The Frenchman's Bride

“Oh la la! For your information he’s in London on business and won’t come for us until tomorrow afternoon. Paul and I have been given permission to use the apartment for special occasions. Your twenty-fifth birthday is just such an event.”

Though Hallie had never met Vincent Rolland, she secretly admired him. For a single parent he seemed to have done an excellent job of raising his children. They didn’t smoke, take drugs or abuse alcohol. Both were exceptional students, bright and charming. In Hallie’s opinion they were quite outstanding. He deserved a great deal of credit for being a terrific father.

What she couldn’t understand was why he’d sent them away to boarding school. How had he stood to be parted from them? As for the twins, they adored him. Hallie knew they lived for his visits and telephone calls.

“I’d hate to think you were taking advantage of your father’s generosity because of me.”

“Of course we’re not! As I’ve told you before, you worry about us too much. We’ll only be here for an hour. S’il te plait, don’t be a, how do you say it? Wet rug?” She stamped her well shod foot, impatient for Hallie to relax.

“You mean, blanket, and that’s a dated expression. If you want to sound modern, try saying ‘don’t be such a big fat pain.”’

They both ended up chuckling.

Such an unlikely pair they were. Hallie’s well endowed figure was four inches taller than her five-foot-four friend who possessed a small framed body.

The French girl had a chic hairdo of short, dark brown curls that shaped her Gallic head. Hallie’s chin length blond hair had been styled in a beveled cut to look ruffled. It required little care which was the whole point.

The differences didn’t end there.

Where Hallie donned the cheapest blouse and skirt she could find in the bargain barrels at Tati’s, whenever Monique was out of school and they went on longer outings to Chartres or Mont St. Michel to visit the famous abbey, she always wore Italian designer clothes.

“Salut everyone!”

Paul, Monique’s twin brother, joined them on the terrace and kissed them on both cheeks. At a lean six feet, he was as good looking as his sister. Both twins wore their clothes well. Today he was dressed in a Polo shirt and jeans. Give him another eight to ten years and he would be a very attractive man.

He and Monique acted at home here. Maybe Hallie was being too cautious, but she knew the twins attended the very top private schools. With such strict rules, she didn’t want to be the reason they bent them. It would be a shame to ruin their good records at the midnight hour.

“Thank goodness, you’ve arrived, Paul. Hallie thinks we shouldn’t be here. She’s ready to fly the croup!”

“Coop,” came Hallie’s automatic response. “That’s another expression you need to throw out. If you want to be hip, I’d better buy you the latest book of idioms. Unfortunately by the time you’ve memorized it, all of them will be dated, too.”

Paul laughed. “You’re here now and we’re not letting you go until we’ve had a toast to celebrate your birthday. Come with me.”

They followed him into the dining room where he filled three wineglasses with golden liquid. The label on the bottle featured the Rolland name.

He lifted his glass. “To you, Hallie, for making this year unforgettable. May this be your happiest birthday!”

They all clicked glasses.

Hallie didn’t drink alcohol, but she took a sip so she wouldn’t offend them. They’d planned this little party in her honor. She was touched to realize they’d gone to so much trouble.

Before she left Paris she would write them a final letter of goodbye and wish them a happy life. So why not enjoy this unexpected moment of camaraderie while they were still together.

Monique excused herself for a moment, then returned with a gaily wrapped package Paul must have brought with him.

Hallie put her glass on the table so she could open it. Inside was a beautiful chiffon designer scarf in a café-au-lait and white print. “It will look nice with your brown skirt.”

Emotion made her throat swell. “It’s lovely, Monique.” Hallie tied it around her neck in order to please her. “But you shouldn’t have done it.”

“I would have given you a lot more things, but I knew you wouldn’t accept them. At least you can wear it for the rest of the time you work at Tati’s.”

“I’ll always treasure the memory of this day,” Hallie said, not wanting to argue the point. She would mail it back to Monique with the letter; she shouldn’t be spending her money on presents.

The French girl cocked her head. “It looks very elegant with that white blouse you’re wearing.”

“It’ll look elegant with my other blouses, too.”

“I know. They’re all white,” Monique quipped.

Suddenly the three of them were laughing. They had a healthy sense of humor. Hallie loved them and was feeling the sense of loss more keenly than ever.

She wasn’t supposed to form attachments, but they’d happened anyway. First in San Diego where she’d roomed with Gaby Peris before coming to France.

Gaby, a widowed immigration attorney who’d shared an apartment with Hallie to cut down on expenses, was now married to Max Calder, an ex-CIA agent. They had a new baby girl whom Hallie had only seen in pictures. They’d named her Hallie.

“Now, if you two will excuse me, I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

Hallie eyed Monique with a puzzled expression. “We just got here. Why are you leaving?”

“She’s going to her favorite shop before it closes, aren’t you,” Paul insisted with a strange smile.

“That’s right. À bientôt—see you in a bit.”

After Monique disappeared, Hallie turned to Paul. “You’re both acting very mysteriously.”

He rubbed his palms together. “If we are it’s because I wanted to be alone with you.”

“Why?”

“So I can do something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

“What’s that?”

“This.”

In the next breath he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on her closed lips.

It came as such a complete surprise for all the obvious reasons, she decided to treat it as one of Paul’s little jokes. He was a terrible tease on occasion.

“Wow! My last kiss before I go into seclusion. You’ve definitely made this birthday unforgettable.”

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” he confessed. “Now close your eyes. I have something else to give you.”

“I think you’ve done enough for one day,” she cautioned, but he ignored her. In a lightning gesture he reached for her left hand and slid something cool and metallic on her ring finger.

Her smile faded when she glimpsed the square-cut aquamarine stone mounted in yellow gold. The gem had to be three carats at least!

The sheer clarity and color made her gasp.