"I know, Lizzy. But you see, your mother and I look at this differently. She sees that she is a success because she is marrying off two of her daughters. I see it as losing two of my daughters."
"No, Dad. Remember the saying? 'A son is a son 'til he takes a wife, but a daughter's a daughter for all of your life.' And it isn't as if we're moving any farther away. We'll still be right across the Hudson."
"Hmm, well, I'll be downstairs mulling that over."
Lizzy carefully repacked the gown in its bag. She sat down on Jane's bed and said, "Mom, have you thought any more about the cake?"
"I thought we decided on a sheet cake with pink roses."
"We really want a tiered cake."
"Inappropriate."
"But..."
"Lizzy, don't be so stubborn about this. A wedding cake is for a wedding. A sheet cake is for a party."
Talk about stubborn, thought Lizzy. "See, the thing is, Mom, it is a wedding cake."
"WHAT?"
"Anne and Richard are getting married that weekend. The whole family will be out on the island for the ball, so the timing is perfect."
"But it's less than two weeks away!"
"Yes, I know."
"How can they plan a wedding in two weeks?"
"It's been in the works for some time."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's a secret. We don't want the weekend to become a circus. If word gets out that there's going to be a wedding, there will be reporters. Anne's family is very prominent. Mrs. de Bourgh is involved in all sorts of charities and social things. Anne is getting calls about press invites to the ball as it is. If they knew it was a wedding, it would get worse."
"But less than two weeks! I have no idea what to get for a gift!"
"No, see, Mom, that's the whole idea. No fuss, no gifts. Making the cake would be your gift. Please?"
"Making a cake for a society wedding. Oh, my! Wait until I tell Mrs. Long about that!"
"NO! Mom, it's a secret. You have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even Mary, and certainly not Lydia. Loose-lipped Lyddie will tell everyone she knows that she's going to a wedding, and THEN she'll be whining wanting to be a bridesmaid."
"Who are the bridesmaids? You, I suppose?"
"No. Just Georgie as her maid of honor."
"That's a small party for a society wedding."
"Anne doesn't want a 'society wedding.' That's the point."
"Is Anne pregnant?"
"No! Why does everyone assume things like that? She isn't getting married in a hurry, as the saying goes. She's getting married the way she wants to. I think every bride should have the wedding she wants."
"I can't believe her mother is allowing this."
Lizzy wished she could take back the whole conversation. Since she couldn't, she had no choice but to go on, "Her mother doesn't know yet."
"What? How is that possible?"
"Mom, lots of things are possible. Remember the girl my Junior year who had a baby and her parents didn't know until she went to the hospital to deliver?"
"I never believed that."
"It was true. They didn't know. And an impending wedding is a lot less noticeable than an impending baby. Anne hasn't told her mother yet because her mother will want a bigger wedding than Anne wants."
"I think that's selfish. When are they going to tell her?"
"I don't know. Some time between now and the event, I suppose. Look, when we get out there, you can't let on that you know. Even when it happens, you'll have to act surprised. When it's all over, you can come home and brag to your friends that you were one of the select few who knew, and how proud you are that you didn't let the secret out."
"What if her mother sees the cake?"
"You'll have to smuggle the cake into the kitchen when you arrive and then we're home free. Mrs. de Bourgh never goes into the kitchen. Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Reynolds can handle hiding the cake. They'll help you assemble it if you want, and Mrs. Clark will do a little flower arrangement for the top."
"I feel sorry for Mrs. de Bourgh. What a shock it will be!"
July 10
Darcy rolled over in bed and discovered that Lizzy wasn't next to him. He sat up in the dark and looked, but he couldn't see her. The clock said 2:00. The bathroom light wasn't on, so she wasn't in there. He often woke during the night, but Lizzy was a sound sleeper. Concerned, he got up, found his robe, and went in search of her.
Lizzy sat on a lounge chair on the terrace, her arms wrapped around her knees. The night was warm, but she didn't notice it. She stared out at the night and thought, What am I going to do? She jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Are you all right?"
"Will! You startled me!"
"Sorry, Love. What's wrong?"
"I can't sleep."
"That isn't like you. Is something bothering you? You've been quiet since you got home. Did something go wrong at the fitting?"
"No."
"After?"
"Not exactly."
"Did your mother say something to upset you?"
"Not directly. I mean, she didn't mean to upset me."
"Slide over." Darcy nudged Lizzy over so that he could sit next to her. Leaning back, he pulled her toward him. "Oh, Lizzy, you have to stop letting your mother get to you."
"No, it wasn't like that. I'm just worried."
"About what?"
"What if we're making a mistake?"
Fighting a rising sense of panic, Darcy swallowed and said as calmly as he could, "A mistake? Do you mean us?"
"No. God, no. I love you, Will. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You're so patient when I get weird about things."
"Well, we love each other and we're here together, so whatever things you're getting weird about, we can handle them. Now tell me what's bothering you. What's a mistake?"
"I have this sense of impending disaster. I told Mom about Anne getting married. I had to, or she wouldn't make the cake. I swore her to secrecy, but I'm afraid she's going to tell someone."
"So the mistake was telling your mother? Is having her make the cake such a big deal?"
"Yes, it is to me. Weird, but I just have it stuck in my head that I want her to make it."
"Well, it's too late to take back telling her. So if there's nothing you can do, let it go."
"What if that isn't the mistake?"
"I don't understand, Love."
"What if this crazy surprise-wedding thing is a mistake? I just keep hearing my mother saying how shocked Anne's mother will be, and how sorry Mom will feel for her. I'm picturing arguments and curses on the wedding."
"Lizzy, this is not a fairy tale where someone gets angry and puts a spell on the princess."
"But is it selfish to want things on your own terms when everyone has different expectations of you?"
"Lizzy, if anyone in this family believes in living up to expectations, it's me. I thought this plan was crazy at first, but I've come to believe in the idea. It will work out all right. For one thing, anything said in anger will be said in private. People tend to put a good face on things in front of other people - the larger the audience, the better people behave. And remember, we have the cruise as an excuse to cut out early. If all hell breaks loose, we'll run for it right after the ceremony, and let Anne and Richard deal with it all."
"We couldn't!"
"No, I suppose not. But it will be all right. It will just take a little managing. The only people who are likely to stir up Aunt Catherine are your mother, who will sympathize and reinforce the anger, and Uncle Matt, who will laugh and make Aunt Catherine really angry. Aunt Sue will manage everyone, you'll see."
"I hope so."
"There's nothing you can do about any of this tonight. So come back to bed."
"I'll just toss and turn. I'll keep you awake."
Darcy stood up and pulled her up with him. "If you're not with me, that will keep me awake. So if we're both going to be awake, then let's be awake together."
Darcy yawned and pushed the elevator button just as Richard stepped out of his apartment.
"Morning, Darce!"
"Hmm?"
"Hey! Wakey, wakey, Darce."
"Sorry, Richard, I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Don't brag, Darce, it's unbecoming."
"I wish. Lizzy's getting the jitters about the ball. She's worried about the fallout from the surprise."
"Oh. I've been avoiding thinking about it. Denial is a useful strategy."
"Up to a point. But you need a strategy for telling the truth when the time comes."
"I've been hoping for an inspiration."
"That's taking a chance, Richard."
The elevator arrived and they stepped in.
"I was kind of hoping that Mom would tell Aunt Catherine about it a minute before Anne steps out on the porch.'
"Not a good strategy. You and I will be standing up there on the porch. Uncle Lewis will be inside with Anne. Who's Aunt Catherine going vent her anger on?
"The string quartet?"
"Not likely."
The elevator door opened in the lobby.
"Good morning, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Fitzwilliam."
"Good morning Carleton."
"Can I call you a cab?"
"Thank you, yes," said Darcy, shooting Richard a look that said don't.
"You're a cab," whispered Richard, as Carleton stepped out to the sidewalk.
July 13
"Get those things away from me!" cried Lizzy, as she pushed a basket of tortilla chips across the table.
"Just say no," smirked Anne.
"Arrgh! I can't. This thing is only a week away. I am getting stressed, and that's when I crave junk food. Will, hand me some celery sticks."
"Here, Love," said Darcy, pushing a plate of veggies toward Lizzy and putting the chips at the far end of the table.
Lizzy bit into a piece of celery. "Healthy is good. Healthy is good," she muttered.
Darcy kissed her and said, "Hang in there, Lizzy."
"We're almost done with the preparations, Lizzy," said Anne. "Then we can relax and coast and enjoy."
"You aren't nervous, Anne?"
"Nope. I refuse to be nervous."
Richard and Darcy exchanged amused looks.
"What?"
"Nothing, Darling," said Richard. "You're not nervous. And I always wanted to marry Egyptian royalty."
Georgie and Lizzy giggled and Chris and Darcy looked puzzled.
"You know, Cleopatra," explained Richard.
"Queen of DENIAL!" cried Georgie and Lizzy. Anne stuck her tongue out at them.
Chris continued to look puzzled, so Georgie said, "Queen of the Nile. De Nile. Denial?"
"Ohhh!"
Georgie sighed and shook her head.
Seeking to get the group back on task, Darcy pointed to the seating chart covered with flapping sticky notes bearing the names of guests. "Isn't there a computer program that does this?"
"Probably," said Anne. "But this is how we're doing it. Anyway, we're about done. We have only a few people who didn't respond at all, and there are enough slack spots that we can slide them in here and there if they show."
"I bet they won't show. Most people who don't send in the response card are people who don't intend to come," said Lizzy.
"Probably. So, guys, take a look. Did I put any mortal enemies together?"
"You mean other than my father and your mother?" asked Richard.
"Richard! Please have a talk with Uncle Matt and convince him to behave!"
"Mom will handle it."
Lizzy laughed, "Is Aunt Sue the designated handler of problems in this family?"
"Yes. She's a wonder," replied Anne. "Richard, did you hear back from the band on our list of songs?"
"No problem. They say their repertoire can handle what we want and any similar requests."
"Good. Maura called me to say the bouquets have been ordered to be delivered to the church. I'll call the caterer with our final numbers. The on-site manager will arrive early to go over all the details of timing, when to open the tent for dinner, and so forth. I talked to her last week, and she sounds very organized. If we have the favors out where the servers can find them, they'll arrange things on the table."
July 14
Lizzy stretched and yawned. What day was it? Sunday, right, it was Sunday. One week from today, she thought, one week from today we'll be-
"Bonjour!" said Darcy. "C'est la Fete de la Bastille. Your petit dejeuner is ready. Voulez-vous eat sur la terrasse or ici?"
"Will! Your Franglais is terrible."
"Oui, I know. I'm better at other French things, I guess."
Lizzy giggled, and Darcy demonstrated his other talent.
Later, they sat on the terrace and sipped French champagne and ate croissants. Lizzy returned to the subject of language, "I happen to know that you speak French rather fluently. My comprehension isn't totally shot. You could have greeted me with proper French."
"I thought I did," he deadpanned. Lizzy threw a piece of croissant at him.
"You reminded me of high school," said Lizzy. "French III and French IV. I'd had a wonderful teacher for French II, but she moved away and then I had a teacher who wasn't as good. There were a couple of kids in my French III class who loved to torture this teacher with Franglais. 'It's froid in here today, Madame. May I ferme the fenetre?' She would pound on the desk and yell, 'En Francais!' Once, she asked us all what we'd had for Thanksgiving dinner, and we said turkey and vegetables, only we said it with a French accent."
"You didn't know the words for turkey and vegetable?" asked Darcy.
"Not turkey, no. And for some reason, we all blanked on legume for vegetable. To this day, my vocabulary for French food mostly consists of things that contain the words vin or chocolat."
"In the same food?"
"No! Wine for the main course and chocolate for dessert course."
"Naturally, what could I have been thinking?"
"Just think, Will, it's less than one week until the ball. And our cruise, too. I have to spend time this afternoon organizing clothes for the cruise. We should pull things out, make sure nothing needs to go to the cleaner, and so forth. We can put it all in Georgie's room. Some things can go into the suitcases now. The stuff that will wrinkle will need to be packed that morning. It's going to make for a hectic day. At least it's a short trip from here to the pier."
"And then we have ten days to relax and enjoy ourselves."
"We'll probably need it."
July 16
Lizzy put her purse and shopping bag in the bedroom and walked into the kitchen.
"Hi, Mrs. R. I'm home a little early. Can I help with dinner?"
"No, everything is in the works. Salad and broiled chicken isn't much of a challenge. I suppose the men will eat potatoes?"
"Sometimes I hate them for the way they can eat. We're all worried about fitting into dresses and they just let the belt out a notch."
"Oh, speaking of dresses, yours was delivered today."
"Did you peek?"
"No, but from the window on the bag, it looks like a nice color."
"Where did you put it?"
"In your closet."
"Come on, then, I'll show you."
The two women went into the bedroom and Lizzy removed the garment bag from the closet. She unzipped the bag and revealed a shimmering green dress.
"Oh, my, what magnificent fabric! It will be wonderful on you."
Lizzy held the dress up in front of her and looked in the mirror. Frowning, she said, "I'd better try this on. I think the neckline looks lower than I remember it. I hope Niles didn't change the design while I wasn't looking. I don't want to have any tan lines showing."
"Come out and model it for me."
"I will." Lizzy took off her work clothes and slipped the dress over her head. "Whoops!" she said as she reached for nonexistent armholes. Slipping the halter strap over her neck, she adjusted the gown and looked in the mirror. She checked front and back and saw no tan lines. She hesitated at the bedroom door, then turned back to change her earrings.
"Mrs. R? Here I am!" Lizzy twirled around in front of the housekeeper. "Well?"
"Absolutely stunning."
"Look how it moves. I feel like a movie star!"
"You look like one, too," said a deep voice. Darcy stood in the doorway to the apartment.
"Will!" Lizzy turned to run toward him but he held up his hand.
"No, let me look at you. Hmm, I don't know about this. I'm not sure I want to let anyone see you in this dress. I'll have to beat the other men off."
Laughing, Lizzy walked to his side and slipped her arm through his. Mrs. Reynolds discretely returned to the kitchen.
Leaning her head against his shoulder, Lizzy said, "I'll help you beat them off, okay?"
"I'll take all the help I can get." Holding her at arms length, he looked her over.
"What?"
"The earrings are a good match. I should get you a pendant, too."
"No, you've already bought me so much."
"An enormous emerald."
"No, I don't need that."
"Lots of diamonds around it."
"Will! You aren't listening. I don't need any more jewelry."
"I want you to have a spectacular necklace for this dress. That way, if men look at your chest, they'll be distracted from looking at, well, from looking at your chest."
"Silly man!"
"How can I help feeling possessive when you're so beautiful? Sometimes I look at you, Lizzy, and I think, 'What is this gorgeous, smart, funny, sexy woman doing here with me?' I know how lucky I am."
"Oh, Will!"
A few minutes later, they were interrupted.
"Hey, hey, if you're going to do that sort of thing right here in the hallway, at least close the door to the apartment."
"Richard! Don't startle me like that!"
"Sorry, Darce, couldn't resist."
"Behave yourself, Richie!" said Anne. "Lizzy, let me see the dress. Oh, I was right to suggest this design for you. I would never look that good in it. The earrings match nicely, but you need-"
"Anne! Stop spending Will's money." Lizzy laughed as she spun around.
Richard whistled, "Very nice. Glamorous. Better than anything we saw at the Oscars this spring."
"You guys didn't stay to watch it all, as I recall."
"Well, better than anything I saw while I was watching, anyhow."
"Whatever. Let me change into something more to the purpose of the evening. We're going to eat on the terrace and work in the dining room. Georgie and Chris should be along soon."
When Lizzy joined the others on the terrace, Georgie and Chris were there.
"Now, that's what I call classy," said Richard. "Shorts, bare feet, and emerald earrings."
"Oh, I forgot to take them out." Lizzy checked the backs of the earrings to make sure they were secure. "Well, why not? I may as well enjoy them. No sense in having them spend all their time in a jewelry box."
"Good for you!" said Georgie.
"Anyone check the Weather Channel yet?" asked Chris.
"Yes," said Richard. "The long-range forecast is looking good for the weekend."
"I'm sorry we're in a drought and all that," said Lizzy. "But I don't want the curative rain to come now. Later, not this weekend."
"Amen to that!" said Darcy.
"Maybe Lizzy knows some spells or something to keep the weather nice," said Richard, with a pointed look at Darcy.
"Excuse me, have I just been called a witch?"
"No, no," said Richard. "Private joke, eh, Darce?"
Richard and Darcy were saved by Mrs. Reynolds, carrying dinner plates out to the terrace.
After dinner, the group sat around the dining room table assembling one of the party favors.
"This note is just perfect, Lizzy," said Anne. "But how should I sign it? I'm not Fitzwilliam yet, but I will be soon."
"Just first names, I think," said Lizzy. "That dodges the issue. We can do this assembly-line style, signing the notes and then making up the little packets."
"The MetroCard holders are cute, Lizzy," said Chris, "But how many of your guests will know what they are? I mean, a lot of these people have probably never taken the subway or the bus in their lives."
"I know. But the holders have the museums on them. It goes with the passes."
"I bet a lot of these people are already members of one museum or the other," said Georgie.
"That's all right. Maybe this will get them to actually go."
"I got email confirmation that the bags were shipped today. They should arrive on Thursday," said Anne.
"I think it's great that you were able to find gift bags with roses on them," said Georgie. How are you going to set them up?"
"The paperweights go on the table, and the empty boxes go in the bags so that people can pack up their paperweights properly. I'm hoping that the servers will take care of it when they set the tables."
"If not, I'll do it," said Chris. "Sandy and Peter will probably be able to help me. Sandy got in last night. Peter is coming, isn't he?"
"Yes. Mary is picking him up at the airport tomorrow." Lizzy sighed and wriggled her cramped fingers. "This really is coming together. Amazing. How many more of these notes do we have to sign?"
Darcy took her fingers and kissed them. "Better?"
"Much."
When the packets were assembled and packed into a box, Darcy carried the box out to join a few others piled by the doorway. "There," he said, "We don't want to forget anything, so all boxes that go out to the island are going to be here where we'll see them."
Later, Darcy emerged from the bathroom to see Lizzy sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed.
"Yoga?" he asked.
"No. Casting spells and incantations."
"Oh," groaned Darcy.
"What was all that witch stuff about?"
"You're going to hate knowing."
"Try me. I'm curious."
"Revisiting Halloween is probably not the best thing for our relationship."
"What else didn't you like about me that night?"
"Do you remember the Day of the Dead things you sent Georgie home with?"
Lizzy gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles.
"I'm glad you're amused."
"I'd forgotten about that. What happened?"
"Georgie had the candles and the candy skulls in her room and she was talking to Mother. Scared me no end until she explained about it. Richard had spent some time in Mexico, so I asked him about the Day of the Dead, which is how he found out."
"Oh, Will," Lizzy gasped out between bouts of giggles, "I can't believe you didn't forbid Georgie to ever talk to me again."
"Restraining orders are harder to get than you might think, Lizzy," said Darcy with a smirk.
"You didn't try-"
"No! I'm teasing."
"What a beginning we had!"
"As long as we can laugh about it, we'll be fine."
July 17
"Is that everything, Ma'am?" asked the driver, pointing to the pile of boxes in the service elevator.
"Yes, it is."
"Good then we'd best get going."
Mrs. Reynolds turned to Darcy and Lizzy and said, "Please thank Mr. de Bourgh again for sending his limo to take me out to the island."
"With all you have to carry, there is no way we'd leave you at the mercy of the Long Island Railroad!"
"Thank you, Mr. Darcy. Now, I've checked off everything on the list, and it should all be here. So you just have to get yourselves out there. Are you sure you'll be all right? I left all the stir-fry ingredients on the top shelf of the refrigerator. I didn't do anything about dessert, though."
"No dessert for me!" said Lizzy ruefully. "I haven't had dessert in two weeks. Will can forage for ice cream if he needs something sweet. It's just tonight, and then we'll be out on the island Thursday night."
"I know, I just worry about my children. You do understand that, no matter what happens, you are my charges."
"You're so sweet. But not to worry, Mrs. R. I think I can make dinner one night without burning down the building!"
"No, Ms Bennet, I didn't mean that. Oh. Ms Bennet! The next time I'll see you in the apartment-"
"It'll be Sunday and I'll be screaming like a lunatic, 'Hurry up! We're gonna miss the boat!' Now get going and don't worry about a thing."
Darcy hugged his housekeeper and whispered, "I think Uncle Lewis keeps a little something in the back of the limo. Indulge yourself."
July 19
When Lizzy awoke on Friday morning, Darcy was in the shower. She yawned, stretched, and looked at the clock. She was still trying to decide whether to go back to sleep when Darcy came into the room.
"Hey, you're up early."
"Sorry, Love, I tried to be quiet."
"No, you didn't wake me. How long have you been up?"
"An hour. Richard and I went for a run. He's getting nervous. He didn't sleep well last night."
"So, Mr. Calm Cool and Collected is nervous? He's been hiding it well."
"Yes, but I know him well enough to see it. The timing is a bit off on his jokes and he keeps running his hands through his hair."
"Anne was a little edgy last night, I thought."
"She has a right to bride's nerves, I should think. You've settled down, though, Lizzy."
"I'm into the fatalism stage now. If we've forgotten something it's too late to do anything about it. But I'm sure we're all set. My goal is to relax and enjoy the weekend."
"Good plan." Darcy sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Lizzy's cheek. "You know, breakfast won't be ready for ages."
A large carafe of coffee and a basket of muffins were waiting on the table when Darcy and Lizzy stepped out onto the porch. Richard sipped coffee as he stared out across the lawn.
"Good morning, Richard."
"Morning." He yawned. "You two look chipper this morning."
"It isn't like you to be grumpy in the morning, Richard."
"Yeah, well, Darce, if I got more sleep, I'd feel better."
"Ooh, poor darling!" said Anne, as she came up behind him. She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. She whispered, "We'll sleep better in a few days."
"I won't be thinking about sleep in a few days," he replied, pulling her around and onto his lap.
Darcy picked up the paper and turned to the sports section. He scanned the pages, then read one article in particular.
"Here," he said, holding the paper out to Richard, "Read Charles's column. It's pretty funny, the All Star Game being called because the bull pens were empty."
"I don't like the All Star Game," grumbled Richard. "It's an opportunity to get hurt playing a game that doesn't get you anything."
"It's an honor to be asked to play."
"I guess. I was offered the chance to do security for it, but I wriggled out of it. Said my charming Annie would kill me if I went out of town the week before our big shindig. I covered the fireworks. That's enough eventing for July."
They heard the sounds of car doors being closed. Lizzy ran down the stairs.
"Jane! Hi! How was the drive?"
"Surprisingly easy," Charles answered for her.
"Hi, Mary. Hi, Peter," Lizzy hugged her sister's boyfriend. "It's good to see you again. I'm so glad you could make it. This is going to be a great weekend."
"I am so happy to be out of the house," said Mary. "Mom's baking and muttering about something, won't say what, and Lydia is whining because she wasn't invited to drive out in the morning."
"We're having a nice ladies' luncheon, organized by Aunt Sue, and Lydia is too young for the discussions that will probably ensue. The menfolk are going out on the boat to do whatever sort of bachelor rites men do. I figure, if they're out on the boat, it will be difficult for them to hire strippers."
"Lizzy, you make it sound like a shower and a bachelor party."
"Hmm, you know how Mom was muttering? Well, I think I know what it's about." Lizzy called up to the group on the porch, "I'm going to show Mary the gardens."
They wandered away from the group and Lizzy said, "Mom knows a secret about the weekend. I think Aunt Sue's lunch is a sort of shower, and the boy's boat ride is a bachelor party. Surprise! You're attending a wedding this weekend."
As the rest of the new arrivals reached the porch, Darcy called out, "Good morning! Charles, good column. Hello, Jane. Peter, how was the flight?"
"Good. I read most of the way. I'm a little foggy on time zones at the moment."
A shriek was heard coming from the general direction of the gardens.
"Ah," said Anne. "Lizzy just told Mary."
"Told Mary what?" asked Peter.
"Hello!" A voice interrupted the conversation.
"Mom! Dad!" called Richard. "You're here early."
"We took the ferry across and Mark and Erica drove us here."
"Great! Mark, you up for a boat ride?"
"You bet, little brother. I still can't believe you're-oh, uh..."
"It's cool, they all know."
"Know what?" asked Peter.
"Except Peter," added Richard. "Come on men, let's load the boat."
"Not that one!" cried Sue when Richard picked up the cooler Matt had just set on the porch. "That's food for our ladies' luncheon. I'm sure you boys would prefer your beer and chips to our nutritious lo-cal yummies."
"Mom, lo-cal yummy is an oxymoron."
Chris and Peter emerged from the house carrying a huge cooler.
"Beer!" yelled Chris.
"And more beer!" yelled Peter.
"Hey, that reminds me of a song from The Bandwagon," said Richard.
"I would like a glass of beer.
More beer!
Beer goes very well with beer.
More beer!"*
"I think it's part of 'I Love Louisa.' Wish I could remember the rest."
"I know that song," said Charles. "Not the beer part, but my brother-in-law used to sing it to my sister Louisa all the time. It always cracked her up. 'I love Louisa. Louisa loves me. Bla, bla, bla, then I kissed Louisa. Louisa kissed me.' Sorry, don't remember any more." *
[* "I Love Louisa" from "The Bandwagon" by Schwartz and Dietz.]
Lizzy and Anne stood on the dock, waving as the sailboat moved into Long Island Sound.
"I hope they don't drink too much," said Anne.
"Don't worry. Will said he'd be designated sailor."
"And they better not make a mess or spill beer in the galley. I don't want to honeymoon on a boat that smells like a frat house."
"I can't believe you're going to honeymoon on the boat," said Lizzy. "You don't want to go to a hotel where you can have room service and all that?"
"No. It will be fun. And I won't have to cook all the meals. Richard has planned a route going north. We'll stop each night in a town where we can have a nice dinner. We'll have a couple of nights in Newport. It will be good. And if the weather turns bad or something, we tie up and rent a car and go somewhere else."
"I'll think of you on your little boat while I'm lounging around on an ocean liner."
"I know. But think of the privacy we'll have on our own boat." Anne looked out at the boat and sighed.
"Are you okay, Anne?"
"Yes. Just nervous. And I'm a little intimidated by Aunt Sue's hen party. I'm afraid I'll be embarrassed by the discussions."
"We'll probably just get giggly, that's all. Are you that uncomfortable with people talking about sex?"
"My future mother-in-law will be there. It's too weird. And I'm not uncomfortable about the idea of sex, just inexperienced. I feel like you all know something I don't."
Lizzy laughed, "You'll know soon enough."
"Yeah."
"You really are nervous! Don't be. It'll be fine."
"I just don't want to disappoint Richard."
"I'm sure he's worried about not disappointing you."
"Oh, great, we'll both be nervous wrecks. Were you nervous your first time with Darce?"
"No. But it wasn't the ominous wedding night thing. Actually, it was the night he had set up that crazy blind date with me. After dinner, we went back to the apartment and we were having a silly conversation about how many dates were enough and counting how many dates had we been on. And that's when we decided we were ready."
"Oh."
Lizzy put her arm around Anne's shoulder. "You'll be fine, you'll see. One thing I will tell you-it gets better and better as you get used to each other. And I don't just mean sex. You'll learn all sorts of things you never thought to wonder about, like does he snore, does he sleep on his back or on his side? Does he get dressed before breakfast? Can he carry on a conversation before coffee? It's an adventure, Anne. Now, come on, let's go to the hen party."
Darcy stood at the stern, steering the sailboat. Richard walked back to join him.
"Sure you won't have a beer, Darce?"
"No. I'll have one with lunch and that's my limit. I'm the designated driver, remember. I've got a bottle of water for the moment. So, I gather that you haven't told Aunt Catherine yet?"
"No. Still working up the nerve. She isn't going to be happy, especially with the number of people who were told ahead of her."
"Get out!" they heard Peter shout. "No way! Really?"
"Ah, someone told Peter," said Richard. He took a long swig of beer. "Yet another person who knows before Aunt Catherine does. That's the least of my worries at this point."
"And what's your biggest worry?"
"Don't laugh, Darce, but I'm nervous about that night."
"Richard, I would kid you about a lot of things, but not that."
"It's just that Anne has never, well, you know, and I don't want to be nervous because I know she'll be nervous. I just don't want her to be disappointed."
"Don't worry about it, Richard. It isn't as if you're inexperienced."
"Yeah, well, you guys have always overestimated my record."
"So you really haven't had six-hundred girlfriends?"
"Darce! I'm serious. And you said you wouldn't joke about this."
"Sorry. How long are you going to be on that boat? A week? You'll get it sorted out before you get home."
"I guess."
"You boys all right? Looks like a serious conversation back here. Need some advice from an old man?"
"Thanks, Dad," said Richard. "But we're fine."
"Just checking. Although if you really want good information, you should probably ask the med student. Don't they know all about that stuff?"
"Uncle Matt," said Darcy, "Could we talk about something else? I prefer not to think about sex and the med student who's living with my sister."
"There you are!" said Sue Fitzwilliam. "We were beginning to think you'd stowed away on the bachelor boat."
"No," replied Lizzy. "Just watching our menfolk go out to sea."
"Isn't that just a bit melodramatic, Lizzy?" asked Mary.
"Hey, it sounded good."
"Come have a drink," said Sue, offering plastic flutes of champagne. "Sorry about the plastic, but no glass near the pool. As the matriarch at the moment-you do all know that Catherine is older than I am, right? What was I saying? Ah, as the matriarch for now, I propose a toast. To the next generation of Fitzwilliam/Darcy women and their sisters."
"Thank you, Aunt Sue," said Anne. "And I must say, looking around at the group, we are a fine bunch. Here's to our men, and may they always remember that!"
"Here, here!"
"Now, I have some gifts for you all. And they're representative of trends in a woman's life. So we'll start with Mary."
"Me?" Mary looked startled.
"Yes, you're the youngest, attending college and living in a dorm. I thought this would be appropriate for you."
Mary accepted the little shopping bag from the posh lingerie company. She smiled and tried to peek into the bag without displaying the contents.
"No, no!" said Sue. "Pull it out and show us."
"Here goes." Mary removed the tissue paper and then pulled out a nightshirt. It was yellow and had dots of pink, blue, and green on it. It looked like someone had shaken paint brushes over it. "It's cute! Thank you."
"Now, you see," said Sue. "In a dorm, dress is casual, and one does not dress to impress one's roommate. Or perhaps I should have asked about co-ed dorms?"
"My roommate is a girl," said Mary.
"See? I was right. Next, we have a grad student. Now, this was a hard call. Grad students living alone like oversized T-shirts."
"I should never have told you that!" cried Erica.
"I wasn't going to name names, dear. But since you let the cat out of the bag, I may as well tell people that you used to get out of bed, go to your desk, and never change out of the T-shirt you slept in."
"I was studying. I lived alone. Who would see me?"
Everyone laughed, and Sue went on, "Ah, but Georgie doesn't live alone. So how to modify the grad-student attire for a cohabitant?"
Georgie took the bag that was held out for her. "This better not have marabou on it" she muttered. Lizzy giggled.
Georgie pulled out a green silk sleep shirt to a chorus of oohs and ahs.
"It's lovely!" Georgie looked at the label.
"If it's too big, you can exchange it."
"No, I was looking at the care instructions."
Lizzy laughed, "Somebody misses Mrs. R!"
"Lizzy, you're next."
"Uh-oh."
"Marabou," whispered Georgie.
"Lizzy is a working woman living with her fiancé. This is a woman torn between comfort and seduction."
Lizzy gently pulled out a very short navy blue silk slip nightie. Seeing that there was more in the bag, she reached in and pulled out a solid navy robe that reached mid-thigh.
"There's more."
And, indeed there was. "A pair of pajama bottoms?"
"For Will!" laughed Anne.
"No, they match the nightie and they're my size. Okay, explain this, please, oh expert on lingerie!"
"Ah, the nightie needs no explanation. The robe you will wear when you get up in the morning. The PJ bottoms are so you can go to breakfast in the ensemble and not shock Mrs. R."
"I love it! The nightie and robe are going on the cruise. The PJ bottoms can stay in New York with Mrs. R. Who's next?"
"Jane." Sue held out another bag.
"Oh, you shouldn't have!"
"Yes. Everybody gets something. Jane is about to be married. In a month, yes? Well, I had two choices for bridal attire. This is yours."
Jane pulled out an ivory silk slip nightie that reached to mid-calf but had a slit up one side.
"It's lovely, thank you!"
"I just thought something classic suited you. Elegant, sophisticated, the modern bride. Now, Anne. You very nearly guessed this one a bit ago. This is the other choice for bridal attire. People say that sexy lingerie is more for the man than the woman-"
"Aunt Sue!" groaned Anne.
"Now, now. Let me finish. It seemed a bit pervy to buy the see-through feather-trimmed number for my daughter-in-law." She laughed as she saw Anne mouth Thank you, God. "I was tempted, but then I thought of this. Not all of the gifts came from Victoria's. I talked the salesgirl into giving me extra bags. So, you can tell Richard that this came from Wintersilk so he doesn't have a fit."
"Why wouldn't Richard want her to have something from Victoria?" asked Georgie.
"You'll see."
Anne closed her eyes and reached into the bag. She pulled out a traditional pajama top in light blue silk. Opening her eyes, she looked it over and said, "It looks big."
"That isn't all there is."
Anne pulled out a pair of matching bottoms. "Hey, these are men's! No fair."
"Trust me, Anne, two people sharing one pair of pajamas is very sexy. Give him the bottoms and you put on the top, and you'll see. He'll love it."
"I always wondered where Richard got his crazy streak."
"Trust me, Anne. I know you'll be nervous. Despite his bravado, he will be, too. These will break the ice, so to speak."
"I don't understand."
"Trust me, Anne."
"Okay, whatever."
"Last, but not least, Erica!"
"But I'm already married."
"Yes, dear, I know. I want these lovely brides and impressionable young women to se their future."
"How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"Uh, nothing." Erica reached into her bag and removed a long sleeved, ankle length nightshirt with white bunnies on a pink background. Then she pulled out matching bunny slippers." Everyone roared with laughter.
"My point, my dears," said Sue, "Is that the days of slinky nighties don't always go on forever. I am not implying that Erica's slinky days are over, but it is not unusual to see sleepwear revert back to the dorm-room practical as time goes on."
"Well, Mom, I actually will wear this-if it still fits by winter, that is."
"Why wouldn't-Erica! Really? When?"
"February." The rest of her comment was drowned by congratulatory squeals.
Erica smiled and said, "I wasn't going to say anything this weekend, what with the ball and the wedding."
"We would have begun to notice that you weren't drinking. Which reminds me, why did you have champagne this afternoon?"
"Look at my glass. I figured you were all too busy to notice I hadn't drunk any of it. Here Anne, take it."
"Thanks. I know I'm not pregnant."
By the time everyone who was expected for dinner had arrived, the caterer's crew had set up the tent and tables and departed. Anne and Lizzy stood on the porch and looked out on the lawn and the tent.
"That's a big tent," said Lizzy.
"I know, amazing. It'll be nice when they roll up the sides. The caterer says to leave the tent closed until we're ready to go in for dinner. There will be chairs scattered around the lawn, so people will be able to sit if they want to."
"The weather is perfect. What a relief. What would we have done if it rained?"
"A second tent. Not nearly as festive."
"Are we the last to arrive?" came a voice from the lawn.
"Jake, Maura, Hi!" said Anne.
"I love how everyone parks to the side and walks around to the back," said Lizzy. There's something homey about using the back door."
"This is a great old house," said Jake.
"Well, come inside and meet my parents," said Lizzy. "Oh, and Chris's parents are here, and a family friend, Nikki. I think you know everyone else."
After introductions were made, everyone sat down to dinner. The table shone with candles and silver. When Anne and Lizzy had tried to convince Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Reynolds to make the evening less formal, they declared that this was essentially a rehearsal dinner, even if some of the guests didn't know it. And that called for the best china and silver.
"Oh, my!" gasped Mrs. Bennet as she looked around the table. "This is exquisite. And I do love the European style of setting the dessert silver at the top."
At the other end of the table, Nikki whispered to Georgie, "I was wondering what was up with that, but I didn't want to ask."
"No big deal," replied Georgie. "Hey, Nikki, you don't have to sit up so straight. Relax. Nobody will bite you. We have money, but we aren't stuffy. Just stay away from Aunt Catherine if you don't want a lecture, and stay away from Uncle Matt if you don't want to be teased."
Ding! Ding! Ding! Mark tapped his knife against his wine glass. "May I have your attention! This is a very special weekend. The Fitzwilliam Summer Ball was a major event in its day, and I'm proud of my relatives for putting this together. Well done, guys!"
Murmurs of "hear, hear" and "good job" floated in the air. Then Mark continued his speech. "I know that Dad likes to be the speechifier of the family, but I want to take this opportunity to make an announcement. Some of you found out this afternoon, so I want to make it official. Erica and I are pregnant! The baby is due in February."
"Congratulations!"
"How wonderful!"
Richard got up and ran to his brother and sister-in law. He slapped Mark on the back and hugged Erica. "This is wonderful. I'm going to be an uncle!"
During the hubub Anne leaned over to Lizzy and said, "I know it's politically correct to say that they are pregnant, but come February, they won't be pushing the kid out, she will."
"You got that right. The woman does all the work and the man takes credit," said Lizzy. Darcy almost choked on his wine. "You all right, there, Will?" she asked sweetly.
"Sorry, Love, just having some scary thoughts of you waddling around the apartment, and me the victim of hormonal mood swings."
"I have no intention of waddling. I will sit on my butt and be waited on-and I'm not talking about Mrs. R, either."
"Hey, I say milk it for all it's worth, you know?" said Anne.
After dinner, the men retreated to the porch and the women to the living room.
"This is such a comfortable house," said Mrs. Carter. "I love the way it's decorated."
"Yes, isn't it nice?" said Mrs. Bennet. "Casual elegance. It's hard to hit just the right note."
"I suppose," said Sue. "It was never decorated with the idea of making a statement. It was just my mother-in-law's taste. We should update the photos on the gallery wall. It's been years since any new ones were put up. Anne scanned some of the pictures of old balls and printed them out. I think she intends to put them up somewhere for people to see them. I thought about bringing the old photo albums, but I was concerned that they might get damaged if too many people handle them."
"What a good idea," said Mrs. Carter. "That's the wonderful thing about the scanner. You can keep your originals in good shape, but still share the pictures."
Chris, Peter, and Dr. Carter walked out to the boat house, declaring a need to stretch their legs a bit.
On the porch, Jake looked around and asked Richard, "So, is everyone out here in on things?"
"Yes."
"Good, then we should probably do a sort of rehearsal."
"Not everyone inside knows, so we can't bring the girls out."
"Richard! Still?"
"Yes."
Jake shook his head. "Well, I can still walk the male part of the wedding party through this one more time. Has anyone thought about how we'll introduce this? Someone has to stand up and say "Hey people, gather 'round."
"That's a bit folksy, don't you think?"
"You know what I mean, Richard. Work with me here. Uncle Matt? As the family-what did Mark call you? Speechifier? As the speechifier, do you want to introduce the proceedings? The father of the groom doesn't get to do much, so it would let you be a more active participant."
"What do I need to say?"
"Hello, welcome, surprise, it's a wedding. Be creative."
Richard groaned.
"What?" asked Jake.
"Never, ever tell Dad to be creative. Your Boss only knows what he'll come up with."
"Richard! I can be the soul of decorum when I must."
"Fine, Dad. Just swear that you won't say anything to set off Aunt Catherine."
Mr. Bennet listened to this exchange and chuckled, "This is going to be quite a weekend."
Meanwhile, in a corner of the living room, the younger women were conversing.
"So, Nikki, looks like we're the singles this weekend," said Lydia.
"Anne says there will be single men at the ball. She refuses to say anything nice about them, but how bad can they be?"
"They'll be rich, that's always good," said Lydia.
"I don't know," replied Nikki. "Guys with money tend to think it makes them special."
"But it does!"
"Not necessarily, Lydia," said Mary. "Money and class don't have to go together."
"True, although they seem to in the men in this family," said Nikki. "But I could tell you stories! Nobody cares if the bartender listens, you know?"
"You're a bartender? Cool!" squeaked Lydia. "Must be a great way to meet guys."
"Must be hard work, on your feet for hours, remembering who drinks what," said Mary.
"It's cool sometimes. It's fun when regulars come in and they know you and are glad to see you. But it's work, too. When it's crowded, it can be tough. Busy nights, there's always someone who has to have his drink, like, NOW. And he'll specify a top shelf brand, and you'll use it, and then he'll swear you're using the house brand. I could write a great psychology term paper on the behavior of the slightly smashed male."
"Do you get good tips?" asked Lydia.
"Not bad, depends on the night. It isn't a glamorous job, Lydia. It's work. I'm lucky that I work in a neighborhood kind of place and I see a lot of the guys I grew up with. If someone gets obnoxious, chances are there's an ex-hockey player around to set him right. And being behind the bar is better than being a cocktail waitress. They can't pinch you when you're behind the bar."
Georgie joined them and said, "You know how to get your own back. You can proof people and make them show you their awful drivers license photos."
"I proofed you, didn't I?"
"Uh-huh."
"Sorry about that. But at least your license photo is pretty good. Some people look like zombies."
Everyone laughed at that remark. Then Nikki looked around and shook her head, "I can't believe this. I'm a bartender from a small upstate town, and I'm sitting here in a North Shore mansion, about to attend a posh ball."
"Maybe you'll meet your Prince Charming at the ball," said Georgie.
"I'm not getting my hopes up. I'll settle for not spilling anything on anyone and not tripping on the hem of my dress."