LOS ANGELES — Life back on ABC's "Desperate Housewives" set after the long writers strike has given Nicollette Sheridan a major headache, thanks to the flowers lining the show's Wisteria Lane. They have caused a flare-up of Sheridan's allergies.

"Excuse me," she says with a sniffle, before referring to herself as "Benadrylhead." After sneezing, Sheridan regains composure and leads a stroll down the cul-de-sac where her character, Edie Britt, lives. She passes her director's chair with "Naughty Nic" on it — a gift from co-star and friend Eva Longoria Parker, with whom she just wrapped shooting a scene.

Before the writers strike, a devastating tornado's effects blinded Carlos Solis (Ricardo Chavira), who had just ended a romance with Edie and returned to ex-wife Gabby (Longoria Parker). As their lives seemed in jeopardy, Edie and Gabby clung to each other in a crawl space, somehow managing a reconciliation.

But the cattiness is back on, with Carlos taking on a seeing-eye dog, and Edie arriving on the Solises' front steps with a box of dog biscuits — for Gabby.

"There is something tragic going on that Edie knows about," Sheridan says of the show's first new episode Sunday. "She gets to the bottom of the truth regarding a certain love triangle, and of course, she must enlighten others."

Her own love life benefited from the strike. Besides being free to voice a prairie dog for an upcoming animated film, "Noah's Ark: The New Beginning," she got to spend two months with fiance Michael Bolton, 55, on his European tour.

At a musical event in Poland, Sheridan was invited to take the stage. But rather than duet with Bolton, she did some impromptu standup comedy. "And it went over quite well," she says — so well that she is now writing a script for a TV comedy she hopes to produce.

Not so funny to Sheridan is the question she has had to endure since accepting Bolton's proposal in March 2006: So, when will you get married? "Who specified that there is some sort of limitation on an engagement?" she retorts.

She stresses all is well just as is: "We're very, very happy." Over the holidays, the couple vacationed in St. Barts with Bolton's three daughters, Isa, Holly and Taryn, ages 29 through 33. "I love children," she says. "And I'm looking forward to having my firstborn when I'm 70."

Still, she's not ruling out a wedding someday. "It's not out of need for us. It will be out of desire for having that ceremony happen when there isn't too much going on so that we can enjoy it."

That probably rules out this summer. After "Housewives" wraps Season 4 in May, it will start shooting Season 5 in June.

She expects to return despite rumors that Edie might die in "Housewives' " penultimate episode of the season, setting up the two-hour season closer May 18. Show creator Marc Cherry says only that something "shocking" will happen to Edie.

"It's a situation that's unusual for Edie," the actress explains. "I think it's great!"

She just rolls her eyes comically when asked point-blank whether Edie will die.

"These househags have done terrible, terrible things to Edie," Sheridan says. "There will only be one moment of true revenge when all of them are gone, and Edie remains!"