"Darling, you look terrible. " Her mother pulled back and looked her over. "Are these pajamas? And, oh, what happened to your head? Simone, you never should have left France, dear. Look at you. "

Simone swallowed hard. The comfort of a hug should have made her feel better, just as the one from Sam the other night had. But in her mother 's grasp she felt small and insignificant.

Beatrice, wasn 't mother material, and never had been. She never asked how her daughter 's day was or planned for birthday parties or sleepovers. Not once in all the years that Simone lived away at schools did her mother send her a care package, but Audrey Benson had.

Simone climbed into her mother 's awaiting car.

"I did not expect you to pick me up. "

"Your father had some business. I suppose he could not be bothered. He phoned my assistant and I arranged to be here for you, darling. " She gave her another glance and the corners of her mouth turned downward. "We should stop and buy you some new clothes. Those are hideous. "

"Mother, I have no money. "

"Your father will pay me back. He had better. " And that was the way Beatrice thought and it angered Simone.

"The clothes I have on now are fine and very comfortable. I would really prefer to just sleep for a spell. "

"I would have thought Zachary Benson would have taken much better care of you than this. " She motioned her hand in the air as if to ward away and evil the clothes might emit. "I am very disappointed in him. "

"In Zachary? Mother do you even know why I left Paris? "

"Darling, you leave all the time. That is joy of being an heir to an oil fortune. "

Hearing those words drip from her mother 's tongue nearly made Simone sick. There was no pride in knowing that when her father died she 'd have everything he 'd worked for. Just the opposite. Money didn 't buy happiness, she 'd learned that first hand. At that moment she would have giving up everything, again, just to go back to her small office, her dank apartment, and to even have Curtis hate her in person if she didn 't have to be faced with the shallowness of her own mother. But she 'd left Nashville -run away. She was a coward with her tail between her legs.

Her mother 's new home was an hour from the airport. Simone was impressed, not in the house, or where it sat, but in the fact that her mother had made such a trip to pick her up.

They had made one stop in route so that Simone could use the restroom and purchase a toothbrush. At that point, her mother took it upon herself to purchase an outfit she felt Simone would look much better in. She 'd been told to change into it right there in the store and her mother then threw away the set of scrubs Cynthia had given her.

When the driver parked the car Simone reached for the door handle to climb out. Her mother cleared her throat and gave her a stern look. Simone sat back until the door was opened by the driver and her mother climbed out first.

Yes, she certainly would have had a fit had she seen her climb out of Curtis 's truck only nights earlier and not let him walk her to the door.

Just as in all her mother 's other homes, with other husbands, Simone had a room. In comparison to the apartment she shared with Sam, it was a penthouse suite.

"The clothes you left in my old house are in your closest, though you look as though you might have put on a few pounds. Not to worry, I 'll call my trainer and we can get you back in shape. "

"Mother, I am not gaining weight that I have to work off. "

"Darling, I know how they eat in the States. Trust me, Pierre will have you looking as good as you did at Christmas. Oh, you were stunning. "

Did? Were? It had to stop. Her mother had to understand that things were different now. "Mother, I am pregnant. "

Her mother 's eyes first flashed with humor, but when Simone said nothing else anger settled in them. "Pregnant? Simone, how? "

Simone cocked her head to the side and her mother 's spine straightened.

"Oh, I know how. But you are not married. What will we do? "

Simone 's chest ached. How had she been born to this woman? She longed for Tennessee and a moment with Audrey Benson. Perhaps even better would be to have a slice of pie at Emily Keller 's table. The thought nearly had her laughing, but she actually feared the small, fiery French woman who stood before her in a panic that her thirty-eight year old daughter was going to have her own child.

Her mother composed herself. "And who is this child 's father? "

"Doctor Curtis Keller. "

Her mother searched for recognition, but she had no idea who Curtis was. Not once after Simone had left him stranded on that yacht had her mother paid one bit of attention to her when she 'd pined for him.

"Doctor? "

Knowing that was all she heard sent Simone into a rage. "I should have stayed there. You are no better than my father, who cut me off and sent me away. "

"You are being foolish. He would never do that. "

"Really? " Simone fisted her hands on her hips. "Tell me, mother, are you not the slightest bit embarrassed by what I have told you? I mean I am in trouble, " she whispered the last part.

"Simone "

"I am having a baby out of wedlock and the father does not think it is his. He too has turned me away. Are you not proud of me now? "

A crease formed in her mother 's forehead. "We can have this taken care of. "

"This isn 't a ripped dress that can be mended. I am having a baby. "

"Then we will find you a husband. "

The first laugh broke free. And then the second. Before long they began to roll straight from Simone 's stomach. "Mother, if the father of my baby did not want me why would anyone else? "

"It just is not right. "

Simone walked to the bed near the window and fell back on it. "Do you know what I did when I was in Tennessee? I got a job. "

"This is no time to joke, Simone. "

"I am not joking. I got a job in a medical clinic run by the government. "

She could see the color drain from her mother 's face and there was some merit in knowing she was causing it.

"Working there showed me that women did not need men to take care of them. They could be brave and strong and raise children all on their own. "

"That is foolish. "

"No, really, mother. I helped a woman, her name was Regina. Her husband had beaten her and she had a small son. I listened to her. Spent time with her. I helped to get her a job and even gave her my sixteenth birthday earrings so she could pawn them and get a place to stay away from her husband. Diamonds like that could buy her food and shelter for days. "