She just could not however, allow her own parents to gloat, just because she had asked money from them. So she never sought their assistance.
They had long ago warned her that days like that would come, as a result of the fact that she had rushed into marriage.
Laura's common-sense told her that Rene was a self- sufficient individual. He sometimes had his down periods, but he has learned to control them. If he needed anyone, it was most certainly not her. She was the one who needed him. Fortunately, mainly in the financial sense though, she thought thankfully. It would be foolish, as well as purely agonizing to grow emotionally attached to somebody who was clearly not lonely and apparently had his life in control.
***
Rene hated the thought of Laura and Monique leaving his mansion. He had enjoyed the exciting and warm sensation of having an "instant family" more than he had intended to. He had to get a hold of himself, he realized.
Laura was a beautiful woman. Well-built, with waist-long dark brown hair and distinctively large, hazel eyes with gold specks in them. Her cheek-bones were high and delicately defined. Her mouth was like a cherry, even though it was rather full.
Rene did admire her, but that was all. He was fond of her daughter too, yet he had no desire for conflict and upheaval in his life now. His life was in order as long as he kept his mind on his work and his emotions in check.
At the age of thirty-eight he knew that it was about time for him to start a family of his own. For that purpose he should consider marriage and that would put Laura quite out of the picture anyway.
Rene did realize that he would have to talk to Laura's husband, though. If talking did not help he would seriously consider helping Laura take the necessary steps to get a separation. With this resolution in mind he could concentrate fully on other matters of concern, namely; his show business affairs.
After dilly-dallying for the past ten hours or so; between calling his parents to find out where his wife and daughter were and waiting for them to just show up on their own accord, Blake finally decided on the former option. He had to do something constructive.
His mother was home, but somehow it did not seem as if Monique was with her, because she did not mention anything to give that impression. He decided not to say anything either, unless she asked him about his whereabouts on the previous two days.
Added to that he had been out on Monday night as well, so he desperately hoped that she would not start with questions.
Laura must have worried and called them. He quickly told his mother that he had been out looking for a part time job with a friend for two days and would specify later, because he had to hang up quickly. He explained that he was expecting a phone-call in the next few minutes. This was the only way for him to escape any further explanations.
So he hung up and went to the kitchen, where he poured himself some cold-drink, laced with a splash of brandy. He sipped his drink while standing at the living room window, looking out at the night life out there.
People were still scurrying around. Some were performing errands and others were just rushing home. The street lights were bright and everything seemed idyllic from this vantage point. He had walked over there to think, because it was it was one of the few places in the flat, which allowed him enough clarity of thought.
If Laura and Monique were not at his parents' place, then he reasoned that Laura might have been fed-up enough to have gone to her own parents' place on the East Rand, in Johannesburg. That would of course have caused trouble with his in-laws, after a two year period of having had a clean slate, with regards to his relations with them.
How could Laura do that? Blake wondered. For a moment he felt indignant, but then, in the next instant, he had to admit that it was only speculation on his behalf.
It was the first time since their wedding day that he had ever been out till very late.
There just had to be some other reason for her leaving. It was also evident that there had been no burglary attack. So she clearly had not fled.
Maybe she was simply tired of having to be the only breadwinner. He realized that he could not blame her if that was the case, although it would be somewhat out of character for her to feel that way.
However, Blake had to admit that there had not been much communication between himself and Laura lately, due to her always working and him studying. Therefore such surprises were to be expected perhaps, he reasoned to himself.
Today however, would be a day when he would not sit around anxious and worried on account of his in-laws. He had important decisions to make regarding his immediate future. He felt that Laura could and most certainly would return home when she was ready to do so.
He felt certain about the fact that she could not have been kidnapped. He could always contact her at work whenever there was something to discuss. Right now he had to think seriously about everything Carminda had said three nights ago. It had nearly taken all night, because they had talked until the early hours of the following morning.
By the time Blake came back to his (by then deserted) home, having been given a lift by Carminda's chauffeur, it was already four o' clock in the morning. He had been alone from that time onwards and had somehow managed to go to sleep. This however, was not difficult for him to do after the dazzling and exhausting experiences of the preceding couple of hours.