Her Own Rules (32 page)
“Perhaps I did.”
“Yes, you were lucky to find Amelia and Jack, to have them in your life, if only for those few brief years.
They made up for your earlier heartbreak, Mari, that loveless upbringing at the orphanage in 334 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
Australia. You had love and kindness and caring from them, and I will be forever thankful for that. They helped to make you what you are today.”
“Who knows what I would have been like if I hadn’t met them. A terrible mess, probably.”
“Maybe not, we’ll never know. But I think there’s something special in
you
…a will to endure, to succeed no matter what.”
Meredith leaned into Kate, kissed her on the cheek.
“I love you, Mother.”
“And I love you too, Mari.”
The two women walked back through the dining room, their arms linked. Just before they reached the door, Kate said, “It’s going to be wrenching, leaving you. I wish I didn’t live so far away.”
Meredith was silent.
Kate looked at her swiftly and added, “I know you said I can visit anytime. But I can’t very well keep leaving Nigel alone. And he can’t always come with me, Mari, because of his practice.”
Meredith said, “As it turns out, I’m not going to be so far away after all.”
“
Oh?
”
Meredith peered across the entrance hall of the inn, now crowded with people. The reception was in full swing. A small smile flitted across her mouth.
Kate noticed this, followed the direction of her daughter’s gaze, then swiveled her eyes back to Meredith.
“I’m going to marry him, Mother,” Meredith said, Her Own Rules / 335
her gaze still resting on Luc. “And so I’ll be living in Paris. Only a couple of hours from Yorkshire.”
“Oh darling, I’m so happy for you. Congratulations!”
Kate exclaimed. There was a brief pause before she said worriedly, “But what about your business here?
It means so much to you.”
“There’s only Silver Lake Inn left, now that I’ve sold the one in Vermont. Blanche and Pete have been running this place for years, and doing such a good job of it. They’ll continue. I’ve enough to keep me busy with the inns in England and France.”
“It’s good that you’ve been able to work it out. Luc’s such a wonderful man.”
“He’s had his share of heartbreak too. I think we both deserve a break, a bit of happiness—” Meredith broke off as Luc walked over to join them.
Putting his arm around Kate, he looked down at her and said, “Ever since we met in June, I had a feeling I knew you, Kate. Suddenly, a moment ago, I realized why. You remind me of the woman who brought me up, my grandmother.”
Grandma Rose, of course, Meredith thought, recalling the painting at Talcy. They had the same coloring, the same blue eyes, the same heart-shaped face.
“How lovely,” Kate murmured, then continued. “I understand congratulations are in order. I’m so happy the two of you are getting married.”
Luc beamed at her. “Ah, so Meredith told you the good news.”
Kate nodded, excused herself, wanting to leave 336 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
them alone. She walked across the room lightly, as if floating on air, went in search of her husband. She was so happy, so proud. Who would have thought that her little Mari would turn out to be such a remarkable woman.
Luc took hold of Meredith’s hand, stared deeply into her smoky-green eyes. “You know,
chérie
, you look so very serene today. It lifts my heart to see you so happy.
From the moment I met you, I wanted to erase the sadness from your eyes, dispel the pain I knew lurked deep within you. But now I don’t have to…I believe finding your mother has done that.”
Meredith did not answer for a moment or two. She simply returned his penetrating gaze; then finally she said, “It was finding
both
of you, Luc. You and she make me feel complete, whole.”
Luc smiled at her. “That’s because we love you.”
He tucked her arm through his, and together they moved forward into the throng of wedding guests.
Bestselling author
BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD
was born in Leeds and was a journalist in Yorkshire and Fleet Street before moving to New York, where she lives with her husband. She is published in eighty-nine countries and forty languages, and ten of her books have become hugely successful television series.
You can visit her website at
www.barbarataylorbrad-ford.com
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Praise for
New York Times
bestselling author
Barbara Taylor Bradford
“She’s the envy of all of us who put pen to paper.
Don’t miss her.”
Greensboro News & Record
And for
Her Own Rules
“An emotional journey.”
Denver Rocky Mountain News
“Barbara Taylor Bradford can always be relied on to tell a good story, and she does just that in
Her Own Rules
.”
Chattanooga Times
“Compelling…Certain to join the ranks of Bradford’s other bestsellers, this novel skillfully blends mystery and romance.”
Library Journal
“One can’t help cheering the heroine on as she presses toward self-awareness. The family and friends who support her are particularly likable for their encouragement.”
Christian Science Monitor
“Barbara Taylor Bradford’s
Her Own Rules
won’t disappoint.”
Dayton Daily News
Just Rewards
Unexpected Blessings
Emma’s Secret
Three Weeks in Paris
The Triumph of Katie Byrne
Where You Belong
A Sudden Change of Heart
Power of a Woman
*
A Secret Affair
*
Her Own Rules
*
Love in Another Town
*
Dangerous to Know
*
Everything to Gain
*
Angel
Remember
The Women in His Life
To Be the Best
*
Act of Will
*
Hold the Dream
*
Voice of the Heart
*
A Woman of Substance
*
*Published by HarperCollins
Publishers
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
HER OWN RULES. Copyright © 1996 by Barbara Taylor Bradford. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader December 2008
ISBN 978-0-06-179500-8
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900
Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com