Wanderlust by Danielle Steel

watching the long, lanky girl with the dark red hair. She worried about her sometimes. She knew what an empty life she led at home, and she would have liked to see her stay in London with them, although Audrey continued to insist that it wasn't possible. She had to go back to California.
    I don't know. The same as before, I guess. She looked over her shoulder at Violet with a smile. That's not so bad. But she was trying to convince herself more than her friend. I did it before ' running Grandfather's house, I mean ' . But nothing would ever be quite the same. Never. Not after these golden days with people one only dreamed about, in a place reserved for a magical few. And now, for these brief moments, she was one of them. But for how long? Sooner or later it would all have to end. Audrey never lost sight of that. It only served to make it all more precious to her as July drifted on.
    I so wish you could stay on for a while ' .
    Regretfully, Audrey shook her head. In fact, she sighed, and squinted up at the sun, I should be moving on next week, if I'm going to complete my trip. I was going to drive over to the Italian Riviera and move on from there.
    Do you really want to do that? Violet looked crushed and Audrey laughed at her.
    Honestly? No. I want to sit right here for the rest of my life. But that isn't very realistic, I suppose. So I might as well make my way slowly back to the real world. And God only knows when I'll get back to Europe again. Her grandfather wasn't getting any younger, and Lord only knew when she would be able to tear herself away again. Annabelle's last letter had informed her that she was terrified that she might be pregnant again. She didn't want another baby so soon and Harcourt was furious with her. Apparently, she hadn't used any precautions. And her grandfather's only letter had sounded just like him.
    She could almost hear him growl as she turned each page. He was complaining about Roosevelt, and assorted local events. He insisted that Roosevelt was doing nothing to help the economy in spite of all his promises of a new deal. and he always referred to him in his letters to Audrey as your friend FDR. and usually underlined the your, which made her laugh. Thinking about him made her sigh again. How faraway it all seemed now, and she glanced down the beach at James as she thought of it. He was walking slowly toward them with a tall, thin man, with hair even darker than his own, gesticulating animatedly as James laughed and pointed down the beach at them. Violet waved and glanced at Audrey with a broad smile, looking immensely pleased.
    Do you know who that is, Aud? Audrey shook her head, amused at her friend's excitement over him. He was certainly a very attractive young man, but no more so than the countless others who came and went out of their lives. Violet had begun waving as they came down the beach, brandishing her big floppy hat as Audrey laughed. It's Charles Parker-Scott, the travel writer and explorer. Don't you know him? He publishes a lot in the States. His mother was American, you know. Audrey suddenly looked startled as she smiled. She certainly knew the name, and he was indeed famous, she had just always assumed that he was a great deal older than this handsome young man strolling down the beach next to James. But she had no time for further thought as Vi hurled herself into his arms.
    Behave yourself, old girl. That's no way for a married woman to greet a man. James chided her with a swat on her behind but he didn't look dismayed. And Charles was obviously enchanted with the greeting
    Oh to hell with you, James. Vi beamed as the new arrival swept her off her feet and into his arms. Charlie's not a man for God's sake. And as she said the words, he feigned chagrin, and dropped her unceremoniously into the sand at his feet, and stared down at her.
    What do you mean, I'm 'not a man'? His accent was decidedly more American than British and Audrey remembered hearing that he had gone to Yale,