Summer Curse

Part Five

She Said

The world swam slowly back into focus for Trixie and she found herself sprawled on the ground, with Jim’s arms tight around her. The look of sheer terror on his face caused her to recoil slightly, but she soon recovered enough to push herself into a sitting position.

“Jim!” she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Oh, Jim! For a second, I thought–”

“Shh,” he soothed, though he trembled all over with fright. “You’re safe. It’s over now, I’m here and I don’t ever want to let you go.”

Their lips met in a tentative kiss, which quickly developed into something deeper. His mouth moved to her neck and the burning desire that she felt for him, never far away, flared. Her hands began to move over him, pressing him closer, as she tried to touch all of him at once.

“I’m scared, Jim,” she whispered, so quietly that the words were barely discernible. “What if there really is a curse? What if he’s right and those other women really did die of it? I didn’t really believe before, but now…”

“What are you suggesting?” he asked, pulling both of them to their feet, but still clutching her to himself. “The day before yesterday–”

Trixie stamped a foot. “The day before yesterday I wasn’t facing death. If we were in Las Vegas, we could get married. Why did this mystery have to be in Kentucky and not Nevada or somewhere?”

“Such as Tennessee?” A guilty smile played across Jim’s face as he contemplated her. “Even though you said you didn’t want to, the night before last I found a place, not all that far from here. It’s over the state border in Tennessee – a resort town, with a number of wedding chapels. There’s six hours until we have to meet the others. We could be there and back before anyone missed us.”

Her heart tightened in her chest, giving her another moment of panic. He really wants this, she realised, in wonder. As she looked deep into his eyes his hopeful expression told her that she was right. He’s scared, too, and he wants to save me… and I’m going to let him.

“Let’s go,” she decided, suddenly finding herself short of breath. “Right away.”

At once his lips descended to hers until she felt positively light-headed. When he broke away, a dazzling smile was plastered across his face.

“What are you waiting for?” she teased, lightly. “Let’s get going.”

“Back to the cabin, first, to get a few things,” he said. “You’ll need identification, remember? And you don’t think I’m going to marry you with dirt all over you, do you?”

“Trust me to get ahead of myself,” she giggled, taking a rueful glance at her grime-smeared clothes. “What am I going to wear? I didn’t pack anything for getting married in!”

“Whatever you wear, you’ll be beautiful,” he said. “Remember, I like the ‘ready for action’ look.”

“If only I’d known when you first said that, you meant ‘ready for a roll in the hay’,” she giggled, as he took her hand. “I thought you were talking about an entirely different sort of action.”

“Just goes to show how beautifully sweet and innocent you were back then,” he replied. “Sweet sixteen and never been kissed.”

“Not that that lasted long,” she said with a grin.

She turned her back on the scene of her near-destruction and they headed for the cabin. They parted outside the room Trixie shared with Di and Honey. Some time later, Trixie tapped at the door to the cabin’s other bedroom. She held a small bag and, when Jim opened the door, she saw that he had a backpack ready. They were both dressed in the best clothes they had with them. Jim seated himself at the small table, in front of his laptop.

“What’s the delay?” she asked, with nervousness.

“I’m applying for our marriage licence,” he replied. “I’m almost done. That way, we just have to pick it up when we get there. Then, I need to make a booking or two – I’ll phone for those, I think – and we can be off.”

For the next several minutes, Trixie wavered between pacing up and down and sitting and fidgeting. She felt tense, as if they might be discovered and stopped at any moment. Finally, Jim closed the laptop and picked up his backpack.

“Ready?” he asked, as he took Trixie’s hand. “You’re sure about this?”

“Of course, I am,” she replied. “This is right; I’m sure of it.”

He smiled and tugged her closer. His arm wrapped around her shoulder all the way to his car. It appeared that none of the others had yet returned from their various destinations, so there were no witnesses to their departure. Jim settled into the driver’s seat and they were soon on their way.

A welcome blast of cool air came from the air conditioner and Trixie leaned towards it, pushing her curls off her face.

“Are you sure they won’t miss us?” she said, glancing over at her boyfriend – now, fiancé.

“I left a note, just in case,” he replied.

“For Brian?” she asked, in horror. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

“Of course not,” he laughed. “It’s to Honey. She’ll fix everything, I promise.”

“Don’t scare me like that!” she said, still not quite able to laugh about it. “Have you any idea what Brian would do to you if he thought–” She broke off, shuddering. “He’d skin you alive for just thinking of it.”

“So, we’ll just have to be a bit careful. I’m sure we can handle it.”

Trixie leaned her head back and lapsed into a comfortable silence. The landscape gradually changed as they left the park, travelled along stretches of winding country road and began to ascend the lower slopes of the nearby mountain range. After a stop to pick up the marriage licence and another to buy rings, they finally arrived at the wedding chapel that Jim had mentioned.

Set amidst lush greenery, the small building looked almost too picturesque to be true. Its high gable and little bell tower gave it a classic, country church look. The breath caught in Trixie’s throat as Jim led her by the hand towards it. As they walked up the front stairs, she took a final glance over her shoulder.

“Second thoughts?” Jim asked, taking her hand.

Trixie shook her head so hard that her curls bounced in all directions. “Just making sure we haven’t been followed,” she admitted, with a grin. “We don’t want Brian coming after us now. I wasn’t joking about him earlier. He really would try to tear you limb from limb!”

“I don’t think we need worry about Brian,” he replied, kissing her tenderly. “In fact, right now, all I want to think about is you, me and this wedding chapel.”

“Let’s get inside,” she said. “I want us to be married as soon as possible; quicker, even.”

Twenty minutes later, the ceremony was over. Trixie bounced down the stairs and came to a sudden stop at Jim’s car. He descended at a more dignified pace, before opening her door for her and helping her inside.

“So, where are we going now?” Trixie demanded, as he turned back the way they had come.

Jim eyed her nervously. “I’ve booked a room in the Lodge at the same park we’ve been staying. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

She grinned. “More than okay. Let’s go – though, we’ll have to be careful that none of the others see us.”

They arrived at their destination unseen, had an uneventful check-in and headed upstairs. The door closed behind them and Jim pressed his bride against it with his body. “No more waiting,” he murmured between searing kisses.

He Said

Mart leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs. It was a warm afternoon, but he was feeling particularly contented. He was sitting outside the resort’s snack bar, waiting for Honey and Di to finish their extended visit to the gift shop and meet him for refreshments. Brian and Dan had gone off on errands of their own. Mart was not particularly concerned about their whereabouts. He was content to spend these few minutes of leisure on considering the relative merits of all the potential ice cream flavour and topping combinations.

“Look, there he is,” he heard Di exclaim a short distance away. “I should have known he’d choose ice cream. You can just about see the drool from here.”

“It is pretty hot,” Honey defended. “I think I’d like an ice cream, too.”

He could not hear his ex-girlfriend’s response, but could tell by her tone that it was less than polite. Turning in their direction, he waved a greeting. The two were walking slowly, in deference to Honey’s still-sore ankle. Rising, Mart took a few strides to meet them and take her arm.

“How is your foot feeling?” he asked. He had expected her to lean on him a little, at least, but she continued just as before. “Is it very sore?”

She shook her head and they entered the snack bar. “Just a little. I’m glad I didn’t go on the hike, but it’s fine otherwise. I wonder how they’re going. They must be almost back by now.”

“I’m sure they’re doing fine,” Mart replied, dismissively. “Right now, I’m more interested in what to order. What would you both like?”

After a short discussion, their order was placed and they were soon seated at a table with the cold treats. As Mart closed his eyes and savoured the first delicious mouthful, Di leaned closer and whispered to him.

“Don’t get too comfortable. I think the man Trixie’s been seeing is watching us. He’s kind of lurking near the corner of the building.”

Reluctantly, Mart glanced in that direction. He was just in time to see a thin, grubby figure with short-cropped hair walk quickly away.

She Said

“I guess we’d better go back and meet the others,” Trixie reluctantly decided, sometime late in the afternoon. “I don’t think I want to tell them yet, though. Can we keep it a secret a little longer?”

“If you like,” Jim agreed, running a hand gently up and down her back. “We’re staying here tonight, though, so how will we manage that if we don’t tell anyone first?”

“Easy,” his new wife replied. “I tell Di and Honey that I’m going out with you. That’ll be fine with them – Di expects me to want to be with you and Honey won’t tell anyone. They won’t wait up. And you wait until both of my brothers are asleep before leaving. Dan wouldn’t tell anyone you weren’t really there and Brian and Mart will just think you got up early if you’re not there when they get up. See? Easy!”

“If you say so.” He shook his head and began to get ready to leave. A short time later, he asked, “Exactly how long are we going to keep it a secret? I don’t want to lie to the others…”

“We won’t,” she promised. “It’ll just be for tonight. We can tell them tomorrow afternoon.”

“I don’t want to keep putting off the inevitable,” he warned. “We have to tell them sometime.”

She grinned. Looping her arms around his waist, she looked up into his eyes. “I just want to keep it to myself a little longer,” she assured him. “We’ll tell them tomorrow afternoon.”

He Said

“Where is she?” the older man hissed, while pretending to study his newspaper. The afternoon sun glinted off the understated dark blue of his cuff-link. Just behind the park bench where he sat, the younger man scowled. They were the same pair who, earlier, had conspired while leaning against a fence.

“I don’t know,” the younger man grudgingly admitted. “She was supposed to be hiking with the boyfriend, but they must have finished early. I haven’t found her yet – and I’m supposed to be working. If I don’t show at the house soon, he’s going to find out.”

The older man considered in silence for a few minutes. “Get back to work,” he ordered. “I’ll track her down. The old man won’t notice my absence as much as he would notice yours. Where have you put the materials?”

With a casual action, the younger man flipped a key into the other’s lap. “My locker. You know where that is, don’t you? You can leave the key where we agreed when you’ve finished with it.”

The older man gave a curt nod of dismissal, his eyes firmly fixed on his paper. He did not even seem to notice as his co-conspirator stalked away.

She Said

“Have you seen Trixie this morning?” Di asked quietly as she dabbed toner on her face. Beside her, Honey dragged her feet as she began her morning routine. “I don’t think she came back last night.”

Honey shook her head. “She was still out when I went to sleep and I’ve only just woken now.”

“Should we cover for her, do you think?”

Her friend paused. “We don’t know for sure that she stayed out all night. Maybe she got back very late and then left again very early. Maybe she and Jim went for a walk.”

Di thought for a moment and rearranged her vast array of bottles, jars and tubes. “If Jim is out, too, I think we’d better cover for them; if they’re not back in another hour we might say something, but in the meantime I think we’ll just say they’re out for an early morning walk if anyone asks.”

Honey nodded uneasily. “Okay,” she agreed. “That sounds like a plan.”

He Said

Morning light filtered through the curtains to the pair in the bed. Trixie’s curls were spread around her as she slept, one arm draped across Jim’s abdomen. He stroked it absently, deep in thought.

Soon, they would need to face their friends’ reaction to what they had done. Jim’s throat tightened at the thought. Actions which had seemed so natural yesterday now took on a wholly fantastic complexion in the light of a new day. His best friend was going to be furiously angry; his sister would be upset at having missed such an important event; the rest of their friends would be annoyed, bewildered, unsympathetic.

“You’re regretting it, aren’t you?” a soft voice asked, jolting him out of his reverie.

“Not exactly,” he replied. “It was necessary. I couldn’t risk losing you. But now I’m thinking about what’s going to happen when everyone finds out. I think there’ll be a lot of people who’ll be disappointed that we took this course.”

Trixie’s brow creased. “Do we really have to tell them today? How about we leave it a little longer?”

Jim studied her face for a long moment before speaking. “Is that really what you want?” He continued quickly, trying to express his thoughts before she had time to respond. “Not that I don’t want us to be together, just that we might have handled things differently. Maybe we could announce our engagement in a few days’ time and plan a wedding for everyone to attend and have it as a renewal of vows, or something.”

The relief on his wife’s face was palpable. “That’s a great idea,” she responded. The hand which still rested on his body trailed up and then down again. “Of course, we wouldn’t need to hold back any more when we were alone. At our next stop, we could fix it that I have a room to myself and you’re technically sharing with Dan, but really sharing with me. No one would need to know at all, except Dan, and he would never tell.”

He smiled, slowly, and leaned down to seal the deal with a kiss.

She Said

“Did you have a nice walk?” Honey asked sweetly, as Jim and Trixie entered the cottage that morning.

From the corner of her eye, Trixie noticed a slight flush to Jim’s cheeks and was glad that none of the others was there to witness it. “It’s very nice outside at the moment,” she replied. “We didn’t really want to come back.”

“Well, you’re just in time,” Honey told them. “Breakfast will be ready any time now, and then we’ve decided we’ll play some tennis. I hope you don’t mind that we chose without you.”

Mart joined them at that moment, proclaiming loudly, “Food’s on. Get it while it’s hot.”

Trixie took Jim’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as they followed the group. “It won’t be for long,” she promised, in a whisper. “We’ll settle it all in a day or two.”

“I don’t know why I agreed to this,” he muttered. “I don’t want to lie to anyone.”

She shrugged. “I haven’t, and I won’t.”

There was no time for more, as they helped themselves to the hearty cooked breakfast that their friends had prepared. The conversation turned to their plans for the day, and for the remaining few days they had before they would start on the homeward trip.

Before long, the group set out for the tennis courts. The first game was a mixed doubles match, with Brian and Di against Honey and Dan. Although it was still early in the day, the temperature was rising rapidly. They had played three or four sets before Honey asked for a short break.

“Could someone pass me a drink?” she asked. “There’s iced water in the cooler.”

The three watchers shared a blank look. “What cooler?” Trixie asked.

Honey groaned. “You mean you didn’t bring it, after I went to all the trouble of packing it?”

“We’ll go back and get it, won’t we Trix?” Jim offered, taking Trixie by the hand. “We won’t be long.”

He Said

“I’ve found her,” the young man told his older colleague. “She just spent the night with the boyfriend.”

“I assume you’ve set the trap, then?” the other man asked, dryly.

The young man nodded. “It’s all ready to go. I’ve got someone watching the cottage. She should find the key any time now, and then it’s only a matter of time before she goes to investigate.”

“Good.” He began to walk away, then paused to add, “Remember, I have no intention of taking any blame for any of this. You’d best make sure it goes to plan, or the consequences will be on your own head.”

“You bastard!” the younger man hissed, lunging forward to catch his colleague by the throat. “If this goes wrong, you’ll go down with me.”

With surprising strength, the older man threw him off. “And how, exactly, do you intend to do that?” His face took on a nasty sneer. “Who would ever believe you if you accused me? Remember, I know your dirty secret.” He laughed, without humour. “This is your last chance to save your own skin. Don’t squander it.”

She Said

Walking briskly, despite the rising heat, Jim and Trixie made their way back to the cottage. As they neared it, Trixie raced ahead, key in hand. Some sound nearby caused her to skid to a stop and take careful stock of her surroundings.

“Someone’s been here,” she noted softly. She pointed to a muddy mark on the floor of the porch, just outside the door. “That definitely wasn’t here before. Neither was that scratch on the door, near the lock. Someone’s been trying to get into our cabin.”

Jim looked around uneasily. “It must have been one of the others,” he reasoned. “They might have made the scratch by accident.”

His wife shook her head. “I was last out, remember, and I double checked that the door was locked as I left. I’m certain that neither the scratch nor the mud was here before.” Slowly, she took in the surrounding area. “Look! They must have come in this way – there’s a disturbed spot in the undergrowth here.”

Without awaiting a reply, she was off, following the trail. A scuffed place in the leaf litter showed where the one they were following had slipped and skidded down a short slope. Just as she was slowing in frustration, not seeing any further evidence of the path the would-be intruder had taken, she let out a cry of delight.

“What is it?” Jim asked, as he approached from behind her. “A key?”

She held her prize aloft. “Two keys. If this label is to be believed,” she explained, “they’re the keys: the keys to the abandoned house! And just look at this writing. Doesn’t it remind you of Lucius Englefield’s?”

Slowly, Jim nodded. “It’s certainly similar,” he admitted. A moment later, he added, “You’ll have to give them back to him.”

“But Jim,” she cried in dismay, “I need to see inside that house. There’s something mysterious about the place; I just know it.”

“That would be trespassing,” he reminded her. “You don’t think the rest of the Bob-Whites would approve of that sort of action, do you?”

Her jaw set. “We won’t tell them. No one is to know. I’ll just take a quick look and be out of there; I promise.”

After a long pause, he sighed. “How do I let you talk me into these things?” he asked. “Okay, Trix. It’ll be our secret – but as soon as you’ve satisfied your curiosity, we’ll have to give the keys back, okay?”

“Thanks, Jim,” she replied, giving him a hug. “You’re the best.”

“Let’s get that cooler and get back to the tennis court.”

He Said

By sheer force of will, Trixie convinced the others to take another trip into Corbin to do some research later that afternoon. Outside the public library, they paused to sort out who would take which role.

“I don’t think we should all go inside,” Honey suggested, with a doubtful look at the building in question. “You know how hard we always find it to be quiet in these sorts of places.”

Jim backed her up immediately. “Why don’t a few of us go in and the rest can go get an ice cream or something. I thought I saw a store a little way back.”

“Jim, my friend, you are a genius,” Mart pronounced, giving him a hearty slap on the back. Taking Honey by the arm he turned in the direction indicated. “Who will accompany us?”

After a short discussion, Di and Dan agreed to go. The four walked away as Brian, Jim and Trixie entered the library.

“I’ll go and ask at the desk,” Brian offered. “They may have a file on it, if it’s something well-known locally.”

As soon as he was out of earshot, Jim took the chance for a few private words with his wife. “I’ve been thinking,” he told her, in soft and serious tones, “and this secrecy doesn’t sit right with me. I’m not sure I can go through with the engagement idea. Maybe we should just admit everything to the other Bob-Whites, but ask them to keep the secret with us for the time being. I’d like us to tell our parents in person, for one thing.”

“If that’s what you want, Jim,” she replied. She dropped her gaze. “I’ve been wondering how we’ll keep this secret for any amount of time. It would be a relief not to have to.”

He nodded in agreement. A moment later, he asked, in tentative tones, “You haven’t been feeling faint again, have you?”

She shook her head, sending her curls bouncing. “Not at all. Not since that second time on the track.” She gave him a rueful look. “I think I’m coming down with something, though. I’ve got a sore throat and my sinuses feel all wrong. Maybe that’s what made me dizzy.”

Jim shot her a look of concern, but had no time for further comment as Brian was returning.

“They most certainly have a file,” he announced with satisfaction. “Come this way and we’ll soon put this whole thing to rest.”

A frown crossed Trixie’s face as her brother turned away. “We’ll see,” she muttered under her breath.

A few minutes later, they seated themselves at a table and started examining the thick file. It did not take long before part of the matter started to become clear.

“Ah,” Brian breathed, with satisfaction. “I think this will put to rest at least part of the myth of the Englefield curse. It’s a report on the deaths of the other four women. Mr. Englefield may claim that the others died at exactly the same age, but the facts don’t support that conclusion. Eight years after the original tragedy, Flavia Englefield – Dulcibella’s younger sister – died aged eighteen years, two months and twenty-six days. Almost ten years later, their cousin Elysia Catherine Sutton was eighteen years, two months and five days when she died. Another five years later, Mr. Englefield’s brother’s step-daughter, Annie Englefield died aged eighteen years, three months and three days. For about thirty years, there are no alleged victims of the curse. Twelve years ago, Josephine Carter was eighteen years, four months and twelve days when she died – in fact, none of the four was aged eighteen years, two months and twenty-one days.”

Deep worry was etched into Trixie’s face. “Does it say how they died?”

“It does for the later three victims,” her brother replied. “Flavia Englefield’s exact cause of death was disputed, but it was most likely due to a congenital heart defect. Ms. Sutton fainted while standing beside a garden pond, fell in and drowned before anyone noticed what had happened. Annie Englefield was the victim of a car accident. She stumbled while crossing the street in a reckless manner and fell in front of approaching traffic. Ms. Carter had suffered from severe asthma for most of her life and could not be revived after an attack.”

Jim watched the expressions chase across his secret wife’s face and knew that he was not alone in his mortification. “So much for the curse, then,” Trixie muttered. Her expression sharpened. “Is there anything else?”

A frown crossed her brother’s face. It was clear to Jim that his friend did not want to share the rest of the story. “There is one other point of interest,” he admitted, reluctantly. “All five of the deaths occurred in or near the Englefield family home.”

“I wonder…” Trixie murmured, a thoughtful look on her face. “Maybe there’s something to this after all. I mean, that’s a pretty big coincidence for five eighteen-year-old girls to die in the same place, even over so many years. I wonder why he still lives there? I think I’d move if my house was cursed like that!”

“Trixie,” Brian chastised, “it’s not a curse. Yes, it’s a tragic circumstance and a terrible coincidence, but that’s all.”

“But we only have the newspaper’s word for it,” Trixie pointed out with a little more force than was necessary. “Newspapers aren’t exactly the most reliable source of information.”

Brian nodded slowly and conceded the point. “In that case, maybe you could find the reporter who wrote the story. He might be able to substantiate the claims for you.”

“Then we’ll do that,” Trixie decided with a nod. “And since you thought of it, you can arrange it.”

Her brother gave a resigned shrug and rose to do as he was told.

She Said

With Brian’s departure, Trixie took the opportunity to have a quiet talk with Jim. Despite her defiance in the face of his theory, she was now feeling extremely uneasy about the whole situation and was beginning to wonder if she and Jim had done the right thing.

“I don’t think this is the time to tell them what we’ve done,” Trixie whispered, as if someone might overhear. “We’d better wait until this is really over before we say anything at all.”

Jim nodded. “I’m feeling a little silly, now that it’s all coming out,” he admitted. “I’m sorry, Trixie. I didn’t mean to scare you into doing something rash. I just felt so…”

“I know,” she whispered, kissing him softly. “It’ll be okay. We’ll keep it a secret for the time being, just like we planned.”

“I thought we’d agreed that we were going to tell.” His face showed his misery at what was rapidly becoming an untenable situation.

She smiled, sadly. “I know, but do you really want to tell everyone that you got scared by an unsubstantiated story?” As he continued to gaze at her, she added, “Well, I don’t want to. I’d rather solve the mystery, have a celebration, from which you and I disappear for a number of hours, then let everyone think that the circumstances of our marriage were different from what they really were.”

“I doubt they’d believe that,” he argued.

“Then what do you suggest?”

There was a long pause, as Jim thought. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “Maybe we need to leave things as they are for the moment. I hope that when the mystery is solved there might be a clear course of action for us, otherwise…”

“…we’ll just need to own up,” she finished, giving him a tender kiss. “Okay. That sounds like a plan.”

“There’s one other thing, though,” he added. “If Brian’s right and there’s really no such thing as the curse, then we’d better get you checked by a doctor. There must have been a reason why you blacked out like that.”

Trixie let out a sigh. “Do I have to?” Taking a look up into his face, she knew the answer without having to have it vocalised. “Okay, I’ll see a doctor, if it makes you happy.”

Later that afternoon, she left the office of a local doctor with a grumpy frown on her face. Meeting Jim outside, she pouted and informed him, “Because of you, I have to take a course of some kind of nasty medicine. I hope you’re happy.”

At once, his look of quiet concern transformed into something near panic. “You mean there really was something wrong?”

“Some kind of infection,” she admitted, grudgingly. “Both my ears are a mess, apparently, and he thinks I must have had a kind of panic attack when I got that dizzy spell. Nothing serious. Definitely not life threatening.”

“Unless you happen to be standing on the edge of a precipice,” Jim pointed out, his face still a picture of barely-constrained emotion. “Surely you knew there was something wrong with you?”

She shook her head, then had to stop as the world tilted. “I hadn’t really noticed.”

For a long moment, Jim contemplated her. “I don’t suppose you would. Come with me,” he whispered. “There’s something I need to do.”

Nodding agreement, she followed along. He led her out into the main street and along until they reached a jeweller. She took a quick glance, then did a double-take. The sign above the door read ‘Englefield and Barker.’

“Did you see the name of this place?” Trixie asked, in a half-whisper. “Co-incidence, or is this town overrun with Englefields?”

Jim gave a casual shrug. “Maybe there’s an old family connection,” he conceded, “but I don’t see Mr. Englefield around anywhere.”

Holding the door open, he let her precede him inside, then guided her to a display of delicate gold chains. At once, a well-dressed man asked if he could assist. There was something in his expression which bothered Trixie. She felt a blush climb her cheeks and dropped her gaze from his face, instead staring at the smooth gold-rimmed blue enamel of his cuff-links. Meanwhile, Jim politely declined the offer of help. An over-dressed woman entered through a rear door and the man disappeared in the same direction.

“Do you see one you like?” he asked, taking her hand. “I don’t want you just carrying it in your pocket – you know what I’m talking about, don’t you? – but I want you to have it on you from now until we can make this public.”

“I have a chain already,” she protested. “This one you gave me for Christmas.”

Jim looked down at her, his expression a mixture of consternation and amusement. “For one thing, that chain already has something dangling from it; for another, I think we need something more robust – and Bobby-proof.”

“How about that one?” she asked, cringing at the price tag.

He considered. “A little too fine for the purpose, I’d say. How about one of these?” He pointed to several sturdier ones, which cost considerably more. Catching her expression, he told her, “Money’s no object. Which one do you like?”

Averting her eyes from the tags, she stared for a moment, then pointed. “I like that one.”

“Done,” he announced, with a smile.

As Jim indicated he would now like some assistance, the over-dressed woman floated over. Outside a few minutes later, Jim carefully threaded both wedding rings onto the chain and fastened it around Trixie’s neck. He dropped a kiss on the back of her neck before letting her turn to face him.

“You can keep both of them for the moment,” he explained solemnly. “You already hold my heart, so I think you can safeguard my ring, too.”

Continue to part 6