Free A Sudden Change of Heart by Barbara Taylor Bradford Page B

even before that. But now it had turned to hatred and Laura couldn’t understand why.
    Claire had changed in the last six months. In the summer, when she and Doug had been in Paris, Claire had been much more relaxed, more at ease with herself. Now Laura realized that Claire was taut, full of tension, and at times she could be quite volatile.
    Laura could not help asking herself why there had been this change. She’s alone and lonely, Laura thought, rising, walking across the room to the window. Parting the curtains, she looked down into the courtyard below. In spring and summer it was a garden restaurant; now it was devoid of flowers and furniture, a simple paved yard flooded with light from the windows of the rooms that looked down onto it. Empty, cold, uninviting. Like Claire’s life. If only she could meet someone. A nice man of the right age with whom she could fall in love, perhaps settle down with. But Laura knew instinctively that this would not happen because Claire would not permit it to happen. She’s her own worst enemy, Laura muttered under her breath, loving her friend but at the same time feeling suddenly somewhat disturbed and critical about her behavior. I want to helpher and I don’t know how to do that, Laura said to herself, remembering how difficult that had always been, even when they were children. Claire had tried to be so independent and brave, but Laura had always sensed, even then, that she was afraid. Claire had been … timid. That was a good word to use to describe her. Her grandmother had once said that: “Claire’s a scared little thing, isn’t she? So
timid
and reluctant.” She had often wondered what Claire was frightened of when they were little, and once or twice she had asked her, but Claire denied her fear. There was one thing, and it came rushing back to Laura. Her grandmother had never really liked Claire’s parents. She had said her mother was ineffectual and her father a womanizer. But those were not reasons for Claire to
be frightened,
were they?
    Sighing under her breath, Laura turned away from the window, got undressed, and went to bed. Feeling wide awake, she zapped on CNN and lay watching it for an hour. She had just turned it and the light off when the phone rang; reaching for it, she said, “Hello?”
    “Hi, darling,” Doug answered.
    “I wish you were here,” Laura grumbled.
    “I can be there if you want.”
    “But not fast enough for me.”
    “How’s three seconds?”
    “Three seconds? What are you talking about?”
    “I’ll be right up,” he replied, and laughed. “I’m in the lobby.”

5      
    “W hat are you doing in Paris?” Laura asked, smiling at Doug as he came through the door. “You’re supposed to be in Los Angeles.”
    “I was never going there. I lied. I wanted to surprise you, darling.”
    “You succeeded,” she said, and came into his arms.
    Pushing the door closed with his foot, Doug held her close to him for a moment then bent down and kissed her on the mouth. Finally pulling away, he said, “I thought a weekend in Paris would be great for both of us. So here I am.”
    “I’m thrilled, it’s just wonderful, that’s all I have to say.”
    He walked across the room, his arm around her shoulders, and said, “So whatever you have planned, I think you should cancel it. I want you all to myself.”
    “I’m glad you do, and I feel the same way. There’s no problem about canceling things. All I have are two appointments with galleries, but they don’t matter all that much. Oh, but, Doug, I told Claire I’d have dinner at the apartment tomorrow night. I can’t really cancel that.”
    “I don’t want you to, and you know I love Claire. It’ll be good to see her and the shrimp.”
    Laura laughed. “I’d forgotten you call Natasha that. She’s not much of a shrimp anymore though. More like a … golden salamander.”
    “Mmmm. So she’s growing up gorgeous, is she?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “There’s the bell. It’s