At the Chateau for Christmas

by Rebecca Winters

  “They look like drops of snow in the greenery.”

  Nic moved closer, drawn to her in ways he couldn’t explain. “Would you believe me if I told you Irene once said the same thing? Besides your looks, you two are uncannily alike.”

  He saw her shiver, but it wasn’t that cold out. “If you want to know, it spooks me a little.”

  “Surely spooked isn’t the right word—”

  She avoided his eyes. “No one ever commented that my mother and I are alike. I guess my grandmother’s genes were passed on to me. It’s so strange to hear about how much we have in common when she was absent almost the whole of my life.”

  Nic found the similarities astonishing. Laura was so—heaven forgive him—alluring, even though he loved Dorine with all his heart. “There are differences, too, of course. Irene claimed to have no interest or head for business. You, on the other hand, hold the impressive title of marketing manager at Holden headquarters. Which means you inherited some of your grandfather Richard Holden’s genius. I’m impressed. Maurice held him in great esteem.”

  His comment caused her to look at him through veiled eyes. “I keep learning things I didn’t know. Tell me something else. How come you’re not running Valfort Hotels?”

  “That’s all in the hands of family—my father, uncles, siblings and cousins. Maurice and his brothers watch over everything.”

  She cocked her blond head. “You’re the dark horse. What do you do for a living?”

  He’d wondered when she’d get around to asking him. Pretty soon she would want to know about his absent wife and he would have to explain. But he preferred not to tell her about Dorine while they were dealing with Laura’s reason for coming to France. There’d be time enough later for that horrific, ongoing chapter in his life.

  “I run my own research-and-development business in the technology park near here. My division deals with specialized information in life and environmental science, including fine chemicals. The park consists of eight competitiveness clusters. In layman’s terms, we reinforce synergy between academic research and business through technology partnerships.”

  “Already you’ve more or less lost me,” Laura said on a gentle laugh, igniting his senses that had been in a deep sleep. He didn’t want to be awakened, particularly not by this woman. His family had never been able to accept Irene. Now her granddaughter had come, and the chemistry between the two of them was coming alive, but it just wasn’t possible. His guilt was crushing him. “Sounds like the furthest thing from the hotel business one can get.”

  “I always liked the sciences and went to study in Paris, but my brother and brother-in-law are steeped in the hotel business.”

  “Yet your grandfather leans on you for everything of the greatest significance in his life.”

  She had his attention. “Why do you say that?”

  “He said himself last night that he can always depend on you. Plus there’s a feeling I sense between the two of you. You’re strong like he is, or he wouldn’t have sent you on a desperate mission that would have struck fear in anyone else.”

  Her remarks were so on target, they caught him off guard.

  “Nicholas?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  THEY BOTH TURNED at the same time to see Maurice descending the steps, this time wearing his favorite leisure suit and turtleneck. His searching brown eyes darted from one to the other as he approached.

  Because Nic bore a strong resemblance to his grandfather, he wondered if Maurice was seeing himself and Irene as they might have looked fifty-odd years ago, long before the two of them had even met. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck to consider the complexity of their incredibly unique situation.

  This time Maurice kissed Laura on both cheeks. Their interaction seemed natural. “I’m sure Nic told you that your grandmother left something for you, otherwise you wouldn’t have come all this way.”

  “That’s not true!”

  He glanced at Nic in query.

  “Maurice, if my grandmother left me something, that thrills me, but I didn’t come all this way because of a will. I didn’t want the silence between our two families to last any longer. I wanted to talk and meet with the man she’d loved all these years. Not even my family could stop me. I’ve already told Nic this and hope you believe me.”

  He reached out to clasp her hand. “What you’ve just said is an answer to my prayer. Now I want to fulfill my wife’s wishes. I spoke on the phone with my attorney, ma chère. He told me to go ahead and read the will to you. I could do that, but I’d rather show you. Why don’t you come to the château around five?”

  She nodded. “I’d like that.”

  “Good. I’ll be waiting for you. In the meantime, I have things to do.” He clapped a hand on Nic’s arm. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Mais oui, Gran’père. Let me walk you back to the car.”

  “No, no. Spend the time with Laura. Make her feel at home.”

  More guilt swept through him, but this was one time he had to fight it. When Maurice had disappeared inside, Nic turned to her. “What would you like to do in the next few hours?”

  She looked all around her. “Nothing could equal the lovely evening last night, but I would like to do a little shopping in the Old Town I’ve heard so much about.”

  Nic would never forget last night either. He was haunted by his feelings. “The window kind, or do you have something specific in mind?”

  “Specific for sure.” She looked all around her. “Since Maurice couldn’t bury my grandmother here, I’d like to do something in honor of their love. You say she loved flowers.”

  Nic nodded. “So did my grandfather.”

  “Then I’d like to take him some.”

  “Do you have a certain variety in mind?”

  “No. Not yet.”

  “You’ll have a worse time making a decision when I take you to the Marché aux Fleurs Cours Saleya.”

  Her eyes smiled. “What’s that?”

  “One of the most famous flower markets in France. Grab what you need and we’ll drive there.”

  Twenty minutes later he parked near the area with the pretty striped awnings. Beneath them she discovered thousands of flowers. “Nic—”

  Their gazes met. “I know. Do you get the feeling they’re making eyes at you?”

  She laughed. “I do!”

  They walked around for at least a half hour while she tried to take it all in. “Oh—I have no idea what to choose. It smells so heavenly here. Look at those geraniums!”

  There was everything imaginable, from dahlias with their anemone-shaped flowers to vivid impatiens in glorious colors. But in the end he could see her attention was drawn to the mauve fuchsias. She stopped in front of the huge tub. “I think I have to have these.”

  The vendor spoke to Nic, who translated. “He wants to know how many you want.”

  “I wish I could have all of them, including everything in this market, but of course that’s ridiculous.”

  “Not if this is your heart’s desire.”

  In the next breath Nic said something to the man and handed him some bills from his wallet. The vendor grinned, then nodded to several of his workers. They picked up the tub and followed Nic to the car. He opened the trunk and they set it inside.

  When the workers left, she looked up at Nic. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. Before he could take his next breath, she raised on tiptoe and kissed his hard jaw. “Thank you for another memory I’ll always cherish.”

  The feel of her lips shook him to the core. To throw off the sensation, he said, “Come on. I’m going to take you to Fenoccio’s. It’s an ice cream parlor that serves exotic varieties.”

  “Like what?” she asked as they walked along.

  “Have you ever t
asted ice cream with violets?”

  “You’re joking!”

  But of course he wasn’t. In a few minutes they were both sharing a small cup of it. The flavor was different and quite delicious.

  “Around this corner is another treat you have to try.”

  They stopped at Lova’s, where he fed her socca, a big pancake cut up into little strips and covered in black pepper, then eaten with the fingers. When he fed her a strip, her lips brushed his fingers, sending another curl of delight through his body.

  “Um...that’s good! We have to stop feeding ourselves if Maurice is expecting us to eat dinner. I need to do one more errand and know the shop. We passed it a minute ago.”

  Nic checked his watch. “It’s getting late. Tell you what, I’ll go get the car. When you’re ready, call me and I’ll pick you up.”

  “Thank you.” As he started to walk away, she called to him. “I’ve never had so much fun.”

  Nic had forgotten what fun was like. Yet overnight she’d transformed the black world he’d been living in.

  Dorine...forgive me.

  * * *

  Laura knew this afternoon was the only one she would have with Nic. Her guilt weighed too heavily for this to go on.

  She was here to get to know Maurice and tried to imagine what it was her grandmother had left her. Her excitement was tangible. But intermingled with those thoughts was a growing awareness of the married man who’d just left her. She found him so appealing, she was afraid.

  Laura had been rubbing shoulders with married businessmen for years, some of them very attractive. But nothing like this had ever happened to her before.

  Was this how her grandmother had felt when she’d first met Maurice? Breathless and aware of a male energy that invaded her body, filling it with shocking new sensations? Nic’s deep voice penetrated so that even when she wasn’t looking at him, her nervous system responded to a force beyond her understanding.

  Tomorrow she’d arrange for a flight to San Francisco and put this man behind her. She’d come to France for answers about her grandmother. With nothing else to be resolved, she didn’t dare remain under his roof after today. Her guilt had reached its zenith.

  Adam had texted her this morning. She’d texted him back that she’d get in touch with him later when she had something concrete to tell him. In truth, she didn’t feel like talking to him. Whether her mother was right about his agenda or not, it didn’t matter.

  Last night Nic Valfort had happened to her...today he’d happened to her again, only with more force.

  Maurice’s grandson had already made such a breathtaking assault on her life and senses, Laura was reeling. When she could feel this attraction to an unavailable, married man, it meant she couldn’t possibly make a commitment elsewhere that was worth anything. Certainly it meant she hadn’t met the right man yet.

  The old part of Nice was like a lot of the medieval villages she’d seen throughout Europe. She was charmed by its narrow streets curving in irregular fashion between old buildings with their red-tiled roofs. The streets were packed with shops and shoppers still needing to buy gifts. She’d almost forgotten tonight was Christmas Eve, thus the reason for this errand.

  She went in one of the wine shops she’d spotted earlier and bought a Riesling and a Pinot Gris for her hosts to thank them for their hospitality. She asked that the bottles be gift wrapped. While she was waiting, she pulled out her cell phone, but it rang before she could call Nic.

  Her heart thudded when she saw his name on the caller ID. She clicked on. “Hello?”

  “Bon après-midi, Laura. Are you ready for a ride home yet?”

  She sucked in her breath. “Your timing is perfect.”

  “Where are you?”

  “At Chappuis et Fils. Sorry I pronounced it wrong.”

  His chuckle wound its way through her body. “I still understood you and will be there in five minutes. I’m already in my car. Don’t go anywhere else.”

  Laura smiled. “I can tell you’re a married man.” She’d brought it up on purpose, if only to remind herself. “No doubt you’ve had to chase after your wife many a time, but I’ll make this easy on you and promise to stay put.”

  She didn’t know what she expected to hear him say, but it wasn’t the long silence that met her ears. “Nic? Are you still there?”

  “Oui.” Then she heard the click.

  Her brows met in a frown. What had she said? Was he separated from his wife? Maybe in the middle of a divorce? Maybe that’s why he hadn’t spoken of her. She didn’t know what to think.

  The shopkeeper handed her a bag containing her two parcels. She thanked him and walked outside, but the excitement she’d felt when she’d first heard Nic’s voice had evaporated after hearing his dampening one-word response. He’d hung up, leaving her hurt and baffled.

  It wasn’t long before she saw his car come alongside her. She hurried to get in and shut the door, lowering her shopping bag to the floor of the backseat. He wound his way through a couple of streets to a broader thoroughfare without saying anything. When they reached the main road, he headed in the direction of La Colle-sur-Loup.

  His dark countenance unsettled her. Anxious over the tension radiating from him, she stared out the window, wondering what was going on inside him. “Are you okay? Is your grandfather all right?”

  “Your presence has infused him with new purpose. You have no idea. He needed me for a while because he wants this visit to be perfect for you.”

  Nice as that was to hear, it didn’t answer her question about Nic himself. They drove another five minutes before he pulled off the road to a gravel drive. A canopy of trees made the interior darker as they continued through the wooded property.

  When they rounded a bend, he pulled to the side of the road and stopped the car. By now her heart was thudding in trepidation. He shut off the engine and turned his dark head toward her. “My wife went missing three years ago.”

  Laura’s horrified gasp resonated in the car.

  “I’m presuming Dorine is dead, perhaps from the very first day. I’ll never know if it was foul play. Maybe a vendetta against me or my family. If she was attacked and is still alive, the chances of her having amnesia are statistically improbable. If she was kidnapped, there was never a ransom note. If she left me for another man, it’s been three years and I’ve reconciled myself that she’s not coming back. If she became ill and died or committed suicide, her body has never been fo—”

  “Don’t say any more,” Laura begged him. Without conscious thought she put a trembling hand on his arm.

  Nic glanced down at it. “I was rude to you on the phone. That’s because I was angry at myself.” He let out a sigh. “When you first asked me if she knew I was bringing you home to the villa, I should have told you about her then. But you were already dealing with the pain of your grandmother’s death and I didn’t want to add to your discomfort.”

  “It couldn’t have done that—”

  “Then you’d be among the rare few who don’t believe I had anything to do with Dorine’s disappearance.”

  Her eyes closed tightly for a minute. “The rare few being your number-one defenders, Maurice and Irene. I know what you’re about to tell me. The spouse is always suspect. That holds true in every country.”

  “Yes,” he said grimly. “In some circles I still am the prime person of interest. The police turned my house and office inside out and upside down looking for her. The newspapers had a field day exploiting the Valfort name. Jack the Ripper didn’t get as much notoriety as I did. My entire family was vetted with criminal relish.”

  “I—I can’t imagine a situation more ghastly.” Her voice shook. “You don’t need to explain anything to me.” She squeezed his wrist before letting him go. “I don’t know how you’ve been holding your world together.” He
was in such a horrible situation she could hardly bear it.

  “In my darkest hours it was Irene who told me not to lose hope. She’d been ostracized from your family and mine, but she wouldn’t let me despair. She told me I could rise above the suspicions and that one day justice would prevail and I’d get my life back. Her prediction was something I’ve held on to. For her to be gone has left me without one of my anchors.”

  “Oh, Nic—” Tears gushed from Laura’s eyes. “I’m mourning the fact that I never got to know her, but I’m so sorry for what her death has done to you and Maurice. It sounds like my grandmother was a saint.”

  “There’s no question about that.”

  Laura wiped her eyes with her hands. “What was Dorine doing the last time you knew her whereabouts?”

  “She worked at one of the other companies in the technology park. On that particular day, she told the secretary she was leaving for lunch. We know she drove her car into Nice and parked on one of the streets near a favorite restaurant of hers. But the proprietor claimed she didn’t eat there that day.

  “I was at work, but had left for a business lunch in Nice, then returned. It was almost time to go home when I received a call from the secretary. She wanted to know if Dorine was with me, because she’d never come back from lunch. That’s when the nightmare began.”

  Laura kneaded her hands in anguish. “And it’s never ended for you.”

  “It has been torture, I admit. At first I was on tenterhooks, thinking she was still out there somewhere. For the last couple of years, I’ve felt she’s dead, but...”

  “But you’ve had no closure yet and your character has been unfairly impugned. I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to say. There are no words to comfort you.”

  “Thanks for not trying.” His voice grated. “That sounded horrible, didn’t it?”