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William finished up his work, intent on leaving early. He was putting some papers into his briefcase when Jessica knocked on the door.
"Planning on sneaking out early, are you?"
"On leaving, yes; sneaking out, no."
"What are you doing this weekend?"
"The usual family stuff," William said casually, as he continued to sort things to either take with him or leave on his desk for Tuesday.
"I'm going to a party out in the Hamptons on Saturday night. Think you can get away for a few hours?" Jessica asked hopefully.
"Probably not. We're having a party of our own." Jessica pressed her lips together in a thin pale line.
"You and Lizzy?"
"And the rest of the family, yes."
"I see. Well, have a good weekend," she said as she headed for the door.
"Thank you," William said as he picked up the phone. He dialed a number and sat back, checking his watch as it rang. "Hello, dad," William said when he heard George's voice.
"William! Are you on your way out here?"
"Not yet. I have to stop by my apartment first and then I have to pick up Lizzy."
"Lizzy?"
"Uh, yeah; that's why I called. I wanted to let you know that I'd be bringing someone this weekend." William waited for his father's response.
"Will she be staying with you or shall I have Mrs. Reynolds fix up another room?" William hesitated; he didn't want to be presumptuous, but another thought occurred to him.
"Richard will be bringing someone as well, I think. We may be tight for space, with Aunt Kathy and Uncle Hugh and Grandma Bess and her...uh, friend all on the premises."
"Your grandmother and her friend will be staying in the guest house," George replied evenly, referring to the tiny cottage on the property that had been newly renovated to accommodate his mother in law. "That leaves three bedrooms free, one of which will be used by Kathy and Hugh. I'll let you and Richard figure out the logistics for the two remaining rooms."
"Um...right. I guess we'll get it all sorted once we get out there," William said. "Would you let mom know about the extra guests? Thanks."
"Coward!" George said before he hung up. William smiled and dialed Richard's number.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Marina. This is William. Is Richard home yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Oh, well, would you tell him to give me a call when he arrives?"
"Sure."
"How are you?" William asked delicately.
"I'm okay. William, thank you for the other night; I really appreciate your allowing me to horn in on your date with Lizzy and blubber all over the place like an idiot."
"Anytime," William chuckled.
"I hope there won't be any need for a repeat of that scene," Marina said earnestly and William said a silent amen.
"Are things okay between the two of you?"
"I think so. He loves me," Marina said with a voice so full of wonder it made William smile.
"I know. Well, I'll see you later this evening," William said.
"I look forward to it. William?"
"Yes?"
"Why do I need a bathing suit this weekend?" William's eyebrows rose.
"Richard probably wants to take you out on the Sound."
"I don't get along with water very well. I wasn't very aptly named, you know."
"What should you have been called, do you think?"
"Violet. I'll see you later." William laughed at the remark as he hung up the phone. He looked up and saw Jessica standing before him, glowering.
"Yes?"
"Sorry to ruin your plans, but McNeil wants this revised before you leave today," she said as she handed William a folder. William frowned.
"What's wrong with it?"
"Maybe you were too busy planning your romantic weekend to hear the news. Zedtech's stock plunged today after the CEO revised this quarter's earning projections." William took the folder from Jessica's hand and fumed silently. He'd missed the announcement for precisely the reasons Jessica had suggested. The figures in the prospectus would have to be recalculated if not completely revised to include alternative recommendations. William sighed and sat back.
"How come I'm stuck with it? We all worked on it," he asked suspiciously. He mistrusted her motives for bringing the matter to his attention at that precise moment. She openly gloated as she pointed out that it was William who'd made the projections.
"Besides, I have work of my own to do," Jessica said, waving a second folder as she headed for the door. "Have fun." With that she left, leaving William to groan aloud. He picked up the phone and called Lizzy before he pulled off his jacket and sat down to work.
"I did mention that this was only going to be a weekend trip?" William said an hour later as he eyed the valise sitting near the door of his office. Lizzy had decided to meet him there, since his car was downtown.
"That is a weekender, Mr. Darcy," Lizzy countered as she dodged the kiss he was about to plant on her lips to walk away in mock annoyance. He caught hold of her hand before she got far and pulled her into his arms.
"You won't need that much clothing." Lizzy looked askance at him. "It's summer, you know," William explained archly. "You can probably get away without the three sweaters and the parka you must have stuffed in there."
"I could just unpack the bag," Lizzy countered.
"And stay home? Hmm," William said as he nuzzled her neck. "That sounds rather tempting...if I stay home with you." Lizzy pushed William away.
"You're incorrigible," she laughed. "I'll have you know that I packed only the bare essentials," she said as she looked around the office.
"I hope that includes a bikini."
"Two." William smiled and absently reached for the phone in his pocket when it began to ring. His eyes never left Lizzy as he tried to envision her in a bikini and splashing through the surf.
"Hey."
"Hey? What's wrong, Will?"
"Absolutely nothing; I got caught up in something here so I'm a bit behind schedule," William said as he snapped out of it and blinked a few times. "Are you two ready to head out?"
"Yeah, just about; I got home a short time ago and took a shower" Richard said. "All I have to do now is throw a few things into a bag and I'm ready."
"We'll meet at our usual place in thirty minutes."
"Cool." William closed the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
"May I use the facilities before we go?" Lizzy asked. William showed Lizzy where the ladies room was and tracked down a female employee with the key. While he was thus occupied, Jessica returned to William's office. She found it empty, save for a suitcase that apparently belonged to a woman. She sneered at it and was about to leave when the phone rang. She walked over to the desk and answered it.
"William Darcy's office."
"Oh," Anne Darcy said. "Is my son there?" Jessica smiled.
"He stepped out for a minute, Mrs. Darcy."
"Oh."
"He should be back in a moment. May I take a message?"
"Would you just tell him that I called about the sleeping arrangements? He'll understand."
"For the weekend, you mean?"
"Yes; is this Lizzy?" Jessica smiled.
"Yes, it is, Mrs. Darcy."
"Oh! I'm pleased to meet you, Lizzy. I just wanted to know if I should put you in William's room or in the guest room with Marina. I didn't want to assume anything."
"I'd like to room with Marina. William and I only began seeing each other recently and we haven't--."
"I understand. I'm glad I asked, then. I look forward to meeting you in person, Lizzy."
"Thank you. I look forward to meeting you, too, Mrs. Darcy."
"I'll see you both later."
"Bye." Jessica hung up the phone and smiled as she returned to her office.
Richard put Marina's car into his parking space in the garage under his building and then loaded his own vehicle with their bags and Marina's tote bag full of art supplies. She never went anywhere without them, Richard thought amusingly. They headed out of the city in a good mood, content to enjoy each other's company and just talk about insignificant things. Richard pulled off the highway and stopped at a roadside stand. He bought ice cream cones for himself and Marina and handed hers to her just as William's Jaguar pulled up alongside his Jeep Liberty.
"Hey there," Richard said as William got out of the car. Lizzy got out as well; she was rather looking forward to meeting the man her new friend had been pining over. Richard's disarming smile was startlingly similar to William's, down to the dimples. There the resemblance ended, however. Richard was slightly taller, and he was fair where William was dark, his musculature was substantial and athletic where William's was lean and sinewy like a dancer's. Richard exuded boyish charm while William was all man, urbane and smooth as silk. At a glance, Lizzy knew that the cousins were as different as night and day and both were drop-dead gorgeous. She felt slightly light-headed in the midst of so much testosterone and wondered if Marina was similarly affected. Marina, however, was more interested in the fact that she was seeing the two men together for the first time and she, too was impressed by their similarities and differences. "You must be Lizzy," Richard said as he extended his hand.
"Yes. Hello, Richard," she said with a quick smile for Marina. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."
"Same here."
"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" William interjected. He purchased a cone for Lizzy and got back into the car. The others loaded up as well. William took the lead and headed back to the highway. An hour later they pulled onto the private road that led to Anne and George Darcy's home.
Anne came out to greet the new arrivals. While William and Lizzy had chatted amiably on the road, Lizzy had grown quiet and slightly nervous as they approached the house. She waited for William to get out of the car and address his mother while she composed herself, but William opened the door for her, intent on making an immediate introduction. Meanwhile, Richard gently jostled Marina, who had fallen asleep as soon as they'd returned to the highway. She opened her eyes and peered out of the SUV.
"Wow!" she breathed as she climbed out of the vehicle and stretched. Richard took her hand and led her over to where William was introducing Lizzy to his mother.
"Oh, and this is Marina Escher," William concluded as he put his hand on her shoulder and urged her forward.
"Welcome, Lizzy, Marina. Do come in and make yourselves at home," Anne said with a gracious smile. Richard and William exchanged a glance as Anne allowed the women to pass through into the house then reached up and pulled William's cheek to her face for a kiss. She repeated the gesture on Richard, who also gave her a warm hug.
"Thanks for having us out this weekend," he said as they walked across the foyer arm in arm.
"Well, I'm always glad to have you here, Richard. But I must say I am intrigued. You didn't mention Marina when you were here last week," Anne said slyly. Richard wrinkled his nose in confusion. According to Jane, he had mentioned Marina's name several times over the course of the weekend. But Richard figured that his aunt meant something else.
"It's a rather recent development," he said shyly.
"So I've heard. You must tell me all about it, later," Anne said as she released him and went ahead to her other guests. Lizzy and Marina were standing with William, who was explaining something or other about the house. Anne wasn't interested in his words; she was far more interested in the woman standing beside her son. Lizzy felt the eyes on her back and tried not to flinch. She knew that Anne's curiosity was natural, but it still made her feel awkward. Richard walked over to the French doors and looked outside. He waved at someone and stepped aside as Georgiana came rushing into the room.
"Richard!" She hugged him tightly.
"Hi, sweetness," he said as he gently pulled her away. "Come here a minute; I'd like you to meet some people." He led Georgiana over to the others and made the introductions.
"Lizzy, Marina, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Georgiana." Marina eyed the newcomer composedly.
"Hello, Georgiana," she said.
"Hi. Please call me 'Gee' or 'Georgie.' Everyone does."
"Hello, Gee," Lizzy smiled. Georgiana turned and eyed her critically.
"You're William's; I can tell. You look like someone he'd go crazy over," she said in a manner designed to make her brother wince. She turned her attention to Marina, who visibly flinched. "And you...you I'm going to be insanely envious of."
"Why?"
"Don't ask," Richard said as he took Marina's hand and pulled her out of harm's way.
"No," William said easily. "You're both well advised to ignore my sister as much as you can while you're here. I always do." Marina didn't know whether or not William was teasing and she looked decidedly worried. Georgiana had already taken a seat and forgotten about the remark, completely oblivious to the notion that it might be taken seriously. Lizzy sat beside Georgiana and engaged her in conversation while Richard drew Marina outside onto the terrace to show her the view. William went over to chat with his mother.
"You're staring," William said.
"I must say she is rather pretty. I think Georgie hit the nail on the head."
"She did," William said with a crooked smile as he stared at Lizzy himself. The target of all the attention glanced up and looked slightly alarmed by all the scrutiny. William averted his eyes and looked outside to where Richard and Marina were talking. "Are Aunt Kathy and Uncle Hugh here yet?"
"Oh, yes," Anne said as she came out of her reverie and looked toward the terrace as well. "They arrived a few hours ago and are taking a walk on the beach."
"Hail, hail, the gang's all here," William muttered.
"What did she mean by that?" Marina asked Richard as they stepped outside.
"Nothing; well, Gee has always had something of a crush on me," Richard admitted.
"Oh. Her too, huh?" She didn't seem at all jealous, just amused. "It's beautiful out here," Marina said, quickly changing the subject.
"Yes it is. The house is on a couple of acres of waterfront property. In addition to the house, there's a tennis court, a pool, a guest house, a boat house--."
"Wow. I had no idea William was from such a wealthy family. I might have put up a fight for him had I known."
"Hey!" Richard exclaimed. "I'm not exactly a pauper, you know."
"Does William manage your investments?" Richard nodded in reply as he drew closer and put his face to the back of Marina's head to inhale the scent of her hair.
"He promised to make me a millionaire by my thirtieth birthday," Richard said. He couldn't resist; he wrapped his arms around her waist. She immediately stiffened.
"Isn't that Mr. F coming this way?" Marina asked, instinctively pulling out of Richard's grasp. Richard followed her line of vision and saw his father in the distance, his mother trailing slightly behind. He moved closer to Marina but made no attempt to touch her in deference to her sudden attack of shyness.
"Richard can have his usual room and the two girls can share the other one. Marina won't mind sharing with Lizzy, would she?" William opened his mouth and closed it before he shook his head.
"I don't suppose she would. They're friends."
"Fine. I'll have their luggage brought up and placed in their rooms." William nodded and stepped out onto the terrace, where Kathleen and Hugh were just arriving.
"Marina! This is a pleasant surprise," Hugh said as he enfolded her in a bear hug.
"Hello, Mr. F," Marina said. She basked in the warmth of his hug for a moment before reaching out for Kathleen. "Hello, Mrs. F."
"Hello, Marina," Kathleen said as she kissed her hair. "And William," Kathleen smiled as he, too, gave her a warm welcome.
"Good to see you both. Come inside, there's someone I'd like you to meet." William proudly led his aunt over to where Georgiana and Lizzy were sitting. Lizzy looked up and had no doubt in her mind that she was in the presence of Richard's parents. The resemblance was unmistakable. Introductions were made and Anne returned from directing Reynolds, the butler, to take the luggage up to the appropriate rooms. It was easy to distinguish the women's luggage from the men's. Reynolds was already familiar with William's luggage and Richard's had a luggage tag on his bag with his name on it, so she hadn't bothered to interrupt the gathering in the living room. Presently, however, she asked for everyone's attention.
"Dinner will be served in a few minutes. I'm sure the new arrivals will want to freshen up before we eat. Lizzy, Marina, Mrs. Reynolds will show you to your room. Richard, I've put you in your usual spot." Richard smiled, but Lizzy frowned slightly as she made to follow the housekeeper toward the stairs. Marina trailed behind. Kathleen held William back momentarily.
"She's everything you said she was, Will." He smiled at the compliment.
"That's not possible; she's more than I ever imagined. Every time I'm with her I find more reasons to love her." Kathleen gave his arm an affectionate squeeze as they walked up the steps together. Anne had heard her son's last remark and watched him go with a small amount of trepidation.
"What a view!" Marina said as she gazed at the Long Island Sound from the guest room window. Lizzy made a noncommittal grunt and Marina turned around. Lizzy had opened her suitcase and was pulling things from it and tossing them on the bed. "Lizzy?"
"Yes," she replied without looking up.
"Would you rather be near the window?" Lizzy shook her head. "Oh...were you and William planning to..." Lizzy shrugged and shook her head in a way that gave no clear answer.
"No, not--; well, we hadn't actually discussed it, but I did assume... It just strikes me as kind of strange that his mother would make that decision for two people well beyond the age of consent, you know?" Marina nodded.
"Richard is in the habit of making decisions for me." Lizzy looked up. "No, not that! Well, actually, he--well, he didn't...never mind," Marina said, blushing furiously.
"I suppose we should dress for dinner," she said as she pulled out a sundress and laid it out on the bed.
"Oh, I didn't bring a dress. I do have a skirt in here somewhere and one of those big scarf things..."
"Well, let's make ourselves acceptably presentable, shall we?" Lizzy said sarcastically. Fifteen minutes later, Lizzy and Marina reappeared in the living room. Kathleen had changed out of her bathing suit and shorts and into a loose-fitting dress and Richard had switched his shorts for a pair of well-worn jeans, but other than that, everyone was attired just as they had been earlier. Lizzy and Marina exchanged a look.
"Oh, you've changed for dinner," Anne said. "How lovely, although we really don't stand on ceremony around here." Marina and Lizzy exchanged a second look. Lizzy was certain that Anne's tone earlier had clearly implied that she did but she remained silent, assuming she was somewhat paranoid where William's mother was concerned. "Let's all go into the dining room, shall we? I believe the others will meet us there."
William took Lizzy's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as he led her into the dining room. Marina gravitated toward Kathy and was pleased to find herself seated between her and Richard at the huge table. On the opposite side, Lizzy smiled back at her. Both women looked around in awe. The table easily sat twelve, and it was clear from the number of chairs arranged along the wall that the table could be extended to seat twice that number. The two women silently conveyed their impressions with wide-eyed looks as William watched them with amusement. The doors opened and Hugh and George walked into the room. Lizzy looked upon George with interest. He was an older, shorter version of his son, with silver grey hair and pronounced laugh lines. He was stockier than William and looked surprisingly robust, belying William's earlier admission about his father's recent illness. William rose to introduce the two women.
"Father, I'd like you to meet Lizzy Bennet and Marina Escher." George welcomed them both to his home and expressed a desire to know them better. Lizzy knew immediately that she liked the man. There was a twinkle in his eye and a charm reminiscent of his son. She observed him as he took his place at the head of the table and everyone tucked into a delicious lobster dinner.
"So, Marina," Kathleen began. "How did your interview go?"
"Oh, it went very well. I start working on Tuesday. Lizzy and I will be working on a batch of new acquisitions," she said enthusiastically.
"I can't wait to get my hands on them," Lizzy concurred.
"Oh no," William teased. "Don't tell me that I'm going to be hearing the two of you discussing sixteenth century herbal remedies from now on." Lizzy gently elbowed William in the ribs, but Marina looked confused.
"I've never studied herbal medicine," she said.
"No, but you have read manuscripts with recipes, haven't you?" William asked.
"I'm the one with five years of Latin under my belt," Lizzy said with a wink for Marina.
"I only have two years of Latin, but I can read French. I haven't come across any recipes, however," Marina admitted.
"Oh, you will," Lizzy smiled. "And we'll have to get you to use one of them to make something for our staff picnic." William rolled his eyes.
"Expecting indigestion?" Georgiana teased and William grimaced as he recalled an earlier discussion with Lizzy on that subject.
"Hugh and I were a bit concerned when we didn't hear from you after your meeting," Kathleen said to Marina during a break in the conversation.
"Well, she was probably too busy being a drama queen," Richard said casually. "We argued, she left, we argued, she came back...the usual thing," he said as he dipped a chunk of lobster into his dish of drawn butter. Marina gaped at him in disbelief.
"Is everything all right?" Hugh asked from his place beside Lizzy.
"Yes," Marina answered hastily before Richard could say anything more embarrassing.
"She's promised not to move out again," Richard added as he reached over with his free hand and took Marina's. She pulled it away with a pout and busied herself with removing a piece of lobster flesh from a claw. "It was all my fault this time, by the way." Marina looked up at him sharply, but her expression immediately softened when she met Richard's eyes. William and Lizzy exchanged a smile of approval.
"You're living with him?" Georgiana gasped.
"Am I hearing correctly?" Anne asked from her end of the table. "Marina is living with you?" Richard froze for a second and Marina blushed. Hugh explained the situation but Anne could not be totally mollified by it. She looked at William suddenly, and Lizzy could not help but roll her eyes and foresee a long weekend ahead.
After dinner was over everyone repaired to the terrace, where they were served fresh fruit for dessert. Lizzy looked out across the expanse of grass to the shore a short distance away and William drew close and asked if she'd like to see the beach close up. Lizzy nodded enthusiastically, but just as William took her hand to lead her away, he heard his mother's voice.
"Oh, William, is it fair to leave your other guests?" Anne said. William frowned and looked around at the assembled group. As far as he could tell, the only other person who could truly be considered a guest was Marina. Richard caught his eye and rose to his feet.
"Why don't we join you?" he said with a slight nod to Marina. She dutifully rose and allowed herself to be led down the path to the beach. As soon as the foursome reached it, however, they split up into pairs, with Richard and Marina taking the lead. William and Lizzy followed at a leisurely pace.
"Sorry about that," William said apologetically.
"What are you apologizing for?"
"For my mother; she's--."
"You mean her policy of 'divide and conquer'?" Lizzy laughed. "Try visiting New Hampshire; my mom could probably teach yours a thing or two."
"You haven't seen enough of my mother to really pass fair judgment," William said defensively.
"No, but I certainly have seen enough of mine. I defy your mother to top her! What am I saying?" Lizzy slapped forehead and William laughed.
"That bad?" Lizzy shuddered in reply. "Well, at least my mother means well," William said. "How about yours?" Lizzy shrugged.
"It's hard to tell what my mother means sometimes." William laughed again and wrapped his arm about Lizzy's waist to draw her closer.
"Well, if my mother is off-putting, it's just her way of saying 'be careful with my only male child.' Don't take it personally."
"You know, I've been meaning to ask you about that; given her success with her firstborn, why didn't she go on to have a dozen or so more like you?" William smiled.
"I don't care for competition," William said playfully. "In truth, though, my mother could only have two children. That's why there's such an age gap between us. She had several miscarriages before Gee was born, and at that point she was told to stop trying." Lizzy was sorry to have bungled into such a delicate subject. "But she's very content with her two, even if it makes her extremely fussy where we're concerned." Lizzy was too uncomfortable to speak, so William turned the tables and asked about her family.
"Oh, we're a big brood--four girls." William made a show of licking his lips. "Hey! I'm the only one you need to think about!"
"Are they all as beautiful and charming as you?"
"No," Lizzy said simply. "Let's see, Lydia stutters and has buck teeth, Kitty has been in and out of institutions since five and Mary still has that hump..." William nearly doubled over laughing.
"Well, looks aren't everything," he said gallantly.
"Yes, but they make up for an awful lot, don't you think? As for my sisters, there's not a single personality in the three of them put together. Did I mention that they were born that way, fused together?"
"I'd dearly love to hear their descriptions of you!" William managed.
"Not if I can prevent it," Lizzy said.
"Ricky, have you told Mr. and Mrs. F anything about us?" Richard looked at Marina and frowned.
"No," he replied, drawing out the word thoughtfully. "Was I supposed to?"
"Well, you were talking with them when I came down. I thought...well, frankly, I hoped you'd said something to them."
"Oh. And what was I supposed to tell them, exactly?"
"About us!" Marina said as if the question was ludicrous.
"What about us?"
"You know!" Marina replied exasperatedly. Richard just looked at her for a moment.
"Surely, mom already knows about 'you know.' I assume you'd told her about it sometime ago." Richard was, in fact sure of it, as he recalled an awkward conversation with his mother a week or so earlier.
"Yes, but she doesn't know about you!" Marina assured him.
"She must!"
"I don't think so. I didn't, until you told me." Richard looked at her again.
"Really? Not at all?" Marina shook her head.
"Why do you think I was so frustrated with you?"
"Oh," Richard nodded as though everything made perfect sense. He wrapped his arm around Marina's waist and nuzzled her hair. Marina leaned into the affectionate gesture and Richard kissed her temple. "Emmy?"
"Hmm?"
"Exactly what are we talking about?" Marina gave Richard a hard shove and glared at him as he landed on his butt in the sand.
"Nothing...nothing at all!" Richard's eyes opened wide in panic and he quickly scrambled to his feet and grabbed hold of Marina's waist once again.
"Don't even think about trying to escape!" Marina let out a yelp and the pair began to wrestle playfully.
"What do you think that's about?" Lizzy asked as they passed by the pair roughhousing in the sand.
"I don't know, but it looks like Richard's letting her win. Best idea he's had in ages," William said casually. "Speaking of wrestling in the dark," William said with the same insouciance, "how do you like your room?"
"Smooth segue, Mr. Darcy," Lizzy managed to sputter.
"I try," William said. Lizzy slipped out of her sandals and walked a bit closer to the water. She'd noticed that Richard and William had removed their shoes before heading toward the beach and that Marina had followed suit. Now, she, too, wanted to be able to stroll through the surf. "You haven't answered my question," William said after a couple of minutes.
"I understand there's a nice view from the window."
"Oh, you must be in the yellow room," William surmised. "It is nice, but mine is better."
"Your view or your room?" Lizzy asked with a sly smile.
"Does it matter--after dark, I mean?"
"Well, if that's the case it doesn't much matter which room I'm in," Lizzy replied, raising the stakes.
"I could take issue with that," William said, looking at Lizzy to gauge her willingness to continue the game.
"I suppose," she said coyly.
"For example, my parents' suite has its own kitchenette and I bet that comes in very handy, even after dark."
"I imagine that it does, but I didn't think we were discussing your parents' room just now."
"I was just giving an example," William assured Lizzy as they reached the end of the property, which was marked by a large boulder. William climbed up and assisted Lizzy to find a perch upon which to rest. The two watched Richard and Marina playing chicken with the surf for a few minutes.
"So what's the view from your room?" Lizzy asked finally.
"Fairly bleak at the moment," William sighed. Lizzy laughed at his pouting expression.
"Ricky, don't you dare get this skirt wet or I'll--."
"You'll what?"
"I'll never speak to you again!"
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Escher! Not that I wouldn't welcome the silence just about now..."
"Hey!"
"That's exactly what I mean. You keep bellowing in my ear."
"Sorry," Marina said softly as she lightly stroked Richard's cheek. His expression immediately softened and he pulled her into his arms and sat down on the sand. "What are we going to tell your parents?" Marina asked after a while.
"They're pretty smart folks. They've got seven college degrees between them; they'll figure it out for themselves. Of course, we have to do some figuring out for ourselves first." Marina nodded solemnly, but the two sat in silence and stared at the moon for some time.
"It's getting late," Anne said glancing at her watch. "Georgie, why don't you go out and find the others?"
"What?" Georgiana asked incredulously. "For goodness' sake, mom, it's not even ten o'clock! You let me hang out there until the wee hours of the morning with--." She glanced at her father and fell silent.
"I already know who you've stayed out till the wee hours of the morning with, Gee," he said dryly. "But she's right, Anne. It's early yet, and it's not as though the boys have a curfew anymore, unlike some people," he said with a warning look at his daughter.
"Oh, but I thought we'd all want to do something together," Anne suggested. "We could go down to the game room and--."
"We have the whole weekend, Anne," Hugh said. "There's no rush."
"Yes," Kathleen concurred. "At the moment, I'm content to do absolutely nothing." Anne reluctantly conceded defeat and went inside to see to coffee. Kathleen rose and followed her.
"Anne? You seem a bit put out. Is there anything wrong?" Anne spent a moment gathering her thoughts as she sought out a tray upon which the housekeeper was to arrange the coffee service and collected cups and saucers to go on the tray.
"May I ask who made the sleeping arrangements?" Lizzy asked as she leaned against William's chest and looked at the stars.
"My mother, I assume."
"And are you in the habit of allowing her to arrange such things for you?"
"Not usually."
"Uh huh."
"Would your mother have put us in separate rooms if I went to spend a weekend at her house?" Lizzy turned her face toward William's and laughed.
"I think if I ever brought a man home for the weekend and didn't share a bedroom with him she'd be inclined to wonder why I'd bothered."
"So, you've never brought a man home to meet your parents?" Lizzy twisted around to face William.
"Where in the course of our brief relationship did you ever get the impression that I was brave...or stupid, for that matter?"
"What do you think of Lizzy?"
"I only met her a few hours ago, Anne! I only know what Will has told me about her." Which is that she's everything he ever wanted in a woman, Kathleen recalled.
"Does she seem at all grasping to you?"
"Grasping?"
"You know; I told you about Diana and how she practically throws herself at William at every opportunity. I adore the child but she's just not right for my son."
"What does William say?" Kathleen asked, suddenly alarmed at the possibility that Anne would interfere in her son's relationship.
"Oh, he's never cared for her. But I do worry; my son is quite a catch if I do say so myself. I'm concerned that Lizzy might be after his money."
"I haven't seen anything that would support such a notion. And I'm sure that William would be able to spot such a girl at a glance by now."
"He claims to be in love with her," Anne said worriedly. "He seems to be in a terrible rush."
"Nonsense! I, for one, am happy to see William open his heart to someone new," Kathleen said with satisfaction.
"You just want to win the prize," Anne said.
"I want to see my nephew happy. And if I happen to win the prize in the process...I could live with that," Anne smiled.
"Hah! Is that why you waltzed in here today and neglected to mention that Richard is already living with someone?" Anne accused.
"Hugh already explained that Marina is...she just moved to New York to take a job at the museum with Lizzy and she's staying with him till she gets a place of her own."
"That isn't terribly likely, is it?" Anne crossed her arms and regarded her younger sibling.
"What isn't terribly likely?"
"Have you seen the way he's been looking at her all evening? She is not simply staying at his apartment." Kathleen's mouth fell open. Mrs. Reynolds placed a carafe of coffee on the tray and Anne lifted it and headed back to the terrace. Kathleen held the door open for her.
"How did Richard look at her?" she persisted.
"Like a man who's lost it, that's how!" George, Hugh and Georgiana all looked up at the comment.
"I didn't see that when I looked at Richard," Kathleen insisted.
"Look again," Anne challenged, "with both eyes open this time."
Richard was very tempted to kiss Marina when she turned her head to smile at him. But as his face drew near to hers she turned her face away from him and stared at the surf. Richard nuzzled her neck, but she refused to succumb to the gentle sensation.
"Maybe we shouldn't," Marina said.
"Probably not; not yet anyway," Richard agreed with a sigh. For some reason, that remark annoyed Marina.
"I'm not a baby, you know."
"I'd noticed," Richard whispered breathily.
"Then why do you keep babying me?" she asked finally.
"I'm not babying you." Richard was confused by her reaction. How could she construe his desire to kiss her as babying her?
"You are! You always have!" Marina growled as she pulled herself out of Richard's arms. She began to scramble to her feet, but Richard stuck out one of his own and neatly tripped her. "I can't believe you did that!" Marina squealed as she crawled away from him and began to get to her feet once more.
"Sit down, Emmy," Richard said calmly.
"No!"
"We should talk."
"I don't want to talk!" Richard just gazed at her and she eventually capitulated and sat down.
"You accused me of treating you like a baby. Right now, you're acting like one," Richard said in a non-accusatory tone. Marina lowered her head and Richard reached out to lift her face to look in her eyes. "I am not treating you like a baby. I'm merely determined not to rush things, for both our sakes."
"Is that what you did with Erin? Or Karen? Or Sydney? Did you treat them with kid gloves?" Richard gave her a dark look.
"No."
"Then you are treating me differently!" Marina cried in exasperation.
"You're the one who didn't want to be kissed!" Richard spat back.
"And you agreed with me."
"When did agreeing with you turn into such a mine field? I can't get any slack from you all of a sudden!" he said peevishly. Chastened, Marina ducked her head.
"Sorry."
"Let's talk."
"All right." Marina resettled on the sand and wrapped her arms around her body in a posture that was either defensive or indicative of a chill, possibly both. Richard wanted to hold her again, but he didn't dare.
"We need--I need to know how to proceed from here on out. I need for you to tell me."
"Why?"
"Well right now, every time either of us does anything the other flinches," Richard lied. In fact, it was only Marina who seemed to react to his every touch. She'd gone from being completely comfortable in his bed the night before to being edgy and quixotic in less than twenty-four hours. Richard found it very troubling. His every instinct said to hold onto Marina and never let go and yet he knew he couldn't do that. He didn't know what to do without completely spooking her.
"So what do you want to know?" Marina asked in a small voice.
"I need to know what you want, Emmy. I need to know what you want from me." Marina shifted uncomfortably.
"What about what you want?"
"This isn't about me right now." Marina laughed bitterly.
"It's always been about you. You just never knew it." Richard sighed.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Would it have made a difference?"
"I don't know. I'd like to think that it would. At least I might have spared you some of the pain I've caused you. I would never have allowed it to continue had I known." The pair was silent for a minute. "It's partly your own fault, you know. If you had said something--." Marina shoved Richard hard. He fell backward and lay in the sand, staring up at the night sky. She instantly regretted her actions and scrambled over to him.
"Don't you--! Oh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Ricky. I'm sorry," she cried. Richard sat up and she frantically brushed sand off his shirt and out of his hair. "You're right, it is my fault. You never meant to hurt me; I know that. You never lied to me, never pretended to be something that you weren't. You were always yourself. I was the one who changed her personality every week so you couldn't see what was going on in my head. I was the one who lied and dissembled," Marina said as she wiped away tears with the back of her hand. Richard pulled her into his arms and forced her to be still. She immediately melted and relaxed in his strong yet gentle embrace. "I'm sorry..." She hugged him tightly as he stroked her hair.
"I'm sorry, too, Emmy," he whispered. "But what I don't understand is why you put yourself through all that in the first place. Had you said something--."
"I was afraid."
"Of what?" Richard asked softly.
"I didn't want you to see how pathetic I'd become. I was afraid you'd laugh at me."
"I would never have done that, Emmy."
"And I knew it would be to no avail, anyway. Your last year and a half in high school you were totally wrapped up in Sydney. If I had said anything then, what would have happened? You weren't going to dump her for me. You were in love. You would have tried to do the right thing; you always do. You would have tried to be sensitive, but it wouldn't have worked...we both would have been miserable because you would have been incapable of doing anything about my feelings without hurting your relationship with Sydney. So instead of just my being in pain, you would have suffered and your relationship would have suffered needlessly."
"But Sydney and I broke up right after graduation. I was unattached before I went off to college. You could have said something then."
"While you were still recovering from the break up? I'm not sure you would have wanted to hear it then, either. Then, of course, you went off to college and dated Karen. I still can't believe I was so jealous of someone I never even saw," Marina shook her head disparagingly. "There has never been a good time to tell you, Ricky. By the time I knew how I felt about you it was too late. Before Sydney you were hopelessly infatuated with a string of girls. You weren't in love with me--you were never going to be in love with me; why should I subject you to my pathetic little obsession?" Richard closed his eyes for what seemed to him like a long time. It was actually just a minute.
"Focusing on the past isn't getting us anywhere," he said finally. "I'm sorry, but I don't know how to make it right." Marina shook her head.
"Me, either."
"Then let's concentrate on the here and now, shall we?" Marina nodded and Richard kissed her hair. "So we're back to our original question: what do you want, Emmy?" She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. He saw an answer there--at least he hoped he did--and was heartened by it. But instead of answering directly, she smiled playfully and bowed her head, her cheeks suffused with color.
"I want to go back to the house. It's getting cold out here and my skirt is getting damp from the sand." Richard rolled his eyes. Marina rose and pulled him to his feet. She started to lead him back to the house, but he stood firm so that she was practically yanked back to him.
"Emmy." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "If you tell me that was awful I'll throw you so far out into the ocean they'll never find your body," he teased.
"I'm not that good a liar," she said breathlessly. Richard smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They slowly walked back to the house comfortable with each other once more.
"If you're talking about Richard and his girlfriend, yeah, he's got it bad," Georgiana volunteered. "Not as bad as William, mind, but he did try to hold her hand at dinner. I always think it's a pretty strong indication of something if a man tries to hold your hand while eating finger food." Kathleen's mouth fell open again. George laughed.
"Is this news to you, Kath? I could have told you the boy had lost his heart a week ago," he said impishly. "I knew it before I ever laid eyes on the girl." It was Anne's turn to be shocked.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Who listens to me?" George shrugged at Hugh. Georgiana sat back and laughed at the scene.
"What's so funny?" Richard asked as he helped Marina step up onto the terrace from the beach side. He and William normally approached the terrace without using the steps on the other end of the space.
"Everyone out here over the age of 20 is fairly clueless, except for dad," Georgiana explained. Richard raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but she didn't elaborate.
"I think I'd like your mother." Lizzy raised her eyebrows. "Well, she brought you into the world, didn't she? That puts her high on my list already."
"Well, I guess, if you put it that way," Lizzy said, but she still looked unconvinced. "She also produced the others, though." William smiled.
"And I bet they're just as delightful as you are," he said with a kiss to the back of her neck.
"All right, I admit it; they aren't really so bad."
"So they are all as beautiful as you?" Lizzy made a face.
"Lydia is very attractive, but anything you find desirable on the outside is quickly mitigated by what comes out of her mouth. Mary's just the opposite. She's considered the plain one in the family," Lizzy said with a face that clearly showed what she thought of such opinions. "But what she may lack in beauty is more than made up for by her wit, intelligence and personality."
"And Kitty?" William asked. He heard Lizzy sigh.
"Kitty is such a complete package that I wouldn't even introduce my boyfriends to her till she was engaged to Daniel." William chuckled softly.
"I can't imagine you being jealous of your sister."
"Who's jealous of her? It's my boyfriends I didn't trust. But we digress," Lizzy said with a waggle of eyebrows.
"Yes, we do. I take it you haven't unpacked."
"Well, I did briefly consider not unpacking. In fact I was thinking about lodging a formal complaint with the person who invited me here."
"But--?"
"But I needed to get to this dress and it was at the bottom of my bag, so I did kind of spill everything out."
"I did warn you about bringing too much stuff."
"Hey, you'll be singing a different tune when you see me tomorrow, buddy," Lizzy teased.
"I'm more concerned about tonight," William countered. "Are you willing to repack and relocate?"
"Couldn't I just travel down the corridor with armloads of stuff?"
"Works for me."
"Let's do it," Lizzy said as she got to her feet and dusted off her dress. In minutes they were back at the terrace.
When William and Lizzy reached the terrace, everyone was drinking coffee or another beverage and engaged in conversation. Richard, Georgiana and Marina were slightly apart from the others.
"So they're all onto you now," Georgiana said to Richard, who glanced at Marina warily. "Well, it's not as though you two have anything to hide...is it?" Richard shook his head and Marina did also.
"We're going inside," William announced as he crossed the terrace. "Lizzy's taken a chill." Everyone who'd been sitting comfortably on the deck suddenly decided that they were equally chilled and the entire group headed inside and settled in front of the massive hearth save for Marina and Richard, who remained where they where. William slipped past them and went upstairs while Lizzy paused beside the couple.
"I'm moving out so you're on your own tonight, Marina...or maybe not," Lizzy said with a meaningful glance at Richard. Marina looked up at Lizzy blankly for a moment and then blushed slightly and lowered her eyes while Richard pretended not to hear the awkward comment. Lizzy quickly realized her error and quietly slipped away. Marina watched her go and as her eyes followed Lizzy she became aware that she was being observed by Kathleen from inside the house.
"I think they know something," she said. "Well, your mother, at least."
"Hmm?" Richard turned his head and followed Marina's gaze. "I told you she was pretty smart."
"What do you think she'll say?"
"I don't know, probably something along the lines of 'It's about time, you blockhead!'"
"Been there, done that," Marina smiled.
"Oh, right; let's go inside, shall we?" Richard rose to his feet and Marina reluctantly followed him inside.
William and Lizzy quietly slipped out of the living room and went upstairs. He led the way to the guestroom and waited for Lizzy to open the door. The light was on; Mrs. Reynolds had come in and turned it on and turned back the beds. Marina's bed was immaculate, but Lizzy's bed was strewn with discarded clothing.
"You really did dump things out, didn't you?" William smirked.
"I was in a rush," Lizzy explained as she grabbed a pair of underpants and stuffed them into her bag.
"I think I've already seen those," William said casually as he sat on the bed and picked up a bikini top. Lizzy snatched it from him stuck that into the bag as well.
"Never you mind," she replied as she hastily collected her things, including a jewelry case that had fallen to the floor.
"I certainly hope you plan to be neater in my room. I have standards, you know." Lizzy looked at William doubtfully.
"You made quite a mess with your clothing when you stayed at my apartment, as I recall," Lizzy chided. William shrugged.
"That was before we agreed not to rush things."
"So?"
"I expect you to neatly put away your stuff before you ravish me tonight," William challenged with a suggestive waggle of brows.
"What makes you think I plan to ravish you?"
"Well, if you don't, you may as well just stay here," William said reasonably. Lizzy concurred; she dropped the bag on her bed and reached for William, but he caught her wrists and held her at bay. "Patience! We have to go back downstairs, remember?" He kissed away her pout and picked up Lizzy's bag. He left the room and walked as far as the stairs. "Stay here." Lizzy watched as William took the bag to his room. He opened the door and put the bag inside and closed it. Then he joined Lizzy and led her back to the assembled party.
"Come sit by me, Marina," Kathleen said almost as soon as she entered the room. Richard winced as Marina sighed and went to squeeze in between Kathleen and Georgiana on the couch.
"So, Lizzy," Anne pounced as Richard claimed a seat. "I already know a little something of Marina's background. Tell me about yourself." Marina frowned, but realized that Kathleen must have said something about her. Lizzy, however, was somewhat taken aback. She opened her mouth and tried to think of something to say.
"She has three lovely sisters, a mother who seems to be quite a scary prospect, and--. You haven't described your father," William pointed out to the amused woman at his side.
"He's not."
"He's not what?" George asked.
"Scary," Lizzy said. William smiled broadly.
"I look forward to meeting him, then." Lizzy noticed that Anne was wearing a 'deer in the headlights' look.
"Seriously," Lizzy said, "I was born and raised in New Hampshire, came to New York to attend Columbia and never left."
"What does your father do?" Hugh asked conversationally.
"Oh, he's retired now, and fancies himself the gentleman farmer. He and mom are making artisanal goat cheese." George smiled.
"Farmer, eh? I envy him. I wish I could do that."
"You do not want to be a farmer, George!" Anne said insistently.
"Oh, I'd love it! Not goats, though; I think I'd prefer to grow vegetables or something, you know, get my hands in the soil."
"I've always wanted an orchard," Hugh said. "Kathleen gave me six apple trees for my last birthday."
"How nice; have you gotten any fruit yet?" George replied. Lizzy glanced at Anne and saw her frustration as the men continued to talk, but she didn't intervene in the conversation.
"And what did your father do prior to becoming a farmer, Lizzy?" Anne said when the two men had quieted.
"Oh, he worked in a bank," Lizzy replied.
"What did he do, exactly?" William asked in spite of himself.
"I don't know, but I guess he did a bit of everything; it was a very small bank." William nodded, but he could see the displeasure in his mother's eyes.
"What does your father do, Marina?"
"He's in school administration. He had been an assistant principal of a high school in New York City and had just completed his doctorate when we moved to Northampton. Now he's running a school system in New Hampshire."
"Yet another thing we have in common," Lizzy smiled at her. Anne sighed and suggested that it was getting late and that she ought to be getting to bed. Georgiana rose to follow.
"What a great idea!" William said for the sole purpose of shocking Lizzy, who refused to acknowledge his leering smile. But the comment was enough to focus Anne's attention on the couple, and she looked at William disapprovingly as she bid her guests a good night and left the room.
George and Hugh also departed, but headed for the study. That left Kathleen with Richard, Marina, Lizzy, and her nephew. Lizzy was in no particular hurry to go up to bed, especially in Anne's wake, so she settled more deeply in her seat and watched as Marina opened the pad she had brought down with her earlier and started a sketch of William. He and Richard had sprawled across a vacated couch, each observing his respective love interest. As Marina drew, she could almost hear the questions forming in Kathleen's head. She found it difficult to concentrate, so she closed her pad and announced her intention to go up to bed.
"Good night everyone," she said softly. Richard rose and escorted her to the foyer, where everyone remaining in the living room shamelessly eavesdropped on their chaste goodnight kiss. Richard returned to the room a moment later.
"What?" he asked as he confronted the stares of his company. William shrugged and Lizzy ignored the question as she rose and went to sit beside him. Richard turned to his mother.
"Since when have you been kissing her goodnight like that?" she asked bluntly.
"Since yesterday," Richard replied evenly. "I already told you. We argued and made up." Lizzy and William exchanged a smile.
"That must have been some argument!" Kathleen said knowingly.
"The bigger the argument the better the making up, I always say," Lizzy chimed in. Richard glared at her and she quickly rose to her feet. "Good night folks." She slipped out of the room with William in tow, pausing when William stopped to kiss his aunt.
"Be gentle with him, Aunt Kathy. He's just come to his senses," William smirked. Richard shot his cousin a dirty look before carefully composing his features and turned to his mother.
"Go ahead," he said. "Get it over with."
"Get what over with?" Kathleen asked innocently.
"The inquisition that's been forming in your head since we came back from our walk," Richard challenged. "And when you're done, I have a few questions of my own."
"Really? Such as--."
"Such as why didn't you tell me what I'd been putting Marina through these last dozen years? You must have noticed something. You must have noticed how she reacted to things even before she told you how she felt a few weeks ago. Why did you let me go on hurting her like that?" Kathleen was slightly taken aback by Richard's burst of anger. It was completely unexpected and she really didn't have an answer for him that he would easily accept.
"Sit down," Kathleen said as she patted the space beside her and Richard dutifully complied with her request. "I did notice something, but to tell you the truth, I didn't know what it meant, exactly. I knew she had a crush on you early on, but I thought she'd gotten over it. I was a little concerned that she didn't seem to be interested in dating or socializing like all her peers, but I also knew that she was painfully shy and withdrawn. I hoped she would grow out of it and I thought...well, I guess I assumed that you would help her out by including her in some of your social activities. When you started spending so much time with Sydney in your senior year I knew that Marina was jealous, but I thought it had more to do with sibling issues than anything else." Kathleen sighed heavily and leaned against Richard's shoulder when he wrapped his arm around her. "I didn't suspect anything different until she suddenly announced that she was going to attend Moore College instead of the Boston School of Fine Arts. I knew the two of you had intentionally applied to schools that were near each other. When she asked me to help her write her letter of refusal to Boston, I had the distinct sense that she was trying to run away from you." Richard's mouth fell open.
"She told me she hadn't been accepted," he said.
"She was offered a full scholarship, Richard." He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cushions. "She asked me not to tell you and I respected her wishes. I felt that she needed to get away, and after a while I believed that she was getting over you." Richard shook his head.
"She went to Europe to avoid me," he said dully. Kathleen nodded and turned her head slightly to steal a glance at him. He looked to be near tears and she reached out and squeezed his hand.
"So what happened yesterday?"
"Well, actually it began a couple of days earlier when Emmy vented half a lifetime's pent-up frustration. She told me that she'd been in love with me for a long time and had been miserable for every minute of it." Richard withdrew his arm from his mother's shoulder and sat forward, running his hands through his hair. "I've never seen her like that. For the first time, I saw the world through her eyes. I felt like such a...I don't even know what I felt like. To find out that I'd hurt someone I loved so much...to find out I'd wounded her so deeply..." He broke off overcome with emotion. Kathleen rubbed his back soothingly.
"But it's all right now. You've apparently made up." Richard sat back and smiled wryly.
"Not exactly; we've made a truce but we have a long way to go before we can say we've settled things. I know Emmy's been through hell because of me. She's still too raw and vulnerable for us even to begin dealing with this, with each other and what we're feeling right now. I just feel awful whenever I look at her. I owe her so much."
"I doubt that she thinks so," Kathleen said gently. "You're being a little hard on yourself." She smiled suddenly. "So when did you realize that you were in love with her? Did William's strategy work?" Richard looked at his mother in horror.
"I should have known he was plotting against me," he said bitterly, but he was joking.
"He had your best interests at heart."
"And did you, when you set him up with Emmy? What was that all about?" Kathleen shrugged.
"I thought she was over you! At the time I had no idea she still harbored feelings...I probably should have guessed, though. Things she said...the way she always asked for you when she called from Paris, but never seemed to call you herself although I must have given her your number five times...."
"She did call me once, shortly after Erin and I became serious. Erin answered the phone and she hung up." Richard pouted. Kathleen closed her eyes and felt Marina's anguish. She squeezed Richard's hand again.
"So tell me." He relaxed then and smiled.
"After I spoke with you Wednesday morning I went up to the museum to meet Emmy. We...well, she vented. I tried to defend myself but I felt like a complete heel for doing so. Our parting was ugly. But last night she came over and stayed and we plan on using this weekend to finally sit down and talk."
"And you'll tell her you love her." Richard chuckled.
"No, I told her that Wednesday; I think that's what made her snap." Kathleen smiled.
"I'm so happy for you both."
"That's a bit premature. We're not out of the woods yet. But we will work this out; I love her and underneath all the anger and years of pent-up frustration, I think she still loves me, too." Kathleen smiled wider. "She's going to be your daughter after all, in a manner of speaking." Kathleen turned to look at him. "Not yet, of course. But eventually; I'm never going to let her out of my sight again. Which reminds me," he said with a huge yawn. "I'm for bed. 'Night, mom." He bent to kiss her forehead and gave her a warm hug.
"Goodnight, darlin'," she replied affectionately. She watched him disappear up the stairs before she heaved a great sigh of relief.
Richard reached the second floor and headed down the hall toward the guest wing. He paused outside of Marina's door and stood still for a moment to listen. Hearing no sound, he carefully opened the door and slipped into the room. Marina smiled up at him from the magazine she was reading.
"Is that the latest issue of Calligrapher's Weekly?" Marina laughed and showed him the cover of the magazine Anne had thoughtfully provided for her guests. "Oh, well, I came to tuck you in."
"You usually come into my room to see my reaction to your short-sheeting my bed."
"Who, me? You've obviously mistaken me for someone else," Richard said as he sat on the edge of the bed and bent to kiss her. When he reluctantly pulled away he gazed down at her, gently stroking her cheek with a gentle smile.
"I love you," Marina said seriously after a moment. It had taken her some time to gather her courage to say it aloud.
"So, you finally admit it," Richard said, inwardly relieved.
"Everyone has her weakness. Mine has always been you."
"Hooray for me," Richard said. He solemnly kissed each of Marina's eyelids and gave her hand a squeeze before he rose and went to the door. "If you wake up early tomorrow, meet me down by the pool, okay? Wear your swimsuit." Marina nodded and Richard could see that she was as affected by the kiss as he was. "I love you, too, Marina," he whispered before he slipped out of the room and went to his own bed.