O'Brien's Lady - By Marsha Doss Page 0,39

way when he first arrived, but after she had changed her lifestyle to meet his, it was as if she were still in Paris.

By day, she made lists of all the things that must be done to get the house ready, and by night she and Pierre dined and danced and were caught up in a wonderful world of glamour.

Sonny had not seen Michael's face for three days, and for that reason, she was gaining strength within herself. She had known all along that having Pierre at her side would put things back into their proper perspective, and it certainly had. She knew that her feelings for Michael had gotten out of control, and now she was ready to reclaim her life as it had been before her father's death.

The day before the party, Sonny made three trips to the caterer's office to be certain that every detail had been taken care of. Pierre was such a sticker for these sorts of things and she knew he would be terribly embarrassed by anything less than perfection.

On the morning of the dinner party, Katy polished the silver service while Sonny worked on the large, ornate coffee urn on the antique backboard in the dining room.

"Must be a lot of important people comin' tonight," Katy mused.

"Important to Pierre. Buyers, key people in the industry that could greatly influence his success in this country."

Sonny finished the last touches and replaced the lid to the urn and stood back to admire her work. "What do you think Katy, look good?"

"If you can see your own face smile in' back at you, then you've done your job proper." Katy stood admiring Sonny's handiwork, giving it her nod of approval.

"That's done, so I think we can relax for awhile." Sonny sighed heavily as she sank into one of the velvet-cushioned high back chairs. They had added the three extra leaves in the table, making it possible to seat ten. Fortunately, the extra chairs were stored in the garage, which made it possible to accommodate so many people at once.

Katy joined Sonny, but was strangely silent. "You don't seem to happy about this party I'm having, Katy."

"No, I can't say that I'm very excited about it. This Frenchman giving the party and askin' you to do all the work, makes me unhappy."

"Oh, I don't mind, Katy, really. It's been fun." Sonny stretched her arms up and tucked them in back of her neck. "Working all the time gets boring. I needed something like this."

"He's just out to better his career, and nothing more. I don't want you to be hurt, Sonny."

Sonny leaned forward in her seat and rested her chin on her hands. "That's sweet of you, but Pierre and I are..we're close, but not really serious."

"You're not in love with him. Is that what you mean to say?"

Katy's thick eyebrows burrowed into a frown and she let out an audible sigh.

"I never thought about love with Pierre. He's on the move, he's exciting to be around…and sometimes exhausting."

Sonny chuckled, remembering her tired feet the first night he took her dancing. He was ten years older than her and twice as energetic.

"How long do you want to be runnin' all over town?" Katy's question was direct and it took Sonny by surprise.

"As long as I enjoy it."

"Well, you can have it. As for me, I'd rather have a man who worked with his hands and nature."

From that point on, Katy did not question Sonny about her future plans with Pierre. There was an unspoken understanding between the two women that went far beyond the boundaries of friendship. Katy instinctively knew when the subject was to be dropped, and above all, she respected Sonny's privacy and right to her own choices, however wrong she thought they might be.

Pierre had instructed Sonny not to plan anything for the party as he was presenting her with one of his latest designs. He wanted to impress his guests of honor and knew that her beautiful face and curvaceous body would enhance anything he could create. Sonny was accustomed to wearing Pierre originals and she never tired of being seen in something that was new and innovative.

When Pierre appeared later that day, he carried a large garment bag, which he handled with all the care and gentleness of good china. Sonny ushered him into the living room, where he carefully and ceremoniously unzipped the bag to reveal its contents.

The gown was spectacular in a very simple, captivating way and Sonny quickly ran