“I think you’d be surprised at how brave you really are, if you only thought about it.” Then he added more seriously. “You can wear whatever it is a pretty girl like you would wear on a perfect summer’s day like this.” Then he began to back away, which was good, because she’d begun flushing madly at his compliment. “Thirty minutes,” he reminded her.
“I’ll be there in twenty-five,” she promised. She felt excitement and curiosity rise within her. An early morning ride and a mysterious outing with Alex? It was going to be a good day.
So many clothes, and yet she had no idea what to wear! Her bedroom was soon a maelstrom of flying cloth, as she rummaged through her drawers and riffled through the racks of outfits. She settled on a simple, butter-yellow Dior dress of light cotton, dotted all over with tiny red flowers that punched up the red of her hair, pairing it with cushion cut diamond studs with a floating diamond necklace and bracelet. As she slipped on the bracelet, she happened to catch the glint of the exquisite engagement ring Alex had slipped on her finger a mere three weeks before.
The thought that her life had changed so much so fast almost floored her.How had all this happened?she wondered.When did my life get so good?
She slid her feet into a pair of leather Miu Miu sandals, which had quickly become a favorite, spritzed on some perfume and smoothed on a cool nude matte lipstick. She was ready with three minutes to spare.
Smiling to herself, she slipped through the door and shut it behind her—only to find Alex seated on one of the ornately carved benches that lined the many halls of the château.
“Oh,” she huffed. She hadn’t expected to meet him here. Her eyes were drawn down the length of him, taking in every inch of his casual yet urbane clothing. He wore a pair of dark jeans that fit him so well she wondered if they were bespoke. But then again, this was Alex, offcoursethey were bespoke! A simple off-white linen shirt brought the deep chocolate of his hair and eyes into contrast, and for the hundredth time she wondered how a man sporting his dark stubble managed to look so well-tended and sexy rather than unkempt.
“Jacyn?”
“Huh?”
“You were staring?” He seemed amused.
“I was not!” She felt her face heat up.
“Very well,” he answered agreeably, in a tone that said,Liar, liar!He offered her his elbow, and she took it only after a second’s hesitation.All part of the masquerade,she reminded herself.This is what I’m here for.
A gold-toned car idled in the driveway just to the right of the steps, where, she assumed, someone like Hassan had brought it. It waited patiently, like a big dog for its master. As Alex led her around to the passenger seat, she noticed the imposing horse logo on the shield at the front. It was a Ferrari. Lower-slung than the one he had back in the States—the one she’d tried to destroy. It was more expensive looking and very likely faster, but still a Ferrari. She could live to be a hundred and still not confuse that logo with that of a Mustang ever again!
Alex seemed to know what she was thinking, and gave her a wicked grin, but mercifully didn’t bother to taunt her as he helped her get buckled in. Instead, he asked, “Comfy?”
“Very.”
As they pulled away, Jacyn looked up and saw Madeline, sitting on the balcony where she’d begun to spend time with her every day. Jacyn waved, and the solemn woman brightened immediately, waving back at her with a thin arm upraised. The two women smiled at each other until the balcony was out of view.
Jacyn sank back into her seat, with its thickly padded leather upholstery, feeling a swirl of emotions. She was excited to see where Alex was taking her, and glad to be in his company, but her positive mood was threaded through with feelings of remorse. The happiness on his mother’s face almost made her hate herself. How could she continue lying to this wonderful, frail woman? It was clear that Madeline had taken to her new “future daughter-in-law”. How would she handle it at the end of summer when her devil’s compact with Alex was over, and they both returned to the States to go their separate ways?
As usual, Alex had an uncanny way of knowing what was going on through her head. They slid onto one of the narrower country roads, with the château growing smaller and smaller behind them, he offered comfort her. “It will be okay, you know.”
“You think?” she asked.
“I promise,” he said confidently.
She wasn’t so sure.
She sat back and concentrated on enjoying the countryside that sped past, as Alex expertly guided the car along the roads. On a conscious level, she knew they were going fast, but the ride was so smooth it almost felt as if they were gliding, slowly, suspended on a cushion and suspended in time.
Alexandre pulled up outside a massive stone wall, which looked to be a couple of centuries old, but which also bore an incongruous security system featuring a keypad, intercom, and camera. He didn’t need to wind down the window to hit the intercom as they’d had the top down for most of the ride. It was only thanks to her own homemade hair products that her hair stayed in place, rather than doing its own interpretation of Medusa’s mane.
Alex spoke rapidly into the intercom, and Jacyn noticed, much to her surprise, that she understood what he was saying. It was almost as if her few weeks in France—coupled with Madeline’s amused attempts at teaching her a few phrases, had allowed her to absorb some of the language.
The narrow gates opened with the grinding screech of metal against metal, and in they drove to a wonderland.
Jacyn stared around herself, disbelieving. It was like being adrift on a sea in a small boat, except that the sea that went on and on forever and comprised flowers. Her knowledgeable eye identified the botanicals, laid out in huge squares like a patchwork quilt. Rows of purple lavender were followed by the stark white of jasmine. Beyond them were the geraniums: pink and peach, fuchsia and purple. At the perimeter, she saw citrus trees, but was too far away to identify them: were they lemon or lime? Orange or bergamot?
All she knew was, this was heaven.I’m dead,Jacyn thought.I passed away peacefully in my sleep and here I am, in paradise.Before he could even set the parking brake, she threw Alex a joyful, beaming smile, flung open the car door, and took off. She headed straight for the lavender, her favorite scent, running up the aisles between the beds, feeling the tightly bundled blossoms whip against her legs. She wanted to throw herself into a flower bed, lie on her back and swing her arms up and down as if she was making a snow angel. The only thing that stopped her was respect for the owners of this astounding field, whoever they were.
She heard the sound of footsteps behind her, and knew that Alex was close. But she couldn’t stop. Couldn’t bear to stop.
As she entered the beds of jasmine, they seemed to rise up to greet her. Filling her nostrils, lungs and heart with their heady fragrance. Amazing, she marveled. To be here, in this moment, in this beautiful place.
Brought here by this conundrum of a man who could be so ruthless, so aloof, yet so considerate, warm and kind. Nobody had ever done anything like this for her, planned anything that was certain to touch her heart like this. She didn’t realize she was crying until the first droplets of tears touched her cheek.Oh,she thought, brushing it away.That’s stupid.But then more fell.