We're Done

The Dance With No Pants

Everything appears to be returning to normality in the Mason household after Laura is finally put in her place once and for all.

Thank you so much for reading this. We are almost there with only one chapter left after this. I hope to have that for you re-edited very soon.

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Perry Mason lay on his left side, his hand tucked under his pillow by his head and watched Della sleep with the ghost of a smile on his face knowing this was exactly where he was supposed to be. After years of burying his head in the sand where Laura was concerned, last night had certainly been an eye opener for him. After Della had gracefully put Laura in her place, the corporate lawyer had been almost apoplectic with rage.

As they turned away Laura grabbed for Perry's arm halting both his and Della's progress back towards the ballroom.

'Mrs Robertson, would you kindly remove your claws from my husbands arm once and for all.' Della coldly requested.

'I'm sorry I wasn't aware he was your personal property Miss Street.' Laura turned her gaze apologetically towards Perry who pointedly ignored her. 'Perry just please give me a moment of your time to explain everything. I have a point of view in all this as well you know,' she continued to plead with him. Della looked into his face for a response which was nothing more than a calm smile as he nudged Della towards the ballroom mumbling something about the next dance leaving Laura on the balcony alone, going redder in the face as she started to lose her composure completely.

After two short slow dances Laura appeared by their side.

'May I cut in?' They both knew she was deliberately provoking them in a more public arena.

'May I suggest you find yourself a more willing and amenable dance partner,' Perry suggested politely but firmly. 'My dance card from now until the end of my dancing days has only one name on it, and it isn't yours.' At this rejection, Laura's mask of public politeness and innocence slipped once and for all.

Stepping in closer to them both, she practically growled at Della. 'I'm going to destroy you,' she said ominously. 'What are your friends and clients going to think of you two and your precious reputations when they find out a low class working girl opened her legs for her boss and trapped him into marriage by deliberately getting herself pregnant. I'm pretty certain when everyone does the maths, they'll know your son is a bastard!'

At this point Perry had almost exploded in rage and Della found herself placing a steadying hand on his chest as he stepped forward with angry intent written all over his face.

'Mrs Robertson, if you are so good a corporate attorney, I presume it means you can do maths to a good standard,' Della countered quite calmly. 'Then let me explain what you desperately seem to want to know and use against us, in small words so you understand. I am not low class as you say, my family were quite wealthy until the big crash. I worked after that to support my family and then myself, which I continue to do to this day. That is something I am extremely proud of and something you have clearly never had to do. Pity, by doing so you could have learned a little humility along the way. As for Perry and I. Do not count on slandering me or my husband into embarrassment using the conception and birth of our eldest son. Junior was born twenty one months after our marriage. As you can clearly see I am not the size of an elephant nor do I have the gestation period of one. I'll leave it to you to work out how long we had been wed before hand. And I did not trap Perry into anything. I believe his proposals reached the dozen mark before I accepted.'

'She turned me down so many times,' Perry interjected. A number of people including Hamilton and Katherine had stopped dancing and were gathering about them. Laura began starting to feel like a cornered animal with people staring at them.

'Everything alright here Perry?' Hamilton asked.

'Perfect, Laura was just getting a crash course from Della in maths and manners.' Perry's eyes narrowed. 'Now Laura, if you have some sort of vendetta planned in the future, then I suggest you direct it towards me. Never again think about going after Della or my children, and despite whatever you might try and cook up, they are my children and carry my name.'

Katherine Burger suddenly gave a snort of laughter. All eyes turned towards her quizzically.

'I'm so sorry,' she almost giggled. I just heard what Perry said even though I have no idea what went on before. Laura are you suggesting Perry isn't the father of any of the Mason brood?' Then she carried on smoothly with a mischievous glint in her eye, 'If you are then you've never seen any of them. Perry has three mini versions of him and a perfect hybrid. There is absolutely NO denying their parentage so don't rest your slanderous hopes on that lie. Hamilton dear, shall we?' They waltzed away arm in arm satisfied with their evenings work.

'Goodnight Laura.' Della allowed herself a satisfied smile as Laura for perhaps the only time in her life, had the presence of mind to genuinely blush in embarrassment and exit the room with as much grace as she could muster.

Della's eyes fluttered open as she stretched the kinks out of her neck. She turned on her right side and pillowed her head on them as she looked into her husbands eyes.

'Morning,' he whispered.

'Morning.' She smiled.

'I've missed watching you sleep. Thanks for letting me stay with you.'

'It felt right.'

'I know something else I've missed and feels more than right.' He slipped a hand across the sheets and rest it on her hip. Della gently lay her own hand on his preventing it moving or doing anything else.

'Perry please don't. Not yet. I still have to wrap my head around a couple of things yet. It's not you, it's me.'

'Ok. I'll pretend to understand.'

'I know you don't, so I'll pretend I don't know you're pretending to understand.' She leaned her head in and kissed him slowly. 'Soon I promise.'

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'Mom and dad shared their bed last night.' Lily Mason smiled triumphantly. Perry Mason junior gave a horrified grimace.

'They weren't….I mean you didn't hear them…..you know…'

'Oscillating the unmentionables? Doing the dance with no pants? Playing…'

'Ok, Ok, I get it. PLEASE STOP!'

'No, nothing like that. I was going to the bathroom when they got back from the dinner. They seemed pretty, well, normal and disappeared into their room. I checked the spare room about six am and he wasn't in there and the bed was still made. When I came downstairs I checked the study and he hadn't slept in there either.'

'You think our little talk with them worked?'

Lily shrugged, 'Probably. Either that or I guess they just figured it out on their own.' The brother and sister high fived each other

'Thank God. I couldn't be a child of divorce at my age.'

Lily furrowed her brow in confusion. 'What? You're almost eighteen not eight.'

'I just couldn't cope with….'

'Couldn't cope with what?' Della entered the kitchen wearing her robe and slippers. Perry pinked a little.

'Nothing,' he mumbled.

'Mom,' Lily ventured, 'Where's dad?'

Della set about making coffee. 'He's just woken up why?'

'In bed?'

'Where else would he be?'

'No I mean in your bed. As in the king sized bed you've shared for goodness knows how many years until last week?'

Della flicked the switch on the coffee pot and turned to face her two eldest offspring.

'What's going on?' She asked gently.

'Nothing.' Lily kissed her on the cheek. 'I'm just glad everything seems to be working out for the better. It's been horrible seeing you two unhappy this last week.'

'I know it has. We're sorry you got in the middle of it. We forget you're growing up. Lily I know you talked to your dad the other day, he told me yesterday. Your attempts at marriage guidance are admirable but I think we can take it from here.' Della poured two cups of coffee from the pot as it finished brewing. She returned the kiss on the cheek to her daughter and planted another on the forehead of her son before walking towards the kitchen door. 'We're going to be having an hour more in bed if that's alright with you two?'

Lily grinned, Perry grimaced again. 'Not for that,' Della corrected hastily. 'We just need some alone time to talk some more if you two could keep the other two entertained for a little while. Aunt Mae is meeting her friend in the city for shopping this morning.'

'Sure. We'll take them down to the park. It's gonna be a nice day. Take your time.' Lily offered.

'Thank you. Be back by lunch time please. There's a couple of dollars for ice creams in my coin purse. I left it last night on the living room chair.' Della smiled and sighed. 'I think you're right there darling, it is going to be a very nice day.'

Last chapter coming up!