Born to Be Wild Read Online Free Page A

disastrous ones of the past and anything that happened in the future.
    Making her mother understand that she wanted to take charge of her own life, however, had not been and never would be an easy task.
    Sitting in her favorite, flared-back white wicker chair, she lifted the phone. “Hello, Mother.”
    “Hello, darling. I’ve just gotten off the telephone with Bunny Endicott and she tells me that Chef Henri passed away. It’s absolutely dreadful, and she’s worried sick that something will go wrong at Betsy’s wedding.”
    “Everything’s—”
    “Yes, yes, I’m sure everything’s fine, darling, but you can’t possibly expect any of us to forget what happened at Holly Rutherford’s wedding.”
    Lauren cringed at the memory. “That was an accident.”
    “It was a fiasco, Lauren. You can’t believe my embarrassment when the legs collapsed on that table and the wedding cake slid into the swimming pool. I still have nightmares about that moment, and every one of those horrid dreams is played out in slow motion.”
    “The tables aren’t going to collapse at Betsy’s wedding,” Lauren said emphatically, and absently crossed her fingers, hoping her plans for Betsy’s wedding wouldn’t fall apart, as they had for Holly Rutherford. “The cake isn’t going to go into the swimming pool because t he table won’t be set anywhere close to the pool. And you’re forgetting, Mother, that I’m the one who was responsible for everything, not you.”
    “You are my daughter—everything you do is a reflection on me. It always has been, it always will be. I certainly hope when Betsy’s wedding is over that you’ll call off this crazy whim of yours to be a wedding planner.”
    “It’s not a whim, Mother. It’s a career. And one that I enjoy.”
    “Perhaps, but we can’t always do what we enjoy. You should do what you do best, darling.”
    “And what is that?”
    There was a moment of silence, as if Lady Ashford was striving to think of something her daughter did well. Lauren could offer a whole string of suggestions, such as pour tea, smile, and dress to perfection, but she needed more meaningful endeavors in her life.
    “Gerald Harcourt is flying in for Betsy’s wedding,” Celeste said, abruptly changing the subject to men, one of Celeste’s favorite topics. “He asks about you whenever I see him.”
    “He’s just being polite.”
    “It’s much more than that. He’s been single for nearly a year now, and you’ve been divorced from Leland for, what is it, darling, six years?”
    “Eight.”
    “Eight years of loneliness, except, of course, when you and Peter were together.”
    “I’m perfectly happy on my own.”
    Her mother laughed. “You can’t fool me. I know you better than anyone.”
    If only that were true, Lauren thought, but her mother knew little about her, because she’d never been around long enough to learn what made her daughter tick.
    “Well, darling, I really must go. Your stepfather and I are going to a reception for the prime minister this evening. I picked up a lovely Balenciaga gown in Paris early this week. If you were close by, I’d borrow that antique ruby necklace of yours, which would look absolutely divine with the new gown. Andrew, of course, feels a string of diamonds is sufficient, but what do men know?”
    “Andrew has wonderful taste. You couldn’t ask for a finer husband.”
    “No... I suppose I couldn’t.” Lauren heard the hint of tension in her mother’s voice and the reluctance of her words.
    “Is everything all right, Mother?”
    “Of course, darling. Now, please, don’t forget what I said. Give up this foolish wedding planning business as soon as Betsy’s wedding is over. And whatever you do, make sure nothing goes wrong on Saturday.”
    Lauren heard a kiss blown across thousands of miles—from London to Palm Beach—and then the dial tone. “I won’t give up, Mother,” she said out loud, before hanging up the phone, more determined than ever to