Chapter 2: Engagement
By the time Prudence came in, the house was back in order. The Professor had gone out to play golf and Nanny was doing laundry.
"Did you and Daddy have fun last night?" asked the little girl, "Without us kids around?"
"In a manner of speaking, " answered Nanny with a smile that Prudence was too young to interpret.
The afternoon passed and all the children had returned home. However, the Professor was late. He never stayed out past two.
"Maybe he picked up a second round, it's a beautiful day for it," said Hal.
"Poor Phoebe," teased Trelawney. "Not even engaged and already she's a golf widow."
"How can she be a widow if she hasn't been married?" asked Butch.
"Not a real widow," explained Hal. "A golf widow is someone whose husband spends so much time playing golf that he's never home."
"Who said anything about a golf widow?" asked the Professor cheerily as he walked in.
"Hi Daddy!" said Prudence. "We were afraid that you were so busy playing golf that Nanny was a widow."
"Well I've been busy," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "But not playing golf."
He caught a stray curl from Nanny's hair, gave it a little tug and dropped his lips for a kiss. The kids looked at each other in amusement. They enjoyed these playful displays of affection. Even Butch who really thought it was yucky. He was really only grossed out when they gave way to their more passionate instincts. But these little genuine signs of affection made them feel secure that soon Nanny would be their mother.
After dinner the Professor called Hal into his study.
"Hal, I would like to take Nanny out for a drive tonight, up into the hills where we can really see the stars," he started.
"It's about time Dad," answered his son with a smile.
"Yeah, I know," he said without thinking, then looking at his son's face. "That's not what I meant!"
"I know what you meant Dad, and don't worry, we'll be fine here," answered Hal as he walked out, a knowing look on his face.
That young man is growing up too fast, thought the Professor. But he also knew that if he weren't old enough, they wouldn't be able to take a spontaneous drive into the hills.
Nanny was pleased at the idea of a drive and using Arabella so that they could see the stars better with the top down. It was a bit cool, but neither minded. She was just happy that he was making some time for them to be alone and away from the children. Stargazing was one of their favorite activities. While it was easy enough to do in the backyard, the night sky was so much clearer from the hills outside the city, away from the light pollution and smog.
When he reached one of the best vistas along the road, they both leaned back. As always, the Professor put his arm around her and she made herself comfortable in what had become "her spot." There was an exact spot in his right side where her head fit perfectly in the hollow by his shoulder and his arm could relax comfortably around her.
She was taking in the heavens in all their beauty. She was caught up in the stillness of the evening and the stars shining like diamonds on black velvet, when she felt something cool slip over the ring finger on her left hand, which was resting on his knee. Before she raised her hand, she knew what it was. Lifting hand, she could see the sapphire in the center with five diamond points of the star glistening in the pale evening light. She was too moved to speak.
"Every time you look at your hand I want you to think of all these moments that we have shared like this and will share for the rest of our lives. Phoebe, my beloved, my one and only, will you marry me?"
She was so choked with emotion that she could barely get out the word, "Yes."
But there was no need for more words. The Professor's lips were on her own in a deep lasting kiss. When he was done thoroughly kissing her, he spoke again.
"It has matching bands for each of us. I really don't want to wait to get married, but a wedding will take time to plan," he said.
"Hal," she said seriously. "I've been thinking about this, and I don't want a wedding."
He looked at her in amazement.
Knowing what he was thinking, she said, "I really just want to elope."
With a sigh of relief he looked forward. Looking back he said, "Do you really think that everyone's going to let us get away with eloping? I know for a fact that they're hoping for a big wedding."
"I know, but I don't even want the trouble of planning a small wedding," she answered with her usual practicality. "This gets to be my choice, our choice. I'm presuming that you've already had a big wedding."
"Yes," he said grimacing at the memory. "My first wife seemed to enjoy all the fuss and bother. I only went through with it to make her happy."
"Then make me happy," she said. "I can get Emmeline here any time I want. She can say that she is spending the day with the kids, but I know that she'd stay the weekend. We can go off and get married and then tell them when we get back."
"And deal with with the fallout," he said grimly, knowing how both families would react, not to mention the children. "Perhaps we could go to Pastor Paul, or Pastor Jason if you prefer. Emmeline could be the witness and the kids could be there too."
"No," she said firmly. "That might be the way it would start, but it could very easily mushroom out of control. You have no idea of what is in Trelawney's mind for our wedding."
"And I probably don't want to know."
"Exactly, I doubt that you are capable of imagining what she is dreaming of," she affirmed.
"Do you think that she will forgive us?"
"Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. She, and the other children, really just want to see us married. They will get over it quickly enough. Especially if we don't give them lots of time to get excited about something that won't happen," she said lightly. "Do you really want to wait, especially in light of your concerns from last night? Or do you want to make my dream come true?"
How could he say no? She was making all of his dreams come true. He could understand all of her points. It would also be a whole lot more romantic to escape on their own than to suffer through some circus that would only tire her out and make him cranky. They had not had much time for romance. Their lives had been so busy with everything else that it had taken him this long to get the engagement ring on her finger.
He also thought of all the stress and strain that she had gone through in the months prior to and then during the visit of her ex-fiancé. Once he was gone from their lives, she had been physically and emotionally drained. He had wanted to give her the space she needed to recover and didn't want to push her into another big change.
Yet once school had started, the time began to get away from him again. It had been difficult for him to wait up to this point, but he couldn't figure out the perfect way to ask her. He also knew that if she hadn't taken the initiative last night, and for all intents and purposes seduced him, they wouldn't be sitting here right now. Truth be told, now that things were officially decided he really just wanted to marry her and get on with the rest of their lives.
Seeing that she was bringing him around to her way of thinking, she initiated a long, deep kiss. There would be a lifetime of these kisses. He knew that it was no longer just her kisses that he longed for. He thought of the soft, sweetness of her body and the wonder of waking up and discovering her in his arms. He had dreamed of her there so many times. And of course there was the issue of an early, although certainly not unwanted, pregnancy. He had already considered his son's question about birth control and still dismissed it out of hand. He would have her honestly, or not at all.
The last thought caused her to pull away and look at him in surprise.
"You wouldn't think of asking me . . ." she began.
"Never," he said firmly. "There is only one form of birth control that I would even consider. I do admit that last night makes it extremely difficult to consider now."
He looked deeply into her eyes so that she could truly see within his, the deep and abiding love that he felt for her.
"Part of the beauty of making love to you is the idea that we may be making so much more. I will not sacrifice any of that beauty for a purely physical experience," he softly said and once again drew her into a deep kiss.
Pulling back she said seriously, "In my mind, this is about marriage and the time after. All I need is a minister and a church. I can still wear my great-great-grandmother's wedding dress. But I won't have to worry about you spilling something on it later."
"You're right about . . . Hey! I never told you that I spilled red wine on my wife's wedding dress," he said with mock amazement, pleased that the mood had lightened.
"Oh, you must have or how else could I have known?" she looked at him with large, innocent blue eyes.
"You'll pay for this," he threatened as he sought another long deep kiss.
"I'll remember this the next time I think about teasing you," she said when he was done.
"As a deterrent?"
"No, an incentive." She enjoyed their verbal sparring, their "head games" as their former counselor had called them. It was one of those things that she was looking forward to continuing for the rest of their lives.
"Well, if this is going to work, then it's going to be our turn to trick Hal and Trelawney. We'll need to pretend to plan a wedding and then pull our vanishing act," he said.
"Not too much planning," she said nervously. "That's what I want to avoid."
"But since Trelawney can see what's in you mind, won't it be easy for her to tell?" he inquired.
"Not as easy as you might think," she said. "My first natural response to just about anything she will suggest is certain to be annoyance and apprehension. That's what she's expecting, in fact, she'll be trying very hard to set me ill at ease, just for her own amusement. All I have to do is let her think that she's done it and she won't look too much deeper. She'll be too focused on her own thoughts and opinions."
"Interesting how that works," commented Hal.
"Yes, it is," she replied slowly. "Which is really why this charade can't go on too long."
"Well, I don't want to wait too long anyway. I really liked waking up with you in my bed this morning." he agreed.
"I enjoyed being there," she said smiling at the memory.
"Can't happen again until we do the deed. I wonder how long it will take to get a license and the blood tests?"
"Too long for my taste probably. It's a pity tomorrow is Sunday." she answered.
"How long will it take to get Emmeline here?" he asked.
"Oh, I think that she'll get here pretty quickly when she knows what we want to do. This is the kind of thing that I know she'll approve of, especially since she would be my maid of honor if we had a big wedding," she replied with a smile.
"She hates big weddings too?"
"Loathes them. After her sister got married she told everyone that if she ever got married she would elope," answered Phoebe.
"I always knew I liked Emmeline."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When they arrived home, they discovered the four children sitting on the steps waiting for them.
"Hal, is this the way that you take care of things when I put you in charge? It's after midnight!" said the Professor with a bit of frustration. Nothing better to spoil a mood, he thought, than four curious children. In the back of his mind, he had hoped that he might slip her into his bed for a few extra hours of pleasure. He knew that it was reckless, but at this moment, knowing that the ring on her hand gave the world an open declaration of his intentions, for once he felt bold.
"Stars lovely then, Phoebe?" asked Trelawney. "You've certainly been gone . . . Oooooo!"
She picked up Phoebe's left hand, that just happened to be at eye level for her, and gazed at the beautiful ring.
"Looks like she's doing a little stargazing of her own. Doesn't it?" the Professor asked Nanny.
"It's lovely, Professor. It's perfect!" Trelawney seemed genuinely overwhelmed.
The Professor reached over to put his arm around Nanny and kissed her cheek. The four children stood up, transfixed by the ring. Prudence recovered first.
"Does this mean that Nanny is finally going to be my Mommy?" she asked.
"Yes, I believe it does," said the Professor. "After the wedding of course."
Nanny and Trelawney were looking into one another's eyes.
"We'll have to have a smashing wedding!" said Trelawney. "The whole family will want to come."
"The whole family," said the Professor nervously. "That's quite a few, isn't it?"
"Oh it's at least . . ." began Trelawney and then catching her sister's eye, "quite a few."
"Well, I'm sure that Everetts are all going to want to be there. Only Grammy, Grampie, Uncle Bob, and Uncle Ben have actually met you," said Hal. "And then there is everyone at church and the university . . ."
"Now, Hal," said Trelawney, seeing the anxiety mounting in the faces of both Nanny and the Professor. "It's taken him this long to pop the question. Can you imagine how long it will take him to agree to a wedding date?"
"Yeah," said Hal with false sadness. "I'll probably be in college."
"You can't wait that long!" cried Prudence. "Nanny, you don't want to get too old to have my baby sister."
"Now Prudence, I'm not that old," said Nanny, who then looked sharply at Trelawney who seemed to be stifling a laugh.
Hal was perplexed. Why did Nanny and her sister always look so funny or think it was a joke when the issue of age came up?
"Right now, I know four children who need to get right to bed or they'll be very sleepy in church tomorrow morning," said the Professor, hoping to shoo them upstairs so that he could snatch a few minutes alone with his fiancee before they went to bed themselves.
"Aw, c'mon!" said Butch. "You just got engaged. Why would you want to go to church?"
"Why Butch!" said Trelawney, "This will be the biggest news of the fall. And I'm sure that Phoebe will want to show everyone her exquisite ring. We should take a little visit to Montclaire as well. Aunt Lottie and Mrs. Darmstadt will never forgive you if they don't see that ring as soon as you have it."
"And now maybe they'll mind their own business and stay out of my love life," muttered the Professor.
"Oh, I think there's very little chance of that," said Trelawney to him quietly. Looking up, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "Well done!"
As the children scooted up the stairs, he turned to Phoebe and picked up her hand to admire it.
"It is a lovely ring. I hadn't realized it was so beautiful until I saw it in the full light. Look at the detail," she said.
"Why do you think that I was so late this afternoon? It took a while to choose the perfect ring," he answered.
"I love it almost as much as I love you," she said.
"I'll tell you something else that I am amazed that you hadn't figured out already," he said mischievously. "Even though I have been looking at rings for months, it wasn't until today, when I was determined not to come home without one, that I finally found exactly what I was looking for. Now isn't that a coincidence?"
She smiled demurely. Everyone in town knew that he had been looking for the perfect ring. In fact until a couple of weeks ago when she had finally called a halt to the teasing herself, it had been a running joke. It figured that all he needed was a little incentive. Reaching up to his shoulders, she firmly pressed her body against his and began to kiss him deeply. Recognizing her body instantly, his own reacted and he moaned, "You are going to drive me crazy."
Grasping his lips more firmly, she sought his mouth more deeply. With his hands he molded her more firmly into him.
"Now that I've had you," she whispered. "I want you again. All those children are sound asleep, I promise."
Taking his hand, she led him upstairs and past the two bedrooms, softly opening each door and peeking in. She was right. The kids were all completely crashed out. Putting her finger up to her lips, she pulled him into her own bedroom and closed and locked the door. He lay back on the bed and watched as she slowly and deliberately removed her clothes.
With only the moonlight streaming in the window she appeared silvery in the white glow. As ethereal as ever, she was exquisite. Her grace added charm to the picture as she stood before him, lovelier than a classical sculpture, and much warmer. He though that perhaps this was how Pygmalion felt as Galatea came to life. Lastly, she reached up and pulled the ribbon that tied back the front part of her hair so that it fell loosely over her shoulders as she shook it out. With a feline grace, she maneuvered herself on top of the bed and held out her arms to him.
He was enjoying her beauty. It seemed odd to him as she lay there she was not yet his wife, but still his lover. However, she had the trust of a wife. She knew that they were bound together, body and soul, for the rest of their lives. A piece of paper might make it legal, but last night made it real. He could tell from her breathing that she was ready. She wanted him to make the first move.
"I don't want to take you too quickly," he said in a husky voice. "I want to enjoy this, I want you to enjoy this. We don't know if we can be together like this again before the wedding night."
He watched her shiver at the words wedding night.
"Do you have a chill?" he asked with a knowing smile.
"Yes," she said, the desire aching in her voice. "I need you to warm me."
He knew that he couldn't spend the entire night in her bedroom, so he decided to make the most of his time there. Deep down he was pleased that he had discovered that he had committed himself to such a passionate lover. What they shared was exclusive, and that made it both exciting and precious at the same time.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Despite the late night, neither Nanny nor the Professor showed any sign of tiredness the next day. He was energized by his final decision to move ahead. And she was by the quiet joy she felt with his ring on her finger. He enjoyed watching as the other women at church "oohed" and "aahed" over the ring. He received quite a number of handshakes and frankly envious looks from the other men. The only man who seemed a little tentative was Pastor Paul. He called him off to the side to say a few private words.
"Professor, for once, I am going to intrude into your personal matters," he said. Looking at Nanny who was positively radiant he cautioned, "Don't waste any time marrying her. It is obvious that you've been careless. I'm not judging you, but you need to protect her."
The Professor smiled and said, "I will tell you a secret. She doesn't even know yet. I'm planning to marry her next weekend. She wants to elope to avoid a big wedding, and I plan to oblige her. I can't wait any longer and neither can she."
Pastor Paul nodded. "You're both ready. It sounds as though I won't have the pleasure of performing the ceremony, but it would mean a lot to me if I could give you both a special blessing the first Sunday that you return to church as man and wife."
"Thank you, Pastor," said the Professor. "That will mean a great deal to both of us."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The visit to the nursing home that afternoon was sheer bedlam. The children raced in ahead of Nanny and the Professor, calling for their friends even as they blurted out the news. By the time they arrived the rec room, Aunt Lottie and Mrs. Darmstadt were on their feet. Mrs. Kaufman was shaking her head and Mr. Just Jim was demanding a celebratory piece on the piano.
Trelawney obliged by first having Hal help her open up the baby grand and then with a flourish playing Beethoven's Ode to Joy. When she was finished, she gestured to Nanny and the Professor who delighted their friends by kissing. Butch began his usual routine of gagging noises, however he had made the mistake of standing too close to Aunt Lottie who gave him a fairly decent smack on the head and said, "Young man, respect your elders."
He opened his mouth to protest, but Mr. Just Jim caught him in time, "Son, to use one of your generation's favorite expressions, 'Cool it!'
Now that the ring was officially on her finger, Hal felt perfectly comfortable standing with his arm around Phoebe. She was glowing. As they talked, every once in a while she gazed up at him as if she couldn't believe that it had finally happened. Mrs. Kaufman was very obviously delighted. She had truly come to love Nanny as a daughter and seeing her radiant with joy, after months of sorrow, it filled her own heart with happiness. She knew that this was right. Nanny and the Professor might have seemed to be an unlikely pair months ago, but she could see that they were truly each half of the same larger whole.
She thought back to how, over a year ago, he had been so furious with her when he discovered that she was not only encouraging the kids to fight city hall, she was leading the assault. Then there had been his fury at the way that she had called the television station and gotten Harvey Sloan to come out. In the end, he had helped the effort. The dynamic between the two at that point was casual, but anyone with two eyes could see the spark. It was only a matter of time before it was lit.
They looked very sweet sitting there together. She leaned comfortably on him and occasionally he would smooth her hair or kiss her head. She rested her hand on his knee and absentmindedly he picked it up and kissed it. Such gestures were more than lovers' gestures. Embedded in them was fondness and devotion that implied that this was no mere "flash in the pan" romance. This was a lifelong love.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Later that night Hal sat on the couch reading, with Phoebe curled up against him. On a normal night, he would be reading in bed, but if he did that now he would be alone. He suspected that once she was sharing his bed, he would no longer be reading. He had already begun to suspect that he was marrying a passionate lover. Her enthusiastic response to his lovemaking, assured him that she was a warm-blooded woman indeed. He knew that not many middle-aged widowers would have a shot at a girl like Phoebe. But she was not your average girl. He had discovered that she was a curious blend of solid, old-fashioned values and a dynamic woman of the twentieth century.
If she had been entirely old-fashioned, then they would not even be together. She would have married her betrothed like a good daughter, and returned home. Yet, she had rebelled against marrying a man she did not love, and held out for the man she loved. In doing so, she had flaunted her family's view of what constituted an appropriate husband, and opted for a mixed marriage. Whatever that meant.
If she had been a truly old-fashioned girl, she would not have shared his bed until after the wedding. However she had freely chosen to lure, that was the only word for it, him to the lover's bed without the benefit of a wedding. She concluded that their commitment to one another was more of a justification for sleeping together than any piece of paper. But from now she would be entirely monogamous, as of course so would he. She had come to him intact, untouched by any other man. What other woman could possibly compare with his Phoebe?
She seemed unbothered by the fact that even now she might be enceinte. In fact, her desire for a child was so great that deep down she was hoping that she was already in that state. Quite frankly, he had his own purely selfish reasons for wanting to keep her as she was, and some of them had nothing to do with gossip or the rumor mill.
He knew that once she reached that blessed state, she would likely become "unavailable" to him for more than a year. His first wife had shut down from the moment she knew that she had conceived to more than a year after the birth. It was no accident that Hal, Butch, and Prudence were so well spaced out. He at least wanted to have Phoebe to himself for a few months before he had to share her body with their child.
He turned his head slightly and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She nestled in a little closer. Finally giving up on reading, he put his book down and his arms completely around her.
Unprompted, she said, "I love you. I wish . . ."
"Me too . . ." he responded softly. "Soon."
With a deep sigh, she agreed, "Soon . . ."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To be continued . . .