"Honey, you look wonderful but you've been awfully quiet since we came up from the bar. What's wrong?" JR asked Sue Ellen, eyeing up her new dress and shoes carefully. "Nothing, JR. I'm fine, honestly" she lied. He looked at her suspiciously but decided against any further interrogation. He realised that she may still be in shock where Don Lockwood was concerned. The extent of his deceit had certainly been breath-taking, he thought as he helped her on with her coat.

They stepped out into the night air. "Let's walk" Sue Ellen suggested, linking her arm with his. "Are you sure? Those heels are pretty high?" JR asked. "Yes, they're fine. I'm used to it, JR." As they set off in the direction of Claridge's Don watched from a distance. When they had got a little further down the street he began to follow. As he observed them smiling and chatting as they strolled along he fumed. Sue Ellen was his wife not JR's. It should be the pair of them going out for dinner in town, like it used to be at the beginning when things were good between them and they were happy.

They arrived at the hotel and were shown to the restaurant by an attentive doorman. "This is swanky" JR commented as they made their way inside. "It sure is, JR" Sue Ellen replied, slipping off her coat and smoothing down her dress. As they entered, other diners stopped eating and stared at the wealthy American couple being shown to their seats. JR beamed in pride. Sue Ellen could still attract attention, that was for certain, he thought as he watched her take the menu from the maitre d' and begin reading. He then became doubtful though and wondered for a short while whether the other people in the restaurant might think that she was only with him for his money. He had always known, in the words of Bobby, that he had "punched above his weight" with Sue Ellen and, when he was younger in particular, the fact had got to him, made him feel insecure and jealous of her, expectant of the day when she would up and leave him. Perhaps that was why he had behaved so badly to her, to push her away, to fulfil his own destiny rather than let her control it.

However, the truth was that Sue Ellen loved him. She had done from the start and she had continued to do so through some of her darkest days with him. Now, they had come out through the other end and could see beyond their past mistakes, mistakes that would never be made again he determined. They only had a limited number of years together as it stood and making the most of them had to take priority.

"What are you going to have, honey?" he asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, it all sounds very nice, you?" "Translate for me please, sugar, and then get me whatever on here is steak!" he laughed. Fancy French menus didn't do a lot for him but if it made Sue Ellen happy then he was content to be there.

In the lobby, Don loitered for a minute or so before deciding to take a seat at the bar. He didn't want to attract attention in the way that he had at the other hotel. "Whisky please" he ordered, taking a seat where the entrance to the restaurant was in plain sight.

In her best French Sue Ellen ordered their meal. "You still remember from college after all those years?" JR asked, impressed. "Gosh, I wouldn't have imagined that you would remember what I majored in, JR" she replied. "I remember everything about then, Sue Ellen. I remember being so struck with you that my mama and daddy guessed that I was smitten. "Who is she, JR?" mama asked during dinner once we had been seeing each other for a while. That's when daddy said that if you were so special that you were putting me off my work and food then I had to bring you home." Sue Ellen smiled, touched by the fact that, like her, he could still feel the attraction and the excitement of their early time together. "So, you did, bring me to Southfork that is. God I was so nervous when we first arrived there. Your parents were such powerful and imposing figures. I was scared that I would speak out of turn or do something to embarrass myself." JR shook his head. "Well you didn't. Mama took to you right off, and daddy. I don't know if I ever told you but it was he, not mama, who encouraged me to propose. He told me that I would never find another woman as refined and poised as you. He also scared me to death by saying to me that you'd get snapped up by another rich man if I didn't make a move."

Sue Ellen smiled once more. "I always knew that one of your parents had to give you the shove you needed. I had always imagined that it was Miss Ellie though" she giggled but then went quiet. "JR, I want to go home, first thing tomorrow please. I know our flight is booked for the day after tomorrow but I just want to go home." "Sugar?" he asked anxiously. "What's wrong?" "Nothing, I've just had enough of being here I guess."

JR stared at her. He knew her. She forgot that sometimes. "Well, yes, of course, whatever you want, Sue Ellen, but why do I have the feeling that something's not right?" Sue Ellen took a deep breath. No secrets, not any more, she decided. "When I was in our hotel lobby before, making tonight's reservation, Don approached me. He was seen out by hotel staff but, JR, it made me feel very anxious, as if wherever we are in this city he'll be watching, waiting to do goodness knows what."

JR remained calm on the surface but, inside, was seething. "He's getting nowhere near you, Sue Ellen, trust me. As soon as this meal is over we're taking a cab back to the hotel where I will ask for our flights to be rebooked to the one that goes first thing in the morning. Don't worry, Sue Ellen, that pathetic little Englishman won't be bothering you again."

Don looked at his watch. It was just after ten thirty. They've been dining for hours, he pondered. There was no way that he had missed them, no way at all. Woozy from the whiskies that he had consumed, one after the other, his stomach otherwise empty, he staggered to his feet and made for the door opposite to where he had been sitting. He drunkenly flung it open only to be greeted immediately by the Maitre D'. "Sir? Can I help you?" he asked. "Mr and Mrs Ewing, where are they?" he asked scouring the room which was now virtually empty of diners. "They left some time ago, sir, I'm afraid I cannot help you any further. Good evening" the man responded curtly.

Thwarted, Don walked unsteadily to the exit. "Damn you, JR" he muttered under his breath. They must have taken the back way out.

Tbc

I'm really sorry that I haven't updated this story for ages. I was in a bit of a bind with it until deciding that Sue Ellen and JR should cut their vacation short and go back to Dallas to plan their wedding. Hope this chapter is okay