The next morning, Bill arrived with Nanny's coffee and breakfast and told her he would be back in about an hour to help change the sheets on Sir Wilkes' bed. Nanny had already checked on the sick gentleman, and it appeared that his fever may have broken although he was still asleep, cocooned in what were now very damp sheets. When she had had her coffee, Nanny phoned Eloise and talked to the little girl on the phone, saying that she was feeling fine, fine, fine, and just as soon as the doctor said that Sir Wilkes was better, she, Nanny, would be home.

"Maman is coming this afternoon," Eloise informed her. "I miss you, Nanny... but I feel lots better now! And Rachel is very nice, too. We're planning her wedding to Bill. She wants me to be her bridesmaid! Isn't that absolutely divine?"

"Oh, for sure, sure, sure, pet! We'll have to get you a new dress, too."

"A pink one! I absolutely LOVE pink!"

"If that's what Rachel wants, love. It IS her wedding, you know," Nanny reminded Eloise gently.

"Oh, I know, but ..." the phone was muffled for a minute, then Eloise was back, "Rachel said I can wear whatever colour I want because if it wasn't for ME, Eloise, she would be Mrs. Brooks Oliver the Third, and THAT would be absolutely horrible! And Nanny, look after Sir Wilkes really, really, really well, okay? Nurse him... no, LOVE him better! Gotta skitter! Ta ta!"

Even as Nanny was protesting, Eloise hung up. Sighing, Nanny replaced the telephone receiver on its cradle, and stared glumly at it. She had WANTED to ask Eloise to pick out some clothes for her to wear! She couldn't wander around Sir Wilkes' flat all day in just her nightclothes, for Lord's sake! She picked up the receiver to call Eloise back, then dropped it when a knock came at the door.

"It's me, Bill, Nanny." His voice floated through the door.

"Oh, William, come in, come in!" Nanny hurried over and opened the door.

"How was your breakfast?" he asked, wheeling the cart in to gather up the empty dishes. "Absolutely divine as usual, albeit somewhat quieter?"

Nanny grinned. "It was indeed!"

"AND," he said, displaying a small satchel, "Rachel sent you this..."

With a glad cry, Nanny reached for the clothing and toiletries that Rachel Peabody had so kindly gathered up for her. "Thank you, William, and DO thank Rachel ever so much for me!"

"She thought you'd be happier dressed," the young man chuckled, "even though I tried to tell her that Sir Wilkes would be happier if you stayed in your nighty!"

"Oh, honestly, William!"

Nanny's glare didn't faze Bill at all. He had seen the burgeoning romance between Nanny and Sir Wilkes and was not averse to helping it along any way he could! The two changed the bed with Sir Wilkes still in it, simply rolling him from side to side. He moaned faintly, but never opened his eyes during the entire operation. Bill told Nanny that he wasn't sure the fever HAD broken, despite the sweat-soaked sheets, and Nanny resigned herself grimly to a few more days of nursing and snatching a bit of sleep on the sofa in between.

When the doctor arrived that afternoon, Sir Wilkes' temperature was up again, and Nanny was once more sponging his upper body with cool water. The doctor nodded approvingly and told her to continue what she was doing. "Sir Wilkes DOES appear to be improving slowly. His temperature is down two degrees from last night."

That evening, after Bill had dropped off more juice and picked up Nanny's supper dishes, Nanny ventured into Sir Wilkes' room to give him a final sponge bath for the day. To her surprise, his eyes were open, and the feverish glint in them was dulled.

"Sir Wilkes... I... I've come to sponge you down again," she stammered, her face flushing.

"Thank you," he murmured huskily. "I DO feel better afterwards, I must admit."

This time, however, Nanny was finding it very difficult to rub the cloth over his face and chest. It was far, far, far easier to do it without his eyes never leaving her face, for Lord's sake! She gave a cursory swipe over his chest and down his arms before picking up the basin.

"Nanny?" He caught her skirt and stopped her as she turned away.

"Yes, Sir Wilkes?" Nanny asked softly, not looking at him.

"If I rolled over, could you wash my back? I just feel... sticky. I'm sorry to ask it of you..."

He DID sound repentant, and rawther ashamed of having to ask, so Nanny tightened her hold on her emotions and turned back to him. "Of course, Sir Wilkes."

By the time she had finished his back, Sir Wilkes was snoring softly again, sprawled on his stomach. Nanny watched him for a moment with longing eyes, then carefully pulled up the sheet and tucked it around his shoulders before retreating to the living room and the sofa that had given her a sore back the night before.

O o O o O o

For the next few days, as Wilkes very slowly improved, he and Nanny were very correct around each other, not speaking of the kisses they had shared at Christmas nor of the one a few nights before when Nanny had first arrived in his suite. It was as if they were strangers; as if Nanny was merely someone the doctor had called in to nurse Wilkes through his illness.

Nanny was sure Sir Wilkes had either forgotten or regretted all the kisses. She was convinced he had only been caught up in the moment on Christmas Eve and had been rawther glad of the chance to escape, so had no intentions of bringing up the kisses. Wilkes was convinced she was in his suite only because the doctor had decreed that she could not leave. He was sure that she didn't love him because she had never responded to his letter telling her of his love and begging for an answer.

At last, while making his daily afternoon visit, the doctor told Nanny that if all stayed well and she continued to show no signs of illness, he would probably be lifting the quarantine the following afternoon. She nodded, trying to figure out why she had a sinking feeling in her stomach when she should be happy at the prospect of being allowed to leave. Her eyes never met Sir Wilkes', and she followed the doctor out of the room to see him out. When the doctor was gone, she hesitated before returning to the bedroom. Before she took a step, a shaky Wilkes appeared in the doorway.

"Nanny? I ... I was afraid you had gone..."

"Tomorrow ... Sir Wilkes, you must get back to bed!"

Instead, he made his way unsteadily to the sofa. She wrenched her sheets off just before he sat down and leaned back with a groan. "I didn't think... I was that weak!" he muttered, his eyes closed.

Nanny nervously bunched the sheets in her hand, then tossed them behind the sofa. "Could I get you anything? Some juice? Water? Tea?"

"Not right now, thank you."

Nanny perched tentatively on the edge of a chair. There was silence in the room. "I wasn't sure you were coming back to New York City, Sir Wilkes," Nanny said at last. "When Miss Thompson told me that your brother-in-law had passed away and that your nephew was talking about moving the business back to England, I thought you might be staying there with your sister."

Wilkes opened his eyes and stared at her, surprised. "But I told you in the letter that I wrote to you that I would be back! If you could answer my question the way I was hoping, of course. I just assumed, when I didn't hear anything, that you could not find it in your heart to give me the answer I wanted. But I still had to come back to tidy things up here."

Nanny stared at him in some disbelief. "You... you WROTE to me? From England?"

"Of course. And asked you to reply only if you could give me a positive answer to my question. I never heard a word... so knew that was my answer. I am terribly sorry you were forced to nurse me now..."

"I never got a letter..." Nanny almost whimpered in her distress. What had he asked, for Lord's sake? And where was the letter?

He gaped at her. "Never ... never got...?"

"No." After a long moment, spent staring into each other's eyes, Nanny whispered, "Might I ask, Sir Wilkes, what the question WAS?" She almost held her breath in anticipation.

At that moment, the telephone rang.

O o O o O o

What with Bill bringing their supper just before Wilkes got off the telephone to his sister, and then Eloise talking to Nanny, then Wilkes tiring rapidly and barely making it back to his bed before he collapsed, Nanny never did find out what question Sir Wilkes had asked her in the letter he had supposedly written then sent from England. As she curled up on the sofa, hoping that it would be the last night she would have to spend there, Nanny was afraid to allow herself to imagine that he had told her he loved her and wanted to marry her. Of course, THAT was an impossibility for Lord's sake... but still, it was sweet to consider.

After a few hours of thumping her pillow and turning carefully over and over, Nanny finally fell asleep, only to be awakened by a crash from the bedroom. Startled, she moved too quickly and fell off the sofa to land with a thump on the floor. "Oww!" she yelped. Struggling to get out of the tangled sheets, she finally made it to her feet and hurried to the bedroom where she collided with Sir Wilkes in the doorway as he was coming out to see what had happened to her. "Sir WILKES!" she squeaked, her hands gripping his arms as he steadied her. "What happened?"

"I knocked over my glass trying to get a drink. What happened to YOU?"

"I ... fell off the sofa," she admitted, loving the feel of his arms around her. Then she felt him waver a bit. "Sir Wilkes, you must get back into bed..."

She steered him over and he obediently sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her down beside him with a firm hand and reaching for the bedside light with the other. "We need to talk, Nanny," Wilkes began, when their eyes had adjusted to the light once more. "In the letter..."

"Yes, Sir Wilkes?" Nanny prompted when he paused. She found herself wondering if he really HAD written a letter, or if it was just something he was saying to let her down lightly.

In it, I ... I told you how much you meant to me... and asked if you could... if you DID... feel the same about me." He timidly reached for her hand, and with her hand enveloped in his larger one, Nanny felt... safe... warm... cherished.

"I ..." she began.

"I understand you can't answer this now... but if you will... think about... us..."

Nanny gulped audibly. "We've been under quarantine... together... What will people say...?" she whispered.

"I'm not really worried about 'people' in general. The ones whose opinion I value will understand — if they even hear about the quarantine." Wilkes stroked his thumb across the back of her hand, sending an almost forgotten thrill skittering across her skin. "You are the one I want to see... happy."

Nanny tried to ease her hand back, but Wilkes only held on tighter. Nanny was sure that if she had any sense at all, she would not be thinking he really was 'wooing' her. She was nearing seventy. Her skin had lost its elasticity and certain body parts that shouldn't now drooped. Men like Sir Wilkes didn't pursue women like HER; they always seemed to prefer younger, nubile women. She finally patted his hand and gently extricated herself. "I AM happy," she said, and stood up. "I have a good life with Eloise and... and Kay... and friends like you..."

"I just wish you'd let me be more to you," Wilkes told her, speaking in a low, significant voice.

Nanny was flustered. She wasn't exactly sure what 'more' meant, and wasn't sure she WANTED to know. It sounded... wicked, decadent... wonderful. She sighed. "You can't be more. You are already much more than you think... much, much, much! Besides," she added, trying to lighten the mood, "I'm almost seventy. Too old for you. You're practically a baby."

Wilkes smiled slowly. Nanny's eyes widened as she felt her body respond to his look. He stood up beside her and said huskily, "Sixty is well beyond infancy, Nanny. Well beyond adolescence, for that matter. If you were only twenty, you probably would bore me to tears."

"What if I was ... thirty-five?" she suggested wildly.

"A trophy wife? No thank you."

The word 'wife' gave Nanny pause for a moment. She swallowed, then continued, "Very well. If I was... forty-five... or even fifty." Nanny could already envision Wilkes' ideal woman... someone born into his class, someone petite and dainty and beautiful, someone with no wrinkles and not a trace of gray in her hair. In short, Wilkes deserved someone not at all like her. "Oh my Lord, Sir Wilkes! You probably have quite a few women chasing you! I am sure there are many women in New York City alone who would want you!"

His eyebrows raised at that extravagant claim, then he nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, indeed, I am almost certain there are many exceptional women, and all in pursuit of stout, balding, bumbling corporate magnates! It's a growing problem in the industry, you know. The women, I mean. Chasing men such as I... doubtless for our minds... or could it really be our bodies?" The look on his face was comical.

A chuckle burst out of Nanny although she tried to hold it back. In a moment, they were both laughing. Then she was in his arms, and the kiss they shared was all they had remembered their kisses to be. After she had wound her arms around his neck and hung on, knowing her knees would buckle when the kiss ended, Nanny finally remembered that she had to breathe, although she wasn't sure she wanted to stop the kissing.

"I shouldn't want this... I don't NEED a man in my life!" Nanny gasped breathlessly at last.

"Maybe I need you," was his retort, before giving her another mind-blowing kiss.

"Sir Wilkes, please ...." She tried to push away from him, struggling to remember that they came from different worlds. She tried to tell herself that she shouldn't be feeling so much for him after merely a few kisses, because after all, she had kissed other men, albeit a long, long time ago. Still, she KNEW that none of those men had touched her, tempted her, unnerved her the way Sir Wilkes did.

"I think you may safely call me Wilkes, or Willy, now," he said, his breathing erratic. Nanny might say she didn't need him, but it was obvious that she wanted him. He was aware of the most basic, desperate longing to be in her life. His mouth covered hers again.

Nanny sank against him, fumbling in the darkness of her need, of not knowing why she was so drawn to him nor why he was paying attention to HER... of never having been with a man quite like him and feeling sure that he must have lost all good sense. He slid his hands down her back again, and she clung to him. "Wilkes, I..."

He cut her off with a kiss that made her forget everything except the delight she was experiencing. It had been so long! Then she held her breath. He was... SHE was... moving too fast.

"Tell me to stop, Nanny," he breathed against her lips, one hand moving in circles on her hip, urging her lower body closer to his.

She moaned. "You... should... but..." Her body suddenly seemed to liquify against him, a tingling radiating outward from her centre and rushing through every vein. She wanted more, even as she pulled slightly away from him. Her hands went under his pyjama top to smooth over his chest, fingertips gliding over him hesitantly.

Wilkes groaned in delight at her touch, then he very reluctantly stopped his own caresses and gripped her upper arms. "No, Nanny!"

"But ...?" Her fingers never stopped their movements.

"I can't and won't compromise you..." With another groan, this time of regret, he grudgingly released his hold on her and forced himself to step back out of the way of her hands. "Will you marry me, Nanny?"

Still dazed from his kisses, Nanny could only shake her head and whisper, "Sir Wilkes, no... I can't... you're above my station...!"

He gritted his teeth and fought the dizziness that was beginning to sweep over him. He had thought the heat pouring over him was from kissing Nanny, but now he wasn't so sure. "I don't care about that. I've NEVER cared about that. Nanny, please... marry me. I love you and I want you so badly..."

"I ... I ..."

"Marry me ... let me love you as you deserve to be loved..." he begged, then suddenly his face went white and he swayed.

"Willy? Sir Wilkes!" Nanny sprang to catch him, and realized he was hot again, much hotter than he should have been.

With difficulty but with his help, she managed to get him back into bed where he closed his eyes. Once again she sponged his face and neck until he felt cooler to the touch, then she collapsed beside him and, despite all that had gone on between them, she fell asleep.

O o O o O o

Only half awake, Nanny gradually became aware that she was lying against Wilkes. She could feel his heat all down her body. She didn't want anything to stop this dream, so she remained perfectly still. It had been a long, lonely time without a man in her life... in her bed. Then he moved slightly, and she realized he was awake when his hands began to wander. Their desire for each other overtook them in this vulnerable period, and in moments they were entangled together. She strained to aid him in his quest for fulfilment, as she had been taught by her one and only lover so long ago. Suddenly a strangled cry of surprise and ecstasy escaped Nanny's lips as her release exploded through her with unexpected force. Nanny felt herself surging on a tide of pleasure and emotion too intense to comprehend, and finally she allowed herself to relax and have it carry her away.

Wilkes sensed she had dropped back to sleep, and as his breathing slowed, he pondered her reactions. He had not been her first lover, that much was obvious... but she had never before experienced a release such as she had just had... that much, too, was obvious. Smiling at having given her that gift at least, in exchange for the wonderful gift she had given him, he fell asleep, his arm still firmly around her.

O o O o O o

It was the sun shining in her eyes that finally awakened Nanny late the next morning after a deeply-satisfying albeit short sleep filled with incredible dreams. Then she realized that she was still pressed against Wilkes, his hand possessively resting on her bare hip. A twinge between her legs made her aware more than anything that the passion they had shared only hours before had NOT been only a dream. Oh, my Lord! Suddenly she was aroused at the thought of making love with Wilkes again. She wasn't totally inexperienced by any means, but until last night she had never known that being with a man could be so consuming, so INCREDIBLE, leaving her feeling sensual, feminine and completely fulfilled.

She eased out of the bed and went into the bathroom, checking the clock as she went and relieved to find that William would not be along with their breakfast for another hour. By the time she was finished and back in the bedroom, Wilkes was on his feet, too.

"'ow are you feeling thus far today?" Nanny asked anxiously, putting her hand on his forehead for an instant as if he were Eloise.

His grin as he caught her hand in his and drew her closer made her realize that he was nothing at all like Eloise. "I'm wonderful, Nanny. Ready for a wedding."

"A ... wedding?"

"A wedding," he confirmed. "OUR wedding. I've compromised you, despite my vow NOT to... I can only plead extreme exhaustion and perhaps a bit of fever. Fortunately, this morning I'm fine, except, of course, for being desperate to continue our relationship within the bonds of holy matrimony. You WILL marry me now, won't you?"

"Now?" she asked faintly, leaning against his solid body. "Oh, Wilkes... I... I can't. I must tell you... what I've never told anyone before..." Slowly and haltingly she revealed her long-buried secret – that she had had a child out of wedlock long after she should have known better. The man who had taken her innocence and virginity without offering her love in return had spurned her when she had told him of her pregnancy. She had been hoping that when the baby was born, he would change his mind, but when she was six months along, the man had been tragically killed and the news had sent Nanny into premature labour. She had been quite ill for a long time following the child's birth and with her having no family or friends to help, the child had been given up for adoption.

"You never saw your baby again?" Wilkes was astounded at the story.

Nanny drew back and lowered her head, not able to look at him. "When I had recovered, my baby was six months old and had been in an 'appy home all that time. I... I found out who had adopted her... and... well, do you remember the story of Moses in the bible? Like Moses' mother, when her baby was adopted by the Pharoah's daughter, I... I became MY baby's nanny. She doesn't know to this day that I am really her mother."

There was a long pause as Wilkes processed the information he had just received. Then his eyes widened as he made the connection. "Eloise is really your grand-daughter, not merely a charge! THAT is why Kay looked familiar... she looks a little like you. She has your beautiful eyes. So Kay's father... never married you?"

"Oh my Lord, no! He didn't love me. I was an amusement... a challenge. I suppose I should have known better, and really should have known that a... man of his station would never... marry someone like me..." Her eyes searched his, resignation mingled with shame in her voice.

Wilkes stared at her incredulously. Yes, he had heard her say before something along those lines, but surely she hadn't been serious? The pain in her eyes was all too indicative of the truth she perceived. "Nanny," he said as he drew her back into his arms, "you must learn to believe in yourself. As my wife..."

"Wilkes, please ..." Her pain spilled over into her voice and she tried to pull away. "You mustn't say such things. It's not possible, for Lord's sake! Think what your family and friends would say! No, no, no, I cannot possibly marry you..."

His embrace tightened. "You DO love me, don't you?"

"You know that I do!" she cried in anguish. "Oh, knickers, why are you torturing me like this?" She struggled to get away from him.

"Nanny, listen to me!" His voice was suddenly commanding, and she stilled, turning wide eyes to his. "You are a wonderful person. Kind. Witty. Intelligent. What is more, I love you more than I have ever imagined I could love anyone. Marry me. Marry me and make me the happiest man in the world!"

"You're just saying that because of... because of what we... because of this morning..." Nanny was pale but resolute. "Oh my stars, stars, stars, you cannot want to MARRY me!"

"I asked you in my letter to be my wife... and that was BEFORE... this morning," he said.

The letter ... the letter she had never got, so his words were impossible to prove. Nanny could NOT marry Wilkes and drag his name through the mud in high society – as the father of her child had accused her of wanting to do to HIM. She loved Wilkes much too much to do that to him! Just then, a knock came at the door.

Nanny dashed her tears away. "That'll be William. Please, Wilkes, let's not discuss it now... not with William here..."

Grimly Wilkes released her and stalked to the door. He had no idea how to convince her of his love and his desire to marry her, and was terrified that he was going to lose her if he continued to argue.

"Nanny ... Sir Wilkes! I'm glad you're up and obviously feeling much better!" Bill wheeled in his cart, grinning at them. "And Nanny, guess what? A surprise for you! A letter... from England!"

"A letter? For ME?" Nanny eagerly took the letter, wondering who she knew in England. She felt around her neck for her glasses, then looked vaguely around wondering where she had left them this time.

Wilkes caught a glimpse of the written address, and his heart leapt. It was the letter he had written! How opportune that it should arrive today, of all days, if it could not have arrived when it SHOULD have come! By the time Nanny found her glasses, Bill had set out the breakfast and was gone. For once Nanny ignored the rawther hot coffee and ripped open the letter.

Her mouth dropped open as she read the signature at the bottom, and she looked at Wilkes who returned her look evenly. Biting her lip, Nanny read the letter twice, the second time through tears she couldn't prevent from spilling. Then she was in Wilkes' arms, breakfast forgotten.

He kissed her, warmly and slowly. Nanny whispered almost fearfully, "I hope you won't think I'm..."

"Beautiful? Passionate? Hungry for me?" He supplied words she had never even thought of saying. "I'm thinking of how many years I wasted, not knowing you..."

Nanny gasped in relief that he had not spurned her as her first lover had, and Wilkes' tender loving finally erased the memories of the man who had taken her love and refused to return it. "I love you..."

"I love you, Nanny." came his answering whisper. "Please... say you'll marry me..."

Her head spun and she revelled in the giddiness. Love had been waiting for her here, like this ... waiting for her to awaken and acknowledge it. Her love had been waiting for his loving kiss. No one had ever wanted her quite like this, touched her quite like this, needed her quite like this... loved her quite like this! THIS was love – truly the only present that counted!

O o O o O o

Wilkes and Nanny were married three days later. Eloise had been absolutely horrified when she had realized that her life would change the moment Nanny married Sir Wilkes. She had been unable to believe that it had never occurred to her that once married, Nanny would no longer be living in her suite, no longer be at her beck and call every moment of every day and night. For a moment Eloise had been all for breaking up the wedding just as she had aided in breaking up Rachel's wedding to Brooks. But then she had spoken with her mother and most of all, on the wedding day she had looked at Nanny's face which was full of love for Sir Wilkes and radiant with her happiness, and she knew that it was as she, Eloise, had told Mr. Peabody on Christmas Eve.

Eloise had wanted Rachel to have true love, and had known that it couldn't possibly be with Brooks Oliver III. She had passionately defended her actions to Mr. Peabody, by saying that if he just LOOKED at Bill and Rachel, REALLY looked at them, he would know that they belonged together, and that Rachel's heart had always been with Bill. Now, looking at Nanny as she held Sir Wilkes' hand shyly yet as if she were overjoyed, Eloise knew that here, too, she was seeing true love. Nanny and Sir Wilkes BELONGED together, even though Eloise was sure she was absolutely heart-broken at losing Nanny as HER mostly companion!

Then Eloise was in Nanny's arms. "Oh, pet," Nanny whispered against the child's hair, squeezing her tightly, "I do, do, DO love you! It was you who gave me the courage to listen to my 'eart... you who made Sir Wilkes notice me... you who taught me to keep trying even though I thought it was impossible, you who allowed me to recognize the presents that count. You've got one of the biggest 'earts I know, for sure, sure, sure!"

"Nanny, I absolutely love you," Eloise had tears in her eyes, and she wasn't sure if they were tears of happiness for Nanny or sadness for herself. "I just don't know what I'll do without you for my mostly companion all the time!"

Nanny looked up at Wilkes, then over to Kay, then back to Wilkes. He nodded slightly. Various emotions chasing across her face, Nanny kissed Eloise's forehead, then cupped her face and stared at her, saying huskily, "I think you'll have to start thinking of me as your grandmother now, love. How would that be?"

As Eloise cried out gladly and hugged Nanny again, Nanny's eyes met Kay's. Kay smiled slowly, her own love for Nanny showing on her lovely face. "Thank you.... Mother," she mouthed.

Nanny's mouth fell open in surprise. Kay's smile widened. "I've known for years," she admitted in an undertone. "But I didn't want to say anything until you did. I just tried to SHOW how much I loved you."

Standing up awkwardly, Nanny hardly noticed when Wilkes picked up Eloise and gave her a big hug, telling her she could call him Grandpa if she wanted. "You... knew?" she whispered.

Indicating Eloise with a faint laugh and tears in her eyes, Kay murmured, "Like mother, like daughter? Thank you, Mother, for loving Eloise and taking care of her for me until now so that I didn't have to give her up... and thank you for loving and caring for me in spite of all I put you through..."

"Oh, KAY!" and Nanny clasped her daughter to her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh my Lord!" Eloise said in disgust, having missed the undercurrents but not the obvious emotions. "This is supposed to be an absolutely divinely HAPPY time, Nanny! You aren't supposed to CRY, for Lord's sake!"

"Happy tears, love," Nanny chuckled, dashing the tears away with a trembling hand. "Just tears of happiness, for sure, sure, sure."

"I hope YOU understand her, Sir Grandpa, 'cause I absolutely do NOT!" Eloise rolled her eyes as she looked at Wilkes.

"I've heard it's impossible to understand women... AND that women ALWAYS cry at weddings," Wilkes said dryly. "Must be because they're suddenly realizing what they're getting themselves into!"

Eloise shook her head. "Or maybe because they don't get the right present! They'd be absolutely fine if they realized which presents REALLY count, for Lord's sake!" she said sagely.

"Oh, I realize it, pet, for sure, sure, sure!" Nanny hugged Eloise, then moved into Wilkes' arms again. "It's the presents from the heart which count... proof of the love between us," she whispered just before her lips met Wilkes', neither one of them caring about Eloise's faint grimace of disgust.

The End!