“Maman?”
“Raoul... Thank heaven you called.”
There was new warmth in her voice. “As if I wouldn’t. I’d planned to invite you over next week to meet Alain.”
“I...decided I didn’t want to wait. He’s wonderful and looks so much like you, I—I couldn’t believe it,” her voice faltered.
“So are you for coming on your own and bringing the journals. How did you manage it?”
“I reminded Sabine that those were your private possessions and she had no right to them. She hasn’t been kind about a lot of things for a long time. She was especially negative about Camille Delon. I’m afraid I wasn’t friendly to her when she answered the door. She said she was a friend and that she’d helped clean your house.”
“Maman, Camille Delon is the love of my life and the woman I’m going to marry,” Raoul declared. It was a relief to say it out loud.
“Married? I guess that doesn’t surprise me. I’m very much aware you love that little boy’s mother and no one else. How soon are you planning the wedding?”
“I hope to have that answer soon, but I need to tell you the truth of things. Cami’s not his mother.”
“What do you mean?”
“Alain’s birth mother died ten days after he was born.”
The silence was deafening. “She’s dead?”
“That’s right. Over eighteen months ago. Her name was Antoinette Fournier. She’s buried in La Gaude. I’d planned to marry her. Instead I had to give her up. Her wonderful mother, Arlette, and her stepsister, Nathalie, raised him until a few months ago when Nathalie traced him to me.”
“Dominic’s wife?” Too many shocks in one day, but his mother needed to know the truth. Of necessity there’d been too much secrecy.
“Yes. She was looking for me when she met Dominic and they fell in love. She is Alain’s adored aunt. Now I’d like him to get to know and love you. You’re his gran’mere. I’ve already told his nanny that you don’t need an invitation to know you’re welcome at the villa anytime. Cami knows it too.”
“When did you meet Cami?”
“The day after gran’pere passed away.”
“And you’re in love this fast?”
“Madly, desperately. I didn’t think it could happen again in this life, but it did and I wanted you to know before anyone else.” He told her about Cami’s story and her trips to the vineyard with her father and mother. “She used to dream she was the princess in the château.”
“She sounds very sweet and was very polite to me. Why don’t you plan to marry her in the château chapel? It would thrill me to know you’re going to marry the woman of your heart there, even if you have moved out.”
Raoul couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What about Papa?”
“Leave him to me. He’s suffering over you. A marriage at the château might be just what he needs to feel better about everything.”
That had to be a first. “I’ll think about it.”
“I can see there’s a lot we have to discuss. Je t’aime, mon fils,” her voice trembled. “I’ll visit soon to get acquainted with her and my grandson.”
Those were brave words considering she had to deal with his father. “Can you come over tomorrow? No one else will be around. Alain will love it.”
“I’ll work something out and let you know.”
His throat swelled with emotion. “Je t’aime, Maman.”
* * *
Raoul couldn’t sleep all night and finally got up to shower and shave. At seven the next morning he hurried to the nursery. Alain was standing up in his crib waiting for him. The sight thrilled him every time. He put him in some rompers and carried him down to the kitchen where they both ate breakfast.
Cami had gone home last night and there’d been nothing he could do about it. The second Alain had discovered she’d gone, he’d started to cry. It had taken Raoul quite a while to console him before he fell asleep in his crib.
If his mother could come over later, she’d phone him first, but he worried his father might have other plans. Raoul decided to take Alain to Arlette’s for the day. He needed to have that serious talk with Cami, and didn’t believe she wasn’t ready for marriage. She was holding a secret he needed to get out of her.
A part of him had hoped she might try to reach him last night, but it hadn’t happened. All morning he waited for a phone call, then he phoned her. To his chagrin, the call went through to her voice mail. Worse, he couldn’t leave a message because the box was full.
He hung up in frustration. Toward the end of the day he walked into the kitchen where Arlette was feeding Alain. “I’m leaving for a while, but I’ll stay in touch with you.”
“Go for as long as you want, or overnight. We’ll have great fun here, won’t we, Alain?”
“Thanks, Arlette. I couldn’t do without you.”
Raoul kissed his son and left the house. He assumed Cami and her mom were at the apartment in Vence and had decided not to take calls. They’d be home from work by now. He would drive by to see if their Citroën 2CV was parked there. If so, he’d knock on the door and surprise her.
A half hour later more disappointment met him when there was no sign of the black car around the eight-plex. Still, he got out and knocked on their door in case one of them was home. When that didn’t work, he walked to the next apartment and knocked, hoping to get some information. Unfortunately no one was home there either.
As a last resort, he went back to his car and called NI. He had to leave a message and asked the manager to phone him back ASAP.
Madame Biel called him ten minutes later.
“Monsieur Fontesquieu? I just saw the message that you’d phoned in. I have found a woman whom I believe would make an excellent housekeeper. Her name is Charisse Verot. Shall I make an appointment for her to come to the villa?”
That had been the last thing on his mind, but he might as well deal with it now. “Could she come next Monday? Say 10:00 a.m.?”
“She’ll be there.”
“Thank you, but before we hang up, I need to ask you a question. Did the Delon family work today?”
“Actually no. They’ve gone on vacation.”
A day earlier than planned? “Do you have Juliette’s phone number?”
“Of course. Here it is.”
Raoul put it in his phone. “I’d like to get in touch with her and find out what their plans might be. I’ve tried phoning Camille several times, but her voice mail is full.”
“I’m sorry about that, monsieur. They didn’t share any of their plans with me.”
“I understand. Thank you for returning my call.”
“Of course. I hope Madame Verot works out well for you.”
“We’ll see.”
Right now he couldn’t concentrate on anything. At this point Raoul was convinced that Cami was deliberately hiding from him. He phoned both numbers. Even Juliette’s message box was full.
Grimacing, Raoul went back to his villa and spent the night. In the morning he drove to a café for a quick breakfast and went back to the Delon apartment once more. By now he knew in his gut something was terribly wrong.
Their black car still wasn’t there, but that didn’t matter. He pulled into the parking area at the side of the building and got out to investigate. There was no answer after he knocked and rang the doorbell. For the next little while he knocked on the other apartment doors of the eight-plex to see if anyone was home and knew anything about the Delon family.
Unbelievably no one answered. He went back to the car and sat there to wait. Someone had to come home eventually. He’d stay there all day if he had to and phoned Dominic to tell him what was going on.
“I know she’s avoiding me, Dom.”
“Then stick to your plan and find out what you can from the neighbors. If you need more help, I’ll be available a
fter work to help.”
“No one ever had a better friend.”
They hung up. Around four thirty a woman probably close to Juliette’s age, pulled into the parking and got out.
Raoul called to her from his car window so he wouldn’t alarm her. “Excuse me, madame. Do you live here? I’m looking for Cami and Juliette Delon. Do you know them?”
The woman smiled. “Yes. They live in the apartment next to mine.”
His heart pounded fiercely. Maybe this waiting had produced results after all. “My name is Raoul Fontesquieu. I’ve been trying to reach Cami. She and her mother were on the team that cleaned my villa two weeks ago.”
“I remember Juliette telling me they had a big job. You’re the one who sent the flowers!”
“That’s right.”
“How can I help you?”
“Did you see either of them today?” She shook her head. “Do you know their plans now that they’re on vacation?”
“I believe they were intending to be with family in Nice like they always do.”
Nice? Cami had never mentioned extended family living there. Why had she lied to him that she wouldn’t be leaving Vence? What kind of a secret had she been keeping from him? “Do you have a name or an address where I can contact her there?”
“I’m sorry. All I know is they always spend time with her father’s family.”
Her father’s family with a last name Delon? “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”
After she walked off, he phoned Delphine and told her he might not be home all night. She assured him she could stay indefinitely.
With that resolved, he drove to the office on the estate to see Dominic and eat dinner with him. Between the two of them they could get on the phone and try to track down Cami’s family.
CHAPTER TEN
CAMI’S MOTHER DECIDED to go on vacation a day early. They left town on Monday and drove to Nice with their suitcases. They spent the next two nights there with family and got everything ready so that when they returned after the operation, they’d have what they needed.
Those were difficult nights to get through for Cami. On Wednesday they drove back to Vence and checked into the hospital. That evening the technician doing Cami’s labs had finished drawing blood for a second time. After he left the hospital room, housekeeping came in and set up a cot where her mother would sleep for the night.
Now that they were alone, Cami eyed her ever faithful mom who stood at the side of her bed.
“Well, Maman, this is it. By tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, Dr. Molette explained that the keyhole surgery will be over.”
“That’s right. He said you would have smaller scars and get out of the hospital quicker. Better yet you’ll have less pain while the scars heal and will get back to normal activities sooner.”
“That’s an impossible dream, Maman.”
“Nothing’s impossible, Cami.”
She sat up straighter in the bed. “You also heard him say that if it doesn’t work, I’ll have to come in again for open-heart surgery after he returns from vacation.”
Her mom reached for her hand. “It’ll be a success. Your uncle Emil and aunt Liliane have planned for us to come to their house while you recover. Everyone is anxious to wait on you.”
Cami loved her father’s older brother and his wife. He ran a small trucking company in Nice. They lived in a charming home where she’d spent many hours over the years, especially during the semesters while she’d been attending the university.
“That would be wonderful, but I don’t have your faith about the outcome of the operation. We might not be going anywhere.”
I might not make it out of the hospital.
“Nonsense. You’ve always been so brave about this, and I’m so happy it’s finally here I could cry.”
“You and me both.”
“It hasn’t been fair to you all these years, waiting and waiting.”
Cami squeezed her mom’s fingers gently. “Nor to you. Have I told you how much I love you? When I was with Raoul on his sailboat, he told me a story about his tragic relationship with his father. It made me appreciate even more being born to the best parents in the world.”
Her mom’s eyes watered. “Thank you, darling. Certainly you know how much joy you bring to mine. But let’s change the subject because I know how deeply in love you are with Raoul. Why not tell me what else happened while you were out there with him?”
“H-He wanted me to go to a party at his cousin’s place in a couple of weeks.” She stumbled over her words. “But I told him I’d be on vacation. After we got back to the villa, I thanked him for a lovely time, said goodbye and left.”
“And he let you go, just like that?” Her mom was going to keep this up until she’d wrung the truth from her.
Cami hugged the pillow against her. “No,” came her muffled response, but the tears falling down her cheeks betrayed her. “He asked me to marry him.”
“That doesn’t surprise me a bit, but you obviously said no or he’d be here at your side this very minute.”
“I couldn’t put him through this.”
“Why not?”
“Because I haven’t told you everything about his life. While he was married, his wife had a baby girl.”
“He had a baby with his wife?”
Cami stared at her mom. “But he found after the birth that his little daughter, Celine, wasn’t his!”
A frown broke out on her mother’s face. “His wife lied to him about that?”
Cami nodded. “She tricked him so he would marry her.”
“Ah. That explains why he had to let Alain’s mother go and he never got to see his own boy.”
“There’s more, Maman. He adored that baby in spite of the lie, but suffered grief when the doctor told them the little girl had such a damaged heart, she wouldn’t survive. They buried her on the Fontesquieu estate a month after she was born.”
Cami watched her mother pace for a moment before she came to a halt. “I finally have my answer why you never told him about tomorrow’s surgery.”
“How could I after all he’s been through? He loved that baby and it killed him she died of a bad heart!” Cami cried. At this point she broke down sobbing. “He’s so remarkable, so wonderful and doesn’t deserve to go through any more pain or suffering.”
“That’s because you’re convinced that you’re not going to make it.”
“I don’t know what to believe,” she bit out. “Can you guarantee I won’t die?”
Silence reigned for a moment. “No, my darling girl, but I know God is watching over you and He’s not going to let that happen. Excuse me while I freshen up in your bathroom, then I’ll come in and lie down on that cot by you. I want to hear more about this incredible man who’s going to become my son-in-law one day.”
“Don’t joke with me about this.”
“Who’s joking?” she asked from the bathroom door.
“I’m afraid you’re not going to get much sleep.” Cami wiped her eyes. “The nurse will be in and out during the night.”
“It’ll be worth it when morning comes and I find out my daughter came through her surgery perfectly and will be free of worry for the rest of her life about her heart.”
Free of worry.
Incredibly, for the first time in years, Cami had something else on her mind besides the outcome of the surgery. She was still so shaken by the feel of being in Raoul’s arms, let alone his marriage proposal, she couldn’t think straight.
Raoul had been right about one thing. She’d fallen crazy in love with him and his son. The way she’d returned his soul-searching kisses told him everything she hadn’t been able to say in words.
Cami had escaped his world just in time. He deserved to find a woman of his own class who would love Alain and make a wonderful home for
him. She would have to be a woman of whom his parents could approve of. Cami didn’t care how much Raoul denied it, his father’s opinion had to mean something to him. She could never be his parent’s choice of daughter-in-law.
Of course, Cami’s mother didn’t have the same problem when it came to Raoul. She’d approved of him from the beginning.
But the only matter of importance was tomorrow, the most important day of her life. Until the operation was over, she had no idea what her life would be like. No one could predict the future.
Antoinette had died of infection ten days after giving birth to Alain. Within a month of being born, Sabine’s baby had died of a bad heart, adding to Raoul’s grief over the lie she’d told him.
Maybe Cami wouldn’t come out of the anesthetic. Thank heaven her mother had family to turn to if the worst happened and Cami’s heart stopped beating altogether.
Anything could happen. Thankfully her beloved Raoul would know nothing about it. That was the way it had to be.
The next morning, her operation was scheduled early. Before going to sleep the night before, they’d given her a medication to make her less anxious. When morning came she was administered the anesthetic. When Cami awakened in the recovery room later on, she saw her doctor smiling at her.
“Welcome to the world, Cami. Your mother told me how frightened you’ve been, but you don’t have to be any longer. Your operation was a complete success. You’re going to live a long, full life. For now you must rest. You’ll be taken to your room in a little while. Tomorrow I’ll release you.”
Cami couldn’t believe it. Tears spurted from her eyes. “You mean I’m not dreaming? I’m really going to have a normal life?”
“Yes.” He patted her arm. “I understand there’s a wonderful man out there somewhere who’ll rejoice when he hears this news. But for the time being you need to stay quiet and rest.”
Raoul.
More tears streamed from her eyes. She was alive! The operation was over and she was going to live a full life. She couldn’t wait to tell Raoul everything!
* * *
Two days later Cami and her mom drove to Nice to be with the family while she recovered. Cami half lay on the bed in her robe watching the 5:00 p.m. news, but one announcement caused her to sit up straight.
Falling For His Unlikely Cinderella (Escape To Provence Book 2) Page 13
