At the Chateau for Christmas Read online

  The ache in her voice matched his longing for her. “Let’s not talk about your going back to the States yet. I have an idea. Tonight why don’t we stay in the little hotel we passed a minute ago?”

  She spun around, visibly shocked.

  “We’ll each get a room with a seafront view. You have to be here when the sun starts to come up in the morning. I’ll set my watch alarm and we’ll enjoy it together from one of our terraces. There’s a faint lavender that emerges from the darkness and starts to turn to pink, bathing the coast in fantastic colors every great artist has tried to capture on canvas.”

  Laura stared at him. He could hear her mind turning it over. “We didn’t bring anything with us.”

  “Besides ourselves?” His heart thumped in his chest. She hadn’t said no. He held his breath. “No, we didn’t, but does it matter? One night out of our lives?” Laura had to know what he was asking. They were running out of time. Meanwhile, Nic’s’ sorrow over her imminent departure was killing him. If they had to say goodbye, he wanted to do it here.

  “No,” she answered softly. “I’d love to stay here.”

  Adrenaline surged through his veins. “After we eat breakfast on the terrace, we’ll go back to the villa. There’ll be plenty of time to get ready and be at the attorney’s office by ten.”

  She nodded.

  Together they retraced their steps to the charming little hotel carved out of the rock. He arranged for two rooms side by side on the second floor, overlooking the water. He flicked her a glance. “There’s coffee or tea in the rooms. Would you rather have something in addition sent up?”

  “After that marvelous dinner I couldn’t manage anything else, but thank you.”

  He took the keys and handed one to her before they ascended the circular staircase. “I’ll come by in five minutes to say good-night.”

  * * *

  Laura let herself inside and locked the door. She should have told Nic she wanted to go back to the villa, but when she thought of never seeing him again, she couldn’t stand it. A sadness washed over her, so intense she felt sick.

  At first her mind waged the inner argument that staying here in separate rooms wasn’t any different than staying in the guest bedroom at his villa. Except that it was different.

  Though the whole world might not know what was going on, she knew. She’d fallen desperately in love with Nic. She wanted to be with him all the time, in every way. But he was Dorine’s husband. Being here with him under these circumstances was wrong.

  She couldn’t do this!

  In the next breath she bolted out the door and ran straight into his tall, hard body.

  “Nic—” She recoiled from the contact.

  His features looked drawn. “Let’s go home. I saw guilt written in your eyes before you shut the door.”

  He knew her too well. “I—I’m sorry.”

  “No. I’m the one who’s sorry for putting you in a compromising position.”

  “Don’t forget I came with you.”

  “Nevertheless it won’t happen again.” She heard it in his voice. He meant it. “Do you need anything from the room?”

  “Just my purse.”

  “Then get it and I’ll meet you downstairs in the lobby.”

  Though she was relieved that they were leaving, another part of her cried out that she’d just ruined the night they could have had together away from everyone else. Before she changed her mind again, she grabbed her purse and hurried below to join him. Neither of them spoke as they walked along the trail to the car.

  “Nic,” she began once they were headed back to Nice, “I—”

  “Don’t say anything.”

  “I have to! We talked about this on the cruiser. I should have had the strength to tell you I wanted to go home after we said good-night to Yves.” She lowered her head. “I won’t deny I find you very attractive. I wanted tonight to go on and on. This has taken me by complete surprise. I thought Adam meant more to me than he does.”

  “Laura—” His voice rasped.

  “No. Let me finish while I can. You’re a red-blooded man. After three years without any news of your wife, you have every reason to want to be with another woman. But Yves confided in me that in all that time, you haven’t been disloyal to Dorine’s memory. That says more about the kind of honorable man you are than anything else I can think of. So I’ve made a decision.

  “After we visit the attorney in the morning, I’m going to tell Maurice I need to get back to San Francisco. I know he wants to send me on the Valfort jet, so let’s arrange for the boxes to be put on board and I’ll fly out later tomorrow. He’ll understand when I tell him that I need to get back to Mom, who needs my support. I must get home and deal with that situation before any more time passes.”

  She saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Maurice will have a hard time letting you go.”

  “I’ll stay in close touch with him. We’ll video chat and talk on the phone. I love him and want him in my life. If he’s up to it in a few months, I’ll invite him to come and stay with me for a week at my condo.”

  A grimace marred Nic’s features. He didn’t comment. They rode the rest of the way in silence.

  When they reached the villa, she turned to him. “I’ll get my bag packed tonight so I’ll be ready to go to the airport after we go to the attorney’s office tomorrow.”

  He didn’t say anything, but she was relieved they were home. She hurried inside and ran straight to her room. After undressing, she took a shower, then packed everything except what she’d wear for the flight home.

  Before she climbed under the covers, she picked up the scarf. This was all she would have of Nic to take home with her. Once the lights were out, she clutched it to her, remembering how it had felt when he’d put it around her neck. Their lips had only been a centimeter apart.

  The memory was too much for her. Her need for him was too great. She turned over and buried her face in the pillow until it was sopping wet.

  When morning came, she saw herself in the bathroom mirror and moaned at her blotchy face. Her eyes were actually red from crying. It took a good hour to restore herself to some semblance of order.

  After arranging her hair in a twist with one of her clips, she dressed in the tweed suit she’d worn when she’d first arrived in Nice. Somehow she managed to pull herself together. From a distance, the person standing in front of the mirror looked like the professional businesswoman. But she’d never fool Nic.

  As Laura walked through the house with her suitcase, she found him by the French doors talking on the phone. Their eyes met for a heart-pounding moment before she searched out Arlette to thank her for everything. Then she returned to the dining room and sat down to help herself to breakfast.

  This would be her last meal with Nic. Everything she did with him today would be for the final time. She couldn’t bear it, but somehow she had to find the strength.

  This morning he’d put on a claret-red turtleneck sweater and dark trousers. Combined with his black hair and hard-muscled physique, he couldn’t have looked more dashing. To never see him again was something she couldn’t comprehend.

  He clicked off and joined her. His features had taken on a chiseled cast. “That was the detective. He’s learned nothing from Interpol and doesn’t feel the answer lies with overseas team members. I told him about the conversation you and I had about the park. I’ve convinced him a search is worth doing—I told him money is no object. He has agreed to arrange for a massive ground search of Sophia Antipolis. He’s hoping to get it underway within the next seven days.”

  She looked down at her roll. “The expense will be enormous, Nic.”

  “It’ll be worth it. Even if nothing turns up, I will have done everything possible to find Dorine. I have you to thank for that.”

 
Laura couldn’t swallow for a minute. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Oh, but you did. I’d put aside the idea of searching the whole area a long time ago, feeling it would be futile. Then you talked to me about it. Even if it’s been three years, you convinced me some kind of a clue could turn up. It’s worth any amount of money and man-hours to find out.”

  Her eyes smarted with tears. “I’m going to pray they find something, Nic.”

  “Me, too,” he whispered. “I plan to join them. Yves will help. So will my cousins.”

  For a number of reasons Laura couldn’t stay to help in the search, but it didn’t mean she didn’t want to. For him to find closure would help him to really live again. “I’m so glad the detective is planning to organize it soon.”

  Nic glanced at his watch. “It’s time we headed for the attorney’s office in Nice.”

  She nodded. “I’ll just get my purse.”

  Laura had put it on the dresser. As she reached for it, she noticed the scarf lying on the floor at the side of the bed. After a slight hesitation, she picked it up and draped it around her neck. She wanted him to know she loved it.

  With the sun shining, she needed to put on her sunglasses to shield her red-rimmed eyes. Nic sent her a piercing glance as they drove out to the main road. It was as if he were telling her it was too late to hide anything from him. “I had that suit in mind when I saw the scarf.”

  “You have a discerning eye. It goes perfectly with it. I’ll always treasure it.” Her voice caught.

  He reached out a hand to squeeze hers before releasing it. “I phoned the pilot, who will have the jet fueled and ready to go any time after two. The storage company will deliver your boxes before takeoff.”

  “You always take care of everything.” She crossed her legs restlessly. “Have you talked to Maurice this morning?”

  “No. I thought we’d drop in on him at the château when we’ve finished our business with Monsieur Broussard. He’s in the same firm with our family attorney and has spoken with him about your decision to will the property back to Maurice. There won’t be any problem. Since you didn’t take possession or sign anything yet, you won’t have to pay taxes.”

  Laura groaned. “I forgot about those. A fine businesswoman I am.”

  “These were unusual circumstances.”

  The man seated next to her was a breed apart from other men. How was she going to get through the rest of her life without him?

  “Nic—” She glanced over at him. “Do you think Maurice will be terribly hurt?”

  “To be honest, I know he’s so happy you came to Nice in the first place, he’ll be fine with your decision. After all, it was your grandmother who willed the summerhouse to you. He was only carrying out her wishes. In exchange he got himself the granddaughter he’d always wanted to know.”

  She bit the underside of her lip so hard it drew blood. “What do you think he’ll do with it?”

  “Before he makes any decision, I’m thinking of buying it.”

  Laura sat straight up. “You?”

  He eyed her curiously. “Though I loved the château, the summerhouse was my fort when I was young.”

  “You’re kidding!” she cried softly.

  “Being that it was abandoned, it provided the perfect endroit for playing war with no one else around. Yves and I spent years there with our friends. It was my favorite place to be. I thought that when I grew up, I’d make enough money to buy it.”

  “That’s so touching, Nic.”

  “Unfortunately because I thought of it as my own, it took me time to adjust to the idea that Maurice decided to restore it so he could live there with Irene.”

  At this point Laura was totally fascinated. “Did Maurice know how you felt?”

  “I doubt he knew that in refurbishing it, he’d robbed me of part of my boyhood delights. But after they moved in, they welcomed me to come any time. Irene always encouraged me to stay over whenever I felt like it, so it took away the sting.”

  “Until you found out he’d given it to my grandmother. That would have hurt.”

  He shook his head. “By then I was all grown-up and liked her too much to be upset.”

  “Even though she willed it to the enemy?”

  He flicked her a glance. “We know how that turned out, don’t we,” he said in a husky voice.

  Her heart jumped. She’d fallen in love with the enemy.

  Laura had no idea all this had been going on inside him. “If you bought it from Maurice, what would you do with it?”

  “Live there.”

  She blinked. “But what about your villa?”

  “I need to separate myself from the past. The villa was Dorine’s idea from start to finish. Since her disappearance I’ve thought of moving, but haven’t been able to settle on anything I’ve seen.”

  “Except for the summerhouse,” she whispered.

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t think he’ll move back in?”

  “Frankly, I don’t. It has too many memories for him. But if I lived there, he could come and go at will. I’d be near enough to help watch out for him. He’s not getting any younger. Neither is Auguste. My parents already need additional help in the caretaking department.”

  “He loves you so much.”

  “It’s mutual. I have a few ideas to convert the greenhouse in the back into a laboratory for my work. The light is exceptional. Since he had it remodeled, my siblings and cousins would all love the chance to buy it. If I tell Maurice I want it, he’ll be fair and announce it to the family. Everyone will make a bid for it. Hopefully mine will come in higher than the other offers.”

  During their conversation they’d driven into the heart of Nice. Nic turned a corner and parked in front of an office building. “Let’s get this over so you can spend the rest of the time with Grandfather before you fly away.”

  Fly away. That’s what Laura would be doing in a few hours. She wondered if you could die from the pain of heartache.

  Once they were inside the building, a secretary escorted them to a suite where Monsieur Broussard was waiting. Nic made the introductions before the brown-haired attorney asked them to be seated.

  “I’ve been alerted to the particulars, Ms. Tate, and have all the papers here. It’s your wish to will the property willed to you by your deceased grandmother to Maurice Valfort?”

  “That’s correct. I live and work in San Francisco, California. I couldn’t be here enough or maintain it in order to warrant keeping it.”

  “I understand. What we’ll do is issue a quitclaim deed. It will take about ten minutes. When you’re ready to sign, I’ll ask two of my colleagues to step inside and witness it.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “What is the full name of Maurice?”

  “Maurice Sancerre Valfort,” Nic supplied.

  “Excellent.”

  Laura heard Nic’s cell phone ring. He checked the caller ID before looking at her. “I need to take this call. It’s Lieutenant Thibault.”

  She couldn’t have been happier about it. “Go ahead.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He stepped out of the office.

  If he hadn’t gotten that call, she would have been forced to ask him to leave on some errand for her. This had worked out perfectly. The second he closed the door, she leaned forward. “Monsieur Broussard, while we’re alone, I need to change something on the deed.”

  He lifted his head. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not willing the house to Maurice. It’s going to go to someone else, but I don’t want Maurice or Nic to know about it until it’s signed, sealed and delivered.”

  His brows furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s very simple. Since I own the house and my grandmother told me
I could do whatever I wanted with it, I’ve decided I’m going to give it to the one person who should have it.”

  “Who would that be?”

  “Maurice’s grandson, Nicholas Valfort. Nic watched out for his grandfather and my grandmother for years. As you know, the château is close to the summerhouse. Maurice lives in the château now. With Nic living in the summerhouse, they’d both be closer so Nic can help look after him. But we need to do this quickly before he comes back inside.”

  The older man had to digest it for a minute. “If you’re certain.”

  “I’ve never been so certain of anything in my life.” He needed to live in a place he’d always loved that wouldn’t have the same reminders of Dorine.

  “I’d like you to send all the paperwork to Maurice. While you’re finishing up, I need to write a note.” She reached in her purse for small notebook and tore out a sheet. “When I’ve finished, will you ask your secretary to type up what I’ve written and put it with the documents? Maurice can be the one to let Nic know what I’ve done.” The attorney nodded. “Do you swear you’ll keep this a secret until after it’s been delivered to Maurice?”

  He eyed her for a long time. “I swear.”

  “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. Nic is the most wonderful man alive. This gift is going to make him so happy you can’t imagine.”

  A faint smile broke out on Broussard’s face. “Do you have any concept of the value of that property? Some would be willing to pay a king’s ransom for it.”

  “I don’t care about that.”

  “Then you’re a very generous woman.”

  “A thankful woman,” she corrected him. “Because of Nic, I was united with the grandfather I never knew. He, in turn, helped me to know the grandmother who’d been lost to me. I owe Nic a debt of gratitude I can never repay. He flew my grandmother’s body back to California and let me know she’d left me a gift. It’s beyond price.”

  If she wasn’t mistaken, the lawyer’s eyes looked suspiciously bright. “I’ll just grab a new sheet and start over again.”

  “Thank you.”