January 25th 1995
The past month had been relatively uneventful, with no further repercussions resulting from a certain confession, planted evidence and not necessarily reliable confidantes. I had let my beard grow out, and it had nothing to do with needing a disguise, or the cold winters in Canada.

As relaxed as I now was, it still did nothing for my nerves to find Sean Donely on the doorstep. I eyed the box he was carrying with suspicion. I didn't think it could contain anything in relation to the Katherine case; too big for that jewelry box. For the moment my curiosity had to remain unsatisfied as I ushered in the Commissioner.

When I entered the parlor, Justus and A.J. were in a discussion with Edward. "Commissioner Donely is here, sir," I told Edward.

"For Pete's sake. Haven't we had enough of his visits for awhile?" Edward sniped. I withheld comment. I'd had more than enough. "Show him in," said Edward.

"Commissioner," I said as I stood aside for Donely to enter. Now, I was sure Sean had overheard Edward's remark, and I began to get the idea that he didn't give a damn what the Quartermaines thought of him.

"Commissioner," A.J. and Justus said in polite greeting.

I left, but I didn't wander far from the front door. Good thing too, since it was only a minute before I had to let Donely out again. I was careful to keep my sigh of relief quiet as I started towards the back of the house. I was stopped in my tracks by the distinctive sound of Edward's bellow. "Reginald!"

When I arrived in the parlor, Edward, Justus and A.J. were gathered around the box Sean had brought. It was now open and Justus was saying, "These guns did not kill my father, Edward. The man who pulled the trigger did; Jack Boland."

Heavy. Leave it to Donely to personally bring by a little ray of sunshine like this.

"Where did he find his weapon, huh. On display in my house," Edward said bitterly. He turned to me. "I want you to take those," he waved with distaste at the guns on the table, and then at the guncase, "and all the other guns and I want you to get them out of here."

"I'll find some boxes," I said, and turned to leave.

"A.J., I want you to call Bootheby's auction house in New York...." Edward continued with his instructions.

I searched for empty containers and thought what a good idea it was to remove the temptation of potentially lethal devices from a house with so many passionate and ruthless personalities.

February 14th 1995 (Tuesday)
It was Valentine's Day, and, since "fate" has not yet given me a love interest, I devoted my morning's efforts to creating a gift for Madame. Handmade seemed the way to go, since she could have bought herself anything I could purchase, on my salary, a thousand times over.

Nevertheless, the results of my creative labor weren't quite what I had hoped for, especially the poem. Mind altering substances probably would have helped, but I abstain in the mornings. I was unwise enough to mention the card I'd made to Ned and Jason as they chattered together about their respective gifts to their grandmother. When we gathered later in the parlor I began to have misgivings about my do-it-yourself project.

Ned presented his card first. It was about the size of a cookie sheet. "My Goodness, Ned," Lila exclaimed, "I didn't realize they made cards as large as this."

"It's not nearly big enough, Grandma," Ned flattered her as he leaned over to kiss her. It crossed my mind that it was a good thing that A.J. wasn't here yet. He'd probably have been sulky with card envy by now.

"Thank you, dear," said Lila.

Ned smiled. "Happy Valentine's day."

Ned stepped back and Jason took his turn. "Well, since all the best roses in town are growing in your green house..." Jason moved forward and held out rose to Lila. "... You're the one perfect rose in our garden, Grandmother." He handed the rose and a card to her.

"Oh, Jason, how delightfully sentimental," Lila enthused. "And a card. Let me look." She opened the card and read it to herself. She looked back up at Jason. "Oh, thank you, dear, thank you."

Jason and Ned both looked expectantly over at me. "Okay, Reggie, your turn," Ned prompted me.

I hesitated, no longer certain my gift was appropriate, "Happy Valentine's day, Ma'am." I chickened out and took refuge in my butlerly duties. "Ummm... would you care for more tea?"

"No," Lila said amiably.

"I think he's getting cold feet," Ned theorized.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Jason agreed.

"Whose got cold feet?" Lila demanded.

"Come on, Reginald," Jason urged me.

Lila's attention was now on me and I was thoroughly embarrassed. "It's an amateur effort; hardly worthy of you," I warned her.

By now she had noticed the card I was holding behind my back. "Well, let me be the judge of that. Hand it over," she ordered. I set it in her hands and her fingers grazed the front of the card, a lacy thing covered with cupids and hearts. "Oh, Reggie! How absolutely beautiful. Did you make this?"

"Uh, yeah," I confirmed.

She opened the card. Lila scanned the poem. "And the verse?" she asked. "Mmm, hmm," I ruefully admitted by culpability.

To my acute discomfiture she read the words aloud.

I was thankful that she had managed to rhyme 'calm' and 'charm' as I had intended. "Oh, Reggie, you dear, dear man. Thank you," she said, obviously touched. "Come here," she requested. I bent down towards her. "No. Closer," she instructed, "Closer, closer." She planted a kiss on my cheek. "That's my Valentine for you," she said as I straightened up. Her face was glowing. "Oh I do so love this holiday."

Edward walked in as she said this. "That's because you have a weakness for Belgian chocolates, my dear." He was carrying a huge red heart shaped box. Humph... the chocolates inside might have been Belgian, but the box was a four pound "See's Candies" Fancy Red Heart.

"Oh, Edward, how wonderfully excessive!" Lila beamed.

"And I don't intend to limit myself to chocolates," Edward said suggestively.

Lila chuckled her appreciation for the sentiment

"Way to go, Grandfather," said Ned. "Be an example for the rest of us."

"My once, and future, Valentine," Edward said as he went to Lila.

"Oh, Edward. Edward," said Lila, quite taken by the romantic gesture, as he kissed her hand.

The romance quickly began to dim a little as Edward sat down beside Lila and asked me to get him a bourbon. Jason had given Lila a second gift and she was opening it now.

Edward had opened the red box and Ned was grazing through it. Jason objected. "Will you just pick one and stop touching them all."

"Oh, Jason, how lovely," said Lila, as I handed Edward his drink. She held up a small vial of perfume. "A direct from Paris."

"You know, considering that the family owns a perfume company, this is coals to New Castle," was Edward's contentious comment on the gift.

Lila was annoyed. "Oh, Edward, don't cavil. Your chocolates weren't made in America either." I still had my doubts about their foreign origin, and I wondered why Edward didn't point out that ELQ didn't own a candy company.... do they?

Ned grimaced. "Another carmel." I resisted telling him to stop picking up the dark chocolate squares if he didn't want carmel. The round ones with the sprinkles were the bordeauxes I knew Ned preferred.

"Well, stop eating them, Ned," Edward whined.

"You're right," Ned said, plunking down the half-eaten carmel back into the box.

"Ewhuh," Jason was disgusted by Ned's action.

"Well, I have to save room for my Valentine's Day present to Lois.

"Oh?" said Edward.

"Give her my love," said Lila.

Ned got up from the sofa. "I will, but if you don't mind I'll give her mine first." He gave his grandmother a kiss.

"Goodbye, love," Lila said as he went to the door.

Ned gave me a friendly punch in the shoulder, before leaving with one last, "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh, young love," Edward said sarcastically. Which reminded him. "Is that perfume for Keesha?" he pointed to the box in Jason's hand.

"Oh, no, not perfume," Jason disavowed. he got up. "And I'm due to pick her up for dinner at the Outback." He gave Lila a kiss. "Grandmother, you know, you should talk Grandfather into a night on the town."

"No, I have other plans," said Edward.

Annabelle, lying beside Lila, gave two sharp woofs. Lila interpreted. "I do believe that Annabelle wants to have her own Valentine."

"I think she's got one," Jason pointed to Foster who had appeared on the veranda.

"Oh, for pete's sake," Edward rose from his chair.

"Edward!" Lila reproached him.

"What!" Edward asked irritably.

"Leave that dog alone," Lila ordered him.

Edward ignored her and growled at the dog. "Now you buzz off; just beat it; you get lost," Edward ranted at the beast.

"Edward," Lila reprimanded her husband. "I will not have you being unkind to the father of Annabelle's unborn puppies."

Edward was unimpresed. "He is a philanderer. Libertine! You skirt chaser," he accused the dog.

"Actually, technically, Annabelle doesn't wear skirts," Jason pointed out.

"He is a reprehensible miscreant," Edward continued to rail at the animal. "With only one thing on his mind."

"Fortunately, some females see beyond the male's basic instincts," Lila said with little bearing on the present situation. "Edward! It's Valentine's Day."

"Well, that's no reason to sentimentalize this unfortunate union." Edward grumbled and threw open the veranda doors. "Go away, you Satyr."

"Satyr? That's part goat, right?" Jason asked me.

"Yeah, it is," I corroborated.

"Off my property," Edward ordered Foster."Or I'll see that you're turned into dog meat."

"That's going too far," Lila objected.

"Huh?" Edward half turned to her.

"Arf!" Foster declared.

"Woof!" replied Annabelle.

"Shoo off!" Foster disappeared. "Ha!" Exclaimed Edward,"Good riddance."

"You've broken poor Annabelle's heart," Lila mourned. How the hell could she tell, I wondered. I couldn't even tell when the dog's ears were up.

"Look at her," said Lila. "Reginald, could you please ask Cook," My heart missed a beat; not Cook. "to prepare a few tidbits. We have to do something to cheer her up."

"Sauteed chicken liver, perhaps," I suggested.

"Hmmm, hmm," Lila agreed that was a good choice.

I shrugged at Jason's questioning look and went to the door.

"Well, better luck next time, Annie," Jason said as I left.

February 28th 1995
For a change it looked like the Qs would actually be eating at home tonight. All of them... at once, in honor of the fair Lois. Cook was ecstatic at being asked to prepare a full course meal for seven. She didn't even snap at me when I asked her to make some pre-dinner hor's douvres. I took them to the parlor where Jason and A.J. were keeping Lila company. Both of them took a couple from the platter.

"Now I want you boys to be on your best behavior," Lila instructed them.

"Grandmother, it's just Lois and Ned," A.J. objected.

"We are officially welcoming Ned's wife into the family," Lila said firmly.

"Yeah, heaven help her," Jason muttered.

"Yeah, she should have dumped him when she had a shot," A.J. agreed.

Lila was stern. "There'll be no bickering between you and Ned."

The door to the hall was open so we could all clearly hear Edward stomping down the stairs. He was protesting even before he got in the room. "I don't know why we have to have a state dinner for a young woman who has been in and out of this house for months." He stopped and stood beside me in front of the fireplace.

"Lois needs a little celebrating," Lila insisted. "Frankly we haven't done too much for her. We never even sent her a wedding present, Edward."

Mentioning gift giving always brought out Edward's sarcastic streak. "Ooooh, well, shall I go back upstairs and put on my dinner jacket? " He turned on me. "Uh, where's your livery, Reginald?"

"Uh, I don't have one, sir." I tried to hold back my smile.

"Yes, I've noticed," Edward said, snapping one of my suspenders. Edward rarely jested with me, but he was in fine form tonight. An irrepressible Edward would make for a long evening.

"We're not trying to overwhelm the poor girl," said Lila. "Let's just express our sincerity, warmth and enthusiasm." And then what would they do with the other three hours?

"Woof, woof, woof," said Annabelle.

Lila petted her, reading approval and cooperation into Annabelle's bark. "There, take your cue from Annabelle."

A wicked gleam appeared in A.J.s eye. "Woof, woof, woof."

His brother joined in, "Woof, woof!"

I couldn't resist adding a growling bark, but subsided at Edward's glare, and settled for clearing my throat.

Annabelle added a couple more arfs to the conversation.

Thank goodness, Ned and Lois arrived and reintroduced us to human speech.

Lois knelt beside Annabelle. "Oh, you beautiful creature you." I watched her, curious about the armful of white t-shirts she was carrying. I was pretty sure she hadn't come over to do her laundry.

"I couldn't agree more," Ned said, obviously referring to Lois and not the dog.

I handed Edward his drink. "Thank you," he said as he took it. He remembered his responsibilty as a host. "Well, uh... Lois, name your poison." I winced at the unfortunate phrasing, but even worse was Edward's, "Oh, uh, sorry about that Reginald." I hoped that neither Jason nor Lois would ever think about it hard enough to let the pieces fall in place.

"Um..uh.. white wine spritzer," Lois requested, aware of the byplay, but not it's cause. Hmmm... that was Lucy Coe's drink as well, or was it just that intelligent women didn't want to become drink fuddled around Quartermaines.

"Well, she doesn't drink martinis," A.J. pointed out. Lois frowned as she tried to follow the reference. There was no reason she'd know what Ned's "other wife" had drunk. "Thank heavens," A.J. added to reassure her.

Lois searched for another subject and turned back to the dog. "You know, Annie should be due to have her puppies soon, huh?"

Edward scowled. "Don't remind me. Talk about a no-class, unwelcome addition to this family."

Though Edward seemed unware of the untactful double meaning in his statement, his wife was not. "Edward was merely deploring the fact that he can't sell the puppies for a thousand dollards each," Lila explained.

It was Jason's turn to try to find a less sensitive subject. No such luck. "Say, Ned, the buzz around campus is that you're going to do a concert."

Ned promptly tried to turn the conversation away from that direction. "Jason, I'm surprised that you even have time for classes with all your other activities. How's that foundation going?"

Jason stubbornly stuck to his line. "Movin' ahead, so is the Idle Rich going to book a gig at PCU, or what?"

Lois crossed the room to the gaggle of guys. "We're in negotiations as we speak. Here for you." Lois handed A.J. and Jason t-shirts. "They're becoming a collectors item."

"Wow," said A.J. as he looked at his new Eddie Maine shirt.

"Ah," added Jason.

"Did you bring us all a t-shirt?" Lila wistuflly inquired.

"Uh, huh. I brought one for everyone," Lois said and went back to give one to Lila.

"Thank you, dear. How lovely," said Lila.

"You're welcome," said Lois.

"I'll be sure to wear this to the next ELQ board meeting," A.J. joked.

Carefully I carried Lois' wine spritzer over to her. She traded me a t-shirt for it. "One for you, Reggie."

It is nice to be included... well, in some things. "Oh, great! Thank you." I unfolded the shirt and held it up to see if it was the right size.

Lois addresed the room, but headed towards Edward. "And I tell you what, they make excellent nightshirts." She held out the shirt to her grandfather-in-law.

Edward refused it. "No, I prefer silk pajamas, and I make it a point never to wear clothes that advertise."

Lois was disturbed, but not easily dissuaded. "Well, uh.. why don't you just check out that belt buckle of yours?"

"Huh?" Edward said, not catching her drift.

"I mean, I betcha those aren't your initials and if you can flaunt Giorgio and you can flaunt Calvin, then you can flaunt Eddie." She held the shirt out to him again.

"I never flaunt," Edward denied.

Lois didn't falter. "Well, sure you do. You're flaunting your excellent taste with everything your'e wearing on your back. So I know you would appreciate this t-shirt."

Reluctantly, Edward took it from her, but still grumped, "I'd feel like one of Ned's guppies."

"That's groupies, dear," Lila corrected.

"Oh," Edward said, eyeing the shirt doubtfully.

Lois wasn't through with her sales pitch. "Yeah but, you know what, Mr. Q., a lot of men your age could never pull that off, but you, you happen to be timeless."

"And you're smooth," said Edward with respect.

Lois returned the compliment, "So are you."

A.J., determined to keep things stirred up, mischievously suggested, "You know, Grandfather, if you come downstairs wearing this for your midnight snack, I'll wear it to the office."

Edward wasn't that taken with Lois. "Over my dead body! Well, thank heavens though that this aberrations of Ned's is almost at an end."

There was a distinct uncomfortable pause and then Jason asked Ned, "What, you going back to ELQ?"

Edward answered for him, "Of course he is. Six weeks, that was the deal, huh?

"Well, we haven't heard Ned's decision yet," Lois pointed out.

"Uh, sweetheart.." Ned said, obviously not wanting to discuss the subject with her and his Grandfather.

Edward glared at her. "You know, Quartermaine women know better than to try to dictate to their husbands." Where he came up with that I have no idea. I'd never met a Quartermaine woman who wasn't willing to dictate to her husband... and then some.

"Well, nobody's going to dictate Ned's life, except for Ned," Lois declared.

"Good girl!" Lila supported her.

"And what's this about a concert at the University?" Edward asked.

Again Ned tried to stem the flow. "Let's not waste time on this tonight, okay?"

Didn't I tell you Edward would be irrepressible tonight? "The only time being wasted is the time you spend wiggling around in those leather pants," Edward huffed. " howling that infernal music." It was a little hard for me to understand Edward's objections. It's not like Ned sang heavy metal or rap music. His rock was about as soft as it got. Though leather pants are passe.

"Well, that's your opinion, Mr. Q," said Lois, trying hard not to argue with him, but teetering on the edge.

Edward was determined to push her over. "You're darn right!"

Ned asked, desperate to end the confrontation. "Isn't it time for dinner?"

Lila looked at me. "Reginald, check with Cook." Thankful for the respite, I fled the room, missing Lois' retort to Mr. Edward.

After talking to Cook, I let the maid serve the soup so I could change into my new shirt to show support for the new member of the family. When I entered the dining room with the rolls, Ned was first to catch sight of my new "livery". "You're going above and beyond the call of duty, Reginald."

Lila was delighted. "Oh, Reggie, how appropriate."

I hadn't expected Edward to be thrilled. "Appropriate, my foot. Do you want to give me indigestion?"

I began dishing out the rolls. As I sat one on Lois' plate, she said, "Seventy five thousand, five hundred and seventy six." Everyone at the table stared at her. "I'm sorry," she said, chagrined.

"Seventy five thousand, five hundred and seventy six, what?" Edward asked her.

"Utensils... that Reggie has to put out on the table every year at this rate, not including the extras," Lois explained. This wasn't quite accurate since the Qs rarely all ate at home, and not usually with the formal place setting. I'd estimate only thirteen thousand, three hundred and twenty two.

"Great, now Reginald's going to ask for a raise," A.J. joked. As if I were in a position to ask for anything with what they've got on me.

"Well, that's quite remarkable," said Lila. "Did you do that in your head?" Well, I hadn't seen her whip out a calculator.

"Yeah, my family goes through about six or seven hundred. But you know we eat in the kitchen," said Lois.

"Cook would have a heart attack," Jason speculated.

"She'd probably quit," Alan concurred. I thought she'd probably murder a few of 'em.

"Whenever a family comes together at the end of the day sharing thoughts and expressing family solidarity, that's all that's important," Lila philosophized.

"My Ma thinks so too." Lois smiled at Lila.

"You know, superficial differences aside, I'm sure that your family is very much like ours," said Lila.

"I certainly hope not," Alan said in an undertone. I doubted they were. The Quartermaines were... unique. I went to stand at the back of the room; prepared to serve, as it were. Madame wanted the full formalities for this dinner.

A.J. fulfilled his role as family mixer. "Well, in the interest of sharing thoughts and expressing family solidarity, when are you coming back to ELQ, Ned?"

"It's really unfair to put Ned on the spot like this, A.J.," Lila chided him.

A.J. refused to back down. "Well, I think it's unfair to leave things hanging. I mean, after all, Ned's decision does effect all of us."

"The six weeks are about up," Edward pointed out.

"You know, I'd like to put forth that if Ned's not going to be coming back, I could..." A.J. started.

"No," Ned interrupted. "Who said I wasn't coming back?"

"Well, I just sort of got that impression from Lois," A.J. said, mock casual.

"She said it was up to me," Ned reminded him.

"Well, have you made a decison yet," A.J. demanded.

"If I have, I'll discuss that with Lois first, before laying it out to Grandfather... and not at the dinner table!" Ned asserted.

"I agree," Lila supported him.

A.J. refused to drop it. "When?"

"All in good time, Junior," said Ned. "Somebody pass the rolls." Hmm... I hadn't seen him finish the first one I'd given him. Was Annabelle around?

Edward started in on Ned. "Show some consideration, Ned. I have bent over backwards to indulge you in this childish fantasy of yours."

"Childish!?" Lois was indignant.

"Umm, hmm... that's my point of view," Edward said smugly.

"Well, if all you see is your point of view, isn't that a little narrow," Lois argued.

"You're getting the picture," was Alan's jaded response.

"Let's change the subject," Jason suggested.

Edward shook his finger at Lois. "From whatever point of view; the music world is a far cry from the real world."

Lois was ticked. "Hold it, Mr. Q. I am not about to sit here and take that."

"Oh, boy, here we go," Alan muttered.

Lila waved at me. "Reginald, the next course, quick!"

I left as Ned was trying to get his wife's attention with the old rubbing-the-side-of-your-nose signal.

When I re-entered the room, with a platter full of salmon, the atmosphere had not cooled.

"Oh, I will, because your blowing it right out your ear!" Lois was shouting at Edward. It was somewhat surprising to hear anyone talk to Mr. Edward like that. The tray nearly slipped out of my hands.

Lila seemed relieved to see me. "Lois, dear, please help yourself to salmon."

Alan took the opportunity to try and start a new subject. "So, anything new since I left? Anyone have a baby or win the lottery?"

The argument would not be sidetracked. "So you're saying that the only respectable career is business?" Lois asked Edward.

"No, no, no. There are others. There's medicine," Edward offered. Alan rolled his eyes. "And Law and Architecture," Edward added.

"But not Arts and Entertainment," Lois inferred.

"Now, look, I don't see anything wrong with singing and dancing and painting as hobbies," Edward condescended.

"As a hobby?!" Lois was aghast. "Tell that to Ballancine, and Bernstein and Picasso."

"They all happen to be dead," Edward observed.

"Not because of their talent," Lois contended.

"Oh, all right, but you can't take a very few talented people and ignore the thousands and millions of people who have broken their hearts trying to follow in their footsteps," Edward argued.

"But Ned's not going to break his heart. He's breaking the hearts of thousands of screaming fans out there who can't get enough of him. So there goes your argument." But Lois wasn't through debating. "Besides, I would rather see him break his heart trying to do something he loves than ground into the dirt, bit by bit, doing something he hates."

"He obviously doesn't hate business," Edward snapped back.

"You're right, and I concede to that," Lois allowed. "But you have to concede to his talent as a singer, even if you don't know shinola about music."

Jason once again attempted to halt the battle. He stood up. "I propose a toast..." A few of the others picked up their glasses.

Edward grimaced. "Not now, Jason!"

All the glasses went down simultaneously. Jason quickly sat back down. "Okay."

"All right, I concede his talent, now will you let him come back to ELQ?" Edward beseeched Lois.

"Oh, Mr. Q, I'm just his manager. I don't lead hm around by the nose and if you think I do, then you don't know your grandson very well," Lois scolded him.

"Don't tell me you haven't made your preference perfectly clear," Edward accused her.

"And so have you," Lois returned. "Isn't it Ned's preference that's important here."

"What is Ned's preference?" A.J. said aside to his father.

"If you and I love Ned the way we say we do, then why don't we just back off and give him some breathing room." Lois concluded.

Edward was pleased. "By gum, she has the makings of a real Quartermaine."

"Isn't this lovely salmon," Lila inserted brightly.

The rest of the meal passed relatively peacefully. When the family left the dining room, I preceded them into the foyer and got Mr. & Mrs. Ashton's coats out of the closet. I helped Lois on with hers.

"I don't know why I was so worried aobut tonight," she said.

"I remember my first dinner with my in-laws; it was very tense," said Lila. Since Mr. Ashton didn't need help getting his coat on (He was very experienced at getting things on and off quickly.) I went to stand behind Lila.

Lois seemed relieved to have the end of the evening close at hand. "Well, I felt right at home. I can't even believe I just said that."

"Home is where the heart is, dear," Lila said sweetly. She's always saying things like that.

"And the salmon was to die for," Lois commented.

Lila was pleased, "Oh, I'll tell Cook. And Reginald looked smashing in his t-shirt."

I didn't know quite how to take that, though I imagined the compliment was for the t-shirt Lois had brought, so I murmured, "Yeah."

"About what happened at dinner..." Lois started to apologize.

"Don't think about it, dear. In this family it's mandatory to speak your mind," Lila assured her.

"So I didn't upset you?" Lois asked.

"No, of course not. I found your point of view very refreshing," Lila told her.

Ned came over and leaned down to give his grandmother a good night kiss. "Grandmother senses a kindred spirit. Thank you for a lovely evening."

"You're welcome," said Lila.

Hoping to hasten their departure, I went over to the door and stood ready to open it. Not that I didn't enjoy having Lois in the house, but I was sure, given the chance, Mr. Quartermaine would start in again.

As Edward approached, Ned raised his voice, "Good night, everyone."

A.J. and Jason who were lounging near the flower vase, responded, "Good night." Edward was letting them get away quite yet. "So you're heading back down to the gate house," he asked them.

"Oh, yeah," Lois said.

Edward gazed at her. "You know sometimes you remind me uncannily of my daughter."

Lois was not thrilled by the comparison. Ned must have been telling her about his mother. "Oh, great. I mean, I'm sure you mean it as a compliment, comparing me to your... to Ned's mother. So thanks."

Edward smiled at her.. "So, well, Ned, and I will follow your wife's advice and give you some breathing room about your decision, but I would like..."

"Appreciate it," Ned quickly interrupted. "Good night everyone." He pulled Lois towards the door and I opened it for them.

"Bye," said Edward.

"'Night," I added as closed the door behind them.

Edward said smugly, "Well, I think that went very well."

"Well, I think you're a pushover, for a beautiful woman, Grandfather," A.J. told him.

I made myself scarce. A rehash of the evening, I did not want to hear.