Memories of a lifetime- Chapter 14

                            

Everyone slept a little later than usual, except Lorraine. She woke up early and checked to see if the twins were awake, but they were still fast asleep and Caroline too. She went downstairs to the kitchen and found Henry busy making coffee. It smelled absolutely wonderful and inviting. Henry was glad to see her and poured her a cup. 

"I'm used to waking up early. I'm so used to doing rounds early that I just can't get it out of my system."

They sat at the kitchen table chatting, and a little while later, Alicia joined them with Alex short on her heels. It was his turn to make breakfast and Henry offered to help.  

Lorraine and Alicia moved to the library and it turned into quite a heavy discussion. Lorraine and Alex haven't discussed a date for the wedding yet, but Lorraine told Alicia that they didn't want to wait. 

Alicia was all excited and couldn't stop talking about wedding dresses and venues until Lorraine stopped her. Lorraine wanted to get married at the chateau and Alicia thought it was a brilliant idea. It would only be thirty or less guests and everyone would be close friends and family. She had been in the limelight enough and didn't want to share this private affair with the rest of the world. 

It was nearly ten o clock when the kids came downstairs. Caroline helped Chloe take a shower, and Jonathan carried her downstairs. Everyone had breakfast in the dining room and Alicia and Henry cleaned up afterwards. 

Lorraine and Alex wanted to show Caroline and the twins the rest of the chateau gardens in daylight, but they also had a hidden agenda.  They wanted to tell them in private about the engagement. 

All three kids were totally excited when they finally found the courage to tell them. Chloe insisted on designing Lorraine's wedding dress, and Jonathan felt honored when Lorraine asked him to walk her down the isle. Caroline was overwhelmed and burst into tears.  She grew up as an only child, and to suddenly have a brother and a sister was totally overwhelming. 

Everyone went back to the house feeling happy. Lorraine had a whole day planned for them all and arranged for two cars to pick them up at twelve. The first stop was the gallery and Francois was delighted to see them all. He joined them for lunch at the Ritz just after two, and then the women went shopping. The men decided to go back to the house, and Chloe decided to go back with Jonathan, because it was too difficult to move around with the cast on her leg. 

By five o clock the women were on their way back.  They had a wonderful time and caught up a lot on lost time. They got to know Caroline better and Lorraine liked her a lot. 

They were still laughing and discussing wedding plans when the car suddenly stopped.  Traffic was being regulated by the traffic police, due to an accident on the road ahead. They didn't take much notice, but while looking out the window, Lorraine saw two men laughing in the car right next to them. They seemed so happy that she waved to them and when they saw who it was, they were hanging out the car whistling and waving. They sped off and pushed in front of the car with the girls.  

All the cars were being diverted through the Paris tunnel. Lorraine was so deep in thought, and wondered how she could be so lucky that everything in her life worked out just perfectly.  She heard a loud noise like an explosion, but did not take much notice.  She didn't register that the explosion happened right inside the tunnel and then Caroline started shouting and Alicia too.  The force of the explosion pushed their car back so far, and the last thing that Lorraine remembered was flying through the air.       

The paramedics picked her up on the sidewalk, but she was unconscious. She was hurt more seriously because of the landing on the sidewalk and they immediately took her to the hospital and admitted her to intensive care.  

Lorraine woke up a few hours later, and there was a man sitting next to her bed.  She was in so much pain and had three broken ribs and her left arm was dislocated. She had cuts and bruises but worst of all, she had absolutely no idea who she was, or the man sitting next to her bed. The man seemed relieved when she opened her eyes, and she just stared at him blankly. He called the nurse immediately, and the doctor also came in a minute later. Lorraine had no clue what was going on and why everyone was so interested in her. She tried to ask them, but couldn't seem to find the right words.   

Alex realized what was going on, and he gave her a piece of paper and a pen to write. 

His heart nearly crumbled when he saw what she wrote.

"Who am I?"

He spoke to the doctor and the doctor assured him that it might only be temporary.  At least she was stable and she was alive.  Alex drove back to the chateau with a very heavy heart.  Caroline was fine, but they were keeping her overnight for observation. Alicia had a nasty cut on her face and Lorraine...his darling Lorraine...he just hoped that everything will be back to normal in no time. 

-To be continued-

 

                           

                          

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