Author's note: Hello, Dolly! is my all-time favorite movie and the other day, after watching it for probably the 50th time, I started wondering where Dolly got her silver locket. This is basically what came out of it. This isn't my first fanfic, but it's the first one I've published so reviews are welcome! Hope you enjoy!

The moon was as radiant as ever - taking center stage among the billions of stars it shared the sky with - but the moonlight was lost in the dazzling lights of New York City. It was much colder than a night in early April should be, the wind was strong and carried an icy chill; a harsh reminder that the arduous winter they had suffered through wasn't quite over yet. However, the cold wasn't the only thing in the air. It was buzzing with the constant sounds of footsteps, the clip-clop of horse's hooves, and the disjointed bits of conversations going on at once. The wintry weather may have been a bit bothersome, but it didn't prevent anyone from walking the streets and taking in New York's bustling nightlife. Everyone simply dressed a little warmer and held each other a little closer.

It was around seven-thirty and stomachs were rumbling as every restaurant in the city was hastily trying to prepare for the evening dinner rush. Tables were set, food was prepared, and the most excellent service was provided. Of course, no matter how first-rate these restaurants thought they were, the crown jewel of 14th Street -The Harmonia Gardens - would always surpass them all.

Nestled between two plain apartment buildings, the restaurant was a sight to behold. It was a grand building, long and rectangular with many white pedestals holding up the roof over the walkway to the main entrance.

Along the walkways, many streetlights and small light bulbs - which hung over the posters advertising all that the Harmonia Gardens had to offer – illuminated every architectural ornament and refined detail. Several sleek, black, horse carriages were stopped outside, either waiting for someone to return or to be dropped off. The curvature of the pillars and the sign formed a sort of rotunda with an ornate water fountain in the center; the white brick road from the walkways encircling it. At the back of the rotunda was a staircase laid out with red carpet leading up to two tall golden doors that lead inside and were carved with the most intricate designs. It was posh, polished and first-class. And that was just the outside. The inside was even more impressive.

Leading in from the entrance doors was a small circular landing also with red carpet and a long red staircase leading down to the main floor. This floor included a circular pathway for waiters to roll their dining carts to the tables on the far sides. Then there were the private dining rooms which, for those who could afford it, were the most elegant. There were designated spots for the orchestra, kitchen, and other small staircases branching off to more tables.

Music rang through every corner, resonating through the clatter of dishes in the kitchen and rising all the way up to the high, sculpted ceiling. The music, although it may have been drowned out by those having conversations, was not lost to the couples who were whirling away their worries on the dance floor. Delectable smells from all kinds of gourmet food wafted through the air and into everyone's noses, making their already ravenous appetites even more so. It truly was the best that money could buy. Everything was alive and bursting with activity. At the Harmonia Gardens, there was something for everyone so long as you had a vivacious spirit, a taste for good food, and a full wallet. And when it came to those three, no one had more of an abundant supply than Ephraim John Levi.

He was a simple man of thirty-seven with short black hair that was always slicked back, although you'd never be able to tell since he wore a top hat most of the time. His hazel eyes always had a certain glint to them as if he was curious about everything he saw. A well-groomed black mustache resided under his long, thin nose. He had chiseled features and prominent cheekbones. A handsome man, all in all. The dapper tuxedo he was wearing made him even more so, even if the green tie didn't exactly compliment the rest of his ensemble. Still, he wore this forest-green tie every time he came to the Harmonia Gardens. Ephraim adored anything green, money especially.

When Ephraim was twenty-eight his father died of Malaria and left his inheritance of about $600,000 to him, since his mother had seven children and he was their only son. Of course, he was very wise when it came to managing money because he learned from his father that the only reason he had made so much money was through hard work. Ephraim was a hard working man, at least, up until his father's death, which is why it bothered him greatly to have that large of a fortune - something he hadn't earned - while others were barely making ends meet. It was because of this, that although he still made sure to keep a considerable amount for himself, he had become a philanthropist over the years. However, ever since he met Dolly, he had made more of a dent in his fortune solely because he had someone important to spend it on.

He eyed her from across the table while she sipped a glass of champagne and smiled contentedly at the couples on the dance floor. She was twenty-three, about to turn twenty-four and even after three years of being married she never stopping fascinating him. Dolly had a certain air about her that one simply couldn't describe in words. Her hands were like those of a conductor when she spoke - animated and expressive, never staying still for a second - were what really entranced him. Every movement or gesture she made was long, graceful, and feminine.

As ladylike as she was though, she didn't have the typical characteristics you'd expect to find in a woman as genteel as herself. She was fast-talking, strong-minded, and straight-to-the-point when it came to conversations; much different than any of the other women he had encountered.

"A Jack of All Trades" was the only word he could come up with for her profession. She had an indefatigable drive to manage and arrange every aspect of people's lives and she certainly had a knack for it. There were numerous things that Dolly specialized in; a statement that presented itself in the hundreds of small, white, rectangular business cards that she always kept on hand.

Dolly had always been an enigma to Ephraim. She was an open book who spoke whatever was on her mind, but she still had those certain unexplainable things about her that only heightened his curiosity. This was something else they had in common, for Dolly was about the most inquisitive person Ephraim had ever known, aside from himself of course, and she believed that everything, in some way or another, was her responsibility.

Underneath her bold personality, she had a heart of gold and everything she did was only with the best of intentions. She believed that everyone had a story to be told and she was more than happy to provide a little guidance to ensure it was one with a happy ending. Ephraim had never met anyone like her in all his years, and he knew he never would again. In fact, anyone who spent five minutes with Dolly would come to the same conclusion.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Levi!" A German accented voice chirped from behind them and snapped Ephraim out of his reverie. Rudolph Reisenweber, the head waiter and good friend of them both, presented them with their food. It was the same as always: a stuffed chicken with giblets, dumplings, and Dolly's favorite - pickled beets.

"Good evening to you too, my good man. Everything looks delicious." Ephraim said, eyeing the silver platters hungrily.

Rudolph began serving up the food. "Only the finest for you, Mr. Levi."

Dolly swallowed a mouthful of champagne and beamed at Rudolph. "Yes, and it's so wonderful to see you again, Rudy!"

"The same to you, Mrs. Levi, and might I say, you look ravishing tonight."

Dolly gave him a sly grin, her cheeks lighting up a rosy color. "Why, thank you."

She certainly did, dressed in a showy, sparkling scarlet evening gown with matching shoes and her hair was done up in an elaborate design with a few red feathers adorning it. She pulled off her long white gloves that extended halfway up her forearm and placed them in her lap along with her napkin. Another waiter called for Rudolph and he bid them goodnight, leaving the two to their meal.

If there was one thing Ephraim knew about Dolly was that she had quite the appetite. Of course, she ate things slowly and carefully, not unceremoniously and all at once like him, but it all added up in the end and she could somehow eat twice as much as he did and still maintain her svelte figure.

After a few minutes the silence was starting to get to them both and Dolly was contemplating whether to say something, but her husband beat her to it.

"He's right, you know."

"What?"

"That you look ravishing."

"Oh please, dear, you don't have to flatter me. I'm sure Rudy only does it because it's part of the job."

"But it's true! Why, just yesterday I was walking through town and I overheard two of my acquaintances form the barber shop say how lovely you looked and how the very sight of you made them all the less eager about going back to their own homely wives." It was a lie, but he hoped she at least got the message.

Dolly giggled, the chiding tone in her voice betraying her amused expression.

"Eavesdropping again, dear? Lord in heaven, sometimes I think the only voice in the world you don't listen to is the voice of reason."

"That wouldn't be such a problem if it didn't just spout nonsense all the time." He exclaimed. She rolled her eyes and the ever-present itch to ask questions that had been simmering in the back of her mind all night finally became too much.

"So, tell me, how was business down at the barber shop today? Did anything interesting happen? I mean, were there any revolutionary breakthroughs in coming up with that new hairstyle everyone was talking about? " She shoveled a generous portion of beets into her mouth, anticipating a long answer.

However, Ephraim wasn't in his usual mood for storytelling. He was suddenly growing very tired and it was wasn't like him to feel drowsy at this time of night. Chap 2

"No, it was just the usual really, and you?"

At the invitation to speak, she started chewing her mouthful faster and faster before giving up and swallowing most of it whole. Ephraim chuckled at the display. Dolly was constantly waging an inner battle with herself on wanting to hear every detail of other people's lives and talking nonstop about her own.

"Oh, goodness gracious, I went through a trifle today Ephraim! You see, I have this friend of mine, a seamstress, and she's the sweetest little thing but a bit of handful. Anyway, she hired me to find some fabric for a dress she was preparing to make 'something fashionable and unique'. Those were the only demands she gave me so I set off to find something that would meet those requirements. I stopped by that the fabric shop, you know, the one on 5th Avenue? Unfortunately when I got there it was closed and I only had a few hours before I had to meet back up with her and deliver it. For some reason, I thought I had some fabric back at the house, but of course, I didn't and I wasted an hour racing back there and another hour trying to find any kind of fabric at all that I could use."

A sudden mischievous gleam sparked in her eyes, the same look they always took on when she was scheming.

"Then I had an idea. It wasn't fashionable, at least probably not by her standards, we don't exactly have the same taste in clothing and it was a last resort to say the least, but I did have an idea for something unique. From what I could find, the next best thing to fabric was those curtains in the sitting room, but then, of course, I found that the cat had clawed up the entire backside of them. Oh, that little thing has got a devil inside, I tell you, and the worst part is how difficult it is to stay angry with her. It's a good thing we were going to throw those curtains away anyway.

Now, I knew I couldn't use those tattered things so I tried to find something else with a tapestry pattern and another half hour went by before I remembered that old rug in the kitchen that your mother gave us."

Ephraim's eyes widened, he didn't like where this going.

"It took me a while to shake all the dust and cat hair out of it, but I pressed it, rolled it up, put it in the back of the carriage, and arrived back at the meeting spot in no time at all. I managed to convince her that it was the most fashionable design in Europe but hardly anyone was wealthy enough to afford it here and that this particular fabric was imported from Spain. Wouldn't you know, she was thoroughly satisfied with it and I could already tell it would make a gorgeous dress for her. The only downside is that now I've got to find something to replace that rug."

To indicate she was finished, she gave an expectant look at Ephraim, who was barely containing his laughter.

"Wait a minute, so tomorrow when I'm walking through town I'm going to see a woman wearing our second-hand kitchen rug and boasting to everyone that it's a hot commodity in Spain?"

Dolly nodded. "Yes, I would think so. Who knows, Ephraim, tapestry could be very in this season." They both looked at each other for a minute before their lips started to quiver and they burst out laughing. This went on for several minutes and as Ephraim was laughing, he felt an uncomfortable, all-too-familiar tightness starting to build in his chest. He coughed violently into his napkin until the feeling subsided. He pulled his napkin away from his mouth…and froze. Right where he had coughed into was a considerable amount of blood.