two, in front of the hotel, and Edward assured him they’d be waiting. And when Sarah emerged from her room to pour herself a cup of tea, her father mentioned casually that the Duke of Whitfield had called, and was taking them to see the Crown Jewels at two o’clock in the Tower of London. “I thought you might like that.” He wasn’t sure if she was more interested in the jewels or the man, but one look at her face gave him the answer.
“William called?” She looked shocked, as though she hadn’t expected to hear from him again. In fact, she had spent most of the night awake, assuring herself that he would never call her. “Two o’clock this afternoon?” She looked as though her father were suggesting something dreadful, which surprised him.
“Do you have something else to do?” He couldn’t imagine what, except maybe a shopping trip to Harrods or Hardy Amies.
“It’s not that, it’s just …” She sat down, and completely forgot her cup of tea. “I just didn’t think he’d call me.”
“He didn’t call you,” her father teased, “he called me, and invited me out, but I’m perfectly happy to take you with me.” She gave him a withering glance, and walked across the room to the window. She wanted to tell them to go without her, but she knew how ridiculous that would seem. But what was the point of seeing him again? What could possibly ever happen between them? “What’s the matter now?” her father asked as he watched her face as she stood at the window. She really was an impossible child if she was going to balk at this extraordinary opportunity. He was a wonderful man, and a little flirtation with him wouldn’t do her any harm. Her father had absolutely no objection.
She turned slowly to face him. “I don’t see the point,” she said sadly.
“He’s a nice man. He likes you. If nothing else, you can be friends. Is that so terrible? Have you no place left in your life for friendship?” She felt foolish when he said it that way, and she nodded. He was right. She was stupid to make so much of it, but he had swept her off her feet at the castle the day before. She had to remember this time not to be so silly and so impulsive.
“You’re right. I didn’t think of it that way. I just … it’s different, because he’s a duke. Before I knew that, it was …” She didn’t know what to say to him, but he understood.
“It shouldn’t make any difference. He’s a nice man. I like him.”
“So do I,” she said quietly as her mother handed her the cup of tea and urged her to eat at least a piece of toast before they went out shopping. “I just don’t want to get into an awkward situation.”
“That’s not likely, in a few weeks over here. Don’t you think?”
“But I’m getting a divorce,” she said somberly. “That could be awkward for him.”
“Not unless you marry him, and I think you’re being a little premature, don’t you?” But he was happy she was at least thinking of him as a man. It would do her good to have a little romance. She smiled at what her father said, and shrugged, and went back to her bedroom to finish dressing. She emerged half an hour later in a beautiful red silk Chanel suit he had just bought her in Paris the week before. And as the British would have said, she looked smashing. She was wearing some of the jewelry Chanel had just designed, some of it simulating pearls, some of it ruby, and she wore two wonderful cuffs that Madame Chanel had worn herself, they were black enamel with multicolored jewels set in them. They weren’t real, of course, but they were very chic, and on Sarah they looked very striking.
She wore her dark hair pulled back in a long queue de cheval , tied with a black satin bow, and on her ears were the pearl earrings they had given her for her wedding. “You look pretty in jewels, my dear,” her father commented as they left the hotel, and she smiled at him. “You should wear them more often.” She didn’t have many
“William called?” She looked shocked, as though she hadn’t expected to hear from him again. In fact, she had spent most of the night awake, assuring herself that he would never call her. “Two o’clock this afternoon?” She looked as though her father were suggesting something dreadful, which surprised him.
“Do you have something else to do?” He couldn’t imagine what, except maybe a shopping trip to Harrods or Hardy Amies.
“It’s not that, it’s just …” She sat down, and completely forgot her cup of tea. “I just didn’t think he’d call me.”
“He didn’t call you,” her father teased, “he called me, and invited me out, but I’m perfectly happy to take you with me.” She gave him a withering glance, and walked across the room to the window. She wanted to tell them to go without her, but she knew how ridiculous that would seem. But what was the point of seeing him again? What could possibly ever happen between them? “What’s the matter now?” her father asked as he watched her face as she stood at the window. She really was an impossible child if she was going to balk at this extraordinary opportunity. He was a wonderful man, and a little flirtation with him wouldn’t do her any harm. Her father had absolutely no objection.
She turned slowly to face him. “I don’t see the point,” she said sadly.
“He’s a nice man. He likes you. If nothing else, you can be friends. Is that so terrible? Have you no place left in your life for friendship?” She felt foolish when he said it that way, and she nodded. He was right. She was stupid to make so much of it, but he had swept her off her feet at the castle the day before. She had to remember this time not to be so silly and so impulsive.
“You’re right. I didn’t think of it that way. I just … it’s different, because he’s a duke. Before I knew that, it was …” She didn’t know what to say to him, but he understood.
“It shouldn’t make any difference. He’s a nice man. I like him.”
“So do I,” she said quietly as her mother handed her the cup of tea and urged her to eat at least a piece of toast before they went out shopping. “I just don’t want to get into an awkward situation.”
“That’s not likely, in a few weeks over here. Don’t you think?”
“But I’m getting a divorce,” she said somberly. “That could be awkward for him.”
“Not unless you marry him, and I think you’re being a little premature, don’t you?” But he was happy she was at least thinking of him as a man. It would do her good to have a little romance. She smiled at what her father said, and shrugged, and went back to her bedroom to finish dressing. She emerged half an hour later in a beautiful red silk Chanel suit he had just bought her in Paris the week before. And as the British would have said, she looked smashing. She was wearing some of the jewelry Chanel had just designed, some of it simulating pearls, some of it ruby, and she wore two wonderful cuffs that Madame Chanel had worn herself, they were black enamel with multicolored jewels set in them. They weren’t real, of course, but they were very chic, and on Sarah they looked very striking.
She wore her dark hair pulled back in a long queue de cheval , tied with a black satin bow, and on her ears were the pearl earrings they had given her for her wedding. “You look pretty in jewels, my dear,” her father commented as they left the hotel, and she smiled at him. “You should wear them more often.” She didn’t have many
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