For herself, she made a rum and Coke, with lots of lime juice added. Alix pulled a serving tray from inside a cabinet, knowing just where to find it, filled it, then took it all outside. It was almost too cool for sitting outdoors, but Alix knew that Izzy loved gardens.
She treated her friend gently as she settled her in a heavy teak deck chair and handed her a drink. Alix wasn’t going to push her friend but just waited for her to speak.
“Glenn called and I have to leave in the morning,” Izzy said.
“He wants you back?”
“Yes, of course, but …”
Alix waited in silence. Izzy and she had been friends since the first day of architecture school. By the end of that week it was clear that Alix was more talented, that she had a shot at doing something that the world would notice, but Izzy had never been jealous.
On the other hand, everyone had liked Izzy so much that she was invited everywhere. When she’d become engaged in their third year, Alix had only felt joy. They were two different people yet they suited each other well.
“If it’s not Glenn and it’s not me, what is it?” Alix asked softly.
Izzy looked around the garden. The only time she’d seen it was last night when she and Alix had made their wild dash to break into Montgomery’s guesthouse. At the time it had been wonderful to think only of Alix’s problems, to feed her chocolate, to see her delight at the old house, to laugh over the portrait of a handsome sea captain. For a few hours Izzy had been able to put aside her own problems.
“This garden is beautiful,” Izzy said. “When it flowers, it’s going to be magnificent. I wonder who takes care of it?”
“Montgomery,” Alix said quickly. “Isabella, I want to know what’s going on. Why is Glenn demanding that you leave so soon? I was hoping that you and I could see some of Nantucket together.”
“Me too,” Izzy said, “but …”
Alix picked up the pitcher and refilled Izzy’s glass. “But what?”
Izzy took a deep drink. “It’s my wedding.”
“I thought all of that was settled. We bought you the most beautiful dress ever made.”
“Yes, and I thank you and your mother for that.” Izzy and Alix smiled at each other in memory.
Glenn, not surprisingly, had proposed over dinner one Friday night. The next morning Izzy was at the door of Alix’s little apartment looking stunned and not knowing what to do.
After admiring the engagement ring, Alix took over. “I know a great place for breakfast, then we can go window-shopping. You’re going to need an entire trousseau.”
It was an old-fashioned word and concept, Izzy had said while doing her best to look as though she was too sophisticated to care about such silly things. But Alix wasn’t fooled. She knew her friend loved the whole idea of a romantic wedding.
In the end, they bought Izzy’s wedding dress that day. They hadn’t meant to. Alix had been the one to persuade her friend to go to a tiny, exclusive shop on a side street across town.
“We should go to one of those gigantic places and try on fifty dresses and drive the salespeople crazy,” Izzy said.
“That’s a great idea,” Alix said, “and I look forward to it, but Mom told me that when I get married I’m to buy my dress at Mrs. Searle’s shop.”
Izzy looked hard at her friend. “Which just happens to be near here?”
“So it does,” Alix said, smiling.
The third dress Izzy tried on brought tears to both their eyes. They knew it was the one.
The dress had a plain silk satin top with a round, low neck and wide straps. The full skirt was whisper-thin tulle over a satin skirt embellished with tiny crystals in a flower pattern.
“I could never afford this,” Izzy said as she looked for a price tag that wasn’t there.
“It’ll be a gift from my mother,” Alix said. “To her number one fan.”
“I can’t take this.”
“Okay,” Alix said, “she’ll give you a toaster instead.”
“I shouldn’t,” Izzy said, but
She treated her friend gently as she settled her in a heavy teak deck chair and handed her a drink. Alix wasn’t going to push her friend but just waited for her to speak.
“Glenn called and I have to leave in the morning,” Izzy said.
“He wants you back?”
“Yes, of course, but …”
Alix waited in silence. Izzy and she had been friends since the first day of architecture school. By the end of that week it was clear that Alix was more talented, that she had a shot at doing something that the world would notice, but Izzy had never been jealous.
On the other hand, everyone had liked Izzy so much that she was invited everywhere. When she’d become engaged in their third year, Alix had only felt joy. They were two different people yet they suited each other well.
“If it’s not Glenn and it’s not me, what is it?” Alix asked softly.
Izzy looked around the garden. The only time she’d seen it was last night when she and Alix had made their wild dash to break into Montgomery’s guesthouse. At the time it had been wonderful to think only of Alix’s problems, to feed her chocolate, to see her delight at the old house, to laugh over the portrait of a handsome sea captain. For a few hours Izzy had been able to put aside her own problems.
“This garden is beautiful,” Izzy said. “When it flowers, it’s going to be magnificent. I wonder who takes care of it?”
“Montgomery,” Alix said quickly. “Isabella, I want to know what’s going on. Why is Glenn demanding that you leave so soon? I was hoping that you and I could see some of Nantucket together.”
“Me too,” Izzy said, “but …”
Alix picked up the pitcher and refilled Izzy’s glass. “But what?”
Izzy took a deep drink. “It’s my wedding.”
“I thought all of that was settled. We bought you the most beautiful dress ever made.”
“Yes, and I thank you and your mother for that.” Izzy and Alix smiled at each other in memory.
Glenn, not surprisingly, had proposed over dinner one Friday night. The next morning Izzy was at the door of Alix’s little apartment looking stunned and not knowing what to do.
After admiring the engagement ring, Alix took over. “I know a great place for breakfast, then we can go window-shopping. You’re going to need an entire trousseau.”
It was an old-fashioned word and concept, Izzy had said while doing her best to look as though she was too sophisticated to care about such silly things. But Alix wasn’t fooled. She knew her friend loved the whole idea of a romantic wedding.
In the end, they bought Izzy’s wedding dress that day. They hadn’t meant to. Alix had been the one to persuade her friend to go to a tiny, exclusive shop on a side street across town.
“We should go to one of those gigantic places and try on fifty dresses and drive the salespeople crazy,” Izzy said.
“That’s a great idea,” Alix said, “and I look forward to it, but Mom told me that when I get married I’m to buy my dress at Mrs. Searle’s shop.”
Izzy looked hard at her friend. “Which just happens to be near here?”
“So it does,” Alix said, smiling.
The third dress Izzy tried on brought tears to both their eyes. They knew it was the one.
The dress had a plain silk satin top with a round, low neck and wide straps. The full skirt was whisper-thin tulle over a satin skirt embellished with tiny crystals in a flower pattern.
“I could never afford this,” Izzy said as she looked for a price tag that wasn’t there.
“It’ll be a gift from my mother,” Alix said. “To her number one fan.”
“I can’t take this.”
“Okay,” Alix said, “she’ll give you a toaster instead.”
“I shouldn’t,” Izzy said, but
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