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Chapter 44
July 2005
July remained busy
for the National Hurricane center as Emily, the most powerful
storm yet, tore through the Gulf, slamming into Mexico. Contrary
to the normal occurrence that hurricanes leave a cold wake behind,
Hurricane Dennis had made portions of the Caribbean Sea warmer,
fueling the storm that followed, and at one time Emily was a
Category 5. It was a Category 4 when it hit Cozumel on July 18,
and it crossed over the Yucatan Peninsula into the Gulf. It made
final landfall in Mexico as a Cat 3 just south of Brownsville,
Texas on July 20.
It was very unusual
to have two major storms so early in the season and so close
together. People around the Gulf wondered if these two monsters
had dissipated all the stored energy in the waters of the Gulf
of Mexico, or if this was a harbinger of things to come.
~*~*~
City Park in New
Orleans is one of the largest urban parks in the nation. At 1,300
acres, it is four times as large as New York's famous Central
Park. It is the home of the New Orleans Museum of Art, Tad Gormley
Stadium, New Orleans Botanical Garden, Storyland children's area,
nine athletic fields, eleven miles of lagoons, lakes and bayous,
and the fifty-four-hole Bayou Oaks Golf Facility. Each weekend,
thousands of area residents enjoyed this oasis for family outings,
athletic competition, fishing, or culture.
But it is certainly
not the only urban park in the metro area. The most popular in
neighboring Jefferson Parish was the 155-acre Lafreniere Park
in Metairie, near the Kenner city limits. With its lagoons and
playing fields, the place is often busy with little league teams
and soccer clubs.
It was mid-morning
of a hot, partly cloudy Saturday when two vehicles pulled into
the mostly empty parking lot of Lafreniere Park. Lizzy and Will
got out of the BMW while the van belonging to the Bingleys came
to a stop beside them. Nearby was a Saturn sedan that had seen
better days, the back seat packed to the roof with belongings.
There were several picnic tables with benches next to the lot.
Seated at one were two young women, both in t-shirt and jeans.
Lizzy said not a
word, but only grasped Will's hand tightly as she waited for
her sister and brother-in-law. Her expressive eyes where hidden
behind her sunglasses, but her demeanor was evident by the strength
of her grip and the thin line formed by her lips.
Jane and Chuck joined
them. "Is that Lydia?" Jane asked aloud.
The subject of their
observation slowly moved towards them. A couple of steps away,
Jane broke towards them, Lizzy a step behind, as the three sisters
embraced for the first time in over a year. After kisses and
hugs, Lydia introduced her companion, an exercise repeated when
the men joined them. The six stood around for a moment before,
by an unspoken agreement, the three Boudreaux sisters walked
away together to talk amongst themselves several tables away.
Anne Betancourt
perched herself on top of the nearest picnic table and gazed
at the men. Everyone wore sunglasses and it was hard to read
each other's expressions.
Anne broke the ice.
"Mr. Darcy, it's nice to see you again."
"Annie,"
he returned. "I'm glad you agreed to this meeting. It means
a lot to Lizzy and Jane."
She looked out at
the three. "I'm sure. You know we're going to Chackbay after
this?"
"No."
"It's all arranged.
We're going to spend the night after we have dinner with Lyddie's
parents and her sisters. We start out for Vegas in the morning."
"How far do
you think you'll get the first day?"
"We're going
to take it easy. We'll take I-49 and stop at Shreveport. We should
make Amarillo on the second day. Then, a little place called
Hollbrook in Arizona before pushing onto Vegas. Four days."
"You have your
reservations made?"
"Nah - we'll
just stop at the first cheap place that has a vacancy. Truck
stops, probably. Worst come to worst, we'll just sleep in the
car at a rest stop."
"Okay."
Will dug into a pocket and extracted a credit card. "Here.
It works like a gift card - there's a limited amount on it. It
should cover your rooms, food and fuel for the trip."
Anne was surprised,
and initially refused to take the debit card, claiming that Darcy
had already laid out too much for the girls' move. At his insistence,
she accepted the additional help, and tucked the card into her
wallet. "You're too good to us, Mr. Darcy."
Will ignored her
comment. "You've got the directions to the apartment?"
"Yes - right
in the car."
"When does
the moving van arrive in Vegas?"
"Next week.
Good thing I've got a sleeping bag, huh?" She turned her
attention to Chuck. "I don't know if you remember me, Mr.
Bingley…"
Chuck flushed. "Umm…I
do. You do look a little different without the wig, but…
Yeah, I remember." He swallowed, embarrassed. "You're
going to dance in Las Vegas?"
"Yeah. Already
have a line on a couple of clubs. Look, about the other night,
I hope I didn't…"
He cut off her apology
with a wave. "No, no. You're very good at what you do. I'm
sure you'll do fine in Vegas."
Will spoke again.
"Have you worked out your story for Lydia's family?"
She looked down.
"We're staying with what we told 'em already. We're roommates,
an' we're getting out of town so that Lydia can be a showgirl."
The two men nodded,
having nothing else to say. The three stood and sat in the sun,
the day getting warmer, watching the women they loved talk and
cry and hug each other. After another ten minutes, the discussion
broke up, and the Boudreaux woman returned to the parking lot.
"Well,"
Lydia exclaimed as her wiped her eyes with the heel of her hands,
smearing her mascara, "I guess we oughta get going. Bye,
Mr. Will!" she cried as she hugged him. In his ear, she
whispered, "Take care o' Lizzy, huh?"
"I will,"
he answered back.
Lydia and Anne took
their leave of the others, congratulating Jane once again on
her pregnancy, and climbed into the Saturn, Anne behind the wheel.
Windows rolled down, the two women waved as they backed out of
the parking spot and drove towards the exit. Lizzy and Jane were
both hugging their men as they waved back.
Will looked at the
others. "Want to grab an early lunch?"
Jane and Chuck exchanged
glances. "No," she said. "We've have one of our
neighbors watching the kids, and we don't want to take advantage
of their kindness."
"Besides,"
added Chuck, "payback is hell!"
Jane embraced them.
"We'll get together soon. Maybe dinner next week?"
The other couple agreed and the sisters nodded to each other.
Lizzy and Will stood arm in arm as the Bingleys left.
Will turned to Lizzy.
"What was that look you and Jane shared?"
"She's going
to call Mary and clue her in." Lizzy disengaged herself
from Will, took his hand, and led him to a table in the shade.
"That cockamamie story of Lyddie's won't fool her for a
second. Jane will tell her what's really going on, so that Mary
won't challenge Lydia in front of my parents." She noticed
Will's worried expression. "She won't tell her about your
financing of the relocation, don't worry."
"It's not that
I'm embarrassed, it just saves a lot of awkward questions from
being asked," Will protested.
"I know."
She sat down at the table.
"What about
the rest of your family"
Lizzy sighed. "Momma
will buy it. She'll be so happy to see Lyddie again, she'll believe
anything. And Kit is just like Momma. They'll never know, unless
we tell them. And as for Anne…well, that…that
kind of relationship would never occur to them, so unless Anne
and Lydia forget themselves…" she buried her hands
in her face.
Will sat down and
put his arm around her. "Honey? Are you all right?"
"I'm mortified,
Will. Completely mortified." She sighed. "The whole
time Jane and I were talking to her, Lydia was going on and on
about how she's going to be this big star in Las Vegas. She invited
us to come visit and stay at her mansion once she and Anne hit
it big. She's completely delusional. You say this Anne has a
head on her shoulders?"
"Seems to.
She's attending college in her spare time, and she's been putting
away money." He didn't have to say that both girls had come
back clean from both the drug and background checks. If they
hadn't, they wouldn't be on their way to Vegas on Darcy's dime.
"Does she really
care for Lydia, or is she just using her?"
Will reminded Lizzy
of Anne's behavior at the Morning Call, before the offer. "I
think she's genuine, honey. Only time will tell for sure."
"Lydia will
never be a showgirl."
"Anne knows."
"She'll protect
her?"
"Oh, yeah.
Remember, she tried to protect her from me, until I proved myself."
He paused. "Honey, what about your father? He's pretty bright.
Won't he catch on?"
"Not necessarily."
She looked down again. "Will, in the last couple of weeks,
I've done some thinking. I've come to realize a lot of things.
One of them is that Daddy's not the man I thought he was. Lydia'll
come all in and be so happy, and Momma'll be so happy, and Daddy
will be happy for them. Daddy will buy Lydia's story because
it will be convenient for him to do so. Daddy only sees what
he wants to see.
"Don't get
me wrong - Daddy loves us. It's just…Daddy loves his peace
of mind more. He works hard, so he doesn't want any drama at
home. If he allowed himself to truly analyze Lydia's story, he'd
be forced to challenge her and her relationship with Anne. It
would break his heart, and Momma's, too. Daddy would either drive
Lyddie away, or worse, convince her to stay in Chackbay without
Anne. There's no way he could allow that kind of goings-on
under his roof.
"So, he'll
just rest easy in a state of denial, and he'll hope Lydia's a
success in her dancing career. I just pray to God that nobody
he knows ever catches Lydia's act in Vegas and tells him what
she really does for a living," she shuddered.
She turned to Will.
"You were right, getting her out of town. The chances of
her career and lifestyle choices getting back to Momma and Daddy
are a lot greater if she stayed in New Orleans."
Will shook his head.
"Lizzy, thank you, but I still could've done it better.
I should have forced Lydia to accept your attendance at the meeting
at the Morning Call…" Lizzy cut him off with a touch
of his arm.
"Will, I'm
not sure that would have been good. I've been doing a lot of
thinking, remember. I don't think I was ready to talk sense into
Lydia when I had a very short supply of it."
"What do you
mean? You're one of the most sensible people I know!"
"Not all the
time. I'm my father's daughter." She looked away. "I
always respected Daddy. I thought he was the smartest, most clever
man in the world. I adored him. But what I thought was cleverness
I see now was…a kind of smallness. Meanness. Daddy's not
clever; he's sly and sarcastic. Look how he treats Chuck. Just
because he can't value him and his choices, Daddy has to put
him down. Daddy trusts too much in his own judgment, and it's
cost him. He's hard working and loyal and loves his children
and grandchildren, but he's stubborn. Do you know he almost lost
the business during the 90s? If it weren't for Uncle Bernard,
he would have. But Daddy doesn't learn from his mistakes. To
this day, he blames the bankers who were demanding greater cost
controls and better profitably from the company instead of his
own errors and bad business decisions.
"And I'm my
father's daughter. Shoot first and ask questions later. I can't
have my own judgment called into question. I lash out. That's
why Tulane happened. I'm so in love with my own mind that I fail
to see that sometimes there might be somebody who knows more
than me."
Will wanted to say
something, to tell her she was wrong, but instinct told him to
just hug her first. It worked - it took a couple of minutes for
Lizzy to calm down.
"I don't know
why you love me, darling, but thank you," she said in a
small voice.
He kissed her hair.
"I love you because you are my life. I'm nothing without
you. And," he kissed her hair again, "I need you. I
need to learn from you. To learn how to share. You were right,
before, when you reamed me out."
"When did I
ream you out?"
"Back in April
- on the Moonwalk, remember? You were right - I do take too much
into my hands. I should have talked with you before I made my
plans. Lydia's your sister. I had no business trying to fix it
- especially without your input."
"But, everything
worked out. You were right. I couldn't have come up with
anything better."
"Maybe. Maybe
I just got lucky. But, honey, you're right, too. If we're going
to have a life together, I've got to learn to open up with you.
In this case, while this may have been the right solution, it
was the wrong way of coming up with it." He took a breath.
"I've been thinking, too. I've been a hypocrite. If one
of my managers had gone all Rambo over some crisis at DGS - fixed
it himself instead of going though channels - he would have been
fired. Period. No matter how good the solution was. Clean out
your desk and we'll mail you your two weeks' pay. I want teamwork
out of my employees. If I expect that out of my people, how can
I expect less out of myself?"
Lizzy shook her
head. "You're too hard on yourself."
Will shrugged. "Maybe
- maybe not."
The two sat in their
embrace.
"So, I guess
we're a mess together," she said.
He chuckled. "We'd
be a bigger mess apart, love." Her only answer was to squeeze
him. They sat in silence for some time, Lizzy enjoying the feel
of his arms about her, but Will was preoccupied. Finally, he
took a breath.
"That brings
up something else."
"What?"
"About me making
decisions for us without your input. I decided that I would choose
when we get married. That's wrong of me, too."
"But…all
those reasons you gave. They were true, weren't they?"
"Yes, they
were. But since when have I allowed anyone to control my life
unless I wanted them to? If people ask more than you want to
give, the proper thing is to say no. Kindly, politely, but firmly.
I guess I didn't want to be bothered."
"So…what
are you thinking now?"
"I'm thinking
that I made a bad decision, and I want to rectify it. The last
few weeks have shown me life can change in an instant. This time,
it was your missing sister. Earlier this year, it was the Edmund
Fitzwilliam. Who knows what will happen next? If I know -
if we know - what we want, why shouldn't we move forward and
the hell with everyone else? Elizabeth…"
With that, William
pulled his arm away from her shoulders. He gently grasped her
forearms and had her face him. He smiled, removed first his sunglasses,
and then hers. "I want to see your eyes when I say this,"
he said in a low voice.
Lizzy's insides
had turned upside down as she realized what William was going
to say.
"Elizabeth,
my one and only love, the only woman I've ever dreamed of spending
the rest of my life with, do you wish to marry me?"
So many words occurred
to her, but the only ones she was able to voice were, "Yes,
I do."
"Then, we shall,
and whenever you want." They shared a tender kiss.
"I'm sorry
I came unprepared," he whispered against her lips. "Can
you take a long lunch hour next week to pick out a ring?"
A cheeky smile grew
on her lips. "You mean I have to pick out my own ring? Heavens
to Betsy! What am I going to do with you?"
"It will be
unique, just like you are."
"I'll accept
that as a compliment, I think. I'll have to check my schedule,
though."
He kissed her soundly.
"When?"
She pursed her lips.
"Hmm…Wednesday?"
"Not soon enough,"
he growled as he assaulted her neck, an area he knew from experience
was very vulnerable to his attentions.
"M…Monday…"
she gasped.
"Much better."
"Well, I have
to say you were very persuasive, darling."
"Now you know
how it feels."
"Really? I
can do that to you?" Her smile turned positively wicked.
"I'll have to remember that." They kissed again, until
a noise caught their attention.
"I guess I'm
hungry," a sheepish Will admitted, holding his stomach.
"Sorry."
"Well, come
on, we can't let you starve," Lizzy laughed as she took
him by the hand to walk back to the car. "Let's go get a
bite."
"Where do you
want to go?" Will asked as he backed out.
"I've got some
stuff in the fridge. Let's go back to my place."
"You don't
want to go celebrate somewhere?"
She caressed his
face. "We are going to celebrate, lover. Just not
with so many people."
"Uhh…Lizzy…"
"Will, if you
say one more word, I'll scream. Now hush! I've got to
call Jane."
~*~*~
The responses of
family and friends to the announcement were all that could be
expected. The congratulations from Jane and Chuck were heartfelt
and sincere. Francis Boudreaux was ecstatic - on the same day
she would see her long-lost youngest again, she learned that
her second daughter was engaged to the most eligible bachelor
in New Orleans. Her father's reaction was more muted, but also
more genuinely happy for her, for he had grown to like
and respect Darcy. Mary was as happy as a sister who was already
preoccupied with her own engagement could be. Gina Darcy laughed
and cried at the same time.
"Well, I'll
be damned," Richard Fitzwilliam said as he hung up the phone.
"Will's getting married."
"To Elizabeth?"
asked Olivia from the kitchen as she was preparing lunch.
"Yeah."
"Well, I'm
glad they've put Tulane behind them."
"It sure seems
that way."
"Richard,"
Olivia asked, changing the subject, "have you thought any
more about that opportunity at DGS?"
"Still thinkin'
it over."
"Uncle Edward
said the money's real good." DGS was expanding the security
department, and Ed Fitzwilliam was pushing Fitz to apply to manage
it.
"I said I'm
thinkin' about it, okay?" Fitz repeated. "I don't know
all that much about international shipping, you know."
"Richard, you
know enough to protect the ships, and what you don't know, you
can learn." She threw down her towel. "An opportunity
like this doesn't come every day."
"It'll mean
a lot more travel…"
"At least you'll
be safe!" she cried. "At least people won't be trying
to kill you!" She caught herself, and gripped the kitchen
counter as she fought her agitation. Fitz came in from the den,
and tried to comfort her, but she shrugged him off.
"Look, baby,"
he tried to explain, "I mainly ride a desk at the Third
District. Nobody's takin' a shot at me. I'm as safe there as
anywhere."
"Until something
happens - a riot or…whatever. I know you love your work,
but can't you understand? I am so tired of worrying about you.
Worrying you won't come home after the next hostage situation."
She finally allowed her husband to embrace her.
"Shush, shush.
I told you I'll think it over, right? I don't have to make a
decision until September. Don't worry, baby, please?"
I've been worrying
for ten years, she
thought. "All right. Let me finish lunch. Can you call Megan?"
"Sure. She's
in her room?" Fitz walked down the hall to retrieve his
daughter.
~*~*~
At the Buford household,
John glanced over at a bemused Carrie as she hung up the phone.
"What did Jane want?"
"Oh, she wanted
to tell me that Lizzy finally got engaged to Will Darcy."
"Humph. Took
'em long enough," he commented as he returned to his sports
page.
~*~*~
Chris Breaux was
walking a Sunday round on the ward when he got a call on his
cell. Glancing at the Caller ID and knowing Mari would not disturb
him for anything less than important, he flipped the device open.
"Hey, babe," he answered as he slipped into an empty
consulting room, "what's up?"
"HE DID
IT! HE DID IT!"
"What? Who
did what? What are you taking about?"
"WILL! HE
ASKED LIZZY TO MARRY HIM!"
"Oh - that's
great. What did she say?"
"SHE SAID
'YES,' OF COURSE, YOU BIG DOOFUS!"
Chris laughed. "Looks
like all our hard work has finally paid off."
"I TOLD
you we could do it. Oh, this is the best news EVER!"
"Better than
our own wedding?"
"Now, you
KNOW I don't mean that! Oh, I'm so happy I don't know what to
do with myself!"
Chris glanced at
his watch. "I ought to be wrapping up here in another hour
or so. You can gloat some more, then. I'll see you soon."
~*~*~
At the Katz's, Lizzy's
phone interrupted Emma and George as they were engaged in an
exotic physical activity. Their response was hearty and happy,
and Emma's eyes were still shining as she hung up the phone.
"What's with the waterworks, Em?" asked George.
"Six years,
George. It took them six years to get here. They've been so right
for each other for so long. How can I not cry a little at a time
like this?"
"Does that
mean we should stop what we're doing?"
"No, it does
not! George, you need to exercise! You don't walk or jog or ride,
or anything. You don't even play golf! I'm going to fix that,
and in a way that we can do it together, privately."
"But honey,
I've been keeping my weight under control. I'm just too busy
to use the gym at the hospital."
"You might
be in decent shape now, but it's my duty to keep you there. Now,
hush up and assume the position."
"I still feel
funny doing this for exercise."
"We can do
it together, and that makes it fun. Besides, you promised."
"I'm with George,"
said Abe as he walked from the kitchen. "You look weird."
Emma glared at her
father. "Papa! You stay out of this or I'll have you on
a mat!"
"Not me,"
he predicted as he returned to his room.
"Now,"
Emma resumed, "We'll start nice and easy. On our knees like
this is called the Child's pose. Center yourself by breathing
deeply, George." Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She heard George make a funny sound. Without opening her eyes,
she said, "George, please, yoga is serious. Try to take
it seriously."
In a low voice,
George, kneeling beside his wife in a t-shirt and shorts, admitted,
"I AM trying, but if you knew what it does to me with you
wearing that leotard…"
A small smile crept
onto her face. "That's for later, dear," she responded
in the same tone. "Besides, yoga gives a person both flexibility
and endurance. Is that enough of an incentive for you?"
"You've sold
me."
"Good. Now,
close your eyes and breathe. The next pose we'll attempt is the
Downward Facing Dog."
~*~*~
Two tropical storms
appeared in the later part of July. Franklin developed near the
Bahamas and tracked northeast along the Gulf current, between
the US mainland and Bermuda. Gert popped up in the Bay of Campeche
and came ashore in Mexico.
In early August,
Tropical Strom Harvey stayed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean,
as did Hurricane Irene, bothering only shipping and fishing interests.
~*~*~
August 2005
Will, standing in
shirt and tie in line before the cash register, waited for his
turn to pay for two dressed roast beef and debris po'boys, with
drinks and chips. He dug out his debit card, wondering again
at his fiancée's choice of restaurant for lunch. This
was a special day - and she wanted to go to Mother's to celebrate?
Sure, it was the standard when it came to roast beef po'boys,
but it wasn't every day that a girl got her engagement ring.
Accepting his receipt, Will carried the tray of food through
the crowded joint to where Lizzy had claimed two seats at a table.
"Here you go,"
he said as she slid next to her. She smiled and handed him the
extra napkins they would need, a glittering treasure in platinum
and blue adorned her left ring finger. They unwrapped their sandwiches
and munched happily.
"Hey, you're
getting gravy all over your ring."
Lizzy looked at
her engagement ring. A week ago, they had selected a two-carat
diamond set in platinum, with a sapphire on each side. They had
just picked up the ring from the jeweler before lunch. "You
think it will hurt it?" With a sultry look, she slowly licked
the garlicky thin gravy off the stone. She smiled and smacked
her lips.
"Don't do that
in front of me in a crowded restaurant," Will pleaded.
Lizzy gave him a
flirtatious look. Pitching her voice low, she said, "Wouldn't
you just love to lick this gravy off my body? Just slather me
with it and take your time removing it from every nook and cranny?"
"Lizzy, you're
driving me insane!"
"Just want
to make sure I've still got it."
"You're enjoying
yourself, aren't you?"
She grinned. "Mmm-hmm."
"You're gonna
make us go to confession again."
She gave him a peck
on the cheek. "I'll behave. Call it a preview of coming
attractions."
"You're going
to drive me nuts 'till whenever I make an honest woman out of
you."
"I'm driving
myself nuts, too, sweetie. At least you won't have to quit the
board anytime soon." While the management of EDNO was overjoyed
at Lizzy's news, it did raise a potential problem. It would be
extremely awkward for Lizzy's boss to answer to a board that
counted among its members Lizzy's husband. Will had foreseen
the conflict, and it was agreed that until the wedding, Will
would remain on EDNO's board, but would excuse himself from any
oversight over personnel matters. Once Lizzy became Elizabeth
Darcy, William Darcy would formally resign. He pledged that DGS
would remain an investor in EDNO and that he would be happy to
serve as a volunteer on committees.
The two were interrupted
by a middle-aged couple. "Do you mind if we take these seats?"
the man asked.
"No, go ahead,"
Will assured them.
The two, tourists
from their garb, made themselves comfortable. The woman scowled
at her roast beef sandwich. "Andy," she said to the
man, "go get me a knife and fork. I can't eat this mess
with my fingers."
He got up. "I
told you to get the ham and cheese," he mumbled as her retrieved
the silverware.
Lizzy and Will watched
the two newcomers as they finished their po'boys. Wiping their
hands, Will asked, "Are you here on business or pleasure?"
"Both,"
Andy answered. "I'm a salesman working the Work Boat trade
show that starts Monday. Me and the missus came in a little early
to see Bourbon Street." His accent was straight from Philly.
"How do you
like it?"
"It's so hot!"
the wife cried as she ate her po'boy open-faced. "How can
people stand it?"
"Well, it is
August," answered Lizzy. "Have you gone to the Aquarium,
or one of the museums? Nice and cool there."
"Save the Quarter
for the evenings," Will suggested.
"Maybe it'll
smell better," grumbled Andy. "Place stinks to hell.
That trolley'll take us to the D-Day Museum?"
"Streetcar,"
Will replied dryly. "It stops a block away."
"Streetcar
- trolley - what's the diff?" Andy said as he bit into his
po'boy. "Ain't a cheese steak, but it's pretty good."
Will and Lizzy glanced
at each other. They stood up and Will said, "I hope you
have a good visit. Take care." As they left the restaurant
and walked back to Lizzy's building, Will pulled out his BlackBerry
and made a quick call. "Barbara? Please reschedule my Monday
- I'm going to attend the Work Boat trade show after all."
Lizzy looked at
him. "What's that all about?"
He grinned evilly.
"Oh, I wouldn't miss Monday for the world, when ol' Andy
back there steps up to the DGS booth."
Lizzy laughed. "I
wish I could be there."
"Andy sure
won't," he promised.
The gleam in his
eye told Lizzy that perhaps Will was more like T.B. Boudreaux
than either thought.
~*~*~
Mother's Restaurant
- http://www.mothersrestaurant.net
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