Chapter 32

I had asked both sets of parents not to meet us at the airport, but at Balthazar on The Esplanade, where I'd made a reservation for eight – making it family only, excluding whoever the sibs were seeing – at 1930. I'd only been there once before, but I remembered it well.

Rachel was glad I'd gotten business class and relaxed through the flight. I read a pamphlet from the Law Society of NSW and re-read Herbert's The Dragon in the Sea. We took a taxi to the Hyatt and were shown to our room. After unpacking, I called down to have my suit and Rachel's dress pressed. Tonight I'd wear shirt and chinos – it was nearly 30 out [86F].

Rachel just sat on the bed and when I finished my call, she was asleep. I decided to let her have an hour. I wanted to leave early so that we could stroll through Sterling Gardens on our way to Balthazar. With airline food for lunch, I was hungry, but I'd wait till dinner.

While Rachel dozed I showered and re-dressed. I glanced at the magazines provided by the hotel and realized that I'd need more reading material over the next two weeks. That had time till Monday. I was certain the families would keep us busy tomorrow.

My sleeping beauty stirred and woke.

"Did I sleep long?"

"About an hour."

"Oh my poor Pat! I'm stiff. And the clothes are wrinkly."

"Were you going to wear them all day? I just took a shower, now it's your turn."

She got undressed, gave me a kiss, put her clothes in the bottom drawer, gave me another kiss, and went to bathe.

At 1800 we went down to the lobby where I asked the concierge to have our garments hung in our suite when they were delivered. We walked along the Terrace, crossed into the Gardens.

"It smells nice here," Rachel remarked.

"A flowery night. 'Tomorrow shall be love for the loveless'," I quoted.

"What?"

"The beginning of Pervergilium Veneris, a third century hymn to Venus. Though I think it should be the beginning of April, as Chaucer and Eliot and Dylan Thomas point out."

Cras amet qui nunquam amavit; quique amavit cras amet. Ver novum, ver jam canorurn, vere natus orbis est; Vere concordant amores, vere nubunt alites, Et nemus comam resolvit de maritis imbribus. Cras amorum copulatrix inter umbras arborum...

"Are you bonkers?"

"Over you. 'Come, kiss me Kate ... for Wednesday we'll be wed'!"

"Petruchio says 'Sunday'." Rachel was laughing.

"It doesn't quite fit. But 'we'll have rings and things and fine array' even if it's Wednesday."

"You are bonkers!"

"Absolutely. So kiss me!" She did. We were nearly at the Esplanade.

"Will you behave at dinner?"

"'The force that through the green fuse drives the flower'..." [Dylan Thomas]

"Will you behave?"

"Of course. I'll tell your father, Mr. Eyre, that I want to marry you:

I am a gentleman of Sydney, sir,
That, hearing of her beauty and her wit,
Her affability and bashful modesty,
Her wondrous qualities and mild behavior,
Am bold to show myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report which I so oft have heard.

and he'll laugh, recognizing the source."

"You're an idiot!"

"Of course."

We continued out of the Gardens and onto the Esplanade. We were a few minutes early, but Sarah and my parents were there. The Eyres arrived while we were still greeting and so we just made the circle of hugging larger. We finally did get through the door and seated. Dad looked a little grayer and mum a wee bit stouter, but neither significantly. Rachel's parents looked the same, but Sarah and Al both appeared older. Or acted older.

Michiko started in asking Rachel about the Art Gallery, so we were occupied with that and with ordering dinner for a while. Dad then asked me about my courses and my application.

"Well, I got 'high distinction' in all three courses first term; I think I'll do that in two of the three this term; I'm not certain about the third. It might be only 'distinction.' We'll see. I think the dean will have everything he asked for when the marks come in. I believe he's received both an academic letter and the one from Sue. So, it's up to him."

Mum asked: "What do you think?"

"I don't know. You know what I want to do runs against the spirit of the regulations of the Law School. But..."

"But what?"

"It complies with the letter of the law."

"I saw that the Law Society of NSW had changed their rules, so perhaps the School will loosen up, too," Charles said.

"True. I'll just wait and make an appointment with the Dean for late in January." I turned to Sarah. "What about you?"

"ECU," she said.

"Still UNSW?" I asked Al.

"Less certain than I was. There's been a lot of criticism of Wildberger and I might want someone a bit less – unh – fervid as an undergrad."

"That makes sense. Where else?"

"Right now, ANU or Monash. Western is ranked higher than Monash, but I don't want to stay in Perth."

"I spent several years in Canberra," dad said.

"I know. And you hated it. But I'd be a busy beginner."

"True. But both Melbourne and Perth are nicer cities."

"I'd just go elsewhere for graduate work."

"What will you study, Sarah?" asked Rachel, deftly changing the subject.

"I don't know. I've applied for the new Bachelor of Arts with a double in Arts and Communications. I spoke to Sue about a month ago and I'm following her advice."

"Wow! That's something," said Rachel.

"I'm going to apply for an internship at Seven during my first summer. That should give me enough information to make a decision before I get a useless degree."

"Sometimes my children frighten me," mum remarked.

Michiko laughed. "No more than mine do. I'd never even heard of Poincare or Riemann up to two years ago!"

By then firsts had been disposed of. Dinner progressed. Before sweets I went over to the maitre d' and gave him my Visa. He nodded and I returned to my seat. At the end I let Charles and dad argue about who should get the bill and then silently signed the slip.

Everyone thanked everyone else and I let Rachel arrange lunch with my folks and dinner with hers for tomorrow (Sunday).

"I'll come by the hotel about 1130," dad said. "You can steal a car from us for the time you're here."

We walked back to the Hyatt holding hands.

We had very light breakfast, met dad, drove to my some-time home, and lunched. Mum, thankfully, had made a salad with shrimp and lots of greens, bread, and a Xanadu reserve chardonnay (from Margaret River). I made note of the wine, but drank little, as I'd be driving. I asked Sarah more about ECU and her intentions. We arranged to meet downtown on Tuesday morning. Mid-afternoon we drove to the Eyres'.

As expected, dinner was Japanese: salmon rolled in nori with roe on top; miso soup; salmon teriyaki; chicken and vegetable yakitori; wombok salad; rice; and green mango ice cream. Charles had Japanese beer, as he knew I didn't like saki. I over-ate again. We were going to have to diet seriously! We talked about Al's plans. I shied from asking about Alicia, but I was certain I'd learn from Rachel. We got back to the hotel about 2230 and arranged for parking. I refrained from asking what they'd charge.