BiologyChemistryConstructionCultureEcologyEconomyElectronicsFinanceGeographyHistoryInformaticsLawMathematicsMechanicsMedicineOtherPedagogyPhilosophyPhysicsPolicyPsychologySociologySportTourism Спасибо , что скачали книгу в бесплатной электронной библиотеке Royallib . ru 7 page She and Finn kissed for a last time , and she waved as he went through security and disappeared , and then she went back to the city in the limo he 'd rented . It was the first time she 'd been alone in a month and it felt strange . It was small comfort that they wouldn 't be wrestling with her narrow bed . It was an impossible fit for her and Finn , but he insisted on sleeping with her in it , every night . She had promised to try and fit a larger bed onto her sleeping platform before he came to stay again , but it would be a tight fit . After he left , the apartment seemed empty without him , and she wandered around aimlessly for a while , then she answered some emails , checked her mail , made some editing notes about photographs for her retoucher , and finally took a bath and went to bed with a book . She missed him , but she had to admit that , for a short time , having time to herself was nice . Finn liked a lot of attention , engaged in interesting conversations with her at all hours , and wanted to be together all the time . And just for a change , it was almost fun to be on her own again , although she wouldn 't have said it to him . He would have been crushed . Her cell phone woke her at three in the morning . It was Finn . He had just arrived . He called to tell her he loved her , and missed her awfully . She thanked him , told him she loved him too , blew him a kiss , and went back to sleep . And he called her again at nine . He told her everything he was doing at the house in preparation for her arrival , and she smiled , listening to him . He sounded like a little kid , and she loved that about him . There was an innocence and sweetness about him that was irresistible . When they were together , it was easy to forget how famous and successful he was , just as he did about her . It wasn 't important to them . He called her three times a day , and she called him as often , between projects and meetings , gallery visits , and discussions with curators . He sounded fine until the day she was leaving for L . A . , and then he mentioned Rod Beames again and reminded her not to fall in love with him , or even go out to dinner with him , remembering what had happened between them . She assured him that she wouldn 't and reminded him that Beames had a twenty - five - year - old wife who was pregnant , and he would surely not be chasing her . " Taking his picture , silly , " Hope said , trying to calm him . It was the first time she had ever encountered jealousy of this nature . It would never have occurred to Paul , nor to her . " I 'm all done . I 'm back at the hotel . I have a meeting tomorrow morning at the L . A . County Museum about a show next year , and then I 'm through . I 'm flying out tomorrow . So stop worrying . And I 'm not seeing Beames again . " In fact , he and his wife had invited her to dinner , and she hadn 't accepted because Finn had made such an issue about it . It seemed like a shame to her . She liked having dinner with her subjects before or after a shoot . It was the first time she had ever hesitated to do so , because she didn 't want to upset Finn . She hoped he 'd get over his jealousy soon . It was a little trying , but flattering at the same time , as though she were some hot young thing that every man on the planet would want to seduce , which she had pointed out to Finn was hardly the case . But he was jealous anyway . Instead of going out , she had dinner in her room at the Beverly Hills hotel . When Finn called her before he went to bed , he was happy to find her having room service . He was warm and loving with her and could hardly wait for her to arrive . Hope flew to Dublin after her meeting at the L . A . County Museum , which went well . The flight was long , and by the time she landed in Dublin , she felt as though she had been on a plane for days . In the future , it was going to be a lot easier getting to Ireland from New York . She went through customs quickly , and Finn was waiting for her as she came through and swept her into his arms . Anyone who saw them would have thought he hadn 't seen her for years , and he was carrying an enormous bouquet of flowers , reds and yellows and pinks - they were the prettiest flowers she 'd ever seen . They chatted animatedly as they went to pick up her bags , and then she followed him to his car . She liked listening to the Irish brogues around her , and Finn imitated them perfectly . He swept a low bow as he held open the door to his Jaguar , and she got in holding her bouquet . She didn 't say it , but she felt like a bride . It took them a little over an hour , driving southwest from Dublin , until they reached the town of Blessington , and drove through it . Finn followed the signs to Russborough , on narrow country roads , driving expertly on the left side , and then turned off finally onto a gravel road . The hills he had talked about were all around them , the Wicklow Mountains . There were forests and fields of wildflowers that had sprung up in the February rains . It was cold , but not as much so as Cape Cod . It was mostly damp and gray , and it rained on and off as they drove from the airport . And as soon as they reached the gravel road that was his driveway , he stopped the car , took her in his arms , and kissed her hard . He took her breath away . " God , woman , I felt like you were never coming . I 'm not letting you out of my sight again . Or I 'm going with you next time . I 've never missed anyone so much in my life . " They had only been apart for a week . He started the car again then . It was a dark green Jaguar with tan leather seats , very elegant and masculine , and perfectly suited to him . He told her she could drive it anytime , but she was afraid to drive on the wrong side of the road , so he promised to be her chauffeur wherever she went , which sounded fine to her . She didn 't need to go anywhere without him anyway . She was here to see him . They drove along the gravel road for what seemed like forever , with forests in the distance , and a row of trees bordering the road . They sped along a graceful turn then , and suddenly she saw it , and caught her breath . For a moment she was speechless , while he smiled . It always did the same to him , particularly when he 'd been away for a while . " Oh my God ! " Hope said , turning to look at him with a broad smile . " Are you kidding ? That 's not a house , it 's a palace ! " It looked extraordinary . The house was enormous , and looked like the photograph he 'd shown her in London , but in real life it was so much bigger , it stunned her . " Pretty , isn 't it ? " he said humbly , as he stopped the car and she got out . The house itself was majestic , the staircase looked like the gateway to heaven , and the columns lent it grace . " Welcome to Blaxton House , my love . " He had already told her it bore his mother 's maiden name and always had . Finn put an arm around her , and led her up the long stone steps . An old man in a black apron came out to greet them , and a moment later an ancient maid appeared wearing a uniform and a black sweater , with her hair in a tight bun . They looked older than the building , but were smiling and friendly , as Finn introduced her to them . Their names were Winfred and Katherine , and he explained to her later that they had come with the estate , and commented himself that they looked nearly as old . Inside the house , there was a long gallery filled with dusty family portraits in a long dark hall with tapestries and somber furniture . There was no proper lighting , and Hope could hardly see the portraits , as she walked past them . Winfred had gone out to get her bags , and Katherine had disappeared to make them tea . On either side of the gallery were enormous drawing rooms , sparsely furnished in threadbare antiques . Hope noticed several handsome Aubusson carpets in muted colors , badly in need of repair . But the windows were long and wide , and let lots of light in . The curtains were beautiful and old with gigantic tassles but were in shreds , barely hanging by a thread . The dining room was palatial , and the table could seat forty , Finn told her , with enormous silver candelabra that someone had polished till they gleamed . Next to it was a library that looked like it housed a million books . Finn led her up the grand staircase , to a floor with half a dozen bedrooms , small dressing rooms , sitting rooms . There were ancient furnishings in them , but all the rooms had dustcovers on the furniture , and the curtains were closed . And finally , up another smaller staircase , was the cozier floor where Finn lived . The rooms were smaller , the light brighter , and the furniture and rugs in better condition . Here , there were no curtains at all , and the rooms seemed to be filled with light , even though it was a gray day . He had a fire burning brightly for her , and had filled vases with wildflowers in every room . There was a cozy bedroom with a gigantic four - poster bed , which she knew instantly was his . And as in his mews house in London , there were stacks of books everywhere , particularly in the room he used as an office . Katherine found them as Hope was taking her coat off , and set down a silver tray in a small sitting room . There was a silver teapot on the tray , a plate of scones , and clotted cream . She curtsied with a shy smile at them both , and left . " So what do you think ? " he asked her , looking anxious . All morning he had asked himself what he would do if she hated it and ran . He loved the place himself , but he was used to its state of comfortable disrepair , and he didn 't even see it anymore . He was afraid she would find it gloomy or depressing , and refuse to stay . And instead she was smiling at him and held out her arms . " Yes , it does , a little , but you don 't need to rush . It 's very comfortable up here . Can we go exploring later ? It 's a little overwhelming at first . " She was feeling in awe of all she 'd seen , but she wanted to get to know the house and do whatever she could for him . " You 'll get used to it , I promise . " He sat down and poured a cup of tea for her , as she helped herself to a scone . She put cream on one for him too . " Wait till you see the bathrooms , the tubs are big enough for both of us . And I want to go for a walk with you this afternoon . There are beautiful old stables in back , but I haven 't had time to think about them yet . There 's too much else to do . I keep pouring my royalty checks into it , and this place just scarfs them up and it doesn 't even show . I have to start buying some decent furniture one of these days . Nearly every couch and chair in the place is broken . What 's here came with the house . " Most of all , from what Hope could see , everything needed a good cleaning and a coat of paint , or many coats of paint . But it was easy to figure out that restoring a house like this one would cost a fortune . It would take him years to do it all . And suddenly , she was dying to help . It would be an exciting project for them both . But before she 'd even finished the scone or gotten to her tea , he had dragged her off to his enormous four - poster bed , and lovingly attacked her . He had the door locked and her clothes off in less than a minute , and he made love to her until she was breathless and he was sated . They had a sex life worthy of teenagers , and she never failed to be impressed . " Wow ! " She grinned at him afterward , wondering how she had lived without him for a week . He was definitely habit forming , and their passion totally addictive . He gave her pleasures she had never even dreamed of . " I 'm not letting you out of my sight again , " he said , grinning at her , lying naked across what was now officially their bed . " In fact , I may have to chain you to the bed . I 'm sure one of my ancestors did something like that at some point . It seems like an excellent idea . Or maybe I 'll just chain you to me . " She laughed . He showed her the enormous bathroom then and the gigantic tub . He ran a bath for her , and she was very glad she 'd gotten some sleep on the plane . She could see she wouldn 't get much here . She slipped into the warm water in the bathtub , and Finn appeared with her cup of tea , in an exquisite gold Limoges cup . She sat there drinking tea in the bathtub , feeling very spoiled . It was a long way from the simple pleasures of Cape Cod , or her loft in New York . Blaxton House was remarkable , and Finn even more so . Finn got in with her , and moments later , he made love to her again in the bathtub . As she had in New York at times , and Cape Cod , she wondered if they 'd ever get out of the house . Finn insisted that no one had ever turned him on as much in his entire life , which she found hard to believe , but it was nice to hear , particularly after the last several years of her monastic life . Finn was an explosion of joy and lust she had never expected . Eventually , he let her put on jeans , a sweater , and loafers , and she went downstairs with him . This time they toured each room more carefully . She raised shades , many of which fell as she touched them , and pulled back curtains , so she could see the rooms more clearly . There was beautiful wood paneling , and some lovely moldings on the walls . But the furniture was a disgrace , the ancient carpets badly in need of restoration , and all of the curtains were beyond salvation . " What if you got rid of everything that 's broken or too damaged to save , cleaned it all up , and started painting it room by room ? It might give you a fresh start , although it would be empty at first . " She was trying to think what she could do to help while she was there , and it would be challenging and creative to work on it with him , or even for him while he was writing . She had nothing but time on her hands . " It would be more than empty . " Finn laughed at her . " It would be totally bare . I don 't think there 's much here worth saving . " Most of the furniture looked awful , and the upholstery was pretty grim in brighter light , some chairs only had three legs , tables were propped against walls , fabrics were dirty and torn , and there was the smell of dust everywhere . Winfred and Katherine were too old to keep it clean . They mostly took care of his rooms upstairs and ignored the rest . The place looked as though it hadn 't been cleaned properly in years , and Hope delicately said so . " I didn 't bring you over here to do housework , " he said apologetically , visibly embarrassed , and she didn 't want to criticize his house or make him feel bad . She knew it was his treasure . " I 'd love to do it . It would be a fun project for me . Why don 't we sort through it while I 'm here , room by room , and see what you want to save . " " Probably nothing . It looks like the ' Fall of the House of Usher , ' " he said , looking around , as though seeing it for the first time , now through her eyes . " I can 't really afford to do everything it needs . " He looked apologetic . He wanted her to love it as he did . " We can figure it out once we get it clean . That would be a start . We might even be able to buy fabric in a local market to cover some of the couches . I 'm pretty good with my hands , " she said , and he gave her a lascivious look that made her blush . After they looked around the house , he took her out to see the grounds . He gave her an old jacket of his , which was enormous on her , and they went to see the stables , the gardens , the park , as it was called , and walked to the edge of the forest nearest the house . There was a heavy mist falling , so he didn 't suggest they walk into the hills , which he was anxious to do with her . Instead , he drove her into the village , and showed her all the quaint shops . They stopped for a drink at the pub , and Hope had a cup of tea , while Finn had a tall glass of warm dark beer . They chatted with everyone around , and Hope was amused to see grandmothers , children , old men , young ones , and young women coming in and out of the pub . It was like the local social club and had none of the atmosphere of bars in the States . It was kind of like a coffeehouse and bar all rolled into one . And everyone was extremely friendly . The only thing that bothered Finn was that he said there were two men looking at her , which she hadn 't even noticed . He was extremely possessive of her , but she wasn 't the kind of woman to give him any worries on that score , so she wasn 't bothered . She had never even been flirtatious in her youth , and was very straightforward , and faithful to her man . Finn had nothing to fear from her . They drove back to the house and eventually had what the lo cals referred to as " tea , " which was really a light dinner . There were sandwiches , meats , potatoes , cheeses , and a heavy Irish meat soup , all of which filled them both . And after that , they sat by the fire in his little living room upstairs . They went to bed early , and she climbed under the comforter , and this time , before he could make love to her , Hope fell sound asleep . On the day after Hope arrived at Blaxton House , she had Winfred , Katherine , and Finn pulling back curtains , taking down shades , and opening shutters so she could better see the condition of the rooms . Finn had given her carte blanche to do whatever she wanted , and by that afternoon , the house was full of light . Torn shades had been disposed of , shredded curtains had been taken down to be more closely examined and were lying on the floor . In the main living room , she had all the broken furniture pushed to one side of the room , and she had made a long list of what needed to be done . In drier weather , she wanted to take the ancient carpets out to air them , but there was no way to do that now . It rained on and off all day . The house was dusty , and she was coughing by the time she finished her rounds on the main floor . There was actually some very good - looking furniture , the arms and legs needed to be reinforced , and most of the upholstery was gone . She wanted to find a furniture restorer in the village , and with so many important manor houses in the area , she was sure that there was one . So far , she had listed sixteen pieces of furniture that needed restoration , and only seven that were broken beyond repair . She had Finn take her into the village to buy wax late that afternoon - she wanted to try and work on some of the woodwork and paneling herself . It was going to be a mammoth job . Winfred and Katherine were impressed with what she was doing , and Finn was in awe . And the next day , she did the same on the second floor . There , she went through all the bedrooms , and found some beautiful furniture under the muslin covers . Hope was having a great time . Finn loved it , and her . " Good lord , " Finn said , smiling at her . " I didn 't expect you to restore my house yourself . " He was touched by what she was doing . She was a hard worker and she had a good eye . She made him take her into Blessington to find a restorer , which she did , and she made an appointment for him to come out the next day . He took away all the pieces Finn agreed needed to be worked on , and the following day , she had him drive her to Dublin , where she bought miles and miles of fabric , for upholstery , and some for the bedrooms in pastel satins . She made sure that Finn liked all the colors , and she paid for it herself as a gift to him . And for the next many days , she worked with Winfred and Katherine to clean all the rooms , and get rid of all the dust and cobwebs . She left some of the shredded curtains hanging , and those that were beyond salvation she threw away . The windows looked better with no covering than with the remains of the old ones hanging there . The house already looked cleaner and more cheerful , and she pulled back the deep green velvet curtains in the gallery , so the house didn 't look so dark as one walked in . The place was looking better every day . And Hope said she was having a ball . " Come on , " Finn said one afternoon , " let 's get out of here . I want to show you around . " He took her to see the other great houses , and she assured him that none were more beautiful than his . Blaxton House looked the most like Russborough House . And her goal now was to help him get his place into shape . It was too big a job for him alone , and she sensed that money was somewhat tight for him , so she tried to do everything on a budget , and paid for things whenever she could , without offending him . Finn was deeply appreciative of all she did . He was well aware that it was a labor of love she was doing for him . And the results were already starting to show . Whenever he had work to do , she spent time on her waxing and polishing project , and room by room , the woodwork was starting to shine . The broken furniture was out being restored . A local upholsterer had taken the pieces to be re - covered , and upstairs she had found treasures under the holland covers . The master bedroom once uncovered was a marvel of exquisite furniture and beautiful frescoes on the walls . She said it looked like Versailles . " You are amazing , " Finn said in admiration . And when she wasn 't waxing , polishing , and pushing furniture around , she was taking photographs of the locals , or digging through antique shops , looking for treasures for his house . She even helped Katherine polish the silver on a rainy afternoon , and that night , they had dinner in the formal dining room , at one end of the enormous table , instead of on trays upstairs . She was wearing jeans and an old sweater of Finn 's , which made her look like a little girl . The house was still fairly cold . " I feel like one of those cartoons in The New Yorker , " Finn said , laughing , as Winfred served them dinner in the gigantic room . The kitchen was in the basement , and was a relic , but everything in it worked , and Hope had wrought her magic there too . By the time she had been there for two weeks , his house looked as though she had worked on it for months , and it was much improved . " You 're insane , but I love you . How did I ever survive before we met ? My house was filthy , my life was a mess , and I didn 't know what I was missing . Now I know . I don 't think I 'm going to let you go back to the States . " He looked serious as he said it , and she laughed . They were both enjoying working on his house , and it was looking great . She could see why he loved it , and she was enjoying polishing it up for him . " Why don 't we have some of your neighbors in for dinner sometime ? " she suggested . " There must be some interesting people here , living in all those big houses . Do you know a lot of them ? " she asked with interest . It would be exciting to fill the table in the dining room with lively people , and she wanted to meet some of the locals . " I don 't know any of them , " Finn said . " I 'm always working when I 'm here . I never make time to go out . I do most of my socializing in London . " " I 'd rather be alone with you , " he said honestly . " You 're only here for a short time , and I don 't want to share you with anyone . It 's much more romantic on our own , " he said firmly . He clearly wanted her to himself , but Hope wanted to meet people and show off the house . " We can do both , " she said sensibly . " We can meet people , and spend time alone . " It seemed odd to her that he had lived there for two years and didn 't know anyone . " Maybe next time , " he said vaguely , and as he said it , her cell phone rang and she answered it . It was Paul . And she walked into a little alcove off the living room and sat down to talk . She hadn 't spoken to him in weeks . He was still sailing , and said he was fine . She told him she was visiting a friend in Ireland at a fabulous old house . She noticed that he sounded tired , but didn 't press the point , and after a few minutes she got off , as Finn walked into the room . " Who was that ? " he asked , looking worried . Hope smiled as he sat down next to her . " That 's nice . Is he still in love with you ? " Hope shook her head . " He 's too sick to think of anyone but himself . He divorced me , remember ? He 's just a very special friend now . He 's my family . We were married for a long time . " Finn nodded and didn 't pursue the subject , and he looked relieved by what she had said . They went for a walk in the hills then , and Hope brought back two baskets full of wildflowers , and put them in vases when they got back . Finn looked at her with a happy smile , and that night he talked again about their having a baby , although he had promised not to for a while . He said he loved her so much , he just couldn 't resist . He insisted he wanted a child with her , and she reminded him that it was too soon . She didn 't say it to him , but she didn 't want to have a baby unless they were married , and that wasn 't a certainty yet , although it was looking more and more likely . " It is nowadays . We can get a little high - tech help . The Brits are pretty good at that . " He was very persistent about wanting to get her pregnant , but for the moment they were still using protection , so it wasn 't likely to happen . It really seemed too soon to her . That was a major decision she wasn 't ready to undertake yet . It was one thing helping him fix up his house , another having a child . On her third week in Ireland , Finn surprised her by suggesting they go to Paris for the weekend . She hadn 't thought of traveling in Europe while she was there , but she loved the idea . He made reservations at the Ritz for them , which was her favorite hotel , and that weekend they flew to Paris . They were going to London on the way back , which was perfect for her , since she wanted to meet with the photography curator at the Tate Modern , and called the day before they left to make an appointment . He was delighted at the prospect of meeting her . Their time in Paris was everything they had hoped . The room at the Ritz was small but elegant , they walked miles all over Paris , and ate in wonderful old bistros on the Left Bank . They went to N & # 244 ; tre Dame and Sacr & # 233 ; Coeur , and poked around antiques shops , looking for things to take back to Blaxton House . The time they shared was magical , just as it had been so far everywhere else . But Paris seemed even more romantic and particularly special . The city was meant for that . " I 've never been so spoiled in my life . " She tried to pay for some of their dinners , but Finn wouldn 't let her . He had old - fashioned ideas about it , although he had let her pay for a few things for the house . She wished he would let her do more . His books did well , she knew , but he had a son to support and pay tuition for . He was putting Michael through college , and even without income taxes in Ireland , a house the size of Blaxton House was a major challenge to maintain and support . And life was expensive everywhere . She had so much money from Paul that she felt guilty not helping Finn more . She tried to explain it to him one day over lunch . " I know it 's embarrassing to have me pitch in , " she said gently , " but I got this crazy huge settlement from Paul when we divorced . He had just sold his company , and with Mimi gone , neither of us has anything to do with our money . He spends most of his time on the boat . And I have hardly any expenses . Honestly , I wish you 'd let me pay for things once in a while . " " That 's not my style , " Finn said firmly , and then wondered about something . " With Mimi gone , who are you going to leave your money to one day ? " It was an odd question , but nothing was out of bounds between them . They had talked about everything , and she had thought of it herself . She had no living relatives except Paul , and he was sixteen years older than she was , and very sick . It was unlikely that he would outlive her , a thought that made her very sad . And all the money she had came from him . He had given her a staggering settlement in the divorce , over her protests , but he had insisted that he wanted her set for life , and whatever was left when he died , was coming to her too . " I don 't know , " Hope said honestly , thinking about the money she would leave behind at the end of her life . " Dartmouth maybe , in honor of my father and Mimi . Or Harvard . I don 't have anyone to leave it to . It 's kind of an odd situation . I give away a fair amount every year now , to various philanthropic causes I care about . I set up a scholarship in Mimi 's name at Dartmouth , because she went to school there , and another one at the New York City Ballet . "