He laughed good-naturedly and took a hearty pull of his wine. “Bummer. Though I’m sure you’re a wonderful writer since my mother rarely says something she doesn’t mean.”
“Are you working on anything new right now?” Éva asked as the first period came to an end.
I smiled around the rim of my glass. “I’m writing a dark retelling of a Greek mythology in the modern era.”
Inspiration struck when I first walked into the De la Croix estate and now I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.
“Oh, Darla,s’il vous plaît.” Céline clasped her hands together with a pout. “Can I please read?”
Not used to being showered with this kind of affection for my works, I laughed awkwardly, shaking my head. “Not until it’s complete. I’m stuck in a bit of a writer’s block. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I finish it.”
“Oh, no.” Céline’s face fell, then aeurekamoment hit her. “Do you need a place to write this book of yours?”
“Um, like an office?”
“Oui. This place is your home and you are family now. We always support each other’s dreams.” Céline’s radiant smile made me realize despite her deranged tendencies, my mother-in-law had a heart of gold. “We’d be more than happy to refurbish a room for an office. If you let me know your colour palette and furniture preferences, I can have something prepared for you by tomorrow evening.”
I was at a loss for words.
Here was Céline, a woman who might as well be a stranger, eager to help me get one step closer to finishing my novel, while my own mother had only ever shunned my ambitions.
The De la Croixes brought me here against my will and what I thought would be my very own prison was beginning to feel like my first taste of freedom.
It was all too much and all too fast for me. I didn’t want to lower my guard. It remained up no matter the environment I was in, except for the few moments with my husband, where I often submitted.
And yet, I still said, “Thank you, Céline. I would love that.”
“No need to thank me,” she returned. “It is my absolute pleasure.”
We watched the game for the rest of the evening, trading our dinner plates for bowls of popcorn and beer bottles. I wasn’t expecting the loud, enthusiastic way they cheered every time the Ravens scored or the silly bets they made amongst each other, making sure to include me in every wager.
Zeno and I didn’t exchange another word, but I talked plenty with Ben, Éva, Céline, and Yves.
I had this image in my head of what the De la Croixes would be like: entitled, rude, and selfish.
I’d only experienced their compassion, kindness, and laughter so far.
They were not what I was expecting at all, to the point where I almost forgot the real reason why I was here.
And that’s what scared me the most.
How easy it was to get lost in their camaraderie.
How easy it would be to become one of them.
CHAPTER 21
A Little Slice of Heaven
Darla
“This one is the master key and this is the replica.” Dacia placed both keys in my open palm.
I closed my fist. “Thank you for doing this so quickly.”
I intercepted François last night after dinner, pretending to bump into him like I had one too many drinks. On the notch of his belt, he carried a small bunch of keys. I snatched them before he could notice and scurried back to my room like a mouse.
Around 1:00 a.m. when everyone had gone to bed, I tested each key in the locked room next to mine until I found the master one. I texted Dacia right away to come pick it up so we could have a locksmith make a copy overnight. Then I slipped the bunch back into the servants’ quarter at an ungodly hour.