Read Forbidden for Free Online Page B

dream, could dull the good feelings she had about herself and life in general. She simply wished she had not grown up in a country whose dictum was: ‘Life is a candy box full of delicious sweets, a bowl of ripe red cherries, the rainbow
and
the pot of gold. It’s all there for the taking …’ It had not prepared her for reality. The world as it really is: hard and cruel, where things do not always go your way because you expect them to, and people are evil to other people, and countries rape and despoil other countries. Amy Ross was a happy and lucky lady, who, having learned the hard way the reality of life on earth, was grateful for every good day that came along, seeing it as a bonus for surviving to live another day.
    A lingering hot bath, bed, and television – not a bad way to end a good day.

Chapter 3
    ‘Hello.’
    Pete hesitated. He had received her note when on the way to the Opera House. He looked at it, felt surprised Amy had left it, then slipped it into the pocket of his evening jacket, and put her firmly out of his mind. He hadn’t allowed anything to distract him from that momentous evening. It was Cosima’s night. And Annie’s. If only she had lived to see it, to be there with them. Well, she hadn’t. His wife had died two years before and had missed seeing her dreams for Cosima come to fruition.
    The night had been a great success, and the next day and the day after, he and the children had more celebrating to distract him from thoughts of Amy. But then, as two of his children left for Paris and Rome, and the others made ready to return with him to New York, he found space to think about whether he should or should not do anything about Amy Ross. Clearly leaving the note was an invitation for him to do so.
    From the moment Amy re-entered his thoughts and the question was raised he could not erase the sound of her laughter from his mind. How beautiful and sensuous she was still, after several decades. Time seemed to have stood still longer for her than anyone he still knew fromthat period of his life. What had happened to her? What sort of life had she lived? Was she married? Did she have children? The young man with her, was he part of her life? Curiosity, and no more than that, made him dial the telephone number she had left … or so he told himself, and believed it to be true, until he heard her voice. One word, ‘Hello’, triggered desires in him he had thought dead long since. Did he want that? He was about to put down the receiver but had hesitated too long. She repeated, ‘Hello.’
    There seemed nothing to do but speak. ‘It was nice of you to leave a way for us to make contact again.’
    Amy was surprised to hear his voice. She had given up on him. It had been nearly a week since she had seen him and impulsively left her address and phone number. He had looked so good, so big and comfortable, still with a sexy macho quality to him. And so American. That amused her – that after all these years abroad she should still find that all-American male look so attractive.
    ‘How nice to hear from you again. I’d given you up, thought you’d returned to Long Island.’
    ‘I’d like to see you, for lunch or dinner, maybe. How about today?’
    ‘I’d like that but it’s too short notice, I’m having friends in for lunch. I could make tomorrow.’
    ‘We’re leaving tomorrow morning.’
    A pause, so long it rang like thunder. It was becoming embarrassing, and embarrassment was the last thing either of them wanted. They broke the silence, both speaking at the same time, which seemed to bridge thedistance between them. They laughed and then Amy said, ‘Come to me, and bring your beautiful children. Is there a beautiful wife too?’
    ‘I’m a widower. Is there a husband?’
    ‘I’ve never married.’
    ‘May I come alone and arrange for them to join us later if they want to? I promise that will make life much easier. They’re all young adults with ideas of their own as to how they