As the minutes turned to quarter hours and half hours, a slow realisation began to dawn on Elsie: the reason for her hurt whenever Torin was around was that, deep down, she wanted to trust him, and she didn’t want to see his every motive through cynical eyes.
Elsie disliked the constant lurching between anger and surprise whenever she met Torin. Not knowing how to feel about someone was an alien experience to her, yanking the carpet of her foundations from under her feet.
‘Elsie.’
She jumped and looked up to see Torin standing beside her. He was smiling but his eyes betrayed the after-effects of intense activity and stress.
‘What it is it? What’s happening?’
‘They’re dropping all charges. He’ll be free to go in half an hour.’
‘Oh, that’s wonderful!’ Sheer relief overwhelming all other emotions, Elsie stood and hugged Torin for all she was worth. This must have come as a surprise to him because he took a few moments to respond, his arms eventually moving to encircle her. For a while, they remained, Elsie feeling the sharp rise and fall of his chest against her cheek and hearing the insistent thud of her own heart as she closed her eyes, surrendering to her relief.
And then, it passed, Elsie breaking away with a self-conscious smile.
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. In reality they knew they had no evidence against him, so it was only a matter of time before they released him.’
Elsie shook her head. ‘I don’t think it was as clear-cut as that. You’re the reason he’s coming home with us. I really appreciate what you’ve achieved.’
He looked away and made some excuse about an important call he had to make, hurrying outside. Elsie sank back onto the chair, tears welling in her eyes as she called Daisy.
‘We’re bringing him back!’ she said, laughing at the huge cheer that went up from The Sundaes, who were gathered around her sister on the other end of the line.
Woody emerged, thirty minutes later, looking tired but relieved, carrying his personal belongings in a clear plastic bag. He held out his hands to Elsie as he and Torin walked towards her.
‘Babe, what can I say? Can you ever forgive an old fool who can’t let go of his glory days?’
Elsie hugged him. ‘I can if you promise to never do something as stupid as that again.’
‘I’m a slave to the whims of rock, babe, I can’t say what she will have me do,’ he replied, his grin fading when he saw Elsie’s expression. ‘But I’ll do my best to reason with her.’
‘Make sure you do.’
‘I think my work here is done,’ Torin said. ‘Will you be able to get back to your hotel OK?’
Elsie smiled. ‘Yes, there’s a Metro station not far from here.’
‘Excellent. Well, Woody, take care.’ He held out his hand but Woody refused it.
‘You’re not leaving?’
‘I am. I’ve done what I came to do.’
‘You can’t vanquish the feds and leave without being rewarded,’ Woody replied. ‘You must allow me to buy you a drink at least? Or better still, join us for dinner.’
‘Well, I …’ Surprised, Torin looked at Elsie, as if seeking her permission.
‘You should come for dinner. If you don’t have to get back soon.’
‘I didn’t book a return because I wasn’t sure how long negotiations would take. Are you sure?’
‘Totally, man,’ Woody insisted. ‘You’ll be our guest of honour.’
The Sundaes were waiting in the lobby of Hotel Saint-Louis when Elsie, Torin and Woody arrived, greeting their choir leader like a celebrity. After much embracing and congratulations, they moved to the comfort of a nearby bar. Olly sat next to Elsie as the choir commandeered a large section of tables.
‘Are you OK?’ he asked.
‘I’m fine now Woody’s out.’
‘Good.’ He shot a sideways glance at Torin. ‘He obviously knows his stuff.’
‘Yes. He tried to play it down but I think the battle to persuade the police to drop the charges was tougher than he was letting on.’
Olly reached over and took her hand. ‘I felt so useless, Els. I wanted to make everything OK for you.’
‘Oh, I was fine. I just didn’t want to leave until Woody was free.’
‘Fair enough.’ His eyes told a different story.
Wanting to reassure him, Elsie smiled. ‘You were wonderful, driving us through lesser-known bits of Paris in the dead of night and having me fall asleep on you.’
His smile reappeared. ‘Well, there was that, I suppose. Actually, I was pretty awesome, wasn’t I?’
‘Don’t get too chuffed with yourself,’ she laughed.
‘So, there I was, everybody speaking French over my head, thinking my days were numbered …’ Woody, seated in the middle of the group, was weaving his questionably accurate version of events like a master storyteller. ‘And the cops were shouting at me, worse than the crowd in Vienna ’86 who started a riot. I’m not ashamed to say, I thought Lady Luck had finally packed her bags and left me.’
‘You must have been so scared!’ Sheila squeaked.
‘Scared? No, girl. When you’ve lived as much as I have everything becomes merely one more step on the road of life.’
‘I bet he was crapping himself,’ Sasha said.
‘Apprehensive I may have been, but no rocker worth his salt gives in to fear like that,’ Woody returned. ‘Besides, at that very moment, my young champion appeared.’
Torin looked more than a little uncomfortable with this description. ‘Hardly, Woody …’
The waiter brought wine and they raised their glasses to toast Woody’s freedom. Enjoying the lifting of tension from their final day in Paris, the conversation flowed.
Olly moved seats to speak to Woody as Elsie was talking to Aoife.
‘That’s such a pretty ring. He did well, didn’t he?’
Aoife smiled. ‘He certainly did. I think I’m still in shock, though. I keep checking to make sure it’s there, like I’m going to discover I was dreaming or something. What I can’t work out is how Irene planned all of this when she was so ill.’
‘It was amazing – you should have heard the instructions she left for me. This trip was something she had obviously thought about a great deal.’
‘I wish she could have seen it.’
Elsie smiled. ‘I think she was there, checking up on us.’
Danny beckoned Aoife over to the other side of the bar where he was chatting with Lewis. ‘Oh, my fiancé’s calling me,’ she grinned. ‘Better not keep him waiting.’
It was good to see Aoife and Danny so happy in love and Elsie was relieved that the events of the past twelve hours hadn’t dampened the thrill of their engagement.
‘I hear they’re the reason for your trip.’
Elsie turned to see Torin sitting in the vacant seat next to her. ‘They are. Danny’s proposal was wonderful.’
‘Can I ask if this was linked to the request in the will?’
‘You can and it was.’
‘So why were you thinking of renouncing the responsibility?’
Elsie looked away. ‘It’s a long story. The point is, I’m glad I didn’t. Yesterday was very special.’
‘And you had Olly there, so I imagine it was pretty romantic.’
What was that supposed to mean? ‘Everyone was there and it was an honour to be part of Danny and Aoife’s special moment,’ she replied carefully.
‘I’m sorry, I just wondered.’
‘Wondered what?’
‘How serious you are about him.’
‘Torin, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.’
‘You and me both.’ He rubbed his forehead and Elsie was intrigued to see a glimpse of him without the control he usually hid behind. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that every time I’ve seen you and him together, I haven’t been able to work out what the deal with you two is. I mean, you strike me as someone who knows exactly what she wants, but when you’re
with him it’s like you don’t know your own mind.’
Elsie stared at him. ‘That isn’t any of your business. And you don’t really know me that well, so I’m not sure why you think you can pass judgement on my life.’
‘I see that you’re not someone who is going to settle for anything less than the best,’ he continued, ignoring her reaction. ‘You told me your husband was the love of your life – surely that sets the bar for your future relationships?’
Elsie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Not that it concerns you, but I will never find another man like Lucas. And I’m not looking for that. If I decide to pursue a relationship with Olly it will be because of who he is, not who I’ve lost.’
‘Which is all well and good, but can he really challenge you in the way I’m guessing Lucas did?’ His casual mention of Lucas’ name infuriated Elsie, but Torin was far from finished. ‘Sure, he’s a great bloke, but is he enough of a match for you? Or is he just a pleasant presence in your life? He’s besotted with you – that’s plain enough to see – but I don’t see the same emotion in you for him.’
He had crossed a line. ‘How dare you even presume to understand me? I can’t believe you’re trying to have this conversation now …’
‘Now’s as good a time as any. I don’t understand the guy. He doesn’t seem to be good enough to make you commit to something with him.’
Aware that she didn’t want to cause a scene, Elsie’s voice became a harsh whisper. ‘What Olly and I do is none of your business.’
He held up his hands. ‘It’s just an observation – don’t be offended. I’m sorry. It can’t be easy starting again after losing someone so important in your life. Look, you can ask me anything in return. How’s that? Might even be fun?’
Elsie cast her gaze around the bar. All of the choir were engaged in conversation, the atmosphere relaxed as they chatted and laughed together. The chance to get her own back was too appealing to refuse. ‘Fine. I want to know what her name is.’
‘Sorry? Whose name?’
‘Whoever it was that made you so cynical about relationships. I’m guessing there had to be a woman who betrayed your trust.’
Torin sat back, a look of wounded admiration on his face. ‘Wow. And I thought I was direct.’
‘You said to ask anything. So that’s my question.’
He admitted defeat. ‘Cass. Her name was Cass.’ As he spoke, Elsie was intrigued to see him touch the third finger of his left hand – a reflex action that revealed more than he could have intended.
‘And how long were you married?’
‘Have you ever considered changing careers? You’d fit into the law community incredibly well.’ He shook his head. ‘Just over a year. She left two days after our wedding anniversary with some guy she’d picked up at the hotel where she worked as Assistant Manager. But plenty of guys my age are divorced, right?’
‘So I hear.’
‘Marriage was another task ticked off my wife’s list of things she wanted to achieve before she was thirty. It felt like a constant compromise. That’s why I won’t settle next time. Living with a less-than-perfect relationship is worse than being on your own.’
Elsie stared at Torin, her anger beginning to ebb a little. It was strange to be having this conversation now with the man who had once prided himself on his ability to sum others up on sight. ‘How long ago were you divorced?’
He sipped his wine. ‘A year ago. We don’t keep in touch, unsurprisingly. After everything that happened we’ve nothing left to say to each other. Since then, I’ve had the odd date here and there but nothing serious. How about you?’
‘I’m just beginning again.’
‘And Olly?’
Her defences suddenly rising, Elsie looked away. ‘Olly’s a great friend and I love spending time with him.’
‘Not exactly promising for the start of a relationship, is it?’
‘It’s a start. And it’s also none of your business.’
Torin stood. ‘As you’ve already said. I have to make a phone call, so if you’ll excuse me …’
Frustrated by his attitude, Elsie drank the rest of her wine and moved over to the younger members of the choir, letting their effervescent chatter put Torin’s words out of her mind.
At six p.m. the choir moved back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. When they walked into the hotel lobby, the receptionist beckoned Elsie over.
‘I have a message for one of your party, Madame.’ She handed Elsie a white envelope.
Daisy, seeing her sister’s expression, hurried to her side. ‘What is it? Not more trouble?’
‘You tell me,’ Elsie replied, handing the envelope to Daisy. ‘It has your name on it.’
Daisy stared at the handwriting for a moment, before carefully opening the envelope and taking out a single sheet of paper. Her eyes widened and, without another word, she pushed past Elsie and hurried towards the hotel’s drawing room.
‘Daisy! What’s the matter?’ Filled with concern for her sister, Elsie followed her, coming to a halt as she reached the entrance to the sumptuously decorated room. Daisy was standing still, the envelope and letter still in her hand, the only movement the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders. Looking beyond her sister, Elsie caught her breath as she recognised the man standing at the far end of the room, a single red rose held tentatively in his hands. In all the years she had known him, Elsie had never witnessed André Durand so seemingly out of his depth, yet here he stood, his expensive suit, white open-collared shirt and bespoke black brogues at odds with the vulnerable smile and quickening breath of the man who now faced Daisy.
‘What are you doing here?’ Daisy breathed, the unmistakeable quiver of emotion at the edge of her voice. ‘I thought you were in Dubai …’
‘As you see, I am not,’ he replied, amusement at his own uncharacteristic spontaneity lighting up his eyes.
‘I – I don’t understand …’
André took a step towards her. ‘Don’t you understand? You are in my home city – my beautiful Paris – and yet I was not by your side. I was in my office and I suddenly thought how wrong this is.’
‘But I would be coming home tomorrow,’ Daisy said. ‘How is being here without you this time so wrong?’
‘Mon amour, I don’t mean just this visit. I mean it is wrong for me to be anywhere without you. We have spent too much time apart, don’t you think?’
‘Well, I …’
He walked across the room towards her and held out the rose. ‘I have been the biggest fool. We have lost so much time over the years and for what? You are the love of my life. You always have been.’
Slowly, he dropped to one knee as Daisy and Elsie gasped in unison.
‘Let’s get married, start a family, as soon as possible.’
‘But – your business, all the time you have to spend away,’ Daisy protested. ‘I can’t be without you for months on end. I just won’t do it, André. I’ve waited for you long enough.’
‘I’m selling my business interests in Dubai. I have found a buyer who will pay a good price. We can buy a home together and I’ll begin again in England. It’s all arranged.’ He smiled up at the woman he loved, tears glistening in his pale blue eyes. ‘Marry me, Daisy Maynard.’
Sasha, Sheila, Aoife, Danny and Woody had now joined Elsie in the doorway and spontaneously burst into applause as Daisy flung her arms round André’s neck and he rose to his feet, lifting his new fiancée from the ground and spinning her round. And then the drawing room was filled with laughing, congratulating, noisy Brits and one ecstatic Frenchman, as the elegant Parisian staff and guests looked on, bemused. Elsie’s tears flowed as freely as Daisy’s, thrilled at the sight of her sister’s surprise.
To celebrate this surprising new development, together with Woody’s release and Danny and Aoife’s recent happy news, André called in some favours and arranged for them to dine in one of his favourite restaurants on the roof of a five-star hotel on avenue Montaigne, as h
is treat.
‘I think your man might be a keeper!’ Sasha exclaimed when André revealed the news to the excited choir.
La Fantasmagorie was every inch the chic Parisian venue, with its stunning views across the rooftops of Paris, to the Dôme des Invalides and the Eiffel Tower glowing gold against the darkening sky in the distance. Floor-to-ceiling green-tinted glass doors allowed the best view for the restaurant guests, leading out to a beech deck inset with white lights round its edges. Large white porcelain planters of French lavender infused the elegant space with heavenly scent and white canvas canopies draped over the outdoor area gave the effect of sails suspending the restaurant high above the beautiful rooftops of La Ville-Lumière.
‘I feel like a celeb!’ Sheila squealed, as the waiter led them to their table on the open terrace. ‘This is too gorgeous for words!’
‘How did André swing this?’ Elsie asked her sister.
Daisy giggled. ‘It never ceases to amaze me just how many people he knows. He stays in a hotel nearby when he comes on business here and I think that’s how he got to know the owner of La Fantasmagorie. Believe it or not, they share a love of Arsenal football club.’
‘This is going to cost him a fortune, though.’
‘He said money was no object. I’m not sure how to deal with this new André,’ she said, looking for the millionth time at the large diamond ring she now wore on her left hand.
Elsie hugged her. ‘Are you happy?’
‘I am,’ Daisy replied, and Elsie noticed genuine peace in her sister’s expression.
Elsie smiled as Daisy turned back to André, their whispered conversation and intimate body language mirroring that of Danny and Aoife across the table. At the far end, Sasha and Woody were laughing together, while Lewis, Stan and Graeme toasted each other’s health with expensive red wine. Maybe Paris was a magical city after all, Elsie thought to herself, and subconsciously she turned to Olly who was sitting beside her. He was smiling at the others, and Elsie was immediately struck by how much he was a part of them now. It felt good to be beside him, his constant faith in her reassuring and strong. Through all the emotion of this weekend – apart from the one time she needed to be alone – Olly had stood beside her. It seemed like an age since she had felt that kind of security with someone. Torin was wrong: Elsie didn’t need a challenge; she needed to feel safe in someone’s love. Just as her sister had demanded from André before she accepted his proposal, constancy and reliability were what she needed in her life now … weren’t they?
When I Fall in Love Page 33
