Bless the Bride

with the sangria and glasses were refilled. I must say it was delightfully refreshing. I forgot that it was mainly red wine until a pleasant feeling of ease came over me. The other women seemed similarly affected.
    “I suppose I should be getting home,” one of them said at last.
    “There’s no hurry,” Gus replied. “Stay for dinner if you like.”
    “I’m afraid that Monty will be coming for me any moment,” Sarah said. “We are to have a late supper with his friends at the Waldorf, and he insisted on coming here to fetch me. You know how he likes to escort me everywhere. In a way it’s sweet, but it can be so annoying.”
    As if on cue there was a thunderous knocking from the front of the house.
    “The bridegroom cometh,” Sid said as she disappeared inside. We heard the sound of a male voice and a few seconds later Sid reappeared.
    “The bridegroom cometh, but it’s the wrong bridegroom,” she said with a wry look on her face.
    Striding down the hall with a face like thunder was Daniel.

Six
     
     
     
    I got to my feet a little unsteadily, as the alcohol in my two large glasses of sangria was now making itself felt.
    “Daniel!” I exclaimed.
    “What on earth are you doing here, Molly?” he asked, then remembered his manners and tipped his hat. “Good evening, ladies. Miss Goldfarb. Miss Walcott.”
    “Captain Sullivan.” Gus returned the compliment. “We persuaded Molly to leave darkest Westchester County so that we could give a small party in her honor.”
    “Ah, I see. How kind of you, but you might have told me, Molly. If I’d known you were coming back to the city, I would have made time for us to select the last few items of furniture together.”
    “It was all rather spontaneous,” I said. I was conscious of those interested faces watching us. “Please excuse me, ladies.” I went over to Daniel before there could be any kind of scene. I wasn’t sure if he’d be angry with me for leaving his mother, but I wasn’t taking any chances. “It’s good to see you, Daniel,” I said when we were safely in the conservatory. “I’ve missed you.”
    “I’ve missed you too,” he said, looking down at me fondly. “I’m itching to show you the improvements I’ve made across the street. You haven’t seen them yet, have you?”
    Now I was in a quandary. I didn’t want to tell an outright lie to him, but I realized that he would probably have wanted to do the grand unveiling himself. “I just peeked inside,” I said, “in case you were there.”
    “And what did you think?”
    “From what I saw it looked wonderful, Daniel. Like a brand spanking new house. So elegant. You’ve worked a miracle.”
    He smiled and I saw the tension lines leave his face. “I’m rather satisfied with it myself. Shall I give you the grand tour now then?”
    “Why not?” I beamed up at him. “I can’t wait.”
    “What about your friends and the little gathering?”
    “They can do without me for a while. I’d rather be with you,” I said. I poked my head back out of the door. “Daniel is going to give me a tour of his improvements across the street.” I gave Sid and Gus a long, knowing look. Luckily they were both quick on the uptake and said nothing.
    I slipped my arm through Daniel’s as we emerged onto Patchin Place.
    “It was good of those ladies to give you a nice little party,” he said. “Those women are presumably their friends. I don’t recognize any of them.”
    I realized then that he thought that this small gathering was the party.
    “Oh, no,” I said. “This is just some of Sid and Gus’s friends stopping by. I came down to help with the planning for the real event.”
    “A fancy affair then, is it?”
    “Who knows, with Sid and Gus.” I smiled at him. “You’re welcome to come, of course, but it will be with their more bohemian friends—ones we couldn’t invite to the wedding itself.”
    He sighed. “I have no time for parties at the moment in any case. I’m on the job day and night.”
    “A big case, is it?”
    He nodded. “And one I’d rather not have taken on. But the order came from high up and I couldn’t refuse.”
    “And I don’t suppose you can tell me any more about it?”
    “You know I can’t, but it’s probably one of the most difficult things I’ve been asked to do. So forgive me if I haven’t been the most attentive bridegroom.”
    “So what brought you here tonight?” I asked. “You haven’t taken to secretly visiting my