Beginning, Section II, Next Section

Chapter 3

"What time zone are you in anyway?" William asked when he heard Richard yawn. It was after midnight in New York and he had returned his cousin's call.

"We're on mountain time around here, so it's only a bit after nine, but I'm beat. I've been calculating stress tolerances all day," Richard said as he stretched and rose from the bed. He threw open the door and stepped out into the cool night air. "So what's happening on the east coast?"

"Marina tells me she spoke with you," William replied.

"Yeah, I called a little while ago and finally caught up with her. She sounded good, but we didn't get a chance to talk for very long. Did she mention to you how long she planned on staying in town? I didn't get a chance to ask."

"I don't recall her mentioning anything specific, but I can ask her on Saturday."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll give her another call when I get a chance."

"But I'll be seeing her then, anyway," William volunteered. Richard raised his eyebrows.

"You've asked her out?"

"Yes, we've gone out a few times since she's been here--nothing serious, of course, just to a museum and a movie, so far."

"Should I be asking your intentions or anything? I've always looked out for her best interests, you know," Richard said with a smile.

"My intentions are honorable. She's a very nice person and I'd like to show her a good time. I have the impression that she's a bit lonely."

"Yeah," Richard sighed. "Marina has always been something of a loner. She has a tendency to isolate herself, especially when she's working on a project. So getting her out of the apartment and into civilization is good for her." William pondered Richard's comment, speculating on Richard's perception of Marina's behavior. Somehow, it didn't quite jibe with his own view of things.

"You don't mind my seeing her, do you?"

"No, of course not. Why should I mind--it's not my place to say who Emmy should or shouldn't see."

"Well, I just feel...I know it sounds silly, but whenever I see her I get the nagging suspicion that I'm treading on your turf."

"I wouldn't repeat that to Emmy. She wouldn't take kindly to being referring to as 'turf,'" Richard chuckled. "But as I told you before, our relationship is strictly platonic."

"And you've never wondered at that?" William persisted.

"Why should I?"

"I mean you've never considered...even once?"

"Well, she is the first girl I ever kissed..."

"And?"

"Just as I thought, it was like kissing my sister. I did it on a dare and I got a nasty bruise for my trouble." William laughed. "It was two years before I got up the courage to kiss another girl."

"But that was, what, ten, twelve years ago?"

"Nah, I kissed her in the fifth grade," Richard corrected. "Big mistake."

"But would it be a mistake to kiss her now?"

"You tell me; you're the one dating her," Richard countered, not quite understanding what William was getting at.

"Well, Marina and I haven't kissed, exactly. We're sort of working up to something more than a kiss on the cheek."

"Ah. So you want me to kiss her first and get the violence out of the way?" Richard asked archly.

"No! Stop being so obtuse, Fitz! I was just wondering if you'd ever reconsider your relationship with Marina."

"While you're dating her?"

"Richard," William sighed. "Look, it seems to me that the two of you have a lot going for you. I don't want to step on anyone's toes..."

"Look, cousin. If you want to see Emmy, go right ahead with my blessing. I'm all for her going out with a nice guy who will treat her well and appreciate her for the wonderful, unique person that she is," Richard said. "Of course, if you do anything to hurt her, I'd have to break both your arms..." William laughed.

"She'd probably beat you to it, based on your description of her."

"I wouldn't know. I'm the only person I've ever known her to beat up," Richard pouted.

"Hey, it's getting late and I want to catch some z's," William said. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, call me and relieve the monotony of suburban Phoenix nightlife," Richard said as he began to yawn again. "And do ask Emmy how long she'll be in town. Tell her I expect her to still be there when I get home."

On Saturday morning, Marina met William in the lobby of Richard's building with a large tote bag on one arm and a sketchbook under the other. William kissed her forehead by way of greeting and relieved her of her burden.

"How many people are you planning to feed?" he asked as he hefted the bag.

"Don't tell me you don't care for stone soup?" Marina quipped before she slid into the passenger seat. They took off for the northern tip of Manhattan, where the Cloisters--a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art--was located. The museum was the brainchild of John D. Rockefeller, who brought over elements of five cloisters from monasteries in 15th and 16th century France, and assembled them in a four acre park to house an extensive collection of art from medieval Europe in an appropriate setting. Visitors to the museum could not only enjoy the art and its park setting, they could enjoy a panoramic view from Manhattan from the island's highest point. Marina smiled as she got out of the car. William handed her the sketchbook.

"I assume you want to take this in?"

"Yes, I'd like to do a quick sketch of an urn in one the Cloister gardens," Marina said. "And I'd like to capture a unicorn, too, if I can."

"Doesn't one have to be a virgin for that?" William quipped as he showed his membership card at the desk. Marina blushed deeply in spite of herself.

"I was talking about capturing an image, William," she managed. He smiled to himself and followed her into the first gallery.

"Do we tour the whole place or do you have a few favorites?" he asked. After a brief discussion, they decided to focus their tour on a few of Marina's favorites. They walked through a large chapel and into the darkened room where the Unicorn Tapestries were on display. William stood back to admire them, each one depicting a stage of the hunt for the elusive unicorn. Marina went straight to the last one and opened her sketchbook.

"A friend of mine wants to put a unicorn in his logo," Marina explained when William caught up with her. "I haven't found many unicorn images that I'm too crazy about, but I like this one." She finished the sketch in a matter of minutes. William, meanwhile, had wandered outside into one of the museum's three gardens. He pulled out his sunglasses and wandered toward the center of the open square, where a gurgling fountain stood. William took a deep breath and smiled. He always enjoyed the serenity of the Cloisters and he took a deep breath and soaked it in. A flash of bright blue caught his eye and he turned to look at a woman who was speaking with a security guard. He briefly wondered what they were talking about, but after a second he gave up thinking and just admired the woman's profile. He saw Marina step out into the garden and quickly joined her.

"Is this the urn you wanted?" he asked, gesturing at a large planter on his left.

"No, although this one is rather nice. I had another one in mind," Marina said. They sauntered through the small garden, pausing to admire the plantings before Marina suggested that they go down to see the illuminations. "The garden I want is down there, anyway." William urged Marina to lead on, but she deferred to his better familiarity with the layout. He led the way to the stairs, but not before stealing another glance at the woman in the blue suit on the other side of the garden. Something about her seemed to haunt him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what. He guiltily reminded himself that he was on a date with another woman, so it was no time to be pondering such things. The pair entered the gallery that featured a series of tiny illuminated manuscripts, and William smiled as he saw Marina's eyes light up. As the pair toured the exhibit, Marina explained how the illuminations were made and the techniques used by various calligraphers, attracting not only William's interest but that of others in the gallery.

"Where did you learn all of that?" Marina and William both turned to look at the speaker. It was the woman William had seen in the garden. Up close she was even more compelling, William noted, as he tried without success to avert his eyes.

"I have a degree in fine arts and spent two years studying medieval art at the Sorbonne. I also spent six months as an intern at an art restoration project at a cathedral just outside Paris," Marina replied.

"That would explain it. I've never heard anyone speak so authoritatively on 16th century painting materials outside of a university," the woman said. "Or among people like me," she added with a smile. "My name is Lizzy Bennet and I'm the assistant curator of this collection," she said as she dug in her pocket for something she didn't find. When she looked up again, her eyes met William's. They stared at each other for a long moment, until William remembered himself and spoke.

"This is Marina Escher; my name is William Darcy," he said, hoping that Marina had not noticed his lapse. She had, but she smiled politely and shook hands with Lizzy before William followed suit.

"I'd like to give you my card, except that I don't seem to have one with me," Lizzy said apologetically. "We have an opening on the staff and I think you'd be more than perfect for it, if you're interested. Would you mind waiting here a minute while I fetch one from my office?" Marina nodded weakly and Lizzy disappeared. Marina turned back to the display case before her and examined the drawings. William struggled to find words, but he couldn't quite think of how to apologize for his transgression. He wasn't even sure if Marina was aware of what he'd done. In fact, he wasn't even sure what had happened. But there was something about that woman... Marina slipped away from him and William felt awful. Marina's eyes were on the display but he knew that she was no longer studying the art. He went to her, but before he could speak, Lizzy returned with a man in tow.

"Charles, this is the young woman I was telling you about. Marina Escher, I'd like you to meet Charles Bingley. He is the head of the manuscript department here," Lizzy said as she handed Marina her card.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Charles said as he extended his hand. Marina smiled politely as she took it.

"And this is--excuse me, but I've already forgotten your name," Lizzy said with a blush.

"William Darcy," he said as he extended his hand to Charles. He didn't know whether to be offended or relieved by Lizzy's admission. "How you do you do?"

"Charles, Ms. Escher seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of medieval artists' materials," Lizzy said. "I overheard her speaking to William when I came in earlier and I must say I was fascinated." Both Marina and William noted Lizzy's use of William's Christian name.

So she couldn't remember his name a minute ago, but now he's William? Marina thought darkly. She stifled the thought and focused on Charles, who told her that the museum had been looking for someone with just her talents. As soon as they began to talk, she forgot everything else and William and Lizzy were left to listen to Marina's animated description of her experience in Europe. Lizzy seemed to be listening anyway. William found himself staring at her and, growing uncomfortable with the distraction, he wandered away from the trio. Lizzy noticed and followed him.

"Are you also an artist?"

"No, I'm a banker," William replied as he tried to look at anything and everything that was not Lizzy Bennet.

"I see. Your friend is rather gifted."

"Yes, she is." He looked at Marina, who glanced over at him and then quickly turned away. William watched as she and Charles exchanged cards. They parted, and William turned and gave Lizzy a sheepish smile before he walked back over to Marina. Lizzy followed to say goodbye to the couple before she, too departed.

"I'd like to go out to the garden now, if you don't mind," Marina said softly before William could say anything.

"Sure." He followed Marina out into the kitchen garden, which featured plants and herbs and fruits common to the 16th century garden. There were madder, indigo and mallow plants for dying, espaliered fruit trees growing against a wall, and a grand old quince tree at the garden's center. Marina gazed at a large urn full of lush flowers and opened her sketchbook.

"This is the one I want," she said as she walked over to a patch of shade and sat down to make her sketch. William followed.

"Marina," he began. She looked up and as soon as their eyes met he knew he had hurt her.

"Don't worry, William. I'm used to it. Ricky did it all the time." William was disarmed by the statement.

"Did what?"

"Swoon at other women in my company," Marina said in a playful tone although she kept her eyes on the page in front of her.

"I didn't exactly swoon--." William admitted.

"But she did sweep you off your feet. Here," she said, reaching into her pocket. She handed him Lizzy's card without looking up. "You should give her a call. She seemed equally taken with you." Marina continued her sketch as William stared at the card and sighed.

"Marina..."

"Please don't say anything, Will. I'd like to just enjoy the rest of our day together." She knew in her heart that it would be her last with William.

"I feel terrible." Richard listened to his cousin's confession with a mixture of righteous anger and compassion. "We pretended to enjoy the rest of the afternoon, but--. I just felt so awful and she wouldn't let me make it up to her."

"Typical behavior for Emmy; blow you off you before you have a chance to hurt her," Richard said quietly.

"But I did hurt her. I could see it in her eyes. She said that she was used to it, but--."

"I don't remember ever swooning over other women in her presence. Did I?" Richard wondered aloud. "And if I did--."

"You didn't hurt her like I did. You two weren't involved," William replied.

"Well, you two could hardly be said to have an involvement after seeing each other two or three times," Richard said, but in the back of his mind he was angry on Marina's behalf. "I told you not to hurt her, Will."

"I never meant to hurt her! I don't even know why I found that woman so fascinating!" he said helplessly.

"I'd trust Emmy's assessment. It sounds as though you two did the Vulcan mind-meld thing," Richard quipped.

"I don't know what we did. I don't even know what happened. I just know that I've hurt someone I've grown to care about and she won't forgive me. I've called her five times and she won't answer."

"Maybe she's out," Richard suggested.

"I've called her mobile phone, Richard. I've called her at home when I know she's there. She won't speak to me."

"Leave her alone."

"I want to--."

"Leave her alone, Will," Richard repeated a bit abruptly. "She obviously wants you to--respect that." William could feel Richard's anger and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I can't leave things like this."

"She'll come around when she's ready. Emmy doesn't like to be bullied."

"I'm not trying to bully her, I'm trying to--."

"To what, ease your guilt? You can't undo the pain you've caused her, William. Just back off for a while. We're trying to wrap up things here and if we can I ought to be coming home in a few days. I'll look after her." An awkward silence ensued.

"All right."

"So what are you going to do about the other woman?" Richard asked.

"What am I supposed to do?" William asked as he looked up and saw Jessica at his door. "Hold on a moment. Yes?"

"Care to join me for lunch? Notice, I said 'me' this time?" William smiled but declined.

"I'm in the middle of a long distance call. This could take a while."

"I'm willing to wait," Jessica said.

"Not today, thank you," William said. Jessica pouted and left the office. William rose and closed the door after making sure it was locked on the outside.

"I'm sorry, Fitz. You were saying?"

"Are you going to call her?"

"Call who? Lizzy Bennet?" William pulled the card he'd been carrying around in his pocket since Saturday and looked at it. "I'm not sure that would be wise."

"Why not? If you're interested in the woman, Emmy has cleared a path for you to pursue her."

"I feel like a heel."

"You are a heel, William, but that doesn't mean that you should waste the opportunity. If you and this Lizzy Bennet are meant to be, why not go for it?"

"And what about Marina?"

"What do you want from her? Do you want to continue seeing her?"

"I don't know."

"Yes you do! You simply won't admit it to yourself," Richard persisted.

"Anyway, if I did call Lizzy it might make things even worse. Suppose Marina wants that job they're offering her? Then I'd be dating the woman I dumped her for and she'd have to work with her every day!"

"She'll get past that and so will you. If you looked into that woman's eyes and something happened, as you said, then I think you owe it to yourself to find out where it could lead. Otherwise, Emmy would have made her sacrifice for nothing."

"Sacrifice?"

"Isn't that what she did? From what you said she pretty much stepped aside and held the door wide open for you." William groaned and put a hand over his eyes. "Will?"

"I'm still here."

"And--?"

"And I'm still worried about Marina."

"Don't worry about her. I'll take care of things."

"She's not answering the phone."

"She'll speak to me," Richard said confidently. William shook his head.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

"Tell her that."

"I suppose she already knows, but I will," Richard vowed.

"I'll think about what you said."

"You do that." Richard hung up the phone and punched his fist into his palm as hard as he could.

Richard was never so happy to see the New York City skyline as he was on the morning his plane touched down at Newark Airport. He accepted the offer of a ride from Tineke's boyfriend and was dropped off in front of his building. Richard unlocked his door and walked into an empty apartment. There was no sign of Marina and after ten minutes of frantic searching he realized that Squeaks was gone as well. Panic began to rise in Richard's heart as he considered worse case scenarios. He went to the phone as he tried to decide where to call first. That's where he found Marina's note.

Ricky,

Please don't be too angry that I have kidnapped your cat. I needed to get away from here for a while and I didn't want to leave Squeaks without a caretaker so I am taking him up to Northampton with me. Your mom came down to get me. I left my trunk--it was too big to move. I hope you don't mind if I leave it at your place until I come to a decision about my future.

M.E.

Richard stared at the note for a minute then tossed it aside. He went into the bedroom and threw himself on his bed and thought back to his last telephone conversation with Marina. He had spoken with her briefly the same day he had spoken with William. As expected, she didn't hesitate to take his call. Marina sounded a bit subdued, but she sloughed off his questions, insisting that she was absorbed in a project. Richard wasn't fooled, but he didn't press the matter, nor did he ask about William. But a few days later, when he called to tell her that he was coming home, Richard broached the subject.

"So if all goes well, I should touch down at Newark around two on Thursday," Richard said.

"Cool! I look forward to seeing you," Marina replied.

"If I trusted you to drive my car I'd tell you where my spare keys are and have you come meet me."

"But you don't, so you won't."

"No. I rather like my car and I'd like to keep it for a while."

"I drive very well, now, thank you."

"Says you! Anyway, I'll be home in the afternoon and we can sit down and have a real talk. I've been worried about you."

"Worried? Why?"

"You know why, Emmy. Will called and told me what happened." There was silence on Marina's end.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said after a moment. "We went out a few times and then he met someone he really seemed to click with so I told him to go for it."

"Is that it?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Why won't you return his calls?"

"I don't feel like talking to him," Marina replied in a warning tone.

"He just wanted to apologize. He feels as though he's treated you badly and wants to make sure you two are still friends," Richard said, ignoring the signal.

"Still friends...yes, of course he still wants to be friends," Marina said dully.

"Emmy..."

"I'd really rather not get into this, Ricky."

"All right. But I need to be sure you're okay."

"I told you I'm okay."

"You don't sound it."

"I'm sorry; what should I sound like?" Marina no longer made an effort to mask her emotions and spat her reply.

"You're not all right with what happened."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it, is there? What was I supposed to do while William and that woman stood there staring into each other's eyes and falling in love? How was I supposed to feel? You've never been the redundant one in a triad, have you?"

"I'm sorry, Emmy," Richard said as he felt her pain. He sorely wished he could be there to hold her as she cried the tears he heard in her voice.

"It was humiliating. I felt invisible, superfluous; it was just--. Anyway, I figured I'd better bail. If he found the right person to fall in love with, who was I to prevent him?" Marina said. Richard swallowed hard. "So I just backed off and told him to call her."

"I pretty much told him the same thing," Richard admitted.

"What do you mean?" Marina asked warily.

"When I spoke to William I told him to leave you alone and to call this Lizzy Bennet." Marina's mouth fell open. She felt as if she'd just been stabbed in the heart.

"How...how dare you!"

"How dare I what? I just agreed with what you said!" Richard reasoned.

"How dare you involve yourself in my personal life? I've never interfered in your relationships! Where do you get off telling William to dump me?"

"You dumped him first, Marina! You just said you told him to go for it."

"It's one thing for me to walk away from him. It's quite another for you to advise your cousin to do so!" Richard was confused and stunned by her reaction.

"Look, I was only trying to be supportive of you. You walked away from Will and wouldn't take his calls. I told him to stop calling you. You told him to go for it with Lizzy Bennet. I encouraged him to do what you wanted him to do. What's wrong with that?"

"This is my life, Richard! I know you've made a career of taking care of 'poor little Emmy,' but I'm all grown up now! I can take care of myself! I don't need looking after. You're off the hook, all right?"

"Emmy--." She hung up the phone and refused to answer his subsequent calls. He spoke with his mother later that night.

"I can't for the life of me figure out what she's so upset about!" Richard complained. "Can you explain it to me?"

"No, I'm as perplexed as you are," Kathleen replied, disappointed to learn that the budding relationship between Marina and William had suddenly fizzled. But she was far more concerned for Marina, who even under the best of circumstances tended to withdraw into a shell when she was upset. Yelling at Richard was symptomatic of a very serious problem, for although the two had had their squabbles over the years, their arguments never lasted longer than the time it took for them to retreat to their respective homes. As soon as they got there, they'd call each other and begin again as though nothing had happened. This was different, and it was very disconcerting to Kathleen.

"I'm really worried about her, mom," Richard said. "I've never seen her like this."

"Perhaps I should call her."

"I don't know...I'm afraid that another push will send her over the edge."

"I won't discuss William. I'll simply offer her a sympathetic ear. I was planning to call her this week, anyway. When will you be home?"

"The day after tomorrow. I've tried to find an earlier flight, but haven't had any luck. If I get one, I'll call you back."

As it turned out, Richard had to wait that extra day, and when he arrived home it was to an empty apartment. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and rose to take a shower. When he was dressed again he picked up the phone to call William. As the phone rang, he suddenly realized that he didn't know what to say. Richard still bore a grudge with William, for hurting Marina and hence complicating his own life. He started to abort the call, but William picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, William," Richard said. William was taken aback by the subdued tone of his cousin's voice. "I just wanted to know that I am back in the city; at least temporarily."

"Temporarily?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to change out my bag and then head up to Northampton."

"Have you and Marina had a chance to talk? How is she?"

"I spoke with her two days ago. We had words and she hung up on me."

"I thought--."

"We spoke on Sunday and she seemed to be okay, a little glum but not too bad. I know she was hurting but I didn't pry. When I spoke to her Tuesday night, I pushed a little and she went off on me. She said she was angry with me because I encouraged you to do the same thing she told you to do and accused me of trying to run her life. It wasn't pleasant."

"I'm sorry, Fitz."

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Maybe it's my fault. I tried to do as you asked, but I still felt bad about it and called her on Tuesday."

"Oh, for crying out loud, William! I--." Richard cut off his statement and went into the kitchen and was glad to find beer in the refrigerator. He opened one and took a swig.

"I called Lizzy the other day as well."

"Yeah?"

"She seemed a little surprised and a bit put off. She probably thinks I'm some sleaze who's sneaking behind his girlfriend's back."

"Terrific! Now the circle is complete; everyone is miserable. Look, I want to get out of here. I'll talk to you in a few days," Richard said as he put aside his beer and picked up his suitcase. He carried it into his room as he said goodbye to William. He opened the bag and removed his suits before dumping out the remaining contents. He set aside a few things to take with him and threw the soiled clothes into the hamper. Then he reached for a duffel bag and packed for the weekend. He walked out to the living room and picked up his cat's favorite toy and tossed it into his bag before he left.

Richard had already arranged to take Friday as a personal day, so he didn't bother to check in at the office before he went down to the garage to retrieve his car. It had been idle for over three weeks so he did a through check before he got in and headed for the highway. He stopped only once, for gas, and reached Northampton before nine that evening. Kathleen and Hugh Fitzwilliam were sitting in their den when they heard the front door open. They both looked up, but before they could react, Richard entered the room with Squeaks in his arms.

"Richard!" Kathleen cried, leaping to her feet to hug him. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming up?"

"I did promise to visit the moment I got back," Richard replied as he gave his father a half hug.

"Oh, he just came up because that bag of fur in his arms makes a good lure," Hugh teased.

"I don't care why he's here! I'm just glad to see you, hon! You look so tan!"

"That's shouldn't surprise you, seeing as he's been in Arizona for three and a half weeks in the heat of the summer," Hugh said.

"Are you hungry? Have you eaten anything? Did you come straight up from the airport or go home first?" Kathleen asked as she drew Richard into the kitchen. She stopped and looked at her son closely, realizing that he was unresponsive. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Richard lied.

"You need to eat something," Kathleen said, not fooled for a minute. She was now intimately acquainted with the situation between Richard and Marina and she was determined to treat both of the combatants with kid gloves. "Sit down." Richard put down the cat and washed his hands before he sat down at the kitchen counter. His father, who hadn't seen his son in months, puttered around the kitchen making conversation while Kathleen heated some leftovers and carefully observed her son. Richard sipped his iced tea and answered his father's questions regarding his assignment in Phoenix. When the phone rang, Hugh went off to answer it, leaving Richard alone with his mother. She placed a plate before him and refilled his glass before she took a seat beside him at the counter.

"Now, tell me how you really are."

"I'm exhausted," Richard said as he put down his glass and reached for his fork. "Thanks for this. I'm starving." With that, he tucked into his meal. Kathleen allowed him to eat for a few minutes in silence. Hugh called her and she brushed back a lock of hair to kiss Richard's forehead before she left him alone.

Richard finished his meal in relative solitude, with only Squeaks for company. He shared some of his crab cakes with the cat, and then took his plate and glass to the sink. He washed them and left the kitchen, steering toward the hall, rather than the living room. He grabbed his duffle, mounted the stairs, two at a time and headed for his bedroom. Richard tossed the bag onto his bed and went down the hall to the guestroom. The door was open, but he knocked at it before peering in. A moment later, he was downstairs again. He strode into the living room, where his parents were seated just as he'd found them on his arrival.

"Where's Marina?" Richard asked.

"What do you mean, where's Marina? Didn't you see her in New York?" Hugh asked.

"She left me a note saying she was coming up here to you," Richard returned, suddenly growing suspicious. "In fact, it said that you went down to the city to get her, mom."

"I did. I spoke to her Tuesday night and she said she wanted to come up for a few days. I drove down to get her the first thing next morning. Then she got a call from someone at some museum about a job," Kathleen said.

"Lizzy Bennet," Hugh said helpfully. "From the Cloisters, she said."

"Yes, that's right. She called Marina about an interview and she hopped on a train and went back to the city."

"Well, when did she leave? She wasn't at my place when I got home," Richard asked. Hugh and Kathleen exchanged a glance.

"She left this morning," Kathleen said. "Her interview is tomorrow."

"You must have crossed paths," Hugh surmised.

"Is she coming back here?" Richard demanded. Kathleen nodded, but she suddenly was no longer certain that Marina would return knowing that Richard was waiting.

Chapter 4

Marina entered the narrow corridor leading to the offices of the Cloisters curator. She looked around, puzzled and slightly lost, when Lizzy came to her aid.

"I was just coming out to meet you," Lizzy said with a warm smile. "Charles's office is this way." Marina followed Lizzy down the hall, wondering as she went whether she and William had spoken. She shook off the thought, however, when she reached her destination. Lizzy stayed for the interview, a point of distraction to Marina, but she managed to get through it without a problem. The curator was prepared to offer Marina an opportunity she would be hard-pressed to refuse--a job in the manuscripts collection that Mr. Bingley was willing to work around Marina's schedule at the calligrapher's studio. She would start as a trainee, but be moved into an assistant curator position as soon as new grant funding became available in the spring. Marina was very flattered by the offer. She knew that until she was established as a studio artist she would need a second means of support. She was being offered an opportunity to spend her days cataloguing, studying and touching priceless manuscripts, an opportunity that was almost to good be true--almost. She asked Mr. Bingley if she could have some time to consider his offer. He graciously agreed to allow her to take whatever time she needed, and Marina rose to leave. She shook hands with the curator, said a polite and slightly distant goodbye to Lizzy and stepped out into the hall.

"Why don't I show you out," Lizzy said pleasantly. "In fact, if you have a minute--." Marina caught her breath, but she nodded and allowed Lizzy to lead her out into one of the gardens. "I feel I owe you an apology," Lizzy began haltingly as the pair reached a bench and sat down.

"An apology?" Marina knew what was coming and didn't know whether to stop Lizzy then and there or just let her have her say. She was just about over her anger at William; now Lizzy was about to revisit the source of her pain.

"I feel somehow that I came between you and your boyfriend the other day..."

"William is not my boyfriend," Marina said evenly. "He's actually just my best friend's cousin and he's been kind enough to entertain me while my friend was out of town." Marina was convincing; she saw Lizzy heave a sigh of relief.

"Well, I felt very awkward about it," Lizzy admitted. "I'm not in the habit of ogling men in the company of other women."

"You've probably never been confronted with such an incentive before," Marina said sincerely, and both women laughed.

"He is gorgeous," Lizzy confirmed.

"I think he sort of felt the same way about you. I took the liberty of giving him your card. I hope you don't mind."

"You gave it to him? Oh!"

"He called you?" Lizzy nodded.

"I'm afraid I was rather cool toward him," she confessed. "I had visions of him swiping the card from you and calling me behind your back. I wasn't about to encourage him, especially since I took an instant liking to you and really want you to join the staff." Marina managed a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Lizzy." She dropped her eyes to the hands in her lap.

"Are you sure that you and he--." Marina shook her head.

"Even if we were involved I wouldn't stand a chance, now that he's seen you. I saw the sparks fly when you two looked at each other," Marina said wistfully.

"But you had hopes?" Lizzy asked delicately. Marina sighed.

"I guess I thought we had potential, but we weren't on the verge of anything important. You and Will: that will be important."

"I wouldn't even consider going out with him if--." Marina shook her head again.

"Are you crazy?" she asked with a smile that was in stark contrast to the sadness in her eyes. "If you don't go out with him I wouldn't even consider working here. I wouldn't want an insane woman as a coworker." Lizzy smiled, but she knew that matters were far from resolved between Marina and William. "Here," Marina said as she pulled out her appointment book. She copied William's number onto a piece of paper and handed it to Lizzy. "If you don't call him, you'll have to explain my refusal to Mr. Bingley." With that she rose to her feet.

"I think I'm going to like working with you, Marina," Lizzy said.

"I'll give you my answer in a week," Marina smiled radiantly and walked away.

As she rode the bus back downtown, Marina considered her next actions. She was due to return to Northampton, but she considered stopping by Richard's apartment to see him. When the bus reached Richard's neighborhood, however, her courage failed and she stayed on the bus and rode on to Penn Station. She arrived in plenty of time for her train, and wandered through a bookstore in the station looking for something to read. Her phone rang and she pulled it out of her bag to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Marina," Kathleen said from her home office. She kept her eye on the open door as she spoke. "How did the interview go?"

"It went really well. They want me to come to work in the museum as a trainee in the manuscript section and I'd be moved into an assistant curator position in six months."

"Marina, that's wonderful! Oh, but what about your other plans?"

"That's the best part. When I met Mr. Bingley I told him that I was going to be working with the studio and he was very impressed by that. He took the liberty of calling Craig Wooten and they've agreed to work something out so I would be able to do both the artist-in-residence program and work in the museum. I'd be at the museum part time at first, and work in the studio full-time, and then I'd reverse it when I become a curator."

"That's terrific, Marina! Good for you."

"I'm stoked. I'll be taking the two o'clock train, by the way. Are you still going to meet me?"

"Yes, of course," Kathleen replied. "Marina, you should know that Richard is here." Marina felt her heart fly into her throat.

"But I thought he--."

"He got home yesterday, read your note and decided to come up. He arrived last night."

"Oh," Marina said as she felt her heart begin to pound.

"Wait a minute; where were you last night? I assumed that you were going to stay at Richard's place--."

"No, I stayed with an old college friend of mine. After deciding against being here when Ricky got home, it seemed foolish to go rushing back to his place. Oh, lord," Marina sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "What did he say?"

"He asked for you and seemed surprised to find out that you weren't here," Kathleen told her.

"What am I going to do?"

"I think you should get on the train and come back. You can't avoid him forever, you know. Why don't the two of you sit down and try to work out your differences?"

"It's not that simple...you know what I said to him," Marina said as she looked at her watch and abandoned her search for reading material to go to her platform.

"Do you really think Richard will hold it against you? He knows that you were very upset. You really have to talk to him sooner or later, Marina."

"I'm not ready. I can't!" Marina wailed. "I can't."

"Marina," Kathleen said sternly. "Come home. I'll be here for you and together we'll work things out between you and Richard, all right?" Marina promised, and reluctantly went to the train.

Lizzy, meanwhile returned to her office after running out to get lunch and sat down at her desk, where William's number stared back at her from the slip of paper Marina had pressed into her hand. She bit her lip as she thought about calling the handsome man whose face had been haunting her for nearly a week.

"Well, I do want Marina to join us," Lizzy said as she picked up the phone and dialed. William pulled his phone from his pocket and, not recognizing the number on the caller ID, he frowned as he answered.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Darcy--William--this is Lizzy Bennet." She paused and held her breath.

"Hello," William smiled. "I'm rather surprised to hear from you."

"I'm sure you are after I was so abrupt with you the other day. I've called to apologize. I believe I misconstrued your motives when we spoke."

"How so?" William asked as he sat back in his chair.

"Well," Lizzy said somewhat meekly, "I thought that you were doing something rather heinous--."

"What did you think I'd done?"

"I thought...I thought that you were calling me behind Marina's back. I didn't like the idea that you'd cheat on her like that."

"Well, I--."

"I now know better. I saw Marina today and she said that she gave you my card. I guess I had a mistaken impression about your relationship with her. She cleared things up."

"You saw Marina? Where?" William demanded.

"She came to the museum for an interview today. We've offered her a job in the manuscripts division and I took the opportunity to try and apologize to her for ogling her date." William's eyes lit up.

"Were you?"

"Was I what?"

"Ogling me?" Lizzy turned crimson.

"Yes, I was."

"Marina accused me of swooning," William confessed.

"Did you?"

"I didn't think so... actually I thought there had been an underground tremor and the earth shifted slightly, thus throwing me off balance." Lizzy laughed.

"That's rather an elaborate defense," she said, but she grew serious. "About Marina--."

"Yes," William said. "I should explain." He told Lizzy about his brief relationship with Marina and how she had stepped aside when she saw the look he had shared with Lizzy. "I'm still not very comfortable with it," William confided. "She gave me her blessing but she has refused to talk to me since then."

"Maybe it was harder for her to walk away than she cared to let on," Lizzy said, recalling the sadness in Marina's eyes that morning. "She insisted that I call you, but I knew it was painful for her to even discuss the incident." William sighed.

"I never meant to hurt her."

"I think she realizes that. But that doesn't mean that she wasn't hurt."

"Rejection always hurts," William said soberly. Lizzy hesitated for a minute.

"William, if all goes as I hope, Marina and I will be working together."

"So it would be awkward if you and I were to start seeing each other..."

"Actually," Lizzy said brightly, "She threatened not to take the job unless I did." William laughed.

"I don't know why that surprises me. According to Fitz, Marina is full of surprises."

"Who's Fitz?"

"He's my cousin--."

"Oh, Marina's friend."

"Yes. So, I guess we don't have any choice in this, do we? I mean it kind of sounds as though we've been given a mandate to live happily ever after," William said with a crooked smile.

"I don't recall Marina using such words...why don't we take this one step at a time?" Lizzy replied.

"Sorry; my heart is racing way ahead of my brain at the moment. Dinner?"

"Dinner sounds lovely," Lizzy said as she felt her own heart give chase. They made dinner arrangements and William hung up the phone. He pumped his fist and shouted "yes!" as someone knocked on his door.

"Are you all right?" Jessica asked.

"I've never been better," William said as he rose and went to place a book back on a shelf.

"What was that shouting about?"

"It's nothing you need concern yourself with," William said as he returned to his seat still wearing a wide grin.

"Well, something's got you on the edge of your seat," she said folding her arms and waiting for an explanation.

"All right, if you must know, I've just made a date with the most divine creature I've ever laid eyes upon," William revealed. Jessica's mouth fell open and she dropped her arms.

"Well, thanks for sharing," she said as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the office.

"You asked!" William shrugged.

Richard had slept late that morning, jet lag catching up with him. When he awoke, he found himself alone in the house and after eating breakfast, Richard decided to hop in his car and go into town to pick up a few things he needed. He drove back to the house, left his car in the driveway and retired to the den to watch television. A few hours later, as he napped on the couch, his mother appeared at the doorway.

"Richard I need to get my car out and you're blocking my path." Richard blinked a few times and frowned.

"I thought you were out somewhere," he said as he sat up and lifted Squeaks off of his abdomen. He rose to his feet stretching.

"I've been upstairs in my office all day. The semester begins in two weeks and I'm finalizing syllabi."

"What office? Since when do you have an office?"

"I've had one for months now; your father built it for me in the attic."

"Oh. I had no idea," Richard said as he walked out to the driveway. "Where are you headed? I'm up for a road trip."

"I'm going to the train station to meet Marina." Richard froze momentarily as he reached his car.

"Stay here. I'll go." He got into the car and started the engine before Kathleen could protest. She said something but he pretended not to hear her as he backed down the driveway and turned onto the road. Kathleen watched him go and for a moment contemplated calling Marina to warn her. She thought better of it; the sooner those two were face to face and talking the better.

Kathleen went back into the house and into the kitchen, anticipating that both Marina and Richard would be hungry when they came back. As she puttered around, Kathleen thought about what Marina had told her. She had to admit that she was disappointed that things didn't work out between her and William. She thought that they would be good for each other, although in hindsight such a match might have had disastrous consequences. But William had met someone else and Marina was convinced that it was love at first sight. Perhaps Kathleen would win the contest without having to lift a finger!

At the moment, though, she was more concerned about the state of affairs between Marina and Richard. It was so unlike them to be at odds with one another. Kathleen was inclined to believe that Marina had overreacted; she was perhaps the one person who knew Marina better than Richard, and she knew that the girl had always been hypersensitive about Richard's tendency to intervene on her behalf without her prior permission. She had never understood it, though, until her talk with Marina on the way up to the house two days earlier. Now, she feared, things were destined to get worse for them before they got better, especially when Anne learned of Richard's return and tried to tempt him with her line-up of potential brides.

"Oh, why did I ever agree to this stupid idea?" Kathleen said.

Marina stepped down from the train and spotted Richard on the platform. She looked around, hoping to see Kathleen as well, but he was apparently alone. He had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his baggy denim shorts, and he looked very much like the twelve-year-old she sat next to in middle school.

"Where's Mrs. F?" she said when she was within earshot.

"I volunteered to do the run," Richard said as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. He smiled at Marina and closed the distance between them. "Welcome home, Emmy," he said softly as he took her into his arms. He had to pull her closer; she stood stiffly for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. He felt her reticence and it stung. "My car's this way," he said with a jerk of his head. He took her overnight bag and escorted her to the car.

Marina's head throbbed as she followed Richard to the car. Part of her was happy to see him and wanted to be enfolded in his arms again. His unconditional support and friendship had always been the most important thing in her life, and she wanted more than anything to see it restored. But at the same time she knew that things could never again be the same between them. Richard reached out and touched her shoulder. She started and turned to glance at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said as she stood aside to let Richard unlock the door. "I was just thinking about something."

"You're still mad at me," Richard said in a tone that was both challenging and remorseful.

"Can we not go into that now?" Marina asked as she got into the car. Richard opened his mouth, shut it again, and went around to the driver's side. He got in and started the engine.

"Are we stopping for ice cream?" Marina shook her head. "Whatever you say." They rode in silence for several minutes. "So what was this interview about?"

"It was for a job at the Cloisters." Marina averted her eyes and Richard was content to let the matter drop but Marina continued. "I was offered a position as a trainee in the manuscript division. In six months I could become an assistant curator."

"So you have to choose between this job offer and that studio thing mom told me about?"

"That's the best part; I don't have to choose. They're willing to share me," Marina said unenthusiastically.

"That's great," Richard replied. "You know, I've always thought it was neat how you decided at the age of ten what you wanted to do with your life and set out to make it happen. Not many people know what they want out of life at that age much less have the wherewithal to choose such a unique interest to pursue. Not only did you figure all that out, you've accomplished all your objectives. That's really cool, Emmy," he said with obvious pride.

"Thank you, but you're giving me way too much credit. You make it sound like I'm such a success. That's hardly the case."

"You are a success, and I'm really proud of you," Richard said as he momentarily reached out his hand to squeeze one of Marina's.

"Maybe I have always known what I've wanted in life, but I haven't always gotten what I wanted; far from it. And I've managed to screw up a few things big time."

"No one's perfect, Emmy."

"No; and least of all me." Richard glanced at Marina. Her face was turned toward the side window, but intimate knowledge of her told him that she was deeply hurting and near tears. Richard wondered just how much Marina felt for William; perhaps she had fallen hard and was suffering far worse that he originally thought, in which case he had indeed played a role in her current misery. He reached out his hand again, but Marina withdrew hers and again Richard felt the sting of her rejection. A wave of frustration washed over him. He wanted more than anything to stop the car and hold her for a while, but he continued on to the house hoping against hope that his mother would succeed where he'd failed.

Anne Darcy dialed Richard's number and once again reached his answering machine. She hung up the phone and put her hands on her hips and sighed.

"Kathleen assured me that Richard would be back by today. I hope she isn't trying to pull a fast one!" Anne reached for the phone again and dialed her sister's number.

"Oh, hello, Anne," Kathleen said when she heard her sister's voice.

"Don't you 'hello' me, you little sneak! Where is he?"

"Excuse me?"

"Richard; you told me he'd be home today," Anne said exasperatedly.

"Oh! He came up here. It's a long story," Kathleen replied.

"Well, I'd love to hear it. No, don't tell me: he arrived in New York and just happened to decide to pay his dear mother a visit."

"Actually, that's true."

"Kathy, if you're deliberately trying to keep your son away from me--."

"I'm doing nothing of the sort, Anne, I assure you. Just to prove it, I'll have him call you later."

"Later?" Anne said suspiciously.

"He's out at the moment making a run to the train station. I'll have him call you as soon as he gets back."

"If you're trying to trick me..."

"He'll call you, Anne!" Kathleen shook her head after she hung up the phone. A few minutes later, Marina and Richard came through the door. Marina headed straight for Kathleen and received a warm hug that made Richard feel slightly envious. He picked up Marina's bag and took it up to the guestroom. Then he went to his own bedroom and was about to close the door when he heard his mother call him. He swore under his breath and returned to the first floor.

"Your Aunt Anne called while you were out. I promised to have you call her back as soon as you returned."

"Aunt Anne? Which one?" Richard asked. He had Aunt Annes on both sides of the family.

"William's mother."

"Oh." At the mention of William's name, Marina looked up. Her eyes met Richard's and both quickly looked away. Marina went to the stove and put the teakettle on and Richard went to the phone. He dialed his maternal aunt and sat down on a stool as he waited for her to pick up. Kathleen chatted with Marina about the interview while Richard spoke with his aunt and observed the two women.

"Hello, Aunt Anne," Richard said pleasantly.

"Oh, hello, Richard! How good of you to call back so promptly. How are you? I heard you've been in Phoenix."

"Yeah, I was there on assignment for three weeks."

"What is it you do, exactly?" Anne asked, out of curiosity. She'd been trying to describe her nephew to Richard's potential candidates, but she had no idea what he did for a living.

"I'm a structural engineer and I work for a firm that analyzes accidents and disasters."

"Whatever for?" Anne asked bluntly. Richard's job didn't sound very exciting.

"Well, if you bought a house and it fell apart, wouldn't you like to know why? My firm assesses the cause of the collapse for insurance claims, lawsuits, and things like that."

"Oh. Does that pay well?"

"Yes," Richard replied with a curious frown.

"Oh, good. And where did you learn to do that, by the way? I mean, did you study for it?"

"Yes, Aunt Anne," Richard chuckled, still curious as to why she was asking. "I have a Master's degree in engineering from MIT, remember?"

"Oh, yes. Anyway, I am giving a dinner party next week, and I'd love it if you'd come and join us. You'll be back in the city then, won't you?"

"Sure, when is it?"

"Next Saturday. I'll send you something in the mail, but I just wanted to confirm your availability."

"Great! Should I bring someone?" Richard asked quietly.

"Oh," Anne faltered a moment. "Actually, Richard, I was rather hoping that you'd add some much-needed masculinity to the gathering. I'm afraid I've rather over-invited on the female side."

"I see," Richard smiled, "You need a warm male body to balance out the numbers."

"Do you mind?"

"No; it's been a while since I've seen you. Will--." Richard rethought the question in light of Marina's proximity. "Will my cousins be there?"

"Well, Georgiana will be there...I haven't spoken to Will yet," Anne said. "But I'll let you know as soon as I do. I'll see you next Saturday."

"I look forward to it," Richard said. Anne hung thought for a moment. The last thing she wanted was for William to attend her dinner. She didn't want any competition for Richard and she didn't want William to be attracted to any of the women she'd carefully chosen for her nephew. No, she had to see to it that William did not attend the dinner.

When Richard got off the phone he looked across the room and saw his mother and Marina deeply involved in a discussion. He took that as his cue to leave and slipped out of the room. A half hour or so later he was awakened by Marina.

"I hate to wake you but you're in my room." Richard blinked at her.

"Excuse me? This is my room; has been since I was born."

"Yeah, but you moved out. Since then it's been mine." Richard sat up.

"What?"

"I've been staying here for the last two years whenever I've come to visit. If you don't believe me, look in the drawers! Well, maybe you shouldn't look in the drawers," Marina said hastily with a light blush. "But if you're staying here you should be in the guest room."

"You're out of your mind!" Richard laughed. "This is my room and I'm sleeping here! You can just take your stuff out of my--." Before he could finish his sentence Richard had been unceremoniously pushed off of the bed. He hit his elbow and the back of his head on the night stand and howled. Marina immediately threw herself across the bed and tried to help him. But Richard flinched at her touch and scrambled to his feet. "I forgot for a minute that you were mad at me," he said as he walked out of the room.

He knew that Marina had been playing with him but he suspected that the strength of her shove reflected something beyond the game they were engaged in. He was stunned by how hard she had pushed him and thought it better to retreat. Marina followed Richard out of the room but only watched as he entered the guest room and slammed the door behind him. She sighed and bit her lip. After a moment, she went to the door and knocked.

"Are you okay, Ricky?"

"Yeah, fine," he replied gruffly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," she said. Richard smiled at the irony of her choice of words.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," he said as he rolled over on the bed so that his back was to the door.

"May I come in?" Marina asked, her hand poised on the knob.

"I'm trying to take a nap, Emmy," Richard sighed. "Can't this wait till later?" Marina dropped her hand to her side and stared at the door for a moment. Then she went downstairs and went out into the backyard, pausing to grab her sketchbook. She opened it and in looking for a blank page she came across a sketch of William that she'd made from memory. She gazed at it for a moment before she ripped it out of the book and tore it up. She picked up the sketchbook that had fallen to her feet and opened it again. She was confronted by a drawing of Richard she'd made in Paris. She tore that up, too. Then Marina began to just tear out page after page, destroying months' worth of drawings. She finally gave up and hurled the book as far as she could throw it. Then she covered her face with her hands and wept.

Marina retreated to her room and did not come down for dinner, telling Kathleen only that she had a headache and was not hungry. Richard didn't mention the incident in his bedroom, and after a quiet supper, he spent the evening with his father discussing his work. When he went up to go to bed, Richard remembered that his things were in the room Marina had usurped from him. He knocked lightly on the door and, receiving no answer, he gently pushed it open and entered. Marina was curled up on the bed hugging a pillow and looking back at him.

"I'm sorry to intrude. I just need to get my stuff," Richard said meekly. He went into the adjoining bathroom to get his toiletries and shaving kit. When he came out he walked over to the nightstand to retrieve his watch. Marina sat up.

"Ricky, I'm sorry about earlier. I really wasn't trying to kill you," she said with a wry smile. Richard sat on the edge of the bed.

"I never thought that, Emmy. I just wish...I wish you'd let me in," he said as he reached out and pushed an errant strand of hair out of her eyes. "This isn't like us." Marina dipped her head slightly--enough to avert her eyes and gently but deliberately evade Richard's touch.

"No it's not," she replied. "I think it's time I learned to be a little more self-reliant."

"What are you talking about? You've always been self-reliant!"

"When I was in Europe, maybe...I'm beginning to reconsider my decision to come back here. Perhaps it was a mistake," Marina said softly, her eyes still averted.

"No, Marina, it wasn't a mistake. All right, you got off to a bumpy start, and suffered a disappointment. But you can't let this thing with William--."

"What makes you think this has anything to do with William?" Marina spat. "I'm talking about me! I don't...oh, never mind! Forget I said anything!" Marina said as she rolled over and turned her back to him. Richard didn't want to start another argument or further upset her, so he rose to leave. He tried to think of something comforting to say, but couldn't find the right words. So he settled for leaning over the bed and kissing Marina's hair.

"I'm here for you," he whispered. Richard gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze and, grabbing his duffel, left the room. He went into the guest room and flopped on the bed, confused and frustrated.

As miserable as his cousin was, William was elated. His date with Lizzy had gone exceedingly well. He had wisely resisted every urge he had to try and sweep Lizzy off her feet and taken her out for a simple dinner at an elegant restaurant. They talked for hours about anything and everything, before taking a stroll through Greenwich Village hand in hand. When William brought her home, Lizzy invited him in for coffee and they spent two more hours talking. By the time William reached his own apartment, he was convinced that he had found the woman of his dreams.

Early Saturday morning, Kathleen went down to the kitchen and put on water for coffee. She decided to make a big country breakfast, and set about assembling the ingredients she needed. She gazed out of the window as she washed a basket of blueberries and noticed a flurry of white paper in the backyard. Curious, she stepped outside and picked up one of the pieces. With mounting horror, she picked up another and another. She came inside nearly ten minutes later with a large wad of torn and crumbled drawings. Under her arm was the dew-dampened sketchbook Marina had thrown into the bushes. Kathleen was heartbroken as she tried to piece together what had happened. Richard entered the kitchen with a smile for his mother, but his face fell when he saw her expression.

"Do you know anything about this?" she asked. Richard picked up the pad and shook his head.

"Where did you find it?" he asked. Richard sat down glumly as Kathleen told him of her discovery. He, in turn told his mother about his confrontation with Marina the previous afternoon. "Well, what was I supposed to do? I tried talking to her earlier and she said she wasn't ready to talk so I went up to my room to take a nap" he said defensively. "She followed me up there and pushed me out of my own bed! How does that make me the bad guy?"

"I'm not accusing you of being the bad guy, Richard. I just don't understand what's going on between you two," Kathleen said calmly.

"Look, I'm really sorry about it, mom, but to tell you the truth, I don't even know why she's angry with me much less why she did this," Richard said as he looked at the balled up shreds of what were formerly Marina's drawings.

"Richard, sit down," Kathleen said, wondering how much she could say without betraying Marina's confidence. "Did it occur to you that maybe she didn't want your help?" Richard gazed at his mother for a moment.

"No," he said, finally, "Although she made it quite clear that my assistance was unappreciated. But I still don't understand why she's angry. I only said the exact same thing as she did. Why should she be mad if I only backed her up?"

"Did it occur to you that perhaps she was giving William a choice, and that your encouragement tipped the scales in this other woman's favor?" Again, Richard pondered his mother's words before speaking. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Don't tell me that Marina has fallen in love with William!"

Continued in Next Section