Read Online Sunset in St. Tropez by Danielle Steel - Free Book Online Page A

name, to give money for the causes that meant so much to her, mostly battered women and kids. And he was animated when he spoke of it to them.
    “New York in the summer is pretty rough,” Eric said amiably, although he admitted that he might have to cut the trip short as well. He said he had been unusually busy in the office, and one of his partners had been sick for several months. Diana was unhappy about it, but had decided that if Eric left early, she would stay on in France with John and Pascale.
    “It's going to be pretty sad with just three of us there if Eric has to leave,” Diana said, looking worried. She had seemed unusually stressed to Pascale for the past month, but she knew Diana was planning a huge event for Sloan-Kettering, and working on it nights and weekends. “Robert, I really think you ought to come. Anne would have wanted you to, and you can bring the kids.”
    “We'll see” was all he said. It was the first hopeful sign they'd heard.
    “Do you think he will?” they asked each other after he left. He said he had to get to bed early, he had a long day ahead the next day, in court. And he had told them with some amusement that Amanda had asked him to escort her to a black-tie charity event, the premiere of a major film. She and her most recent boyfriend had just broken up, and she didn't have a date. The others had teased him about being glamorous and going to movie premieres, and he said he wasn't looking forward to the party, but he had heard that it was a terrific film.
    And he mentioned it when they met again the following week.
    “So how was the premiere?” Eric asked him. Eric was looking particularly well, relaxed and happy, despite his long work hours, and sleepless nights covering for his partner, though Diana looked tired and had lost weight. She seemed quieter than usual. And Pascale was concerned, although she didn't mention it to her. They all seemed to worry more about each other now since Anne's death. But they all noticed that Robert was looking better than he had in a long time.
    “It was interesting,” he admitted. “There must have been five hundred people there, and the party afterward was a zoo. But I think Mandy had a good time. She met some of the actors, I think she knows one of the producers, and some very good-looking guy in a tuxedo without a tie asked her for a date. I think my services as escort will be dispensed with shortly.” But in the meantime, he was taking her to another event, and Pascale couldn't help wondering if Mandy was being clever about keeping her father entertained. In spite of the fact that he was still obviously sad over Anne, it kept him distracted and amused. And it gave Pascale an idea.
    She called Amanda the next morning, and suggested that she come to St Tropez with her father. “It will do him a lot of good.”
    “It might,” she said pensively. “I think he's doing better, but he says he can't sleep.” Amanda was worried about him, and Pascale had correctly guessed that Mandy was doing everything she could to keep him occupied. “He actually did pretty well at the premiere we went to last week. He won't admit it, but I think he had fun. I lost track of him after a while. He circulated pretty well on his own.”
     
    “Well, see what you can do about St Tropez,” Pascale suggested. “I think that would do him good too.”
    “Yeah,” Mandy laughed, “and me too. Dad said the house comes with a boat. He said the pictures were gorgeous. It sounds like a great trip. I'd love to come.”
    “We have lots of room for you, and we'd love it,” Pascale said warmly, and Amanda said she would see what she could do.
    But the following week when they were scheduled to have dinner with Robert, he canceled, and said he had too much work to do. In the end, it was just as well, as Eric had to deliver three babies that night and would have had to miss dinner, and Pascale came down with the flu.
    She was still feeling woozy when Diana called her,