CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES

BOOK ONE

In June, Rosemary and her mother arrive at the French Riviera, to stay at Gausse's Hotel near Cannes. In the past it was a winter retreat for English and Russian guests, but by 1925, summer guests began to arrive, especially the Americans. Rosemary, a successful seventeen-year-old American actress, is not sure she is going to like the place. In truth, she is anxious to return to Hollywood, where her film career is certainly going to take off after her marvelous success in her recent film "Daddy's Girl."

Rosemary, beautiful, blonde, and bright-eyed, goes down to the beach to check out the social scene. While swimming, she meets the McKiscos (a budding writer and his wife) and a few of their odd friends; Rosemary is not impressed. She also meets the Norths and Dick Diver and his wife Nicole, with their two small children. Rosemary falls in love with Dick at first sight. When she tells her mother, who is also her best friend, about going to the beach and meeting Dick, she seems to approve; her mother is eager for Rosemary to go off more on her own in order to help her grow up. As her daughterÂ’s manager, she is confident that she has taught Rosemary to put her career above all; but she also feels her daughter should have some adventure in life.

It is really the Divers who are responsible for starting the "summer season" in Tarmes. They are known as trendsetters and are much in demand, having friends everywhere. Very wealthy and exclusive, they have a villa up the hill from the beach. Nicole is a pretty and distant woman, while Dick is handsome, clever, and extremely nice. They seem devoted to each other. One of their friends, Tommy Barban, is a staunch defender of the Divers, refusing to let anyone say anything against them. To the young, naive Rosemary, the Divers and their friends seems wickedly witty and absolutely fashionable.

The party does not really turn out wild and crazy even though Mrs. McKisco discovers a mysterious scene upstairs in the bathroom between the Divers. Additionally, Tommy Barban and Mr. McKisco nearly get in a fight over political views, for McKisco is hopelessly American -- opinionated, simplistic, and uninformed, bordering on being stupid. Before everyone leaves, it is decided by Dick and Rosemary's mother that the young actress will accompany the Divers and Norths to Paris for a few weeks. Rosemary is eager to go, especially with Dick.

Back at the hotel, Rosemary cannot sleep, imagining the inevitable kiss from Dick that will surely come in Paris. Finally at three a.m., she wanders outside and finds Luis Campion, a friend of the McKiscos; he is sitting on a bench, crying in the moonlight; he tells Rosemary there is going to be a duel. Abe North joins them and explains what has happened. In the car on the return from the Divers' party, Violet McKisco tries to tell about the scene between Dick and Nicole that she witnessed upstairs, but Tommy Barban refused to let her speak. Mr. McKisco took offense at Tommy's manner towards his wife. When he complained to Tommy, he was challenged to a duel to be fought at sunrise. All agree that the Divers must not find out.

Abe and Rosemary go up to McKisco's room. They find him drunk and chain-smoking. He admits he is a coward, who only wants to write books; he does not want to fight the duel. Rosemary suggests he does not have to go through with it, but he says he does or his wife will think badly of him. Abe has Tommy's dueling pistols and tells McKisco that they should duel at forty paces, the longest distance allowable; perhaps at that distance, both men will miss.

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