Jane’s normally pale face turned bright red. “No, Mom. No. We have all the music. I’ve told you that.”
“Oh, now, a little more music won’t hurt anyone. It’s not like you have to pay me or anything. And I’ve got my boom box with me for the backing tracks.”
“Sylvia,” Charles began. “Jane talked to you about this weeks ago. I think you need to remember?—”
“The mother of the bride has some privileges, honey. I sing, so I willsing.”
“Privileges, Sylvia? I’d be happy to share the privilege of paying for tomorrow’s shindig,” Ted intoned.
Bernard laughed. Charles sent Darcy a helpless look. Mary and Lydia both wore scowls.
The serving of the main course settled things down, and the topic of perfectly done filets was thoroughly canvassed. With Sylvia seated at the opposite end of the table, Elizabeth felt free to converse quietly with her boyfriend, Lydia, and Mary. She knew she was being observed; a wink from Barbara made it clear she knew—or had guessed—that the couple’s familiarity extended beyond friendship. Lydia looked back and forth at her stepsisters and their men as if trying to figure out the two couples’ dynamics. At least, that’s all Elizabeth hoped she was speculating about.
When Lydia mentioned cosmetology school, Sylvia expresseddelight that she took such an interest in the finer points of makeup and hairstyling. Barbara pursed her lips and glanced at her husband, who seemed content to lean back in his chair and watch the byplay. Caroline, seated next to Ted in the chair designated for Elizabeth, leaned over and whispered something to him. Elizabeth didn’t like the peeved expression he wore when Caroline, eyes flashing, finished speaking. Her attention was diverted when she heard Darcy comment on the world of career possibilities for a smart, socially attuned girl. Lydia blinked and turned uncharacteristically shy when he asked whether she’d considered studying photography. Elizabeth reached under the table to squeeze his knee as Darcy encouraged Lydia to try a class. “Your sister showed me your work. You have a very good eye.”
Bernard announced that he, too, was a photographer and offered to take half-price professional headshots of everyone in the family, effectively endingthatconversation, but not before he managed to pass around business cards featuring a glamour shot of Sylvia in studded denim and feather boas. Caroline snickered until she caught a glare from her mother. Herb seemed delighted. Charles and Darcy tucked away the cards without looking at them.
“I’ll stick one on your bulletin board, Lizabit.” Sylvia turned to her ex-husband. “Ted, her place is so bare, it’s like she’s never lived there.”
Jane swooped in quickly. “I moved out last month, and Lizzy packed up most of her stuff too since the lease runs out soon.”
“So what is your game plan?” her father asked, his eyes moving between his daughter and the man beside her. “You seem to be packing up all your rooms. Are you leaving us for new climes? Are you going Hollywood now that you’ve had a book published?”
“No, I’ll always be a New Yorker, give or take a bridge or two,” Elizabeth replied, taking one last moment to think out her response. “Actually, I’m staying with a friend. In Manhattan.” Hard as she tried, she couldn’t help her eyes from drifting toward Darcy’s hand, holding hers below the table.
“Really?” Ted’s voice was a bit hard.
“I thought you were at Jane’s place,” Sylvia added.
Darcy’s hand twitched. He raised his arm and laid it across the back of Elizabeth’s chair.Enough.
Sylvia’s eyes darted to Caroline and then back to Elizabeth before settling on Darcy. Ted’s were already there.
“Yes, I am at Jane’s tonight. Otherwise, I’m staying at Fitzwilliam’s.” She could feel him stiffen, and she dreaded knowingwhether it was her voicing the now unfamiliar sound of his proper name or her nuanced description of their living arrangement.
“That’s so nice of you, Fitzwilliam.” Lynette smiled at the couple. “You have plenty of room over there.” She lifted her wine glass. “You twoarea couple, then? I wasn’t imagining the sparks?”
Charles sighed and bit back a smile. Caroline glared at her mother and signaled to the caterer for more wine. Darcy distractedly noticed that Lydia was gazing at him with a dreamy expression on her face.
“Staying for good or staying for now?” Ted asked, looking puzzled.
“For good,” Elizabeth replied. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while.”
“Ah, a fait accompli.” Ted sighed.
Sylvia’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes darted to her daughter’s left hand. “No ring. For God’s sake, you’re doing the thing without the ring?”
Darcy’s hand tightened on Elizabeth’s shoulder.
Elizabeth leaned forward. “Seriously? I thought we were all here to celebrateJane’sring.”
“Well, I asked you last night about your love life and you didn’t say anything?—”
Ted’s voice cut in. “The unexamined life, is it, Lizzy?” He lifted his glass and nodded sardonically at his daughter and Darcy. “To another happy couple.”
Darcy looked at Ted, then at Charles and Jane, and Herb and Louisa. He lifted his glass and smiled. “To all of us, the happy couples.” Then he turned to Elizabeth and she pulled him closer for a brief, tender kiss.
Charles, every inch the happy newlywed, sidled over to Darcy. “Think we’ll be doing this again next year for you and Lizzy?”
