by Paige Elwood
“Are you alright?” he asked her with a smile that seemed new for him, more vibrant.
She nodded and melted into his arms. She was happy, satisfied, contented. This was an entirely different world, but she felt up to the challenge of trying to fit in and be with him. With Edouard by her side, everything would turn out all right.
She was floating on a cloud all the way home, her hand in his. She could feel a calmness from him that she hadn’t felt before. The only dark side to the day was the fact that they would part when they reached the Petellier house and she would spend the night alone. She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep tonight.
She did love him, she thought. At his touch, strange, exotic feelings burst to life within her. She wanted to be close to him, to nestle in his arms, to bask in the glow of his attentions. She wanted him to cherish her, to keep her safe, to show her the love she'd never thought she’d experience. She wanted him to hold her heart inside his own.
They stole one last kiss just outside the house. It was perfect, soft yet passionate, the emotion radiating from both of them. She hoped she had discovered her true nature, and that it was to love Edouard. She could have kissed him all night, but the sound of giggling forced them to stop.
“Delphine!” Sophie tried to be mad at the giggling girl standing at the door to the house, but she couldn’t.
“Sorry,” she said, still laughing. “I was there for a long time and neither of you noticed me.”
“We were… preoccupied,” Edouard said drily.
“So it seems,” Delphine said.
Sophie said goodnight to Edouard and stood at the door with Delphine watching him walk until he was out of sight. Then, she went in and they shut the door.
“Did you have a nice… walk?” Delphine asked.
“We did.” Sophie blushed. “We visited Notre Dame.”
“I hope you didn’t indulge in such scandalous behavior there,” Delphine teased. At Sophie’s blush, she giggled. “Oh, so you did?”
“Maybe,” Sophie said. Was it really so bad to be kissing in a Cathedral?
“Don’t worry, I think God approves of young love.” She raised an eyebrow and leaned in. “Luckily for you two lovebirds.”
“Stop it!” Sophie admonished her. “And don’t mention the kissing at the dinner table!” she added as the bell rang for dinner.
Delphine just laughed and walked away. Sophie followed, taking her place at the table. She thought she wasn’t hungry still, but when the dishes were brought out, she saw there was barbecue chicken and her stomach growled a little. When the trays were put down, she took a little chicken and some bread.
Madame Petellier was pleased to see her eating. “Did you have a nice walk, Sophie?”
Sophie shot Delphine a warning look before answering. “Yes, thank you. We visited Notre Dame, and it was beautiful.”
“How lovely.” Madame Petellier seemed genuinely pleased.
Sophie ate as much as she could and then excused herself from the dinner table. She went straight upstairs to her room so that she could be alone with her thoughts and replay those kisses in her mind!
She flopped back on the bed and thought of the day at Notre Dame. What a wonderful day it had been. She replayed the kiss and how perfect it had been. The relics in the reliquary came to her mind, and she remembered the rings she’d seen that were similar to hers.
Her own had come from Notre Dame, supposedly. She’d dismissed it as a fake at first, but perhaps it was genuine. Edouard had said the relics had powers. Did this ring have the power of time travel, then? She’d always suspected that the ring, and Notre Dame itself, had something to do with it all.
An image of the tapestries suddenly came to her mind. The one in the drawing room, showing a couple in a church. Now that she’d seen inside the cathedral, she thought the altar and the arches in the tapestry looked a lot like Notre Dame. And the rings coming out of the box in the tapestry, they looked like her ring. Was the story about one of the Notre Dame relics?
The cathedral itself was visible as always through the window of her room, and she gazed out at it. What are your secrets? she wondered.
She looked down at her ring, a residual warmth still coming from it. She wondered why she’d ever found that warmth creepy. Now it was just a reminder of the bond between her and Edouard, a physical representation of the warmth she now felt in her heart.
Chapter 27
Edouard was filled with mixed emotions when he came to pick up Sophie the next day. He had felt the curse lifting from him the night before, and yet it didn’t bring him the satisfaction he had long anticipated. It wasn’t enough. He was taking her to see his duchy, where he hoped that one day she might be the duchess. He wanted her by his side forever, to be his wife and his partner in all things. He’d never wanted anything more in his life.
When he arrived, she was waiting outside for him, and he helped her into the carriage. When he took Sophie’s hand, that peculiar sensation of electricity swept through both of them. When he released her hand as she sat, Edouard felt the absence of that tingling sensation keenly. Their eyes met, and Sophie glanced away, nervously.
She looked radiant with health, like a different woman than the one he’d first met several evenings before. She regarded him with those warm brown eyes, and he couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d smiled so much.
It had been part of his curse, but over time he’d forgotten what it was to truly smile and laugh and not just display the facial movements without the emotion driving them. The fact that Sophie could elicit such a response in him reminded him that she was indeed the one he had waited for. The ring on the chain around his neck warmed in her presence as much as his heart did, another sign that she was the one he’d hoped for.
But the proof had been in Notre Dame, when their kiss and her love had broken the curse. She hadn’t known it, but he’d felt it. Felt the physical sensation of the weight that had been on his shoulders lifting, and he felt carefree and joyous for the first time in years. But now the guilt of his dishonesty with Sophie was magnified. It felt heavier than the curse ever did.
Sophie returned his smile with one of her own, and he was pleased to see that it was a genuine smile, filled with the same joy and love he felt for her. The woman he’d rescued on the Quai had been frightened and unsure. Her feisty nature had done little to disguise her difficulty reconciling with the fact that she was stuck in a strange time and place. He’d wanted nothing more than to reassure her, tell her some—if not all—of the truth, but so much rested on it that he couldn’t.
Now that the curse was broken, was it fair to leave her in the dark? He told himself he was doing the right thing. She came here to break his curse, but in so many ways they were destined to save each other, if the legend of the rings was to be believed. And he wanted to believe. He did believe. He felt like this curious, beautiful, fiery woman could see into his very soul. He couldn’t tell her now, couldn’t ruin this moment, or their chance at happiness.
“Is it far to your duchy?” she asked, breaking his chain of thought.
“Not too far. Just a short journey,” he said.
“I’ve never visited a real chateau,” she said.
“Then I am very honored that the first you will visit is mine,” he said, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. He wanted to gather her in his arms and press his lips against hers, but the carriage was moving, and it seemed too improper.
He could see the outline of the chateau in the distance atop its hill. He pointed it out to Sophie, who eagerly craned her neck to see it. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the impressive structure.
They approached the enormous iron gates that he had passed a thousand times before, but the wonder on Sophie’s face was something to behold, and it made him see the familiar chateau anew. It suddenly looked grander, more impressive and full of promise than it ever had before. It thrilled him to see
the approving expression on her face. One day, this would be her home.
When they climbed out of the carriage, him helping her down the steps, she looked awestruck.
“All of this is yours?” she asked, turning her head this way and that to take in the large chateau and the sprawling land.
“It’s my father’s,” he said. “It will be mine eventually.” Ours, he thought, though he didn’t say it. Not yet.
“Is he here? Can I meet him?” she asked eagerly.
“He’s away tending to court affairs,” Edouard said. He wasn’t upset about the fact that she wouldn’t meet his father yet. The Duke could be intimidating to those who weren’t used to him. And sometimes to those who were.
“Court, like a judge?” she asked, her nose wrinkled. It was endearing, and he wanted to lean forward and kiss her nose.
“King’s business,” he said. “French nobles attend the French court and serve the King.”
“Oh, right,” she said, nodding as if he’d reminded her of something she already knew.
“Come on,” he said, pulling her towards the side of the chateau.
“Are we not going inside?” she asked, disappointment clouding her features.
“We’re going riding. I want to show you some of the lands. There are beautiful spots that I hope you’ll like as much as I do.”
“I can’t ride,” she said, her cheeks turning pink at the revelation. Edouard hadn’t considered that she may not know how to ride. Even most peasant girls could ride a horse well enough.
“Then I shall teach you!” he said with endearing enthusiasm.
They walked to the stables, her hand in his, and Edouard called to Charles, the stable hand. As he approached the couple, he regarded Sophie with suspicion. Edouard knew he was thinking back to the night of the curse when he had come to his rescue.
“This is Sophie,” Edouard explained to him. “I would like to teach her to ride. Please ready one of the horses with a good temperament.”
Charles nodded, regarding Sophie solemnly. “Come with me,” he said, motioning for them to follow. He guided them to a small, brown and white mottled palfrey. “This is Bisou” he said, patting the horse’s muzzle. “She’s patient and follows instruction well, she should be a good horse for Mademoiselle Sophie.”
“Thank you, Charles,” Sophie said, and Charles blushed at being addressed directly by a lady.
He saddled up Bisou while Edouard got his own horse, Estelle, ready. Edouard rode Estelle out onto the field and dismounted, while Charles led Bisou to the field, followed by Sophie.
“Have you ever mounted a horse?” Edouard asked her.
“Once. I was wearing trousers, though, so it was easier,” she said, gesturing to her dress.
Charles looked aghast at the idea that the lady might have worn breeches, and Edouard couldn’t help the amusement in his voice as he dismissed him. Charles trudged back off to the stables, looking over his shoulder occasionally at them until he was back inside the stalls.
Edouard gave Sophie a leg up onto the horse, and she shifted around uncomfortably until she found her position. When she had, he led Bisou on a slow lap around the field, with Sophie gripping the reins tightly.
“Do you think you can hold on well enough riding her properly?” he asked.
“Well, probably,” she said, “but how do I make her go?”
“You just give her a kick.”
“No!” she looked appalled at the suggestion.
“You don’t hurt her, or kick her hard,” he said, laughing. “Just a gentle tap.” He loved how she couldn’t abide the idea of hurting the horse. She had a gentle heart under her feisty exterior.
“How do I stop her?” she asked, looking a little pale.
“Just pull on the reins hard with both hands. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. She’s a gentle horse and I’ll be next to you,” he said, climbing onto Estelle.
“Go on,” Edouard gestured for her to start. She looked at him nervously, but still gave the horse a slight tap with her foot. Bisou set off at a slow but steady trot, and he matched the pace easily with Estelle.
After a short while, he thought Sophie looked more comfortable. “If you want to go a little faster, just tap her again,” he said.
She grinned and tapped the horse gently with her foot. Bisou barely registered the motion. “A little harder,” Edouard said, and she tried again. This time the horse picked up the pace, and they cantered towards a small hill.
Some of Sophie’s hair came loose, streaming behind her with the wind. He cheeks were pink from the wind and the riding, and she grinned as they rode side by side. She looked perfect, like a real angel. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked.
She nodded eagerly. “I am,” she said. “Can we go faster?”
“I don’t know if that is a good idea yet,” he said, but she tapped her horse again, and the palfrey kicked up the speed a little. Edouard wasn’t sure she could handle a faster speed, but Sophie surprised him by throwing her head back and laughing as the horses picked up her pace.
They climbed to the top of the hill, where the view was breathtaking, with miles and miles of lush green countryside spread before them. Sophie gazed across the landscape, taking in the beauty of the duchy.
“It’s amazing,” she breathed. “So beautiful.”
“It is, isn’t it?” He smiled at her awestruck expression. “One day, it will all belong to…to us.” He looked at her from the corner of his eye, grinning nervously. He caught the pleased reaction that passed across her face, and it stirred a great joy in him.
She turned her face to his, regarding him solemnly with those big brown eyes. “This will be ours?”
“Of course, when we marry, and I inherit. It will belong to us both.” That is, it would be his if he ever convinced his father to accept Sophie. But that was a problem for another day. His father would simply have to see sense.
He gestured that they should get moving again, and they galloped back down the other side of the hill. Sophie’s eyes widened a little in panic on the way down as the momentum caused her horse to speed up even more, but she soon settled once they reached the bottom and Bisou slowed down.
“You take to riding very well,” he said as they rode side by side.
She turned to thank him and slipped slightly, awkwardly pulling the reins with her left hand. The horse, mistaking it for an instruction, veered to the left, and as Sophie struggled to right herself the horse picked up more speed. Sophie’s face was pale, and she looked at Edouard for guidance on what to do.
He veered Estelle left and caught up. Getting as close as he could, he helped her upright and gestured to pull the reins sharply with both hands. She did as he said, and Bisou quickly came to a halt.
Sophie was shaken when he helped her down from the saddle. “Well, that didn’t go quite as planned,” she said, her face ashen.
“You did very well,” he reassured her, holding her close to his chest. Edouard’s own heart beat like a tattoo as he wondered what he would have done had she been hurt. “That’s all the riding lessons for now, though,” he said.
“How will I get back?” she asked, eyeing the hill that now stood between them and the chateau.
“Like this,” Edouard said, attaching Bisou to Estelle by the reins and seating Sophie in front of him.
Her warm body fit snugly to his and his arms encircled her protectively, holding on to the reins.
“This is nicer,” she said, her hair brushing against his face as she turned to look at him.
“I agree,” he said as he set Estelle cantering back up the hill, Bisou close behind them.
Edouard could smell her hair, like lavender and warm sunshine. He inhaled deeply, intoxicated by her nearness.
When they reached the stables again, he called Charles out to take the horses. “Did you enjoy the ride, my Lord?” he asked.
“We did,” Edouard said, seeing no need to embarrass Sophie by mentioning the slight mishap.
>
The horses back in the stable, they walked back towards the chateau. Sophie clapped her hands excitedly. “Can we see your home now?”
“Yes,” he said. “I can give you a tour.”
He had never seen anyone so excited to see a home before. He walked her through the entrance and showed her the drawing room, parlour, and dining hall, which were all several times the size of Madame Petellier’s.
She pointed at a large painting that had been completed shortly before his mother had passed. “Is that your mother?” she asked.
“Yes,” he confirmed, looking up at the picture that he almost never noticed anymore. It was like looking at it with new eyes when he was with Sophie. Edouard wished his mother had been there to see her, to meet her.
“She’s very beautiful,” Sophie said.
“As are you,” Edouard leaned in and said in a low voice.
Sophie blushed. “I imagine I look a fright after hanging sideways from a horse!”
He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “You look lovely. You always look lovely.”
“I’d say you were telling me lies,” she said, her beautiful eyes looking into his own. “But I somehow think you mean every word.” She paused, and when she spoke again, she held his gaze. “I’ve never felt more comfortable with someone in my life. I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone.”
It was all Edouard could do to not turn away in shame. Here was this wonderful, beautiful, trusting woman, and he didn’t deserve her. He certainly didn’t deserve her trust. Guilt wracked him, and he stepped away from her. “You are the most beautiful person I have ever known, inside and out,” he said. His heart was heavy, but he kept his tone even and his gaze steady.
Even now, you are concealing your true feelings from her, he thought. This isn’t fair to her. She wants to know you, and she should know you completely before she decides to stay. He needed time alone, to think on what to do.
