[A/N. I am sorry it took me so long to update but I've been pretty much flat out with Uni work. That's my own fault though because nobody forced me to go back and do postgraduate study! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this even though it's been so long coming. Also in response to the reviewer about the Rosenbergs the transcripts Ben had read were the trial transcripts which claimed the Rosenbergs were guilty (of course, otherwise how could they have been found guilty) and at the time the newspapers were more than happy to stir up patriotic feelings regarding the Rosenbergs and them being traitors. Whether or not they were, well that's another story. Just to remind you, and remind me since it's been so long since I've written any of this story; in 1960 Eliza would be 54 (almost 55), Ben would be 26, Margaret would be 24, and Edward around 61.]

New York, March 1960.

Eliza sighed as she let herself into the apartment that she and Edward had bought so that they could spend some time in New York as well as in Philadelphia. Edward was in the process of retiring, but there was so much to make sure was taken care of before he left the firm completely, as Ben wanted nothing to do with it and Margaret couldn't care less. Come summer though, she and Edward were off on their overseas trip leaving both the business and Ben behind. It was all right for Margaret, she was married and expecting her first child over the summer, but Ben hadn't married yet, and Eliza was beginning to wonder whether there was a particular reason why he hadn't. Whenever she brought it up with Edward though he told her to let it be. "Ben just doesn't want to get married until he's established himself. It's a perfectly sensible idea Eliza." He kept telling her, but nonetheless Eliza still wondered. After that day almost two years ago when they'd surprised Ben at home with his friend Michael she'd yet to see Ben in the company of a young lady.

The telephone was ringing and Eliza hurried to get it. "Hello?"

"Mama, it's me!" Margaret called down the line. Eliza smiled at her daughter's enthusiastic tone; even though she was a wife and soon to be a mother, she still acted like a teenager sometimes.

"Hello Margaret, what's news?" Eliza asked, gratefully sitting down on the chair near the telephone. She'd been out to lunch with friends and then shopping and now she was exhausted and glad to take the weight off her feet.

"Not much. I got my hair cut short in one of those- what do they call it, a bouffant hairstyle, and it looks great. Richard's mother had a stroke but she's going to be all right. She's pretty much like Grandmother Gracie- nothing could stop her. We're looking forward to seeing you and Papa in July." Margaret said, all in one breath making her mother shake her head slightly. "And how's Ben? We don't hear from him very much. He must be very busy."

"He is, he's got a lot on his plate being the youngest junior partner in the firm…" Eliza trailed off. Other than Ben's work there wasn't much to tell about her son. Even when she and Edward were in New York, like now, they didn't see much of him.

"Is he planning on getting married soon? If he leaves it too long it will be too late." Margaret said.

"Ben doesn't want to get married until he's established himself, pretty sensible idea really." Eliza replied, unconsciously parroting her husband's words.

"Well he better hurry- a wedding would be the perfect excuse for us to come over for a holiday. I'd like my child to see America as well as England, maybe even Australia…" Margaret mused.

"Listen sweetie, I hate to cut you off but your father's having a dinner tonight I must get ready for. I think it's one of those farewell things." Eliza said. It was true that Edward was having a dinner tonight, but she wouldn't need much time to get changed, however she didn't want to keep talking about the uncomfortable topic of her son. What would she do if he never married? What would happen if she was right, and he liked men more than women? She tried never to let herself think about it, but sometimes the thoughts crept back, like now.

"I wonder how Papa's going to cope with retirement, not having to go to the office every day. He's going to be bored stiff you know." Margaret replied.

"Well he'll have to find a hobby to keep him busy." Eliza replied with a slight laugh. She knew Margaret was right- Edward was going to be wandering around like a bear with a sore head when he was fully retired. "Anyway, I'll speak to you soon okay darling?"

"Okay Mama, have fun at the dinner, and say hello to Papa from Richard and I." Margaret replied, and she hung up. Eliza sat where she was for the moment before getting up to put away some of the things that she'd bought. She glanced at a photo sitting on her dresser, it was a family portrait taken when Ben was perhaps fourteen and Margaret twelve. They were all dressed in their best, and Eliza was wearing a set of pearls Edward had given her for no reason. As she got older she reminisced even more about what life had handed her. It had never been entirely easy, but Cal Hockley had saved her life, of that she was sure. Without him, and later without the money he left her in his will, she wouldn't have survived through the depression, and met Edward. She'd never have been able to have two wonderful children and experience so many things she would never have imagined even in her wildest dreams when she was a child living in a tiny, cold, dark house. In fact, even after what had happened, she believed that Titanic was "The Ship of Dreams" as many had called her. Thinking about Titanic made her think about Rose. Over the years the letters had dwindled and now it was usually a card for Christmas with writing scrawled inside about what they were doing now. As far as Eliza knew now Rose was in L.A working in the movies.

"Eliza, sweetie?" Edward's voice broke into her reverie and Eliza realised that it was dark, and her husband had turned on the light. "Are you all right?"

"I lost track of time." Eliza said, shaking her head and standing up. "I think perhaps I'm going senile."

"I doubt it." Edward said, and he straightened his tie. "Don't you think you better get ready though?"

"The dinner! I forgot!" Eliza exclaimed and she hurried to the wardrobe to find a dress.

Edward watched her smiling slightly. "Maybe you are going senile." He joked. "Anyway, Ben dropped in to see me today. He was wondering whether we could go over for dinner next weekend. There's something he wants to tell us."

Eliza stopped what she was doing and stared at her husband in horror. "Something he wants to tell us?" She repeated.

"That's what he said." Edward replied dryly. "And don't look like that Eliza- I'm sure it's no big deal."

Eliza started to change, but her mind was on what her son had to tell them. "It could be a big deal. I mean if our son were….well…you know…" She said.

"Would it matter if he was?" Edward asked, eyeing his wife carefully. "Would you love him any less?"

"Of course not." Eliza protested angrily. "I'd never love him any less than I do, no matter what he does…but society isn't so forgiving. I mean I know people are beginning to accept more and more as time goes on, but they don't usually accept people like that. And society can be cruel, especially when it's someone who, like Ben, has been in the public eye a bit because of being a Gracie."

"We don't even know what he wants to tell us yet." Edward said, as Eliza finished changing and checked her make up in the mirror. "You could be making mountains out of molehills."

Eliza didn't reply, just grabbed her bag and followed her husband from the room. She sincerely hoped he was right, but if he wasn't then she'd have to deal with it wouldn't she?