Thurston House (53 page)

And after New Year's, Andr+! drove her home again. They came across the Bay Bridge, up Broadway, and then south to California Street and right on Taylor to Nob Hill. He parked the car on the street outside Thurston House, and carried her bags inside for her. He wanted to stay in the city again for a day or two, Antoine could easily carry on for him, and he and Sabrina could do some work in town. They spent long hours in her library that night, going over some of the paperwork. They shared the responsibility of that, and in some ways it reminded her of the old days at her mines after her father died, except that she would have been grateful to have Andr+! then.

It must have been difficult for you.

It was. She smiled. But I learned a lot from it.

I can see that. But that's not an easy way to learn anything.

Maybe I wasn't destined to learn the easy way. She was thinking of Camille and Jon again, and what a disappointment he had been to her, and Andr+! watched her eyes. He asked her an odd question then, about something he had wondered about for a long time. They had been good friends for ten months now, but there were certain things they never talked about. She rarely mentioned John Harte to him, and he seldom spoke of his wife. She had died when Antoine was five, and he had been lonely for a long, long time. There had been a woman he had grown fond of in France, but now that was over with. He knew from a recent letter from her that she was involved with someone else. And he wasn't heartbroken over it. He had expected that when he left France, and she hadn't wanted to come to America with him. But now he wondered about Sabrina's life and he was comfortable enough to ask.

What was your husband like?

She smiled at her friend. Wonderful. And then suddenly, she laughed. Actually, at first we didn't like each other very much. He kept trying to buy me out. He owned the rival mine. Andr+! laughed, imagining the sparks of that. But eventually ' She smiled nostalgically. We settled down. You know, her face sobered again, I never let him merge our mines even in later years. And afterward, I was so sorry about that. I gave him such a bad time ' and for what? She looked into Andr+!'s eyes. In the end, after he died, I merged them anyway. I was stupid not to have done it before that.

Why didn't you?

I think I wanted to prove something to him, that I was still independent and not just a part of him. But he humored me, and kept things the way I wanted them, even though he must have known that it was a lot more trouble that way. He was so patient. She looked into Andr+!'s eyes. It has made me a better partner to you in the past year because of what I learned from him.

You've been wonderful. He smiled at her, and then he grinned. Except for your cooking and your French!

How can you say that! She began to laugh. I cooked everyone an omelet last week. And she had been so proud of herself and they were laughing now, at one in the morning in her library, tired, but comfortable side by side.

Didn't you see how sick they got? He loved teasing her, and he pulled gently now at one of the braids she wore. She looked like a very young girl to him, and to someone who didn't know her well, they would have shaved a dozen years off her age. You know, you look like an Indian squaw. And at his words she suddenly remembered Spring Moon, and she told him about her fascination with her, and that she had saved her from being raped by Dan. You certainly didn't lead a boring life, my dear. Are you sure the vineyards aren't too tame for you?

They're perfect now. I don't think I could stand all that excitement again. One day, more than three hundred men walked out on my mine. I don't ever want to live through something like that again.

You won't. Your life will be peaceful from now on. I promise you. She had certainly earned that much and she smiled ruefully at him.

I wish you could promise that, for all of us. She was also thinking of Jon. What about you, Andr+!? What do you want out of life, other than a huge success with our fancy wines? She tweaked his ear and he pulled her braid again.

Don't get fresh with me, ma vieille ' what do I want? His face grew serious, and he would have had a good answer to that, but he didn't dare. I don't know. I suppose I have everything I want. There's only one thing lacking here. She was surprised to hear him say that. He seemed so content.

What's that?

Companionship. I miss someone to share my life with, I mean other than Antoine, because that won't last for long. He should move on, and he will in time. But don't you miss that too? He had had it far more recently than she, only a year before, and she thought about it now. She had missed it too of course, but she had grown accustomed to being alone for so long. There had been no man in her life since John, and she had told Andr+! that before. He thought it remarkable, but he wasn't surprised. I always suspected that. By now, they knew each other very well, and he would have known if there was someone in her life. How could you stay alone for so long? He was impressed by that. Two years after his wife had died he had had a serious affair, and there had been several in the years since, nothing excessive, but he enjoyed having a woman in his life, and he missed that now. Don't you find your solitude unbearable? He was intrigued by her and she laughed at him.

No. I don't. It's actually very simple and pleasant sometimes. It's lonely too. But after a while, you don't think of that. You know, she teased, rather like being a nun.

What a waste. He looked very French as he looked at her and they both laughed. It really is, you know. You're such a lovely woman, Sabrina, and you're still young.

I wouldn't say that, my friend. I'll be forty-eight in May. That's not exactly like being a young girl.

You're in your prime.

Now I know you're crazy, Andr+!.

I'm not! The woman he had been involved with in France had been older than she, and not nearly as beautiful. Sabrina would have been a rare gift for any man. She was a very special woman, as Andr+! was aware. And he wouldn't have dared approach her just for fun. She meant too much to him for that. They parted company at two o'clock in the morning, and met again at breakfast the next day, fully dressed and businesslike, but they were closer after their late-night talk. She was freer about mentioning John to him suddenly, and he talked about some of his women friends to her, almost as though they were sounding each other out, without realizing it, and he startled her when he decided not to return to Napa on Friday night as planned, and invited her out to dinner instead.

Is there something to celebrate? She looked surprised, and she was tired. It had been a long week, and she was still tired from her legal ordeal with Camille the month before. The relief from that had left her almost weak at the knees, and she hadn't gotten out much since then. He thought it might do her good.

Why not just go out for the hell of it?

How decadent. But the idea appealed to her, and she retired to her rooms to dress for him, and when they met downstairs beneath the dome, she was wearing a black dress he had never seen before.

You look very elegant, madame. He smiled at her playfully and she noticed again how handsome he was. She didn't notice it very often now, they were so used to each other and they were just friends, but tonight she felt womanly and seductive beneath his gaze.

He drove her to the restaurant and they had a drink at the bar, and then took their table after eight o'clock, and they had a lovely time, he telling her about things he had done in France, she telling more stories of the mine and about herself, and as usual, they wound up back at Thurston House. But tonight, she invited him into her private sitting room. Usually, they sat in the library, but this was smaller and cozier and more intimate, and she built a fire and lit it when he went downstairs to get drinks for them. He poured two small brandies for them, and they sipped them by the fire, looking into the glow as the embers rolled and the kindling caught. She looked at him then. Thank you for tonight, Andr+! ' thank you for everything. You've been good for me. And very good to me, as well. He was touched by what she said and he reached out and touched her hand.

I would do anything for you, Sabrina. I hope you know that

You already have. And then, as though they had both expected it, he leaned over and kissed her lips, and neither of them looked shocked, it just seemed so natural, and they sat side by side, holding hands and kissing by the fire. And then after a while she laughed gently at him. It's like being kids again, isn't it?

Aren't we? He smiled.

I don't know ' He muffled her words with his lips and she felt a hunger for him rise up in her that she had never realized was there, and he took her in his arms, and as they lay by the fire, he felt his body warm beside hers, and his hands began to move on her flesh, and she was surprised at herself but she didn't object to it. It was as though they were both ready for what was happening, and he looked gently down at her.

He whispered gently to her, he didn't want to do anything they'd both regret, or that, more importantly, she would. She was too important to him, as a human being, as well as a friend. Should I go away, Sabrina?

I don't know. She smiled at him. What are we doing here?

I think I'm in love with you, he whispered back. And remarkably it didn't surprise her at all, and she realized that she had been in love with him for a long, long time, maybe even from the first time they had met. They had built something beautiful together, with their hearts and their hands, courageously, energetically, he had brought her alive again, and now this was only an extension of that, and she reached out to him, and he carried her to her bed, and they made love there as though they had always done so, and at last they lay in each others' arms sleepily as he smoothed the silk of her hair beneath his fingertips and fell asleep with his lips on hers.

And when they awoke the next day, he was relieved to see that there was no regret in her eyes. And he kissed her on the eyes, the lips ' the tip of her nose, and she giggled at him and they made love again. It was almost like a honeymoon, and everything about it was comfortable. She couldn't imagine how it could all happen that easily. It had been almost twenty years since she had made love to a man, and yet here she was, as happy as could be with him, and he was obviously crazy about her. A floodgate had suddenly opened in him, and he seemed to open up and engulf her with his love.

What happened to us? She looked at him sleepily after they made love again. It was Saturday, and they didn't have to go anywhere. They were alone and happy and in love.

It must have been something we ate last night. '

Maybe the champagne ' we'll have to remember to grow ours like that. And then with a smile, she drifted off to sleep again, and awoke at noon, as he arrived in the bedroom with a tray of things to eat.

To keep up your strength, my love. And she needed it, when he attacked her again the moment after they ate.

Good heavens, Andr+! She was laughing, and happy and enjoying herself. Are you always like this?

No. He answered honestly and snuggled closer to her. He couldn't get enough of her. It was as though he had waited a year and now had to press it all into one day. You do something wonderful to me.

May I return the compliment? They slept and made love all afternoon, and at six o'clock they finally got up and bathed and dressed and went out again. This time to the Bal Tabaria on Columbus Avenue, and it really was like a honeymoon.

How did this happen to us? She smiled at him over a fresh bottle of champagne with dessert.

I don't know. He looked serious as he looked at her. I think maybe we've earned it, my love. We've worked awfully hard this year.

What a nice reward. And he thought so too as they went back to her bed that night, and made love again, this time with a fire in the hearth of her room. It was the room where Jonathan had been born almost twenty-two years before, but she wasn't thinking of that now. She was thinking of Andr+!, and they slept soundly in each other's arms and awoke just after dawn. They looked at each other, kissed and went back to sleep, and made love when they woke up again the next time, and the time afterward. And it was then that Andr+! looked at her thoughtfully. He had thought of it the day before as well and then forgot.

Would it be rude to ask you if you're worried about birth control, my love? He realized he had done nothing about it for two days, but she was unconcerned.

By the time I might get pregnant, Andr+!, I'll be eighty years old. I don't get pregnant easily to say the least. It took me two years each time I got pregnant before. I am the least dangerous woman you know. And probably even more so at my age.

That's convenient at least. But you're sure that's all right?

I'm positive. I probably can't even gti pregnant by now. She had not yet gone through change of life, but in the last year, she had recognized signs that it was coming.

You can't be sure of that.

I'll do something about it next week. And in the meantime ' He was already not worrying about it again, and by Sunday night they were so content that they decided to spend another night at Thurston House before going back to Napa again. Neither of them was anxious to end the impromptu honeymoon. Their whole lives had changed in two days and neither of them regretted it. It added a new dimension to all they'd had before, and when they drove to Napa the next day, Sabrina began to laugh, her long hair falling down her back, her blue eyes as bright as a young girl's, and she was wearing the red cashmere sweater he'd given her, with a pair of gray flannel slacks. What'll we do in Napa now? The men will be shocked. It was none of their business anyway, and she didn't think Antoine should know, at least not yet.