Chapters (71)
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Part Two
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Part Three
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Part Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Part Five
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Books by Barbara Taylor Bradford
- About the Author
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Once the waiter had left, Vanessa said, “I don’t think I can eat afternoon tea, but it was quicker to accept his suggestion and get rid of him.”
Robert laughed, shaking his head.
“Oh, Vanessa, you are priceless, my darling.”
“Am I really your darling, Lord Robert Lassiter?”
“You are, very much so,” he answered, his voice now serious.
“For how long, though?” She looked extremely hard at him.
“Forever, if you’ll agree to that,” he answered, drinking in her beauty, her lovely appearance in the cream lace dress, with its frothy neckline, long sleeves and tighter-fitted bodice. It struck him that her eyes looked more amber than ever this afternoon, slightly shaded by the hat.
“I do agree to it. I want you for always too. I’ve had an idea while sitting here waiting for you,” she announced.
“Oh, are you going to share it with me? I’d love to know what it is. I presume it has to do with me. With us.”
She leaned across the table, her eyes dancing, and he instantly caught the scent of her—floral, lemony, green trees. It was a lovely freshness. He wanted to kiss her but sat farther back, listened attentively instead.
“I thought I could go to Paris to see my sister Eloise and you could go to Paris and stay at the Plaza Athénée hotel on Avenue Montaigne. I could come there to—to be with you.” Her eyes challenged him to be shocked.
He remained silent, totally taken aback by this suggestion, yet also understanding she was as anxious as he was to consummate their relationship. Needed it desperately.
“Well, what do you think, Your Lordship?” she asked.
“It would be wonderful to be with you in Paris, Vanessa, so very special and fulfilling, and I do admit I yearn for you. In fact, I would love to take hold of you right now and sweep you upstairs—”
“Oh yes, let’s do it, Robert. Please. I want to be alone with you,” she interjected.
“I know, but we cannot do anything like that. Not here. Not even in Paris.”
“But why?”
“I want to have a really serious conversation with you, darling, and I ask you to listen to me carefully, to fully understand the plan I’ve come up with. A plan for us to get through a difficult situation as best we can. It is to ensure our future.”
“I will listen with all my attention,” she answered, understanding he was in deadly earnest. “But I want to ask you one question first. Can I?”
“Please do,” Robert replied.
“Why didn’t you get a divorce years ago?”