COME FLY WITH ME............by Coralynn

Bess and Marthy cling together excitedly, looking out the airport terminal windows at the planes as they take off and land.
"We're going on one of those, Bess!" Marthy says gleefully, "We're going to be way up in the sky!"
"It hardly seems possible," Bess shakes her head, "How much things have changed since 1777!"
"Ok, ladies, we're about to board!" Marilyn tells them, "Just follow Beth and me and do what we do and everything will be fine."
They follow Beth and Marilyn down the long ramp that leads into the plane. When they see the Stewardess they grin at her and Marthy blurts out, "I've never flown before!"
The Stewardess pats her arm and says reassuringly, "I'll be sure to take extra good care of you, then."
"I haven't either!" Bess wants to get the special treatment, too. The stewardess smiles as they pass into the plane behind Beth and Marilyn.
"We're flying first class, so take a seat here," Bethia instructs, "You get more pampering in first class."
All four women settle into the seats and when Bess and Marthy see Marilyn and Bethia fasten their seat belts, they attempt to do it as well.
"I can't figure this out!" Bess complains.
"Here, dear, let me help!" the stewardess fastens it for her, then shows her how, unfastening it, then fastening it, back and forth.
William, Rafe, Jack, Luke and Hotspur walk into the plane and proceed back to the coach section.
"Why aren't they sitting up here with us?" Marthy asks Beth.
"Because William is doing his cheapskate routine again. Don't worry, they'll be fine, though I wonder how Rafe and Hotspur are going to do considering they've never flown before either."
"What's in those bags they're carrying?"
"Those are sack lunches. They get a sandwich, an apple, maybe a cookie, stuff like that." Marilyn informs the bewildered young women.
"WE don't have any, though!" Marthy looks around at the other passengers in first class and they don't have any, either.
"We're served meals, dear," Beth assures her, "And we can drink wine or mixed drinks, no extra charge. I don't think it would be a good idea to do that, though, we need our wits about us."

The plane taxis down the runway, then at one point the engine fires and it speeds up suddenly. Marthy and Bess peer out the window then at Marilyn and Beth in controlled alarm.
"Just relax, I've done this a million times!" Marilyn exaggerates.
The plane leaves the ground and gains altitude. It soon smoothes out and the two neophytes visibly relax.
They tell the stewardess what they would like to eat and drink when they hear a male voice, "I'm starving!! What's for dinner?" Oh-oh, it's Hotspur.
"We are having lobster, and you are having sack lunches," Beth informs him.
"The Hell!" he objects.
Marilyn gestures for him to put his head closer to her, "If you're unhappy with this, Hotspur, take it up with William. He's the one who wouldn't buy first class tickets for you five men. It's not my fault. You must go back and join the others now, like a good boy."
Hotspur sees bottles of whiskey, rum, scotch, and so forth, sitting in the serving area; marches up and grabs off a bottle and hurries back to Coach.
The stewardess is dismayed. "Did that man just swipe a bottle?"
All four women make shrugging movements. Bess whispers to Marthy, "I don't think we should tell her we know Hotspur. It could get unpleasant."
Marthy giggles and smiles as the stewardess puts a steaming plate of delectable food in front of her.

The flight goes well, even though Rafe makes an appearance, grabbing some of the better food the women are eating and scurrying back to his seat.
The stewardess wonders why the women aren't objecting and yelling for assistance. Oh well, this is only a six hour flight. How much harm can they do?

The only other incident during the flight was when a man from Coach was using the restroom up near first class and saw Marilyn, yelling "Oh my God! It's Marilyn Monroe!" which caused several other men to run up the aisle to see as well. The stewardess pulled the curtain and gave them a dirty look.
The plane lands and they go back down another ramp into LAX. The crowds are big and the escalator crowded as they descend to the Luggage Pickup.
Soon the five men are with them, waiting not so patiently for their luggage to come down the shoot onto the carousel.
"Next time we get to sit in first class, too, William!" Hotspur demands, "How about when we fly back? Can we sit up there then?"
"No, Hotstuff, we have round-trip tickets, which means we stay in coach," William insists with that tone of voice that discourages further discussion.
"I'm still hungry," Hotspur whines, "How about you, Rafe? Jack? Luke?"
The other men don't want to incur William's wrath, so they say nothing.
The luggage arrives and they get taxis to their hotels.
Hotspur sees where the women's taxi is headed, and sees that the men's taxi is heading another way and pokes Luke, "Hey! Luke! Shouldn't we be in the same hotel as the ladies?"
William glares at him, "The 'ladies' are wasting money on that fancy hotel. We, on the other hand, are staying at a very nice motel. See, over there on the left?"
The other men look and, as usual, Hotspur has to comment, "That place is a dump! If I were to list it for sale, let's say, it wouldn't bring in more that $150.000. Come on, William, are we really that destitute?"
William has had enough, "Look, Hotspur! Next time we go anyplace, you make the arrangements and you pay for it, how's that?"
"Great! Now be sure to remember that, because I'm not going peasant class ever again!"

Marilyn, Bethia, Marthy & Bess settle into two adjoining rooms.
"This place is like a palace!" Bess enhuses, "It's even better than back at the Court of Henry2! And people live like this?"
"It doesn't come cheap, Bess, so we don't live like this all the time!" Beth tells her. "We're supposed to meet the men at the dining room here in this hotel in another few hours. Sure hope the guys don't make a scene, accusing William of being cheap, but my guess is they will!" Marilyn laughs.
"The Academy Awards ceremony isn't till tomorrow around 6pm," Bethia reads from her brochures, "So we have a bit over 24 hours to 'Do The Town'........wish Eleanor could have come. But she couldn't get time off from her sportcasting job."
"We'll take lots of pictures to show her! And, she'll be watching us on TV tomorrow night.....I still find it hard to believe my costume design was nominated for an award" Bethia says as she hangs up some dresses.

BACK across the County, a few hours later, WandaSue and Belle are laughing over their plans.
"You think you can really do that?" Belle asks. "Going to give it my best shot!!" WSue says gaily, "Wanna try it out now?"
"Sure!"
"Now remember, you go there and stay put......and watch the fun!"
She tells the locket, "We wish to be where William the Conqueror is, and whenever I say BOO, I wish to be back here!" and whooooosh they end up in a very nice hotel dining room. WSue directs Belle to sit across the room and watch what happens.
She walks up to the large table that seats nine people and yells, "BOO!" then disappears.
They look from one to the other, wondering if each of them have malfunctioning eyes, then go back to eating, shaking their heads.
She reappers and yells "BOO!" and disappers.
"Ok, what's going on?" William looks around the table, "Did you just see a black haired woman yell BOO and disappear?"
They all nod in the affirmative.
Within 20 seconds the woman reappears, does it again and vanishes.
Marilyn gestures for them to all lean in and listen as she whispers, "I think that's the woman you took to 1692 Salem, William! Only the hair is different. When she comes back, really get a look!"
Sure enough, two minutes later, she's back yellling "BOO!" and disappearing again.
"I have an idea," Jack volunteers, "Rafe, sit on the end of the table, near where she pops up. Next time she appears, grab her!"
Rafe is getting very nervous, as he recognizes this woman as Susan Hemingway, with whom he had that dalliance not that long ago.
"Can't someone else do it? Hotspur is ever so much stronger than I am!"
But it's too late. She reappears, he grabs her and he ends up standing in that apartment of hers, the one he recognizes from the assignation.
She looks at him in surprise and says suggestively, "Well, bigboy, are ya back fer more?"

"Take me BACK!" Rafe pleads, "I don't want to fly across the country again. Take me BACK!"
"Well, well, you seem to think it's important. Why is that? Why are you there in the first place?"
"William says we're there to protect the ladies!" Rafe proclaims, "So...."
WSue produces a wicked laugh, "Well, sonny, you're not much protection now, are ya?"
He feels humiliated and just looks down at the floor.
"Alright! Hang on, here we go!"
They reappear in the dining room of the hotel. The others breath a sigh of relief to see Rafe back, but then, as they follow WandaSue's progress across the room, they see Belle take her hand and both of them vanish.

William is shocked, "That's Isabella!"
"Who?!"
"Isabella! That's right, none of you were at that original dinner party so you don't recognize her. She's the She-Wolf, the one who had Edward2 murdered! She's teamed up with that Susan Hemingway person? How could that have happened......how did she get to the 21st Century?"
Luke remembers something, "William, didn't you say that Susan Hemingway got back from 1692 Salem? She must have a coin or something.......you know, to time travel and all."
They all look at Luke and try to get their minds around this.
William bangs on the table, "By Thunderation, this shall not be allowed to continue!"
Everyone's eyebrows go up as they wait for his solution.
"Don't stare at me like that! I'll come up with a plan........when I come up with one."
They go back to their meals, but there is an uneasy feeling in the air.


PARIS BOUND.....by Terri

"Rosamond, darling, do you really need all that luggage? We are only going to be gone for a week." John sat on her bed and watched her fold things into the luggage.
"But, John, you said we could stay an extra three days outside of the trade show. I have to have two changes of clothes every day times seven, that's fourteen. I have cosmetics, and since we are combining romance with business...." She held up her lingerie. He smiled his approval. "Did you call Murphy the contractor?" "Yes, I told him I had to go out of town on business but if he had any questions, he was to get in contact with Jerry. Jerry knows all about construction and can answer anything. I trust him implicitly."
John stretched out on the bed. "What do you want to see, honey?"
"Eiffel Tower for sure, I could spend forever in the Louvre. But mainly just walking down the Seine at night holding hands with you and sitting in a bistro eating creme brulees. Just think! No one breathing down our necks! Not William, not the police, I won't have to get up in the night with Julie. Good thing I stopped nursing her!"
John asked her, "Honey, why don't we just get married in Paris? We could get married in one of those little French churches in Normandy or Brittany. Imagine! Just you and me, we come back a married couple!"
Rosamond shook her head. "Been there, done that! No, no, John. We are getting married with all the trimmings. I want a wedding gown and flowers and a reception and a bridal shower and a nice engagement period to really revel in."

John sighed. "Alright, but don't you think we should start thinking about a wedding date?"
"How about December?"
"Too long. How about August?"
"August? I couldn't possibly get it together in less than a month. Besides, I am still supposed to be in Verla's wedding. Billy Bob was supposed to be in it, too. She got Jameson to stand in for him. I'll bet Anastacia is pitching a fit! She never liked me and now I am partnered up with her husband for the wedding. Poor Jameson. He's trying so hard to take care of everything. He was so concerned about the prices I was charging for Billy Bob's things. I guess he thought I was getting ripped off. He actually bought some of those things back, bless his heart!"

Rosamond hurried down the stairs, banging her luggage behind her. John just carried one suitcase and a briefcase.
Celeste was in the kitchen with Julie in the swing and Will playing with his Play-Doh.
"Celeste, it is just wonderful of you to take care of the children while we're gone."
"Darlings, I am happy to do it. You two have been to hell and back this past month. John, I'm glad they were able to take the cast off before you left."
John wiggled his fingers. "So am I! Just a little stiff but it wil work itself out. I just take extra glucosamine."
Rosamond leaned over Will and gave him a kiss. "Be good for Grandma Celeste and I'll bring you back something nice from Paris, my little love."
"OK. Mommy...are you and Uncle John getting married there?"
"No, sweetheart, how could I get married without you there to carry the ring?"
"That's right, Mommy. I need to protect you AND the ring!"
John picked up Julie. She gave a little baby smile. He said to her, "Little princess, I fully expect to see a tooth when we get back! And NO MORE DROOLING!"
Rose laughed and she couldn't have felt more happy than she did at that moment.

They arrived at the airport with just enough time to spare. John parked the Miata in the long-term parking lot.
Rose asked, "Who at work knows where we are?"
John answered, "Daniel and Slim. Rafe went to Hollywood with the others. But they don't know you are along. Daniel has been a little flaky lately. I just told him you were busy with the contractor and took a week off from work. That new guy, Brad, is going to take the aerobics class while you are gone."
"Brad? Wasn't he the one from the tennis club? You know, that friend of that tennis creep Gunther?"
"Maybe. But I'll bet by the time he gets done running that Boot Camp Aerobics as he calls it, everyone will be screaming for you to get back!"
They boarded the plane, it left on time for Paris and seven hours later they were at DeGaulle airport, picking up their luggage and heading for the hotel.


THE SCHEME.........by Coralynn

WandaSue and Belle disappear from the hotel dining room, but they don't go back to her apartment in Pleasantville. They meet with the 'Goons' she's hired to kidnap Marilyn the next night at the Academy Awards ceremony.
"How can we be sure it's her?" Spike asks for the fourth time.
"Look! Spike! She looks like Marilyn Monroe! You know what she looked like, dont cha?" she pulls a picture ripped from a magazine and swings it in front of his face, then jams it into his hand. "Study it!"
"Now where do ya wan us ta take 'er?" Mugsy asks for the fifth time.
WSue heaves a sigh of exasperation and points to the map he has in his hands.
"See? That old apartment building? See the number of the apartment I just rented for the week? See where I put the big red X? That's the place!"
She is beginning to wonder if there are any ciminals in the state of Calfornia with I.Q.s higher than room temperature.
Clyde laughs raggedly, "I get ta put de gag in her mout and tie her up! A--huuuu A-huuuu!"
Belle takes WandaSue aside and whispers, "Do you think these guys can carry it off? They seem none to intelligent!"
"Ohhhh they'll do it, or else! I'm going to have that William bully going out of his mind with worry! That's what he gets for taking me to Salem and dumping me there at the mercy of the Puritans! And, if anything goes terribly wrong.......we tell the locket to take us back to Pleasantville, or, better yet, Paris! Remember, we still have a score to settle with Rosebud!"
"And that guy you call BB?"
"It will be a great pleasure to see the horror on his face when I keep showing up. Hang on, Belle, fasten your seatbelt, it is going to be a won-der-ful ride!!"


ROSAMOND, ROSAMOND, WHEREFORE ART THOU..........by Terri

Jameson sighed deeply and answered the insistent ringing of his phone. "Hello?"
"Well, FINALLY, Jameson! I have been trying to get hold of you for the last three days. Where have you been?"
"Listen, cuz, believe it or not, I have a LIFE! I had to get things going at the restaurant, we had a little labor dispute. Chez Pierre, not the seafood restaurant. So what do you need?"
"Need? NEED? I NEED to find out what is going on! Did you and Bobby Joe join that gym?"
"Yes, we did. We went two days in a row but haven't seen either of them. I asked one of the trainers where the owner was and he said he went to a trade show in Paris."
"Paris? MY Paris?"
"No, Paris KY--well, of course it's Paris France!"
"So where is my wife?"
"Haven't seen her. Some huge steroid infested guy is taking over her class.I casually asked this skinny guy where the aerobics instructor was, the blonde one, and he said she took a week off to take care of some 'personal business.' Whatever that means."
"Looks like I'll have to call Bobby Joe at the ranch, see if she's been out there with that contractor who is destroying the place. Have you gotten in touch with Magruder yet?"
"Yes, he's been watching that house on Winding Willow where she's been staying. He saw her Miata back out of the garage yesterday and Gwinnett was driving it. She was with him. He tailed them but lost them, said they were headed into the City."
Billy Bob exploded. "He must be losing his touch! She must have been driving him to the airport. If she's keeping her car in that garage he won't be able to tell if she's home or not. Have Magruder send out a signal and track where her cellphone is. She usually has it on."
"He already tried that, all he got was her voicemail."
"DAMN! She's got to be around there somewhere! If she's still nursing the baby, she can't go far. I'll talk to you later tonight."
Click!
Jameson sighed, yes, I'm sure you will.

The four days in Paris at the trade show flew by. Rosamond accompanied John to every lecture, every demonstration. They walked hand in hand through all the displays. John had ordered quite a bit of equipment.
"Darling, can you afford all this?"
John answered, "The gym is taking off like a rocket. Guess it pays to get good-looking trainers and teachers. Every guy who comes in there expects to walk out of there looking like Rafe! And Slim is a real go-getter. I swear, when that guy talks..."
Rose answered, "Yes, he's very persuasive. He could sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo. When you and I were broken up, he tried to pick me up at the Dew Drop Inn. Some of the lines he used! They were atrocious!---and funny! If I wasn't so hung up on you, I might have fallen for them!"
"Really? What did he say?"
Rose grew embarrassed. "Oh, something about going out for pizza...LOOK, John! This treadmill is state-of-the-art...."

Rosamond and John lay wrapped up in each other's arms. John said, "I am SO glad the trade show is over. Now we can spend some time seeing what we want to see! What do you want to see first, Rose?"
"The Louvre! I want to see the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory and Venus de Milo. I want to see those four Greek statues...."
John hushed her with a kiss. "Settle for one Englishman?"
Rosamond laughed. "But aren't you an American?"
"Guess so. Although in 1640 the United States didn't exist. We were just colonies of England. I guess I DO consider myself an American. Someday we will have to go back in time. I want you to meet my parents. I wonder how we would pull it off. Do we just show up and act like we are in that time frame or do we tell them we traveled into the future?"
"I don't know. It would be interesting."
"I sure would like to see Charles again. He was such fun! Always dashing into the fray!"
"Did he ever get married?"
"He was engaged when Daniel and I left for the Colonies. I suppose he did. He inherited all that land. Remind me when we get home to check on the land and see if it ended up a mall like Hotspur's."
"You know, I was thinking, we COULD take the Chunnel and visit England." John acted shocked. "WHAT? Forsake the City of Eternal Lights? The City of Love? Un, un, sweetheart, not with you on my arm during the day and in my arms during the night. Now let's get dressed and see the sites!"

Rosamond and John sat at a little bistro on the Champ d'Elysse. John had espresso and Rosamond had a cappucino. John reached over and touched her hand. "Seen enough, love?"
"No, not nearly! I don't even care about shopping! I want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Tonight! We saw it during the day, let's see the city lights. I heard it is the most romantic sight in the world."
"As you wish, darling."
Rose reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He put his arm around the back of her chair.
"This is so wonderful, John! Let's come back here for our honeymoon!"
"Sure you don't want to get married here? We could....Rose! What is it? You are white as a sheet. Did you see a ghost?"
Rose sat there staring at the street. "There..! Over there....! No, it can't be!" she whispered. "What? Honey, you are starting to scare me!" Rosamond's hand was shaking so that she dropped her cappucino cup. She rubbed her eyes, her hands clenched and trembling. "John...I must be going crazy. It can't be! Impossible!"
John was growing more and more alarmed. "Honey, should I call a doctor?"
She tried to form the words but all she could get out was "No, it can't be...." She grabbed John's arm and said, "He's dead. HE'S DEAD, ISN'T HE? Everyone has a double somewhere, don't they? DON'T THEY?"
"Rosamond, what are you talking about?"
She whispered, "I--I just saw my husband turning the corner."


Billy Bob Montgomery stood there in the doorway of the shop, his breath coming fast and shallow. Is it possible? Was I seeing things? It sure looked like her.
He punched in numbers on his cellphone.
"Double B Ranch. Austin here."
"Bobby Joe, it's me."
Bobby Joe said hurriedly, "Still, uh, haven't found that jacket yet, BB."
"Forget that jacket right now!"
"Are you ALLRIGHT?"
"No, I'm not all right!" he snapped. "I need you to find out where Rosamond is and I need to know where John Gwinnett is staying in Paris. I think I saw her...him..her.... BOTH of them! TOGETHER! And if I did, it means that little tramp of a wife of mine is cheating on me!"
"Uh....Billy Bob? Technically, she is not because she is not really your wife..."
"NO? Well, pray tell, who was that standing next to me on the banks of the Mississippi River last October, huh? Now, you call me and call me within the next hour. JUST DO IT!"
Bobby Joe pulled his phone away from his ear and then stuck his tongue out at it.
Boy, he's really coming unspooled now!
Bobby Joe sighed, got up and wandered over to the ranch house. Murphy was in there with his crew, installing a skylight, new closet doors, and installing a new door. Murphy looked up at him. "Hey, Bobby Joe! How's it going?"
"Going OK I guess."
"Don't know what kind of wild times they had here. This door really took a beating! Looks like it was wrenched off the hinges! And those dents--size 12 boots, maybe?"
He grinned.
Bobby Joe chuckled. "Yeah, I remember one night when she dumped him on the highway and I had to pick him up....wait! I'm sure Billy Bob won't..wouldn't..have wanted me to talk about this stuff!" He looked around casually.
"I haven't seen Tequila Sunrise around here this past week. Any idea where she may have gone?"
"Nope! But she left word for me to contact a Jerry Palmer if I had any questions. Said she wouldn't be around for about a week. No way I could get hold of her. She's supposed to be back by Monday. She may have gone off with that boyfriend of hers."
"Boyfriend?"
"Yeah, that John guy. Nice guy. They act like they've known each other for a long time. Guess she leaned on him after Montgomery died. Although personally I think something was going on before. Either that or she was struck by Cupid's arrow at the funeral! HAHA!"
Bobby Joe said, "Any chance she, uh, went to Paris with him?"
"Dunno. She was pretty vague as to her whereabouts."
"OK, thanks, Murphy!"
"If I hear from her, I'll let you know!"

Magruder called Bobby Joe within twenty minutes. "OK, here' s what I found out from American Airlines. Gwinnett booked two seats first class on Sunday with a return trip for two on the following Monday. He is staying at the Hilton on Champ d'Elysse--got himself a nice suite. I called the desk clerk and asked for a Mrs. John Gwinnett, said I was trying to deliver some legal papers to her and wanted to know if I should forward them to her in Paris. Desk clerk said he would have her call me when she got in. I said that was OK, I'd just give them to her attorney. I made small talk with the desk clerk--her name was Babbette, I have a way with women--and said, "Bet they go to Spain to see Mrs. Gwinnett's folks and she said, 'Mais, non, Monsieur! Madame--if she IS Madame!--is blonde, with an English accent!' Looks like we found Mrs. Montgomery, doesn't it?"
Bobby Joe's heart sank. "Yes, it does!"


THE BIG NIGHT..............by Coralynn

"All ready to go?" Marilyn checks in with Bess and Marthy.
They come out of their hotel room in beautiful gowns; Bess in red and Marthy in blue.
Bethia joins them in the hallway, "You two look like royalty!"
The two young women beam as they all go down in the elevator and out through the lobby to the awaiting limo.
They arrive at the Convention Center and proceed up to the main entrance.
Flashbubs are popping all around them and interviewers are thrusting microphones in front of the major movie stars.
They don't expect much attention, as they're there for the costume design Oscar, not Best Actress award. But an aggressive interviewer sees Marilyn and rushes over. "Marilyn Monroe!" she yells out.
Other media people rush to the scene and get in on this shocking announcement.
Flash bulbs are going wild around where she stands.
"Lots of people said you were still alive, Marilyn, and you are!"
"My name is Sally Reynolds," is all Marilyn says, over and over and over, no matter the question asked.
"Julia Roberts!" someone yells, and the swarm of reporters rush in that direction.
Our group then walks on, Marilyn shaking her head and Bethia walking close to her in case anyone else decides to surround her again.
"This does get tedius," Marilyn tells Bethia, "No matter. My name is Sally Reynolds and that's all the information I'm going to give out."
Bethia has to admire Marilyn's upflappability. "You handle the situation beautifully!"

They're shown to their seats, which are in the 8th row. The first two rows are full of the A-List stars like Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson.
"At 6:35 we're to all go backstage and get Bess and Marthy ready for their part of the costume award presentation," Bethia reminds the others, "We can slip out and back there without being seen," she shows the others the route to backstage.
"Where are the men?" Marthy asks.
"Sitting way up high in the peanut gallery," Bethia jokes, "I got them tickets, but, since they aren't part of the ceremonies in any way, they get to be spectators in the nose-bleed section! See? Look up there, Marthy, can you spot them?"
"I'm not sure! I think I see Jack," her eyes mist over, "But it could be someone who looks like him. Can they see the stage from there?"
"Only with opera glasses!" Marilyn tells her.
The ceremonies begin. Steve Martin is the master of ceremonies and tells many hysterical jokes, which meet with thunderous laughter.
"I don't get it...." Bess whispers to Marilyn...."I don't get the jokes."
"That's OK, you're a newcomer, you can't be expected to know. But watch me, because pretty soon we go backstage where we make a swan, that's you, into an even more beautiful swan!"

At precisely 6:35pm the four women go backstage into the dressing room to change Bess & Marthy into the costumes from the movie, "That Woman."

Spike, Mugsy and Clyde are out in the alley behind the building.
"Knock harder!" Spike tells Mugsy, "Somebody gotta hear and open dat door!"
Mugsy bangs on the door. It's opened a crack by a security guard, "What?"
"Delivery for Miss .....uhhhh........let's see......oh......Marilyn!"
The security guard closes the door and walks through the backstage dresssing rooms, "Anyone here go by the name of Marilyn? Somebody has a delivery for you."
Marilyn wonders if it could be for her, and, if so, what on earth could it be? She didn't ask for anything to be delivered to her at this place.
"I'll just go check on it, ladies, proceed!" she goes to the back door and opens it just a crack and asks, "Delivery for whom?"
"YOU!" Clyde jumps her as Spike puts a rag soaked with ether over her nose.
It makes him woozy as well and they both fall down on the alley pavement.
"Oh swell!" Spike says raspily, "Now we gotta carry two uv 'em!"
Spike and Mugsy drag both Marilyn and Clyde to a van they have parked nearby.
Opening the back, they shove them inside. At least Spike shoves Marilyn inside; Mugsy is having a terrible time getting Clyde in there as Clyde outweighs Spike by at least fourty pounds.
"Here!" Spike helps him, "You better join a gym 'er something, yerr too weak for this biznez!"
The two men get into the van and drive off. Spike holds the map to the apartment and Mugsy drives.
"Turn right at the next red light!" he barks out.
Mugsy drives several blocks more.
"I said turn right at the next red light!" Spike growls.
"Dos lights were green, you idiot!" Mugsy shoots back, "Ya color blind or wat?"
"Go back! Ya hadda turn three blocks ago!"
Mugsy looks at Spike like the other man has lost it completely, "If I do, and you're wrong, which you are, by the way, you get the midnight shift!"
"Nawwwww, I wanna get some sleep! You said I could take the 7 to 9 shift!"
They hear a rucus in the back of the van and look at each other in alarm.
"HEY! What am I doing back here?" Clyde yells at them, working his way up to the back tier of seats, tripping and falling, "I taut the dame was the one we kidnap, not me!"
"Ya passed out from de either, dummie!" Spike turns his head and glowers at him.
Clyde just gives him a vacant stare.
"There it is!!" Spike says jubilantly as he sees the apartment building on the right. "Now who gets the midnight shift! It ain't me!!"

They park the van behind the building and go around to get their captive. As they open the back door of the van, she is just regaining consciousness.
"Hurry! She's waking up!" Mugsy yells.
"Who's got de key to da place?" Spike asks.
"You do, rememba?"
"Do not! Mugsy, you have it!"
"Do not! Clyde I know you have it!"
"Nope! You have it, Mugs. It's in yer back pocket! Hurry!"
Mugsy reaches around and runs his left hand down into his back pocket, bringing out the key but immediately dropping it on the pavement.
"Butter fingers!" Spike rants, "Why do I even try to do biznez with you two? Here! I've got it. Ahhh no, that's a bottle cap. Come on, feel around......it has to be here somewer."
Marilyn is becoming more conscious. She's still a bit dazed, and, without realizing she's assisting her kidnappers, reaches down and picks up the key, "You guys looking for this?"
Mugsy grabs it from her and tells the other two, "Grab her, don't let 'er get away!"
Spike grabs her right arm and Clyde her left, dragging her toward the apartment building. She resists, but they're too strong for her. As they enter the building, they drag her unwillingly up a flight of stairs, and into a dark apartment. They slam the door shut and flip on the overhead light.
Marilyn looks around the room. Her head is beginning to clear. She's been kidnapped! she's sure of it now. But why?
The room is furnished with two old couches with protruding springs. A grimy table sits in the middle of what must have once been a kitchen. She thinks, Remain calm. These guys think I'm helpless, and they don't appear intelligent, so I'll do nothing until I see a chance for escape. But I will play with their brains, that I can do!
"OH I AM SO HUNGRY!" she says loudly, "I am so thirsty! I am in need of a pizza! You guys hungry? Are you in need of a pizza? Does this phone work?"
"Get away from da phone!" Mugsy commands, "I'LL call fer de pizza!" which is easier said than done, because they have no phone number for a pizza place.
"I'm hungry, too!" Spike complains, "Come on, Mugs! Call up a pizza joint."
"Yeah, Mugs!" Clyde joins in.
"I don't have no phone number fer no pizza joint!" Mugsy protests. Oh, boy, Marilyn thinks, these guys are dumber than I thought! "Call information!" she says in a friendly voice.
"And have them track us back to where we are? Fat chance, lady!"
"No, no, you're getting information mixed up with the Police," Marilyn explains, "Information doesn't track phone numbers, they just give them out!"
Finally Clyde calls information and gets a phone number for a pizza place not far away.
Marilyn sits down on the only cushion of either couch that doesn't have dangerous things popping up out of it.
"Want me to tie her ankles tagedder?"
"Naww, where's she gonna go anyway?"
Marilyn rolls her eyes. What is going on here? Why have these idiots kidnapped her? As she sits there wondering, suddenly a black haired woman appears in the room, accompanied by a thin blond woman with almost no color to her anywhere. Looks like an eerrry spectre to Marilyn.
"Good job!" the black haired woman thumps Mugsy on the back, then comes over and leers at Marilyn, "SO! You're one of William's pals, are ya? Where is he now that you need him, huh? He thought he could dump me in......."
"1692 Salem, yes I remember," Marilyn finishes the sentence, "and I understand you're angry about it, as well you might be, but what has that to do with me and why have I been kidnapped?"
"To give William the Bastard pain, a lotta pain! He'll be out of his mind with worry!" which causes WandaSue to laugh like a madwoman. The other woman just stands there, watching.
Marilyn remembers William telling them who the blond colorless woman was when the two had appeared in the dining room the night before, so she addresses this person.
"Isabella! That IS your name, isn't it? Why are you taking a chance on being thrown in jail for aiding and abetting a felony?"
'Belle' hears this and ponders it. "What's a felony?"
"Never you mind, Belle. Just stick with me! Nobody ain't gonna take us alive!"
They then disappear.
Marilyn rolls her eyes again, but is now so wide awake that her mind begins turning over rapidly. She approaches Clyde and says pitifully, "Can I go into the bathroom?"
"Shure, lady!"
She goes into what is probably a bathroom and closes the door. The stench is vile, and the utilities crusted with grime and God knows what else.
She tries not to breathe in, but quickly goes to the medicine chest and opens it. Inside the medicine chest are some things left by a man, she concludes, shaving lotion, razors, a cheap men's cologne. She shakes up the container of shaving cream. Good, it feels full.

MEANWHILE......back at the Academy Awards Ceremonies:
Bess and Marthy are ready to go onstage for their part in the Best Costume Design presentation. "Where's Marilyn?" Bethia asks them.
"She went out to get some delivery package a while ago," Bess tells her, "Isn't she back?"
"I haven't seen her," Marthy adds, "Could she be in the rest room?"
Bethia goes into all the rest rooms in the area. No Marilyn.
The music rises and the girls go onstage, modeling the fashions with grace. Bethia is proud of them. It goes perfectly, and soon they are backstage again.
"How'd we do?" they ask Bethia.
"You were both magnificent!" Bethia hugs them.
"Now we have to find Marilyn. I'm going up to the balcony where the men are and ask if they have any ideas."
She works her way clear up to the top balcony tier and motions for William and the others to join her at the back. They do.
"Why did you drag us out of our seats?" Hotspur grumbles.
"Marilyn is missing!" she tells them.
"You're sure?"
"Positive!"
William gets them in a huddle, "I'm going to cut to the chase and phone Celeste and see what she gets....." he pulls out his cellphone and punches in the numbers at the big house.
"Celeste here!"
"Celeste, we need your help. Marilyn is missing. Can you look in your crystal ball and tell us where she is?"
Others seated in the balcony shush them.

They proceed down the ramp into a vestibule area off the balcony, closing the doors behind them.
William covers the mouthpiece and tells them, "Celeste is going to look..... Oh yes, Celeste, tell me what you see!"
He repeats what Celeste tells him to the others, "She's been kidnapped, you say?........she's being held in an apartment with three men........ok, what's she doing right now?.......you see her coming out of the bathroom with a can of.......a can of what?......she's attacking all three men with shaving cream?.......spraying it in their eyes?......she's now kneeing them in the groin one after the other?.....she's bolted out of the place and is running outside, yelling 'Taxi' you say?........she's in a taxi now.......probably coming back to the auditorium here. Thank you Celeste, we owe you one. One last question....do you know who perpetrated this crime?......uh-huh...black haired woman with a sidekick who has no color at all, just one tall thin blonde column of a woman.......OK....I know who they are. You're a dear....we'll be home tomorrow!"

Bethia hurries back to her seat in the 8th row, and has barely sat down when her category is called:
"The nominees for best costume design are: Jane Kane for "Up Yours, Buddy!"; Christopher Batchelder for "A Room of His Own"; Susan Marianna Goff for "I Hate to Love You"; Bethia Adams for "That Woman"; and George Alden for "Blow up Your Brain." and the winner is........Bethia Adams for "That Woman"!"
As Bethia gets up out of her seat Marilyn comes bursting into the auditorium from the back. Bethia turns and sees her friend, and yelling "MARILYN!" with great joy, the two proceed up onto the stage to accept the award.


GASLIGHT!........by Terri

"Honey, that is totally absurd! There's no way Montgomery is alive. Jameson I.D.'d the body. He's been cremated. You're just imagining things. You've been stressed out."
"No, John! This is the most relaxed I've been in months. I swear, I saw Billy Bob turn the corner. He looked over at me with this really surprised look. I KNOW it! A woman does not stay married to a man and not recognize him in a crowd!"
"OK, Rose, I know you saw something. What you THINK you saw. But think about it. If he WAS alive, what would he be doing in Paris? Of all places!"

Rosamond calmed down. "I-I suppose you are right!" She laughed shakily. "It must have been someone who strongly resembles him. And the sunlight WAS in my eyes. I guess I have an oveactive imagination!" She leaned over and kissed him. "I do love you! And by the end of the year, I'm going to marry you and NO ONE is going to stop us! So let's set a wedding date now. December too far, August too near. How about October?" John said, "Honey, I'd marry you right now if you would let me!" "Darling, I married in haste once before. I'm going to enjoy every minute of my engagement."

Exactly one hour later, Bobby Joe dialed Paris. The phone rang once.
Billy Bob grabbed the phone.
"OK, so what did you find out?"
Bobby Joe hem-hawed around. "Well, uh, you see, uh..."
'She's HERE, isn't she? With HIM!"
"Now, Billy Bob, we don't know for sure! All we could find out was that Gwinnett purchased two round trip tickets for Paris and back for eight days. I mean, he could be seeing someone, not Rose. It could be for another personal trainer, he DID go to a tradeshow."
"Bull %$&&%)*#. You know it and I know it! I haven't even been dead two weeks and already she is ho-ing around! %&^#$%^&#^@# Where is that SOB staying?"
"Uh, the Hilton on Champ d'Elysse. But Billy Bob, what are you going to do?"
"What do you think I am going to do? FOLLOW HIM! Find out where he goes and who he is with!"
Click!

Billy Bob stopped at the front desk in the Hilton lobby. He assumed his most confident air.
"May I assist you?" the desk clerk said.
Billy Bob said, "Yes. I'm supposed to meet my sister and her husband here for dinner. Unfortunately I forgot the room number to call them to tell them I have a change of plans. Could you please ring their room?"
"Certainment, Monsieur. Their name, please?"
"It's under the name of Mr. and Mrs. John Gwinnett."
The desk clerk looked on his computer screen and rang the room. No answer.
Of course not, Billy Bob thought. They were heading towards the Musee D'Orsay. That will keep them busy all afternoon.
"Ah, Monsieur, there is no answer."
"OH! I guess they are out seeing the sites. Would you do me a favor? I am leaving town this evening. Would you give me their room number so I won't have to call the front desk, I can just ring them direct? I sure am sorry to miss seeing Rosamond."
"Ah, yes, a lovely woman! She catches the eye of many a Frenchman, n'est-ce pas?"
"Oh, yeah, she's the toast of the Continent!"
Yeah, and by the time I get done with her, she'll BE toast!
"Ah, Monsieur, they are in Room 1707. Seventeenth floor."
"Thanks alot. Oh, and here's something for your trouble. I'd appreciate it if my sister didn't know I stopped by. She's going to be upset that she missed me and I don't want her to know I was here. She's sensitive about inconveniencing people."
Billy Bob slipped the desk clerk fifty dollars.
"Ah, Monsieur, my lips are sealed!"


Billy Bob walked towards the doors but took a right to the elevators. He rode up to the 17th floor, his anger and fury mounting with each floor. He got off and stood outside Room 1707. He knocked softly just to make sure no one was there. No answer.
He got out a credit card and jammed it into the door, working it just right until the door opened. He pushed it open with his foot.

Now to see for myself that the little tramp I am married to is taking up with that gym jockey!
He entered the room and checked the closets. Yep, those are her clothes. Here's that black velvet dress, my favorite one.....look at all that lingerie, Victoria's Secret. At least the little trollop is consistent. HA! Slingback pumps! I always told her they were trashy looking. At least they were in public. He checked her overnight case. Opium. Her scent. He checked the opposite closet with John's clothes in it. Armani. Ralph Lauren. Hell, the guy wears boots. Who'da thought?
She certainly didn't waste any time in her 'widow's weeds', did she? Nope, only been, what? Two or three weeks?
He lost his temper and swept everything off the vanity table. He took the sheets and tossed them off the bed. He pulled all her dresses off the hangers and stomped on them.
And who is taking care of the baby? She has no more maternal feelings than a cat!
Obviously she stopped nursing her! Guess it was just too inconvenient! Billy Bob heard the key turn in the door. He ran onto the balcony. OH, great, what if it's them? He held his breath as he watched the door knob turn.

" 'Allo? Housekeeping!"
No one answered. The two housekeepers entered the room.
"Mon Dieu! These Americans have no respect! Voici! The bed is in shambles! All these sheets on the floor and in a tangle? Heaven forbid what went on in here!"
The other maid picked Rosamond's clothes up. "Ah, but Mademoiselle has such exquisite taste in clothes. She should be more respectful of them."
Nannette, the senior maid, looked at the vanity table and said, "What happened here? Everything is on the floor like a little cat had walked across and swatted her tail!"
Collette, the other maid, picked things up. "At least nothing is broken."
Nannette said, "Did you see the man that Mademoiselle was with? Oooh la la! What a divine specimen! American men are so wonderful!"
"I thought they were on their honeymoon."
"Mais non! But they did check in as Mr. and Mrs. Ah, but they look like they are in love, Collette!"

Collette and Nannette continued to clean and pick things up. Within a half hour they were through. Collette sighed. "From the mess they left, I expect a generous tip! These Americans do not know how well they have it!"
They left the room without even checking the balcony.
Billy Bob breathed a sigh of relief and tried the door. Locked! %^$^^$^$(@!
He got out his credit card and jimmied the lock open. He looked around the room once more. That &&^^%%@! Look at this....web! He picked up her black teddy and held it out. Oh, yeah, and here's her 'widow's weeds'! He ripped the straps and then he ripped it in two, threw it on the floor, stomped on it and walked out the door.
He punched the elevator button for the lobby. As he was waiting, he heard the next elevator car stop. He turned the corner and hid out of sight. Rose and John came out. He could hear every word of their conversation.
"I can't believe I forgot the museum tickets. It will only take us a minute."
John fumbled with the key.
"What opera are we seeing tonight, John?"
"LaBoheme by Puccini. I'm sure you are going to love it, darling......"
The door shut.
Billy Bob was holding his breath and not even realizing it until he breathed out.
So they are going to the opera tonight, huh? Looks like I am, too.

Rosamond walked into the room. Immediately she sensed something. "John, do you ever walk into a room and feel that someone has been there?"
"Hm? What do you mean, honey?"
"I-I don't know. Maybe it's some sort of energy force I pick up on."
He answered absentmindedly as he looked around for the tickets. "Probably the maids...Ah! Here they are!"
John grabbed the tickets. Rosamond stood still in the middle of the room. "John," she said slowly. "When did you change your cologne?"
"What are you talking about? You know I always wear Grey Flannel."
"I-I smell Stetson. That is what Billy Bob always wore."
"Honey, I think you're mistaken. I don't smell anything."
He put his arms around her. "You have got to calm down! Don't turn into a basket case on me! Now take a deep breath!...Better?"
Rosamond took a couple of deep breaths. "You're right. It's an overactive imagination. Probably something the maids use to freshen the room with."
John used the phone to verify the time of the opera.
Rosamond spied something on the floor and bent over to pick it up. It was her black teddy. Wow, the straps are ripped and it's torn in two! She smiled a little. John Gwinnett, you animal! But...why don't I remember it?!
"OK, darling, it starts at 8:00--now, let's go see some Monets and VanGoghs!"

Rosamond pulled out her black velvet dress. She got dressed and twisted her hair up into a French twist. "Darling, would you please help me clasp this?"
It was the diamond bracelet that John gave her last Christmas. "You look stunning, my love!"
"As do you! John, I just love Paris! But I miss Will and Julie. I think I will be ready to go home."
John held her left hand and kissed it. "Ah, and here you get to wear your engagement ring! I can't wait to match a wedding band to it! Are you ready for the opera, honey?"
"Let's go! And maybe a glass of champagne afterwards...?"

Rosamond and John had terrific box seats. Rose had never been to an opera before and was fascinated by the costumes and the stage sets. She and John shared a pair of opera glasses. During intermission she swung them over the crowd to look at the beautiful dresses other women were wearing.

"Oh, John, I can't believe all the jewelry here! Must be milliions and millions of dollars worth! I love that shade of blue that the woman over there is wearing..oh! And that pink, it is just the colour of....!" She dropped the opera glasses and her face paled.
"Honey, you have to be more careful with these...! Rosamond! Darling, what's wrong, are you sick? You're white as a ghost! Oh, no! You're not.....are you?"
Rose bent over to keep from fainting. She gasped, "O-over there, in the box straight across and two to the left...take the glasses...tell me what..who...you see!"
John took the glasses and aimed them over in that direction. "You mean that guy with the grey hair and the woman with the purple dress...?" "NO! The box next to them...look!" Rose thought she would faint or throw up, not necessarily in that order.
"Honey, all I see is an empty box. No one is sitting there."
Rosamond snatched the glasses away. "I-I can't believe I was imagining it..it's not possible...."
She swung the glasses over to the box and it was vacant. She laughed shakily. "I must be losing my mind! I could have sworn I saw my husband..my ex-husband...my DEAD husband sitting in that box over there!"
John looked over at her worried. "Darling, you have to realize it...he's GONE! He's not coming back to hassle you. You and I are engaged, in four months we will be married, and life will be wonderful! We will live happily ever after and Montgomery will just be a bad dream for you. Like Henry was."
Rose whispered, terrified, "But-but I know it was him. First on the street, then his aftershave in the room, now the opera..."
John took her hand. "What you saw on the street was the back of a man with the sun in your eyes. The aftershave--I didn't smell it but it might have been some room freshener that you were sensitive to. As for the opera--COME ON! The man was crying to the sounds of a steel guitar in his cradle! The OPERA? Rose, I don't THINK so!"
Rose tried to breathe normally and keep the fear out of her voice. "I-I hope I'm not losing my mind, John."
John rubbed her shoulders. "Sweetheart, I think a lot of this has to do with guilt. You feel guilty you couldn't love him and the way he died, I think you are trying to make it not so. That way you won't feel guilty for not mourning him."
Rose started to relax. "Maybe you're right, John. I'll try to put it out of my mind and enjoy the rest of the opera!"
Rose leaned against John and he put his arm around her. He looked over at her. How much more stress can this poor girl take? He hugged her tight and kissed her.
"Relax, honey! I'll take care of you and vanquish any ghosts that come your way!"

"Oh, John, that was a wonderful opera! I really think I could get into this cultural thing!" Rosamond said.
"I know, it was great! Are you feeling alright now?"
"Yes, I think it was just like you said, stress and guilt."
"Honey, you just have to let go of it. You did nothing to feel guilty about."
"Yes, I did, John. I married him under false pretenses, I didn't love him, and I cheated on him. He met a violent end when I time traveled with you."
"You had no control over that. Come on, let's go have champagne and some hors d'oeuvres."
They found a little restaurant on a side street. It was dark inside and they had a table in the corner all to themselves.
"What do you want to do tomorrow, darling?"
Rosamond smiled. "I just want to walk around with you, never letting you out of my sight. I don't care where I go or what I see, as long as I am with you."

An hour later, Rosamond and John decided to take a walk. It was well after midnight. They walked along the Seine, crossing the bridges and walking with their arms wrapped around each other or holding hands. They stopped at the end of Le Pont Neuf. John tilted Rosamond's face up to his and kissed her tenderly. "I love you more than I ever have, darling. Except for that night when Julie was born, I couldn't love you more than I do at this moment."
Rose kissed him and then hugged him. John felt her body stiffen and her breath come in gasps.
"Darling! What's wrong?"
Rose could hardly find her voice. "NO! NO! I must be seeing things or I am going crazy! I--I see him! Right under the streetlight!"
John turned around. "Honey, there is nothing there. No one! We are all alone. Rose, you are going to have to snap out of this!"
"But-but I SAW him! I KNOW it was him!"
Rose started getting hysterical. John couldn't get through to her. She couldn't stop shaking. Finally he slapped her face lightly. "Rose! ROSE! You have GOT to get a grip!"
Rose tried to calm down and breath normally. Without too much success.
"Darling, we are going back to the room, you are going to take a hot shower and then we are going to bed. We'll talk about this in the morning, alright? Alright?"
She nodded wordlessly. John put his arm protectively around her but she kept looking over her shoulder. Why, oh why, can I never lay these ghosts to rest?
They reached their hotel and once they were in their room, John drew a hot bath for her. Rose sat there on the bed, her mind in a turmoil and her nerves totally on edge.

John grabbed her by the arms, stood her up, turned her around and marched her into the bathroom.
"OK, honey, now just soak in this hot tub. There's bathsalts and an aromatherapy candle burning. Just relax and don't think of anything but how much I love you."
Rosamond nodded wordlessly, took off her clothes, turned out the light and slipped beneath the hot water. Oooh, that felt good! Flashes of her husband kept going through her mind. Or what mind I have left, she thought.

John is right. He's gone. John hasn't seen him. Is he haunting me? OF COURSE, there are ghosts! Loverlock Castle had a few. And Gran's castle was LOADED with them. But what would his ghost be doing in Paris, of all places? Ghosts usually inhabit where they met a violent end. John is right. It's just guilt and I have nothing to feel guilty about. We have one more day here...and I am going to make every minute count! She got out of the tub, dried off, slathered body lotion on herself and wrapped herself in a thick terrycloth robe. When she came out, John was already in bed. Rosamond slipped under the sheets.
"Darling, I'm OK--really! That bath felt wonderful and was just what I needed...what is the matter?"
John pulled her teddy out from under his pillow. The ripped black one. Rosamond laughed softly. "John, you are so...passionate! So...animal!"
John frowned. "Rose, I never saw this one before in my life."
"But...but you must have! How else....?"
John shrugged and then said, "Must have gotten caught in your suitcase zipper and when you unzipped it, it ripped. It is rather delicate. That has to be it! I mean, look at the teeth on your luggage zipper! That poor little thing never stood a chance!"
"You're right, darling. One more day in Paris and I don't intend to let anything spoil it for us. Then it's back to the real world."
"And we have a wedding to plan. I am sure William will want to throw one of his engagement parties!"
They both started laughing. "HEAVEN FORBID!" and John reached over and turned out the light.


The AFTERMATH.........by Coralynn

As they enter the house on Winding Willow, William calls a meeting.
"I'm more than happy that Bethia won an Oscar for her designs," he begins, "but we had some unfortunate adventures that I hope we can avoid in the future."
"Like me getting kidnapped, William?" Marilyn asks wryly, "How can you know something like that is going to happen and avoid it?"
"You have a point there, Marilyn, but Beth," he looks sternly at her as she slides down in her chair, "Yelling out her real name when she entered the auditorium was avoidable!"
"I was excited and relieved to see her back!" Bethia explains, "You would have done the same, now, admit it!"
"I don't think I would. However, we shall never know, now, shall we? The firestorm of papparazzi was so horrendous it's a wonder we got out of there alive! Running out the back of the building and hopping into the first taxi that came along was at least effective in throwing off the media temporarily, but....."
"I know! They tracked us down to the hotel! They've become a lot more aggressive than they were back when I was appearing in movies in the '50s!"
William goes into the front vestibule where newspapers from the last few days have accumulated and comes back with them, flipping them open to the Entertainment sections. He smacks his hand against the first one he opens,
"The headline on this one says 'Marilyn Monroe clone again spotted, this time at Academy Awards!'......and this one says, 'Mailyn Monroe lives!! Proof at Academy Awards!' ......and this one reads, 'MM living in Westchester County!'......are we going to have to hide you again?!"

"And I was doing so well passing myself off as Sally Reynolds!" Marilyn groans.
Eleanor has an idea, "Why don't you go spend a couple days with Bethia at her house while Roger is still on his trip! The media won't think to look for you there."
This idea meets with everyone's approval.
Hotspur also has an idea, "I could put this house on the market for you, William. You'd make a huge profit and then you could move to anyplace you wanted......"
William frowns at him, "We've been through all this before, Hotstuff, and the answer is NO."
Hotspur turns to Rafe and grumbles, "See what you get when you try to be helpful around here?"
Rafe then has an idea, "I can stand guard and when those media people, as you call them, show up, I can attack them. That would scare them off!"
Luke chuckes, "Rafe, my friend, you seem to have a very primitive way of handling problems. Now, my idea is that when they get within hearing distance, we put on one of my Symphonies. Perhaps we could mount giant speakers on the outside of the house, and ......"
Jack takes up the thought, "I could rig them in such a way that whenever anyone came near the place, the sound would blast forth....."
Bess and Marthy can't remain silent any longer, "And wake up the entire neighborhood? Wouldn't we be the popular ones!"
Jack grins at Marthy, whose face flushes while she looks down at her lap, embarrassed.
"OK, then," he rethinks his idea, "How about something that would deliver a shock?"
"You mean like an electric fence?" Bethia asks. "They have those out in the country to keep cattle from escaping. But for people?"
"I'll get on the computer and check out these ideas," Eleanor tells them as she gets up from her chair. "Meeting dismissed is it, William?"
"NO! Not quite! We have to figure out how to keep Susan Hemingway and Isabella from bothering us, too."
"They seem to have an unusual coin or amulet of some sort," Marilyn comments, "They just pop in and out, snap, like that. Most disconcerting!"
"Yeah, and I got zapped back to Pleasantville on one of those *snaps*....." Rafe grouses.
"You're sure it was Pleasantville, not here, right?"
"Absolutely! I know just where she lives over there, too!"
William's eyes light up, "Ahhhhh, this could be very advantageous for us, Rafe."
Everyone leans toward William to hear of his plan. "And I'll tell you my plan...........when I think of one. Meeting dismissed."

MEANWHILE, over in Pleasantville:
"Isabella! Belle! Whatever or whoever you are, you are not pulling your own weight!" WandaSue aka Susan Hemingway says sternly to the other woman who is sitting on the couch eating chocolates.
"You said to 'watch and learn'......so I'm watching and learning!" Belle snaps back.
"The learning phase is over now, baby, and the helping out phase is kicking in!"
"I scared William, what else do you want from me?"
WandaSue looks at her watch, "It's late at night in Paris right now. You and I are going a-traveling. We are going to zap ourselves into the room, wherever it is, the room where Billy Bob Montgomery is sleeping. Now, listen up and listen well: we are both getting into bed with him......."
Isabella's face begins to register surprise and interest.
"We are going to seduce him. We are going to have him so worn out that he won't be able to walk straight for the next two days. Are you up for it?"
"Ahhhh, now this is my kind of.......of........"
"Caper!" WandaSue finishes the sentence for her.

WandaSue puts various things into an overnight case, "And those are for......?" Belle queries.
"HA! Just you wait and see! I'm ready for anything, and I sure hope you are, too, toots!"

They join hands and in a flash they're in a darkened bedroom in Paris. From the open windows they can hear the very late nighters conversing as they stroll down the avenues toward their homes.
WandaSue gestures for Belle to get into bed on the side BB is facing, while she slides into the other side. Without even having to give Belle the 'go' signal, Belle begins stroking BB all over his body, which rouses him, but doesn't awaken him. WandaSue is impressed. This gal has possibilities!
BB's eyes flicker just enough for Belle's blond hair to register in his mind, "Ahhhh Rose, you've come back to me......"
WandaSue lies there enjoying the show. Belle is a real pro!! What did she do back in England? She was married to one of those rusty-dusty kings? Wonder where she picked up all these moves...........

WandaSue reaches down and retrieves handcuffs and several long swatches of cloth. Hmmmm, babydoll, we may need to keep our prey immobile, should he awaken fully. She reaches for his wrists, which is tricky, as Belle is all over the guy. Belle at least pushes one of his wrists toward WandaSue, who then snaps them shut. As she is then tying both hands to the bedpost, BB wakes up, but not in time to avoid being shackled. His eyes grow huge in the darkness as he tries to see who is with him. The blond hair........no, it's not Rose.......and as he prepares to bolt upright he finds his ankles bound and tied to the bedpost as well. Whoever the blond is, she's all over him like Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby.
Just as he is about to call out for help, a gag is jammed in his mouth and the other woman ties a cloth around it, giving it a good yank in the back.
Just a minute now, that other woman looks like..........no, it couldn't be......what would she be doing in Paris.........how would she even know I was here?........his vocal cords yell out "WandaSue?!" but all the women hear is a muffled sound with no discernable words.
WandaSue and Belle then stand by the side of the bed where he's facing and WandaSue shakes her finger in his face, "Now listen here, Montgomery, this is what you get when you mess with WandaSueSkaggs!! One dollar? One dollar?? When I get done with you, you'll wish you really were dead!!"
She turns toward Belle, "ready to go?"
Belle looks disappointed and whispers, "I was hoping for another round with this guy!"
WandaSue takes Belle's unwilling hand and announces to the room, "Take us back to where we started!" and they disappear.


FIT TO BE TIED.....by Terri

All through the night Billy Bob struggled against his bonds. He exhausted himself and finally dozed off, although the circulation in his hands was bothering him. Oh, this is just great! he thought. Lying here trussed up like a turkey and having housekeeping find me like this? Well, this IS France, they'll believe ANYTHING!
By ten o'clock there was a knock on his door. Another knock. The sound of a key being turned in the door. The maid entered the room and screamed. "Ah! Mon Dieu!" She covered her eyes.
"MZTWZJX!"
The maid quickly grabbed a blanket and covered Billy Bob up. She removed his gag.
"phhht! phhhht!" he spit.
Nicolette, the maid, came back with a glass of water. "Oh, Monsieur! Drink this water, it will clear your mouth and help you to speak!" "How about untying these knots, there's a little pain involved!" he gasped.
She undid his cloth bindings. "But, Monsieur, there is nothing I can do for the handcuffs. I am going to have to call security!"
Billy Bob groaned and beat his head against the pillow. Can this be any more embarrassing?

Within five minutes, a security man came up with the house detective. The security man had a set of keys and he was finally able to use the skeleton key and get the handcuffs off. Both the security man and the detective then burst out laughing and couldn't stop. Billy Bob got up, blanket wrapped around him, and chafed his wrists.
"Ah, Monsieur Olsen, I have a couple questions to ask you." the detective said, getting his notebook out with a flourish, pen poised in mid-air.
Billy Bob glared at him. "You're going to have to wait until I take a shower and brush my teeth!" He slammed the bathroom door and the water started running. Within fifteen minutes he came out in a bathrobe, scowling. "You still here?"
The detective, Monsieur D'Orvin, asked him, "Would you like to explain what happened here?"
Billy Bob snapped, "What do you think happened here? I became...involved..with someone this evening. It was a date. We came back here and well, seems she was a little....weird..and after a couple bottles of champagne, it didn't seem like a bad idea. How was I to know she would rob me and leave me like that?"

It sounded reasonable, Billy Bob thought. I may look kind of stupid but hey, it's gotta work better than the truth! What do I tell him, that I slept with someone...while I was ASLEEP? That I thought it was my wife? Or soon-to-be-ex-wife? Or soon-to-be-ex-wife-that-never-was-a-wife? And my first wife materialized out of thin air? With a skinny little accomplice?
"What was this date's name, Monsieur Olsen?"
"Josette."
"Last name?"
Billy Bob just shrugged.
"Where does she live?"
He shrugged again.
"Where did you go?"
"To a little restaurant for dinner."
"Where did you meet her?"
Billy Bob exploded. "What difference does it make? She ripped me off and left me like that! I'm not pressing charges."
"Mais oui, Monsieur Olsen. If you are not pressing charges there is nothing we can do." He snapped his notebook shut. "Next time, I would suggest you find a real date and not someone you pick up off the street. Be glad it was not worse, Monsieur."
Billy Bob escorted the detective to the door. "Thanks for getting me out of this, uh, mess, Monsieur. Believe me, it won't happen again!"


THE BESOTTED.............by Coralynn

WandaSue sits at the kitchen table finishing her breakfast. 'Belle' is still not up. She's usually up way before me, WandaSue thinks, what's the matter, could she be sick? How much help is she going to be if she's sick? Better look in on her.
She opens Belle's bedroom door a crack and then slowly pushes it open. The room is dark, and as she tiptoes in, she sees Belle still in bed, but with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
"Is something the matter?" WandaSue asks.
Belle sighs deeply and moans.
Oh-oh, babydoll, that didn't sound good. If she has the flu I could quaranteen her.....just shove a tray of food to her several times a day. I sure don't need to catch.......
Her train of thought is interrupted by Belle's whispered words, "I love him! I love him!"
Rats, what now?!
WandaSue flips on the lights which causes Belle to startle, then as her eyes fix on WandaSue she smiles dreamily, "I want him......again.......again!"
"Who?" WandaSue is getting impatient with this cryptic way of communicating.
"Billy Bob! I love him, I must have him!"
WandaSue sits on the foot of the bed with a plop. Oh rats! We don't need this foolishness!
WandaSue notices a book lying open on the other side of Belle, reaches over and looks at the title.
"Soul Mates? What is this book about?"
"Billy Bob and I are soul mates, I know it now! I just read about it and it fits. He and I were destined to meet, over the centuries we made our way to each other......he reached through the mists of time to me......"
"Snap out of it!" WandaSue demands angrily, then throws the book on the floor, "That soul mates stuff is a load of horse manure!"
"No, no, read the book and learn!" Belle sits up in bed and reaches over, picking the book up from the floor. She flips it open and reads, ".....when you first couple with your soul mate your spirit will be ablaze, your senses reel, your mind electrified...."
"Horse manure!" WandaSue repeats.
"I must go to my true love........from whom I will never again be parted," Belle begins to sound like a pre-programmed zombie. She gets out of bed and chooses a diaphanous blue dress. Slipping it over her head, she turns to the mirror........ Ooooops, better take the nightgown off first.
WandaSue slams out of the room. Now what am I going to do? Fly solo? Or........just a minute......this could be good, babydoll........let Belle think BB is her soulmate. Let her chase around after him all over town, any town, Paris is no problem. Yeah.......we'll go back to Paris as soon as she's dressed, and I'll turn her loose on that creep. I can even pretend to agree with the garbage in that book she's reading.........oh yeah, this is gonna get good, real good!

MEANWHILE in PARIS....... Billy Bob goes out into the morning sunlight. Time to see where Rose and John are.......oh, this is handy, they're having breakfast in the street cafe just outside their hotel. I'll hide behind this post and get my bearings.......then, when Rose glaces this way, I'll step out from behind the post so she sees me, but when John also looks, I'll duck back behind it. Rose will think she's losing her mind! It couldn't happen to a nicer person, he chuckles.
He feels arms encircle his waist from behind. Whirling around, he sees a very thin blond woman clinging to him. Could this be the one who was in my room last night? I never did get a good look at her face! He wrenches free of her as she exclaims in a voice he wishes weren't so loud,
"My love! I have found you! Through the mists of forever....I was born in love with you.......opened my eyes in love with you.......from another time, from another place, from another world I remember your face......."
He finally succeeds in shaking her off. "Be gone!" is all he can think to say.
She stays put.
Rose looks up from her breakfast and sees a man and woman struggling in the distance and thinks, there's a woman who has a problem, see how she's throwing herself bodily at that man........oh my God! Is that Billy Bob again?
She tries to see more clearly, but it's hard to bring the man's face into focus from that distance.
The man tries to walk away, which takes him even further from Rose's view, but the woman is pushing him in the other direction. Wow, now the woman is embracing the guy......whew! that lady is desperate!! She's wrapped all over him.
"John, do you see what I see over there?" she asks.
"You mean that couple making out in broad daylight?"
"The same."
John chuckles and takes her hand, "We don't have to behave like that, my love, we have a room to take it to. My goodness, do you see that?? She has him on the ground and from what I can see, she's taking off his......"

Billy Bob struggles. For such a thin woman, this one has muscles of steel.
If I cry out, I could blow my cover, really blow it. Might as well get this demented nympho out of here to another place so John doesn't see who I am. Once he sees, I can't make Rose appear delusional.
"Let us go to another more private place," he begs the thin blonde.
She leaps up and takes his hand, "Where to, my beloved?"
He gestures way down the avenue, "I think we might better hire ourselves a room, let us make haste."
They make haste. Billy Bob breaths easier when they're totally out of Rose and John's view. Now to dump this crazy woman.
He stands totally still and tells her, "This will do. No more. You must think I'm someone else. I don't know you, nor do I care to. Now, be gone!!"
"Now that we have found each other, I will never again depart from thee, my soul mate, my...."
He gets panicky. This woman is totally out of her mind. He makes a break for it and runs down an alley, around the corner to another street, ducks behind some parked cars and watches her looking right and left to see where he's gone. She continues to search for a full ten minutes before she gives up and walks away.
He wonders, Could that be the woman who attacked me last night in bed? I think I have a problem, a big problem!!


AH! *sigh* VERSAILLES!....by Terri

John and Rosamond finished breakfast and were lingering over coffee. "OK, honey, it's our last day before we go back to the land of children and family! What does your little heart desire? And try to keep it PG-13!"
Rose started to speak but then closed her mouth at the PG-13 suggestion. She laughed. "I'd love to see Versaille. The Hall with all the mirrors. Can we go? Please, John?"
"I'd like nothing better! I'll see what time the train leaves. I'll be right back. The desk clerk would know."
"Oh, darling, would you go upstairs and get my yellow sweater? Sometimes the trains can be chilly."
"Be back in a minute, babe. Have another coffee. Read another page of that 'bodice ripper' you are reading! Maybe we can re-enact some of it!" he laughed.

As Rosamond looked at the book she was reading, a shadow fell across the book.
A hand touched the page. Her head shot up and the sight made her blood run cold. Billy Bob whispered to her, "You can run, my darling wife, but you can't hide."
And he walked off.
Rose sat there trembling, trying to fight the urge to scream. She rubbed her eyes, staring at him as he turned the corner. Within a minute, John came down.
"Here's the sweater, babe. The train leaves at...what's wrong? Rose? ROSE?"
She was having a meltdown. She started to cry and her lips trembled. John put his arm around her. She could barely find the words. "He--he spoke to me." John was alarmed. "Rosamond, you're scaring me. Honey, look at me. LOOK AT ME!"
She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. "He told me I could run, but that I couldn't hide. Oh, John, I am so afraid! Either he is still alive and in Paris or I am imagining things."
He wrapped his arms around her. "Darling, first thing we are going to do when we get home is talk to Jameson Osgood. We will lay this ghost to rest. He is dead, Rose. DEAD! His body was found shot. His own cousin identified him. We had a memorial service. He was cremated. Know what I think?"
"What?" she said in a voice John could hardly hear.
"I think this is the first time you have been so blissfully happy that you feel guilty. Now STOP IT! We deserve happiness, after all that we have been through. You know how sometimes a person thinks to themselves and then you wonder if you actually thought it or said it aloud? I think that is what happened to you. You have seen people who resemble Montgomery and you then have these mental conversations with yourself. Nothing wrong with that. But I think if you believe he is alive you will not feel responsible for his death."
"Maybe you're right. Yes. That's it."
"Still want to go to Versaille?"
She squared her shoulders and said in a strong voice that she did not feel, "Yes. Definitely. But you know what? I can't wait to get home."

Rosamond gathered up her things, put on a false smile and said, "OK--we are going to forget all this nonsense and have a perfectly wonderful time. I'm OK--honest, I am!" She laughed shakily.
John said solemnly. "I think we should get married here. NOW! That way this Montgomery chapter will finally be behind us."
Rosamond patted his cheek. "Darling, that is a perfectly wonderful idea. But no. I don't have my annulment yet. I am not taking any chances. Once we get married it will be forever. Written in stone. No man can put asunder. The only thing that can screw it up is if Elizabeth came into this time frame."
John laughed. "I have no idea where she ended up. Boston, I guess. An obscure wife of a shoe cobbler."
Rosamond put her arm around him. "Do you ever think about her? Late at night? In the dark?" she laughed.
John cupped her face and kissed her nose. "Never. Well, maybe once, when you were treating me like dog food. I wondered why Elizabeth never turned my world upside down and made me feel the way that you do. I guess I never knew what passion and being totally mesmerized was until I kissed you that night at the Red Goose Inn."
They looked deep into each other's eyes and kissed. After all, this was PARIS!

Billy Bob was behind a lamp post watching the entire exchange, but he couldn't hear a word they said. Enjoy it now, Rosamond. He felt a deep ache inside him. How could she do this..so soon? Dammit, she's my wife and has been for almost a year! We were supposed to spend out first anniversary in Austin! And now that Parker gang had to screw it all up. I should have moved her and the baby to Sundown, gotten out of New York. I guess all my suspicions were correct. And now I have Wanda Sue and that skinny little...Maris...following me around. Sure wish I could remember what happened that night. I have an idea but..isn't it impossible? And how could I think it was Rose?

Rosamond and John were seated on the train and within 45 minutes they were at Versailles. Rosamond was totally enthralled by the Hall of Mirrors and the gardens.
"Just check out the King's bedchambers, John!" she breathed, fascinated. John grabbed her arm and dragged her away. "Come on, pumpkin! I wouldn't have a chance in hell if you lived in Louis XIV's day! I'd never charm you out of this chamber! Madame Pompadour would have a hard act to follow!"
"But, John..."
"Let's go see the orangerie and the rest of the gardens."
They had spent an entire day with no cares. Thoughts of Billy Bob vanished from Rosamond's mind. They ended up in a little sidewalk cafe for lunch, which consisted of French onion soup and crusty french bread, washed down with a carafe of white wine.
"Feeling better, darling?"
"Yes, much, John. As much as I loved Paris--for the most part--I want to go home and see everyone. Especially the children."
They took the train back to Paris and walked around the Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame. They went back to the Eiffel Tower, rode to the top and observed the city at night.
"Oh, John! This has to be the most romantic spot in the world! And I get to share it with you! I love you so much!" she whispered.
They walked down the Champs de Elysse and back to their room. John stopped at the front desk. "Go on up, sweetheart. I want to settle the bill so we don't have to bother tomorrow. I'll be up in a few minutes."

Rosamond kissed him and headed for the elevators. She looked around before she got on. No one. She punched 17 and when she arrived on the 17th floor, she looked cautiously out. No one. She breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, John was right. Just the demons of my past. She put the key in the door, turned it and opened the door.

There was a sight she did not expect. A huge bouquet of red and white roses stood there. The bed had rose petals scattered on it.
Rosamond stood stock still, unable to move. No! NO, IT CAN'T BE! How? HOW?
She stood frozen in the spot. This I am NOT imagining. This is what Billy Bob always sent me after a fight. And granted, I got a lot of flowers.
She finally willed herself to move. No card. No card at all. These are fresh. Just delivered. How--how did he find out my room number?
John knocked on the door. Rosamond stifled a scream and jumped a mile. She ran to the door and flung it open, then flung herself in John's arms. She burst out in tears.
"Now? Now do you believe me?"
John detached her from his neck. He said softly, "Darling, they are from me. I wanted it to be a surprise for our last night here together. Look--we have chilled champagne in an ice bucket. I guess the maid took it into her head to scatter the bed with rose petals!"
Rosamond burst into laughter and tears both. "I--I thought---he always sent---oh, John! I'm so sorry for acting this way."
She wiped the tears out of her eyes. "This is perfectly wonderful!" John silenced her with a kiss, picked her up in his arms, laid her on the bed and turned out the light.

Back to Table of Contents
On to next part of STORY

[ Read / Sign my guestbook ]

Get a free Guestbook