him."
"But you did claim to be in love with Graham,"
Sammy reminded her.
"Graham of the wife, three kids, two mistresses and a dog he was so devoted to he couldn't possibly leave his wife."
"Infatuation,"
Penny corrected testily.
"And we're all allowed to make mistakes."
"Now let me see,"
Sammy said, putting her head to one side.
"Then there was Don, wasn't there? The European political correspondent for CNN."
"There was nothing wrong with Don!'
T didn't think so,"
Sammy agreed,
"but you were going to marry him at one stage, weren't you?"
"He asked me and I said no,"
Penny answered.
"OK, it took me a couple of weeks to say no, but I did in the end because I knew he wasn't right for me."
Sammy gave a quick flick of her eyebrows. "That doesn't sound particularly instantaneous to me,"
she commented.
"Anyway, what happened to Declan? Or are you still seeing him?"
"We broke up just before I went to France/ Penny told her.
"I'll tell you the details later, but I left him because I knew it wasn't right. Just like I know David Villers isn't, so Marielle is welcome to him."
"Sounds like some good times ahead,"
Sammy remarked.
"But you can handle it and with me there too at least you'll have someone on your side. So, when do we go?"
"Good question,"
Penny said, pursing her lips thoughtfully.
"I've taken the house from a fortnight on Monday, so perhaps we could find out if we can move in the weekend before. That should give me time to clear up here, see Sylvia and say goodbye to everyone. Did Peter 76
say when he was coming back, by the way?"
"In two weeks,"
Sammy answered.
Well, he shouldn't be a problem,"
Penny said.
"He's been wanting to move Larry in for a while now, but was too kind to say so. Anyway, I'm starving, do you fancy going out somewhere for an early dinner?"
"Great,"
Sammy replied, springing to her feet.
"Where shall we go?"
What about The Canteen in Chelsea Harbour? It's one of the in-places right now."
Sammy's eyes grew round.
"I was reading about that place just before you came in. It said you have to book weeks in advance ... and it's Saturday night."
"Stick with me, babe,"
Penny said, winking and reaching for the phone. A couple of minutes later the booking was made and Penny was wondering what it was going to be like living in a place where she had nothing like the leverage she took almost for granted in London. The prospect flattened her spirits and Sammy's next remark didn't help either.
"Do you think,"
she said gently,
"that before we take off for France we should go up north to visit Mum and Dad's grave?"
As Penny looked away she felt the familiar tightening of grief in her heart.
Since the funeral she hadn't been able to bring herself to go to the grave again and she knew she wasn't going to be able to now.
"It's OK,"
Sammy told her,
"we don't have to. It was just a thought."
T send Mrs Diller money each week to take flowers,"
Penny said lamely.
"Don't think less of yourself for not going,"
Sammy said, putting a hand on Penny's shoulder.
"After all, she's not there really, she's right here with us."
Penny smiled and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"She's right here in you,"
she said,
"because she was every bit as daft and every bit as adorable."
77
With so much to do before leaving Penny hardly saw Sammy over the next couple of weeks, though she guessed Sammy had made her own quick trip up North and was spending the rest of the time catching up with her friends. Sylvia was eager to hear about all the new ideas Penny had come up with during her brief stay in France and laughed with such obvious delight when Penny told her what a start she had got off to with David that Penny started to feel rather pleased at what she had done. Sylvia was less reassuring about Marielle, though, saying that she thought Penny ought to keep a close eye on her, because, after all, Penny was going to be on Marielle's territory and it wouldn't be wise to make an enemy out of
"But you did claim to be in love with Graham,"
Sammy reminded her.
"Graham of the wife, three kids, two mistresses and a dog he was so devoted to he couldn't possibly leave his wife."
"Infatuation,"
Penny corrected testily.
"And we're all allowed to make mistakes."
"Now let me see,"
Sammy said, putting her head to one side.
"Then there was Don, wasn't there? The European political correspondent for CNN."
"There was nothing wrong with Don!'
T didn't think so,"
Sammy agreed,
"but you were going to marry him at one stage, weren't you?"
"He asked me and I said no,"
Penny answered.
"OK, it took me a couple of weeks to say no, but I did in the end because I knew he wasn't right for me."
Sammy gave a quick flick of her eyebrows. "That doesn't sound particularly instantaneous to me,"
she commented.
"Anyway, what happened to Declan? Or are you still seeing him?"
"We broke up just before I went to France/ Penny told her.
"I'll tell you the details later, but I left him because I knew it wasn't right. Just like I know David Villers isn't, so Marielle is welcome to him."
"Sounds like some good times ahead,"
Sammy remarked.
"But you can handle it and with me there too at least you'll have someone on your side. So, when do we go?"
"Good question,"
Penny said, pursing her lips thoughtfully.
"I've taken the house from a fortnight on Monday, so perhaps we could find out if we can move in the weekend before. That should give me time to clear up here, see Sylvia and say goodbye to everyone. Did Peter 76
say when he was coming back, by the way?"
"In two weeks,"
Sammy answered.
Well, he shouldn't be a problem,"
Penny said.
"He's been wanting to move Larry in for a while now, but was too kind to say so. Anyway, I'm starving, do you fancy going out somewhere for an early dinner?"
"Great,"
Sammy replied, springing to her feet.
"Where shall we go?"
What about The Canteen in Chelsea Harbour? It's one of the in-places right now."
Sammy's eyes grew round.
"I was reading about that place just before you came in. It said you have to book weeks in advance ... and it's Saturday night."
"Stick with me, babe,"
Penny said, winking and reaching for the phone. A couple of minutes later the booking was made and Penny was wondering what it was going to be like living in a place where she had nothing like the leverage she took almost for granted in London. The prospect flattened her spirits and Sammy's next remark didn't help either.
"Do you think,"
she said gently,
"that before we take off for France we should go up north to visit Mum and Dad's grave?"
As Penny looked away she felt the familiar tightening of grief in her heart.
Since the funeral she hadn't been able to bring herself to go to the grave again and she knew she wasn't going to be able to now.
"It's OK,"
Sammy told her,
"we don't have to. It was just a thought."
T send Mrs Diller money each week to take flowers,"
Penny said lamely.
"Don't think less of yourself for not going,"
Sammy said, putting a hand on Penny's shoulder.
"After all, she's not there really, she's right here with us."
Penny smiled and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"She's right here in you,"
she said,
"because she was every bit as daft and every bit as adorable."
77
With so much to do before leaving Penny hardly saw Sammy over the next couple of weeks, though she guessed Sammy had made her own quick trip up North and was spending the rest of the time catching up with her friends. Sylvia was eager to hear about all the new ideas Penny had come up with during her brief stay in France and laughed with such obvious delight when Penny told her what a start she had got off to with David that Penny started to feel rather pleased at what she had done. Sylvia was less reassuring about Marielle, though, saying that she thought Penny ought to keep a close eye on her, because, after all, Penny was going to be on Marielle's territory and it wouldn't be wise to make an enemy out of
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