Jane Goes Batty (38 page)

“When is this trip?” Jane asked.

“March,” said Walter.

“March!” Jane, Lucy, and Miriam shrieked in unison.

“March what?” asked Lucy.

“We leave on the ninth,” Walter answered.

“The ninth!” the three women chorused.

“Walter, that’s—” Jane counted on her fingers.

“Seventeen days from now,” said Miriam. “We can’t possibly plan a wedding in that short a time.”

“Why not?” Walter asked. “You’re my only family, and Jane has none.”

“Hey!” Lucy exclaimed.

“You know what I mean,” said Walter. “No parents or cousins or other people who would need to make travel plans. Everyone we want to invite already lives here in Brakeston. All we have to do is get married.”

Lucy looked at Jane. “It sounds so simple when he puts it like that.”

“It does rather, doesn’t it?” Jane smiled.

“See?” said Walter. “It’s all settled.”

Jane looked at Miriam. Her mouth was set in a grim line, and she scowled at Jane with undisguised dislike.
She’s been hoping all along that the wedding would never happen
, Jane realized.
She
wants
me to run out of time. Well, we’ll just see about that
.

“I think it’s a splendid idea,” she said. “Don’t you, Miriam?”

Miriam narrowed her eyes. “Just peachy,” she said through gritted teeth.

Walter put one arm around Jane’s shoulders and the other around his mother’s. “I knew you would be thrilled,” he said. “Hey, I just thought of something. Once Jane and I are married, you’ll both be Mrs. Fletcher.”

Miriam let out a little yelp, which she covered by pretending to cough.

“You should take care of that, Mom,” Walter said. “You don’t want it to turn into something worse.”

“I don’t think it’s possible for it to get worse,” said Miriam, reaching for her coffee.

“Well, maybe you should go home and rest,” Walter told her. “We want you in fighting shape for the big day. Right, Jane?”

“By all means,” Jane said, flashing her teeth at Miriam. “I know I will be.”

M
ICHAEL
T
HOMAS
F
ORD
is the author of numerous books, including the novels
Jane Bites Back
,
Z
,
The Road Home
,
What We Remember
,
Suicide Notes
,
Changing Tides
,
Full Circle
,
Looking for It
, and
Last Summer
. Visit him at
www.michaelthomasford.com
.