Spring fancy

lightheartedly, then Joseph threw a hand at the mohair upholstery overhead and barked in mock self-castigation, 'God, is there anything the man hasn't got?'

She simpered, knowing she shouldn't. She gave him a coy pout, knowing she shouldn't. And even as the answer escaped her lips, she knew beyond a shred of doubt that she was shamelessly flirting. She peered up from beneath her darling hat brim and replied, 'Yes… a 1923 Haynes.'

Chapter 3

T he wedding reception was held in a beautiful restored turn-of-the-century house with three stories of corniced gingerbread, wraparound porches, upstairs verandas, cupolas and a grand total of eight bay windows. It was called the Victorian Club, and inside was as evocative of a bygone era as was its immaculate white exterior and latticed backyard gazebo.

Arriving at the Victorian Club where all the wedding guests were waiting, Winnie experienced afresh the phantasmal sensation that for this day she was someone other than Winnifred Gardner, contemporary woman, careered, affianced. Indeed, everything today seemed to tug at Winnie's heartstrings and urge her into a fanciful state of deja vu, as if she'd been dressed for the part intentionally by some omnipotent force so it could sweep her back to a time she formerly knew.

The four cars pulled to the curb in front of the stunning architectural eye-catcher, and as the wedding party disembarked from the high old-fashioned seats, laughter and gay badinage spilled into the warm afternoon.

Winnie reached for her door handle, but Joseph was right there to stop her with a quick hand on her arm. 'Wait!' Immediately he was out his side and around to hers. The foot block was narrow, and as she turned in her seat to search it out with her high heel, Joseph's hands came up, catching her about the waist and swinging her down beside him. His hands were sure and lingered a bit longer than prudent. Was it her imagination, or had he intentionally swung her down too swiftly so her hip collided with his stomach? If so, he took scarcely a moment to savor the contact before turning her by an elbow toward the walk.

Merrymakers had noted their arrival, and a throng of them rushed from the house to encircle and accompany the bride and groom inside beneath a shower of rice, while Winnie and Joseph ran at their heels.

The house was decorated with lush antiques, its oaken floors varnished to a high gloss, and its ceiling-to- floor casement windows topped off by eyebrow sashes and decorated with antique sheer lace curtains that let the daylight stream inside. An elegant staircase curved up from the enormous central entry hall, and wide sliding double doors were rolled back on either side of the generous area, vastly expanding the space where the dancing would be done later. The dining room was at the rear of the house just off the kitchen, which was the only room closed off to guests, for it had been converted to meet modern standards of efficiency for the accommodation of large groups such as today's.

As Winnie stepped inside with Joseph's hand at the small of her back, she caught her breath at the setting. Something here called to her heart, and she turned to Joseph with an appreciative gaze in her eye. 'Isn't this place-' she glanced up the thick red runner on the curved stairway '-evocative? I was with Sandy when she first came to see it, and I was so afraid she might not choose it.'

'Yes, it's really beautiful.' But his eyes made only a cursory swing past the ballroom-width entry and sweeping stair before returning to her as he spoke the words.

'Now, Joseph, you promised.'

'I did? What did I promise?' His hand moved caressingly on her back.

'You said you had to watch yourself today, didn't you?'

'Ah, yes, but does that mean I can't admire the scenery?'

She laughed into his glinting eyes, then the two of them turned and ambled toward the rear of the hall, his hand still riding the shallows of her spine. 'Do you know what my first impression of you was when I met you last night?' she asked, gazing at the ceiling's domed windows.

'No, what?' He admired the arch of her neck as she looked up.

'That you are a consummate flirt, and that I should take everything you say with a grain of salt.'

It was his turn to laugh. 'Define the term consummate, if you will.'

She shrugged, thought about it for a second and made a vague gesture toward the heavens. 'Consummate… you know.' Again she beamed him a grin. 'Perfect.'

'The perfect flirt? Is that how you see me?'

'You see? You're doing it again. Perhaps the word I should have chosen was incorrigible flirt.'

'I think I like consummate better. It sounds sexual, and it's nice to think one woman finds me perfect in some way.'

Just then a voice spoke behind them. 'Winnifred, dear, there you are.'

At the sound of Paul's voice Winnie spun around, pressing a hand to her thumping heart, wondering if he'd heard Jo-Jo's last remark, certain he'd seen Duggan's hand lingering on her waist. It took an effort to keep her voice light and lift her cheek for Paul's kiss while Jo-Jo looked on.

'Oh, hello, Paul. I'm sorry I missed you in the church lobby, but things were so hectic. We were swept outside before I could catch my breath.'

Jo-Jo Duggan watched as the tall perfectly groomed man slipped his hands around Winnie's ribs and dipped his head to kiss her briefly on the cheek. 'You… look… sensational, darling.' As he straightened, his head caught the brim of her hat, and her hand flew up to hold it on.

'Do you like it?' She smiled at the prepossessing man whose blond head towered above hers by a good ten inches.

'Like it!' Hildebrandt backed off and ran his eyes down to her hem and back up again. 'I love it. The hair and the hat-' he captured her hands and squeezed them for emphasis '-and the dress.' Once more his eyes dropped to assess her more feminine points while she wished Jo-Jo would politely refrain from watching every place Paul touched her and looked at her. 'You look ravishing.'

From the corner of her eye she saw Jo-Jo grimace, and felt a thrill ripple along her skin. She returned the pressure of Paul's hands and turned him toward her escort. 'Paul, I want you to meet the best man, Joseph Duggan. Joseph, this is my fiance, Paul Hildebrandt.'

They shook hands. 'Hildebrandt.' Joseph nodded.

'Hello,' Paul greeted simply.

'So you're the lucky guy, huh?' Jo-Jo transferred his amiable smile from Hildebrandt to the woman on his arm. 'She's been talking about you a lot while we were out doing the after-wedding joyride.'

'Oh-oh. I'm probably in trouble.'

'Not at all. Everything she said was highly complimentary.'

Hildebrandt's eyes rested on his betrothed, then made another tour of her appealing hairdo and hat. It suddenly irked Joseph Duggan to watch the man assessing her as if she were a pink-and-white striped parfait in a stem glass, and he'd just been given a spoon. Hildebrandt surprised Duggan by returning, 'Today it looks like you're the lucky man, escorting her when she's dressed like that.' Then with scarcely a glance at Jo-Jo the suave executive type turned the maid of honor away by her arm. 'I'll bring her right back. I have to talk to her for a minute.'

Joseph watched the 'computer man' commandeer Winnifred Gardner's elbow and appropriate her. Hildebrandt was dressed in an impeccable three-piece suit of proper navy blue, accompanied by the expected baby blue shirt and striped tie of muted wines and gray blues. His haircut looked like something out of Gentleman's Quarterly, and his shoes were polished like mirrors. As the pair turned away, Hildebrandt's arm slipped around Winnifred's shoulders, and he pulled her up tightly until she was tipped against his ribs and hip. Her face was raised and wearing a radiant smile as he spoke down at her, then she replied and together they laughed.

The sight of them that way made Duggan want to drive his fist into the wall.

'There's got to be some private corner where we can hide for a minute,' Paul was saying.

'To what end, Mr. Hildebrandt?' Winnie teased coquettishly.