‘Darling, I think we need a break,’ Suze says at last. ‘Clear our minds and have a rest.’

‘A break?’ Tarquin looks uncertain. ‘What sort of break?’

‘A holiday! Some time away from Letherby Hall, the fountain, all the family pressure …’ Suze flashes a mutinous glare at the earl. ‘Angus says we need to make a trip to LA, to check on our investments. He recommends a trip to California as soon as we can. I think we should definitely go.’

PLEASEGIVEGENEROUSLY.COM

Give to the world … share with the world … enhance the world …

YOU HAVE REACHED THE PLEDGE PAGE OF:

DANNY KOVITZ

Personal message from Danny Kovitz

Dear Friends

I’m inspired to be writing to you in this, my year of ‘giving back’, of ‘challenging myself’, of ‘taking myself to a whole new place’.

This year I will undergo a series of endeavors designed to test myself to the limit and raise funds for a number of very deserving causes. (See Danny’s Charities.)

I will undertake the feat of completing all the following challenges in the space of one year. I know!! It’s quite an undertaking. But it means the world to me to achieve this. Please follow the links and pledge generously, my darling, wonderful friends.

Greenland Ice Sheet Expedition

IRONMAN (Lake Tahoe)

IRONMAN (Florida)

Marathon des Sables (Sahara Desert)

Yak Attack (mountain bike race in Himalayas)

Training is going well so far, and my trainer, Diederik, is SO pleased with my progress. (In case you’re interested, you can look at Diederik on his site Diederiknyctrainer.com. The pictures of him doing bench presses in the tight blue shorts are to DIE for …)

I’ll keep you up to date with my journey. Next stop Greenland!!! Love you all.

Danny xxx

SIX

It’s two weeks later. And I live in Hollywood. I, Becky Brandon, née Bloomwood, live in Hollywood. I live in Hollywood! I keep saying it out loud to myself, to see if it feels any more real. But it still feels like I’m saying, ‘I live in fairyland.’

The house that we’re renting in the Hollywood Hills is made mostly of glass, and has so many bathrooms, I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do with all of them. And there’s a walk-in wardrobe, and an outdoor kitchen. And a pool! And a pool guy! (He comes with the house and he’s fifty-three with a paunch, sadly.)

The most amazing thing is the views. Every night we sit on our balcony and look at all the twinkling lights of Hollywood, and I feel as if we’re in a dream. It’s a weird place, LA. I can’t quite get a grip on it. It’s not like European cities, where you get to the centre and think, Ah yes, here I am in Milan/Amsterdam/Rome. In LA you drive around endless great big roads and you peer out of the windows and think, ‘Are we there yet?’

Also, the neighbours are not very neighbourly. You don’t see anyone. People don’t peep over their fences and chat. They just drive in and out of their electronic gates, and by the time you’ve chased after them, shouting, ‘Hi! My name’s Becky! D’you want a cup of—’ they’ve gone.