A photographer is making an incredible nuisance of himself at the Corys. Ada won't let him smoke. He's sure Rachel will want her picture taken. Enter Rachel. He began photographing. She put a stop to it.
Felicia: I knew I should never have taught him how to dance. [Don't be silly. He was dancing with Brittany long before he knew you existed.] Wally: what does that have to do with the letter from Zane? Felicia: well first he's dancing with a beautiful woman and now a letter... how would YOU add that up? Wally: WELL. Are you going to read it? Or are you just going to stand there and predict the worst? Felicia: he WOULD have to dump me on the busiest day of my life. Wally: FELICIA, just read the letter. Felicia: I AM, I AM, don't nag me. I'm going to read it. Maybe it's not from him, maybe it's from another Z. Lindquist. Wally: right. She fell silent.
Carl appeared and Nancy's fits increased.
The photographer discovered that no one from the paper had called Rachel. He told her all he knew was it had something to do with the Bay State art department and a chair. Rachel won't be took until she finds out what's going on. It was difficult.
Zane is giving Felicia more space. She's mad. ["Just because I asked for it doesn't mean I really WANT it."] Felicia: "Felicia"—I want you to make note that there's an absence of a greeting like beloved, or dearest—"I know you are the writer in this team but I thought I'd try my hand at it to explain a couple of things to you. I hope you understand. MAYBE I'll call you in a couple of days to make sure you do." MAYBE he'll call me? "My sister's been visiting me for a few days and she wants me to go back to Oregon with her. Anyway I will be out of town for a while." Wally: HOT DOG. It was the SISTER he was dancing with. Felicia: so? Wally: well don't you see you thought he was out on the town with another WOMAN. Felicia: oh, right. Yeah. WELL HE SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED HER TO ME. I mean if I'm as important as I'm supposed to be don't you think he'd WANT me to meet his only sister? Wally: Felicia, I think you're looking for trouble. Felicia: and I think you're siding with HIM. Wally: never mind, just read me the rest of the letter. Felicia: I am, I am, OK? I'm getting to the GOOD part. "I probably could have insisted that Annie handle this by herself but it seemed like a good time for me to be away. I know you have a rough decision to make and I wouldn't want to put a lot of extra pressure on you. If I was in the same town with you I wouldn't be able to help myself. SINCERELY, Zane. PS I know they pay you good money for being a writer, because it ain't easy." [Patrick Tovatt is an actual playwright, darlings. Writing coming out his ears.] SINCERELY? Wally: well I don't know what you're so upset about. Felicia: I am having an AFFAIR with this guy and he writes me a letter he could send to ELEANOR ROOSEVELT? Wally: I didn't know Zane was on a first name basis with Eleanor Roosevelt. She took fits about Zane expecting her to wait by the phone for some JERK to call and prepared to write a scathing reply.
Carl told Nancy he didn't hate her and he wouldn't hurt her and thought of her as family. She got upset and asked him about the time he'd shot Mac and driven Rachel crazy. He became childlike and said he'd never hurt Rachel. Nancy took fits. Carl kept saying he'd never hurt Rachel.
Rachel was thrilled to find out someone had endowed a chair in her name at the university. Money to hire a different professional sculptor every year. She thinks it was Mac. Rachel: I'm going to do something nice for him. I'm going to surprise him for once. Ada: well. That's impossible. Rachel: why? What are you talking about? Ada: BECAUSE you can't keep anything from Mac unless you're going to do something he hates. I mean, you know, otherwise you blab it all over the place. Rachel: WHEN, when did I blab? Ada: what about his birthday, his last birthday, you were going to kidnap him and fly him to New York for that Dave Brubeck concert. Rachel: well I couldn't do that—because—somebody told him and spoiled the surprise. Ada: yeah, well who told him? Rachel: I told him and I spoiled the surprise. Ada: I rest my case. Rachel: I can still surprise him. I just can't—be around him BEFORE I surprise him. Ada: well he's coming home for lunch, now what am I supposed to tell him? Rachel: LUNCH, that's it. Ada: what's it? Rachel: I'll give him LUNCH. Ada: he's given you a chair and you're going to give him lunch? Rachel: it's going to be terrific, trust me. Oh, and mom—if he should call from the office before he gets home don't let me talk to him.
Hawk saw Fayez pay a boy in the marketplace to take a letter to Chris and followed him [Fayez]. Carl said he preferred not to talk about Rachel. Nancy wouldn't let him touch her. Daphne and Carl left her alone to collect herself. She moaned "he's at it again."
Mac asked Felicia for the European rights to one of her first books, "Christmas Fantasy." He's grumpy because Carl's sentence has been commuted. She told Wally about it and decided to use Clarissa's nasty letter to Elliot as the jacket blurb. She noted this and her need to write to Zane on a pad and fled with Wally. Enter secretary Monica who interpreted this as a desire to send Clarissa's letter to Zane. Later Monica told her she'd taken care of it and given the letter to Willie to post. She doesn't know which post office but she knows he was going to lunch first and he had a taste for walleyed pike. Monica: oh, I could just DIE. Wally: well before you do that what was Willie wearing? Monica: WOOL. Worsted. Felicia: where are we going to find Willie Wally? Wally: I'll find Willie wherever walleyes are wasted. Exit Wally. Monica: oh I was just trying to help Miss Gallant. I know you'll forgive me. Felicia: WRONG.
Dee and Tom decided to cheer themselves up by going to Lesoleil to check out the clothes they're selling. Old models stuff. They want to help Marley and Jake.
Hawk returned to Chris's room and found the letter and no Chris.
Rachel's dressed up with all of Mac's favorite foods for lunch. Caviar and veal Prince Orloff. They're sure Nancy's happy. Mac came in and was surprised. He doesn't know what he did.
Monica and Felicia agonized. Dee and Tom came in. Felicia was thrilled to see them. She sent Thomasina to try on a $65 black strapless dress marked down from $1000s. Tom was reluctant.
Hawk got out poison blow darts and a blowpipe and a knife and left.
Mac is completely in the dark.
Tom looked so devastating in the dress that Felicia kept pressuring her to buy it not realizing that the Todds don't have $65 to blow on a dress. When Tom told her Felicia was embarrassed and Tom was embarrassed and went to take it off. Felicia forgave Monica and told her to send Tom the dress as a gift for having been insensitive. Monica was impressed.
Nancy tried to bribe a guard to let her escape. He took her money. She offered to hit him to make it look like he tried and punched him at the same moment Hawk from over the wall shot him in the calf with a drugged dart. He fell over. Nancy retrieved her money much impressed with her strength.
Wallingford returned and scared Felicia half out of her wits before producing the letter. Felicia destroyed it gleefully. She read Wally her revised letter. "Darling Zane... call me the minute you get back to Bay City. I'll be waiting by the phone. I love you and miss you. Yours, Felicia."
Rachel explained to Mac about the chair. He denied having done it. Mac wishes he knew who had. [CARL. I've known all along.]
Nancy crept toward the door. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind by a man in peculiar boots so that his hand covered her mouth.