"Sounds fine." And if it wasn't, she'd cancel anything else she had, maybe even Alexandra. "You know where my office is." They both laughed.

"I'll pick you up at twelve-fifteen. And if I'm late, just relax. Sometimes I have a h.e.l.l of a time getting out of the office." But unlike Sasha, she understood that only too well. She frequently had the same problem.

"Don't worry. We'll both be lucky if I'm not stuck in a meeting. I'll do my best to get free by twelve, even if that means firing fewer people." She laughed and he smiled to himself as they hung up. He could hardly wait to see her.

Chapter 33.

As Hilary had suspected she would, Alexandra had gone to Arthur's funeral, mainly to be with Megan. And afterward, she and Megan and John had driven back to New York in the limousine, and that night the three sisters had dinner together for the last time. Megan was flying back to Kentucky at midnight. She met Margaret, and the girls, and they had another pleasant evening, although Megan was a little subdued. It had been a strange week for her, discovering a father she had never known and then watching him die in her arms only a few days later. But the greatest gift of all was that of the two sisters he had left her.

They talked about the house Arthur had left them, and what they would do with it. The housekeeper was going to stay on until everything was settled, and Arthur had left ample funds to care for it, and, the remains of his estate was to be divided among the three women. He had no other relatives of his own. And Alexandra wanted all three of them to plan on spending some time there the following summer.

"We could do it every year! Make it a tradition!" She smiled at them, and Megan grinned.

"Can I bring some of my hillbillies when I come?"

"Why not?" Hilary added with a mysterious look. She was looking forward to lunch with John Chapman the next day, but she hadn't said anything to either of her sisters. It was a little embarra.s.sing, and she was afraid they would suspect how much she liked him.

They drove Megan to the airport at eleven o'clock, and then Hilary and Alexandra drove back to town together. Hilary dropped her younger sister off at the hotel, and then went home. They were both exhausted. It had been an emotional week for all of them. And Alexandra was looking forward to her bed and an early evening.

The lights in her room were on. The door was closed, and Margaret had apparently gone to bed, but Alexandra could hear someone stirring in her room as she stood outside the door, and then someone pulled it open, and she found herself staring at her husband. He had just arrived a little while before. And Margaret had wisely retired, after greeting him. He offered no explanation as to why he had come, and acted almost as though his visit had been planned and he was expected.

"Henri?" Alexandra stared at him as though she'd seen a ghost.

"You were expecting someone else?" But this time it was not an accusation. He was smiling at her, and she stared at him in amazement. "I certainly hope not. The children are well?"

"Very, thank you. We've had a lovely time."

"So your mother told me. I saw her when I arrived."

And then Alexandra could not stand the charade any longer. Why had he come? Why was he there? What threat was he going to make now? But it was odd, she was not nearly as frightened of him as she had been before. She stood eyeing him curiously from across the room, as he sat down and sipped a gla.s.s of champagne he had ordered while he waited for her. "Would you care for some?" He was very nonchalant as he held out his gla.s.s to her, and Alexandra could not understand it.

"No, thank you. Henri, why did you come here?" She said coolly.

"I came to see you ... and the children...." He spoke cautiously as though he wasn't quite sure what to say. "I thought we needed to talk." He looked at her with troubled eyes.

"You could have called me." Her eyes were cold but she was protecting herself from the pain she knew he could cause her.

"Would you have preferred that?" He looked so sad, it tore at her heart, even though she was resisting the impulse to reach out to him. She was still afraid of possible rejection. Maybe he had come to tell her he was going to divorce her. And she wanted to know now.

"I just don't understand why you came here."

He stood up and set down his gla.s.s, and then slowly walked toward her. "To see you, ma cherie. ma cherie. Difficult as it may be to believe sometimes, I love you very much ... no matter who you are ..." He added carefully, "... or who you've become." He smiled almost shyly at her. "I see you're a redhead again. It's not quite as loud as I remembered it." He was watching her, looking into her eyes for something he hoped was still there, if he hadn't broken it this time forever. "It was a great shock to me when you told me about ... about your family. I think it might have been for anyone ... and I can't come here now and tell you I've reformed, that I won't be demanding anymore, that I'll stop dragging you to the elysee for dinner ... but I accept who you are ... if you will accept who I am...." There were tears in his eyes as Alexandra looked up at him in astonishment. This was the man she thought hated her ... and here he was, telling her he loved her. "I love you very much. And I want you to come home ... in a few days ... and if you'd like, I will stay with you here...." He pulled her firmly into his arms and she knew with total certainty that he would never change, but he had come to her with open arms and she owed him a great deal for that. She owed him her life. And she turned her lips up to his with a gentle smile as he laughed softly. Difficult as it may be to believe sometimes, I love you very much ... no matter who you are ..." He added carefully, "... or who you've become." He smiled almost shyly at her. "I see you're a redhead again. It's not quite as loud as I remembered it." He was watching her, looking into her eyes for something he hoped was still there, if he hadn't broken it this time forever. "It was a great shock to me when you told me about ... about your family. I think it might have been for anyone ... and I can't come here now and tell you I've reformed, that I won't be demanding anymore, that I'll stop dragging you to the elysee for dinner ... but I accept who you are ... if you will accept who I am...." There were tears in his eyes as Alexandra looked up at him in astonishment. This was the man she thought hated her ... and here he was, telling her he loved her. "I love you very much. And I want you to come home ... in a few days ... and if you'd like, I will stay with you here...." He pulled her firmly into his arms and she knew with total certainty that he would never change, but he had come to her with open arms and she owed him a great deal for that. She owed him her life. And she turned her lips up to his with a gentle smile as he laughed softly.

"You know, I love your hair...." He ran his hands through the silky strands of red and they both laughed. Maybe things had changed just enough ... perhaps ... and if not, she had lived with him for fourteen years ... for better or worse ... and she had no intention of doing anything different for the rest of it.

He pushed the door closed and took his wife in his arms with a smile of expectation and pleasure. He was glad he had made the trip and as he felt her gentle hands on him, he was even more so.

Chapter 34.

Their last night in New York was happy and sad and emotional. They had dinner at the Cote Basque, and Henri and Alexandra brought the girls, Margaret came, at Alexandra's insistence, and Hilary had said something about bringing a friend, which Alexandra thought was a little unusual, but she didn't dare question her sister. But she was secretly thrilled when the friend turned out to be John Chapman. She had always liked him, and she could tell Henri approved of John, looking very handsome in a dark suit, with his quiet ways, and obvious intelligence and good breeding. The group got on famously. Margaret entertained them all, and Henri even let the girls drink champagne at dinner. It was a perfect culmination of the trip, and everyone hugged and kissed good night as though they might never see each other again. Although Hilary and John had insisted on coming to the airport the next day when the others left for Paris.

It was a cla.s.sic scene with Axelle carrying an enormous doll under each arm, Marie-Louise clutching her new magic kit, from her Aunt Hilary of course, Alexandra's trophies from Bergdorf and Bendel's seemed virtually limitless, and Margaret's stack of Louis Vuitton seemed to have grown considerably in a mere ten days as Henri attempted to keep track of it all, hold the tickets, and rescue the pa.s.sports from Axelle's busy little hands. And meanwhile Hilary and Alexandra were talking a mile a minute, promising to meet again as soon as possible. Hilary was thinking of spending Christmas with them in St. Moritz, unless Megan came to New York, in which case she'd come in the spring instead, but in spite of all the words and the frantic talk, the final moment came anyway, as Margaret shepherded the girls onto the plane, waving at Hilary every inch of the way, and Henri left the two women alone, standing apart from his wife, chatting with John, and suddenly Hilary looked into her sister's eyes and began to cry as she reached out to her.

"Axie, I can't leave you again ..." She choked on the words, and Alexandra held her tight.

"I know ... promise me you'll be all right." They were crying again, and Hilary thought she would never let go this time. It was too much like the past, the red curls in her arms, the little girl she had loved. "... Axie ... I love you ... Axie, I ..." The echoes of the past rang out in her ears as Alexandra held her tight. "I'll see you soon and I'll call you all the time from Paris." Henri was beckoning her toward the plane and she knew she had to go. They would be closing the door in a moment, but she couldn't let her go, couldn't leave her alone. And then John walked quietly up to them, and gently took Hilary from her, holding her in his powerful arms as she stood there with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Have a good trip, Alexandra. We'll see you soon." John said in his quiet voice, as Alexandra slowly pulled away, her eyes blinded by tears as she looked at Hilary, her eyes huge, her face deathly pale, as John quietly held her, and Alexandra waved for a last time with a tearful smile, and Hilary stared after her and whispered familiar words, "Good-bye, Axie," she waved and then smiled slowly through her own tears and Alexandra disappeared into the plane with her husband.

"It's all right, sweetheart ..." John whispered to Hilary as he held her tight, and suddenly for the first time in her life, she felt safe. She looked up at him, and he smiled. "It's all right, Hillie. ..." He held her tightly in his arms and she knew that he was telling her the truth. "Everything's going to be all right now."

Books by Danielle Steel

JOURNEY.

MESSAGE FROM NAM MESSAGE FROM NAM.

THE HOUSE ON HOPE.

DADDY DADDY.

STREET.

STAR STAR.

THE WEDDING.

ZOYA ZOYA.

IRRESISTIBLE FORCES.

KALEIDOSCOPE KALEIDOSCOPE.

GRANNY DAN.

FINE THINGS FINE THINGS.

BITTERSWEET.

WANDERl.u.s.t WANDERl.u.s.t.

MIRROR IMAGE.

SECRETS SECRETS.

HIS BRIGHT LIGHT:.

FAMILY ALb.u.m FAMILY ALb.u.m.

The Story of Nick Traina FULL CIRCLE FULL CIRCLE.

THE KLONE AND I.

CHANGES CHANGES.

THE LONG ROAD HOME.

THURSTON HOUSE THURSTON HOUSE.

THE GHOST.

CROSSINGS CROSSINGS.

SPECIAL DELIVERY.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME ONCE IN A LIFETIME.

THE RANCH.

A PERFECT STRANGER A PERFECT STRANGER.

SILENT HONOR.

REMEMBRANCE REMEMBRANCE.

MALICE.

PALOMINO PALOMINO.

FIVE DAYS IN PARIS.

LOVE: POEMS LOVE: POEMS.

LIGHTNING.

THE RING THE RING.

WINGS.

LOVING LOVING.

THE GIFT.

TO LOVE AGAIN TO LOVE AGAIN.

ACCIDENT.

SUMMER'S END SUMMER'S END.

VANISHED.

SEASON OF Pa.s.sION SEASON OF Pa.s.sION.

MIXED BLESSINGS.

THE PROMISE THE PROMISE.

JEWELS.

NOW AND FOREVER NOW AND FOREVER.

NO GREATER LOVE.

Pa.s.sION'S PROMISE Pa.s.sION'S PROMISE.

HEARTBEAT.

GOING HOME GOING HOME.