“What about Calvin?”
“Calvin is only one year older and the only cousin I’d actually call a friend. He should be here. He’s single, no children. Good chap, always good for a laugh. My mother had a much older sister, Claudia, who may come, though she doesn’t really travel anymore. She calls on holidays and my mother’s birthday to catch up. She never had children of her own and her husband passed on a few years ago.”
“Sounds like a pretty small family.”
He held up a finger. “That’s just my mother’s immediate family. Her father had four siblings and her mother three, so there are plenty of cousins running around. My father had two sisters, one of whom has three daughters, the other has five children, three girls and two boys. Aunt Rebecca, the one with three daughters, married a Scottish banker and lives in Edinburgh, as do all my cousins and their husbands and children, and Aunt Helen married an American oil tycoon and she splits her time between London and Texas. Her husband retired and their eldest son runs the company now. Three of those cousins are married and the youngest is expecting her first baby.”
“Wow. I should have been writing all this down. Are there more? What about great aunts and uncles and second cousins once removed?”
“Oh, there are plenty of those. My father had several cousins who live throughout Europe and America. One of his distant cousins is married to an American congressman, and a few more hold seats in British Parliament. My mother’s brother is an earl, so he has his seat, of course–”
Liz interrupted him, “Whoa, wait, what? An earl? As in he has an earldom?”
He smiled. “Yes, technically, though no one ever calls it that. Would it be too much to tell you now that my great uncle is a duke? Technically, I’m the great-grandson of a duke, thought I don’t remember him. But everyone says my mother was his favorite granddaughter.”
Her mouth dropped open slightly. He was clearly enjoying her shock. “Does that make you royal or something?”
“No, not at all. My maternal grandmother was the youngest of four children, the older three were boys, so she never had much chance to inherit the title. She married my grandfather, the Earl of Maeburn, who wasn’t in line for the throne at all. Uncle Alistair is the current Lord Maeburn.”
“And to think that I thought it was cool that my second cousin’s brother-in-law is a state congressman in West Virginia.”
He smiled. “You get used to it. They’re just people.”
“Yeah, titled people,” she grumbled.
He laughed and leaned back in his chair, wisely changing the subject.
***
“So was registering fun?”
“Of course it was fun. I got to scan whatever I wanted and not worry about having enough gifts under twenty dollars to go around.”
“Did William get into it?” Jen asked as she sipped a glass of wine.
“Sort of. At first he was whiny and annoying, typical guy behavior while shopping, but then he seemed to kind of get into it. It was like it clicked that this was going to be his stuff that he would be using in his home. I eventually sent him off on his own and did the kitchen stuff by myself.”
“That must have been nice.”
“You have no idea,” Liz said dreamily. “I didn't even get halfway through before we had to leave. You should come with me next time. I have to go back Monday afternoon.”
“I think I can make it. When is the reception going to be?”
“The eighth of June.”
“Wow. That's only three weeks away.”
“I know.”
“When does summer school start up?”
“The twenty-fourth.”
“Cutting it kind of close, aren't you?”
“Maybe. It's only two classes, and the first week shouldn't be too hard. It will make the fall semester a little lighter this way. And what else would I have done this summer anyway? Normally, I would just work my ass off to save money for the school year. Now that I don't have to do that, I can get a little ahead with my classes.”
“Better you than me.” Jen smiled at her sister and clinked her wine glass against hers, then went back to slicing okra.
*
“This looks great! What do we have here?” Andrew asked jovially as he popped into the kitchen to help carry dishes to the table.
Liz handed him a bowl. “That's Jenny's amazing fried okra,” she handed him another bowl covered with a towel, “and these are the best biscuits you've ever tasted.”
Jen shooed him out the door and followed him with another large covered dish. “This is Lizzy's fried chicken. She makes the best fried chicken in the world. You're going to love it.”
Liz came through behind them and placed a pitcher of iced tea on the table. “Andrew, would you mind grabbing the mashed potatoes?”
“Sure, Liz.”
“I'll get the beans,” Jen added.
“I'll go get Will.” Liz walked down the hall to the study where Will and Andrew had been talking while she and her sister cooked. “Will?” she called as she popped her head around the corner. “It's time to eat.”
“Okay, I'm coming.” He got up and followed her back to the dining room. “This smells lovely.”
“We made southern tonight. We call this comfort food back home.”
The four of them sat around the table and began scooping food onto their plates. The men complimented the sisters several times on their fine cooking skills and everyone ate more than they should have.
“Ugh, I'm going to have to run an extra mile tomorrow,” Jenny complained as she leaned back and stretched.
“It was worth it, baby,” Andrew replied, patting her stomach lightly.
Liz got up and began to clear the table.
“No, don't worry about that. You two cooked, we can clean up. Right, Will?” Andrew said.
“Yeah, sure.” He stood and began stacking up plates and carrying them into the kitchen.
“Let's go while the gettin's good,” Jenny said as she stood and walked into the living room. “What are we playing tonight?”
“I don't know. What do you think about Pictionary?”
“Split by couples or by genders?” asked Jen.
“You'll win no matter how we do it. You'll either be with your sister or your boyfriend. This is definitely not a fair fight.”
“Then why don't you partner with Andy and I'll play with Will?”
Liz's eyes lit up. “Now there's an interesting idea. But is that going to make you and Andy fight later on?”
“No, of course not. It's just a game.”
Liz shrugged. “All right, if you're sure.”
45 minutes later...
“That does not look like a horse! Who could guess that?” Liz cried.
“Of course it does. Here's the tail, and here's his mane,” Andrew defended.
Liz groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “You're killing me, Andy!”
Jenny and Will surreptitiously bumped fists as Liz wailed on about Andrew's deplorable drawing skills until Jenny got up to take her turn.
Jenny picked up the marker and began drawing.
“Bow and arrow.” Will called. Jenny nodded. “Men. Smiley face.” Jenny nodded vigorously. “Happy men? Happy men with bow and arrows? Robin Hood and His Merry Men!”
“Yes! That's it!” Jenny yelled.
She gave Will a big hug as Liz shook her head. Forty-two seconds. This was so unfair.
Andrew looked at her guiltily. “I'm never playing on your team again,” she said darkly.
“Sorry, Lizzy.” He tried to appear contrite, but she could tell he was laughing behind his eyes.
“Aw, come on, sis. Don't be a poor sport,” Jenny chided.
“Easy for you to say. You creamed us,” Liz replied.
“I know. Wasn't it awesome?” Jenny gloated.
Liz just glared at her, then turned to begin putting away the game.
“Okay, guys' turn to pick the game. What are you up for, Will?” asked
Andrew.
“Cranium?” he suggested with a sideways look at Liz, watching for her reaction.
“Ooh, I love that one!” said Jenny.
“Same teams or are we changing it up?” Andrew asked.
“New teams,” answered Will. “This time, Liz is with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him on the couch. She looked at him in surprise and smiled slightly.
“Deal. Come on, Jenny, let's kick some ass!” Andrew added.
Harper smirked as he watched Andrew. “You two obviously didn't know before tonight what a deplorable player Andrew is,” he whispered to Liz.
“Yeah, thanks for the warning,” she whispered back, but her smile belied her sarcastic words.
He chuckled softly and leaned back into the cushions, placing the hand that still held Liz’s on his knee as he softly stroked the skin on the back of her hand with his thumb.
An hour later, Will and Liz had left Andrew and Jenny in the dust and Liz had even developed a victory dance for every time they won a song question, which Will unabashedly enjoyed. Finally, Andrew called it a night and he and Jen left.
“That was quite a game you played tonight, Mr. Harper,” Liz said as she was picking up the living room.
“You were pretty good yourself, Mrs. Harper,” he responded with a smirk.
She turned off the lamp and headed for the door. “Come on, cocky, let's go to bed.”
He followed her down the hall and paused to give her a quick kiss on the top of her head as he passed by. “Night, Lizzy.”
“Night, Will.”
14
Lords & Ladies
Early June, Thursday
1 Month Married
“What do you think of this one?” Liz stepped into Will’s study and held out her arms so he could see her long blue maxi dress clearly.
He looked up from the spreadsheet he was scrutinizing. “It looks nice.”
“Do you like it better than the other one?”
“They both look good.”
“Do you even remember the first one?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It was a dress.” She rolled her eyes. “It was very pretty,” he added.
She huffed.
“I really like this one. This is definitely the winner,” he said.
“Don’t decide yet. I have one more I want to show you.”
She scampered away and was back two minutes later in a yellow cotton dress with a full skirt and thin straps at the shoulders. She turned around and looked at him.
“Well? What do you think?”
“It’s lovely.”
“Yes, but is it meet-your-sister lovely?”
“Uh—”
“Does it say, sure-I-married-your-brother-in-Vegas-but-I’m-really-a-wholesome-girl?”
“Can a dress say all that?”
“And I’m-sure-we-can-be-friends-please-don’t-hate-me?” she asked with a hint of desperation.
He just looked at her for a moment. “Why are you so worried about this? It’s just my sister. She lives an ocean away. You’ll probably hardly ever see her. Hell, I hardly ever see her. Why the freak out?”
“I’m not freaking out. I just want her to like me. She’s your sister. Don’t you want us to get along?”
“Of course. I just don’t see what the fuss is about. She’s a nice girl, you’re a nice girl, you only have to get along for three days, and she’s staying at a hotel. How hard could it be?”
She rolled her eyes. “I think the first dress is out. So this one or the blue?”
“This one,” he said as he rose and walked to the door. “You look happy—like sunshine.”
He continued down the hall toward the kitchen as Liz stared after him, a small smile on her face.
**
Liz looked nervously around the lobby of the hotel. She wasn’t sure why, but she was anxious about meeting William’s sister. She’d done well with previous boyfriends’ families and everyone had always liked her right away, but something about this set her off. She thought there might be something between Will and his sister that he wasn’t telling her. He didn’t talk about her much, and being the only two siblings, she would have thought they’d be closer. He clearly loved her, and there was a picture of the two of them on vacation a few years ago on his desk and another from Jaqueline’s wedding, the only pictures in the apartment besides one of his father (an older version of William but with warm brown eyes and laugh lines). Otherwise, he never mentioned her.
She could be imagining things, of course. Liz definitely had an active imagination. But she still couldn’t shake the nervous feeling in her belly. It didn’t help that almost every woman she’d met in Will’s circle so far had been rude and unwelcoming. She didn’t look forward to spending prolonged time with someone who looked down on her. But that wasn’t very many people, she reminded herself, and there was no guarantee that Will’s sister would be like that. After all, the women who’d been rude to her were chasing after a husband, and Jacqueline Harper certainly wasn’t in that category. The older and married women had been quite nice, as had most of the men.
“There she is,” Will said, startling her from her thoughts.
She followed his eyes and saw a tall blonde woman walking toward them, oblivious to the heads turning as she passed. Jacqueline Harper was slender, with long limbs shown to perfection in the linen skirt and pale silk blouse she was wearing. She was very graceful, Elizabeth thought, like a princess. She knew how to enter a room and carried herself like she had a book balanced on top of her head. Her ashe-blonde hair was long with gentle waves, skin tan from spending long hours in the sun, but not rough. Her face was pretty, but not beautiful.
Memorable. That was the word Elizabeth would later use to describe her.
“Jacqueline.” Will reached forward and hugged her lightly, kissing her on both cheeks as she returned the gesture.
“William. It’s good to see you.” She smiled at her brother for a moment before turning to Liz. “You must be Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth couldn’t explain it, but she suddenly had the urge to curtsey.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jacqueline.” She waited for her new sister-in-law to initiate a handshake or a kiss or something, but nothing happened.
Jacqueline observed her silently for a moment, and then looked back to her brother. “Where are we headed? And when can I see your flat? I’ve found the most wonderful chandelier for your dining room.”
“I thought we’d get something to eat first, if you’re hungry?”
“My, William, you sound positively American now!” She laughed delicately while her brother looked down; Elizabeth was unsure of what he was thinking. “You know I never eat between meals. And Albert would never forgive me if we ate without him.”
“Where is Albert?” William asked.
“He’s sleeping in our room. He’s never been a good flyer.”
“Right. I’d forgotten,” he said as he gestured for the ladies to walk out in front of him.
Elizabeth looked up at the sudden change in Will’s voice. His whole demeanor seemed to have become more formal. His back was straighter, his head a little higher, and even his accent had taken on a more distant quality. She’d thought he was hoity-toity before, but this was a whole new level.
“About that chandelier I mentioned, a buyer at a little shop on Camden found it for me. I do think it would be perfect for your space. Shall we go fetch it?”
“Actually, Liz has nearly finished with the decorating. But she has been thinking of putting in an offer on a little brownstone on the Upper East Side. Would you care to see it?”
“Really?” Jacqueline looked at Liz with new interest. “Is it your first property? Tell me about it.”
William handed Jacqueline a packet of papers with details of the property while mouthing an apology to a surprised Elizabeth. “I’ll explain later,” he whispered as he settled next to her in the back of the car.
William described
what little he knew of the property to Jacqueline while Elizabeth looked out the window, wondering how she was going to survive the next three days.
The brownstone had once been beautiful but now it needed a lot of work. There were three bedrooms and a decent-sized bath upstairs and a kitchen, dining room, living room and study/den on the main floor. There was a pokey basement and an attic with a full set of stairs but it was unfinished and boiling hot.
“There’s no central air, you’ll have to install duct work throughout. This staircase is gorgeous.” Jacqueline moved through the house in her own world, talking to whoever was near enough to hear her, even if it was just herself.
“What is this place?” Liz asked Will as soon as she could get him on his own in a corner of the dining room.
“I got Evelyn to look up a few listings to keep Jackie busy. Trust me, it’s much better for her to spend her energy here than at our flat.”
“You’d buy a brownstone just to keep your sister out of your hair for a few days?! Just tell her no!”
“So what do we think?” the realtor interrupted before William could respond.
“We’d like to see a few more this afternoon. Maybe an apartment or even a small building,” Harper answered.
Liz looked at him wide-eyed but he kept his gaze trained to the over-zealous realtor.
“My wife is available tomorrow if you want to look further, maybe something in Brooklyn.”
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