Bizzy was having an affair. She never thought it would be her. Plenty women in her social group had them – chauffeurs, tennis pros or associates in their husband's firms. No one talked about it, everyone just knew.

As far as she knew every single one of her counterparts' liaisons had been men. Lesbian affairs were frowned upon. It was an unwritten rule that no one crossed. Bizzy had never broken a rule. She went to boarding school like she was supposed to, did a few years abroad in Europe as was expected, and married a man who she thought wouldn't suffocate her. She never considered love or what she wanted. Until now, she did what everyone else did.

Susan continued to captivate her. It didn't matter how many times she told herself that she wouldn't see Susan again, she always did. She often called Susan several times a day, and was disappointed when the brunette was too busy to speak with her. She imagined this is how you feel with your first affair, but Susan didn't feel like an affair. She felt like more; maybe everything.

Getting their schedules together for a vacation at Bizzy's house on the Cape had been difficult, but eventually they made it work. It would be just them; Bizzy didn't keep any servants at this house. She had purchased this house herself to be a getaway. It was rare that anyone joined her – the Captain always respected her need for solitude and she often chose a weekend that the children were doing other things. Here she was herself; and she was most herself with Susan.

They would spend the next ten days here. Bizzy received a call that Susan's plane had arrived, She went to the front porch to wait for drop her off. When she heard the car pull up, she took a deep breath to keep from running to meet Susan.

When Susan stepped from the car, Bizzy's breath caught. The wind was whipping the brunette's hair around into her face. Susan looked up at Bizzy and smiled. Bizzy's heart melted.

"Did you make a list of all the things you want to do while you're here?" Bizzy said. The driver was moving the bags into the house over Susan's objections, so Bizzy kept it light.

"Oh. Yes I did. It's a rather short list but I am confident that we'll be able to fit it all in."

"Do you need anything else, Miss Ballord?" The driver addressed Susan.

"No, thank you." She said never taking her eyes off Bizzy. Susan ascended the steps waiting for the driver to pull away. As soon as he did, the brunette backed Bizzy up against the front of the house and ravished her mouth. "Yes, I am sure we'll be able to fit everything in."

*

Since Susan had entered the house four days earlier, they had barely left the bedroom. Bizzy had managed to make the room feel like its own private island. Susan loved the house. She was relaxed and it felt good to kiss Bizzy whenever and wherever she wanted to.

Last night after they had made love she told Bizzy that she loved her. Bizzy response was to kiss her, but she didn't say it in return. Susan hadn't meant to say it though she had been thinking it for a while. Everyone knew that it was a bad idea for the mistress to fall in love. As much as men never leave their wives, woman like Bizzy never leave their husbands. Being here in Bizzy's house made her forget, and she slipped.

"Let's go swimming," Susan said as she entered the kitchen. Bizzy was making them breakfast.

"After breakfast." Bizzy stared at Susan for a while. For a moment she looked like she was going to say something else, but returned to the French Toast she was making.

They ate breakfast in relative silence making small talk along the way. This was the first time they had shared a meal or been in the same space that they barely looked at one another. "I'm going to change." Susan said as she stood to place her plate in the sink.

While she was rummaging through her bag for her swimsuit, she heard a car pull up. She looked out the window to see the Captain emerge with two children behind him. The boy was about 12 and looked as handsome as the man he was standing next to. The girl looked like she imagined a ten year old Bizzy would.

"What are you doing here?" Susan heard Bizzy say.

"Manners usually require you to say hello when your husband arrives." The Captain said as he brushed pass Bizzy. Susan opened the bedroom door to hear.

"Hello Captain." Bizzy voice sounded colder than Susan had ever heard it. "Now answer my question. What are you doing here? And why are the children here?"

"They wanted to see their mother." There was a brief pause. "Ok. I am going to take Archer sailing."

"And he won't let me go." A little girl's voice interjected.

"Girl's don't sail." The boy's voice.

"Shut up, Archer." The girl retorted.

"Children go out to the beach while your father and I talk." Bizzy said. "So, you wanted to take Archer sailing. Why did you come here? The sloop is in Hilton Head."

"Well, I couldn't leave Addison in the house by herself."

"By herself! We have a house full of servants and she has a nanny. Where the hell is her nanny?" Bizzy raised her voice.

"She quit."

"What do you mean she quit? Goddamn it Captain! Not now!"

"Why are you raising you voice. I booked a sloop in town. You and Addison will do some shopping, have lunch. I'll take the children home tomorrow."

"I have a guest." Bizzy said so low that Susan barely heard her.

"Your guest doesn't like to shop? I'm sure they'll understand. Who is it anyway?"

Susan stepped out the bedroom at that moment. She had slipped on a pair of slacks and a button up. She carried a folder in her hand. "Bizzy, with the plans I made of the house yesterday I'm sure we can find a set-up that will allow you to have tables on the beach." Susan handed Bizzy the folder. "Hello, Captain. You probably don't remember me. I helped Bizzy with the New York garden party." Susan looked at the relieved look on Bizzy's face.

"Thank you, Susan." She said quietly.

"Yes, I remember you. You're planning a party here on the cape?" He addressed Bizzy. "Well, Addison can help you with that?" He walked to the back porch. "Archer we're ready."

"Captain, why can't I go?" Addison said. "I can learn."

"Not this time Addison maybe another time." The Captain and Archer left, leaving Susan and Bizzy staring at each other and Addison on the beach.

*

Susan kept Addison occupied for an entire day on the beach. They built sand castles, played in the water and dug for clams. When they found some, Addison explained the entire molecular structure of the clam to Susan. Susan was astonished with how much the ten year old knew. Addison was shocked when Bizzy joined them on the beach, and exhilarated when Bizzy actually played with them. Addison told Susan that Bizzy didn't play. Addison bonded with Susan right away.

By the time the Captain and Archer returned Addison had made Susan her best friend. Bizzy cooked dinner for her family. When Bizzy and the Captain spoke, Susan noticed that they didn't seem to talk about anything important. He never inquired why Bizzy had come here to plan a party or why the party planner was there with her. It was almost as if he didn't care. When Susan had moved to the back porch he followed her out. Before he could make what Susan could only guess was his customary move, she reminded him that she was Elise's friend and headed to the beach.

She sat there looking over the water and thinking about her life. How had she gotten herself into this? Up until this morning she could pretend that it was just her and Bizzy. Her family's arrival was a deafening reminder that it wasn't.

"Susan." Bizzy sat down next to Susan. "I'm sorry. I didn't know they were coming."

"I know." They sat in silence, not touching, for a long time. Susan knew that if she looked at Bizzy, she would be begin to cry. When she heard Bizzy's breath catch, she turned to see tears rolling down the redhead's cheeks. "Bizzy let's leave here. Let's go away just the two of us and never come back. We can be happy together. Please?" For the briefest seconds, Susan held onto to hope.

"I can't leave, Susan."

"Why? Because I can't give you what he can. I love you. Isn't that enough?"

"This is who I am Susan. I am Mrs. Bizzy Forbes Montgomery. Before that I was Bizzy Bradford Forbes. I don't know how to be anything else." She turned her entire body to face Susan. "It's not about the money. I have money. All I have to give my children is my name. If I leave with you I can't give them that. I can't leave my children." She reached for Susan's hand. "Please, Susan you have to understand." Susan turned her face away.

"I'm leaving Bizzy." Bizzy began to cry again. "You can't leave your children. I understand that. But I'm not sure how I fit in all of this? And I'm not sure I can continue to do this."

"Please, don't leave me." Susan got up and went into the house. Bizzy sat trying to get control of herself. She knew that when she did Susan would be gone. Bizzy felt like her world was falling apart. She could feel her heart breaking.

*

It had been weeks since they'd seen each other. Bizzy had tried to phone Susan several times - at work Edward kept telling her Susan was out and Elise told her basically the same thing when she called the apartment. Bizzy took her misery out on everyone. She had missed several appointments and made the captain go to quite a few parties without her. The servants received most of her angst, Bizzy corrected everything they did. Often making them to do it two or three times before she moved on to something else.

Bizzy blamed her absences from social occasions on her lack of social secretary. She had to fire the last one because she slept with the Captain. But Bizzy was perfectly capable of keeping her own schedule she just didn't want to leave the house if she couldn't see Susan. And so far Susan had refused to see her.

Bizzy got in her car and began to drive. She drove around for hours. She hadn't planned on heading to Manhattan until she took the exit. She hadn't planned to show up at Susan's apartment until she pulled up in front of it. When she approached the apartment building, someone opened the door for her. She made her way to Susan floor gathering her resolve to talk herself inside. Elise opened the door and stood aside for Bizzy.

"Where is she?"

"She's not here?" Bizzy walked to Susan's bedroom and looked inside. "I said she's not here."

"Where is she? She should already be off work."

"Why do you care? Don't you have a husband to go home too?" Bizzy rounded on Elise. How dare this child question her. "Why don't you leave her alone?"

"Its none of your business. Just tell me where she is."

Elise stared at Bizzy. Even though Bizzy's stance was aggressive there was a vunerability in her voice. Elise had just assumed that her relationship with Susan was exactly like Elise's relationship with the Captain – completely one sided. It wasn't until this moment she realized that it wasn't. "She's in Michigan. Her father died."