Danielle Steel - Hotel Vendome

She had selected a simple white organdy gown with a huge skirt and full sleeves you could see her arms through that made her look like she was floating in a cloud, with her red hair in a neat bun under her veil. And her father’s eyes filled with tears when he saw her. All he could think of now was what she had looked like at seven as she ran around the hotel. And he looked proud as he walked her down the aisle, to the steps where Brad was waiting. He looked at her as though he had waited for this moment all his life. They both had, and the moment was perfect.

The ceremony was short and simple, and Julien handed them the rings and didn’t lose them. The minister pronounced them man and wife, and when Brad kissed her, she knew she was in the right place with the right man at the right time. They danced all night and had a terrific time at their wedding.

Brad looked down at her with a blissful expression as he danced with her and thought he had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life, and Heloise had never been happier. She loved knowing that she was his wife.

“Was it everything you wanted it to be?” he asked about their wedding, and she nodded, looking peaceful and totally happy.

“Everything and more. And I feel like a guest at the hotel.” She was trying not to play assistant manager that night and not worry about anything.

And even her mother had behaved. Her father had danced with her once, and after years of being happily married to Natalie, he realized that he wasn’t angry at Miriam anymore. It was a relief. And she said the hotel was even more beautiful than before. Greg was polite too, and both their children got so drunk, they had to go back to their suite before dinner.

Julien and Stephanie behaved like angels and took turns dancing with their parents and each other.

Her whole wedding night felt like a dream to Heloise. It was perfect. And the ballroom had never looked lovelier, with Franco and Jan working on the flowers together.

They stopped dancing at eleven so the bride and groom could catch the one A.M. flight to Paris. They were going to stay at the Ritz, and then fly on to Nice to stay at the Hotel du Cap in Cap d’Antibes, which was perfect for a honeymoon.

When Heloise tossed the bouquet Jan had made her for that purpose so she could keep her own, she aimed it straight at her sister Stephanie, who caught it and screamed with glee, as Julien rolled his eyes and wondered how she could be so silly. It was a legacy, for all the bouquets Heloise had wanted to catch as a little girl and hadn’t been allowed to, and in memory of the one Natalie had tossed her seven years before, on the day she met Brad at their wedding. And Stephanie held the bouquet high like a prize. Her father and Natalie and all their friends watched as they got into the Rolls outside the hotel, and Heloise stopped long enough to kiss her father, and then with a last wave they got into the car.

And as they drove away from the hotel in a flurry of rose petals, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the number and saw that it was the hotel. Her father was babysitting the hotel for her, and when they came back, he was retiring and leaving for Paris. They had just rented an apartment on the Left Bank. These were going to be his last weeks of running the Hotel Vendome, and after that Heloise would take over. She started to answer her phone, and Brad took it from her hand and kissed her.

“You’re not on duty,” he reminded her. “You’re all mine for the next two weeks.” But more than that, she was his for the rest of time. And the hotel would be there when they got back. It was hers now. He kissed her again, and she turned her cell phone off and put it in her pocket. For now the hotel could wait. It would all be there when she got back, just as it had been all her life.

About the Author

Danielle Steelis one of the world’s most popular and highly acclaimed authors, with nearly 600 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include, Happy Birthday , 44 Charles Street , Family Ties , Legacy and Big Girl . She is also the author of His Bright Light , the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death. She lives in California and Paris.

Also by Danielle Steel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

44 CHARLES STREET

LEGACY

FAMILY TIES

BIG GIRL

SOUTHERN LIGHTS

MATTERS OF THE HEART

ONE DAY AT A TIME

A GOOD WOMAN

ROGUE

HONOUR THYSELF

AMAZING GRACE

BUNGALOW 2

SISTERS

H.R.H.

COMING OUT

THE HOUSE

TOXIC BACHELORS

MIRACLE

IMPOSSIBLE

ECHOES

SECOND CHANCE

RANSOM

SAFE HARBOUR

JOHNNY ANGEL

DATING GAME

ANSWERED PRAYERS

SUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ

THE COTTAGE

THE KISS

LEAP OF FAITH

LONE EAGLE

JOURNEY

THE HOUSE ON HOPE STREET

THE WEDDING

IRRESISTIBLE FORCES

GRANNY DAN

BITTERSWEET

MIRROR IMAGE

HIS BRIGHT LIGHT:

The Story of Nick Traina

THE KLONE AND I

THE LONG ROAD HOME

THE GHOST

SPECIAL DELIVERY

THE RANCH

SILENT HONOUR

MALICE

FIVE DAYS IN PARIS

LIGHTNING

WINGS

THE GIFT

ACCIDENT

VANISHED

MIXED BLESSINGS

JEWELS

NO GREATER LOVE

HEARTBEAT

MESSAGE FROM NAM

DADDY

STAR

ZOYA

KALEIDOSCOPE

FINE THINGS

WANDERLUST

SECRETS

FAMILY ALBUM

FULL CIRCLE

CHANGES

THURSTON HOUSE

CROSSINGS

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

A PERFECT STRANGER

REMEMBRANCE

PALOMINO

LOVE: POEMS

THE RING

LOVING

TO LOVE AGAIN

SUMMER’S END

SEASON OF PASSION

THE PROMISE

NOW AND FOREVER

GOLDEN MOMENTS *

GOING HOME

*Published outside the UK under the title PASSION’S PROMISE

For more information on Danielle Steel and her books, see her website at www.daniellesteel.com

TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS

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First published in the United States

in 2011 by Delacorte Press,

an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group,

a division of Random House, Inc., New York

First published in Great Britain

in 2011 by Bantam Press

an imprint of Transworld Publishers

Copyright (c) Danielle Steel 2011

Danielle Steel has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781409092919

ISBNs 9780593063088 (cased)

9780593063095 (tpb)

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