He smiled. “Thisisour property. We are on the family’s grounds. We keep the helipad away from the buildings to reduce the noise nuisance factor, as well as to make takeoff and landing safer.”
She looked incredulous. “So this isyourheliport?”
Instead of answering, he pointed. “My home is just beyond those trees. We can walk, if you like. It’s only about ten minutes.” He examined her face and changed his mind. “No, maybe another day. You must be exhausted. Today, we ride. We will stroll around the property another time,oui?”
She nodded gratefully.
Courteously, he seated her in the back seat of the limousine, then climbed in after her. He signaled to the driver that he was ready to go.
Home.
As they rounded the familiar bend, the homestead came into view so suddenly that even he was taken by surprise. He heard Jacyn gasp, and then she turned to him with accusing eyes. “This is your—”
“Oui.”
“This isn’t a house.”
“Non.”
“It’s not even a mansion!” She glared at him as if he’d lied to her, when, in fact, he had merely withheld information. “This is a palace!”
He shook his head. “Technically, no. A palace is the official residence of a monarch. This,” he waved at the massive stone building, standing well back from the huge black wrought-iron gates and topped with towering gray slate roofs, “is a château. It was gifted to my ancestor centuries ago by the King of France for his allegiance to the monarchy.”
“Well, that’s different, then,” she muttered sarcastically.
Alex gave her a cool look meant to steady both her nerves and his. “We have arrived. In just a few moments, we will meet my family. Please bear the terms of our agreement in mind.” In other words, behave.
She got the message.
The limo drew up to gray stone steps and Jacyn made a move to get out. A look from Alex froze her in her seat. As the driver got out and moved to open the door, Alex signaled him to step aside with a single gesture of the head, then he walked around with slow dignity, gathering his thoughts as he did so, and held out his hand to help her out. They were now on center stage, the start of this bizarre show. Could they make it work?
As they mounted the steps, the door opened. He expected to see the familiar family butler, Mr. Morel, so he already had a well-mannered smile on his face.
The smile turned to icicles.
It was his brother, William, elder by two years, and his sister-in-law, Sofia. The love of Alex’s life.
With each step he took, his body felt more and more like petrified wood. At his side, Jacyn slipped an arm around him in a gesture that was protective, and comforting, and warm. Maybe she sensed his tension, or maybe she was just playing her part.
Heavens bless her either way.
William stepped forward, looking more mature than Alex had remembered him, more muscled, more tanned. His brown hair was crisply cut, and his eyes, a more golden brown to Alex’s deep chestnut, were cautious.
“Alex,” he said. Then he wavered, as Alex did, wondering what to do or say.
This man blew his life apart with his savagery and selfishness, Alex thought. The man who had been his brother and friend was now a stranger.
In the end, it was William who made the first move, holding out his hand.“Bienvenu.”
Alex hesitated, but for a mere second. Given all that William had done, did he really even want to make that initial contact? But he was to the manner born and having good manners was imperative. He clasped his brother’s cool hand and nodded. “Merci, William. I trust you are well?”
William nodded.
Despite his discomfort, Alex remembered his manners. “Jacyn, I would like to introduce you to my brother William Dubois,le sixième Comte d'Ambly des Ayvellesand his wife Comtesse Sofia.”
Jacyn’s brows shot up. “Count?” she mouthed incredulously, but fortunately did not say out loud. She threw Alex a quick you-neglected-to-mention-that look.
Alex gave her an apologetic shrug. He rarely talked about belonging to a royal house and was glad that as the second son, he would never attain the title. In his opinion, if William wanted to cling to the family title, fine. But this was the 21stcentury. He no longer lived in the old world and preferred to win admiration and deference the modern way—through his own hard work and success.