As You Wish by Belle Maurice

Sargent. Board Inclined sold for ten thousand dollars.”
    Patricia nodded. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would pay more than three dollars for a board leaning against a wall, but she remembered her grandfather’s choice words about it. Grandmother had been too busy covering her own ears to cover Patricia’s on that particular day. She sipped her water to quell the hysterical laughter that threatened.
    “I know your grandfather had some very strong feelings about the way the museum was handled in the past—”
    Patricia did laugh this time. “He wrote a letter to the paper, threatening to personally bulldoze the building.”
    Judith blushed. “Yes, that was a very bad time. I had misgivings myself. But now we have a new curator who I think your grandfather would have approved of, and it would help our cause immensely if your family were to back us again.”
    My family? Patricia thought. All of me? She glanced at David’s hopeful eyes. Good political wives did things like this. They did fundraising for worthy community causes and backed important programs. They made sure their husband’s names were in the paper as often as possible in a positive light.
    “We’re having an Orientalist show right now,” Judith continued. “You should stop by and see it. Most of them were donated by your family.”
    Patricia remembered trips to the museum when she was a very little girl learning to read, holding Grandfather’s hand as he took her through the collection. He loved pointing out the tiny, perfect worlds the Orientalist painters had created while Patricia read the many cards noting which paintings her family had donated. Her grandfather had adored those paintings. One still hung above the bed in the room he’d shared with Grandmother. He would sit on the end of his bed looking at the picture while he made up a story for it, different every time.
    “Maybe we could have a fundraising ball on Halloween. Is it too late to arrange something like that?”
    Judith stopped breathing.
    “Mrs. Haddix?” Patricia leaned forward. She hoped she wouldn’t have to do mouth-to-mouth in the middle of Firenzi’s tonight.
    “A fundraising ball at Well Spring Manor?” Judith whispered.
    “The ballroom will have to be thoroughly cleaned.” Patricia studied the woman’s eyes, half expecting to have to treat her for shock. She had the inappropriate desire to giggle at the idea of Judith Haddix going into shock over a fundraising ball. “It hasn’t been opened since my parents died. But if there’s time, it would be nice to have a masquerade ball.”
    “Patricia, you have no idea what this would mean to the museum steering committee.” Judith’s wide eyes wavered, unable to focus.
    Judging by Judith’s orgasmic response, Patricia guessed she did.
    “We could announce our engagement at the ball,” David put in.
    Patricia stopped cold. Distantly she heard Judith’s gasp and then sputtered congratulations. She glared across the table at David grinning over his little coup.
    “We’re not engaged yet,” Patricia said. “We’re just discussing it.”
    Judith said something about leaving love birds alone and jumped up to go before Patricia could change her mind about the ball.
    “How could you say that in front of her?” Patricia asked.
    “I thought it was settled.” David smiled. “Come now, dearest. This engagement was decided years ago by our parents. You wouldn’t want to disappoint them, would you? I thought that when we married, I would change my name to Whitmer instead of you changing yours. Out of respect for your family.”
    Elise the waitress appeared, bearing a dessert Patricia vaguely remembered ordering. Patricia seethed in silence until the girl had gone. “David, I appreciate the sentiment, but we hadn’t agreed to marry.” The chocolate torte with warm raspberry sauce served at Firenzi’s was legendary. When she was ten, she’d had chicken pox. Her grandfather had had a slice delivered to the