Beginning, Previous Section, Section III
Conclusion
A man should have in his life at most one shock per week. Even a healthy young man of Ed's stamina could only take so much. Following the heels of Harry's revelation about his feelings for Night yet another news rocked Ed's world. Woodhouse was fully expecting to deviate Smith's tender feelings towards his neighbor by introducing Francina into their combined society. Ed figured with her siren-like presence Harry's interest would change focus towards the younger woman. Unfortunately all his plans came to naught when his mother told him the shocking news of Francie's engagement to none other than Joseph Fairfax.
"What do you mean they're engaged?"
"Well as it turns out he's been seeing her on the sly. The sole reason they have not gone public with their affair was the fact Francie's grandmother hated the young man. So they decided to keep quiet until she died and Francina inherited her fortune. Now that girl's free to do anything she pleases."
"Night's right, she is cold-blooded."
"Hush! Ed...I was wondering, well we all are actually. How do you feel about this sudden burst of news? I mean we know you were fond of the silly girl and we..."
"Mom don't worry about it. Francina and I were just good friends. I never entertained the idea of anything more than a casual relationship with her."
"Not even for a day?"
"No mom."
"An hour?"
"Mom..."
"Maybe during a drink?"
"Mom."
"I love you dear. That's why I'm doing this."
"I know. Did we get a call from Night?" He asked the question fully expecting to hear a resounding 'no'.
"Yes she called this morning. She wanted to know how everyone's doing and you especially. It looks like the rumor got to her before it reached this house. Amazing, isn't it? Harry called her and told her all about it."
"Harry?"
"Yes, your best friend."
"I know who the hell...sorry, I've been having problems at work. Well at least she won't be surprised when she gets home."
"Ed she didn't sound a bit taken back when I talked to her. In fact something tells me our dear Night sniffed this whole thing out weeks if not months ago."
"Why am I not surprised? I bet she can tell you when the world's going to end too. Did she say if she's going to call back?"
"No, she sounded rushed though. I also heard my dear angels screaming their lungs out in the background so something tells me Night volunteered to baby-sit while the parents went out to play. She's so good with the children. I can't wait until she has one of her own. Can you just imagine a baby with those fine eyes and that cute button nose? And unlike me they'll never burn! Thank G-d Day came with some sun-worshipping genes. Otherwise my babies would be stuck indoors until the day they die!"
Ed began laughing. "Cute button nose? I really hope you didn't say that to her mother."
"I might be old dear but I am not senile, yet."
"So she didn't mention when she'll come back to Boston?"
"Oh yes she did. Tonight."
"What?!"
"Harry royally and hopelessly complicated one of the cases or that's what Night didn't say. However I had lunch with Goddard today and he told me they requested for her to return earlier. I think she's taking the 4:25 in which means..."
"She's home!" With that shout of surprise Ed bolted out of the kitchen and down the street. But Night's house was empty of its owner. Ed wasn't discouraged though, he half-suspected she would be at work. Mrs. Woodhouse heard his car roar out of the driveway and smiled to herself. There was hope for her hopeless son yet!
Ed's re-entrance to the building was noted with little surprise by the guards. The law firm had slaves for employees so it didn't shock either of the officers that he needed to come back to work at dead of night. Ed quickly made his way down the hall and to his peace of mind he saw the light under Night's door in full bloom. He knocked twice and entered before she even had a chance to reply.
"And you can come in Ed." She said in a deadpan voice when he barged in.
"I just found out you were yanked back. Sorry Night I should have..."
"It's not your problem Ed. Sometimes I just don't get Smith. I guessed I presumed too much when I trusted Harry to be familiar with basic evidentiary laws of the State of Massachusetts. Damn that kid, it's going to take me hours to correct this and none of them are billable either. What are you doing here?"
"To see you and ask if I'm still in the dog house."
"Yes you are and it's very small and drafty." But she ruined the threat with a glorious smile. "Ed, that was extremely mean of you."
"Mean of me...what?"
"The virus, Harry's computer's still in the repair shop."
"That was an accident. I didn't..."
"Ed, I had a nice long conversation with Jamey. Who by the way will go to hell before helping you out anymore. You're lucky he didn't blab it out to everyone in the firm including Harry. What was trotting through that sick mind of yours?"
"I don't know. Besides if I did then I would have to tell you and in total honesty would you want that?"
"Probably not counselor, point well illustrated and received. Now scat, I've got tons of work to do."
"Mom told me you knew about Joseph and Francie." Night paled considerably and closed her eyes. "And that the news of their engagement didn't take you by surprise at all. Care to share?"
Night raised those unreadable eyes to him and held his for the longest time. Then she gave a great sigh and sat back on her chair. "It was one of the manuscripts Bates had me read. There was a dedication on it and it said To Francina, the Greatest Muse of My Life. After Francina came to Boston it didn't take long for me to figure out she was the 'Muse'. I wanted to tell you...tried but...I don't know. I thought you might successfully woo her away from Joseph. All's fair in love and war as the saying goes. Anyway I kept my mouth shut, neither of them revealed their past so why should I?"
"Why should you?" He repeated without a drop of bitterness. "So I remained the clueless idiot while all this was happening around me."
"What else is going on?" She asked curious.
"Nothing much else. I'm tired, I've had a strange week and..."
"Ed, you'll get over it. Don't give her too much thought. Otherwise you'll drive yourself insane."
"I'm not talking about Francie. That as shocking as it was meant very little to me personally."
"Now I'm speechless." Night stated her expression reflecting her words. "I was under the impression you were both three steps away from announcing your engagement." Ed began laughing out loud. For some reason her innocent assumption hit a raw nerve and the reaction it caused was his nervous laughter.
"Me marry Francie? We are such vain creatures how could we stand each other living under the same roof? It would be one of those May to December marriages if we were strong enough to last that long."
"I had no idea..." Night whispered as her face turned crimson. "Well I guess that puts me in the clueless category also. Ed, I have to get this work done so I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"I'll help, what do you need to get done?"
She smiled sadly, "I never thought there would come a day when Edward Woodhouse would actually offer to help me with my homework. But I'll take it, I'm swamped. Go through this set of documents and highlight anything that has to do with Formula 4-32 Rubicon-Z."
"And what is that supposed to do? Cure male pattern baldness?"
"Nope, makes Viagra look like Sunday Tea."
"Oooooooooooohhhhhhhh. No wonder you love your work."
"Shut up."
"If we win do we get free samples?"
"Only if you're a male rabbit."
"But rabbits don't need the stuff."
"Which is why this whole lawsuit is suspect. Are we done with the questions now O Great Inquisitor?"
"Yes your Holiness. Give me a highlighter." She handed him a hideous yellow one and he began flipping through the pages whose biggest font size was eight. "Jesus, is this for real?" He muttered to no one as he began reading the document.
After an hour Ed made a break for a coffee run and came back armed with Java and sweet rolls.
"Ed if you ever want to talk about what happened with Francie just call me. I won't tell."
"Don't worry about it Night. I seriously don't care about her. In fact if anything I wish her the best of luck because I think they're going to need it." Night shook her head in frustrated amusement and sipped her coffee.
"It always amazes me. People like Francie I mean and the blasted luck they have. I could choke to death in envy just thinking about it. They grow up with everything tailor-made for them. They breeze through puberty, go to the best schools because they get straight A's and are varsity, if not state athletes. While people like me...people like me have to...sometimes the unfairness of it all gets to me, especially on days like today which I should have spent with family...never mind. I'm ranting here."
"Yeah but look at it this way Night. Francie with all she's got is never going to be trusted like you. Especially after this stunt she pulled on all of us, including her mother who by the way isn't talking to her daughter because she's so upset. All that money and good looks aren't going to buy back everything that got lost because of what she did. I knew what she was like from minute one Night, and the simple thing was she was nothing like you. I couldn't trust her, I couldn't depend on her, she was fun to be around with but only for an hour at a time because I couldn't stand her much longer after that."
"You make me sound like a dependable war horse."
"No, a thoroughbred, one from a fine stock and whose blood is bluer than the hills of Kentucky. And I know what I'm talking about. I grew up wanting to be you and when I realized I couldn't be that good I wanted your approval instead. This standard here," He motioned with his hands, "Is what the world expects of me as Edward Woodhouse. Then there are these standards, plural by the way if you didn't notice," His hands rose higher, "Are what you expect and guess which ones I try to aim for? You've been my best friend not because you're easy to please but because you're just the opposite."
"Ed, we need to talk." Something in her voice made him realize it was over. She knew now and he understood she was going to try to break his heart as gently and as cautiously as she could.
"No, let's not." He whispered his eyes clouding against his will. "Let's just stay the way we were Night. Remember how everything was before our world got invaded by Harrys and Francinas? Let's forget all that and go back. We were happy you and I before this whole crap hit the fan. We can have that again if we choose to want it badly enough. We'll grow old together and we..."
"Ed..."
"In fact let's completely forget about them. The chic couple's going to move back to Savannah and G-d knows I don't need Harry if it means I'm going to lose you. Don't go Night, don't go to England."
"Ed you're babbling. If you don't..."
"No I don't." He replied and stood up, "And I don't see any reason why we should either." With that curt remark he exited her office. He made it down the hall but eventually he came back. His conscience told him he did one too many injustices to his friend to behave in such a manner.
"I'm sorry, I've been acting like a pig lately and I don't know how to stop. What is it you wanted to say to me besides telling me I'm babbling freak?"
"What does Harry have to do with anything?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
"Ed, you're lying."
"I'm not lying, I'm avoiding the subject because he's incredibly unpleasant. There's a difference."
"And to think I encouraged you to go to law school and carry on the family name."
"And to think one day I would be good enough to walk besides you and not behind you. What was I thinking?"
"Ed, you're babbling again."
"Yes you're right. Sorry."
"But I think I know what you're talking about."
"Oh G-d I hope not." Night couldn't help but laugh at his remark and stared at him, her gaze infinitely softer and gentle. Ed closed his eyes, here comes the lethal blow he thought. Here comes Ed, you're a good guy and you'll always be my best friend but you're like a brother to me and I don't think this thing you've got running inside your head is ever going to work so shall we move right along?
"For an attorney I was never good with closings so this one's going to be pretty lacking too. You've always been a good friend Ed and there wasn't a day in my life when your welfare didn't come across my thoughts but somewhere it all changed, for better or for worse we'll soon see. Don't ask me when, I'm still trying to figure it out for myself."
"Figure out what?"
"For G-d's sake Ed would you shut up and listen?"
"Sorry, go on." But she saw the corners of his mouth trying fruitlessly to beat down a smile and knew he understood her well enough already.
"You've always been the brightness in my life. Growing up watching you accept the world and thrive in spite of all the wrongs in it was nothing short of witnessing a miracle. Then when my father died you've been there from the moment he became bed-ridden to the day I buried him and I don't mean his funeral but months after that. There were days when life would have been unbearable if you and your mother weren't around fussing and making sure I kept on eating, working, functioning like a living being. And I've yet to say thank-you for all you've done for me during those hard times and all the hard times which followed after.
Yet all I've done for you was to tell you what you did wrong, rarely what you did right. Praise comes hard for someone like me. I don't like to accept them and I like to give them even less and for some reason this phobia of mine is twice as pernicious when you're in the scene. Would you like to know why Ed? Be warned though once I tell you nothing will be the same."
Ed rested his chin on top of his hands, his blue eyes focused and dancing with hers. "Tell me why."
"You're one weakness of mine for which I have no defenses for. Someone once said being in love is a terrifying thing because it opens you up to a world of hurt and I really don't know if I can survive such damage."
"Let's give it a go." Ed argued from his soul, "After all how much worse can it be than the hell we've put ourselves through?" Night started to laugh with him and rested her head on the desk.
"I am so tired." She whispered, "I don't think I can read another word."
"Good, let's have dinner and don't tell me you're hungry. I know you haven't had a meal since lunch if you had lunch to begin with."
"Done. What are we going to do Ed when this hits the fan?"
"Elope to Las Vegas and let them think what they like."
"Never, with our luck we'll bump into Francie and Joe."
"OK, how about Monaco? I know you've never seen Europe so let's go to Monaco, get some sun and do the James Bond thing."
"Ed your mom's going to cry."
"We'll take her along with us."
"OK, she'll be M, I'll be Money Penny and you're Q."
"Funny. I knew there was a reason why I love you so much."
"Yes and don't forget my Wilde-like wit." She added as they left her office.
"And your Austen-sharp power of observation." He replied when the elevator doors slid open.
"And my Dickensonian love of words."
"And Twain's ability as an orator."
"That was low and you're buying."
As the elevator closed she reached out for his hand and Ed felt her fingers entwine with his. After much struggle and realization Ed understood now he was good enough to walk by her side. What was amazing to him was the fact she wanted him beside her and was patient enough to wait for him to understand her stride and match its tempo with his own. He didn't need to look at Night, he has always known her, as his friend, mentor, guide, critic and now lover. When you know someone as well as he did with Night all your questions are answered from the start. The trick was to know which questions to ask.
The End