Bride & Groom

was short and round-faced, with curly brown hair, dark eyes, and an air of warmth and amiability.
    “And Gus the Great!” Claire exclaimed.
    Gus had curls, lighter than Daniel’s and darker than Claire’s. He had his father’s dark eyes and a shy manner that he hadn’t inherited from his mother.
    “Gus the Great!” Claire repeated.
    Although Claire’s grand epithet for her son was neither witty nor funny, Steve and I compliantly responded to Claire’s expectations by looking as if we found it clever and hilarious. Daniel’s expression was unreadable. Gus looked miserable.
    “Hi, Gus,” Steve said quietly. “You want to go into the house now?” Accustomed to soothing nervous animals, Steve was wonderfully casual. The boy’s face brightened. He silently moved to Steve’s left and walked toward the entryway in such perfect heel position that Steve would have been justified in popping a treat into the child’s mouth and saying, “Good Gus!” Steve did no such thing, of course; his kindness consisted of allowing Gus to meld with the group instead of find-! ing himself singled out.
    The rest of us tagged along. The house had a lovely front entrance. Glass panels framed a door made of teak and adorned with a brass knocker and a brass handle, both pol^ ished with Gilbertian care. Claire rang the bell, rapped the knocker, and then pressed her face against one of the glass panels and tapped eagerly. Dog person that I am, I assumed that she was in a desperate hurry to empty her bladder. When Mac opened the door, however, she didn’t rush past him, but stayed with the rest of us. As we entered, Ian returned from walking Uli. The sweet old Bernese gave a soft woof and wagged his tail.
    The foyer was a long, wide landing with a flight of stairs: on the left that led down to the ground floor, where, as I knew from previous visits, Mac had his office. Four or five years earlier, he’d sold his prosperous veterinary clinic to a national corporation. By agreement, after the sale, Mad had continued to see a few old dogs and cats that he’d treated throughout their lives, but his one-man, home-based practice otherwise focused exclusively on behavioral consultations. Also, of course, he wrote articles and books. Anyway we didn’t go down to Mac’s office, but ascended the flight of stairs on the right, which led to the main floor of the house! Judith appeared and began to welcome everyone. As always, Mac radiated vigor. Judith was infinitely elegant and slimmer than ever in a loose black top over close-fitting black pants. Hearing Ian’s voice behind me, I turned to see that he was murmuring to Uli as he gently supported the dog’s hindquarters to help the old fellow climb the stairs. Claire, obviously watching, too, announced, “Time for a puppy, Judith!”
    Judith’s back was turned, not, I should add, in reaction to Claire’s remark. Rather, our hostess was leading the way to the living room, which had more than enough square footage to accommodate a couple of showrings. There was a fireplace at one end. At the other, next to a wall of glass, was the dinner table. The furniture was all shiny wood and Scandinavian fabric. Oil paintings depicted bright, life-size poppies, peonies, and nasturtiums. Nothing in the room even began to hint at animals. There wasn’t a cat or a birdcage or a fish tank anywhere. I couldn’t even see a single strand of pet hair.
    Seated on one of the two couches that flanked the fireplace was a man of thirty or thirty-five who locked so amazingly like Judith that I assumed he must be a close relative of hers. A nephew? Unless Mac was Judith’s second husband and this was a son from her first marriage? To my surprise, however, when Olivia appeared with a tray of appetizers, she introduced the man as her husband, John. To avoid mystification, let me state that John Berkowitz did not turn out to be some love child of Judith’s whom Olivia had married without knowing that he was her half brother. Although John was entirely unrelated to Judith, he nonetheless had his mother-in-law’s prominent cheekbones, blue eyes, and full lips. His individual features were Judith’s, as was his overall look. He even had a manly version of Judith’s lean elegance.
    Seeing my startled expression, Olivia laughed and said, “It’s okay! Everyone has the same reaction. It’s how we met. We were at a party, and I saw John, and I said, ‘Wow! You look so much like my mother!’ But we checked it