Favorite Train Journey Movies (REVISED)

A few years ago, I had posted a list of my favorite movies featuring train journeys. Below is a new list. To be honest, the revisions are few, but . . . hey, I felt bored. So I made another list. Without further ado, here it is: 

FAVORITE TRAIN JOURNEY MOVIES (REVISED)

1. "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) - Sidney Lumet directed this all-star adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1934 novel about Hercule Poirot's investigation of the murder of an American passenger aboard the famed Orient Express. Albert Finney starred as Poirot.

2. "Silver Streak" (1976) - Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor and Jill Clayburgh starred in this comedy thriller about a man who stumbles across a murder and criminal conspiracy during a train journey from Los Angeles to Chicago. Arthur Hiller directed.

3. "North West Frontier" (1959) - Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall starred in this adventure about a British Army officer assigned to escort a young Indian prince across rebel-held territory in British India. J. Lee Thompson directed.

4. "From Russia With Love" (1963) - Sean Connery stars as James Bond in this action thriller about the British agent's efforts to steal the Soviets' encryption device, unaware that he is being used as a patsy by SPECTRE. Directed by Terence Young, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Pedro Armendáriz and Robert Shaw co-starred.

5. "The First Great Train Robbery" (1979) - Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Lesley Anne Down starred in this comedy thriller about Victorian thieves who make plans to rob a moving train filled with gold for troops during the Crimean War. The movie was written and directed by Michael Crichton.

6. "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) - Alfred Hitchcock directed Margaret Lindsay and Michael Redgrave in this thriller about a young Englishwoman, who realizes that an elderly female passenger has disappeared.

7. "The Tall Target" (1951) - Dick Powell starred in this thriller about a New York cop, who tries to prevent President-elect Abraham Lincoln from Confederate sympathizers out to assassinate him during his rail journey from New York to Washington D.C. for his inauguration. Paula Raymond, Adolphe Menjou and Ruby Dee co-starred.

8. "Narrow Margin" (1990) - Gene Hackman and Anne Archer starred in this crime thriller about an assistant district attorney from Los Angeles, who escorts a witness to the murder of a Mafia boss' accountant. James B. Sikking co-starred.

9. "Shanghai Express" (1932) - Josef von Starnberg directed Marlene Dietrich in this tale about about a dangerous rail journey through China during a civil war. Anna May Wong and Clive Brook co-starred.

10. "The Mystery of the Blue Train" (2005) - In this adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1928 novel, Hercule Poirot investigates the brutal murder of an American heiress aboard the Blue Train. David Suchet and Elliot Gould starred.

"The Engagement News" [PG-13] - 4/5

"THE ENGAGEMENT NEWS"

Part Four

Phoebe arrived home from work and found the Halliwell household in a state of upheaval. Paige dashed toward staircase, wearing nothing but a bra, a slip and pantyhose. "What's going on?" the middle Charmed One demanded. 

"Getting ready for dinner," Paige quickly replied. "And I'm late." She rushed upstairs.

Piper emerged from the kitchen, wearing a calm demeanor. In fact, Phoebe thought she seemed too calm. "You're a bit late in getting home, aren't you?" the older sister commented. "It's almost seven."

Sighing, Phoebe replied, "I had a lot of work to catch up on. I didn't even get a chance to have lunch with Jason, today."

"Hmmm." Piper glanced away, as if too embarrassed to meet Phoebe's eyes. The latter sensed a surge of reluctance from her older sister. And pity. This left Phoebe feeling slightly confused.

She asked, "So . . . Paige is going out to dinner with Harry?"

"Yeah. It's another dinner party at the McNeills," Piper explained. "Some cousin from Australia is in town."

"Oh." More silence fell between the two sisters. Again, Phoebe sensed a wave of pity from the other witch. Unable to deal with the latter's silence any longer, Phoebe exclaimed, "Piper, what's wrong? I have this strong feeling that you're keeping a secret from me."

Piper sighed. Long and hard. Pity filled her dark eyes. "Pheebs, Paige and I had heard some . . ."

The doorbell rang, interrupting the older sister. Paige's voice bellowed from upstairs, "Would somebody answer the door? It's probably Harry!"

Phoebe shot to her feet. "I'll answer it." She walked toward the front door. Seconds later, she ushered Harry McNeill inside the manor. "Hey Harry," she greeted coolly. "Paige should be downstairs in a few minutes."

The red-haired witch smiled. "Thanks." Then he greeted Piper. "You know, it's too bad that you two can't make it for dinner, tonight. You'd like Cousin Sean. He's a real character."

"Leo wasn't available to baby-sit Wyatt, tonight," Piper said. "Besides, I'm pretty tired, after all that has happened in the past week or so."

Nodding, Harry continued, "Yeah, I can imagine. Between that Daley Bakker character, Cecile and Andre's visit, and everyone getting engaged, the last two weeks have been pretty eventful."

"Everyone?" Phoebe frowned. "You mean, Cecile and Andre."

Harry replied, "Yeah. Along with Livy and Cole."

The redhead's news struck Phoebe like a bolt of lightning. "What?" For a minute, she thought her heart had stopped. "Did you say that . . . that Cole is . . . engaged? How could he . . . I mean . . ." She sighed. "Never mind." Cole engaged to another woman? As she processed Harry's bombshell, Phoebe felt her heart tear in two.

Piper rushed forward to comfort the younger woman. "Oh honey, I'm sorry," she crooned. "I know this must be a shock to you." She began to squeeze Phoebe's shoulder. The latter barely noticed. "Paige and I had heard about the news from Barbara, this after . . ."

"I'm not upset," Phoebe declared with a detachment that she did not feel. She removed her shoulder from Piper's reach. "Why do you think I'm upset?"

The older woman's expression told Phoebe that she was not fooled by the latter's attitude. "Because right now, you're doing a piss poor job of holding back your emotions," Piper sardonically commented. "I know you, Phoebe. Cole is your ex-husband. It's only natural . . ."

Annoyed by her sister's superior air, Phoebe retorted, "Piper! Will you please stop it! I'm not . . . I'll be upstairs. Excuse me!" She heaved a frustrated sigh and started upstairs. And tried to ignore the heartache within her chest.

------------

Paige tried to enjoy the McNeills' dinner party, tonight. But she felt hard-pressed to do so, while memories of the expression on Phoebe's face clouded her thoughts. Nearly two hours earlier, she had encountered a tearful Phoebe on the manor's second floor. It only took one glance for Paige to realize that her older sister had found out about Cole's engagement to Olivia. She tried to talk to Phoebe - and console her. But the middle Charmed One merely rushed into her bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Since then, Paige found herself unable to enjoy herself - despite the excellent meal or the congenial company. She tried to bask in Olivia and Cole's apparent happiness, but found herself unable to do so. Not without thinking of her sister's own unhappiness.

". . . meal I've eaten in quite a while," Sean McNeill was saying. "Come to think of it, I haven't had a supper this delicious since the last time I had visited." Paige glanced at the Australian. He bore a strong resemblance to both Jack and Bruce McNeill. Yet, his features did not seem as sharp as his American cousins'. And he also possessed a bonhomie personality similar to the family's Scottish cousin, Colin McNeill. "Gwennie," he added, "that must have been the most tender Chateaubriand I have ever tasted."

A flattered Gweneth McNeill smiled. "Thank you, darling," she said. "I'm glad that you had enjoyed it. I recalled that Chateaubriand was one of your favorite dishes."

"Now that we're all here," her husband, Jack McNeill, said to their guest, "what brings you here to San Francisco, Sean?"

The Australian, however, refused to be rushed. He turned to Olivia and Cole. "First, I want to offer my congratulations to the happy couple. In fact," he then faced both Cecile and Andre, "I believe there are 'two' happy couples. Cupid has been busy lately, hasn't he?"

Olivia smiled. "Seems like it. Cecile and Andre had become engaged last Friday. And Cole had proposed on Sunday night."

"Cecile and I are getting married in February," Andre said.

Cole added, "And Olivia and I will be getting married next month." He paused, as a frown appeared on his face. "I have to say that I am surprised that you're not . . . taken aback by the news. A witch marrying a daemon?"

With a shrug that surprised Paige, Sean replied, "Why should I? It's happened before. Why do you think so many daemons can form a human appearance?"

Paige frowned. "What are you saying? That many demons have human blood? I thought demons like Cole were rare."

"Not really, Paige," the elder Mrs. McNeill commented. "The majority of daemons that are able to walk on this earth probably have some human ancestry. Although a good number of them - especially from the old Source's Realm - refuse to accept this."

Cole commented, "Raynor was one of them. I once asked him why so many daemons, aside from myself, are capable of assuming human form. He used magic as an excuse. And to be honest, I found that hard to believe, considering that a lot of daemons weren't able to shape shift into anyone. Hell, during my old days as Belthazor, I could only shift into my demonic form or human form. I guess that Raynor or the old Source didn't want to consider human ancestry as a possible explanation."

Sean added, "Like I said, Miss Matthews, there have been a lot more daemon-mortal unions than anyone would care to admit."

Jack's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Does this topic have anything to do with the reason why you're here?" he demanded.

All of the McNeills and their guests stared at the Australian. "Ah yes," he finally said. "I guess it does." He took a deep breath. "About a few years ago, Cousin Keith had asked me to do an extensive research into the McNeills' family history. Those McNeills who are descended from Donalda MacGugan, whose son happened to be the wizard Niallghas and whose grandson happened to be Duncan McNeill, the first laird of Dunleith. Keith had wanted me to write a book on it . . . in celebration of Castle Dunleith's upcoming 800th anniversary, next year. Well . . . it turns out that I had learned a lot more about the family line than I had expected."

Frowning, Bruce asked, "What do you mean . . . more?"

Sean replied, "Let me put it this way - Cole won't be the first daemon to marry into the McNeill family."

"Of course not," Jack said. "Don't forget the incubus who had conceived the wizard, Niaghall, with Donalda MacGugan."

"Let me put it another way - Cole won't be the second daemon to marry into our family."

Silence filled the drawing room. Paige found herself contemplating the meaning behind the Australian's words. She turned to Harry, who said, "You mean there have been other daemons in the family, aside from Niaghall's father?"

Sean nodded. "That's right, mate."

Frowning, Olivia demanded, "Exactly how many daemons had married into our family?"

Sean sighed. "Well . . . Cole will be the fourth."

"WHAT?" The outburst escaped from Paige's lips before she could stop herself. The others, especially Harry, stared at her. A wan smile appeared on her lips, before she lowered her eyes.

Sean cleared his throat and repeated, "Cole will be the fourth daemon to marry into the McNeill family." According to him, the incubus Aoidh had conceived Niaghall with the witch, Donalda MacGugan over a millennia ago. "Niaghall then had a son with Brianag McNeill, as you all know. Then around 1382, Roderick McNeill married a woman named Glynis McDougal. Turns out, she was a daemon named Ladira."

A gasp left Cole's mouth. Everyone stared at him. "Wait a minute! I've heard of her. She's practically a legend in the Source's Realm. A top assassin who had disappeared sometime in the late 14th century. It was rumored that she had fallen in love with a mortal. A witch. The Source - the previous Source before the last one - had sent zoltars after Ladrira. Only, they were never able to kill her. In fact, she managed to remain alive for another hundred years before the last Source - the one that Paige and her sisters had killed - managed to set a trap for her . . . and finally kill her. He became the Source about fifteen years later."

With a nod, Sean continued, "Ladira's son was named Fergus McNeill, an ancestor of ours. He had lived for almost three centuries. Two warlocks finally killed him in the mid 17th century."

"Wow!" a stunned Barbara muttered. "You said something about a third daemon?"

A sigh left Sean's mouth. "Ah, yes. From what I've learned, his name is Cardolan. He sometimes uses the mortal name . . ."

"IS?" Gweneth stared at her cousin-in-law. "Are you saying that he's still alive?"

His blue-gray eyes, wide with innocence, Sean said, "Didn't I mention that?"

"No, you didn't."

According to the Australian witch, Cardolan, otherwise known as Brian Grant, had become Gillian McNeill's lover sometime after the turn of the 18th century. Their great-great-great granddaughter, Lucia Grant, ended up married to Gordon McNeill, the first McNeill to become a Californian. Lucia and Gordon went on to become Jack and Sean's great-great grandparents.

"In other words," Jack commented, "only the Californian and Australian members of the family are descended from this Cardolan?"

Sean added, "Cardolan had a fifteen-year marriage with Gillian McNeill. It's not known what had ended the marriage, but they did settle somewhere near Edinburgh. They had a son named Ewan Grant. Not long after their fifteeth wedding anniversary, Gillian died of fever. Cardolan took care of Ewan, until the boy was old enough to immigrate to New York State at the age of eighteen. As for Cardolan, he's still alive."

"Damn!" Cecile exclaimed. "And I thought my family history was interesting."

Bruce said, "So, you're just making your way east, spreading the word to the family."

"That's about right," Sean replied. He smiled at Cole. "I reckon this should make you feel more at home, mate."

A half-smirk curved Cole's lips. "You have no idea," he said.

"Have you spoken to Mike about this?" the elderly Mrs. McNeill asked.

Groans from the other McNeills filled the room. Andre demanded, "What?"

"Mike is not going to like this," Jack stated, shaking his head. "Hell, he's not particularly thrilled about being from a family of witches."

Harry explained, "Uncle Mike - Dad's younger brother - had given up on Wicca and witchcraft a long time ago. Back in the 70s. It . . . uh, his first wife had left him, when she found out about our family background."

His father continued, "And when he hears about this . . ." A sigh left his mouth. "Man, he's not going to like the news.

Paige did not say anything. Nor did she feel inclined to do so. Yet, a small part of her understood exactly how Michael McNeill might feel.


End of Part Four

"SPIDER-MAN 3" (2007) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the 2007 movie, "SPIDER-MAN 3".  Directed by Sam Rami, the movie starred Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man:

"SPIDER-MAN 3" (2007) Photo Gallery

"THE AVENGERS" (2012) Review

"THE AVENGERS" (2012) Review

Back in 2007, Marvel Studios set out to do something that DC Comics managed to achieve some forty years ago through a Saturday morning animated series. The studio created a series of movies based upon some of its company's popular comic book characters. This series culminated into the recent hit movie, "THE AVENGERS".

The group of comic book heroes that became a team in "THE AVENGERS", turned out to be the following - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, the Black Widow and Hawkeye. The first four starred in their own movies and the last two, the Black Widow and Hawkeye, appeared as supporting characters in 2010's "IRON MAN 2" and 2011's "THOR" respectively. And each movie, starting with 2008's "IRON MAN", hinted at the formation of Marvel Comics' team of superheroes.

Written by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon and directed by the latter, "THE AVENGERS" begins with Loki, the villain from "THOR" and the latter's adopted brother, making a deal with the leader of the Chitauri aliens called the Other to lead an army on Earth, in order to subjigate the human race. In order to do this, Loki needs to retrieve the Tesseract, a powerful energy source originally found on Earth in "CAPTAIN AMERICA". The Tesseract opens a doorway that allows Loki to arrive a top secret S.H.I.E.L.D., use his scepter to enslave a few agents, Dr. Eric Selvig and Clint Barton aka Hawkeye and take the Tesseract.

In response to Loki's attack, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury reactivates the Avengers Initiative. He, along with agents Phil Coulson and Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow; recruits Steve Rogers aka Captain America, Tony Stark aka Iron Man and Dr. Bruce Banner aka the Hulk to form a team and stop Loki's plans and recover the Tesseract. Both Captain America and Iron Man manage to capture Loki in Germany. But during a flight back to the States, Thorarrives and frees Loki, hoping to convince him to abandon his plan and return to Asgard. Instead, a confrontation ensues between the three heroes before Thor agrees to accompany them all back to the Helicarrier, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier. Despite Loki being a captive, the Avengers still need to find the missing Tesseract. Even worse, Loki does not remain a captive very long.

Over a month has passed since "THE AVENGERS" hit the movie screens. And during that time, it managed to become the third highest-grossing film of all time. Most fans and critics of comic hero movies tend to view any film with more than one villain as a box office or critical disaster. And yet . . . many of these same critics and fans seemed to have no problem with a movie featuring six comic book heroes. I find that rather . . . odd and contradictory, but there is no explaining humanity's chaotic nature. I have never had a problem with a comic book movie featuring more than one villain or hero, as long as that movie was well written. And I cannot deny that Whedon and Zak Penn wrote a first-rate movie.

First of all, Marvel Studios made the wise decision to map out the movie's plot with four to five other movies. This enabled them to set up most of the characters before shooting "THE AVENGERS". Natasha Romanoff had received a small introduction in "IRON MAN 2". And Clint Barton was allowed nothing more than a cameo appearance in "THOR". This meant that these two were the only ones left to be properly introduced in this film, along with their previous relationship as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Even the Tesseract, the energy source that Loki will use to allow Chitauri warriors to invade Manhattan in the movie's last act, had originally been introduced in "CAPTAIN AMERICA" and hinted briefly in "IRON MAN 2" and in the Easter Egg scene for "THOR". I wish I knew who had the idea to set up the story and characters for "THE AVENGERS" in previous movies. I would congratulate him or her for convincing Marvel to pursue this course of storytelling. For it paid off very well.

Second, I was impressed at how the main cast members - especially those portraying members of the Avengers - managed to click so well and create a viable screen team. Whedon and Penn's script did not make it easy for them. Only the Black Widow and Hawkeye initially felt comfortably working together and even their relationship was disrupted by Loki's temporary enslavement of Hawkeye's mind. I could point out one or two particular performances by the cast. But if I must be honest, practically all of them stepped up to bat and performed beautifully. Okay, I must admit there were a few dramatic scenes that really impressed me.

I enjoyed the quarrel between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, thanks to Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, who did a great job in developing the characters from initial hostility and wariness to trust and teamwork. I also enjoyed Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, who continued their outstanding work and screen chemistry as the two Asgardian siblings, in a scene in which Thor tries to convince Loki that he and their family still loved the latter, despite his actions in "THOR". Scarlett Johansson managed to appear in three scenes that impressed me. One featured a contest of will and intellect between her Black Widow and Hiddleston's Loki. Another featured both her and Mark Ruffalo, as she manages to convince Bruce Banner to help S.H.I.E.L.D. to track down the Tesseract. But my favorite scene featured a heart-to-heart conversation between Natasha and her old partner, Clint Barton, as they discussed her past and his mind enslavement by Loki. Samuel L. Jackson did an excellent job as the intimidating, yet manipulative director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury. He also seemed surprisingly spry for a man in his 60s, as his character dodged several near death experiences. Clark Gregg was entertaining as ever as one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents, Phil Coulson. It was nice to see Stellan Skarsgård repeat his role as Dr. Eric Selvig. Although his role was not particularly big, Selvig had a major impact on the plot. And Skarsgård managed to give his usual, top-notch performance. Cobie Smulders managed to hold herself well as one of Fury's assistants, Maria Hill. It is a pity that Whedon was unable to showcase Alexis Denisof a little more as leader of the Chitauri aliens. I suspect that being cloaked and hidden in the small number of scenes probably did not help much, in the end.

I have heard that Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of Bruce Banner/the Hulk has received rave reviews from the critics and the fans. Many critics have also suggested his portrayal of the character was superior to both Eric Bana's performance in 2003 and Edward Norton's 2008 portrayal. I say bullshit to that. I suspect that the critics are spouting this crap, because Ruffalo got to portray the Hulk in a movie that is a box office and critical hit. Ruffalo did a great job in portraying Bruce at this later stage of his existence as the Hulk. However, I also feel there was nothing exceptional about his performance that made his Hulk superior to Bana and Norton's. This whole notion of Ruffalo giving a better performance than the other two actors strikes me as nothing but a lot of fanboy horseshit.

One cannot talk about "THE AVENGERS" without discussing the film's visual effects. What can I say? They were outstanding. Well . . . somewhat outstanding. Seamus McGarvey's photography struck me as very effective in giving the movie an epic feel. And his work was vastly assisted by the visual effects team led by Jake Morrison. For a movie set either in New York City, or over the Atlantic Ocean, aboard a flying aircraft carrier, I was very surprised to learn that a great deal of the movie was shot in both Albuquerque, New Mexico and Cleveland, Ohio. Surprisingly, the film crew only spent two days shooting in Manhattan.

I do have a few complaints about "THE AVENGERS". One, although I was impressed by Whedon's direction and McGarvey's photography, I cannot say the same about the work they did for the Black Widow/Hawkeye fight scene aboard the Helicarrier. To be honest, I found it slightly murky and confusing. Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek's editing did not help. Their work revived bad memories of Paul Greengrass' quick-cut editing at its worst. Honestly? Jon Favreau did a better job of shooting her fight scenes in "IRON MAN 2". I also realized that Whedon had been talking out of his ass, when he claimed that a good deal of the movie would be shown from Steve Rogers' point-of-view. Even worse, the film never really hinted any troubles Steve may have experienced dealing with the early 21st century. And could someone explain why the Hulk turned out to be more powerful than a pair of Norse gods - namely Thor and Loki? How in the hell did that come about? This certainly was not the case nearly 50 years ago, when Thor beat the pants of both the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner in the Marvel issue, Avengers #3 (Jan. 1964). Could someone please explain this phenomenon?

"THE AVENGERS" may not be perfect. But it is obviously one of the best comic book movies I have seen, hands down. And so far, it has turned out to be one of the best movies of 2012. It deserves all of the accolades it has earned. And for the first time in his career, Joss Whedon seemed to have directed a movie that matched his work with his "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" and "ANGEL" television series.

"The Engagement News" [PG-13] - 3/5

"THE ENGAGEMENT NEWS"

Part Three

Jason Dean closed the portfolio on the table before him and nodded. "Impressive," he commented. "Very impressive. No wonder Jack McNeill had decided to buy your new software." He glanced at his attorney. "Don't you agree, Marcia?"

The billionaire's attorney, an attractive middle-aged woman named Marcia Freeman, continued to peruse her copy of the Crescent Incorporated portfolio with appreciative eyes. "I certainly do."

"That's it then," Jason said, smiling at Cecile Dubois and Cole Turner. "We have a deal. So, uh . . . when do you want to discuss the particulars?"

Both Cecile and Turner exchanged a brief glance. The latter answered, "How about the day after tomorrow? On Friday morning? I have a meeting, tomorrow, with another client. And I need to draw up a contract."

"We . . . need to draw up the contract," Marcia firmly corrected. Turner politely acknowledged her comment with a brief smile.

Jason suggested, "How about ten o'clock, Friday morning? In this room?"

"Fine with me," Cecile complied. "Cole?" Her attorney nodded. Then she stood up and glanced at her watch. "Looks like I still have time for some shopping before I meet Andre."

The mention of the other New Orleans visitor reminded Jason of some news he had just heard. "Oh, by the way," he said, "congratulations on your engagement. Phoebe told me the good news."

A radiant smile graced Cecile's lovely face. "Thanks. As it turns out, I'm not the only one who's engaged."

"Oh?"

The New Orleans woman nodded at her attorney. "Cole is also engaged. To Olivia."

The news shook Jason to his core. While Marcia offered her congratulations to the visitors, the newspaper publisher stared at his girlfriend's ex-husband in shock. Olivia McNeill . . . engaged? Jason had never considered the redhead as the marrying kind. When he finally recovered from his shock, he slowly offered his hand to Turner. "Congratulations," he murmured.

Turner smiled. "Thanks. Olivia and I haven't set a date, yet."

"What about your honeymoon?" Jason said. "Have you considered the Far East? Hong Kong or Singapore?"

A long-suffering expression flashed across Turner's face. "Actually, Olivia and I have already made our decision. Orlando."

"Huh?" Jason blinked. "As in Central Florida?"

Turner sighed and continued, "As in Walt Disney World."

Marcia cooed with delight. "That sounds marvelous! My younger brother and his wife had spent their honeymoon there. They stayed at the Boardwalk Resort."

"Olivia is considering the Grand Floridian Hotel."

Jason turned to Cecile. "Are you considering Walt Disney World, also?"

Cecile shook her head. "Oh no. Andre and I are going to Bermuda."

"Lucky Andre," Jason overheard Turner mumble.

While Cecile and Turner continued to discuss their separate wedding plans with Marcia, Jason's thoughts returned to his former girlfriend. During the three months they had dated, Olivia had never shown any inclination for a deeper relationship. Or any kind of emotional attachment, for that matter. Jason had always felt that she kept him at arms' length. He shot one last glance at the dark-haired attorney, and wondered what the latter had possessed to snare the extroverted, yet very elusive Olivia McNeill. One last thought came to him. He wondered if Phoebe knew about the engagement.

----------

Sean McNeill greeted his American cousin with his usual bear hug. "Jack! Bloody hell! Look at you, man! Just as healthy as ever. How are Gwennie and the kids? And your ma?"

Jack returned his younger cousin's greeting with a smile. Sean had inherited the McNeill family's looks - dark-brown hair, blue-gray eyes and a tall figure. Only his features were not as sharp as Jack's. Also, Sean stood at least two inches shorter. "The family is doing fine," Jack replied. "We, uh . . . we're about to welcome a new member into the family, as a matter of fact."

One of Sean's brows rose questioningly. "Oh? So, Barbara and Bruce are expecting a baby, already?"

"Not quite." Jack lifted one of Sean's traveling bags with one hand and guided the other man toward the airport terminal's exit with the other. Outside, they found Davies standing by the family's limousine. After Sean's bags were loaded into the trunk, the three men climbed into the limo . . . and Davies guided it back toward the city's limits.

Jack turned to his cousin. "So, what exactly is the big news that had surprised the hell out of Belinda?"

"You first," Sean said. "Who's the new member of the family?"

"Going to be," Jack corrected. "Olivia is engaged."

Sean's brows knitted into a frown. "Engaged? To . . . To that daemon fella? Belthazor? The one I had met in Scotland, last summer?"

As he mentally prepared himself to come to Cole's defense, Jack warily replied, "That's right. Belthazor. Apparently, Cole had asked Livy to marry her, Sunday night. Now, I realize this might come as a shock to you . . ."

To Jack's surprise, Sean threw back his head and broke into laughter. "Bloody hell! I can't believe it! It's just too . . . oh, I don't know . . . ironic."

Ironic? Jack frowned. "Huh? What the hell are you getting at?"

A smirk appeared on Sean's lips. "Oh, it's nothing, mate. Well . . . actually, you'll find out, tonight." The smirk remained fixed upon his lips, as the limousine continued its journey back into the city.

-----------

The bell above Ostera's front door rang, as the two Charmed Ones entered the shop. The younger sister strode toward the young woman who stood behind the front counter. "Hey Maddy," Paige greeted. "Has Barbara arrived yet?" Paige referred to the shop's owner, Barbara McNeill, who has yet to arrive for the day.

Ostera's other assistant, Madeline Oser, shook her dark head. "Nope. Not yet. And it's almost one-thirty." She glanced at the other newcomer. "Hi Piper. How's Wyatt?"

Piper Halliwell smiled at her sister's co-worker. "Fine. He's with his dad, right now. So, Barbara hasn't shown up for the day?"

"Doctor's appointment," Paige curtly explained. "She was supposed to be here over an hour ago. I guess she decided to stop for lunch."

Once more, the door's bell rang. A beautiful woman with windblown blond hair rushed into the shop. "Finally made it!" Barbara declared breathlessly. "Sorry, I'm late. I had to wait for my doctor, who ended up a half hour late." She paused. "Okay, and I did a little shopping. Have you two had lunch, yet?"

Maddy nodded, while Paige replied, "Piper and I just got back."

Barbara's blue eyes settled upon the oldest Charmed One. "Oh. Piper. I didn't realize you were here."

"I usually have that effect upon people," Piper commented sardonically. "How are you, Barbara?"

The blond witch smiled. "Just fine. Aside from a ridiculously long wait at the doctor's office. And the lunch crowd at Macy's was just horrible."

Paige walked around the front counter. "What were you doing there, anyway?" she asked her employer. "Were they having a sale?"

"Shopping for wedding presents," Barbara said.

Piper frowned. "Don't you mean a wedding present? In the singular form? Or do you and Bruce plan to buy more than one present for Cecile and Andre?"

"More than one?" Confusion whirled in Barbara's eyes. "Why would I . . . oh! That's right. You haven't heard."

"Heard what?" Maddy demanded.

Barbara continued, "Olivia and Cole. They're engaged. They became engaged on Sunday night. And they should be getting married next month."

The two Charmed Ones stared at the blond witch in silent shock. Only Maddy immediately responded. "Wow! There's sure a lot of matrimony in the air, lately."

Paige became the first to rediscover her voice. "Are you serious? Cole and Livy are engaged?"

"Oh my God," Piper murmured. "If this ever gets out . . ."

Paige retorted, "What are you talking about? Of course it's going to get out. I doubt that Livy or Cole would hide the news. I'm just wondering how the Elders will react, when they found out."

Barbara rolled her eyes in contempt. "Who the hell cares? Frankly, it's none of their concern. And what can they do?"

"Never mind the Elders," Piper said with a derisive snort. "Can you image Phoebe's reaction?"

With a frown, Barbara said, "Why would Phoebe be upset? Isn't she now dating that guy . . .?" She broke off, as both sisters regard her with slight contempt. Her eyes widened with realization. "Oh. Oh!" Then she sighed. "Huh. Poor Phoebe."

---------

'Cole, your mother had waited four to five years to kill your father. Now that's a hell of a long time to wait to get someone out of the way. Haven't you ever asked yourself . . . why?'

The question reverberated inside Cole's head, over and over again. He tried to ignore Olivia's words from last night, by returning his attention to the contract before him.

'At least I know why Leo tried to coerce me into killing you. Tell me Cole, do you know why your mother had killed your dad?'

Shit! A growl escaped Cole's mouth. He slammed the pen onto the desk and leaned back in his chair, longing for peace from the thoughts in his head.

He took a deep breath and sighed. Of course he knew why his mother had killed his father. Raynor had told him, years ago. Mother wanted the Turner fortune. Pure and simple. And the only way to gain control of that fortune - at least according to Raynor - was to kill her husband, leaving Adam Turner's only male grandchild as the major beneficiary. Through Cole, she would have control of the money.

Ten decades later, Cole realized that Raynor's explanation had cracks. Although Nimue did end up taking control of the Turner family's fortune after his grandfather's death, she had relinquish that control when Cole turned twenty-one. That little action stumped him. Why had she relinquished control? Raynor explained that Nimue had no choice, since that she could no longer exercise parental control over her son. However, his mentor did warn that Nimue would find some way to influence him - and use the Turner fortune for her benefit. But the more Cole thought about Raynor's words . . . and his relationship with his mother, the more he realized that Nimue had never harbored any real interest in the Turner fortune. In fact, she rarely brought up the subject. And if he had to be perfectly honest with himself, Cole also realized that he had allowed Raynor to use his feelings surrounding Benjamin's death to manipulate both him and his relationship with Nimue. Because of this, Cole had rarely bothered to touch his grandfather's money. And if Raynor had been wrong about Mother's reasons for killing Father, why did she really do it? What were the real circumstances that led to Benjamin Turner's death?

Cole decided that the only way he would ever learn the truth, would be to re-establish a relationship with his mother. He took a deep breath and picked up the telephone receiver. Then he dialed the number to Olivia's cell phone.

----------

The cell phone rang. Olivia quickly picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

"Olivia? It's me . . . Cole," said the soft, masculine voice on the other end of the line. "I, uh . . . I mean . . ."

The redhead understood his hesitation. Their quarrel over Cole's mother had left relations between the newly engaged couple, slightly cool. They had barely exchanged a warm word before leaving for work, earlier this morning.

The half-daemon inhaled slightly, before he continued. "I've decided to change my mind about Mother. I'm going to tell her about us. About our engagement."

"Oh." Olivia did not know whether to be relieved . . . or apprehensive that she may have pressured him into changing his mind. "Listen Cole," she said, "you don't have to tell her on my account. If you don't really want to . . ."

Cole interrupted. "No. I do. For some bizarre reason," he hesitated, ". . . a part of me wants to tell her. And I guess I think we need . . . Never mind. Look, I don't know how she'll react when she learns that her only son is about to marry another witch, but . . . well, that's too bad for her. But I would rather tell Mother myself, than have her find out through someone else."

Olivia understood. "Do you want me to accompany you?" she asked. "We can go together, after the dinner party for Cousin Sean."

A long pause followed before Cole murmured, "Yeah, I would appreciate it."

"Good. Then . . . we'll leave dinner a little earlier than usual. I'll see you this evening. Bye."

Cole replied, "Bye," and hung up.

Slowly, Olivia disconnected her cell phone. Then she leaned back into her chair. And allowed her body to sag with relief.

----------

Leo stared at Piper in disbelief. "Say that again?"

"Say what?" Piper replied. "That Cole and Olivia are getting married? Okay. Cole and Olivia are getting married. Next month."

Horror filled Leo's blue eyes. "Oh my God! That can't be . . . I can't believe that Jack McNeill would allow such a thing. He has to stop this!"

One of Piper's brows formed an arch. "Stop it? How? May I remind you, Leo, that Olivia is a grown woman? She doesn't need permission to get married from her parents. Or from the Elders Council, for that matter."

Leo's face tightened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means . . ." Piper cut off, as her new whitelighter orbed into the middle of the kitchen. "Oh God! Now what?"

Chris barely acknowledged Leo's presence with a grimace, before he turned to Piper. "Say, have you or the others found out anything else about the Anansi Order?"

Piper frowned. "The what?"

"Hel-lo? The Anansi Order? The group of Voodoo witch doctors that Whatsnername . . . Daley Bakker belonged to!"

Sharply, Piper replied, "One, it's called Vodoun. Two, they're not witch doctors. And three, no I haven't! It's only been two or three days, Chris. And Andre has been to busy with Olivia's new store to tell us anything. Besides, I thought we had told you that we have no intention of going after them, unless it's necessary?"

Chris retorted, "Considering that one of their members had managed to steal Wyatt's powers temporarily, I would say that information is necessary."

"Oh for God's sake! Chris, as far my sisters and I are concerned, the Elders can hold their breaths on that information about the Anansi Order." She shot a quick glance at Leo. "No insult intended."

Leo sighed. "None taken."

Piper continued, "Besides, there's still the matter of finding out who had hired that demon, Nairn, to attack Wyatt and me. Which means there is someone else who wants Wyatt dead."

With a frown Leo said, "You mean the same person who had killed that witch in Santa Fe?"

"Yes." Piper added, "Now, if the both of you don't mind, I have some work to do. I'm sure that your fellow whitelighters must miss you, terribly."

Chris heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. A red-faced Leo said, "They won't, after I tell them the news about Olivia and Cole. You know, Piper, I'm surprised that you're not all that upset over this engagement. Because you should."

"Olivia and Cole are engaged?" Chris asked, wide-eyed.

Piper nodded. "Yes. Are they married in your future?"

A brief pause followed before the young whitelighter replied, "Well . . . yeah. Sure." He glanced at Leo. "Is there a problem?"

"Of course there is!" Leo retorted. "A union between Olivia and Cole could prove to be a major threat to the future of magic! Can you imagine how powerful their child would be? A child that will be one-quarter demon?"

To Piper's surprise, Chris seemed unconcerned. "Trust me when I say that you won't have to worry about Olivia and Cole's . . . children becoming major threats. In fact, someone else's . . ." He sighed. "Never mind. I've gotta go."

Wondering what Chris was about to reveal, Piper added, "Well, I guess that's it, then. No reason for us to worry about Olivia and Cole. Leo, thanks for taking care of Wyatt. Chris, thanks for the information. And good-bye . . . both of you."

The two whitelighters regarded each other sheepishly, before they orbed out of the kitchen. Piper sank into the nearest chair and sighed with relief.


End of Part Three