Mary Elizabeth Nelson is the oldest child in a conservative Roman Catholic family in a wealthy suburb of San Francisco. As a sophomore at Berkeley in 1983, Mary is discovered by her mother in a "compromising position" with another woman, and she is summarily disowned.<br><br>She moves to New York and works as a waitress. While auditing an Austen seminar at NYU, she falls for fellow student, Betty Anne Elliot. The two foolishly share one night of passion before Betty decides to marry and disappear from Mary's life.<br><br>That is, until twenty years later when she calls still-single, successful writer Mary out-of-the-blue. Can the romance they had that first day blossom into love and passion?

Mary Elizabeth Nelson

Betty and I spoke regularly,and I met her in Bronxville on a couple of weekends,with her once taking me for a drive upstate—but not too far upstate—where I’d neverbeen and which reminded me a bit of Marin County,with beautiful farmland and quiet towns.


Sunday,April 24,2005,though,was the date we agreed upon to make love.Gerry would be home in Yonkers.The kids would be out doing what they did in those days.Bettydrove down.She got a parking space a few blocks from my apartment on West 83rd.When she came to my door after I buzzed her in,she was ravishing.She wore a turquoise dress that went below her knees.Completely inappropriate for brunch on the Upper West Side.She knewit was special.So did I;I had a raspberry dress.We eachgave ourselves a slight touch of makeup and wore two-inchheels.


Chapter 6