The processional started, and C.C. stepped out of the dressing room. Fran was poised to march ahead of her, when she paused and whirled around.

"Quick, do I have any lipstick on my teeth?" She retracted her lips, making a horse face.

"Nope, all clear," C.C. assured her.

Fran started down the aisle, grinning broadly, nodding occasionally as she passed the rows of seats. "All she needs is a sash and a tiara," C.C. thought to herself as she watched the self-assured nanny silently "work" the crowd.

"It's time, m'am," Nanny Barnes said in a stage whisper, giving C.C. a little push. She walked down the aisle, carrying a cascade of orchids. Looking ahead, she spotted Niles at the front of the room, a smile illuminating his face. She tried to ignore Evie and Jonah swatting at each other behind her.

She took her place beside Niles, and the minister began the ceremony. They'd decided to go with the traditional vows, since, as Niles had said, "I certainly can't think of anything better."

When C.C. pledged her "I do" and extended her hand, Niles placed upon it the most exquisite white gold band with three channel-set diamonds in it. "For each member of our family," he whispered as he slid it on her finger.

With tears blurring her eyes, C.C. slipped a platinum band on Niles' finger with an embedded braided design. "My life is forever intertwined with yours," she said, her voice quavering ever so slightly.

After they were pronounced husband and wife, Nanny Barnes approached the front with Prudence in her arms. She handed Prudi to Grace and stepped to the side. The slumbering babe was clad in the pristine white christening gown Niles' parents had brought her. She stirred a bit then, and C.C. couldn't help but beam with pride – there was no denying that Prudi was a beautiful baby. Superbly formed head, a fine coating of white-blonde hair, bright blue eyes that were almost violet…"eat your heart out, Gerber Baby," C.C. thought to herself. As Noel and Grace took their official places as godparents, the minister asked them a few brief questions, and then proceeded with the imperturbable words of the blessing. C.C. was not at all religious, but somehow the solemnity of the ceremony brought a lump to her throat, and she was thankful that Fran was standing nearby with a Kleenex at the ready.

Once the ceremonies were complete, everyone adjourned to the adjacent banquet hall for the reception. Even though it was an afternoon affair, there was a DJ and a dance floor, and folks were hustling and electric sliding until the food was served.

"I think this wee one is wanting a nap," Nanny Barnes said to C.C. "Do ye mind if I take her in the back?"

"Of course not," C.C. replied, who was now in full party mode and feeling gracious. "But do please come back and celebrate with us." Fran had arranged for a small, quiet room situated directly off the ballroom, equipped with a crib and other baby sundries. A highly recommended nurse was in attendance, ready to either attend to the baby's needs or summon her mother in case of emergency.

"How are you holding up?" Niles asked, as he snuggled up against C.C. The DJ was playing one of her favorites, "More than This" by Roxy Music, and she automatically pressed up close to him. They began to slow dance. "I'm OK, just a bit tired…" C.C. mumbled.

Niles held her tightly and nuzzled her neck. "You've been tired a lot lately," he murmured into her ear. "I hope everything's OK."

"Of course it is," she said, pulling back and looked into his face. "I've just been under a lot of pressure lately."

After their dance ended, the couple split up to greet their guests.

C.C. approached a clutch of women, then paused, trying to remember who they were, and how she knew them. "I know I'm bad with names, and sometimes faces, but they don't look at all familiar," she thought to herself.

"This salmon is dry," one of the women was saying.

"The prime rib is too rare," another added. "I think my plate just mooed."

"You call this a party?" asked a third. "When my Milton had his boy's bar mitzvah, he paid $35 a head. These people should see such a simcha."

"Isn't Milton the one married to that kvetch with the bad nose job?"

They stopped talking and looked up as C.C. uneasily stepped towards them.

"Thank you so much for coming, I hope you're enjoying yourselves," she said politely, then turned to make a quick escape. As she walked away she overheard one of them comment, "Twenty bucks says she's had her eyes done."

"And that's a total bleach job!" added another.

"Nanny Fine, who are these people?" C.C. asked Fran, who was swooping by, swapping air-kisses with guests.

"Well, I had to make up numbers," Fran said apologetically. "To get this room at a decent price, I had to guarantee X amount of people. I don't know if you are aware of this, but you don't have very many friends…"

C.C. rolled her eyes.

"Well, anyway, in order to get the group rate, I invited a few folks from Ma's Wednesday Afternoon Canasta Club."

"More than a few," C.C. grunted. "I don't recognize a good half of the people here…."

C.C. wandered away and sunk gratefully into an empty seat at a table. She surreptitiously slipped off her shoes and rubbed one foot against the other. She gazed across the room and saw Max and Niles engrossed in a discussion at another table. She sighed and took a slip of her club soda when an unknown woman took a seat at her table.

"Whew, who knew the Macarena was so tiring? Great party, huh?" she asked C.C.

"Yeah, it's nice," C.C. said without conviction.

"You don't seem to be having fun…?"

"Oh, it's a wonderful party…I'm just very tired…have been for a while, it seems." Why she was unburdening herself to a stranger, she didn't know. Maybe she was more tired than she knew.

"I'm Marcia Rottenberg," the woman said, extending her hand. "I'm Fran's gynecologist."

C.C. shook her hand weakly. "How nice of her to invite you."

"Well, she said she had to make up numbers…." the doctor smiled apologetically.

"So I've heard." C.C. involuntarily reached up her hand and bowed her head.

"Are you OK?" Dr. Rottenberg asked.

"Yes, yes…just a little dizzy spell," C.C. responded. "I've been getting them every now and then."

"Really? Have you seen a doctor about it?"

"No, no need to. I sustained a head injury a while ago…."

Dr. Rottenberg leaned forward and placed her hands on either side of C.C.'s head. She looked steadily into her eyes and then produced a penlight from her purse. "Do me a favor, and follow this with your eyes…"

C.C. pulled away and shook her head in frustration. "My neurologist has checked me out, it has nothing to do with that. I think I've just been stressed over this wedding, and meeting my in-laws…plus I have a baby at home, you know."

"Yes, I saw her at the christening, she's adorable. Is she your first?"

"Thank you, and yes." C.C. sat back and stretched her legs out in front of her. "Since she is my first, and only, I guess I'm still learning as I go along."

"About child care? That's something every mom learns on the job."

"Well, that, and… other stuff. I mean, I thought certainly by now I'd have lost the weight I'd gained. I watch what I eat, and I exercise as much as I can, when I'm not so damned tired…" She stopped and looked at the doctor apologetically. "I'm sorry, this is a party, not a physical examination. I didn't mean to talk your ear off with a roster of my symptoms."

"I don't mind; it's pretty much an occupational hazard in my line of work," Dr. Rottenberg smiled. "So, just for chuckles, since you started this, what other symptoms have you had?"

C.C. shrugged. "Not much else, I guess. I've had some trouble with certain foods not agreeing with me lately, but I think that's due to this damned California heat and humidity. I'm still not used to it."

"Must be rough, trying to take care of a baby when you're not feeling well…how old is your daughter, by the way?"

"Ten months, almost eleven," C.C. replied, automatically smiling as she thought of Prudi.

"And you're a newlywed, how nice…just out of curiosity, what kind of birth control are you using?"

C.C. raised her eyebrows at what she thought was an inappropriate question, but answered nonetheless. "I'm breastfeeding."

"That's commendable, but that wasn't my question."

C.C. sighed and spoke slowly, as though she was talking to a child. "I'm breastfeeding…you can't get pregnant while you're nursing."

"Who told you that?"

"Why, well…." C.C. thought for a moment. "Everyone just knows that, of course. Besides, I think I saw it on the Discovery Health channel or something."

Dr. Rottenberg chuckled. "In the first six months of the baby's life, if you're not supplementing her with any other food source, then the chances of becoming pregnant are less than 2. But, after six months, those odds increase…"

Her voice trailed off and was replaced with a knowing smile. "Oh, please," C.C. said, standing up. "Nanny Fine paid you to come here and annoy me, right? She just couldn't stand to see me have a pleasant afternoon, so she needed to stir up some trouble…"

Marcia stood up and reached out towards C.C. "I didn't mean to upset you, but I'm concerned about your dizzy spells. Please. See your own doctor as soon as you can. Or, if you'd like, I'd be glad to schedule an appointment for you." She dug into her purse again and handed C.C. her business card.

"Sure, I'll think about it. Thanks. It was nice meeting you," C.C. said and moved on to another table. She sat down and was shortly joined by Phyllida.

"Your father is such a marvelous dancer," she gushed, taking a sip of champagne.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," C.C. replied without enthusiasm.

Phyllida hadn't noticed C.C.'s disdain and reached over to clasp her hands. "You know, dear," ("Dear"? C.C. thought to herself. How much bubbly has this woman consumed?) "Malcolm and I are so very pleased to see what a good mother you are to our granddaughter. We had our doubts, of course, when Niles first wrote us that you were expecting…"

"Doubts?" C.C. felt her hackles rising.

"Well, dear, you did have a habit of leaving your dog in taxi cabs!" Phyllida playfully prodded C.C. in the shoulder.

"I see Niles felt compelled to fill you in on every aspect of my life," C.C. grumbled.

"He simply shared them as amusing anecdotes, that's all."

"Well, I'm glad that my daily exploits made for some interesting fodder…"

"Oh, please don't take offense," Phyllida leaned forward and clasped C.C.'s forearms. "Besides, once Nanny Barnes was in place, we knew she had a handle on the situation…"

C.C. shook her head, trying to comprehend. "What? What do you mean, 'in place'?"

Phyllida drained the last of her champagne and gestured at a waiter for a refill. "You must understand, we didn't know much about you other what Niles wrote in his letters. He always spoke of you in glowing terms, of course, but.." She paused and took a sip of Cristal. "Well, it seemed to us that your strengths lay more in the world of commerce than in mothering… Please believe me when I say that we were just watching out for our first grandchild."

"What are you talking about?"

"Malcolm pulled a few strings…when you applied to the Beverly Hills recruitment agency (as we knew you would when you moved to Los Angeles) for a nanny, he made sure that Gwendolyn was assigned to you. She is highly qualified, we've known her for years – she was previously the nanny to Lord Frederick and Lady Gabriella of Kent, you know."

"So you're telling me that you placed a..a mole, a spy in my household?"

"You make it sound so…sordid. She's not a spy, per se – it's not like she reported back to us or anything. We just wanted to make sure someone suitable was caring for our granddaughter when you went back to…whatever it is you do.

C.C. was seething and spoke between clenched teeth. "Was Niles in on your little scheme?"

"Of course not, duckie," Phyllida giggled and drained her glass once more. A waiter appeared out of nowhere to refill it. "Why would Niles ever agree to something like that? For heaven's sake, according to him," she suddenly burbled with laughter, "The sun shines right out of your bum…." Phyllida dissolved into giggles and struggled to control herself. "My son made it clear years ago that he worships the ground you walk on. That's why I knew clearer heads needed to intervene…"

Phyllida wiped her eyes and composed herself. She leaned forward and gently placed a hand on C.C.'s knee. "We sincerely meant no harm, dear. I hope someday you'll understand." With that she got up and left, presumably in search of a refill, or so C.C. thought.

"So when does the father of the bride get his dance?" A voice behind her asked.

C.C. smiled and reached out to Stuart's extended arms. "I'm up for it, if you are," she replied.

He easily guided her out onto the dance floor as the DJ played an oldie, "Ebony Eyes" by Bob Welch. "Do you remember how to tango?" he asked his daughter.

"You didn't pay for all those cotillion classes for nothing," C.C. responded, squaring her shoulders.

As the pair glided effortlessly across the dance floor, Stuart looked down at his daughter. "You're all tense, Kitten. I saw you talking with your mother-in-law. What's bothering you?"

"Oh, it's nothing I can explain at the moment," C.C. sighed as her father dipped her. But nevertheless, as they continued to dance, she spilled the story of Nanny Barnes being "planted" by Niles' parents.

The song ended, and the guests applauded. C.C. looked around her, not realizing until that moment that the dance floor had emptied to allow her and her father to dance solo. They bowed slightly in acknowledgment, and the DJ started another song. Stuart led C.C. over to a table.

"Don't take this the wrong way," he began, "but I can sort of see their point of view."

C.C. was gathering for an explosion, he could see, so he hastened to continue.

"Think about it. Suppose, 20 years from now, Prudi was 3,000 miles away and planning to marry some man you'd never met? Wouldn't you worry about her?"

"I don't think that – "

"I'm not saying I agree with their tactics," Stuart interrupted his daughter, "but I do see where they're coming from." He reached over and propped up her chin. "To be honest, I could picture you doing something very similar under those circumstances."

C.C. sighed and sat back in her chair. "Maybe…" She thought for a moment and then sighed. "I guess it's not that different from planting someone in the audience at one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's plays… sort of…"

Stuart stood up as Niles approached C.C.'s chair. "One thing I've learned, Kitten, is that life is too short to hold a grudge. Try not to be too angry at them." He smiled and headed back towards the dance floor.

"Angry at whom?" Niles inquired as he wrapped his arms around C.C. from behind. He planted a kiss on the top of her head and then walked around and grabbed a chair. "What did I miss?" he asked as he sat down.

"Oh, nothing at all, really," C.C. smiled as she leaned forward and straightened his boutonnière.

Niles moved in close to her ear and growled, "You are tantalizing my nipple, Madam."

C.C. giggled as one hand involuntarily flew to her mouth, and she swatted at Niles with the other.

"So what were you and Maxwell discussing so earnestly over there?" she asked her husband. "You two were so wrapped up in your conversation you missed the Chicken Dance and the Hokey Pokey. And remind me to not tip the DJ, because I expressly told him not to play those…."

"Well, to be honest, Max did have some rather exciting news…"

"Oh?"

"Yes, but I think it's better left until we're at home and relaxed before I go into it…too noisy here, and you look exhausted."

"Now that you mention it, I really could stand to get home and out of these clothes…" She kicked playfully at Niles when he raised his eyebrows lasciviously. "…and into my fuzzy bathrobe."

Niles glanced at his watch. "I think we can leave gracefully now without offending anyone. Let me just go tell Fran…"

"…and I'll find Nanny Barnes and get Prudi," C.C. added.

The nurse was just providing Prudi with a fresh diaper when C.C. entered the room. "Thank you so much for your help," she smiled, slipping an envelope into the woman's hand. "I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"She couldn't have been better," the white-clad figure said, shaking C.C.'s hand. "If you ever need any help in the future…" She extended her other hand which contained a business card.

"I'll definitely keep you in mind," C.C. responded, taking the card and gathering her daughter in her arms.

"Here ye are now," a booming Scottish accent announced as Nanny Barnes burst through the door. "Are we all ready to go, then? I'll just take her things…" she picked up the diaper bag and then held the door open for C.C. to exit.

"Hold it! Hold everything!" Fran called as she ran towards C.C. "You can't leave yet, you haven't tossed your bouquet!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, must I?"

"What kind of wedding is it if you don't throw your bouquet? Now you take this – " she grabbed Prudence from C.C.'s arms and handed her to Nanny Barnes. She then turned to a nearby table, grabbed the bunch of orchids C.C. had been carrying earlier that day " – and you take these," and thrust them into C.C.'s arms. "Now go over by the double doors there, and wait, and I'll have the DJ give you your cue."

C.C. did as ordered, and found Niles waiting for her by the door. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she said under her breath to him.

"Oh, let's just humor Fran so we can get out of here," he said, giving C.C. a quick peck on the cheek.

The music had stopped, and the DJ instructed all the single women to gather around the bride. After a few minutes of confusion and laughter, a semi-circle formed around C.C. She turned her back to the crowd and, not knowing what else to say, yelled "Heads up!" as she threw the cascade of orchids. The heavy bouquet didn't travel very far, but they flew just far enough for Grace to catch them with one hand. She pulled the fragrant flowers close to her face and smiled. Cameras flashed all around, and Fran could be heard in the background shouting "No way! Not my baby! She's too young!"

C.C. and Niles made their way out to the limo, where Nanny Barnes was already waiting. Prudi was snugly strapped into her car seat, and the quartet set off for home.

"Driver?" C.C. called to the front of the car. "Can we please stop at Rite Aid on the way home?"

"Yes, m'am."

"What do ye need, m'um?" Nanny Barnes asked when they pulled into the parking lot. "I'd be pleased to go get it for ye."

"Oh, don't trouble yourself, I won't be a minute," C.C. said as she slid out of the car. Niles looked after her in puzzlement.

"I'll be damned if I'm going to ask her to buy me a home pregnancy test," C.C. thought to herself as she wandered the aisles.