The Very Best Gift
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER ONE
Amanda was awakened early Christmas Eve morning by a loud knock at the
front door. "Darn it, who could that be at this time of the
morning, and on Christmas Eve??" she wondered as she noticed that
the time on the clock read 6 a.m. She knew it couldn't be Lee
because he had an Agency surveillance assignment late last night and was
probably back at the Agency by this time finishing up his reports before
going back to the apartment to catch some sleep. Besides, he would have
just used the key she had given him some time ago to let himself into
the house. She slipped out of the warm bed and into her robe and
slippers, padded down the stairs and peered through the peep hole in the
door. "Who is it?" she called out.
"Delivery for Amanda King…" The young man announced as the
door was opened by Amanda.
"That's me." Amanda replied as she signed for the package.
The delivery man handed it to her and with a huge smile and a wink said,
"Merry Christmas, ma'am!"
"You, too!" Amanda said as she closed the door, her mind already
racing as to what might be in the package.
At least with the boys at their father's house today and Dotty
visiting Aunt Lillian, she didn't have to sneak around to open the
package. She never knew when she opened packages what she might be
getting into. Since she had begun working at the Agency, she found that
the contents of a mysterious package could be quite a surprise, or even
dangerous at times!
The medium sized, weighty box that had been delivered was nondescript,
having only her name and address typed on a label on the front of the
box. It was well taped, so she retrieved a knife from the kitchen to
open it. She cut through the tape carefully with the knife and slowly
opened the box.
At first, all that could be seen was a pile of Styrofoam peanuts. So
she gingerly dug through the peanuts and pulled out what appeared to be
a small music box, as well as a red Shriners' hat. She immediately
knew her husband was up to something. Taped to the bottom of the music
box was this handwritten note:
"My Dear Amanda:
I guess by now you have figured out that this gift is from me. But this
is only the beginning of a day full of gifts from me to you. I hope you
are up for a little game; a scavenger hunt, of sorts. Don't worry
though; I will make it worth your while! We are going to have a very
Merry Christmas indeed!
Take this music box to the place where it all started and find the man
who is missing his red hat. Give the music box and hat to him and he
will give you your next gift and clue. You must be there by 7:30 a.m.!
Love,
Lee"
"Oh my gosh!" Amanda exclaimed out loud as she raced upstairs
to shower and get dressed. "He wants me to go to the train station
where we first met!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER TWO
Amanda parked the Jeep in the crowded parking lot at the train station
and walked out onto the train platform. She looked around at all the
travelers who were rushing about, trying to get somewhere for Christmas.
No one seemed to be missing a red hat in the throng of people who were
busily boarding trains.
So she turned her attention to the waiting area, and that is where she
spied three people sitting on a bench. The two men on the ends of the
bench both had on red Shriners' hats just like the one Lee had given
her. The third was reading the morning newspaper, so she couldn't
tell whether or not he was wearing a red hat as well. She decided to
approach them with the package that contained her music box and the red
hat.
"Excuse me…" She said as she came to stand in front of the
bench where the men were sitting. "Would you be missing a red
hat?" she inquired of the man sitting in the middle of the bench.
At that moment the man reading the newspaper said, "Why yes, I
misplaced mine yesterday!" As he began to fold the newspaper up,
Amanda saw that it was T.P. who had been "hiding" behind it!
"T.P.!!!!" she exclaimed. "What does Lee have you up
to??"
T.P. replied, "My dear, I am afraid that is classified information.
Now, I have been instructed to trade this beautifully wrapped Christmas
package for the music box and red hat."
Amanda handed them to him and he, in turn, handed her the package
containing what Amanda guessed must be a gift from Lee and the clue to
her next destination.
"Good Luck, Amanda!" T.P. said.
"Yeah, I think I am going to need it!" Amanda replied.
Amanda took the package T.P. had given her back to the Jeep. Once
inside, she anxiously tore the wrapping paper off the small box and
opened it. Inside was a silver charm bracelet complete with one
charm—a train! There was also a note that read:
"Amanda:
Good job, honey! You found the man at the train station in need of a
red hat! I hope you like your reward—the bracelet and charm.
To receive your next gift and clue, go to the house where we first
played man and wife, but watch out for those hairdryers! You never know
what they might contain!!! Make sure you arrive at your destination no
later than 8:15 a.m.
Love you!
L."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER THREE
Amanda headed over to the Betsy Ross Estates, the neighborhood where she
and Lee had played the cover of a married couple not long after they
first met. There, they had solved the mystery of "the dangerous
hairdryers" being sold by the Connie Beth Golden Circle Girls. That was
one case she would never forget for more reasons than one!
Amanda located "their house", parked her Jeep at the curb, and
walked up the sidewalk to the front door, arriving promptly at 8:15 a.m.
She was just about to ring the bell when the door flew open, startling
her. There, standing in front of her, was T.P. again!!
"T.P.!" Amanda exclaimed, "How did you beat me over
here??"
To which T.P. replied with a wink, "We have our ways, Amanda!"
"I think I have heard that explanation before," Amanda said with
a laugh.
T.P. handed her another beautifully wrapped gift and wished her luck
finding her next destination.
"Will you be there?" Amanda asked him.
T.P. replied with a big smile, "Oh, you never know…"
Amanda took the package back to the Jeep and made quick work of opening
it. Inside she found a box that had a picture of a hairdryer on it.
She opened the box and found that it did indeed contain a hairdryer.
She took the hairdryer out of the box and examined it. It seemed to be
a normal hairdryer. She was surprised that the box did not appear to
have a note inside with directions to her next destination. Then she
remembered her husband's last note "warning her" that she
never knew what the hairdryers here in this neighborhood might contain!
She quickly located the small tool kit she kept in the Jeep in case of
car trouble. There, she found a screwdriver and began to disassemble
the hair dryer. Inside the hair dryer, where the small motor should
have been located, she found a tiny box and a folded slip of paper. She
opened the box and in it was another charm for her bracelet! This time
it was a little silver hair dryer, which she quickly clipped onto her
new charm bracelet right next to the train that already hung there.
Then, she opened the note:
"Amanda:
I hope you are having lots of fun finding your gifts…. I am anxious
for you to find them all and can't wait to see the look on your face
when you reach the end of the hunt today.
Take the disassembled hairdryer to a place that was always a little bit
"fishy" and be sure to remember not to over-feed them! Be there
by 10 a.m.
Lots of love,
L."
"Gosh! I think Lee is telling me to go to his old apartment
building," Amanda thought. She recalled the time that Lee had asked
her to feed his fish while he was on vacation. Yes, that was the time
she was kidnapped because the Russians thought she was "The
Scarecrow" since she was the one at his apartment when they broke in
to the place. With that thought in mind, she put the Jeep into gear and
drove straight to Lee's old place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER FOUR
It took her several minutes to find a parking space near Lee's old
apartment building, so with that and the traffic she had encountered on
the way, it was almost 10 a.m. on the dot when she arrived outside the
main entrance. As she hurriedly stepped inside the lobby, she noticed a
fish in a small fishbowl sitting on the doorman's desk! It was
definitely a sign that she was in the right place.
The doorman appeared seemingly from out of nowhere and greeted her,
"Mrs. King! It is a pleasure to see you again."
In true form, his sudden appearance caused Amanda to jump. As she tried
to regain her composure, she immediately recognized him as the same
doorman who had been there when Lee was still living in the building.
She tried to cover her embarrassment at being startled by the man by
getting right to the point. "It is so nice to see you again, too.
I believe that you are looking for a hairdryer?" Amanda asked.
He smiled as he pulled a gift out of his desk drawer and handed it to
her saying, "Merry Christmas to you AND Lee. This place hasn't
been the same since he moved out!"
Amanda handed him the box containing the hairdryer, and said as she
headed back out the door, "Thanks and Merry Christmas, sir!"
When Amanda finally made her way back to the car, she opened the package
the doorman had just given her. Inside was—surprise—another
charm, this one in the shape of a Scarecrow, which she added to her
bracelet along with the others she had collected. She thought that this
charm was probably her favorite of all that she had received so far from
Lee. She was so busy admiring it that she almost forgot to read the
note that was accompanied it!
"Dear Amanda:
I bet you are wondering where you will go next! I hope you are having
fun with this little game, and are not saying "Mon dieu, Mon
dieu!" when it is all over. I can't wait to see you later…
Love,
Lee
P.S. You need to be at your next destination by 11:30 a.m."
Amanda reread the note again trying to figure out what Lee was telling
her. Then it hit her—it was a line from "Parisian
Intrigue", the Tony Martinet play in which she had been an
understudy during the Maria VonKlausen investigation. Oh, she
remembered how fun it had been when Lee was helping her practice for the
play. Their near-miss kiss in the Q-Bureau had been so exciting! It
was unfortunate and embarrassing that Francine had walked in on them at
that very moment—just their luck as always. But later, Lee had made
damn sure they were not interrupted again by locking Billy out so that
he could finally give her that long-awaited kiss. At that moment,
Amanda truly felt as if she had died and gone to heaven! She sighed as
she remembered that case fondly and the changes in their relationship
that had taken place back then.
Suddenly, a honking car horn in the distance snapped her back into
reality and the game at hand. She pulled the Jeep away from the curb
and went in the direction of the theatre where the play had been held.
The theatre was all the way across town, so it was a good thing Lee had
given her some extra time to get there. She began to wonder who might
be at the theatre to greet her…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER FIVE
Amanda pulled into the parking lot behind the theatre with only a couple
of minutes to spare. She still needed to figure out where she was
supposed to find her gift and the next clue, now that she was here. She
wondered, what would happen if she were late to pick up a clue? Pushing
that thought out of her mind, she tried to think like Lee.
"Hmmmm…I wonder where Lee would "hide" something
here?" But she quickly resigned herself to the fact that, though
she knew Lee better than anyone on earth, it was a near impossibility to
think just like him!! An idea was starting to form in her mind,
however.
She exited the Jeep and walked around to the front of the building.
Sure enough, even though it was way too early for theatre ticket sales,
there was someone in the ticket booth. She approached the booth trying
to see who was behind the counter, but she did not recognize the elderly
lady. She stepped up to the window, all the time fearing she had gone
to the wrong place since she didn't think she knew the theatre
employee. She told the lady in the booth, "I believe you may have a
`Will Call' package for me."
The lady asked, "What is your name, dear?"
"Amanda, Amanda King," she said anxiously.
The lady behind the counter fumbled around, looking here and there, and
mumbling to herself. "No, don't see anything back here for
you…," the lady told her, as Amanda's disappointment showed
on her face. "OH! Wait a minute! Here it is," she said as she
pulled a brightly wrapped box from under the counter. "Yes, it says
here—Amanda King!"
Amanda was quite relieved and took the package from her. "Thank
you! Merry Christmas!!" Amanda said as she started to walk away
from the ticket booth.
"Dear!" the lady called out over the microphone in the booth,
"Don't you recognize me???"
Amanda turned back around and studied the woman's face again.
"Well, you look vaguely familiar, but…," she hesitated and
shrugged her shoulders.
The older woman began to remove her wig and disguise. Underneath the
wig and all the makeup was their dear friend Emily! "Oh, Emily! I
can't believe it is you! You've fooled me again." Amanda
said as she thought back to the time when Emily and Lee put on disguises
to go undercover during the Whitsit case. "What are you doing
here??" Amanda asked her.
Emily replied, "That is on a need to know basis I am afraid, Amanda.
It is good to see you again, dear! Now you don't want to be late
for your next clue from Lee, so off with you. We'll talk later.
I'll be in town for a few more days."
Amanda, with yet another beautiful package in hand, walked back to the
Jeep with a spring in her step. It was so nice to see Emily again. We
don't get to see nearly enough of her, Amanda thought.
She unlocked the door to the Jeep and got back in. She couldn't
wait to see what was in this package and what the next destination was
going to be. This gift was shaped differently than the others, which
made it all the more exciting! It was in a larger box than the last
couple she had received. She made quick work of unwrapping and opening
it. Inside the box was one long stem red rose with an envelope
attached. Amanda opened the envelope and took out the card. She also
found another silver charm for her bracelet inside the envelope. The
charm was a theatre mask to remind her of her role in Parisian Intrigue,
she supposed.
The card read:
"My Amanda:
They say `the play's the thing', but in my book you are the
one.
I hand-picked the rose for you—a beautiful flower for my beautiful
Amanda. The red rose signifies my deep love for you. I hope you like
the charm. I thought a theatre mask would be appropriate to commemorate
your role in the play, and more importantly the role you play in my
life.
Now, before your next destination, I have arranged for you to have a
nice, leisurely lunch at the Russian Tea Room. Your reservation is for
12:30 p.m. After lunch you will need to be off to your next
destination. Remember, the traveler's friends are always willing to
help those in need. Be sure to get there no later than 2 p.m.!
Love,
Lee"
Amanda steered the car out of the parking lot and towards the tea room,
all the while trying to figure out where she was to go after her lunch.
"Well," she thought, "at least I have some time to mull it
over during lunch…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER SIX
Amanda finished what was probably one of the best, if not THE best,
lunches she had ever eaten. "Lee has certainly outdone himself on
this one." Amanda surmised, "And the only thing that
would've made it better was if he had been here to share it with
me." But she knew that he was there in thought. That was evident
in the amount of trouble to which he had gone when setting this whole
game up for her.
While eating her dessert, she finally figured out what Lee had tried to
tell her in the card that was in the box with the rose and charm. Lee
wanted her to go to Mr. Curlin's apartment—the one they had
stayed in during the Stemwinder case when they were on the run from the
Agency. Mr. Curlin was in charge of the Traveler's Friends
Foundation, which assists people who are in need of help, whatever the
reasons. The apartment had not been much, but at least it had been a
roof over their heads and a warm place to rest and make plans to try to
clear their names with the Agency. It had been during that difficult
time; in fact, just before both went on the run together, that Lee had
first admitted his love for her and she had in turn told him that she
was in love with him.
As she drove through the area where the apartment was located, Amanda
realized she was going to have a hard time remembering exactly which
street the apartment was on. But she knew the general area so she drove
around for awhile until she finally spotted the place. It was now
nearly 2 p.m., so she had only seconds to spare. Again, the thought
briefly crossed her mind as to what would happen with the game if she
were late getting to one of the destinations. She made a mental note to
ask Lee about that later!
Amanda parked in front of the unit and walked up the stairs to the front
door. Just as she was about to knock, the door opened. She was shocked
nearly beyond words to see the Princess standing in the doorway!
"Penny!! Oh my gosh! I can't believe it is you!!" Amanda
exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Amanda, it is so good to see you again! I just knew you and
Lee were an item even way back when, but that is all I can say right now
because you are on a strict timetable!" Penny replied. "Now,
here's your package! Good luck…I will talk to you later."
Penny said, as she gave Amanda a huge hug. Amanda took the package and
gave Penny one last quick hug before she went back to the Jeep to open
the gift.
Once back in the Jeep, Amanda recalled the first time she met Penny and
how nervous she had been. The Agency had asked her to give the Princess
a tour of her boys' elementary school. Penny had been so down to
earth, and not at all what Amanda had expected. They had become fast
friends. Penny had once even accused Amanda of having "a thing"
with Lee. And that long ago, it couldn't have been further from the
truth. It was amazing—Penny must have sensed something in their
relationship even then.
Finally, Amanda ripped into the wrapping paper and opened the small,
square box Penny had just given her. Inside was a smaller box in which
she found another charm for her bracelet. This charm was in the shape
of a heart and was inscribed with the words, "I Love You."
There was also a cassette tape in the box. She put the tape in her
car's cassette player and listened to it. The song "Love Walks
In", which had recently started receiving airplay on a few of the
local radio stations, began to play:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Contact is all it takes
To change your life, to lose your place in time
Contact asleep or awake
Coming around you may wake up to find
Questions deep
Within your eyes
Now more than ever
You realize
And then you sense a change
Nothin' feels the same
All your dreams are strange
Love comes walkin' in
Some kind of alien
Waits for the opening
And simply pulls a string
Another world, some other time
You lay your sanity on the line
Familiar faces, familiar sights
Reach back, remember with all your might
Ooh, and there she stands
In a silken gown
Silver lights
Come shinin' down
And then you sense a change
Nothin' feels the same
All your dreams are strange
Love comes walkin' in
Some kind of alien
Waits for the opening
Simply pulls a string
Love comes walkin' in
Oh, sleep and dream and that's all I crave
I travel far across the Milky Way
To my master I become a slave
Till we meet again some other day
Where silence speaks
As loud as war
Earth returns to what
It was before
And then you sense a change
Nothin' feels the same
All your dreams are strange
Love comes walkin' in
Some kind of alien
Waits for the opening
And simply pulls a string
Love comes walkin' in
Love comes walkin' in
Baby, pull the string
Love comes walkin' in
Love comes walkin' in, yeah
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
She recognized the band singing the song as being Van Halen. Normally,
she had to admit, she was not a huge fan of their music. They were
really more her sons' "speed", so to speak, except for this
particular song. Wow, this song couldn't have described the
beginnings of their romantic relationship much better Amanda thought.
After the song ended, she located the note from Lee which said:
"Dear Amanda:
Well, I guess you were pretty surprised when Penny greeted you at the
apartment! I sure wish I would have listened to her all those years ago
about our relationship. How right she was about it!!
And the song that I selected for you…well every time I hear it, it
just speaks to me. Something about the way those lyrics describe
perfectly the way I felt when I realized I was falling in love with you.
I hope you like it and the charm for your bracelet.
You won't have to guess your next destination this time! You have
an appointment at Mr. Emelio's at 3:15 p.m. for some serious
pampering at the spa. You will have your hair and makeup done, and you
are also scheduled for a manicure and pedicure. I hope you enjoy it!
When you are finished, you will receive your next clue from Emelio
himself.
Love you,
Lee"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER SEVEN
"Well, Ms. Amanda, how did you enjoy your treatments today?"
Emelio asked after the manicurist had finished her nails.
"Oh, I really enjoyed them—very relaxing. My hair and makeup
look perfect, and I just love the color the manicurist used on my nails.
Thank you so much!" Amanda beamed.
"Now, I believe I have something that I am supposed to give
you…" Emelio said as he sashayed behind the counter and produced a
brightly wrapped gift. "Thank you, Emelio, for everything!"
Amanda said as she made her way to the door.
"Send Dotty my best!" Emelio called out, waving wildly to her
as she was leaving the salon.
Amanda made her way back to the Jeep, all the while wondering how many
more stops she would have to make before she would get to see Lee again
and thank him for all these wonderful surprises. She could hardly wait
to see him.
When she got back to the car, she immediately opened the gift from Lee.
Inside was a small, black jewelry box which Amanda assumed would contain
another addition for her bracelet. But when she opened it, tears came
to her eyes. In the box was the most beautiful platinum three stone
diamond ring she had ever laid eyes on. She slowly slipped the ring on
her ring finger on her right hand. It fit her perfectly.
The card from Lee read:
"My Love:
The stones in the ring, while beautiful, do not hold a candle to you.
The three stones symbolize our past, our present, and our future.
I want you to go to the place that has become our sanctuary—our
place to get away from everything—where we are able to be just me
and you with no façade to put on for anyone's benefit. You are
getting close to the end of the hunt now, my love. I will see you very
soon.
I love you.
Lee"
Amanda knew immediately that Lee meant his apartment. It was the only
place that they could truly have any peace and be themselves—husband
and wife. She sped off heading for Lee's place, hoping that he
would be there to greet her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER EIGHT
Amanda arrived outside Lee's apartment building in record time.
When she pulled up in front of the building, she was disappointed that
she did not see the Corvette parked in its usual spot along the curb.
He could still be in there waiting for me, she told thought. So she
hurried into the building and pressed the button for the elevator. It
seemed to take longer than usual for the elevator doors to open, but
then, she told herself, it's probably just my imagination because I
am so anxious to get up to the apartment.
She finally got on the elevator and pushed the button for the 7th floor.
Could this elevator be any slower, she wondered with annoyance, while
fidgeting with her purse. The elevator doors finally opened revealing
the 7th floor, and she stepped out and approached the door to Lee's
place. She checked the door. It was locked, so she pulled her key from
her purse and unlocked it. She opened the door slowly, unsure of what
to expect.
As she walked through the entryway and into the living room, nothing
seemed to be any different. Everything looked exactly as it always did.
So, she guessed she would just have to search the place to find another
destination clue, gift, or perhaps even Lee! She went through the
dining room and into the kitchen and found nothing amiss in either room.
So she made her way back through the dining room, then the living room,
and approached the bedroom door. Slowly, she opened the door and
flipped on the light switch.
There in the far corner of the room stood a dressmaker's form with a
beautiful wedding gown hanging on it. She walked slowly over to look at
the dress, as tears began rolling down her cheeks. The gown was so
beautiful, so long and flowing with sequins sewn all around the lace in
a beautiful pattern.
And strangely, the more she looked at it, the more familiar the gown
looked. She began to think that this dress might be the one that she
had worn on the "honeymoon cruise" she and Lee had taken to the
island of San Angelo. Lee had asked her to accompany him as a part of
his cover when he had to investigate the disappearance of his friend and
contact, Orlando Gravas, from the cruise ship. They ended up having to
go through with the marriage ceremony together in order to maintain
their cover as a happily engaged couple on a honeymoon cruise. To her
relief at the time, Lee had given false information on the marriage
forms to ensure the ceremony would not be binding. My goodness, how
times have changed, Amanda thought!
She looked at the dress again. It just couldn't be the same dress,
or could it be, she wondered. Knowing her husband, there was a chance,
but how? Unfortunately, the dress had been abused, to say the least,
when Amanda had worn it last and it was through no fault of her own.
Just after their "marriage" on the island, she and Lee had been
kidnapped from the cruise ship. They had almost been killed in San
Angelo by two cruise ship employees—Rackem and Gretz, and two
supposed passengers—Jillian and Miles. They were the unsavory
characters who had taken Orlando and were also smuggling gold aboard the
cruise ship. In order to escape certain death, she and Lee ended up
jumping from a moving vehicle just before it went over an embankment.
She had been wearing the wedding gown when she had leapt from the car.
Oh my, Lee and I have made so many memories over the past several years
since that fateful day at the train station, Amanda thought. And she
was beginning to think that tonight was going to be a night she would
never forget.
Just then, she noticed an envelope addressed to her lying on the bed.
She slowly, almost tenderly, picked it up looking at it through teary
eyes. She noticed that her hands were a little unsteady as she turned
the envelope over and began to tear it open. Inside was a note from
Lee:
"My Dear Amanda:
I hope I have succeeded in really surprising you today, and I also hope
you can tell how much I care about you and how much it means to have you
in my life. I would like to know if you would do me the honor of
becoming my wife (again) tonight?
What better evening than Christmas Eve for our wedding? I am sure you
have noticed how busy I have been these last few weeks, but not with
Agency business! I have been planning this surprise for you.
If your answer to my question is `yes', I would very much like
you to wear the dress I have selected for you. Does it look familiar to
you?
Once you have the dress on and are ready, take the elevator downstairs.
A limousine will be waiting outside the building to bring you to me. I
can't wait to see you!
My Love Always,
Lee"
"Oh, Lee!" Amanda whispered softly to herself, "Oh yeah,
I'll marry you again. We're the luckiest two people on the face
of the earth!"
Now everything was coming together in her mind—Lee had planned their
second wedding, the one that would finally allow them to live together
as husband and wife, for her! It explained why Lee sent her on this
scavenger hunt—to surprise her and remind her of a lot of wonderful
memories they had made over the years; why Emily and Penny were
here—to be at their wedding; and why Lee sent her to have her hair,
makeup, and nails done—so she would look absolutely beautiful for
the ceremony tonight.
Amanda carefully removed the gown from the form and slipped it on. She
was relieved to find that it fit her perfectly. She should have known
that Lee would leave nothing to chance! On the dresser, next to where
the dress had been displayed, she found the veil and clipped it on top
of her head. Then she went and looked in the full-length mirror.
She hardly recognized the woman peering back. She felt like a princess
at that moment; though she chuckled at the thought when she realized
that she didn't know what Penny would think of that description! As
she looked in the mirror, she realized that Lee may have forgotten one
important detail—the shoes. Just as the thought crossed her mind,
she noticed a shoebox sitting next to where the gown had been displayed.
"Lee, you thought of absolutely everything, didn't you?"
Amanda whispered. She slipped the shoes on, then made her way back
through the apartment and out the door to go down to the limo that would
be waiting to take her to Lee and their wedding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER NINE
The black Cadillac stretch limo drove slowly, to what seemed to Amanda,
to be all around Washington, as if the driver were unsure of where he
was supposed to go. Amanda was getting more and more nervous by the
minute. It was nearly 7 p.m. according to the clock in the limo's
console. Finally, unable to stand it anymore, she pressed the intercom
button.
"Yes, ma'am, may I help you?" the driver responded.
"Umm, can you tell me how much longer until we reach our
destination?" Amanda inquired of the driver in a trembling voice.
"I am sorry, but that is on a need to know basis, ma'am, and I
am not at liberty to say anything further," the driver told her in a
monotone voice. "Please sit back and enjoy the ride as well as the
refreshments I have provided."
Amanda pressed the intercom button once again to turn it off.
"Enjoy the refreshments, he says…" Amanda said out loud.
Well, she thought, perhaps a glass of white wine would settle my nerves
a bit. So she poured herself a small glass of wine and sat back to try
to enjoy the rest of the ride.
After several more tense minutes for Amanda, they seemed to be slowing
down to park. Amanda's heart started to race. Could this be
it—the place where her public marriage to Lee was going to finally
happen, she wondered? She peered out the passenger side window of the
limo trying to see exactly where she was. To her, it looked as if they
had pulled up to rear entrance of the building, so it was hard to figure
out precisely where she was.
Then it dawned on her. "Oh my gosh, we are at the place where I
agreed to meet Lee for that masquerade party right after we first
met!" she said aloud excitedly. "The place where I found out he
was a spy, I mean agent!" she corrected herself quickly. It was
apparent that her nerves really were getting the best of her!
As the limo pulled to a stop along the curb, a gentleman approached and
opened the car door for Amanda. He extended his hand to help her climb
out of the limo. "Thank you, sir." Amanda said politely. As he
shut the car door, he asked Amanda to follow him inside the building.
Amanda was so nervous and excited she felt as if she were going to
faint. C'mon Amanda, get a hold of yourself, she chastised
silently.
The gentleman led Amanda in through the rear entrance of the building
and up a flight of stairs to a very ornate powder room. He instructed
her to make herself at home and told her that someone would be in to see
her in just a few moments.
Amanda paced around the room nervously. As she did, she caught a
glimpse of herself in the mirror. She stopped and stared at the image.
What will Lee's reaction be when he finally sees me, she wondered.
I sure wish someone would come and tell me what is going on, she
thought.
Finally, the door opened and a young woman she did not know entered.
The young woman introduced herself, "Hi! You must be Amanda.
I've heard so much about you—it is great to finally put a face
with the name. I am Jenn Anderson, your wedding planner. Your
fiancé, Lee, hired me to make sure tonight goes off without a hitch,
no pun intended!"
"So, when is the ceremony scheduled to begin, Ms. Anderson?"
Amanda asked anxiously.
"Please, call me Jenn. You will make your grand entrance at 7:30
p.m., just about 5 minutes from now," Jenn informed her. "Lee
said you would probably remember this event hall because you two have
been here before some time ago. Although, instead of being decorated
for fall as it was for your last visit, they have the Christmas
decorations up now! Lee told me he thinks you are really going find it
beautiful." Jenn said.
"Yes, I do recognize this place," Amanda confirmed. "Not
long after Lee and I met, we were here during a masquerade ball. That
would have been October 1983," Amanda said, thinking back to the
time when she had walked into the event center and had seen Lee standing
at the top of the staircase looking incredibly gorgeous in his tuxedo.
"Tonight, you will enter at the top of the staircase and make your
way slowly down the stairs and down the aisle to where Lee will be
waiting for you. How are you at navigating stairs in your gown?"
Jenn asked.
"I think I'll be fine! I have had some experience getting
around under more difficult circumstances in this gown," Amanda
stated, not bothering to elaborate any further on the subject, even
after Jenn's curious look.
"Ok then, are you ready to get started?" Jenn asked as she
helped Amanda pull her veil over her head. "I have been ready for
this moment longer than you know!" Amanda exclaimed after Jenn had
helped her with the veil. Then, Jenn handed Amanda a beautiful bouquet
of flowers. She led Amanda out of the powder room and down the corridor
towards the top of the stairs. "You look beautiful, Amanda!"
Jenn complimented her. "Now, as the pianist begins to play, proceed
to the top of the staircase, and then make a slow descent. As soon as
you have reached the bottom of the stairs, the pianist will start
playing the Wedding March and you will walk down the aisle to where Lee
and Reverend Mills will be waiting for you," Jenn instructed as she
turned to go down the rear stairway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER TEN
Amanda hung back in the shadows waiting for her entrance cue, nervously
fidgeting with her bouquet. Finally, she heard the pianist begin to
play. She approached the top of the stairs where she could see the
guests begin to stand and look up at her. She could hear people quietly
reacting to her appearance. As her eyes anxiously scanned the room, she
noticed that Billy and Jeannie, Francine, Leatherneck, Beaman, and even
Harry Thornton were all present amongst the guests; as were T.P., Emily,
Joe and Carrie, Colonel Clayton, Barney, and Reza and Penny. Amanda
also saw her mother quietly, but happily, crying and standing next to
Curt. Then she saw her two boys, who looked so proud standing there
dressed in their best suits.
Finally, her eyes caught and locked with Lee's. The sight of Lee
took her breath away, wearing his black tuxedo and looking up at her
with an expression of pure adoration. She thought he had never looked
more handsome, even when the roles were reversed and he had been the one
standing at the top of this very staircase.
She began her descent, carefully making her way down the staircase. As
soon as she stepped off the last step, the pianist transitioned into the
Wedding March. She turned and began to walk down the aisle, never once
taking her eyes off Lee.
As she approached Lee and Reverend Mills, she stopped briefly to give
her mother and Curt big hugs and then hugged Philip and Jamie, who
whispered in unison, "We love you, mom!"
Amanda whispered back, "I love you too, fellas."
She turned and walked over to stand next to Lee. He smiled down at her
and said, "You look so beautiful, Amanda. I love you." Amanda
replied, "I love you, too." From that moment, no one else
existed for Amanda except Lee…and well, Reverend Mills of course!
As they began the ceremony, Amanda was so happy to find that Lee had
asked Reverend Mills to perform an exact duplicate of the ceremony they
had in Marion. She was glad they could finally share it with their
friends and family. And as with the Marion ceremony, time just seemed
to fly by and before Amanda and Lee knew it, Reverend Mills was asking
for the rings to be presented. Philip stepped forward and handed their
rings to him.
Reverend Mills handed Amanda's ring to Lee and instructed him,
"Put this ring on her finger, and say these words: This ring I give
thee…in token and pledge… of my constant faith and
devotion." As Lee repeated the words looking deeply into
Amanda's eyes, he slipped the wedding ring on her finger. Amanda,
in turn, did the same for Lee and placed the ring on his finger.
Reverend Mills stated, "By the power vested in me by the District of
Columbia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Lee, you may kiss your
bride." Lee carefully raised the veil over Amanda's head and
leaned in to kiss her tenderly. Time stood still for both Lee and
Amanda, as they lost themselves in the kiss. Finally, Reverend Mills
chuckled and said in a loud voice, "You can stop now!" This
statement caused much laughter among the guests, as Amanda's face
turned beet red at the thought of being "chastised" by Reverend
Mills for kissing Lee too long!
"It is my pleasure to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Lee Stetson!"
Reverend Mills announced as Lee clasped Amanda's hand and they
turned to face their guests. "Please join me in congratulating
them," he said as he began clapping for them. When the clapping
began to subside, Reverend Mills continued, "Lee and Amanda ask that
you now adjourn to the reception area in the room next door, where they
will soon join you to celebrate their union."
"I love you, Mrs. Stetson!" Lee said emotionally, looking deep
into Amanda's eyes, as the Reverend and guests began to file into
the room where the reception was being held.
"I love you, too!" Amanda said with tears in her eyes. They
shared another long, sensual kiss.
"So, did I succeed in surprising you today?" Lee asked as he
with a huge grin on his face as they reluctantly ended their kiss. He
inspected the ring and charm bracelet he had given her and exclaimed,
"The bracelet and ring look stunning on you, as I knew they
would!"
"They are really beautiful—I love them both! I am still in a
state of shock over all of this!" Amanda said laughing heartily.
"I am curious about one thing, though. You had me on a strict
timetable today. Suppose I had been late for one of my "meets"
today? Would that mean that the wedding would have been cancelled?"
Amanda asked jokingly of Lee.
"No way, nothing short of a nuclear war or the end of civilization
as we know it would have stopped this wedding and, just like our first
ceremony, not even Nick Grant could have stopped it! Thank goodness I
didn't have to worry about him messing things up this time!"
Lee said adamantly. "The reason for the deadlines was that I needed
to make sure you got here by 7:30 p.m. so that our guests wouldn't
think you left me at the alter!" He joked as Amanda swatted at him
playfully.
As Lee and Amanda turned to go join their guests in the reception room,
they were both surprised and dismayed to see Dr. Smyth standing in the
hall staring back at them puffing away on his cigar. "Well, if it
isn't Scarecrow and Mrs. King, or should I say Scarecrow and Mrs.
Scarecrow? I was very disappointed when I heard about this little
soirée tonight and had not received my invitation to it."
Lee protectively put his arm around Amanda's waist as he felt her
shrink into his side. "I don't recall sending you an
invitation," Lee said coolly.
"Nonetheless, I couldn't allow such a momentous occasion as the
infamous Scarecrow's marriage to the little housewife from Arlington
to pass by without acknowledging it, now could I? Remember I have eyes
and ears everywhere and every one of them is trained on you two. So
don't screw up," Smyth bit out. "Jack and Jill went up the
hill to fetch a pail of water…And we all know what happens
next…," he said smugly as he walked over and handed Lee an
envelope. He turned to exit and as he went out the door he said,
"Pick up a bauble on me."
Before Lee could give the envelope back to him, Smyth was gone. He
looked in the envelope and found it to contain a $500 gift certificate
to Neiman Marcus. "I will return this to him as soon as we get back
to work after our vacation. The nerve of that man…and his damn
nursery rhymes. Well, he is not as smart as he thinks because if he
were, he would know we have been married for months," Lee exclaimed
through clenched jaw.
"C'mon now Lee, don't let him ruin our evening! Let's
go celebrate with our guests." Amanda said in a calming voice.
Lee looked down at his wife. She always has known how to handle my
moods and make them better, he thought with a smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lee and Amanda joined their guests in the reception hall just in time
for their first dance together as husband and wife, at least as far as
their guests knew. The sweet strains of music began to reverberate
throughout the hall:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unforgettable, that's what you are
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lee asked, "May I have this dance, Mrs. Stetson? I believe we have
danced this scene before during the masquerade ball back in '83.
Never did I ever, in my wildest imagination, think that I would some day
be dancing with my wife here at our wedding!" Lee said in amazement.
"I guess you have really taught this old dog some new tricks,
huh?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unforgettable though near or far
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Amanda just smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She accepted
his hand and joined him on the dance floor where they swayed to the
music of the Nat King Cole song, "Unforgettable", that Lee had
selected for them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Like a song of love that clings to me
How the thought of you does things to me
Never before has someone been more
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I love this song!" Amanda whispered in Lee's ear. "I
know." Lee whispered back, his breath tickling her neck. "So,
this gown, is it the one from our cruise to San Angelo?" Amanda
leaned back in his embrace to ask him with raised brow.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unforgettable in every way
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"It is the very same. I wanted to surprise you with it. The gown
looked so lovely on you then, I was hardly able to get the image of you
in it out of my head. I just had to see you in it again. I wish I
hadn't been such a fool about our relationship back then." Lee
confided in her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ignoring his last statement, Amanda asked, "So how did you get this
dress back, and more importantly how did you get it back in this
condition?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That's why, darling, it's incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am unforgettable too
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"We have our ways!" Lee replied as he dipped Amanda and off her
look said, "Seriously, I found it down in the Agency wardrobe room,
Billy gave me permission to borrow it, and I had Magda Petrak repair and
clean it. Simple as that!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unforgettable in every way
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
That's why, darling, it's incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am unforgettable too
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Amanda just shook her head and said, "You never cease to amaze
me."
"Nor do you, Mrs. Stetson." Lee replied after they ended the
song with another long kiss. And as they turned to leave the dance
floor, all their guests happily surrounded the couple hugging them and
wishing them well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER TWELVE—TAG
"What are you thinking, Mrs. Stetson?" Lee asked, seeing that
his wife was a million miles away in thought.
"I was just thinking how wonderful it was to share our wedding with
our family and friends on Christmas Eve. And to top it all off, how
much I enjoyed spending Christmas Day, our first full "official"
day as husband and wife, with our family!" Amanda gushed as Lee
leaned over the beach blanket and gave her a quick kiss.
"I still can't believe the elaborate scheme you put on just to
get me to marry you again!" Amanda said with a sly smile. "And
T.P., Emily, and Penny were so sweet to agree to help you with your
scheme. Oh Lee, it was so nice to see Emily and Penny again, and I
really enjoyed spending time with both of them," Amanda said all in
one breath as Lee just smiled and shook his head. It never ceased to
amaze him that his wife could say so much without coming up for air!
"And what a beautiful island you picked for our honeymoon! I am so
happy to be able to share it with you… I am truly the luckiest
person on earth!" Amanda exclaimed, as she took a sip of her
Margarita and looked out over the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.
"No, I am," Lee said. "I was given the very best gift again
this Christmas—you!" He leaned over and once again captured her
lips, causing the rest of the world to fade away, all except the sound
of the crashing waves just steps away from where they lay on the warm,
sandy beach.
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: Characters and episodes mentioned in this fanfic from the
TV show Scarecrow and Mrs. King do not belong to me, but to Shoot the
Moon and Warner Brothers et als. I am just borrowing them for some fun.
Timeline: Christmas Eve 1987—Marriage is still a secret at this
point. Friends, family, and co-workers think Lee and Amanda are
engaged, since Lee asked her to marry him (again) on Thanksgiving Day
1987.
I have also borrowed the lyrics from these two songs with no
infringement intended:
"Love Walks In" by Van Halen. The lyrics are owned by Cabo Wabo
Music and Van Halen Publishing, Inc.
"Unforgettable" by Irving Gordon. The lyrics are owned by
Bourne Co.
TV show Scarecrow and Mrs. King do not belong to me, but to Shoot the
Moon and Warner Brothers et als. I am just borrowing them for some fun.
Timeline: Christmas Eve 1987—Marriage is still a secret at this
point. Friends, family, and co-workers think Lee and Amanda are
engaged, since Lee asked her to marry him (again) on Thanksgiving Day
1987.
I have also borrowed the lyrics from these two songs with no
infringement intended:
"Love Walks In" by Van Halen. The lyrics are owned by Cabo Wabo
Music and Van Halen Publishing, Inc.
"Unforgettable" by Irving Gordon. The lyrics are owned by
Bourne Co.