The Frenchman's Bride

“I’ll bet you can,” his father bit out. “Just as you can explain how many times you’ve brought her to my apartment since last fall.”

“I’ve never been here before this evening,” Hallie addressed him in a quiet voice.

Right now she wasn’t concerned for herself. It was his debilitating anger toward Paul that worried her. Monsieur Rolland had every reason to be upset, but the man was livid. To humiliate his son in front of her was doing much more harm than good.

“Of course you haven’t.” He sent her a mocking smile. “Just as you had no idea that stone is the real thing.” His eyes impaled her. “I wonder what else you’ve managed to wangle out of him.”

Such cynicism explained Monique’s remarks earlier. Like father, like daughter.

Hallie eyed him without flinching. “I’d be happy to discuss this with you, but I think you should talk to your son alone first.”

His glacial smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m not interested in what you think, Ms. Linn. The more you say, the more I’m convinced the ring is only part of an elaborate scheme of extortion only a brazen young woman of your obvious charms would dream up to keep him in your thrall.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Paul cried. “You have no right to speak to Halli—”

“Enough!” His father silenced him. “Do you think me a complete imbecile? Don’t you ever shout at me like that again, and don’t ever speak to me of rights. You’ve forfeited any of yours by abusing my trust.”

As if on cue Monique made her entrance. “Me voici!” she called from the foyer. “I’ve returned. Your time is up, Paul. I’m giving you fair warning in case I’m interrupting anything…”

Monique’s words set the seal on this incredible tableau of misunderstanding. The little monkey had aided and abetted her brother so he could be alone with Hallie. It was a total revelation to her.

She couldn’t understand how the twins would think she could have a romantic interest in Paul, who was so much younger. To spend all these months with her and still not appreciate her commitment to the vocation she’d chosen to follow…

The more she thought about it, the more she supposed it was a case of two idealistic young people believing what they wanted to believe.

From what they’d told Hallie, their mother had died in childbirth. After being separated from their father this last year, no matter how hard he’d tried to be an attentive parent and stay in close contact with them, they’d clung to Hallie. And this was the result!

“So—the prodigal daughter returns to the scene of the crime loaded with more clothes than are humanly decent.”

The moment Monique entered the dining room, her face turned to a study in bewilderment. She came to a standstill in front of her father. “Papa,” she murmured, clearly shocked by his presence. “I thought you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”

“Obviously.” He clipped out. “Otherwise this clandestine little arrangement would have gone undetected. What is it, nine months now that Ms. Linn has been given carte blanche to exploit my children and their propensity for handing over their material goods, which you’ve conveniently forgotten I provide?” he thundered.

“I’m surprised you had enough money left to purchase anything at all!” He plucked the box from under Monique’s arm and opened it. Out slithered a flaming red cocktail dress. “Is this another contribution to the impoverished Ms. Linn?”

Hallie didn’t think her blouse and skirt looked that bad.

“She’s obviously doing very nicely by you two. Let’s see…a designer scarf, a Givenchy dress and a nine thousand dollar ring.”

Nine thousand dollars—

Her shocked gaze met his.

“That’s quite a haul for one day’s work, Ms. Linn.” The skin around his lips had turned a noticeable white.

“Papa—” Monique gasped, shaking her head. Tears filled her eyes. “What’s wrong? You are totally mistaken about everything, mon pere.”

He straightened to his full height. “It seems my daughter as well as my son has been thoroughly duped. You do know the meaning of the word, as in taken—conned—” His chest heaved.

“By Hallie?” Monique cried. “Impossible!” She stamped her foot, a habit of hers when she took a stand. “This was a surprise birthday party for her. She knew nothing! In fact she was so worried we might get into trouble, she almost didn’t come in the taxi with me.”

“But she did come,” her father rejoindered. “Take a good look. Until a moment ago she was wearing a small fortune and thanking your brother in that age old feminine way that leads a man to his destruction.”

His reaction didn’t add up to the man the twins idolized. That person was a success in his business affairs, and a hero to his family. The unbending male standing a few feet from her bore little resemblance to the paragon of her imagination.

“Don’t you realize she’s made utter fools of you both, and gives me great cause to reflect on my own effectiveness as a parent,” he ground out.

Hallie heard agony in his voice just now. In spite of his anger, it tugged at her.

“You two will go downstairs now, and take a taxi back to your schools. I’ll visit you after I’ve had a little chat with Ms. Linn.”

The combination of pain and bitterness in Paul’s eyes caused Hallie to fear for the relationship between him and his father.

Paul’s anger was more frightening than his parent’s because he was young and vulnerable, and had been caught redhanded at a very precarious moment in his life. It would take him much longer to forgive his father.

Her heart sank when he stormed out of the dining room and Monsieur Rolland let him go.

Monique stared up at her father like she’d never seen him before. Then her injured glance shifted to Hallie. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed the words before hurrying after her brother.

The minute Hallie heard the elevator doors close she said, “Please don’t let them leave this way. Run after them quickly and apologize before any more damage is done!”

CHAPTER TWO

VINCENT ROLLAND’S eyes glittered with menace.

“It’s a little late to be talking about damage, particularly if you’re pregnant. But Paul couldn’t know of your secret yet, otherwise he would never have left here without you.”

Whoa. “Haven’t your children ever mentioned me to you? Not even once?”

He looked like a man who’d had about all he could take.

“I didn’t know of your existence until I saw my son kissing you with enough passion to convince me he’s moved way beyond rational thought.

“I’m warning you now, Ms. Linn— No woman is going to trap my son into a travesty of a marriage and put him in bondage for the rest of his mortal life.

“If you’re pregnant, you’ll never have the opportunity to blackmail him. Before morning you’ll be on a plane to wherever you came from with enough money to satisfy even your colossal greed.”

This was a side of the twins’ father she doubted they knew anything about. Perhaps he was wealthier than Hallie had imagined. Naturally he would want to be certain his children weren’t being preyed upon. But to assume she was pregnant and accuse her of manipulating his son without giving her or Paul a chance to explain, fueled her anger.

“I’m not pregnant. But if I were, are you telling me you would bribe me into going away, knowing I was carrying your grandchild inside my body?” she asked incredulously. “You would deprive Paul of his own child to love and raise?”

A harsh laugh came out of him. “Who said anything about it being Paul’s?”

All these months Hallie had secretly revered the twins’ father, but no longer.

“Be careful before you say anything else you’ll live to regret, monsieur. Paul took us both by surprise today, but since you weren’t capable of listening to reason, I fear your reaction will have caused real damage to your relationship with him.

“The truth is, I had no idea he’d developed a crush on me. Boys do that on occasion around an older woman. However I didn’t realize it until a few minutes before you walked in.”