Epilogue

All Our Tomorrows

17 July

It was beginning to feel like Montana all over again; as far as my being hungry and not eating yet went. The difference this time was that Jack and Colin were here. The problem was... Graham still had not made an appearance. Carlene, for her part, was bucking up but I could tell she was a bit depressed, or disappointed. An hour in it was becoming worrisome to more than just myself and Carlene. Everyone was starting to check their watches and all of us were fidgeting with our cells; though we all made futile attempts to hide our fiddling from everyone else. I mean, even Jess had his out a time or two.

"Maybe he's had an accident!"

"Carlene, we're less than three miles from Revell and I assume we would have been notified."

Here I was trying to be mother hen and I was as concerned as she was. I had had the same thoughts. To their credit, though, Colin and Jack were also getting anxious. I could tell it just as well as everyone else.

"Perhaps we should go look for the boy."

"Colin, he'll be here."

"I have to admit to being mildly alarmed with his absence. Jack?"

"No, you two stay...."

It didn't matter that Hilly and I had uttered those sentiments together. The two of them got up, in unison no less, and left our private dining room.

"Damn, there they go again. I'm not sure I like that considering what they've done together in the past six months."

"I suppose they can't go too far or get into too much mischief, Di."

There was trepidation and caution in her statement. I think she didn't want to worry Carlene any more than she already was. That is, until they were gone far too long to have checked outside. They could have been halfway to Revell by now. Then horror struck when our waiter came over and asked Hilly and I to follow him to the hosts desk. We left Jess to comfort Carlene and followed the man to find Colin waiting on us.

"I need you two to go out and wait with Jack."

"What do you mean we have to wait with Jack?"

"Trust me on this."

Neither of us was very trusting of anything these two wits did these days but, the seriousness in Colin's voice left us no other option than to comply.

Jack was outside The Renaissance, continually checking his watch, and turned to us as we exited the door.

Colin came out with Carlene, followed by Jess and Kathy... and none too soon. He took her by the back of her arms and positioned her smack dab in the middle of Bath Street so she could see him approaching. Him, was Graham, looking dashing in Regency attire and riding, from where I don't know, a beautiful black stallion. At first Carlene's mouth was so agape I wasn't sure it could be closed. Then she started to cry as he reached her, dismounted and went over and took her hand. Next, he got down on one knee, whilst pulling out a small box from his waistcoat and opening it. For a moment he peered over at Colin and Jack, who seemed to nod some form of male approval. Then he removed the ring from its box and proposed.