Proserpina
We landed on a sunny afternoon. The journey had been long and exhausting. But Ria and Piers had been raring to see their father and had been as good as gold throughout the flight. They had not ganged up to mimic Claude's wails, unlike during the trip to Japan when they had been insufferable, whining and generally behaving like brats.
My littlest son was another matter altogether. Baby Claude had been cranky and irritable for most of the journey. But Claude tended to be that way as I had discovered. He was the one who would not sit still unless he was in my arms; would fret and throw things around until his demands were met.
Yes, Claude Delano was a handful, sir!
I sighed and thought back briefly to the night he had been conceived. My lips tightened as my youngest child hollered, throwing a tantrum in the aircraft.
Of course, he had not been born out of love. So yes, he was cranky.
But then I stopped myself. It was stupid to be bitter; much water had flowed under That bridge!
Scowling, I made up my mind not to think in such a negative way again.
On both occasions, while travelling to Japan and while returning, Lucien had sent me messages through Sandy to ask if I would like to travel by his private aircraft. Stubbornly, I had turned down the offer rudely but I was sorely regretting my obstinacy. It would have been wonderful, I thought with a sigh, to have someone take Claude off my hands for a while so I could doze. the many exasperated looks I kept receiving from the other passengers was making me feel flustered!
***
Handsome Schwartz was at the airport with Grace to meet us. I fell into Grace's arms before giving Schwartz a hug too. The kids squealed when he picked them up one by one and I smiled indulgently despite being exhausted. "HE is missing you but as always, he will not admit it, "murmured Schwartz, his blue eyes twinkling with affection as he looked at me.
I leaned my head against his shoulder. "He is such a darling, this friend of mine. "I thought, beaming up at him as I linked my arm to Gracie's. * Sandy had organised the collection of the luggage and her eyes kept darting around as she accompanied us.
Some of Lucien's men milled around us and although I felt the familiar uneasiness, the feeling of being watched, I also felt safe.
"Why did Pappa not come?" asked Ria, pouting.
"He was busy, love. He's out of town. " said Schwartz. ""But he's flying back to come and meet you before you sleep"
The twins settled down, satisfied to a certain extent.
But I scowled. "He could have come, " I thought crossly. I met Schwartz's eyes in the mirror and he winked. "The Boss had to fly out in the wee hours of the morning to fix a deal in Argentina," he explained as he handed out some toffees for my excited kids. I smiled in spite of myself. This man could coax a smile out of me even when I was terribly stressed. *
Finally, we turned into the long familiar drive before the house. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. This was my home. I wanted to spend my life here, with my husband and my children. Piers and Ria were practically dancing in the back seats, whooping and yelling with joy.
"Look! There's Philippe!" shouted Ria. She was pointing to a lanky boy who was grinning widely as the car swept past the immaculate lawns. * When we got back home, it was to find that Lucien had been waiting for us, having arrived an hour ago, but he had had to leave for the city on some urgent work once again. Beston greeted me in his usual restrained manner and I felt safe.
The disappointment of the kids was palpable; they were upset at having missed their father and it was evident. But they were also tired and after a quick meal, they trundled off to bed, accompanied by the two maids who had been with us from the time I had returned from Bhutan. Beatrice was, as always, overcome with emotion and she hugged me.
She was, I thought as I clung to her, the closest thing I had to a mother and I adored her. Handing over the baby to Beatrice's welcome arms, I made my way to my old room, too weary to fight the jet lag. I had already expressed myself so Claude would be fed when he came awake.
The strain of what Sandy had confided in me, the desire to see Lucien, to settle our silly misunderstandings, everything made me feel drained. After a long, welcome bath, I tumbled into bed.
***
When I came awake, it was late. Sitting up with a start, I stared around me as it took me a few minutes to figure out where I was. The room was dark, lit by a small bedside lamp, and I could see that the world outside was bathed in darkness. The dim lights from the lawns outside my room seeped through the curtains.
It was the fragrance of roses that had brought me awake, I realised.
I sat up, the heady smell of roses filling the air.
Was I dreaming?
"Roses?" I asked myself in confusion. " I must be imagining it."
Leaning across, I checked the time. It was 10 p.m.
Hastily, I tumbled out of bed, pulling on a fluffy pink bathrobe as I went. And stopped short. On the small work table where I kept my laptop and other work-related things, was a huge vase, full of roses. Red, white and yellow, pink...every colour. There must have been a hundred of them. Smaller vases were placed around the room, filled with more roses. Everywhere, roses, roses, and more roses! I opened my mouth in shock, pushing my tangled hair out of my face, staring.
Years ago, when I had been his mistress, I had told my lover, Lucien Delano, that I loved the fragrance of roses...
Stepping closer, I saw a small folded note on the table and opened it with trembling fingers, even though I knew what to expect....
In Lucien's strong scrawl were the words,
"To My Only Love, Welcome Back."