by Jenna Brandt
“I knew it was corrupt, but I had no idea it was unscrupulous.”
“You were right, Pierre. I should’ve never started working at that place. I’ve had nothing but problem after problem occur. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know I can never spend another minute working at The Trail’s End.”
“Are you saying you are finally willing to take me up on my offer and you will let me loan you the money to rebuild the bakery?”
Amelie nodded. “I’m finished trying to do this on my own. I’m finally willing to admit I need help.”
“You do not seem happy with your decision.”
“Despite hating the environment at The Trail’s End, I have made a friend in Lulu. I hate leaving her in that place. I’m lucky enough to have other options, but I doubt any of the other women who have to work there do.”
“You know, that is one of the attributes I admire most about you, Amelie. You care so much for other people it astonishes me.”
“Little good it does.”
“If it matters that much to you, I will take care of it.”
With a puzzled look, she asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“Once it’s all worked out, I will let you know.”
Opening her clutch, Amelie pulled out the key to her house. As she reached up to open the lock, she flinched from a jolt of pain at her right side.
The reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Pierre. “What is wrong, Amelie?”
With a perplexed frown, Amelie answered, “I have no idea.”
Reaching out, Pierre lifted the edge of his jacket to expose her side. They both looked down and saw her green shirt had a rather large dark spot. Gently, Pierre placed his hand on the spot. He lifted his fingers to his eyes, rubbing them together.
“We need to get you inside and take a look at your side. I think that imbecile’s knife may have punctured your skin.”
They made their way into the back of the house. Pierre helped Amelie sit down at one of the kitchen chairs. Kneeling down next to her, he gingerly lifted the edge of her shirt up, exposing a deep gash a couple of inches long, running along the side of Amelie’s stomach.
Trying to look at it, Amelie asked, “How bad is it?”
“I can save you a doctor’s call. If you have the supplies, I can stitch this up for you.”
Amelie gestured towards the sink. “I keep some rubbing alcohol in the bottom cabinet, and in the drawers you will find some clean rags along with a needle and thread.” Raising an eyebrow, Amelie inquired, “And how, might I ask, did you become an expert at such an endeavor?”
While walking over to procure the items, Pierre explained, “I had a bit of a rough past in my youth. My friends tended to get into trouble often. Our risky bets, secret escapades, and hunting accidents resulted in me becoming rather an expert at stitching up minor wounds to keep us from bothering with a doctor and getting our parents involved.”
Amelie laughed and immediately cringed from the discomfort. “I’m not surprised. I can imagine all the trouble you got into with William.”
“Actually, William and I did not become friends until a couple of years ago. I also have a couple of friends from when I lived in Paris, but the friend I am referring to is Randall Learingam. He was the former Earl of Renwick.”
“Was?” Amelie asked with a hint of concern.
Bending back down, Pierre cleaned the area of Amelie’s wound. “It is not what you think. He is not dead; he simply had to leave his title behind when he and his family were forced to come to America a few years back.”
“Have you seen him since you’ve been here?”
Pierre stopped working for a moment, and said with a stiff voice, “As a matter of fact, I did. Right before I came here.”
Amelie could hear by his tone the conversation had turned from jovial to serious. “If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to.”
“No, I want to talk to you about it. I feel like I can talk with you about anything,” he said, as he started methodically stitching again. “I happened to find Randall and his family by accident while we were visiting a friend’s family in Boulder, Colorado. We were at a ball and they were in attendance.”
“I bet you were glad to see him.”
“Indeed, but the most interesting part was my cousin, Jackie, and her best friend, Margaret, who happens to be Randall’s twin sister, had disappeared with him. I never knew what happened. I spent many years looking for them, hoping to find out why they fled France.”
“Did you find out?”
“I did. Margaret’s difficult past caught up with her and caused her to have to leave Europe. Of course, her brother needed to go with her to protect her. Since Jackie and Randall had eloped just prior, they all left together to protect Margaret’s son.”
Why did the name Margaret sound familiar? Every time he said the name, something nudged Amelie. She was sure she had heard William say the name in the bakery.
“I’m sensing there is more to the story than you are telling me.”
Pierre’s eyes flickered up to meet Amelie’s own and she was shocked to see intense pain reflected in them. Hastily, he stood up and walked back over to return the items to their places.
“Are you going to finish telling me what happened?”
“I found out Margaret had remarried as well, to a Colorado rancher as it turns out.”
Then it dawned on Amelie; she remembered what William had said in the bakery. Pierre, ever since you got rejected by Lady Margaret for the second time, you have become even more inconsolable. He had a relationship with Margaret at some point, deep enough to cause him to withdraw when it ended.
Did that make her second choice? If Margaret hadn’t rejected him, they would undoubtedly be together. Amelie didn’t like the idea of being a space filler.
“And how did that make you feel?”
Pierre turned around and looked at Amelie. “That’s a rather specific question. Why would you ask that?”
“Because I think you are leaving out the most important part of the story. Are you going to answer the question or keep avoiding telling me about your relationship with Lady Margaret?”
The color drained from Pierre’s face as he asked, “How do you know she was a lady?”
“You really should be careful what you discuss in public places, such as bakeries.”
A look of confusion, followed by understanding, and finally dread crossed his face. “You know then.”
“I think I have an inkling.” Standing up, Amelie started to move towards the front of the house, as she said, “I’m exhausted. I think it’s time for you to go.”
“Amelie, I want to explain.”
Opening the door for him to leave, she said, “There’s no need. I understand perfectly. You needed to take your mind off your loss, as William put it, and to get over the woman you truly loved. I think, whatever this was has served its purpose. Now it’s time to put it to rest.”
Pierre pushed the door shut and pulled Amelie around to face him. “Stop this, Amelie. Stop pushing me away every time you find out something you don’t like. This is a process you must go through when you get to know someone new. You find out aspects you like about the person, hopefully many, and inevitably you will find out a couple of details you need to find a way to overlook.”
“Are you trying to tell me I need to overlook the fact you were in love with another woman just a couple of weeks ago, and the possibility you are still in love with her?”
“No, it is not true, Amelie. Margaret was the first woman I ever thought I loved. I realize now, after finding you, I was not in love with her. I did not even know what true love was until I met you. The depth of how much I care for you far outweighs anything I ever felt for Margaret.”
Amelie drew in her breath and held it. Did he just confess he was in love with her? Did she hear him correctly?
“I am telling you I love you, Amelie. I think I have loved you from the first time I saw you in your ba
kery.”
Slowly, she let out the breath she had been holding as he gathered her into his arms Their eyes met and Amelie began to tremble with anticipation. Dipping his head down, his lips descended to her own, taking possession of her mouth. She felt the kiss from the tip of her toes, all the way to the top of her head. As he intensified the kiss, she felt herself dissolve into his embrace.
Against her lips, he whispered, “I hope that kiss made you feel every inch of how much I love you.”
Mesmerized, Amelie murmured back, “Why did we wait so long to do that?”
With a soft chuckle, Pierre replied, “I hope it was worth the wait.”
Nodding, she said, “It was perfect.”
“Will I see you at church tomorrow morning?”
“I’m heading over with Debbey. She has some news she wants to tell me beforehand.”
“Goodnight, Amelie.”
“Goodnight, Pierre.”
Chapter 18
The smile on Debbey’s face was beaming when Amelie answered the door.
“My father finally consented to allow William to court me. I can’t believe it, Amelie. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Her friend’s excitement was contagious, and a grin spread across Amelie’s own mouth. She replied, “I’m so glad to hear it. I’m truly happy for you both.”
Debbey stepped across the threshold of the house, while saying, “If everything goes according to plan, I want to have a Christmas wedding. How splendid will it be?”
“It will be wonderful, Debbey.”
Grabbing her friend’s hand, Debbey pulled Amelie over to the sofa. They both sat down. “I have something to ask you.” Amelie bobbed her head up and down as she waited for her to continue. “Will you be my maid of honor? You are like the sister I never had and I would love for you to be a part of the most important day of my life.”
“I would be privileged, Debbey. Of course, I would love to.”
“So, now that is out of the way, tell me what happened last night when you were leaving The Trail’s End.”
“You heard about that?”
“Everyone heard about it, Amelie. What transpired last night is the talk of the town but I don’t like listening to gossip. I would rather hear the truth from you.”
With an astute smile, Amelie asked, “Which part do you want to hear about first? The part where Pierre saved me by cutting down two ruffians from The Trail’s End, or the part where he kissed me after he walked me home and told me he was in love with me?”
Debbey shrieked with delight. “He kissed you and confessed his love? I can’t believe you waited this long to tell me. How was it? Where did it happen? What did he say exactly?”
Amelie laughed as she listened to her friend fire off rapid questions. “I will tell you all about it before we head over to church.”
“I’m so happy for you, Amelie. You and Pierre are perfect for each other. Tell me everything.”
“It sounds as if you heard that after work last night, a couple of patrons tried to… take advantage of me. Pierre intervened and stopped them with the help of Lulu, my co-worker.”
“Alright, so that explains how you ended up with Pierre last night. It doesn’t explain how it lead to a kiss. Your first kiss, I might add.”
“He brought me home and helped me with a small wound I had.”
Scanning her friend’s body, Debbey asked, “You were hurt? Where?”
Amelie pointed down to her side and said, “I’m fine. Pierre did an excellent job of patching me up. During it though, he ended up telling me about his past, including his first love, Margaret.” Amelie bit her lip, then confessed, “I have to admit, secretly, I was jealous of her. It was in that moment I knew I had feelings for Pierre. I didn’t like the idea of him being with any other woman, past or present. I especially didn’t like the idea of him still having feelings for her.”
“Wait, what? He still has feelings for her?”
“No, as it turns out, he told me he realized he never knew what true love was until he met me. He said he loved me, was in love with me, and then we kissed.”
“Oh, Amelie, that is the most romantic story I have ever heard. I can’t believe—”
But before Debbey could finish her sentence, a loud pounding echoed through the house. Amelie had a sinking sensation she knew who was on the other side of the front entrance to her home. As she opened up the door, her suspicions were confirmed when she saw her aunt.
“Well, are you alright, you daft girl?”
Terrific, Amelie thought sarcastically. Her aunt must have heard about what happened to her last night.
“I’m alright, Aunt Marcella.”
As her aunt pushed her way in through the door frame, she scolded, “This is exactly why you have no business working at that place. This confirms the fact you cannot take care of Elise. You cannot even take care of yourself.”
Refusing to let her aunt upset her, she stated, “Pierre stepped in and kept me safe.”
“Until the next time, and if you keep working at that God-awful place, it will happen again.”
“Well then, I suppose it’s good I won’t be working there anymore.”
“If that is the case, you must be ready to finally return to school and let me take Elise to Paris.”
Shaking her head, Amelie specified, “We will both be staying here. Pierre has offered to finance the rebuilding of the bakery and I have accepted his offer.”
“And what exactly does he want in exchange?”
Amelie didn’t like her aunt’s implication. “It’s a loan and nothing more. I will pay him back fully once the bakery opens and is profitable again.”
“You are a fool if you think a man gives money to a woman and wants nothing in return. Mark my words, there is always another agenda.”
“Aunt Marcella, you will see you are wrong about him. His intentions are honorable. He cares about me.”
“Has he proposed to you? If he cares for you, he would make an honorable woman of you rather than put you in a position which could cast doubt upon your reputation.” Her aunt constricted her eyes into knowing slits. “I have heard he has been over here alone, on more than one occasion. You are making a mistake by allowing yourself to be blinded by his charm.”
“Well, I am an adult and it’s my mistake to make.” Ushering her out the door, she said, “I need to be getting to church. I will talk to you later, Aunt Marcella.”
Why wouldn’t this woman just leave and go back to France? It was clear her aunt hated it in America and Amelie had no idea why she continued to stay.
Pierre had woken up excited to attend church with Amelie. As she walked into the church, Pierre was waiting for her by her usual pew. He was grinning at her and she returned the smile right back.
“Good morning, Amelie.”
“Good morning, Pierre.”
She looked stunning in her soft, yellow blouse and light brown skirt. The outfit was simple but Amelie was able to make the most basic outfit look magnificent. Her golden-brown hair was pinned up in its usual twist. It was her eyes which had the most impact. When she looked at him, there was a passion radiating he had never seen before.
“How are you feeling today?”
“Wonderful. I couldn’t wait to see you.”
“And I, you. I was unable to sleep after last night. I walked through West Linn for a majority of the night and finally emptied myself into bed just a few hours ago.”
“You look remarkably invigorated, considering.”
“You have that effect on me.”
Before she could respond, there was a commotion amongst the other parishioners in the room. Pierre looked to the door to see what produced the uproar. Lulu stood in the entry. What on earth was she doing here?
She was wearing a rather modest, pale blue dress, covering the majority of her skin. It was less form-fitting than any outfit he had ever seen Lulu wear. To be honest, she looked better for it. Pierre had never liked it when a woman flaunted her fl
esh for men. Her makeup was less severe, and her face looked fresh for the first time since he had met her.
Turning to see what Pierre was staring at, Amelie clasped her hands together in delight. A look of joy covered her face as she hurried over to Lulu with Pierre following behind.
“Lulu, it’s so good to see you here.”
“I hope it’s okay I decided to take you up on your offer,” she said, as her eyes darted around the room and she shifted her stance.
“I told you, you were welcome to come any time. I’m so glad you decided to join us today,” Amelie responded. “Why don’t you follow me and we can go sit down?”
As the three of them made their way back to the third pew, everyone watched them, pretending not to be doing so. Pierre knew they must be as curious as he.
“What brought you to church this morning, Lulu?”
“The more I watched Amelie handle herself at work, the more I was curious about what made her have such poise. In every situation, Amelie always behaves so admirably and she always watches out for other people. I figured, why not come and find out if God could do the same for me.”
Pierre nodded in agreement. “You just summed up how I feel as well. It is the very reason why I came back today after I visited the church for the first time last week. I find myself drawn to the faith which makes Amelie the remarkable person I have come to admire.”
The three of them sat down for the service with Amelie in the middle. Pierre wanted to reach out and take Amelie’s hand on multiple occasions but he knew their relationship was not official. It would be frowned upon if he did so; not to mention, considering how Lulu felt about him, it would be inconsiderate. So instead, Pierre focused his attention on the sermon after the hymns were finished.
“Good morning fellow brothers and sisters. I want to welcome all of you today, including the new faces I see. I hope you feel welcomed here and know we value each of you. It’s my deepest desire you will come to find a home amongst us here.
