The next morning, Jane wanted to work on the screen porch, but she had to admit it was risky to keep her sister's wedding dress in an area where only a thin screen would protect it from the vicious elements. It would just take one bad storm to rip apart that screen and wreak havoc on Rosalind's beautiful ivory gown. So Jane propped her dress dummies up in the living room. It wasn't like the sisters would spend too much time there, with the call of the beautiful outdoors. Skye was already off on a 7 mile run, and Rosalind was walking along the beach to get coffee and pastries at the inn. Batty, the teenager, was still sleeping.

Jane was left in peace to perfect her masterpieces.

Although now that Jane surveyed the wedding dress in light of Skye's recent suspicion, she was thinking that maybe it could use a redesign. Something more suitable for a runaway bride. A flowing three foot train perhaps? To add drama?

Jane was momentarily enraptured with the image of a lovely Rosalind fleeing across the Arundel lawn, with her curls falling loose from her updo.

Jane shook her head and pricked her finger with a needle. Focus, focus, focus.

Rosalind's dress was nearly done, it just needed some final touches. Jane was going to stitch little pink roses along the hem, the neckline, and the short cap sleeves.

The real work was with the bridesmaid dresses. Rosalind didn't want to be a demanding tyrannical bride that made her bridesmaid wear hideous dresses. So she had asked Jane to make dresses that suited all three of the sisters.

It was an impossible task. Never did three women possess more different senses of style than Jane, Skye and Batty. Skye would walk down the aisle in cargo pants and a black crop top if she had her way, and she would probably look amazing doing it. And Batty had spent too much time in drama departments, she liked vivid colors and extravagant designs.

Since neither could possibly be happy, Jane had decided to make the dress that she wanted to wear. It featured a tight bodice that descended into delicate poofs of voile. Skye's was a light blue, the exact color of a summer sky. Jane's own was a light green, the shade of new buds in spring, and Batty's was violet. Lydia was getting a shorter version of the dress in pink.

Skye might say the dress was too girly, but Skye could wear whatever black get-up she wanted to the rehearsal dinner.

Jane knew that Skye was going to look gorgeous in the bridesmaid dress. As Jane ran a hand over the skirt, she thought that Jeffrey might actually faint when he saw Skye in it.

Jeffrey had vowed back in college that he had given up. He had driven to visit Jane, and over several beers at the student pub, he told her he had met a new girl, he was in love, for real this time. He was going to leave Skye alone.

Jane had nodded along and let Jeffrey buy her as many rounds as he wanted, but she didn't believe him for a second. Skye was just far enough away that Jeffrey was able to convince himself he had forgotten.

Jane, having a sensitive and perceptive heart, knew when two souls were destined for each other. She herself had once harbored a secret wish that Jeffrey would direct his attentions towards her. Jane would appreciate his romantic overtures and musical odes. But it was clear that Jeffrey didn't just want Skye, he needed Skye. And she needed him.

Then again, Jane had been wrong about romance before, and she would be wrong again. Maybe Skye and Jeffrey would just be friends.