him.
"I don't know. I should really have come back days ago, but I got involved in some special meetings over here. I may have to delay it a bit." She felt herself pouting and didn't give a damn if she sounded like a little girl. She could do that with him. He understood.
"How long?"
"Well"--he seemed to hesitate--"I've just arranged to stay for another two weeks."
"Oh, Ivo!" He had been gone since two days after their New Year's Eve date. That's awful!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you when I get back, I promise."
"Will you be back in time for the sale?"
"What sale?"
"The auction."
"When is it? I thought it wasn't for a while."
"They moved it up for me. It's two weeks from tomorrow. Friday and Saturday. And it's only Daddy's stuff. It's all of it."
"And what about you, for God's sake? You go off into the world with one suitcase and your name?"
"Hardly. You haven't seen my closets. It'll take more than one suitcase." At last she smiled.
"You can't give everything up. What the hell are you going to do? Sleep on the floor?"
"I checked into it and I can rent a bed. It's either that or wait another year for Parke-Bernet to have another date to schedule the sale. And then what? What if this place sells? I'd have to pay storage for the furniture.... Never mind, Ivo, it's too complicated. It has to be like this."
"For God's sake, Bettina, I wish you'd waited for me to come back before you got into all this." He sounded distraught and he was looking around his hotel room with dismay. There wasn't a great deal he could do to stop her from three thousand miles away, and the fact was that she was right to do what she was doing. He just hated to have her face it all alone. But she was good at it. All her life, in a way, Bettina had faced the difficult moments alone.
"Anyway, don't worry about it, Ivo, it's all under control. I just miss you like crazy."
"I'll be back soon." He checked his calendar and gave her the exact date of his return.
"What time are you coming in?"
"I'm taking a seven A.M. flight out of Paris, which should get me into New York at nine in the morning, New York time. I'll be in the city by about ten." She had wanted to surprise him by being at the airport, but she suddenly realized that there was no way she could. "Why?"
"Never mind. That's the day of the Parke-Bernet sale."
"What time does it start?"
"Ten o'clock in the morning."
He made a note on his calendar. I'll meet you there."
Suddenly Bettina was smiling. Unlike her father, Ivo never let her down. "Are you sure you can do that? Don't you have to go to work?"
This time he smiled at her as he held the phone. "After five weeks, one day can hardly make that much difference. I'll be there as early as I can. And I'll call you long before that, little one. Now you're sure you're all right?" But how all right could she be with realtors crawling all over her apartment and all her belongings about to be sold at auction by Parke-Bernet?
"I'm fine. Honest"
"I don't like your being there all alone."
"I told you. I'm all right"
They spoke a few minutes more. Then it was time for him to go.
"I'll call you. Bettina--" There was a strange, empty pause as he hesitated, and she held her breath.
"Yes?"
"Never mind, little one. Take care."
Chapter 9
The phone rang the next morning before Bettina had gotten out of bed. It was the real estate agent. Five minutes later Bettina sat up in her bed with a look of dismay.
"For God's sake, this is very good news!" The real estate woman spoke to her in obvious irritation, and Bettina nodded. It was good news. But it still came as a shock. She had just lost her home. For a handsome price. But still, it was gone. The moment had come.
"I suppose it is. I just ... I hadn't ... I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. When will she ... how soon--" She couldn't find her words and suddenly she hated the woman from Texas. She was buying the co-op. And for a sum that should have made Bettina
"I don't know. I should really have come back days ago, but I got involved in some special meetings over here. I may have to delay it a bit." She felt herself pouting and didn't give a damn if she sounded like a little girl. She could do that with him. He understood.
"How long?"
"Well"--he seemed to hesitate--"I've just arranged to stay for another two weeks."
"Oh, Ivo!" He had been gone since two days after their New Year's Eve date. That's awful!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you when I get back, I promise."
"Will you be back in time for the sale?"
"What sale?"
"The auction."
"When is it? I thought it wasn't for a while."
"They moved it up for me. It's two weeks from tomorrow. Friday and Saturday. And it's only Daddy's stuff. It's all of it."
"And what about you, for God's sake? You go off into the world with one suitcase and your name?"
"Hardly. You haven't seen my closets. It'll take more than one suitcase." At last she smiled.
"You can't give everything up. What the hell are you going to do? Sleep on the floor?"
"I checked into it and I can rent a bed. It's either that or wait another year for Parke-Bernet to have another date to schedule the sale. And then what? What if this place sells? I'd have to pay storage for the furniture.... Never mind, Ivo, it's too complicated. It has to be like this."
"For God's sake, Bettina, I wish you'd waited for me to come back before you got into all this." He sounded distraught and he was looking around his hotel room with dismay. There wasn't a great deal he could do to stop her from three thousand miles away, and the fact was that she was right to do what she was doing. He just hated to have her face it all alone. But she was good at it. All her life, in a way, Bettina had faced the difficult moments alone.
"Anyway, don't worry about it, Ivo, it's all under control. I just miss you like crazy."
"I'll be back soon." He checked his calendar and gave her the exact date of his return.
"What time are you coming in?"
"I'm taking a seven A.M. flight out of Paris, which should get me into New York at nine in the morning, New York time. I'll be in the city by about ten." She had wanted to surprise him by being at the airport, but she suddenly realized that there was no way she could. "Why?"
"Never mind. That's the day of the Parke-Bernet sale."
"What time does it start?"
"Ten o'clock in the morning."
He made a note on his calendar. I'll meet you there."
Suddenly Bettina was smiling. Unlike her father, Ivo never let her down. "Are you sure you can do that? Don't you have to go to work?"
This time he smiled at her as he held the phone. "After five weeks, one day can hardly make that much difference. I'll be there as early as I can. And I'll call you long before that, little one. Now you're sure you're all right?" But how all right could she be with realtors crawling all over her apartment and all her belongings about to be sold at auction by Parke-Bernet?
"I'm fine. Honest"
"I don't like your being there all alone."
"I told you. I'm all right"
They spoke a few minutes more. Then it was time for him to go.
"I'll call you. Bettina--" There was a strange, empty pause as he hesitated, and she held her breath.
"Yes?"
"Never mind, little one. Take care."
Chapter 9
The phone rang the next morning before Bettina had gotten out of bed. It was the real estate agent. Five minutes later Bettina sat up in her bed with a look of dismay.
"For God's sake, this is very good news!" The real estate woman spoke to her in obvious irritation, and Bettina nodded. It was good news. But it still came as a shock. She had just lost her home. For a handsome price. But still, it was gone. The moment had come.
"I suppose it is. I just ... I hadn't ... I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. When will she ... how soon--" She couldn't find her words and suddenly she hated the woman from Texas. She was buying the co-op. And for a sum that should have made Bettina
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