Meet Mr. Prince (16 page)

As he talked, Georgie's heart felt lighter and lighter. And when he'd finished, repeating what Katie had said about liking Georgie, Georgie's heart soared with hope.

Zach reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and withdrew a small velvet ring box. “I'm going to do this right,” he said, and he got down on one knee. “Georgianna Fairchild,” he said tenderly. “I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Zachary Prince?” Then he opened the box.

Georgie, who didn't even like jewels, gasped when she saw the most perfect emerald-cut diamond she'd ever seen. It was a simple, elegant design of one large stone set in platinum. It was exactly the kind of ring she would have chosen herself.

As if he knew what she was thinking, he said softly, “It had your name on it.”

This time, when he took her into his arms, the ring sat firmly on the ring finger of her left hand.

 

Two hours later, after calling Frankie and telling her she didn't need a ride, Georgie sat in the passenger seat of the Lexus Zach had rented. They were on their way to Harry's house and her mother's birthday party. Zach wore a beautifully cut dark pin-striped suit and white shirt, and Georgie wore a short, filmy red dress—in honor of the faux Valentine's Day Zach had used as a reason to bring her the red roses. Small diamond stud earrings and her new engagement ring—oh, and a smile that would not go away—were her only adornments.

“Zach,” she said, “I know we're engaged, and I don't
want to change my mind, but…there's still the problem of my job. I don't want to give it up.”

He smiled. “I wondered when you'd get around to that.” He gave her a quick glance. “Alex has a surprise for you. He was just waiting to see if you were going to say yes or not.”

“Yes about a job?”

“Yes to me when I asked you to marry me.”

“You talked to Alex about me? When?”

“Yesterday.”

“But I talked to Alex yesterday, and he didn't say—”

“I asked him not to.”

Georgie was astounded. In another lifetime, she would have been irritated to have her boss and the man she loved talking about her behind her back. “What's the surprise?”

“It won't be a surprise if I tell you.”

“Zach, I really don't like surprises.”

“You liked the one today.”

“Well, sometimes I make exceptions.” But she laughed. She
loved
the surprise today.

“Alex is going to ask you if you want the job of co-director of the New York office.” Zach smiled at her second gasp of the day. “We'll be equal in every way.”

“And…you're okay with that?”

“I'm more than okay with it. It was my idea. Georgie, I want to share everything in my life with you—the good, the bad and the ugly. Isn't that what real love is all about?”

If he hadn't been driving, Georgie would have thrown her arms around him and kissed him until he cried for mercy. As it was, she contented herself with saying, “Mr. Prince, you're the man I've been waiting for all
my life.” Then she laughed. “My mother is going to be so happy! I can't wait to tell her she's finally going to see her holdout daughter married.”

From the June issue of
Around Puget Sound
magazine

Harrison Hunt Marries Again by Phoebe Lancaster

 

T
he wedding of Harrison Hunt, founder of HuntCom, the multibillion-dollar corporation considered the grand-daddy of the personal computer industry, and Cornelia Phillips Fairchild, widow of George Fairchild, who was once Harrison Hunt's partner, took place Saturday evening at the Hunt mansion in Seattle. This is Hunt's fifth marriage and Fairchild's second.

The bride wore a full-length, pale pink lace gown designed by Vera Wang and carried white baby orchids atop an old family Bible. Mikimoto pearls adorned her neck, ears and right wrist—a wedding gift from her
groom—and her spectacular pink diamond engagement ring was on full view. The groom wore a dark gray Brioni tux with a pink rose tucked into his lapel.

The bride's matron-of-honor was her oldest daughter, Georgianna “Georgie” Fairchild Prince, who recently married New Yorker Zachary Prince, one of the heirs to the McKinley textile fortune. Bridesmaids were the bride's three younger daughters: Roberta “Bobbie” Fairchild Gannon, Thomasina “Tommi” Fairchild-Callahan, both of whom are also recent brides, and Francesca “Frankie” Fairchild, who is even now planning her own summer wedding to Eli Wolf. All the beautiful Fairchild sisters wore long raspberry crepe gowns from JS Designs in Seattle.

Best man for his father was Grayson Hunt, president of HuntCom. Remaining groomsmen were Harrison Hunt's other three sons: Alex, J.T. and Justin.

After the ceremony, which was performed by the pastor of the church where Mrs. Fairchild has been a long-time member, the guests, estimated at approximately three hundred, were treated to a lavish buffet and romantic evening of dancing and multiple champagne toasts in the opulent ballroom in one wing of Hunt's spectacular lakeside home.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Hunt will spend their honeymoon in Australia and New Zealand—“Countries I've always wanted to see,” according to the bride. The groom, who has admittedly not had much success with marriage in the past, smiled indulgently and said he intended to do everything in his power to please his new bride, because “she is a keeper.”