Flying Angels Read online

  Flying Angels is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2021 by Danielle Steel

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  Delacorte Press and the House colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Hardback ISBN 9781984821553

  Ebook ISBN 9781984821560

  randomhousebooks.com

  Cover design: Scott Biel

  Cover illustration: Debra Lill

  Cover image: © Rekha Garton/Arcangel (women), Konoplytska/Getty Images (plane)

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  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Epigraph

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Dedication

  By Danielle Steel

  About the Author

  “Love makes us brave.”

  Chapter 1

  It was a big day for the Parker family, on a perfect morning in June 1938. Audrey had set her mother’s clothes out for her the night before, the blue-gray silk suit she wore whenever she had something important to go to and felt well enough to go out. It didn’t get more important than this. Ellen’s son, Audrey’s brother, William Edward Parker, was graduating from Annapolis Naval Academy, as an ensign, like his father and grandfather before him. Ellen was only sorry that her late husband and father-in-law wouldn’t be there to see it. She and Audrey were the only family Will had now. Unlike his father and grandfather, Will was more interested in planes than ships. His next stop was basic flight training at the Naval Air Station at Pensacola in Florida. He was going to be a navy pilot. He would receive more advanced flight training after that, and eventually would become an expert at taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier. He had earned a Bachelor of Science degree.

  His father, Captain Francis Parker, had died three years before of a brain tumor. His grandfather, who had died when Will and Audrey were very young, was only a dim memory now, a tall man in a uniform with a lot of braid on it: three-star Vice Admiral Jeremiah Parker. They were a distinguished naval family, and there had never been any question about Will following in their footsteps. It was an unspoken law in their household, Parker men went to Annapolis, and Will wouldn’t have dared do otherwise. He wouldn’t have wanted to disappoint his grandfather or his dad, even though they were no longer there to see it. He would be wearing his dress white uniform for the graduation ceremony.

  Her parents’ illnesses had had an impact on Audrey’s life. Only months after Audrey’s father had died, after his painful deterioration from cancer, her mother had begun exhibiting strange symptoms: muscle weakness, a lack of balance, and trembling hands. Both Ellen and Audrey thought it was caused by nerves at first, but then she had been diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. The doctors had explained to them that it was a progressive illness that would eventually leave her severely impaired, bedridden, and unable to walk. Hopefully that would be a long way off.

  For two years before that, Audrey had helped take care of her father during the advancing stages of his illness until he died. As a result, she had developed an unusual seriousness and maturity for her age, and seemed much older now than her eighteen years. She had spent five years nursing her parents, which had ultimately affected her life choices. Her social life had become almost nonexistent while her parents were ill. She had no time to see friends, and rarely dated. While her classmates were having fun during their high school years, Audrey had to be responsible far beyond her true age, and act as support system and unofficial nurse. Her only distraction was the books she read, which kept her from being lonely and provided an escape from the daily realities she faced. She was graduating from high school in a week and was starting nursing school in September. She’d never had a lifetime ambition to become a nurse, but knowing the long, slow degenerative process her mother had ahead of her, Audrey wanted to be able to help her and take care of her, and hopefully extend her mother’s life.

  She had no resentment for the years she had already spent first helping with her father’s care, and then her mother’s. She’d given up a great deal for them, her ballet classes, sports, parties, and hanging out with other girls. She’d only been on a few dates, had nervously gone to senior prom, and worried so much about leaving her mother home alone that she had apologized to her date and left early. He’d been nice about it at the time but didn’t call her again. For a girl of eighteen, Audrey had already sacrificed a lot for her parents, accepted it as her duty to them, and didn’t resent it.

  She was a pretty girl with a slim figure, long dark hair, and a delicate face. Her sky-blue eyes were serious, as she kept an eye on her mother, worried that she would fall and hurt herself. It had happened a few times, and they all knew it would happen again. It was the nature of her illness, which had advanced slowly but steadily in the past few years.

  Audrey had grown up in Annapolis, a pretty town on the Chesapeake Bay. Her father had taken her and her brother sailing on weekends, and now she and Will sometimes went out in their small sailboat alone. She trusted him completely, and they were both good sailors. She looked up to him as her hero, and he provided her with the only distraction she engaged in, sailing and going to dinner with him occasionally. He brought her magazines and little gifts. She had adored him since they were children. He teased her and made her laugh, which made their burdens seem lighter to Audrey. She thought he was the perfect big brother.

  Audrey had a few friends at school, but there was little time to spend with them since she always rushed home after school to help her mother. The friendships dwindled away as a result. She would have liked to spend time with her old girlfriends, but her life was one of responsibility and duty, which left no time for anything else. She was an excellent student. Her mother had been startled and touched when she decided to go to nursing school. Audrey had a gentle nature and a very nurturing side, which made nursing appeal to her, even beyond her mother’s illness. Whatever her motivation for going, Ellen thought she’d make an excellent nurse one day. She had a natural gift for medicine, and caring for others.

  Audrey was sad that her brother would be going away for basic flight training. She loved having him nearby. He made everything seem lighter to her when she saw him. He lived in the dorms, but came home frequently to have a meal with her and their mother, or to take Audrey out for an hour. All of that was going to change now. After basic training, he’d be stationed somewhere else. She felt as though their days as a family were over. In a sense, Will had become her only friend. His leaving was going to be a loss and hardship for her.

  She tried not to think of it as she helped her mother dress for the graduation ceremony. Ellen looked lovely in her blue-gray silk suit, and sat waiting on the couch in the living room for Audrey to dress hurriedly. She was wearing a red cotton suit, and was unaware of how beautiful she looked as she helped her mother stand and walk to the front door with her awkward halting gait. She held her mother’s arm firmly, helped her into the car, and drove them to the Yard, which was what everyone called the campus. Audrey had recently gotten her driver’s license and was a careful driver. She was responsible in all things, and enjoyed driving and the sense of freedom it gave her. She felt very grown up at the wheel of the family car. Both women were smiling as they took their places and waited for the graduation to begin.

  When he appeared in the procession of graduating students, Will looked as tall and handsome as their father had been: six feet four, with straight blond hair that was neatly trimmed, and broad shoulders. He was wearing his dress white uniform. He was graduating with honors, which was no surprise to either of them. The graduates marched in while the Annapolis band played. President Roosevelt was the commencement speaker, and there were several other speeches. The diplomas were handed out, after which, as dictated by tradition, all the graduates threw their hats in the air in jubilation, clapped each other on the back, and there was a brief moment of pandemonium. The ceremony ended when they all sang “Navy Blue and Gold,” and Audrey saw that her mother was crying. It was an emotional moment for both of them, and William was beaming when he came to find them afterwards.

  He promised to meet up with his friends again later in the day and helped walk his mother to the car in the parking lot. He drove them to Reynolds Tavern, where there were graduates having lunch with their families at almost every table.

  Ellen couldn’t believe how quickly Will’s Annapolis years had sped past them. His father had died during Will’s freshman year, and the next three years had been a blur to Ellen, and to Audrey too, while s
he worried about her mother and learned how to care for her and address her increasing needs. And soon Will would be a navy pilot. He was twenty-two years old, and looked every inch like what an Annapolis graduate should look like. He was the perfect all-American boy. Tall, ramrod straight, a powerful athlete with a bright mind, broad smile, and kind heart. In Ellen and Audrey’s eyes, he was the perfect son and brother, and his father would have been proud of him too.

  He drove them home after lunch, and Audrey could see that he was eager to meet up with his friends again. They all had plans for that night, and she knew that Will would be seeing the girl he had been dating most recently. She was a beautiful local girl, but he wasn’t serious about her. Will loved to have fun, and he had big plans that centered more around airplanes than women for the moment. He’d always had an easy time meeting women, but he was careful not to get too deeply involved. His father had warned him about that. Will wanted a career in the navy, and he had years ahead of him before he’d want to settle down. Several of his classmates were already engaged, and there were a number of weddings planned in the next few months. Will thought that at their age, it would be more of a burden than an asset. He had no interest in marriage for the next many years. He couldn’t wait to start flight school and was excited to become a lieutenant eventually. This was only the first step in what he hoped would be a long, distinguished career like his father’s and grandfather’s. There had been talk of tensions rising in Europe, and a possible war coming, but even if there was one, they were certain the United States would never get into it. They had learned that lesson once, with the last war. Never again.

  It was four in the afternoon when Will left them. He told his mother he’d be home late, and not to worry about him. There were half a dozen parties he knew about and wanted to go to. He had waited a lifetime for this day and was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. Audrey was sure he’d come home drunk, but he’d try not to wake them. It had been a beautiful day, and she smiled when Will kissed her on the cheek and left a few minutes later. For an instant, she envied him the freedom he would have now. It was so different being a man. He could do whatever he wanted, and always would. She had so much less independence as a woman, and it would have been that way even if her mother wasn’t sick. As a young single girl, Audrey’s life was much more restricted than Will’s. And even one day if she married, she would never have the freedom her brother did. He could go and do and be whatever he chose. The same opportunities weren’t available to women.

  She and her mother had a quiet dinner at the kitchen table that night. Her mother looked exhausted by the emotions and exertions of the day, and she was grateful when Audrey helped her up the stairs and put her to bed at eight o’clock. She was asleep minutes later, and Audrey went to her own room, listening to the silence in the house. She could hear a dog barking in the distance and a car honking. She could imagine the graduates going from party to party that night, celebrating. Their graduation from Annapolis was a huge accomplishment and an important rite of passage. Audrey knew that nothing in her life would ever be like that, neither her own high school graduation in a week, nor her graduation from nursing school in three years, which would be a quiet, ladylike event. Annapolis was a very, very big deal, and would win Will the respect of his peers and superiors for the rest of his life. Nothing Audrey had achieved, or ever would, would compare to it, in her eyes or the eyes of others. She knew how much it had meant to her mother. She’d been smiling when she fell asleep. Will had done it. He had fulfilled their father’s dream. Will had known what was expected of him ever since he was a small child. He had never wavered for an instant. The navy was going to be his life, and planes his passion. The navy was what their family did, and what was expected of him.

  * * *

  —

  Will went to Audrey’s high school graduation, just as she had gone to his at Annapolis. He had stood tall and proud and handsome in his uniform, and had taken care of their mother while Audrey went through the ritual of getting her diploma. Her mother wasn’t well that day, and she wasn’t up to lunch. She had nearly fallen twice on their way into the auditorium, and they went home right after the ceremony so their mother could lie down. Audrey said she didn’t mind, but Will felt bad that there was no celebration for her. She hardly had time to say goodbye to her friends before she had to rush off to help her mother. The other girls were going out to lunch with their families, as they had with Will, but Ellen was too frail and unsteady for a restaurant that day. The other girls were kind to her when she left hurriedly, but Audrey knew she was already an outsider, and had been for years, being stuck at home with her mother so much of the time. It was a sacrifice Audrey had made willingly, which Will admired her for.

  Will spoke to her quietly after she took a tray of food up to their mother’s room, and he found her in the kitchen in her frilly white dress, with daisies braided into her hair. She looked innocent and young, and as though she didn’t have a care in the world. Audrey had a way of putting a positive spin on everything. There was nothing mournful about her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her gently, and she nodded with a smile. He couldn’t help noticing how beautiful she was, and he hoped she would have a more exciting life one day. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to take you to lunch,” he said, and genuinely meant it.

  “It’s fine, I don’t mind.” She looked unruffled and peaceful. “Mom hasn’t felt well for the past few days. I don’t think her new medicine is working.” They had tried everything available to them, but none of the medications for Parkinson’s really worked for her.

  “I worry about you after I leave,” Will said softly. He wanted her to have a life, but their mother was so ill.

  “We’ll be fine,” she reassured him. They had already arranged for a nurse to check on her mother twice a day after Audrey started nursing school. Their father had carefully set aside savings for them for years, and they had his pension, so they had enough for all their needs, a nice home, and for Audrey’s school. “I’m going to miss you, but you can’t sit here for the rest of your life,” Audrey said to him fairly, and they both knew it was true. The days of being all together and having Will near at hand were over. He was a grown-up now, soon to be a navy pilot. That sounded very grown up to her, and to Will. Their father had hoped Will would be the captain of a ship one day, and that his boyhood passion for airplanes would fade. But planes were where Will’s heart was, and he intended to live his dream to the fullest. And both his mother and sister wanted him to.

  He also knew that eventually taking care of their mother would become too much for Audrey to manage on her own, but that time hadn’t come yet, and he hoped it wouldn’t for a long time, for all their sakes. It saddened him profoundly to see how his mother’s health had degenerated, and how much more hampered she was every year. He thought it noble of Audrey to go to nursing school so she could care for Ellen more efficiently, but it was so typical of Audrey. She was always doing for others and willing to sacrifice herself for them. She had given up her youth to do so, and never complained. To Audrey, the glass was always half full, and she met every challenge with love and enthusiasm, which filled Will with admiration for her, and gratitude.

  * * *

  —

  Two weeks after Audrey’s graduation, Will left for Florida to begin basic training. He had no time to call them regularly, so communication from him was sporadic, but he sounded ecstatic, almost euphoric, whenever they did hear from him. He loved what he was doing, and everything he was learning about flying planes. His dream had come true.

  Ellen tried to encourage Audrey to spend time with her old school friends in July and August, to catch up with them, and not lose touch entirely, but many of them were traveling with their families, or had gone to their summer homes, and wouldn’t be back until after Labor Day. A few had gotten married right after graduation. And she planned to call one or two to see them in the fall. In the meantime, she was used to keeping busy on her own, and was good at it, with her books and errands for her mother.