All twenty seats of the formal dining room were filled as the dinner party commenced. The Jacks family alone took up eight seats, the rest were filled by dinner guests: Devon McAlister; Mayor Carlton Buckley, his wife, Vyla, and children, Brad and Liza; bank president, William Montague, his wife, Claire and their daughter, Brette; Senator Daniel Bradburry, and his daughter, Rachel; and rounding out the dinner guests was the wonderfully eccentric, world-renowned psychic, Desdemona Paris, and her date, acclaimed Belgian artist, Jean-Claude Filmonte.

     Jax's two exes were seated next to each other, very much like a tag-team of terror, Brenda thought as she regarded them curiously. Brette Montague was tall and elegant, with a shocking mane of straight red hair that was even longer than Juliet's tall blonde curls, Brenda observed. She also had dimples as deep as pits, which could either be considered extremely fetching or extremely frightening, depending on the expression she was wearing. Her eyes were very dark and mysterious looking - somewhat exotic.

     Rachel Bradburry was average height and wearing a dress that she seemed about ready to fall out of with each movement. She was what one would consider quite voluptuous, Brenda decided. Her hair was a mass of ink-black ringlets, which Brenda was sure would be stiff to the touch, as they were barely moving and obviously chock full of holding gel. Her eyes were a luminous green. And something about her immediately struck Brenda as pretentious and insincere, just like the woman she sat next to. Brenda could not imagine Jax having dated either one of these women.

     “So, I said," chuckled the mayor, as he reached for another delicious salmon croquette, "what do you mean he's only got one leg?!" The mayor laughed heartily at his own joke, and although no one but his family got it, everyone, except Brenda, laughed anyway.

     Brenda leaned over to Jax. "Why is everyone laughing? That was so not funny," she said, looking bewildered at why everyone was laughing at it anyway.

     Jax lowered his head, and this time his laughter was genuine. Most men would probably want to strangle a wife who so recklessly spoke her mind whenever she felt like it, but it was one of the things Jax most adored about his wife.

     “I'm with you, Miss Brenda," Niles whispered, as he bent to refill her glass of Chardonnay. "I admire the man dearly, but he wouldn't know a decent joke if it came up and bit him on his hindquarters."

     Brenda giggled, as Jax's exes and the mayor's wife frowned over at her in disapproval of the cheerful, musical sound.

     "Oh, my!" Niles gasped in mock horror. "It appears you've made the unforgivable faux pas of giggling at the dinner table! Dear god! It's off with your head now, Miss Brenda," he said, giving her a grotesque wink that set her off in giggles once more, and this time had Juliet, who was already giddy from sitting next to Devon - AKA her heart’s desire - joining in with her.

     The mayor's wife put her chubby, gloved hand to her lips, astounded by the carefree, unchecked giggles of the new Mrs. Jacks.

     In direct contrast to his wife, however, Mayor Buckley found the girl's mischievous gaiety refreshingly delightful. He himself had an exuberant nature and appreciated it very much in others, especially the young. He'd already been enchanted by Brenda Jacks once when he'd met her at the party for the re-opening of the Orpheum Theater a few months ago. That was, in fact, the very day that the marriage had been announced in dramatic fashion by Jax in front of everyone at the opening. And New Orleans society would never forget it!

     The shock of having the much sought-after Jasper Jacks (who along with his brothers were tantamount to New Orleans’ royal sons) so swiftly and unexpectedly whisked off the market was still reverberating strongly about the town. Even four months later, it was still the hottest gossip and most popular topic of conversation and speculation and discourse.

     Most people expected the marriage would be a disaster, as the kids had only known each other a week or so before tying the knot, and it seemed almost as if the marriage were merely a whim indulged in by a wealthy young playboy, who perhaps couldn’t get the girl who currently held his fancy any way but by marrying her. And they expected the young girl from New York would find it difficult to fit in and adjust to the southern-elite culture of high society New Orleans. And most of all, they just didn’t think that the newlywed Jackses could possibly really be in love. Mayor Buckley, however, knew better on all counts.

     "Jax," Desdemona said, and Brenda was amused to notice that the exotic woman's voice was like a perpetual purr. "You have done very well in choosing a bride, my dear friend," she said, smiling at Brenda and raising a glass of wine to her.

     "Thank you. I think so, too," Jax agreed.

     "Such rare beauty as your wife's should be captured on the canvas, Jax," Jean-Claude said, as his gray-eyed gaze lazily roamed over Brenda's face in great detail, admiring her more from the perspective of a great artist than a hot-blooded male at the moment.

     "I'd be careful if I were you, Jean-Claude," Justin said. "The last man who tried to paint my sister-in-law was set upon by the dogs, and we've never seen him since."

     Desdemona laughed. "I did hear that tale."

     "It's the god's truth," John Jacks insisted, raising his hand. "The poor Frenchman was running for his bloody life, cursing Jax in all sorts of interesting dialects. What a sight!"

     "Running through the streets, screaming like a madman, the poor dear," Jane verified, taking a sip of her wine. “I think the poor fellow ran all the way back to France.”

     "Jax," Brette Montague chided with a flip of her red hair, "did you really run off some poor man who only wanted to paint a portrait?"

     "Well, he didn't exactly just want to paint my wife's beautiful face," Jax told her.

     "Oh, I see,” she drawled in her refined Southern accent. “He wanted to do a nude? Why, Jax honey, I would think you would have loved the idea. You certainly liked the portrait I gave you of myself back when we were dating," she reminded him, giving Brenda a saccharine smile and then turning to give Jax an alluring glance.

     "He couldn't have liked it that much," Juliet whispered to Brenda. "He donated it to one of Mum's fund-raisers two days after he got it! God only knows who owns that piece of pornography now."

     Brenda's eyes widened, as she stifled a laugh and grabbed her glass of wine to keep her laughter contained.

     "Oh, and did I mention, it was quite hideous? Jerry said it looked like something from an Anne Rice novel. And my father kept insisting we use it in place of the scarecrow," Juliet added. And Brenda could not possibly hold in the laughter this time.

     Brette gave her a stiff, offended gaze, very frustrated by the good mood Jax's wife was apparently in and suspecting she was the butt of Brenda Jacks’ current laughter.

     "Your spirits are certainly high, Brenda," Brette said dryly. "Care to share the joke with the rest of us? I’m sure we’d all like to be entertained."

     Brenda shrugged innocently, and her little movement made the hearts of the men in the room sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm just… in love," she explained, casting a look at Jax that was just too darling.

     His smile told her that she was doing just great in handling the exes thus far in his opinion.

     "Oh, no need to ever apologize for the glorious state of being in love, my dear," Senator Bradburry said. "It’s my experience that love makes happy, high-spirited fools of us all. And it's the most delightful of afflictions. Just like you are. The delightful part, not the affliction part," he said, smiling warmly at her. He would have loved for his Rachel and Jax to hit it off better and for their dating to have led to an eventual marriage, but he certainly could not argue with Jax's choice of wife. She was refreshing and enchanting and simply breathtaking. A delightful addition to the Jacks family, indeed.

     Rachel and Brette were both getting increasingly annoyed with the accolades everyone was heaping on Jax's radiant, young bride. They were determined to fluster the - so far - unflappable Brenda Barrett Jacks.

     "So, Brenda, do tell us," Rachel said, leaning across the table a bit and looking preposterously close to toppling out of that revealing dress she was wearing. "Are the rumors true?"

     "What rumors?" Brenda asked.

     "The ones that say you concocted some elaborate hoax to force Jax to marry you," Brette revealed, as she and Rachel exchanged smiles of satisfaction for putting the highly embarrassing topic of conversation up for discussion at the table.

     "Where did you hear that?" Jax asked, gazing coolly at Brette.

     "Oh, the rumors are everywhere," Brette told him, dramatically tossing her hands out to the sides.

     "I heard it straight from your gossipy neighbors, Jax," Liza Buckley provided. "Chad and Amber Stanton. They're going around telling everybody that the only reason you married Brenda was because she tricked you, and you felt too sorry for her to divorce her after you found out. Well, that's Amber's version anyway. Chad's version is that Brenda really wanted to marry him, but you forced her to marry you by telling her all sorts of lies about Chad that scared her off."

     Brenda glanced at Jax, who looked as if he might throw his glass of wine across the room. Or perhaps even across the street and send it crashing into the Stanton dining room, knocking Chad senseless. The absurd imagery almost made Brenda start laughing again, and she had to struggle to remain serious.

     "You can't blame them though," Rachel said quickly. "Just about everybody’s speculating about it, Jax. I mean, you simply don't just up and marry someone you've barely known for a week, unless something is not quite right." Rachel moved her luminous green eyes over to Brenda's dark hazel eyes. "You're not in the family way, are you, Brenda dear?" she asked, lowering her voice and yet at the same time making sure everyone at the table heard her loaded question.

     Rachel's father, Brette's parents, and the mayor, all glowered at her in unmasked disapproval. The mayor's wife, however, was smiling, and so was Rachel. As far as they were concerned, it was about time someone exposed this marriage for the sham it was.

     Jax was about to tell Brette what she could do with her lurid insinuation about a pregnancy forcing the marriage, but Brenda answered first.

     "No, I'm not," she said, regretfully, "but Jax and I are definitely working on it," she said, giving Jax a provocative glance.

     “Quite diligently,” Jax added, off the cuff.

     "And quite often, isn’t that right, sweetheart?" she added with a pretty laugh. Then she turned back to Rachel. “Well, Rach, I hope that answers your question. We will try to keep you apprised since you seem so interested.”

     Rachel looked as if Brenda had just slapped her.

     The mayor chortled. "Lord, she is precious," he said, picking up his glass of wine and inclining it towards Brenda. "Here’s to you, little lady!" he said.

     Jax grinned. "To Brenda," he echoed. And everyone toasted the new Mrs. Jacks, even a reluctant Rachel, Brette, and Vyla Buckley.

     Niles brought out some more hot, buttered rolls, and as he passed Brenda, she erupted into giggles before he even said anything, because she knew full well that he would.

     "They let you keep your head?" he whispered in astonishment. "The savages must be feeling generous tonight."

     Gazing at Brenda with disapproval, Vyla Buckley finally spoke up. "You know, Jax dear. If you don’t mind my saying so, if your butler keeps exchanging whispers with your wife, which result in her uncontrollable laughter, the rumors will fly of some illicit goings on," Mrs. Buckley warned.

     "Illicit goings on?" Jax repeated. "Between Brenda and Niles?" he asked incredulously. And now it was Jax who burst out laughing, as did his brothers, and Devon, and Brenda and Juliet and John and Jane, and Mayor Buckley. In fact the whole table was laughing, with the notable exception of Jax's former flames and the mayor's wife. "I think that would do a lot for Niles’ reputation, actually," Jax commented, winking at Brenda.

     "Oh, indeed! If you don't quite mind, sir, I would very much appreciate your starting such a rumor. Between that and a supply of Viagra, I should be in splendid shape to carry out my illicit goings on," Niles said, as he strolled back into the kitchen, leaving everyone laughing at his parting comments.

     "Yes, imagine how the grapevine would have us known far and wide for the family that has the world's most randy butler," Jerry said. "Maybe we could just say Niles was doing all of our wives? That would be all right with you, wouldn't it, luv?" Jerry said, grinning at his wife, Joanna. "And you and Mum would certainly be game on perpetuating the scandal, right, Dad?"

     "I'd be game. If I had a wife for Niles to do, that is," Justin said.

     The laughter in the room was wild.

     "Maybe we should just add it to the list of wild rumors going on about us," Brenda decided. Then she turned to Brette with a dimpled smile that was so damn beautiful it made Brette feel physically ill. "I'm sure you'd do the honor of spreading it around for us, wouldn't you? Please don't leave out any inaccuracies."

     Everyone burst out laughing again, admiring Brenda's wit and ability to poke fun at herself. But Brette knew that it was she Brenda was truly poking fun at.

     "Well, you never did answer my initial question," Rachel said, taking over Brenda-annihilation duty. "Are the rumors true? Did you have to resort to trickery to get Jax to marry you? I mean, it certainly would clear up a lot of things," she said, and the coldness she obviously felt towards Brenda began to seep out in her voice.

     "Yes, it's true," Brenda said, as everyone turned to her with interest, and Jax watched her with total admiration. Brenda then went on to animatedly retell the entire, wild scenario about how she and Juliet had done that last minute plotting to get Jax to think she was going to marry someone else so that he would step in and marry her himself at a secretive, midnight ceremony, with a jolly, sleepy reverend, who had not even batted an eyelash when the groom turned out to be Mr. Jacks, instead of the Mr. Stanton he had spoken to the day before.

     Brette and Rachel were stunned by Brenda's admission. Everyone else who was hearing it for the first time were doubled over with raucous laughter, and even Vyla Buckley thought it was a delightful, madcap story and was finding her opinion of Brenda changing drastically from one of shocked reproach to genuine fondness.

     "But, you see, even after all that, he loved me all along," Brenda said, looking at Jax.

     "Yes, I did,” Jax said. “I still remember the first time I saw you racing down those stairs on the day of Dad's birthday party," he said, pulling her into his private world with a gaze of deep, sparkling aquamarine. "I think my heart just stopped when I saw you."

     "I nearly fell over myself when I saw you," she said.

     "I can vouch for that," Juliet said. "In fact, whenever Jax was anywhere nearby, Brenda was in jeopardy of tumbling over. Jax used to tease her about needing to purchase insurance for all the little love-spills she took whenever he was around her."

     "And let's not forget Jax's Cupid phobia," Devon added. "Jax is the only person I know who actually had nightmares about innocent little Cupid."

     “I really appreciate your sharing that with everyone, Dev,” Jax muttered.

     Everyone laughed, as the family relayed Jax's terrified reaction the day Brenda had brought home that statue of Cupid from the auction.

     "And did you really have a list of men you were prepared to marry if Jax didn't come to your rescue?" Jean-Claude asked, in between his merry laughter at her charming, hysterical tale.

     "Yes!" Brenda said. "Julie and I just wrote a bunch of names down. I had no intention of marrying anyone on that list. But you should have seen Jax's face when we pulled it out!"

     "I thought he was going to murder someone," Juliet recalled, laughing at the memory.

     "The minute we got home from getting married, he found the list and threw it into the fire. And he wouldn't move from there until he saw it burnt completely to ashes," Brenda added with a reminiscent smile. "Somehow I knew at that moment that he had to love me at least a little bit. Either that or he was really upset that his name didn't make the list."

     Desdemona threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, this has got to be one of the most entertaining evenings I've ever spent! Brenda, my dear, you are quite the hostess!" she said with an affectionate smile.

     “Thank you, Miss Paris.”

     “Please, you must call me Desdemona. I consider you a friend, and hope you do that same.”

     Brenda smiled graciously. Secretly she wanted to scream with delight at how well things were going and how wonderful everyone - for the most part - was. She was making her family proud, she thought, doing a quick scan of their faces around the table. Her family. Those words alone made her smile.

     "Tell us about your honeymoon, Brenda," Brad Buckley requested. "Were you really in Cairo, excavating Egyptian ruins in the pyramids? I can't tell you how fascinating I find that!"

     "Oh, well, Brad, let me tell you, it was so amazing!" Brenda told him, her excitement positively contagious. "We actually found things, too. Of course, we couldn't keep any of it; it had to be turned over to the Egyptian government. But Jax found this small gold scepter with a snakehead and these big ruby eyes. And a ton of tiny, little emeralds encrusted along the staff. Hieroglyphics were on one side of it, and we were told that it was, in all likelihood, something that belonged to one of the young sons of a Pharaoh. Isn't that the most incredible thing you have ever heard?"

     "And where did you go after Cairo? I hear you and Jax were quite the world travelers," Claire Montague said with a smile. She found the newest addition to the Jacks family to be very engaging, sincere and a pure delight all around. As much as Claire would have adored having Jax married to her daughter, Brette, it was obvious that Brenda was born to be part of the Jacks family. Had the girl not ended up in New Orleans and in Jax's path, Claire had no doubt Jax would have ended up in New York on some business or other and met her there. Seeing them together, it was apparent that it would simply have been inevitable. These two were meant to be together, and the fates would have simply kept conspiring and conspiring until it was finally accomplished.

     "I'd love to hear the story about that white bat that gave chase after you in the Brazilian rainforests," Desdemona said. "You know, Brenda, those particular bats are so rare as to be worth millions. And they never come out where they can be seen. I daresay, the poor creature was undoubtedly enamored of you to take such a huge risk."

     The guests laughed at the image of a love-struck bat flying frantically after Brenda.

     "Actually," Jax said, "the tribal chief did tell us that the bat kept following Brenda so relentlessly because it had some instantaneous attraction to her - bizarre as that sounds. He said it might have been the perfume Brenda was wearing. Except that she wasn’t wearing any. He still stood by his claim that the bat had some kind of attraction to her or something about her that made it so persistent in flying after her like that."

     "Perfectly understandable," Brad Buckley said, smiling at Brenda.

     "Maybe it was Dracula, in his bat-form," Liza laughed. "And now he's obsessed with giving Brenda immortality so he can make her his own. Jax, you had better bar the windows and lock the doors and wear cloves of garlic to bed at night."

     "Well, he'd be wasting his time, anyway," Jax said. "Brenda already has immortality. She was born with it." His eyes revealed his heart, as he gazed at her and lightly stroked her hair, which he loved that she had worn down. "She is my little goddess, after all," he murmured, kissing her hand and gazing into her eyes as if they were quite alone in the room.

     "Can you believe we have to tolerate this kind of thing day-in and day-out?" Justin complained, rolling his eyes in the direction of Jax and Brenda.

     By this time Brette and Rachel were fuming inside at what a hit Brenda was at this, her first official hosting of a Jacks family function. Not to mention how obviously madly in love with her Jax truly was, and adding to their fury was the fact that nothing they did or said could embarrass or rattle Jax's wife. They whispered amongst themselves, trying to think of things to say that would throw Brenda off or upset her or leave her red-faced and grasping for explanations.

     Rachel suddenly remembered something Amber had mentioned to her while on one of her jealous rants about Brenda a few weeks ago, while they were lunching down at the Riverwalk.

     "Your candor is so refreshing, Brenda," Rachel lied, trying to put Brenda in a false sense of calm by first complimenting her. "Tell me, is it true that your father’s death was no simple car accident? That, in fact, he was a compulsive gambler, who gambled away nearly everything he owned and then killed himself over the shame of it all?"

     The room grew deadly silent. Even the band stopped playing. Jax felt Brenda flinch slightly next to him. He slid his hand into hers beneath the table. Jax knew how much Brenda had loved her father, and that he indeed had had a gambling problem. He also know how the late Mr. Barrett’s trying to give Brenda’s tacky, social climbing stepmother the life she demanded relentlessly of him had helped in great part in driving Brenda's father to a far too early grave at his own hand, leaving a young Brenda at the mercy of the wretched stepmother, who hated her, but enjoyed the money her father’s death had freed up.

      Jax's hand covered Brenda's trembling one in a touch of comfort and love that soothed the cold shock of Rachel's cruel words right out of her. Then his eyes turned to Rachel, and they froze the blood in her veins.

     "What did you just say to my wife?" he asked in a voice that was low, and, despite the calm, quiet decibels, obviously very angry.

     "I… I said…" Rachel was suddenly terrified to repeat her question. Even she realized how appallingly classless and tactless it had been to say such a thing to her hostess. Especially in front of everyone. Especially in front of the man who loved Brenda more than life itself, as much as Rachel hated to admit it. Jax's frigid, hateful gaze was like a glacier slamming into her soul. She even felt the eyes of her father blazing down angrily at her, the eyes of everyone. Even her co-conspirator, Brette, had physically moved away from her a few inches, as if she were suddenly contaminated goods.

     "You oughta be ashamed of yourself, child," Mayor Buckley said with distaste, as he threw down his napkin and glared at Rachel Bradburry. "What the hell kind of a thing is that to say? Have you lost your mind?"

     "Not to mention your common decency!" Vyla Buckley added, all at once completely won over to Brenda's side.

     "Brenda, please accept my apology on behalf of my daughter," Senator Bradburry said quickly and apologetically, his voice shaking with anger. "Normally her manners are exemplary. I have no idea what demon has gotten into her tonight!"

     "His name is jealousy," Juliet said, glaring at Rachel.

     "I think perhaps it's time to end this dinner," Jane said, trying to hold back her own fury. Brenda had been magnificent tonight! She had been charming and funny and perfectly enchanting. She had taken the best shots of Jax's bitter ex-girlfriends with a grace and humor that would make any Jacks proud. But this disgustingly low blow by Rachel Bradburry, aimed at the very heart of Jax’s sweet Brenda, was simply too much!

     "No, Lady Jane," Brenda said with a quiet dignity that made Jax love her all the more, if that were possible. Brenda looked straight at Rachel. "I wouldn't dream of our guests leaving without having… dessert."

     Brenda's eyes met Niles, who was standing in the doorway. He gave a sharp salute and turned on his heel.

     "Bombs away," Niles sang gleefully under his breath, as he disappeared determinedly into the kitchen to get "dessert."