Catch As Cat Can

                "Mrs. Murphy, Cat Supreme." Murphy pushed out her chest, then laughed.

                "... merrier." Diego finished his sentence, which had started out "The more." He had agreed to ride in the cab of the truck with two cats, one dog, and Harry. He didn't seem to mind at all.

                Harry drove them around the back way. They parked near the main intersection, walking the last block. The cats remained in the truck with the windows open. Neither one liked crowds, although they usually rode on Harry's shoulders if they had to enter a fray. Pewter complained about the marching music. She preferred Mozart. Furthermore, the trumpets hurt her ears. Mrs. Murphy thought it was time for her noon nap.

                Tucker eagerly accompanied Harry and Diego. As they reached the main intersection the people lined the road four deep, a lot for Crozet. At five feet ten inches, Diego could see over most of the crowd, but Harry, at five feet six, had to stand on her tiptoes.

                Diego gently worked his way to the front, reached back for Harry's hand, and pulled her up with him. When people saw it was their postmistress carrying Tucker they gladly gave way.

                They'd no sooner reached their place than the United Daughters of the Confederacy float rolled by, with Lottie and her pantaloons evoking comment.

                Harry heard Roger O'Bannon yell to a bystander, "Give me twenty bucks and I'll dump them all on the road."

                Laughter greeted this offer. Lottie ignored it, of course.

                Spurred on by the laughter Roger stuck his head farther out of the truck, artfully concealed by the float."Hey, Lottie, why don't you ditch the hoop?"

                "Shut up, Roger."

                "You'd better be good to me. I'm driving this boat." He laughed loudly. She ignored him again so he catcalled, "Lottie, oh, Lottie Pearson."

                "Roger, for God's sake, watch where you're going."

                They were cruising dose to the side of the road.

                "Just trying to get you girls a nice cold drink."

                Danny Tucker, Susan's son, rushed up, two drinks in each hand. The lathes eagerly reached down.

                "How did women wear these things?" one young lady grumbled, for the finery was heavier than anything she had ever worn here.

                "They didn't wear them every day," Lottie snapped, then remembered her attention should focus on the crowd. She smiled big d waved, then she saw, really saw Diego Aybar. Her smile froze, e recovered and continued to ignore Roger, whose suggestions were ever more risqué.

                By the end of the parade the mood of the participants and the crowd was even more elevated than at the beginning. The reason for is was that the Veterans of Foreign Wars had a small brass band with two snares and they peeled out of the parade as it ended, arching and playing all the while. They marched straight into a small bar where they continued to hold forth.

                BoomBoom was taking a Polaroid of Don Clatterbuck and ogre at the float. The "belles" had all fled. The minute she clicked e picture both men made a beeline for the bar.

                "Is it always like this?" Diego asked.

                "More or less, which means either they're more drunk or less." Harry smiled.

                "Ah yes." He smiled back at her and it was obvious he liked x. There weren't a lot of women like Harry hovering about the embassy. She intrigued him."You know for us the seasons are op-site. Spring fever comes in late October and early November."

                "I imagine it's beautiful in South America."

                "Yes-not every centimeter but-yes."

                "Did BoomBoom give you today's schedule?"

                "We are to go to a tea party. BoomBoom wanted me to meet u in the garden. She suggested I see the parade and meet you afterward but I wanted to meet you as soon as possible and I'm glad I d."

                "Me, too. I guess BoomBoom wanted us to meet in the garden because I'd have a dress on. I rarely do." Harry blushed for a moment."The truth is I'm 'most always in jeans."

                "Senorita, you are beautiful no matter what you wear." He moved his head slightly.

                "Oh, this is good." Tucker happily drooled.

                Harry burst out laughing."Mr. Aybar-"

                "Diego."

                "Diego, you are very kind." She took a deep breath."We have a few hours before dressing for the party. If you'd like I could drive you around, show you a bit of the county. I don't think there's an) way we could get to Monticello and back on time, though."

                He held up his hand."I have seen it. Mr. Jefferson has my full admiration."

                "Cruise?"

                "Cruise." He echoed her word. Diego was a quick study.

                And cruise they did, chatting all the while. She drove by estates, apple orchards, cattle farms. To her delight she learned that the Aybars maintained a residence in Montevideo but the family had an estancia where they bred cattle.

                Diego, educated at Duke, studied law at Yale and then studied back home in Uruguay. His father propelled him toward diplomacy but his heart was in farming.

                "I'm at a crossroads."

                "And your father will be upset?"