"Perry, have you even glanced at this?"
Della Street walked into her boss's office holding a piece of paper in her hand.
"No, Della, I haven't had time to look through the mail yet," he replied sheepishly.
"I thought not," replied his lovely secretary. "I would have expected some reaction if you had taken the trouble to read it."
Perry's detestation of dealing with his correspondence was the source of some mild friction between the two. His argument was that that was what he employed a secretary for, while Della maintained that if she was going to do part of the boss's job for him, she was entitled to part of the boss's pay.
"Come on, then," he said, laying down the brief he was studying for court. "What's so special?"
Della handed him the letter. "You remember Colonel Elmer Richards? You drew up his will for him a couple of years ago before he retired to Hawaii."
"Of course I do," replied the lawyer. "As I recall he had an extremely grasping family who couldn't wait to make sure they would get their hands on his money when he died and just about marched him into the office to sign the papers."
"Yes, well, I think they're in for a disappointment. According to this letter, he has found a nice lady in Honolulu he intends to marry and he wants you to fly out to Hawaii as soon as possible to draw up a new will leaving the bulk of his estate to her. All expenses paid."
"Wow! That won't go down too well with the relatives here. But good luck to the old guy."
Della folded her arms and perched on his desk. "Isn't it fortunate that you were planning to shut the office for a couple of weeks while you went fishing with Paul? You can have an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii instead. Don't know if you'll be able to smuggle Paul in your luggage, though. Do you want me to make the travel arrangements?"
He hesitated for a moment. "No, leave it just now. I'll check with Paul. Maybe you could wire Colonel Richards to let him know I'll be coming and will let him have details later."
"Will do!" Della made her way back into her own office while Perry sat at his desk looking thoughtful .
Later that afternoon Perry summoned Della into his office. "Della, what plans have you made for the two weeks the office is closed?"
She shrugged. "Nothing in particular. I have a pile of chores that I have to catch up with and I thought I might spend a few days with my Aunt Mae at Bolero Beach. Why do you ask?'
He smiled his dimpled smile at her. "I was just wondering if you fancied a trip to Hawaii?"
She looked at him in astonishment. "Are you asking me to go to Hawaii with you?"
"Yes. All perfectly above board, of course. I think that Colonel Richards is going to meet a whole lot of opposition from his family over this new will. In my professional opinion it would be prudent to make an official record of all discussions we have about it in case they try to contest it and argue unfair pressure or mental incapacity. You are an officially licensed notary. I know you aren't authorised to act outside California, but the fact that you are a recognised notary will carry some weight if questions are asked. I want you to be there to make a record of all that is said on the subject. What do you say?"
"I..I don't know what to say. Hawaii! I've always wanted to go there."
"Then that's business shouldn't take more than three or four days then you can fly home and pick up on your own plans, and Paul and I can head for the lake. I'll get in touch with Colonel Richards and explain the situation. I'm sure he will have no objection. As I recall, he was rather smitten with you when he was here."
"Maybe I should have flirted with him a bit more and I could now be leading a permanent life of luxury in Hawaii," she laughed.
PDPDPD
The following Sunday, Perry and Della found themselves on board a plane flying to Honolulu. Accommodation had been booked for them in a luxurious beachside resort about ten miles from the small estate where Perry's client lived. He had offered to put them up in his house, but Perry wanted the freedom to come and go as he pleased without the constraints of being a guest or questions of undue influence being raised. When they checked in, the receptionist handed them the keys to a sumptuous two-bedroom suite with a beautiful living space in between and a verandah looking out on to the blue ocean. Della had requested the use of a typewriter to type up the legal documents and this had been set up on a table in the living room along with a supply of stationery.
It was nearly nine o'clock before they were settled into their rooms and after the long flight Della could hardly keep her eyes open when Perry escorted her down to the beachside restaurant for dinner. She tucked into her seafood with gusto, but after about half an hour she could fight fatigue no longer.
"I'm sorry, Perry," she sighed. "I'm going to fall asleep at the table if I stay here a minute longer. I'll say goodnight and see you in the morning."
Courteously he rose to see her back to her room but she waved him to sit down. "You stay here and have another drink. I think I can find my way back to my own room, thanks very much. I'll see you at breakfast. Goodnight!" And with that she was gone.
The couple met for breakfast at eight, and were then picked up by a jeep from the Richards estate and driven to meet their client. Elmer Richards descended the front steps of his house to greet his guests and usher them into an airy office. He was a distinguished-looking man in his early seventies, retired from his army career and very wealthy from the judicious investment of the modest fortune he had inherited from his mother. Waiting for them in the vestibule was a handsome, somewhat buxom lady.
"Perry, Miss Street, allow me to introduce Leilani, my fiancée. She has brightened up these twilight years of my life and I am honoured that she has consented to be my wife."
Leilani smiled a charming smile as she shook hands with Perry and Della. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr Mason, Miss Street. I will leave you to discuss your business with Elmer and I would be so pleased if you would join us for lunch when you are finished." With that she withdrew from the room and Perry began the business of discussing the details of the new will while Della took detailed and copious notes of all that was said. They finished around noon and Elmer led them out to a beautiful, shaded patio to join his fiancée in entertaining his guests to a sumptuous lunch.
When they returned to their hotel, Della spent a couple of hours typing up a record of their discussions and a draft of the new will which they were to present to their client the following day. When she had finished, she wandered down to the pool area in search of Perry and found him sipping a cocktail at the bar. She settled herself on a stool beside him and waited while the waiter brought her a refreshing piña colada.
"Oh, Perry, this is bliss," she declared. "A tropical paradise just like I always imagined it. I wish I had thought to bring a bathing suit with me. The pool looks so inviting!"
"Well, I'm sure they sell them in the hotel boutique and there are plenty of shops in the town," he said, trying hard to remove the image of Della in a skimpy bathing suit from his mind.
"We're only here for another couple of days," she said. "it wouldn't be worth the expense, especially at the prices they charge here!"
"Della…" he hesitated for a moment as if considering carefully what to say. "How would you like it if we extended our stay till the end of the week? I think we owe ourselves a break after all the cases we've handled recently. The office is closed anyway so it wouldn't inconvenience anyone."
She hesitated before saying: "That would be wonderful, Perry, but we can't really expect Colonel Richards to finance our stay once your business is completed tomorrow….and I couldn't afford to stay on here if I was paying for it myself."
"But I'll pay, Della."
"No, that wouldn't be right," she stammered. "What would people say if they knew? They might think…."
"I don't give a damn what people think," he replied. "Anyway, who is going to know? Consider it a bonus for all that you do for me and my practice. We haven't had time yet to explore the island properly. Please say yes."
She hesitated. "Perry, I only brought enough clothes for four days….."\
He strove hard to hide his exasperation at what seemed to him as a man like a trivial excuse. "Della, the place is crammed with shops selling what look to me like very nice clothes. You can go on a shopping spree as part of your bonus."
"It does sound tempting. All right, yes. I'll get on to the airline and change our booking."
PDPDPD
The following morning, Perry and Della travelled out to the Richards estate and completed the paperwork on the new will. After that they were free to enjoy their unscheduled break. Della revelled in visiting various boutiques and choosing new outfits for their extended stay, while Perry relaxed by the pool indulging in reading a mystery novel for pleasure, something he didn't often have time to do. That evening Della donned one of her new dresses for dinner after which the couple enjoyed dancing to the band on the terrace into the wee small hours. The next day Perry hired a driver to take them on a tour of the island, visiting some of the lesser known gems. When they got back to the hotel late afternoon, Della was exhausted and excused herself for a nap before dinner. When they met up in the restaurant later, Perry was enchanted by the sight that met his eyes. She was wearing one of her new gowns, a full-skirted dress made of deep blue silk held in place by slender, shoe string straps. Perry thought he had never seen anyone so lovely.
"You look exquisite," he whispered as he held her chair for her to sit down at the table.
After a delicious meal, he again took her in his arms to dance and held her close as he breathed in the intoxicating fragrance of her hair. It was a beautiful balmy evening, the sky scattered with bright shining stars and moonlight reflecting on the sea. "Della," he whispered, "Let's go for a walk along the beach."
"If you like," she smiled, "but I'm not sure these shoes are suitable for walking on sand."
"Well, let's take off our shoes and wander along the waves," he said and so saying, he kicked off his shoes and socks and tying the laces together, hung them round his neck.
Della laughed and took off the high heeled mules she was wearing. "These don't have laces," she said, "so I guess I'll have to carry them."
"Here, give them to me," he said as he took the footwear from her as they dipped their toes in the waves and began to stroll along the edge of the water. They walked for about fifteen minutes till they came to a clump of palm trees growing around a cluster of low rocks. "Let's rest here," said Della as she perched herself on one of the flat boulders.
Perry sat down beside her. For a few minutes they sat in silence, then Della chuckled. "Penny for them," said Perry.
"I was just wondering if this is real," she smiled. "Here am I, a small town girl from the midwest, sitting on a tropical beach in the moonlight. It's like something out of a romantic movie. I'm half expecting Clark Gable or Robert Taylor to appear out of the darkness and sweep me off my feet."
"Will I do instead?" asked Perry.
"What?" She looked startled. "Perry, I wasn't being serious."
"No, but I am," he said, taking her hand in his. "Della, I love you. I've been in love with you for ages. Marry me. Please."
She gave him a shocked stare. "Perry, you're getting carried away by the moonlight and the setting. You don't mean it. You'll be mortified in the morning when you remember what you said."
"Della, you think this is a spur of the moment thing? Well, let me show you this." He put his hand in the pocket of his jacket and produced a small velvet covered box which he opened to reveal a magnificent diamond ring. "Look at the name on the box," he said. She took it from him and saw that it bore the name of one of the most prestigious jewellers in Los Angeles.
"You brought it with you?" she exclaimed. "You planned all this?"
"Yes, I plead guilty as charged. I've been looking for a way to move our relationship forward and the invitation to come to Hawaii seemed ideal. I was elated when you agreed to accompany me. I saw it as the perfect romantic opportunity. I love you, Della, more than I thought it possible to love anyone. But maybe I've assumed too much. Maybe you don't share my feelings, in which case I can only apologise for embarrassing you."
The words were hardly out of his mouth when she threw her arms round his neck and kissed him. "Perry, I've loved you since the first week I came to work for you, but I never thought I stood a chance. You never showed any interest…"
"That's because I always swore I would never mix my personal and professional life. Too many complications. But darling, I can't hold out any longer. I love you so much. Will you marry me?"
"Yes," she said simply.
He slid the ring on her finger then took her in his arms and placed a deep kiss on her lips. Up till then, they had only ever exchanged brief, chaste kisses to wish each other a happy birthday or a merry Christmas, but with this kiss Perry sensed her longing for him and he knew with certainty that she would bring him nothing but joy and delight. For a time they sat, lost in each other, giving in to expressing their long-suppressed love, until Della shivered in the chilly breeze that was now blowing in from the ocean.
"Maybe we should head back," said Perry, taking his arms from round her waist and slipping his jacket over her shoulders to protect her from the chill. Hand in hand they began to walk back along the beach, but about half-way Della stopped.
"Perry," she said, "Could we get married here before we leave?"
"Yes, I'm sure we could," he replied, "but don't you want to get married in Los Angeles with all our friends and family around?"
"If that's important to you, then that's what we'll do," she said. "It's just that once we get home, if the press get wind that we're getting married, we'll get no peace, no privacy. I would like to have our marriage just for ourselves without any intrusions."
He took her in his arms. "My darling, all that matters to me is being able to call you my wife. The sooner I can do that, the happier I'll be. We can have a party for our friends when we get back and present them with a fait accompli, though I'm not sure that Paul will ever forgive me for not asking him to be my best man."
"He'll get over it," she laughed, "Now let's get back to the hotel."
When they got back to their suite, Perry took her tenderly in his arms and at first gently, then with increasing passion began to kiss her and caress her body. "I suppose we should say goodnight," he whispered looking longingly into her eyes.
"Well, we are engaged," she smiled, "and your bed is bigger than mine."
"Oh my love," he whispered, and taking her hand he led her into his bedroom.
PDPDPD
The following day, Perry made enquiries and found that once a marriage licence had been issued, there was no waiting time to get married. He confided his plans to Colonel Richards who was delighted to offer the couple his private beach for the ceremony and arranged for the celebrant who was to conduct his own wedding to take the service. Della found her ideal gown in a small designer boutique, a beautiful full-skirted ivory silk dress spun through with shimmering gold thread, while Leilani organised a magnificent bouquet of orchids and a circlet of flowers for the bride's hair. As a surprise, Perry cancelled their return flights and booked a luxurious first class suite on a cruise liner to take them home.
As they stood before the celebrant, each spoke the heartfelt vows they had composed for the occasion. Perry took Della's two hands in his, and looking deeply into her eyes, he said. "My dearest love, you are my everything; my alpha and omega; my beginning and my end. You are part of me, body and soul and I will love you and cherish you till the end of time. I take you as my wife, as my soulmate, as the reason for my existence. Della, I love you as I never thought it possible to love another human being."
With a radiant smile, Della spoke the words that flowed from her heart. "Perry, I love you with every fibre of my being. You make every new day worthwhile. You bring meaning to my life. You are my rock; my North Star; the centre of my universe. Our two hearts beat as one. I take you as my husband, the breath of my breath; the sunshine of my life. You are my destiny, the love of my life until the end of time."
The celebrant then concluded the ceremony, and as they kissed on a beautiful, sun-blest day on a sandy beach lapped by the turquoise waters of the Pacific, Della Street became Mrs Perry Mason and Perry Mason became the happiest man in the universe.