While Rose still pouted the next day, Mrs. Leveau the dressmaker’s wife gushed with enthusiasm. “A proper engagement should be at least six months. You need to have an exclusive dinner to announce your engagement to your closest friends and family. You’ll be getting so many invitations from people you never even met. Everyone will want to entertain the happy couple.”
*Six months! Six Months! There no way I can wait that long!* “We need to have a much shorter engagement than that.”
“Oh my,” she replied.
“I can’t wait that long for my William. I’m dying as it is. We’re never alone.”
The raven-haired middle-aged queen of accessories couldn’t stifle her laughter. “I guess Americans are more like the French: not prudish. You love your William very much. How about I chaperone you? My rules are not as strict.”
“You would! Thank you so much.” She hugged her new friend. *Six months of kissage and gropage but I’ll still be a virgin until my wedding night. William won’t break his promise to Heath.* Part of her loved the fact that William kept his word but part of her desperately wanted him to break it, least the nookie part. “William will still make me wait until our wedding night though.”
“It will be a special night then. The moment I heard about your engagement; I wanted to give you this.” She gave her a fancy gift box which Elisabeth excitedly opened. “You can wear it on your wedding night. William will love it.”
She opened the box to find a white sheer sleeveless peignoir with a cinched lace waist. The completely risqué negligee would drive William absolutely wild. She couldn’t wait.
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That Friday as Elisabeth stitched ribbons and silk flowers on a hat she designed, a pixie looking red headed girl her own age rushed in the shop. “May I help you?” The girl bustled with excitement.
“Are you Elisabeth Sommersby?”
“Ummm yes,” she answered.
“I’m Jane Nestaun. I’m friends with Justin Sweeney, well more than friends; I hope. Anyways, Justin is friends with William. I’ve heard so much about you, all good. I understand that you’re a bit of a maverick. Oh, but I like that.” She nervously looked at the door. “Anyhow, I wanted to meet you and warn you about Cecily.”
“What about her?” Elisabeth flushed with anger.
“Now that William is unavailable, she wants him. You don’t have to worry though. William is completely smitten with you according to Justin. Besides, Cecily is a complete bint.” Her hand shot up to her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She glanced out the window again. “My parents will be coming along anytime so I have to go. We’ll have to have lunch sometime. Farewell.”
“Bye,” Elisabeth muttered to the breeze that trailed behind Jane. That evening she received an invitation from Jane for lunch the following week.
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Saturday evening, Elisabeth along with Heath and Rose arrived at William’s home in Knightsbridge. She nervously brushed down her pale green dress to ensure that it looked perfect. Though the home wasn’t a manor, the rather large brick home provided plenty of space and seemed entirely modernized. However, it only had the bare minimum of furnishings. After the maid escorted them to the parlor, a woman in her late forties or early fifties with white hair and a few remaining blond strands and an ovular wrinkled face that reflected many years of past beauty greeted them.
First she greeted Heath and Rose. Then she clasped Elisabeth’s hands. “You must be Elisabeth. I am so pleased to meet you. I’m Anne, William’s mother.”
“I’m glad to meet you too.”
Before Anne met her future daughter-in-law, she knew the girl’s entire dossier from her friends. Apparently, her shy William captured society’s American darling despite the attentions of several wealthier titled men. Anne sat with Heath and Rose and chatted about the upcoming nuptials. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elisabeth throw her arms around William’s waist and hug him. William had always been an affectionate child. She was glad to see that he would have a loving wife. From everything William told her, this girl admired his forward thinking and agreed with it.
As they talked, she sensed Rose’s disapproval of the match and easily guessed why. Six months was a long time for the woman to find a reason to break the engagement. Anne decided to make it only four. “If I may be so bold, why don’t you two have the wedding on New Year’s Day? New Year’s Day falls on a Wednesday and you know what they say.”
“What they say,” Elisabeth inquired.
Anne recited a little rhyme she heard since childhood.
“Marry on Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday the best day of all,
Thursday for crosses,
Friday for losses, and
Saturday for no luck at all.”*
*Victorian rhyme of unknown origin
No mention of Sunday was made since marrying on the Sabbath was unheard of. “You can start off the New Year with a new life. Wouldn’t that be poetic William?”
“Very much so but it’s up to Elisabeth,” he replied. He turned and looked her directly in the eyes. “Elisabeth, what would you like to do?”
Every time he looked at her like that, Elisabeth knew that he truly wanted to know her thoughts on the matter at hand and would support her entirely. He didn’t want her to give in to any pressure. “New Year’s Day sounds perfect.”
Rose gasped and gave the couple a sharp look. “Four months is too soon. A six month engagement is barely proper. A year would be best. Besides, they couldn’t even get a chapel in that time.”
“Nonsense,” Anne countered. “No one gets married on New Year’s Day so there will be plenty of free chapels. Who cares what other people think? Besides, they’re so much in love that it would be almost criminal to keep them apart.”
“Four months is too short of time to plan everything, time that I don’t have,” Rose countered.
“I understand completely but I have a solution. Since I don’t have a daughter, I never had the chance to help plan a wedding. This is a wonderful opportunity for me.” Anne smiled at Elisabeth. “Would you like my help dear?”
“I would love your help.”
“Excellent,” Anne stated. “We will get together tomorrow to start planning. Lack of planning won’t be an issue, nor will anything else stop this wedding.” A bell jingled lightly in another room. “Dinner is ready.”
Everyone ambled towards the dining room. William took Elisabeth’s hand and held her back. As soon as everyone rounded the corner out of sight, he twirled her around with his arm around her waist, pressed her against him and kissed her savagely for a few brief seconds before he released her. A slight taste of liquor remained in Elisabeth’s mouth and a warm sensation between her legs as he ended the kiss. “You’ve been drinking.”
“You can thank Sweeney for that. I had an afternoon of brawling followed by boozing. I loved every minute of it.” For all accounts, William looked normal except for a few bruises hidden beneath his clothing, his badges of honor.
“And here I thought you were a quiet sober poet,” she commented.
“I am and will be five days a week.” In a typical William fashion, he pushed back his glasses with his forefinger.
“You’re a weekend warrior and party animal.”
“No only Saturdays and Wednesdays,” he replied in a serious tone. “I would never drink or fight on the Sabbath.”
“Part savage, part poet, that makes me hot,” she whispered.
Confusion crossed his features for a moment before he translated the comment and smiled.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you for all your reviews. You all are keeping my spirits up. I love hearing from you.
Chapter End Notes:
Did you like Anne? How about Jane? Spuffy lovin' coming in the next chapter.