CROSSINGS

Steel's latest chiffon romance, with the usual flounces of silky living and sacrificial sighs, takes place during WW II--and everyone, except the villainess, is so terribly brave. Lovely American Liane is married to much older, elegant French diplomat Armand; they have two small daughters. And, after saying goodbye to Franklin and Eleanor in Washington, off they go to Paris via the Normandy, very first class (""Every inch of her looked the part of the elegant queen""). But then, aboard, Liane meets handsome steel magnate Nick Burnham, married to horrid Hillary, who doesn't like her husband or even their small son Johnny. So Liane and Nick strike up a friendship; though Liane is deeply in love with her kind, good husband. . . there are hints. And later, after time in Europe, when noble Armand finally persuades Liane to return to the States with the girls (while he plans to aid the Resistance under the cover of working for the puppet regime of PÉtain). . . who should be on board the refugee ship . . . but Nick! After aiding the rescue of torpedoed sailors, then, Liane and Nick declare their love in the privacy of the first mate's cabin (""their clothes seemed to fall away""). Yet Liane, the faithful wife, declares they must part: ""we must look ahead and never look back. . . ."" And, in Washington, Liane finds she's been blacklisted because of public knowledge that Armand is apparently a collaborator. (Franklin says she's ""married to a traitor""; Eleanor doesn't call.) So it's off to San Francisco to visit an elderly uncle--and (surprise!) Nick, who's a Marine now. Trysts follow. Liane does her Bergman-in-Casablanca bit, trying to decide between saintly Armand and soul-mate Nick. And finally Steel steps in, arranging a hero's death for Armand. . . while Hillary, after a custody battle and a kidnapping, gets hers. Soggy--especially when compared to the Casablanca model--but eminently saleable.