"Rachel, may Ah borrow yo' pearl earrin's, fo' when Ah marry Cass?" said Lila,

"Ah promise Ah'll give them back befo' we leave fo' our honeymoon."

"Yes, of course you may." said Rachel.

"I still don't see why you're in such a hurry to get married." said Matthew.

"Ah explained awl that." said Lila, "It's fo' the best."

Just then the doorbell rang. Amanda answered it.

"Good evening." said Mr Akageno.

"Oh, it's you." said Amanda, "I suppose you have a date with my mother - again."

"That's correct."

"Good evening." said Rachel, coming into the foyer.

"As always, you are a vision." he said, kissing her hand.

"Shall we go?"

"That's the third time Mother's seen him this week." said Amanda, as the front

door closed behind them.

"We've been hoping she'd meet someone new." Matthew pointed out, "At least

she's stopped moping over Carl."

"Yes, but - "

Amanda grabbed her coat and purse.

"Where are you going?" said her brother.

"To follow them!" said Amanda, "I want to see for myself how they act when

they're alone!"

****

Vicky was waiting when Jake got home.

"Okay, Jake, I want an explanation for what's been going on." she said.

"I'm not sure I've got one." said Jake.

"Maybe I do." said Vicky, "A couple of times lately, you've accused me of acting

like a tease - when I hadn't done anything. And Donna backed you up; she said I was

all over you at Rachel's party - when I wasn't. And then yesterday, I came

downstairs to see you making like a strip-o-gram, and then Marly entered the room,

and you nearly passed out. It was her, wasn't it? Marly's been coming on to you,

and somehow she made you think she was me."

"Yeah." said Jake, "Chris figures she's been using magic. I called the BOW."

"Isn't that kind of drastic?" said Vicky, "I don't want Marly arrested, just because

she's hot for your bod."

"It's not Marly I want arrested," said Jake, "It's whoever's been supplying her with

the shape-changing spells. He's probably the one who took Cass' identity at the

Lumina Ball."

****

"Guess what?' said Cass, "Lila said yes! We're engaged."

"Congratulations." said Felicia.

"I want you to give me away."

"Cass! I'd be delighted."

****

Amanda followed Rachel and Mr Akageno, not to a restaurant, as she had

expected, but to his hotel. She entered the lobby just in time to see them going into

the elevator.

'Maybe he forgot something in his room' she told herself.

Time passed, and they failed to reappear. Amanda's eyes went from the elevator

door to the clock, and back again. Maybe Rachel was just having dinner in

Akageno's hotel room, and maybe she wasn't. She decided to find out.

"Send a bottle of champagne up to Mr Akageno's room." she told the desk clerk.

She followed the room service waiter, lurking out of sight, around the corner, as he

knocked.

"Room service!"

"There must be some mistake," said Akageno's voice, "We didn't order anything."

Amanda pushed herself past the waiter, and looked into the room. Rachel was

sitting on the sofa. She was wearing a kimono of cream-and-gold brocade,

embroidered with red cranes. Akageno wore a plain black one.

"Mother! How could you?" she cried.

"Take that away, please." Akageno told the waiter, giving him money.

"Yes Sir." He exited.

"I suppose you had better come in, Amanda." said Rachel.

"How could you?" Amanda repeated, "You're my mother! How could you act

like a - a cheap slut?"

"I have no intention of explaining my behaviour to you, Amanda." said Rachel, "I

must ask you to respect my - "

"Your lover?"

"My privacy."

"I think you should leave now." said Akageno.

"I'm not leaving until my mother does!" said Amanda.

"Then you'd better make yourself comfortable, because I may sleep over!" said

Rachel.

"Allow me." said Akageno, picking Amanda up and depositing her out in the

corridor. "If you don't leave, I shall be forced to call hotel security." he said, and

closed the door in her face.

****

Meanwhile, Marly had gone to see Stark.

"Just making me look like Vicky isn't enough." she said, "I want to BE Vicky!

Isn't there some way you can switch us around, permanently?"

"You want me to put your soul into your sister's body?" said Stark," What an

interesting coincidence."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." said Stark. "You do realise that if you became Vicky, she would

become you, and tell the world what you had done?"

"Who'd believe her?" said Marly, "Everybody would think she was crazy. 'Poor

Marly, she can't face losing her looks. She's having delusions. We may have to send

her away -somewhere with padding on the walls'." She laughed.

"You're talking about major magic." said Stark.

"But you can do it?"

"I'll tell you what," said Stark, "There's a painting hanging at the Cory Mansion - a

landscape, with two people standing in front of a wall - "

"I know the one you mean." said Marly.

"Get it for me, - and I'll see what I can do for you."

"Are you really going to turn her into her sister?" said Zack, when Marly had gone.

"Certainly not." said Stark, "As though I'd waste major magic on the likes of Marly

Hudson! No, it's another soul entirely that interests me."

****

When Rachel arrived home, she found Matthew still awake.

"Did Amanda tell you what happened?"

"Yes."

"I suppose you have something to say?"

"Well, - isn't Akageno kind of - young for you?"

"Believe me, Matthew, he's older than he looks."

To be continued.