You can not take back love!

Fran's plan!

"Okay, Fran! What's your plan? How do you think we shall get out of this whole mess unscathed?"

"Pretty simple, Max. Listen to me. I completely understand your concerns. That you don't want to hurt your own brother and that you don't want to lose him. And that you're afraid how the children might react. But yourself said that it's different with me. That it happens every day that a woman breaks off her engagement. So my idea is this. I'm going to end my relationship with Nigel. But I'm going to keep you and our love completely out of it. I will tell tell him that my feelings for him have changed and that I've realized that I don't want to spend the rest of my life with him. That's not even a lie, technically. Because that's exactly the way I feel. So I'm going to ask Nigel that we break off our engagement and explain to him that I want to stay here in New York. When he returns back to Paris, he can send me the rest of my stuff or throw it away, I don't care. That way I'm honest with him without hurting him unnecessarily and your relationship with him will not be damaged."

Maxwell ponders for a while, rubbing his chin. Fran's idea actually sounds good. But something inside him still rebels against it.

"Your idea sounds quite reasonable. But even if you break up with Nigel without telling him the real reason, it will still hurt him terribly. Even if he will might not show it. I just hate the thoght of us hurting Nigel this brutal. And I don't like the fact that you want to take the entire blame all on yourself."

Fran moves closer to Maxwell and gently strokes his cheek.

"Oh Max, you are always so caring and you always think of others first. I guess that is one side of you that I love so much. But trust me. There is no other solution. I don't want and I won't marry Nigel. It would only bring misery for everyone! You, me and ultimately Nigel too. He doesn't deserve to be married to a woman who loves his brother. And don't you think he would notice that something is wrong if I spent my whole life deceiving him. You heard what he said, he has already got suspicious, something is not right. Which is no wonder, given the way I am treating him at the moment. I just can't help it. Besides, Nigel is young, he is attractive and a good man. He will find another woman some day, one who truly loves him and only him."

"Maybe, but I still don't think it's a good idea that you take all the blame. I'm just as involved in this mess as you."

"But I was the one who accepted Nigel's proposal and followed him onto the ship."

"But only because I ignored you and was too much ohf a coward to admit my feelings. Otherwise Nigel might never have proposed to you."

"Do you really believe that? Do you honestly think he would have had any qualms if he had known how you feel about me? I'm sure he knew it secretly, or at least he had an inkling. It still didn't stop him from proposing to me and taking me on the ship. So he wasn't entirely fair either."

Maxwell swallows. To be honest he had been very disappointed in Nigel back then and felt betrayed by him. But was that a justification for acting the same way now? He turns to Fran, embraces her and strokes her hair.

"You're right with everything. It's just really hard for me to overcome my demur because all this isn't really my manner. But I love you so much, far too much to let you go again. And just the imagination of you marrying Nigel is killing me."

Fran and Maxwell finally fall into each other's arms and exchange the most loving, tender kisses. Maxwell pulls her even closer to him. He doesn't want to let her go. Fran snuggles close up to his chest. She feels an enormous weight being lifted from her. For this brief moment they forget all the troubles they still would have to face. They just enjoy and honor their love.