Wanderlust by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online Page A

some hidden pocket within her she felt a small surge of courage. He sat carefully on the edge of her bed, sensing that what he was about to hear was something portentous. Perhaps she was getting married, although he didn't see how. She was always at home with him, except on the rare occasions when she dined with one of her friends from Miss Hamlin's, or went down to Burlingame to dine with Harcourt and Annabelle. Grandfather ' She almost choked on the words, but she had to say them. She plunged ahead fearing the pain she would cause him. But he had survived other things ' the loss of his son ' his wife before that ' . Grandfather, I'm leaving.
    He seemed not to understand at first as their eyes held. And then he spoke in measured tones. He had understood her. He had had this same exchange once before, a long, long time before, in the same room ' with Roland ' . To go where?
    I don't know yet ' I have to think it out. But I know I have to go ' to Europe ' just for a few months ' . Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and for an instant he closed his eyes. For an instant, just that, he thought that her words would kill him. But he couldn't let them do that ' couldn't ' he had lived too long, and they all did that to you in the end ' they hurt you until you could bear it no more. It didn't pay to love anyone as much as he loved her. It didn't ' but he couldn't help it, and then with almost a groan of pain he held out a hand to her and she came into his arms and he held her tight, wishing he could keep her there forever. But she wanted just as desperately to leave him. I'm so sorry, Grandfather ' I know how you must feel. But I promise I'll come back ' I swear .' It won't be like Father. She knew what he was thinking, and as two lone tears rolled slowly down his cheeks, he only nodded.

Chapter 4

    The train to Chicago left from Oakland and Annabelle and Harcourt and her grandfather had insisted on coming to the station with her. She had decided not to fly and to savor each moment of the trip east by taking the train. Annabelle chatted all the way across the bay on the ferry, and Harcourt kept looking meaningfully into Audrey's eyes over her head, as though he were about to sweep her into his arms and give her a long passionate kiss good-bye in front of his wife. Audrey would have laughed at the look in his eyes, except for her concern for her grandfather, who had been strangely quiet for days and spoke not at all on this final morning. He had said not a single word over his tea, had not touched his egg, despite the excellent new cook Audrey had hired for him, and he never even opened his newspaper. It was obvious that he had a heavy heart and Audrey had been deeply worried about him as she closed the last of her bags, and stood glancing around her room for a last time. She was terrified that her going might precipitate a heart attack or a stroke, or that, worse, he might just give up on life once she was gone. But for once in their lives, they all had to stand on their own two feet without her. Just for a few months ' just long enough for her to see a little piece of the world and get some of this wandering out of her system. She had promised him a thousand times that she would be home in no time at all. But he never seemed to believe her. I'll be home by September, most likely, or October at the very latest, Grampa ' I swear. He had looked bleakly at her and shaken his head, insisting that he had heard those words before, too long ago, and Roland had never come home from his wanderings at all ' never ' .
    This is different, Grampa ' .
    Is it? Why? What will make you come back, Audrey? A sense of obligation to me? A sense of duty? Will that bring you back? He spoke almost bitterly, and yet when, finally, she offered not to go, he wouldn't let her cancel the trip after all. He knew how much it meant to her, and he knew also that, for her sake, he had to let her go, no matter how painful it was for him. And indeed it was. He