The Affair

by Danielle Steel

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  Nadia called Athena right after she’d spoken to Olivia. It was still early in California, and Athena had just come off the air. Most of the time, she was preparing food on camera live, usually with perfect results, but now and then it turned out badly. When it did, she would show her viewers how to salvage a dish that had gone wrong. She was creative and funny, and people loved her show. The sales of her vegetarian and vegan cookbooks had gone through the roof since she’d had the show. She was now considered the guru of vegetarian cuisine. Occasionally, she taped the show, but rarely. People loved the fact that it was live. Athena had a strong, happy personality that was like a warm embrace. She sounded delighted the moment she heard her sister’s voice.

  “How’s my baby sister?” she asked, and always sounded as though she really cared and would drop everything to hear Nadia’s victories and woes. “Are things any better?” It didn’t seem like it from what she’d seen in the press. Normally, the American tabloids didn’t care much about foreign stars, but the movie had been such a massive box office hit in the U.S., and the romance between Nicolas and Pascale so titillating, that even the American public was eating it up. Athena was never sure how much of what she read was true. “Is it calming down? How are you, baby?”

  “I’m okay. Hanging in. Trying to keep it together. The girls don’t know yet, and I’m trying to keep it that way as long as I can. Nicolas comes home for dinner a couple of times a week, and has been spending a night or two here, so they don’t figure out he’s gone. I tell them he left for work early when he’s not there when they get up.”

  “That can’t be easy for you,” Athena said gently.

  “It’s not.”

  “Are you filing for divorce?”

  “Not yet. We’ll probably get there eventually. I just don’t want to move too quickly and regret it later.” It was a sensible position, which was how Nadia did things, in order, with care and caution, and attention to detail. She wasn’t given to fast, flighty decisions, which Athena was at times, but somehow her impulses always turned out well. Nadia preferred to move more slowly.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard Olivia’s opinions on the subject,” Athena said.

  “Yeah, the electric chair or the gas chamber. Or a public hanging,” Nadia said, and her sister laughed.

  “I kind of agreed with her when I heard about it. But that’s not real life. People do some really fucked-up things sometimes, even if they love each other. It’s really about what the two of you want, and how you feel about it. Personally, I’d probably chop Joe’s fingers off, or other parts of him. But who knows? You don’t know what you’d do until you’re in that position. You’re smart to take your time to think about it. Mom always said that good decisions are never made in haste. I kind of think she’s right. That’s probably why Joe and I have never married after thirteen years together. That looks way too scary to me.”

  Since Athena had always been sure that she didn’t want children, she felt no pressure to marry, and still didn’t. At forty-three, she was perfectly content as she was, and so was he. She said she liked other people’s children, but didn’t want her own, and insisted that her dogs suited her much better. She had six, and it was chaotic in her home. Stanley, the largest, was an enormous white mountain dog of some kind that looked like a crossbreed with a horse, stood as tall as a man, and weighed two hundred pounds. In addition, she had a black Lab, an English bulldog, some kind of dog that looked more like a teddy bear—which she said was some kind of golden doodle, part poodle and part golden retriever, and tried to sit on everyone’s lap—and two tiny teacup Chihuahuas, who slept in the arms of the mountain dog and liked to ride around on the doodle’s back. Her partner, Joe, successful restaurateur and master chef, put up with all of it and thought that everything Athena did was charming. She was as blond and fair as Olivia, and as their mother had been before her hair turned white. She had a large frame and generous, womanly body.

  “I think you’re brave to have ever gotten married,” Athena said with a sigh. “Braver than I am. Joe and I think it would ruin everything. I feel that not making it legal keeps things fresh. We never commingle money, and the only thing we’d have to fight about if we split up is custody of the dogs.” Nadia knew that Joe still had his small house in West Hollywood, where he had lived before he met Athena, but never used it. He used it for storage now. Athena owned the house they lived in, in the Hollywood Hills, with a huge yard for the dogs, and an enormous swimming pool. She called it their Beverly Hillbillies shack. It was full of vintage furniture from the fifties, which was casual, and great looking, and cost a fortune. Her favorite piece was a pink velvet Barbie doll couch that even Nadia thought was amusing and perfect for Athena, Venetia swore she was going to steal it one day, and Ben hoped not. They each had their own style.

  “What are you going to do with the girls this summer, with all this crap going on?” Athena asked her. “You can come and stay with us, if you want to get away and hide out. I’d love it.”

  “Actually, that’s why I’m calling. I’m trying to organize a girls’ weekend over the Fourth of July at the château. Venetia’s in, Olivia is thinking about it, and Mom said she’d try to come for two days, if she can. I’d love for you to come for the long weekend. You can stay as long as you want. It would be nice to be together.” Nadia was hungry for time with her family. She needed them more than ever before. Her life had never gone as wrong as it was right now. And being with her sisters was the best medicine there was. “Mom suggested it originally, and I think it’s a great idea for all of us to get together at the château. Is your show still on the air then?”

  “Actually, we go on hiatus a few days before. I don’t know what Joe has planned. He’s all wrapped up in looking at a space in Malibu. He wants to open something there. I love the idea of coming to see you in France. Let me check in with him. I’ll call you back tomorrow.” They functioned as a team after thirteen years together, and were considerate of each other. “He’s so busy these days, he won’t even notice I’m gone,” Athena added. They had a flock of dog sitters and walkers and a housekeeper who could take care of their animals in her absence. Joe insisted on that so they weren’t constantly running home to feed and walk them.

  Their life ran surprisingly smoothly, despite Athena’s haphazard casual nature and disorganized style. She was more efficient than she appeared. She just didn’t want to end up like their mother, with nothing in her life but work. All four girls thought Rose paid a high price for it, and worked too hard, especially now, with their father gone. But it was what Rose wanted, and their father had respected her dedicated work ethic. It was only since the kids had grown up and his death that she had eliminated almost everything except the magazine in her life. It filled the void that he had left, so she was happy.

  Nadia and Athena talked for a few more minutes, and Athena promised her an answer about July fourth the next day. Nadia was in good spirits thinking about spending four days with them, and hoped that all or most of them could make it. She didn’t mention it to Sylvie and Laure at dinner, in case it didn’t work out, so she wouldn’t disappoint them. They loved their aunts, and their cousins, although Nadia hadn’t invited her niece and nephews. It would be easier without them, to just make it a sisters’ weekend. They could focus on each other, and talk more freely, when her own children were busy or in the pool at the château. There was lots for them to do there, and the two little girls played well with each other. They noticed their mother’s good mood at dinner and were relieved to see it. She had seemed very quiet and sad lately, and Sylvie particularly was concerned about it. It was hard to hide her sorrow from them, although she tried.

  * * *

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  Nadia heard from Olivia first, much to her surprise. She and Harley had discussed it over dinner after Nadia’s call, and had included Will in the conversation, as they did with all things. It was
easier for them having only one child, due to their demanding careers, and they included him in everything and had treated him as an adult since he was old enough to talk. By fourteen, he was used to participating in decisions. Both Will and Harley agreed that they could manage without her for the long weekend. Harley knew how worried she was about her sister, and it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Since Will was bringing a friend up to their house in Maine, it was fine with him. Although he loved his parents, he was trying to get a little distance from them lately. His father was older than his friends’ fathers, and his mother had been even busier since she’d been on the bench. He wanted to hang out with his friends, without being with his parents all the time.

  She sent Nadia a text that night, which Nadia found when she woke up in the morning. “Count me in. Arriving Thursday morning, leaving Sunday night. Sisters rule! Love, O.”

  Athena called Nadia in the morning, which was midnight for Athena in California. She and Joe had discussed it when he came home from the restaurant. He had agreed in four seconds flat.

  “Of course. You know I love your sister. She needs you guys right now. You should go. I’m going to work that weekend anyway. We’re shorthanded in the kitchen at the restaurant.” He was a hands-on owner, and pitched in to help in the kitchen whenever needed. He enjoyed it.

  “So I’m in,” Athena said, sounding delighted. At her end, Nadia was beaming.

  “I can’t wait to see you all,” Nadia said, relieved. “Wait till I tell the girls!” It was the best thing that had happened to her since the bomb that had exploded in her life after the Cannes Film Festival. She couldn’t think of anything better than four days with her sisters. For the first time in a month, she left for work with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She could hardly wait for the Fourth of July weekend, and she was grateful for their willingness to leave their respective partners and children. She laughed out loud as she drove to the office, knowing that Nicolas would be panicked if he knew about it, because Nadia and her sisters were a force to be reckoned with. If their mother showed up for the weekend, even more so. Watch out, Nicolas Bateau! The McCarthy women were coming! And anything could happen after that.

  Chapter 5

  Venetia kissed Ben and her children before she left for work on Wednesday. Ben was going to drive them out to Southampton before lunch. Venetia was planning to leave for the airport straight from the office. She was hoping to beat the holiday traffic to Long Island, and catch a flight that would land her in Paris at six a.m. on Thursday. She had a car and driver set to meet her in Paris and drive her on the two-hour trip to the château. By the time she got her luggage and made it to Normandy, she figured she’d be there in time for breakfast. She had tried to pair up with Olivia, who was flying that day too, but Olivia had canceled her court calendar for that afternoon and was taking an earlier flight. Nadia had already gotten to the château two days earlier to get everything ready for her sisters, and the day before they were to arrive, Sylvie and Laure had helped her cut flowers in the garden and put them in their rooms. Athena was planning to arrive at noon, since the L.A. flight arrived later than the ones from New York. It was a ten-hour flight from L.A., as opposed to six from JFK.

  “Don’t go falling in love with some handsome Frenchman on the flight,” Ben whispered to Venetia when he kissed her goodbye. They lingered for a moment, while the children went upstairs to pack their tote bags with favorite toys and treasures to take with them to the Hamptons for the weekend. They were sorry their mother wasn’t coming, but Venetia had suggested that maybe they could all go to visit Nadia and the girls for a week in August.

  “You’re the best-looking, sexiest man I know,” Venetia answered as he held her, and she meant it. She was even more in love with him than she had been when they got married. It was a relationship that worked well. They enjoyed doing the same things, liked similar people, and respected each other profoundly. And they were crazy about their kids. “Thank you for letting me go.”

  He knew how worried she’d been about her sister, and he was planning to have fun with the children at various activities and friends’ picnics over the holiday weekend. He loved Nadia too, and was sorry she was going through such a hard time. He had no idea what had gotten into Nicolas. He liked his brother-in-law. They always enjoyed being together, and Ben thought that Nicolas genuinely loved his wife. Ben had never expected him to pull something like this. He’d seen the photos of Pascale in the press, and she was undeniably spectacular looking and very young, but beyond the physical, he couldn’t see the attraction. What was he going to do with a twenty-two-year-old actress and a baby, other than destroy his marriage?

  “I’ll call you when I get to the château,” Venetia promised, and rushed out of the house with her suitcase, and a giant white alligator Birkin with clothes to change into on the plane, work she needed to read, and all the little odds and ends she hadn’t put in her suitcase. She was wearing white jeans and a T-shirt with a white denim jacket and white ballet flats.

  She worked at a frantic pace till lunchtime, and at two o’clock she left her office after signing a bunch of orders and checks in haste, then left for the airport in plenty of time to catch her flight. She was traveling first class, as she always did. She settled into her seat when she boarded and finally relaxed. She texted Nadia when she sat down, “On the plane. Can’t wait to see you. Love, V.” Olivia was in the air by then, and she knew that Athena would be boarding shortly in L.A., after leaving Joe and their dog walkers a thousand instructions for the special needs of her pets.

  Venetia texted her mother too, Rose was still promising to try and come on Friday night, and arrive on Saturday.

  Everything was in place for an all-girl family weekend. They had nothing special planned. It wasn’t a holiday in France. Nicolas had called the girls and told them he was in Saint-Tropez for the weekend. Nadia tried not to think about it. She didn’t want anything to spoil her weekend with her sisters. It had been years since they’d had a girls’ weekend like this. It had taken a crisis to inspire her to organize it and make it happen.

  Venetia’s flight was uneventful, and she had a text from Olivia when they landed, telling her that she had just arrived at the château and they were having breakfast on the terrace in the beautiful weather. The car picked Venetia up on schedule. She had gotten her bag quickly, so there was no delay getting on the road.

  Olivia was lying on a lounge chair, sunning herself, when Venetia arrived, and Nadia was in the kitchen, talking to the housekeeper about lunch. Venetia could see her nieces playing with a ball in the distance on the lawn. It was a beautiful old property, which Nicolas took great pride in when his parents left it to him, and he and Nadia had restored and renovated it. Nadia loved it too, and they spent frequent weekends and summers there. It had been in his family for generations. There were well-manicured gardens and well-tended orchards of fruit trees surrounding it. Nicolas and Nadia put in the pool, which everyone loved. It was a wonderful place, and Nadia was trying not to think about the possibility that it might be her last summer there, if they got divorced. It already felt different to her. She felt a little like a guest, but she was grateful that Nicolas was still letting her use it, since they weren’t officially separated. It hadn’t been tainted yet, since Pascale had never been there. Nicolas had promised that to her. As it was a family property, which he had inherited, Nadia had no shared ownership of it. It belonged entirely to him, and would belong to their daughters one day.

  Nadia saw Venetia chatting with Olivia when she came back to the terrace. Venetia was sitting on the end of the lounge chair and jumped up to hug her sister.

  “I always forget how beautiful this place is until I see it again.” Nadia nodded and hugged her sister.

  “How was your flight?” she asked Venetia, as the two girls bounded up to the terrace to see their aunt. They were wearing matching pink shorts and T-shirts, and
they looked adorable. They kissed Venetia and then ran off again, Laure tugging at Sylvie’s shirt as they went back to the garden. She looked puzzled when she whispered to her sister.

  “Why did all our aunts come and not bring our cousins?” They’d never done that before, and Laure had sensed that she shouldn’t ask her mother. There seemed to be a lot of secrets these days. Their mother stopped talking on the phone now when they came into the room.

  Sylvie measured her words carefully before she answered. “I think Mama and Papa are a little mad at each other, and the aunts came to tell her how not to be mad at him anymore.” She had sensed the tension between her parents more than her younger sister had.

  “Why is she mad at him? Do you know?” Sylvie shook her head. She’d been trying to figure that out herself.

  “My friend Marie-Claire asked me if they’re getting divorced, and I said no. People only get divorced if they hate each other, and they’re not that mad, they still talk a lot. But Mama is mad at him about something. I think that’s why he’s in Saint-Tropez a lot these days.”

  “I thought he was there to write,” Laure said pensively, as they sat down on a log to discuss it. They were far down the garden, where the grown-ups couldn’t hear them.

  “I think he’s there to see friends, and until Mama stops being mad. I hope it’s soon. I miss him. He’s been out a lot lately, and he said he’s not coming to the château for two weeks.” Laure considered the answer and nodded. It sounded complicated to her.

  “I’m glad our aunts came. But I wish they’d brought our cousins. It would be more fun,” Laure said wistfully.

  “Mama said they might come back in August, with the kids.”

  “With Papa too?” Laure asked, with huge eyes.

  “I don’t know,” Sylvie said. Most of what she knew she had overheard. Her mother was sharing very little with her these days. But she did know that her mother was angry at her father. She had heard her say it several times to their aunts, and their grandmother. “Grandmama might come this weekend too,” Sylvie added, and Laure’s eyes grew even bigger.