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glance caught Suzanne’s frown.

      “I mean, as Alice’s new parents,” she continued in an earnest tone, as if giving a public speech, “we can’t be expected to live like—like hillbillies, can we?”

      “No, Mom. I can’t see you as a hillbilly, I admit.”

      “She’s an heiress, and we need to start moving amongst the right people—society people, you know, people who stay in hotels like this all the time—so she can make the right contacts. Perry and I have talked about this very seriously, and we both agree it’s the right thing.”

      “I’m glad you’ve got your priorities worked out, Mom,” Suzanne said. Only someone who knew her very well would have picked the subtle flavor of sarcasm in her mild tone. Rose wasn’t that someone.

      “Well, yes,” she answered. “Perry and I both know how important it is.”

      She glanced toward her husband, who was stretched out on the couch, sleeping the way an alligator sleeps in a nice, warm Florida swamp—deceptively.

      Suzanne wished she could count on his nap being genuine. She had that weather-changing announcement for Mom, and wanted to be able to make it without his input.

      She took a deep breath, instead, before she spoke. “I have some news, Mom, which I hope you’ll be pleased about.”

      “News? What news?” Having picked up something significant in her daughter’s tone, Rose attempted to narrow her eyes.

      This was difficult. The face-lift surgery she’d had several months ago had pulled her skin so tight she wore a perpetual look of attractive, wide-eyed surprise. But the intent to narrow them was definitely there, Suzanne decided.

      She bit the bullet.

      “I’m getting married on Friday, and I want both of you to come to the wedding.” As Rose had done a moment earlier, Suzanne glanced at Perry, but he hadn’t stirred.

      “Getting married on—! But that’s the day after tomorrow!” Rose paced the room like a soap opera actress. Her mouth was set in a line of concentration, and she was obviously thinking hard. She spun around on the high navy heels that matched her imitation silk suit, and as Suzanne had expected, the drop in temperature had arrived.

      “I know why you’re doing this,” Rose accused suddenly.

      “You haven’t asked me who he is.” Suzanne plowed on, as if she hadn’t heard.

      Getting her head down, getting stubborn and pretending a sudden hearing loss was the only way she could deal successfully with her mother.

      “It’s because of that baby. And Feldman’s views on stability and two-parent families,” Rose said, ignoring Suzanne just as thoroughly. “I thought you’d given up on this stupid rift you’re so determined to make between us, Suzie!”

      “I’m not making a rift.” I’m not going to let her get to me.

      “I’ve told you, it doesn’t need to be like this. Do you think I’d stop you from seeing the child?”

      “His name is Stephen Serkin.”

      “It won’t work, darling.” She sat down beside her daughter and put a soft, cajoling hand on her knee. Her eyes were swimming with sudden tears. “Look, you know I love you.” Her voice cracked. “You’re my daughter. This isn’t a battle, and it hurts me that you’re starting to treat it like one. Alice should come to me. I’m her closest blood relative. Accept it.”

      “He’s thirty-four years old, and a doctor,” Suzanne stated. “Specializing in family practice. And he’s Jodie’s first cousin.”

      Crisp fall weather gave way to Arctic winter.

      “What?” Rose hissed. “So this is a total conspiracy! You think that a half aunt and a first cousin once removed add up to more than a grandmother?”

      “It’s not a question of adding up.”

      Again, Rose ignored her. “You’re wrong! How did you track him down, anyway?”

      “I didn’t track him down. He came from Europe to visit Alice.”

      “Oh, from Europe? To visit a baby? An ugly little thing who doesn’t even know she’s alive? Trust me, there’s more to it than that!”

      “She’s smiled at me three days in a row.”

      “Honey, that’s gas,” Rose snapped, apparently reaching the end of her rope.

      Suzanne remained as calm as she could—on the surface, at least.

      “He and Jodie knew each other quite well at one time,” she said, returning to what was relevant. “He studied medicine, here in New York. Jodie would have been pleased about our decision.”

      The conviction in her voice was genuine.

      She and Stephen had talked on the phone several times since their first meeting nine days ago, and had talked for long stretches beside Alice’s crib as well. They had gone to city hall to get their marriage license yesterday, and to a jewelry store to pick up two simple gold wedding bands. The errands hadn’t taken long. Less than two hours. And the impending marriage still didn’t seem quite real. But during all of this they’d started to get to know each other a little.

      Stephen had retained the instinctive courtesy she’d seen in him last week, and the same humor and care. As for those two big questions, sex and divorce, “We’ll know, when either becomes appropriate, I think!” he’d said, with the upside-down smile she was starting to know.

      Suzanne’s liking and trust had grown, building on her vivid image of him mailing a tiny pink bootie home to his convalescent mother in Aragovia. That was a gesture that couldn’t have been faked, surely!

      “Did your mom get the bootie yet?” she had asked him yesterday.

      “Yes, she called me last night. She was relieved to hear it was way too small for Alice now, and she’s started knitting bigger booties. Hats and sweaters and mittens, too, I expect. All pink. She loves pink. Be prepared to receive large, soft parcels with foreign stamps.”

      Suzanne had laughed. She was becoming more and more certain that she’d been wrong about her initial moments of doubt and mistrust.

      And Dr. Feldman had confirmed that Stephen was genuine.

      “I had a diplomat friend check it out for me,” he had told Suzanne. “Anyone could blow in claiming to be Jodie’s Aragovian cousin, after all. But he’s exactly who he says he is, although I admit, I’m not yet convinced about the latest developments in his home country.”

      “Developments?”

      “I tend to discount the whole Aragovian thing. Jodie always did. She mentioned her cousin to me several times. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up making a permanent home here.”

      “Oh, really?” She’d tried not to let her face light up. That would certainly help. She wasn’t sure what Dr. Feldman had meant by “the whole Aragovian thing,” but it didn’t matter, surely, if there was a good chance that Stephen was planning to remain here.

      “Why wouldn’t he?” Dr. Feldman had said. “He’s qualified to practice medicine here, and he has the good example of his uncle to follow. Jodie’s father made a fortune in the U.S. after starting out as an immigrant without two pennies to rub together.”

      Stephen had asked, this morning, if he could meet her somewhere on Friday afternoon, shortly before the ceremony. He had something for her, he’d said. She wondered what it could be. Hadn’t wanted to ask, and he hadn’t given any clues. He’d just said it.

      “Something for you. For the wedding. And we might need to talk a little.”

      They hadn’t been able to think of a place to meet, and had finally settled on simply arriving at the church an hour before the

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