Green Card

by Elizabeth Adams

  Harper was suitably impressed with Elizabeth’s comportment that night. He hadn’t been sure how she would do with his family. Elizabeth had said that her mother made them all take cotillion when they were younger, but he didn’t really understand what it was beyond a manners class and besides, American and English manners were two entirely different things. But she had done well and in a strange way he was proud of her. This surprised him.

  He was happy to see certain members of his family and less happy to see others. He didn’t particularly like parties but could tolerate them when the company wasn’t too tedious or the cause was worthy. In this case, it had been a necessity. Knowing himself as he did, William had decided to not openly display affection for Liz that night. Firstly, because his family didn’t require it (and would likely look down on it), and secondly, because he knew it would exhaust him, as only large family gatherings combined with artificial behavior could, and he needed to be at his best the following night when people who weren’t related to him would come sniffing for a juicy bit of gossip.

  He hadn’t thought too much about how Elizabeth would handle the evening, which he was slightly surprised by as he thought about it on their way home. He had told her who was who, but not much beyond that. In all honesty, he’d thought he couldn’t lose. If she did well, the family would be happy for him—possibly—and understand why he did what he did and that would be the end of it. If she did badly, everyone would understand why they were divorcing two years down the line. He even went so far as to imagine how he would explain it. Our differences surfaced over the first year, we stuck it out a second because we had committed and wanted to try to make it work, but in the end, some rivers are just too broad to cross.

  Now that it was over and Liz had been polite, charming, and completely un-embarrassing the entire evening, he found he was surprisingly glad of the outcome and wondered at his own feelings. Of course, what kind of man wants to see a woman he has brought into a situation, a woman whom he was growing to respect and like, fail and flounder?

  Not that he thought she would fail spectacularly. She’d held her own admirably so far and he wasn’t afraid of anything glaring. But his family could be difficult, as he well knew, and they weren’t all fond of Americans. Many of them were downright snobbish and he wouldn’t have been surprised if they had been covertly rude. But they had behaved themselves, though they hadn’t exactly been warm, and Elizabeth had been the picture of courtesy.

  As they walked into the apartment, Liz put her handbag on the table and looked at Will.

  “Well, what do you think? How’d I do?” she asked as she twisted her hands.

  “You were amazing.” He kissed the top of her head. “You won over the Harpers, that’s for sure. And Calvin liked you.”

  “Really? How do you know? Did he say something?”

  Will wasn’t about to tell her that Calvin thought she had great legs and a bedroom smile and that his Texas cousins had heartily agreed. “He said you were charming. And Cece said you were very sweet.”

  “Oh! That’s great! I liked her, too. Do you think I should have invited her to lunch tomorrow with me and Caroline?” she asked, suddenly worried.

  “You’re going to lunch with Caroline?”

  “Yes, I told you in the car. Didn’t you hear me?”

  He hadn’t. “Um, no, I don’t think you have to invite her. I think she’s spending the day with Jacqueline anyway. They haven’t seen each other since Christmas.”

  “Okay, I won’t worry about it, then.” She smiled, clearly relieved. “Goodnight, Will.” She reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

  He kissed her forehead and went down the hall to his room, letting it click softly shut behind him as he released a deep breath, incredibly glad the evening of familial torture was over.

  15

  Reception

  June 8

  Married 5 Weeks

  Elizabeth had a lovely lunch with Caroline at The Southern Cross. She found Caroline extremely likeable, kind, warm, and very funny. She laughed easily and could make Elizabeth laugh in turn, especially when she spoke of her misadventures through pregnancy.

  “Who knew you lost all dignity! If I wet myself while sneezing one more time, I swear I will never have another baby!”

  Elizabeth laughed until her sides hurt and Caroline invited her to her baby shower in London the first of July. Liz didn’t think she would make it but told her she would try, and if she couldn’t make it then, perhaps she could visit when the baby was born if it made an appearance after summer classes ended.

  They took a short stroll around the neighborhood and popped into a boutique with adorable baby clothes where Caroline bought a white gown and a sweet pair of booties with yellow ribbons.

  “Do you know the sex of the baby?” Elizabeth asked.

  “No, we want it to be a surprise. Julia wanted us to find out, of course—she’s anxious to know if there’s a new heir—but I prefer not to know.”

  “Have you thought of any names?”

  “I like Thomas, after my father, and Teddy likes Joseph for a boy. Of course, Julia hates them both. She thinks we should call him Alistair after his grandfather or Theodore after his father, but Teddy isn’t particularly fond of his name and doesn’t even like me to call him that. I mostly call him darling or dear at home. Oh! Forgive me, I shouldn’t speak of such things, we hardly know each other and here I am, airing my family business on a New York sidewalk! But pregnancy has made me more direct. It’s as if I have no filter for my thoughts. And of course I feel like I’ve known you for ages! Perhaps we were boarding school chums in a past life!” She laughed lightly and Elizabeth smiled with her.

  “What about girl names?”

  “Those we have several of. Penelope, Isobel, Charlotte, Rebecca, Diana. I think I want to see the baby first before I decide. It seems strange to name a person before you meet, don’t you think? What if she has blonde hair and we name her Isobel? That would be ridiculous! Everyone knows Isobels should be brunettes!”

  Elizabeth laughed and looped her arm with Caroline’s. “You’re a riot, you know that, Caroline?”

  “Yes, so I’ve been told. An exhausted, enormous, hormonal riot!”

  Liz squeezed her arm. “You must be getting tired. Shall we head back uptown?”

  “Yes, let’s. I can’t wait to see the reception tonight! I haven’t been to a party that Julia wasn’t involved in for ages!” She giggled.

  “You poor thing! Well, I hope you’ll have a good time. What are you going to wear?”

  “A tent! What else?”

  Liz laughed out loud. “I’m so glad we got to spend time together today.” This is just what I needed.

  **

  Liz and Will got ready separately and barely said a word to each other as they prepared for the reception. Harper was nervous, planning what he would say, how he would act, what sort of touches would be appropriate and expected, what not to do, how to most effectively appear besotted. After nearly strangling himself with his tie, he decided to stop worrying about it and just continue as they had been. Who cared what three-hundred influential people thought about him and his elopement? Oh, God. Why did I agree to this?

  Elizabeth had her hair and makeup professionally done by a stylist-cousin of Sheila’s. Liz sat on a stool in the kitchen and let her work her magic. By the time she was ready to put her dress on, Harper was putting on his cuff links. She slipped into her white Versace cocktail dress and carefully put on her earrings from her father and the necklace Harper had given her.

  He’d suggested she wear some jewelry from the Harper vault, but it would have been a lot of trouble to retrieve them from England and have them cleaned and the settings checked. And what if she hadn’t liked anything? In the end, she told him it was too short notice. When they visited after his green card came through, she’d look at the jewels then.

  She dabbed perfume on her wrists and neck, slipped on her heels, and double checked her appeara
nce in the mirror. Here we go, Lizzy. It’s all or nothing now. She practiced her adoring smile in the mirror and stepped out to meet Will. He complimented her dress and she admired his suit. They were formal and awkward and walked stiffly to the car, neither saying anything until they arrived at the hotel.

  They had opted out of black tie, wanting to give the event a less formal feel, but still, Liz knew the pressure would be on. She and Will had been calling each other pet names for weeks, trying various ones on and seeing what worked. They eventually settled on babe for both of them. It was easy to remember and felt more natural than sweetheart—or worse, sweetie—and less forced than honey.

  Andrew had briefed her in detail about who she should be most careful of, and Will had told her everything he could remember about Alicia Winters, the woman causing them so much trouble with immigration. Steeling herself for a difficult evening, she walked into the ballroom on Will's arm with her head held high. The planner and Will's assistant quickly pulled her aside to go over a few last-minute details, and within a half hour, guests were arriving.

  The two of them stood at the door greeting the well-wishers, smiling broadly and acting the part of the lovesick newlyweds. All of William’s family from the previous evening were there, plus four more who’d arrived that day. They were all perfectly coiffed and expensively dressed, wished her well and kissed her cheek while Will did the same for the ladies of the family. It was clear that whether or not they liked her or were skeptical about her, in public, especially in front of New York’s most influential people, they would present a united front. Harpers and Covingtons did not air their private matters outside the home.

  Theodore enthusiastically congratulated William and told him how lucky he was and that his wife was a gem, which clearly surprised William, especially when his non-demonstrative cousin kissed Liz on the cheek and pressed her hand affectionately. Caroline warmly hugged Elizabeth and kissed both her cheeks, telling her how great it had been getting to know her and repeated how much she’d enjoyed their lunch date earlier that day. Will was clearly confused by Elizabeth’s success with this particular couple, whom he’d always found a little cold, and wondered if perhaps pregnancy had changed them.

  Calvin and Benjamin swaggered through and asked Liz for suggestions on the women, which she playfully slapped their arms for and then directed them to her friend Angie across the room. Ben didn’t seem interested, but she thought she saw a spark in the more buttoned-up Calvin. He looked like the type who would like a slightly wild girl. Angie’s going to love me! Angie’s longstanding preference for men with accents was well-known amongst her friends.

  Forty-five minutes later, they were rubbing their jaws and stretching their necks in a small hall next to the ballroom.

  “I've never smiled so much in my life. I can't feel my face!” Liz complained.

  “At least you're used to smiling. My jaw is killing me,” Will said as he rubbed the offending joint.

  “That's what you get for being such a grump,” she smirked and took his hand.

  They entered the ballroom and a spotlight immediately shown on them as the bandleader announced their presence. Will smiled and held up their joined hands as he twirled Liz once under his arm. He quickly led her to the dance floor, and after a minute of dancing on their own, they were joined by a dozen other couples.

  “Who knew you were such a smooth dancer, Mr. Harper?”

  “Charm school. Teaches you everything you need to know,” he said with a smile.

  They danced the remainder of the song in peace, then Elizabeth was quickly asked to dance by Will’s cousin Jake, followed by a member of the board at Taggston. Once the precedent was set, it seemed every man on the board, the presidents of other subsidiary companies she didn't even know about, and the executives at HarperCo wanted a piece of her, plus the men in Harper’s family. After the tenth dance (and eight more promised), she was thankful that the band took a break and dinner was served. The bar was open and it was clearly time to get some food into everyone.

  “Lizzy, it's absolutely gorgeous!” Jennifer gushed back at their table.

  “Oh, thank you, Jenny! Are you having a good time?”

  “Amazing! I love this band! How did you find them?”

  “Will’s assistant Evelyn recommended them. I told Will he'd better give her a hefty bonus for all the work she's done for this. This is above and beyond the call of duty.”

  “Will had better do what?” her husband asked, leaning away from his conversation with Andrew to interrupt Liz and Jennifer.

  “Give Evelyn a bonus,” Liz answered.

  “Don't worry. I've taken care of it. She'll have a surprise waiting on her desk Monday morning.”

  “What is it?” asked Jennifer.

  “A cruise.”

  Jennifer gasped slightly and Elizabeth looked at him with surprise.

  “What? It's just a short one, five days in the Caribbean,” he said with a shrug.

  “Maybe I should become an assistant,” Jen murmured.

  “That's very thoughtful, Will. I'm sure she’ll love it. Her boyfriend has a birthday coming up next month, maybe they'll go then,” Liz said.

  “She has a boyfriend?” he asked, surprise evident in his features.

  “Of course. She's smart, pretty, and apparently well employed. Why wouldn't she have a boyfriend?”

  “I don't know, I guess I just never thought about it.”

  “So how's it going, Lizzy? Are you having a good time?” Andrew asked.

  “I'm having a lovely time. I never sit out a dance and this food is delicious.”

  “Sorry about that,” Harper said.

  “You’re sorry the food is good?”

  “No, that you never sit out any dances. All the men will want to get to me through you. Be prepared for a lot of sucking up,” he said as he took a sip of his wine.

  Liz rolled her eyes slightly. “Are you saying that if I was just a guest, and not married to you, that no one would want to dance with me?”

  Andrew made a face and leaned back, his hands across his stomach, and prepared to watch the show.

  “Of course not, you're a very attractive woman. I'm just saying that it might be a little relentless and by the end of the night, your feet will be killing you.”

  “Attractive?”

  “Yes, of course.” He looked around at Andrew's amused face, Jen hiding a smile behind her napkin, and Liz looking like she could catch him on fire with her eyes. “What?”

  “Nothing, dear. Nothing at all,” Liz answered with a false smile, then turned to talk to her sister. Jerk.

  Liz danced with several more men before excusing herself to escape to the ladies room. Walking into the plush lounge, she saw a familiar looking woman in a short silver dress at the mirror adding an unneeded coat of lipstick. She silently checked her hair and applied a fresh coat of color to her own lips.

  “So, you're William's wife?” asked the blonde Amazon next to her. Suddenly Elizabeth remembered where she'd seen her. She was the one in the sparkly black mini dress from their first date at the theatre.

  “Yes, Elizabeth Harper.” She held out her hand but the woman looked at it like it was diseased. After a moment, Liz withdrew her hand and stepped into the stall, intent on ignoring the rude woman. As she was washing her hands, the woman appeared again.

  “It'll never last, you know. Harper can't settle down. It's not in him.”

  “Well then, I'd better enjoy it while it lasts, shouldn't I? Excuse me.” Elizabeth breezed past her and through the door, making a bee line for the ballroom.

  She wasn't inside a minute before she was pulled onto the dance floor by one of Harper's college friends who insisted on telling her stories of their youthful drunken exploits. By the end of the dance, she was laughing so hard her sides were hurting and Harry Cavendish was one of her new favorite people. When he led her back to her table, he sat down in Will's chair. Liz immediately scanned the room for her husband.

 
; “Looking for your errant lover? He's over there, dancing with The Mantis, poor sod,” he said.

  “Who's the mantis?” Her eyes followed Harry's until she saw Will dancing with the shrewish woman from the restroom, an unhappy look on his face.

  “Nicole Jamison, The Praying Mantis, or The Mantis as we like to call her. Eats men's heads when she's done with them, no doubt about it.”

  Liz laughed. “I know she's a bit...” She hesitated and Harry jumped in.

  “Awful? Evil incarnate? Bride of Satan?”

  Liz smacked his arm playfully. “I was going to say rude.”

  “Of course you were.” He smirked. “Every man hates her, but we always have to dance with her because she's Andy's cousin, and everyone loves Andy. Besides, she probably has a chest filled with dolls she sticks with pins if you refuse her request.”

  “I'll remember that if I have any unexplained pains.”

  “You do that.”

  “What are you two talking about?” asked Will as he placed his hands on Liz's shoulders and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

  “Harry here has been telling me all about your wild college days.”

  “Did he tell you about the time I had to bail him out of jail for urinating in a public fountain?”

  She laughed. “No, he didn't.”

  Harry turned red and took a sip of his drink. “Now, Harper, that's not very gentlemanly of you.”

  “That's not what you said when I hushed the whole thing up and snuck you back home before the papers found out.”

  “Oh, are you like Will? One of England's most eligible bachelors?”

  “Ha! He wishes. He's one of England's most eligible viscounts,” Will answered for him.

  “Really?” Liz said eagerly.

  “Thanks a lot, Harper,” Harry quipped. “You really know how to ruin a man's good time.”

  “Aw, don't worry, Harry. I won't tell anyone you're nobility,” said Liz with a pat to his knee and a playful smile.