Read Online Sunset in St. Tropez by Danielle Steel - Free Book Online
Authors: Danielle Steel
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idea,” John said, brightening at the suggestion, and all five of them laughed. “Maybe your mother could stand on the corner with a cup filled with pencils, and give us a hand,” he said to Pascale as her eyes flashed.
But it was a hint at least of the banter and the laughter that had come before, and hadn't been heard now in a month.
“Actually, I'd be willing to honor our commitment, and pay our part. Anne was the one who convinced the rest of you. I don't mind paying our share. I just don't want to go,” Robert said.
“Don't be silly, Robert,” Diana said clearly, as Pascale flashed a look at her.
“Actually, I think that would be very nice,” Pascale spoke up, as the others stared at her. “I"m sure Anne would have wanted you to do that too.” Robert nodded, numbly. In his scrambled state, it sounded reasonable to him. Why should they suffer financially because of her death?
“Tell me how much it is, and I'll send you a check,” he said simply, and the subject of conversation moved on to something else. But even John looked uncomfortable about it when he mentioned it to Pascale after the others left.
“Don't you think that's a little crude, asking Robert to pay for a house he isn't going to use? You say I"m cheap, that little trick seemed awfully French.” His eyes told her that he disapproved of what she'd done, but she looked unembarrassed, as she cleared the glasses they had left.
“If he pays, he'll come, even if he doesn't think so now.” And with that, John smiled at her. She was a very clever girl.
“Do you really think so?” “Wouldn't you?”
“Me?” John laughed at himself. “Hell, if I paid, I'd want to get my money"s worth. But Robert is a little nobler than I am. I don't think he'll come.”
“I do. He doesn't know it yet, but he will. And it will do him a lot of good.” She sounded sure.
“If he does, I hope he doesn't bring all his kids, now that she's gone. His grandchildren are so damn noisy, and Susan gets on my nerves.” She got on Pascale's nerves too, and so did his other daughter-in-law, sometimes even Amanda and the grandchildren were loud, but right now, Pascale didn't care.
“It doesn't matter. Let's just hope he'll be there.”
“You know, I"m glad you did that,” John said, looking tenderly at her. “When you said it to him, I almost choked on my coffee. I thought maybe you"ve been living with me for too long,” he admitted with a grin.
“Not long enough,” she said softly, and leaned toward him to give him a kiss. Ever since Anne had died, she was reminded of how much he meant to her, and John had been thinking much the same thing. Despite their frequent differences, they were very lucky, and knew it. Life was short, they had all been reminded, and sometimes very sweet.
4
The group saw Robert for dinner weekly for the next three months, and called him daily for the first two. He was better than he had been, though sad certainly, and he talked about Anne whenever they saw him. But the stories had gone from mournful to funny, and although he still cried sometimes when he talked about her, he was able to smile now too.
And he was very busy at work. He was still talking about selling the apartment, but he had not yet put away her things. When Pascale and John picked him up for dinner there one night, she saw Anne's nightgown in the bathroom, her hairbrush on the dresser, and the hall closet was still full of her coats and boots. But at least he was keeping busy, seeing his children, and he seemed more animated now with his friends.
They were beginning to talk about the summer, and urging him to join them in St Tropez, but he said he had too much work. But just as he had promised, he had sent them his check, to pay for his share of the house in St Tropez.
Robert said he was going to stay in New York that summer instead. It had been four months since Anne's death. He had been busy with her estate, and had set up a charitable foundation in her
But it was a hint at least of the banter and the laughter that had come before, and hadn't been heard now in a month.
“Actually, I'd be willing to honor our commitment, and pay our part. Anne was the one who convinced the rest of you. I don't mind paying our share. I just don't want to go,” Robert said.
“Don't be silly, Robert,” Diana said clearly, as Pascale flashed a look at her.
“Actually, I think that would be very nice,” Pascale spoke up, as the others stared at her. “I"m sure Anne would have wanted you to do that too.” Robert nodded, numbly. In his scrambled state, it sounded reasonable to him. Why should they suffer financially because of her death?
“Tell me how much it is, and I'll send you a check,” he said simply, and the subject of conversation moved on to something else. But even John looked uncomfortable about it when he mentioned it to Pascale after the others left.
“Don't you think that's a little crude, asking Robert to pay for a house he isn't going to use? You say I"m cheap, that little trick seemed awfully French.” His eyes told her that he disapproved of what she'd done, but she looked unembarrassed, as she cleared the glasses they had left.
“If he pays, he'll come, even if he doesn't think so now.” And with that, John smiled at her. She was a very clever girl.
“Do you really think so?” “Wouldn't you?”
“Me?” John laughed at himself. “Hell, if I paid, I'd want to get my money"s worth. But Robert is a little nobler than I am. I don't think he'll come.”
“I do. He doesn't know it yet, but he will. And it will do him a lot of good.” She sounded sure.
“If he does, I hope he doesn't bring all his kids, now that she's gone. His grandchildren are so damn noisy, and Susan gets on my nerves.” She got on Pascale's nerves too, and so did his other daughter-in-law, sometimes even Amanda and the grandchildren were loud, but right now, Pascale didn't care.
“It doesn't matter. Let's just hope he'll be there.”
“You know, I"m glad you did that,” John said, looking tenderly at her. “When you said it to him, I almost choked on my coffee. I thought maybe you"ve been living with me for too long,” he admitted with a grin.
“Not long enough,” she said softly, and leaned toward him to give him a kiss. Ever since Anne had died, she was reminded of how much he meant to her, and John had been thinking much the same thing. Despite their frequent differences, they were very lucky, and knew it. Life was short, they had all been reminded, and sometimes very sweet.
4
The group saw Robert for dinner weekly for the next three months, and called him daily for the first two. He was better than he had been, though sad certainly, and he talked about Anne whenever they saw him. But the stories had gone from mournful to funny, and although he still cried sometimes when he talked about her, he was able to smile now too.
And he was very busy at work. He was still talking about selling the apartment, but he had not yet put away her things. When Pascale and John picked him up for dinner there one night, she saw Anne's nightgown in the bathroom, her hairbrush on the dresser, and the hall closet was still full of her coats and boots. But at least he was keeping busy, seeing his children, and he seemed more animated now with his friends.
They were beginning to talk about the summer, and urging him to join them in St Tropez, but he said he had too much work. But just as he had promised, he had sent them his check, to pay for his share of the house in St Tropez.
Robert said he was going to stay in New York that summer instead. It had been four months since Anne's death. He had been busy with her estate, and had set up a charitable foundation in her
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