Chapter 13

"Can you hand me some newsprint, Duck?"

"Yes, here you go," Duck gave Lillie a small stack of old newspapers as the blonde clutched a large and ungainly framed photo of an Imperial Russian ballerina in her other hand.

Setting her load on the floor, Lillie began to fold and tuck the newspaper over the frame. Duck, who was in the process of labeling stacks of toeshoe boxes, paused to watch her friend work before casting her blue eyes across the store.

The walls that were once decorated with photos of famous dancers were now bare. Squares of unfaded paint on the wall from where photos used to hang resembled footprints, a wordless record of how the shop had looked in its heyday. Now, the photos that once protected the paint from years of sunlight, along with the toeshoes, furniture, and other decor, were being packed away, ready to be shipped off several miles away to their new home in Manhattan.

Exhaling a quiet sigh, Duck could not help but feel a tinge of sadness as the shop she'd known for so many years would cease to exist before being reborn in a new place with a new appearance.

In the background, a pair of workmen were working to uninstall the barre from the wall. Once the metal pole was pried loose and gently lowered to the ground, Mr. Kotin—who had been watching them closely—turned away and caught the wistful look on Duck's face.

Stepping away from the workmen, the mustachioed man said to Duck, "It's strange seeing the shop like this."

Duck nodded. "Yeah…" she said softly before letting her eyes drift back to Mr. Kotin, who had come to stand beside her. "But I'm sure the new shop will be just as beautiful as this one, if not more so," Duck said sincerely, giving Mr. Kotin a small, encouraging smile.

Mr. Kotin returned the smile, which was partly hidden behind his neatly trimmed mustache. "Yes, it will be. How about you, Miss Duck? Is the move to Rochester going well?"

"Fakir is picking up our train tickets today. The police chief had put us in touch with a relative who has a house available for rent," Duck replied. "We'll stay there, at least for the first few months, to get settled in. Tomorrow, movers will come to pick up some of the furniture and other large items we don't have immediate use for to Rochester, and we'll bring the rest with us when we take the train there."

"That is good…" Mr. Kotin said, nodding.

As Duck looked down and picked up the pen in her hand, Mr. Kotin cleared his throat, making the young woman turn back towards him. In a gentle voice, he said earnestly, "I am very thankful for your help, Miss Duck. For helping to pack up the shop, and for all the years prior. To be truthful with you, after our conversation the other day… I could not sleep all night. Letting you go was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make since coming to this country. Then, to my surprise, you arrive back at the shop the next morning with news you had become engaged! I was astonished, but more so…"

Here Mr. Kotin paused, and Duck could see his lips and mustache quivering with emotion as he said, "I was so happy for you! I've been watching you dance a delicate pas de deux with that young man over the past year and could see the two of you grow closer as time went on. To know that you have now made your feelings known and committed yourselves to one another is such a beautiful thing to behold! You and this gallant young man, I am sure, will have a bright and happy future together!"

Maybe it was because it had been a long time since Mr. Kotin had pontificated about love and marriage, or maybe it was the sincerity in his voice, but Duck found herself speechless for a moment. Embarrassed though she was, Duck nevertheless returned a shy smile as she thanked her employer for his florid but heartfelt congratulations.

"Thank you, Mr. Kotin."

Smiling still, Mr. Kotin cleared his throat, and putting away his more theatrical tone of voice, replied paternally, "You're welcome, Miss Duck."

"Hey, mister," one of the workmen taking down the barre addressed Mr. Kotin, "how do you want us to store this thing?"

"Ah, yes, just a moment!" Mr. Kotin answered, before stepping away from Duck.

Left to herself again, Duck returned to her task. But it was not long before another interruption, this time in the form of a jingle from the door, gave her hands pause.

"Pique!" Duck exclaimed when she looked up and caught sight of the familiar violet-haired young woman standing at the shop door.

Both Lillie and Duck put down what they were doing and rushed over to Pique, who drew her former coworkers into a hug.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have class with Mrs. Ryan today?" exclaimed the redhead as the three drew apart from their greeting.

"Not today! Besides," Pique teasingly poked her elbow against Duck's ribs, "I heard a certain someone got engaged! And I absolutely had to come by and congratulate you in person!"

"How did you—" Duck began, but stopped when Lillie began to giggle. "Lillie!" the former exclaimed, her cheeks stained pink, but that only goaded the blonde to chortle even more fiendishly.

"Oh, Duck! Of course I had to share the news with Pique! Your engagement to the Sheik is the talk of the town, or at the very least, of this block of the Bronx!"

Though she was mortified at the mental image of Lillie stopping people on the street to cheerfully inform them of her engagement, Duck's thoughts were drawn elsewhere when Pique threw her arm around Duck's shoulder.

"Alright, give it up! You have to tell us all about it!" the stylish young woman demanded with a toothy grin.

"In that case…"

The girls whirled around and found Mr. Kotin standing behind them, his hands folded behind his back. He glanced at the clock—which was the only object still remaining on the shop's walls—and the girls saw that it was at a quarter to noon. "Perhaps now would be a good time for a lunch break."

Back to the gaggle of young women, he said, "I think most of the remaining work is for the movers, so you ladies may take your time and enjoy each other's company. Ah, and as Miss Duck will be going to Rochester soon, here," Mr. Kotin produced his wallet and handed two ten-dollar bills to Duck. "Enjoy a nice lunch on the house, and keep the rest, Miss Duck."

Seeing Duck's wide-eyed look of hesitation, he added, "Don't fret, this is a gift! You will still receive the full amount of your last paycheck at the end of this month."

"But this is a lot*, Mr. Kotin…" Duck began to protest, but the mustachioed man gave a brisk shake of his head.

"It's a token of appreciation, Miss Duck." Smiling deeply, he said, "Small though it might be, I hope it will help you towards your new life in Rochester."

The bell on the shop door clinked musically as the girls stepped onto the street. With Pique out front, she looked back at Duck and Lillie. "So, where do you wanna go, Duck?"

"Um…" Duck's brows drew together, still trying to regain her bearings after receiving the unexpected but very generous gift from Mr. Kotin. This will be the last time I'll have lunch with Pique and Lillie, at least for some time. And with the money from Mr. Kotin, maybe it wouldn't hurt to have something a bit more special and memorable?

"There was that Italian café that opened last year…" Duck said slowly, "I had been meaning to try it, but never got around to it. How was it?"

At this question, Lillie and Pique perked up. "You mean Caffè Renganeschi?*" said Pique with an excited smile. "I remember I had a soup there—minestrone, I think—and it was pretty good."

"And their gelato was to die for!" Lillie gushed, then added more thoughtfully, "Though, it might be a little chilly for that now, given the weather." Whirling over to Duck, she pulled the redhead into a death grip that passed for a hug. "Oh, what if the gelato gives you a terrible stomachache, Duck? You could end up in the hospital! Your new fiancé would have to travel to Rochester alone, but distance causes the heart to wander, and you end up in the arms of a handsome doctor tending to you during your recovery!"

Duck wanted to protest Lillie's absurd story, but could only manage a strangled whine through Lillie's vice grip. Pique, though, rolled her eyes and said dryly, "Let's save that for your next story, Lillie. If your pitch is successful, the editor may well want you to write more, you know!"

"Oh, that's a good point! And that reminds me," Lillie abruptly released Duck, who let out a large gasp for air. "Pique, you haven't told me what you thought about that manuscript I gave you the other day! I've already shown it to Duck, but you haven't told me what you thought of it yet. Did you read it?"

"Sure did! We can talk about it on our way to lunch," Pique motioned with her head.

With that settled, the trio made their way to M Street. As they walked, Lillie chatted with Pique about her story, "The Mystery of the Missing Magnate", which centered around a young redhead named Milly who worked at a hat shop.

The novel begins with Milly meeting a handsome but hard-edged detective, Ruddy, who is investigating the kidnapping of a wealthy business tycoon, a regular at Milly's shop. There is instant mutual attraction between the two, but both sides are too stubborn to acknowledge their feelings as they try to locate the missing businessman. As they follow clues left by the tycoon and his kidnappers, they discover the missing man was Milly's biological father. She had been born from an affair, and he'd given her up for adoption as an infant after her mother died during childbirth. He'd found her by chance while visiting the milliner shop where she worked and had been coming to see her regularly since, all without ever revealing his relationship to her.

Inbetween detective work, romantic tension, and deep soul-searching, the intrepid pair discover that the kidnappers were one of the biggest gangs in the city. After a shootout, they rescue the businessman from his kidnappers. But Ruddy is gravely injured in the gunfight, and as he lies dying, he confesses his love to Milly, who agrees to marry him and begs him to live. Thankfully, her biological father knows one of the best surgeons in the city, and the doctor is able to save Ruddy's life. In the end, Milly is recognized as her father's heir, and while Ruddy retires from police work, she is able to open up her own millinery shop.

Sitting at their table inside Caffè Renganeschi, Pique closed her menu and handed it to a waiter. With the food ordered (spaghetti for Lillie, risotto for Pique, and fish for Duck), Pique cast a knowing grin towards Duck as she spoke to Lillie.

"I have to say though, Milly and Ruddy, a redhead shop girl and a detective… they seem awfully familiar. You didn't happen to base them on a certain couple we know, did you, Lillie?"

With her hand covering her mouth, Lillie sniggered while Duck blushed and looked down at her lap.

"Oh! Can you tell?" she asked coquettishly. "As they say, 'art imitates life', and I just happened to have drawn some inspiration from real life! You all remember that big exposé from earlier this year? Material like that is just too good to pass up, so I combined it with the love story and voilà! A cross-genre work that will appeal to everyone!"

Duck laughed nervously. She had been more than a little startled upon reading Lillie's manuscript at how closely the plot resembled her own experiences. But even if she had told someone about what had happened to her, would anyone have believed her?

She'd been a witness to a mob murder and in the process became saddled with the detective working the case as her next-door neighbor. That detective turned out to have been best friends with the man responsible for the murder she had witnessed, and who also just happened to be a former student of her late mother. On top of that, Duck herself had met and befriended the heiress of the same mob family! There were so many degrees of connection that even now, if she thought about it too deeply, Duck felt overwhelmed by it all.

Her friends, not privy to her thoughts, carried on with their conversation. Having a moment to herself, Duck glanced down at the pendant handing by her collar. As she cupped the stone, the weight of the carnelian in her hand helped to reassure Duck as she silently drew a deep breath.

It's crazy to think all of this has happened… but it did, and this pendant is proof of everything Fakir and I had gone through. We've come out of it together, and it's because we had each other that I'm able to have the opportunity now to look back on everything…

Duck's lips curled softly at this thought, and she turned her attention back to her friends, who were now busy discussing where to submit Lillie's debut work.

"Magazines like Ladies' Home Journal are definitely out; this is too fast for them," Pique declared with a quirk of her thin brows. "If I had to pick one magazine… I'd go with Love Story Magazine. There's romance and intrigue… it's right down their alley!"

"I had thought about that one," Lillie touched her lips thoughtfully, "But that's a little too… pedestrian? I want something ritzier than that, something like The Red Book!"

"No harm in trying," Pique shrugged. "People love stories that end with the protagonist getting married and sailing off into the sunset. Oh, and speaking of getting married…"

Pique leaned towards Duck. "Time to spill the beans! How did Fakir propose to you?"

"Yes! Did he throw himself at your feet and profess his eternal, everlasting love to you? Did you then proceed to kiss each other passionately?" Lillie cooed, cupping her glowing cheeks dreamily.

"Um… no, not really? Fakir did get down on one knee, and we might've kissed at one point, but we most just hugged and, well, held hands," Duck blushed, but there was now a smile on her face as she recalled that quiet but world-changing evening from a few days past.

Lillie's expectant grin turned into a disappointed scowl. "Ah, that's no fun! Where's the passion? The drama?"

"Alright, so it was a bit lowkey," Pique shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "But you know…" she rested her chin on her interlaced hands, a mischievous grin on her face, "you two went from dating to getting hitched awfully quickly. Maybe there's been a bit more passion between you and Fakir than you let on? Could it be…" Pique lowered her voice even more as her grin grew wider, "…that the two of you have been barneymugging?*"

Duck shook her head hard, sending her bangs flying through the air. Though she wasn't familiar with the term, based on Pique's and now also Lillie's salacious smirks, she could guess what they were insinuating.

"No! I-It just sort of worked out this way! After all, Fakir was going to be transferred—and, well, I figured it was an opportunity to go somewhere new, see new things, and I wanted to be with him, so…"

Hearing Duck's honest words, Pique chuckled and lightly shook her head. "Gosh, you are just too darn cute, Duck! I was just teasing you! I'm really glad you found someone who can make you happy," the short-haired young woman said sincerely.

Soberly, Pique sighed. "Really, today's the most fun I've had in weeks! It was strange for me to not see the two of you when I first started lessons with Mr. Ryan. But Duck will be leaving New York City and going to Rochester soon, and both Lillie and the shop will be moving uptown to Manhattan in a matter of days… things really have changed quite a lot these past few months," Pique concluded with another heavy sigh.

Not wanting her friend to feel sad, Duck asserted, "I'll be sure to write to you often, Pique! And to you, Lillie, as well, of course! I'll definitely come back and visit both of you, I promise!"

After she heard Duck's reassurance, a smile returned to Pique's lips, and she gave the redhead a hearty slap across the back.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Duck! I'm sure we will see each other! We'll be coming to your wedding, after all!" she added cheekily.

Looking across the table, Pique's bright eyes beamed. "We're each going our own ways, but we'll each get to experience new things and meet new people. This isn't an end to our friendship; it's the opening to a new chapter!"

Here, Pique picked up her cup of sparkling water and raised the glass above her head. "Let's make a toast! To friendship, love, and bright futures!"

"Cheers!" Lillie, too, held up her glass, "To passion, drama, and raucous romances!"

At her friends' spirited declarations, Duck could not help but laugh. "Oh Pique, Lillie!" Picking up the stem of her glass, the crystal cup made a bright "clink" as she joined in on the toast.

"To all of us! We will see each other again, for sure!"

After enjoying a nice long luncheon, and having waved goodbye to Pique, Duck and Lillie turned back towards the pointe shoe shop. As they approached C Street, a flash of movement in a shop window ahead of her caught Duck's eyes, and her gaze was drawn to the travel agency she had walked past innumerable times before.

Inside the agency, workers were taking down the advertising posters and pasting new ones in their place. Lillie continued walking, but Duck slowed her pace to watch as the colorful rainbow on the Niagara Falls poster flopped over in a slowly collapsing arch as it was peeled off the glass.

Seeing the beautiful picture crumple over sent a pang of sadness through Duck's chest. But as the travel agency worker began to remove the last piece of tape, Duck's eyes lit up as an idea came to her.

Quickly Duck called out to her blonde friend, "Lillie, can you wait for me for just a minute? I'll be right back!" With that, she turned her feet towards the travel agency.

Confused, Lillie watched as Duck went inside and spoke to the young man holding the poster. After a short conversation, the young man rolled up the poster he was holding, tied it with a piece of twine, and then handed it to Duck.

Once Duck exited the travel agency, Lillie could not help but wonder aloud, "What are you planning to use that poster for?"

"I want to keep it," Duck answered, glancing at the paper tube resting in the crook of her arm. "I really like this poster, and I want to keep it as a reminder of a place I'd like to see one day."

Even though I can't go there right now, it doesn't mean I can't go in the future, Duck thought silently. With the poster in hand and a spring in her step, she carried on with her day.

Before she knew it, Duck found herself back at her apartment that evening. With only her bed and a stool left unperturbed, the rest of Duck's furniture had all been emptied out or tagged in anticipation of the movers' arrival tomorrow. Scattered on the floor were partially packed trunks of clothes, piles of crockery, and half-stashed bins of household items. Standing amidst this chaos, the redhead wondered how she could safely stow her newly acquired possession when a knock came from her front door.

"Duck? Are you home?" said Fakir's muffled voice from behind the wood.

"Yes! Coming!" Duck shouted, hurrying to open the door.

When it opened, she found Fakir dressed in casual clothes with his sleeves rolled up, which Duck knew was a sign he must have been home for at least a little while.

"You're back early today?" she asked him.

"I need to do a bit more packing before the movers come tomorrow," Fakir explained, surveying the jumbled state of Duck's apartment, which was not so different from how his own home looked at the moment. "How about you? Do you need any help?"

"I think I'm okay. Though…" Duck looked back at the rolled-up poster tube she had hastily propped up against an opened suitcase. She looked back at Fakir and scratched her chin, "Do you know how to store a poster, by any chance?"

Fakir cocked an eyebrow but did not say anything as Duck picked up and handed him the poster. "What's this? Can I open it?" he asked.

With Duck's nodded permission, Fakir undid the twine and let the poster unfurl to reveal the colorful rendition of the rainbow over Niagara Falls.

"I got it for free from the travel agency on the way to work today," Duck explained. "I really like this poster, and it was being taken down, so I asked the agent working there if I could have it, since it was going to be discarded anyway."

Seeing the confusion on Fakir's mien, Duck continued sheepishly, "The picture is really pretty, and I thought it would be wonderful if I could see Niagara Falls for myself someday. I've never been there, and I don't know when I'll ever get to visit, but I'd like to keep this as a reminder."

After he heard her explanation, the corners of Fakir's lips curled into a faint smile. "If you want to display it later, you should get a poster tube. I think there's a few spare ones lying around the precinct. I'll see if I can find one for you tomorrow."

Watching Duck gingerly roll up the paper, Fakir awkwardly tousled his hair. When he spoke, his quiet voice made Duck's hands pause.

"If you'd really like to see Niagara, I was thinking, um…" Twisting his lips for a moment, Fakir continued as his cheeks began to blush, "…we could go there together… for our honeymoon, maybe?"

At this suggestion, Duck's cheeks likewise began to gain a dusting of pink. But she smiled and gave her fiancé a small but firm nod. "I'd love that!"

Seeing her response, Fakir couldn't help but match Duck's smile. Walking into her bedroom, Fakir lingered by the doorway. Sensing his presence, as she set the poster gingerly down by the side of her bed, Duck asked, "Did you get the train tickets today?"

"I picked them up at lunch. Train for Rochester on November 1st, at 10:15am," he recited.

"Hopefully that's enough time to get everything settled," Duck sighed and glanced at the small calendar on the wall near her bed. A small circle around October 24th made her pause as she saw the words "visit Ma" that she had penciled in months earlier.

"Oh," Duck mouthed, frowning. "I can't believe I almost forgot…"

Hearing the distress in Duck's voice, Fakir walked into the room as she turned to him. "I'm supposed to visit Ma this Saturday, but it's been so hectic lately, I'd completely forgotten. I haven't even checked the flower shop for the anemones."

"There's still a few days left. You still have time."

"Yes, but…" Duck paused.

Recalling her conversation with Fakir weeks earlier, Duck echoed the wish she had made then in her mind. I wish Fakir could've met Ma… but maybe, it's not too late? It's going to sound strange, visiting the grave of someone he's never met. But I don't want to put it off until later. After all, once we leave, it may be some time before we both have the time to visit again.

"Say, Fakir…"

At his name, Fakir looked at Duck, whose voice and expression were tentative as she asked, "Um, I know this sounds kind of weird… but could you come with me, when I visit Ma's grave this weekend? I won't be able to go visit her as often in the future, and while we're here still, I-I'd like to introduce you to her… even though she's passed away, I—"

Not sure how else to express her request, Duck stopped her hesitant stream of words when the dark-haired man took her hand.

"It's not weird at all. I'd love to come with you," he said with the directness and earnestness that Duck had become so familiar with. "And I was thinking…" Fakir's grip around Duck's hand tightened a fraction, as though he needed her reassurance as well. "I haven't visited Nordlingen in years, not since I graduated from university. Now that Rachel is expecting, I'm sure she and Hans will be visiting her parents for Christmas, and I figure… this would be a good opportunity for me to introduce you to everyone there."

Duck nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love to! It would be nice to see the place where you and Mytho grew up," she added quietly. Watching Fakir's expression, Duck could see his face sober, but he held onto her hand, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand.

"And I'd be happy to show those places to you," Fakir whispered before leaning in and placing a light kiss on her lips.

As he pulled away, Duck stepped forward, and without the need for any words or instruction, Fakir wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she drew hers around his waist.

They stood like this in the quiet apartment, the calm, steady beat of Fakir's heart in Duck's ears and her familiar, comforting scent filling Fakir's lungs. Had anyone been there to observe them, it would have appeared as if they'd fallen asleep, their eyes closed as they savored each other's presences, supporting one another against the disorder and unknowns that lay before them.

At last, after a long moment, or perhaps a short eternity, Duck's eyes fluttered open. Sensing her stir, Fakir's green eyes opened as well. Standing contently with her cheek pressed against her lover's chest, Duck mused, "If we're going to visit your aunt and uncle, we should let them know that we're engaged before we go. I don't think you've told them about us, have you?"

"Er, no," Fakir grimaced. "Actually, I haven't even told Rachel yet that we got engaged. I think the only people I've told are Charon and Alex, and maybe Batson?"

Duck looked up sharply, aghast. "You have to tell Rachel, Fakir! Even Pique knew we got engaged, and I think Lillie has told everyone who would listen! Gosh, I hope Rachel doesn't think we're being rude for telling her so late!"

Fakir rolled his eyes, and luckily for him, with Duck tucked up against his chest, she didn't see him. Letting out a resigned sigh, the detective mumbled, "You do have a point. If we showed up at my aunt and uncle's place, and she only found out then… I will never hear the end of it. I'll send her a telegram tomorrow to let her know."

"But shouldn't engagement notifications be done with something a little more formal, like a letter? At least, that's how people do it in the novels that I've read," Duck remarked, looking up at Fakir.

"Is there really that much of a difference between a telegram and a letter?" Fakir asked. "There might be differences in cost, but at the end of the day, someone is still just getting a piece of paper delivered to them."

"That's true… But if neither of those are formal enough, maybe we should call people to deliver the news? After all, we all told people we know about our engagement in person," Duck replied as she rocked herself lazily inside Fakir's arms.

But Fakir balked at that suggestion and huffed. "When you tell people news like this, it's never going to be a quick, one-minute conversation! People are going to go on, and on, and on, and before you know, it's been two hours. At that rate, the telephone bill could pay for the wedding!"

Duck sulked. While she knew Fakir was exaggerating, after having just such a protracted conversation with Pique and Lillie today, she could see where he was coming from. Nevertheless, she insisted, "Okay, maybe let's not call everyone, but I think you should at least call Rachel to let her know. After all, she's done a lot for us."

Now it was Fakir's turn to pout. But the detective couldn't maintain the expression for long and heaved a relenting sigh. "Alright, but damn it, Rachel is going to tease me so much about this!"

Hearing this, Duck giggled.

At the sound of her laughter, Fakir stopped for a moment. It was only then that he realized how little time he'd been able to spend with Duck since her run-in with Worm Tongue and how rare her laughter had become in the days since. Guilt pricked at Fakir's heart, and he found himself wishing he could have done things differently.

Yet, in that moment, he realized regret would never lead to happiness. The true path to happiness was simply in loving her, and that he would do with all his heart.

Bending down, he touched his lips to Duck's once again, and this time, the redhead pulled him close and allowed herself to be drawn into the kiss.

When they parted, they each exhaled a small gasp, the closeness of their bodies making the air between them hot and potent. Feeling Duck's warm breath waft past his cheeks, Fakir touched his nose to Duck's, and in a hushed, husky voice he said, "I think we should get back to packing." In a slightly more teasing tone, he added, "If not, neither of us will be ready when it's time to board the train in a couple days."

Duck nodded mutely, but neither wanted to let go just yet. When they finally did release each other, Fakir turned towards the door but stopped before he could reach out for the doorknob.

"The movers are picking up the Victrola tomorrow along with the other furniture, but I think it wouldn't be too much work to repack it tonight if you want to do one last dance," he offered hopefully.

At the mention of the Victrola and the thought of having one last dance, it suddenly struck Duck that she really, truly was about to leave her old life behind. Starting tomorrow, she would step off the precipice and into the unknown.

The thought of leaving these thin, worn walls behind her saddened Duck, but she would treasure the memories within these walls like a beautiful heirloom quilt, decorated with a patchwork of memories of herself, her mother, Fakir, and all the people she loved and treasured. Tonight, Duck had the opportunity to add one more patch to her quilt of memories of Lake Avenue, and she wanted it to be a joyous occasion.

"I'd love to, Fakir."

Extending her hand to Fakir, Duck knew this would be a final pas de deux, a Last Farewell* to an important chapter of her life. But it would be a dance performed with the deepest of smiles.

A/N

*Twenty dollars in 1925 is the modern equivalent of about $297. I imagine, as a shop girl, Duck's yearly salary would only be around $500 or less. Being given $20 would be like being given a significant bonus.

*The name of the café that Duck and the girls visited is based on Renganeschi Restaurant, open from 1898 to 1927 on 139 West 10th Street in Greenwich Village. Though Renganeschi Restaurant was not located in the Bronx, I chose to reference this particular restaurant because it was depicted in an oil painting by the American artist John Sloan titled, "Renganeschi's Saturday Night". In the painting, three women are shown chatting while having a casual meal in a bustling Italian restaurant. When I saw that painting, it struck me that Duck, Lillie, and Pique would fit right into that scene. Serendipitously, I was able to find an archived pre-Prohibition era menu from Renganeschi Restaurant, and so all the food items mentioned in this chapter would have been on offer.

*You can probably guess what barneymugging means, given the context of the conversation. (Grins)

*The Last Farewell is of course a reference to the Romeo and Juliet ballet, composed by Sergei Prokofiev, beloved by ballet lovers and Princess Tutu fans alike. When I first began planning this story, I originally wanted to incorporate the score from the ballet into a scene with Fakir and Duck… but a quick Wiki search told me the ballet was created in 1938, more than a decade after the events in this story. So, while I was unable to work that reference in directly, I still couldn't resist a nod to that ballet here, near the end.

And speaking of the end, this is the penultimate chapter of "An Uncommon Proposal". With one more chapter to go until the curtains close once again on this AU, I want to thank my friend and proofreader, Tomoyo Ichijouji, for all her help, and I hope you will look forward to the last chapter!