Over the next few days, Maxwell found himself thinking quite a bit about what he'd said at the party. He knew that he'd eventually have to propose to Fran for real, and it would have to be unforgettable. Max knew he wanted to marry her, but he had to start thinking about exactly how and when he was going to propose.

In the meantime, 'The Pajama Game' continued its run on Broadway. Max, of course, came to every show and insisted on taking his leading lady out for dinner afterward. Both he and Fran enjoyed these "dates." As they talked over dinner, they found themselves growing closer, if that was possible.

After about two months of steady 'dating,' Max began to sense that the time had come to ask. Fran to marry him. She was already beginning to drop some not-so-subtle hints. So Maxwell did what he always did when faced with a dilemma: He talked to Niles.

Max called his butler into the office one day while Fran and Val were out shopping. "Niles, I need some advice," he began.

"What sort of advice?" Niles asked with a grin. He could tell by Maxwell's nervous manner where this was going, but he couldn't help having a little fun along the way.

"It's about Fran."

"You're not having a fight, are you?" Niles asked.

"Oh, no, nothing like that. Quite the contrary, in fact. Remember the big party for the opening of 'Pajama Game'?" Max said.

"How could I forget?" Niles replied. "I think I pulled a muscle getting Sylvia up off the floor."

"Do you remember how I said I wanted to marry Miss Fine?"

Niles nodded. "Of course."

"I think it's time I asked her. But how do I do it? I want this to be special, and really memorable for Fran." Max explained.

"Hmmm...you could hire Barbra Striesand to sing while you ask her," Niles joked. "Or perhaps offer her a condo in Boca for her parents."

"For once, can you please be serious?" Max asked in exasperation.

"Well, how did you propose to your first wife?" Niles asked.

"I simply took her to dinner one night, and suddenly blurted out, 'Sara, will you marry me?' Somehow, I don't think Fran would go for that." Maxwell replied.

"For all her talk, Miss Fine is really just a simple girl. It doesn't matter how you ask her, as long as you're sincere," Niles said sensibly.

"I know that, man, but I want it to be a really romantic night for Fran. She's been waiting a long time for this."

"Not as long as Sylvia has," Niles quipped.

"Niles!" Maxwell said. "I'm trying to ask you a serious question. If you wanted to propose to a woman, how would YOU do it?"

"Well let's see, that would depend on the woman, sir, " Niles replied.

"Let's say, for argument's sake, it was C.C.," Maxwell suggested to Niles.

The look on Niles' face said it all. "I wouldn't marry Miss Babcock if she was the last woman on earth, and even then I would demand a DNA test!"

"Come on Niles, it's just theoretical," huffed Maxwell.

"Oh, alright," sighed Niles. "I suppose knowing Miss Babcock, she would want me to take her to an elegant restaurant where all her friends would just happen to be. There I would pop the question with a big fancy ring, because she would have to show it off to all her snooty Park Avenue friends that she finally got engaged, and shockingly enough will not be spending the rest of her life alone. I would probably say something like…'Brunette, will you marry me?' Then she would cluck like a chicken for old times' sake," Niles said the last part out of the side of his mouth and smiled at the thought.

"What was that last part Niles?" Maxwell looked confused.

"Sir?" Niles acted like nothing happened. "Nothing. I didn't say anything."

Maxwell just shook his head. "Well, Niles that was a interesting proposal idea, but I still don't know what to do."

"C.C. is very different from Miss Fine, so I don't know what the point of that was," Niles said. "You just have to go with your heart, sir. I'm sure Miss Fine will love anything you do. She will just be so thrilled that you are proposing, how you do it will just be a blur."

"I hope you're right, old man," Maxwell said.