This will be a short chapter, but Perry and Della have not been truly alone since their engagement, so I wanted to have a lighthearted romantic interlude for the two of them.

The next few days were heavenly. For once, Perry managed to go nearly a week without finding a new murder case or getting a frantic phone call from one of his clients. Despite her joy at how well Perry and her family were getting along, Della made sure to take him out on plenty of long walks in the countryside where she had him all to herself. Arm-in-arm, they meandered through groves and fields and spoke of themselves, of the past, and of the future.

One evening, they took a picnic basket out to the creek. As her fiancé opened a bottle of champagne, Della watched him with a small smile and said demurely,

"You know, Perry, I've been meaning to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For not teasing me over the fact that I actually believed that you could ever have been interested in the childish Isabella Scalding."

"Well, I did leave behind quite a bit of circumstantial evidence which could have been interpreted that way. Hamilton Burger has prosecuted murder cases with less evidence." Della laughed as Perry handed her a glass of champagne. "Besides, I shudder to even think of what I would feel if I believed for a moment that you loved someone else!" He leaned forward and placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips. "What you must have suffered as I obliviously threw fishing lines into trout streams!"

"Let us not talk about that – I would rather forget it. It is all over now, anyhow." Della chuckled. "I suppose my instructor was not correct after all. It appears that sometimes, successful businessmen do marry secretaries instead of socialites."

"Especially when their secretary is such a pretty and devoted creature." Perry took her hand in his. "Della, I always knew that all those socialites who vied for me did not really want me – what they wanted was the paparazzi following them around, to be known as the woman who Perry Mason was dating and then married to. If they ever knew that the man they were interested in would cancel his vacations and dinner dates to chase a lead, or would turn down the prospect of a handsome check from a wealthy client in order to voluntarily defend a destitute one whose case held more merit, they would be horrified. But you, Della! You not only put up with these things, you encouraged them. You would cancel my vacations without consulting me if a desperate client walked into the office and begged for help! You understood me, more than I ever hoped that anyone could."

His fiancée cupped his face in her hands.

"In the beginning, I almost wondered why people thought you were so mysterious. For some reason, I always felt that you were an open book to me, Perry."

"That is because thou art as wise as thou art beautiful," her betrothed murmured.

"Quoting Shakespeare again, are we?" Della teased.

"Don't you prefer it to me quoting the penal code?" he wittily rebutted.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. But don't hold it against me. Most women have a weakness for poetry, especially when it is spoken by a handsome gentleman."

"I would never hold your femininity against you, dearest Della. I love every aspect of it: your tender heart, your graceful walk, your expressive eyes, your elegant style of dress."

"Like your mother, I am glad that you managed to get your head out of your law books long enough to notice me!"

"That was no great accomplishment. You, Ms. Street, are not easily missed!"

They shared another sweet kiss before Perry grew slightly more serious.

"Della, there is a matter on which I have been meaning to consult you."

"Namely?"

"I still have that reservation for a private room at the Brown Derby on July 4th. Would you prefer to use it for a quiet date with just the two of us, or would you prefer to have an engagement party that evening?"

"If you do not mind, I think I would rather have a small gathering of our closest family and friends. It will be the perfect reason to have your mother come to town, and I'm anxious to meet her. We will have many more opportunities to have romantic dates together in the coming years, but there won't be as many chances to show my family the fireworks in Los Angeles on Independence Day."

"Very well then, madam, one unforgettable engagement party shall be yours in less than two weeks' time!" the lawyer replied, as he pressed her gently to his heart.

I'm planning to wrap everything up in the next chapter. I was planning to just end the story with the engagement party, but due to popular demand, I might add a short mention of the wedding.

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