‘Here as in staying in the village, and before you start in on my manners, yes, I offered her a room, which she declined. Dammit, Simone! Why didn’t you warn me that you’d sent for her? And why the hell didn’t you tell Josien?’
Simone’s expression grew guarded. ‘I left a message on Gaby’s answering machine saying her mother was ill. That’s all I did. What was there to tell?’
‘You knew she’d come,’ muttered Luc darkly.
‘I thought she’d call first.’
‘Well, she didn’t.’
‘So what happened?’ asked Simone warily.
Luc gave it to his sister straight. ‘Josien wouldn’t talk to her. Wouldn’t even look at her.’
A barrage of swear words followed his announcement, none of them becoming to a lady. ‘So then what happened?’ demanded Simone. ‘Did you make Gabrielle feel welcome?’
‘Sort of.’
‘Sort of? For heaven’s sake, Luc, you’re a grown man! Would it have killed you to behave like one?’
‘I did behave like one,’ he said grimly.
Simone halted, midway between the fridge and the counter. ‘Oh, hell,’ she said. ‘You still want her.’
Luc didn’t deny it. What he didn’t reveal to his sister was just how intense his desire for Gabrielle had been. He’d barely been able to control it. And he needed to. ‘Gabrielle needs a friend right now, Simone, and it can’t be me,’ he said gruffly. ‘I don’t want to do wrong by her again.’
Simone’s gaze softened. ‘Dear heart,’ she said. ‘The way I remember it, you’ve never done Gaby wrong. Others have—most certainly they have. But not you.’
‘You’re a little biased,’ he said.
Simone smiled. ‘Only a little.’
‘She’s staying at the old mill house,’ he offered next and exhaled his relief as his sister upended a wicker basket full of oranges onto the counter and hastily started refilling it with a variety of foodstuffs from the refrigerator. ‘You’re going after her?’
‘Of course I’m going after her,’ said Simone. ‘Isn’t that what you want? Somebody has to make her feel welcome.’
* * *
Gabrielle woke to the sound of vigorous pounding on her door. She sat up with a groan, slung her legs over the side of the bed, and pushed the heavy fall of dark curls from her face before checking her wristwatch for the time. Eight p.m. French time and the early hours of the morning by Australian reckoning. She’d slept for almost three hours. Now she’d never get back to sleep for the night. ‘Who is it?’
‘Simone,’ said yet another voice from her past, albeit a voice currently heavy with impatience. Gabrielle went to the door and unlocked it gingerly before swinging it open. She didn’t know if she could cope with any more blasts from the past today. Between them, Luc and Josien had proved quite sufficient. She stared for a moment at the elegant raven-haired beauty in the navy-blue suit, trying to reconcile the image of cool sophistication standing before her with the hoyden that had been Simone. And then she saw the magnum of champagne in the woman’s left hand and the basket full of delicacies at her feet and knew that the hoyden was alive and well beneath those daunting designer clothes.
‘Look at you, sleepyhead,’ said Simone, and Gabrielle found herself enclosed in a warm and perfumed embrace. ‘I couldn’t believe it when Luc told me you’d come home. Why didn’t you call me? I’d have picked you up from the airport. I’d have made all the arrangements. Oh, look at you!’ Tears gathered in Simone’s expressive brown eyes. ‘I always knew you’d grow to be even more beautiful than your mother. It was always there. In your eyes; and in your heart.’ Simone pulled back. ‘Luc told me what happened with Josien, Gaby. I could strangle her. Josien did call for you, I swear she did. I thought she wanted to make amends. I’d have never left that message for you otherwise. Never.’
‘I know,’ said Gabrielle. ‘I knew my welcome would probably be somewhat…cool. But I came anyway. You must think I’m crazy.’
‘No,’ said Simone gently. ‘Not crazy. Hopeful. I made us a picnic,’ she said, stepping back to the door to retrieve her basket. ‘And I don’t care where we eat it.’ She hefted the magnum up to eye level to reveal the label. ‘The day you left I stole two bottles of our oldest and finest and hid them in the caves. I swore on my sainted mother’s grave that the day you returned we would drink one of them. Of course, I never expected you to stay away so long. What kept you?’
Gabrielle felt her lips curve, she couldn’t help it. Finally, a welcome without restraint. ‘I was busy growing up and carving out a life for myself in Australia,’ she said dryly. ‘And I want to know what you’re saving the second bottle for.’
‘You’ll see,’ said Simone. ‘About this picnic… Shall we eat it here on the bed or shall we dine somewhere where we can see the clouds? We could head for our old picnic spot.’
‘So we could.’ Gabrielle eyed Simone’s attire sceptically. ‘You look every bit the successful businesswoman you always vowed you’d be, but are you sure you’ll be able to walk up the track in those shoes without breaking your neck?’
Simone looked down at her stiletto-clad feet and frowned. ‘You’re right. I really hadn’t thought this through. Luc shoved me out of the house so fast I forgot to change clothes.’ She stared at the small double bed, then cast her eye around the poky little room. ‘I lied. I do care where we eat and this isn’t the place. We’ll have to go back to Caverness so I can change clothes.’
‘No,’ said Gabrielle hastily. ‘No way. I’m sorry, Simone. I’ll meet you up at our picnic spot if you like, but I’ve had enough of Caverness for one day.’ If Gabrielle went back to the chateau right now she’d only start throwing things again. Namely herself. At Luc.
‘It’s just a house,’ said Simone, and, at Gabrielle’s level stare, ‘Okay, a castle. A very big castle.’
‘No.’
‘I’ll smuggle you in and smuggle you out,’ said Simone. ‘Just like the old days. No one will ever know.’
‘Luc would know.’ He’d always known.
‘All right then,’ said Simone. ‘Let’s approach this like rational, sensible, intelligent women. I’ll just borrow your clothes and get changed here.’
‘I like it,’ said Gabrielle. ‘But I’m warning you I shopped for clothes in Singapore on the way over and had to sit on my suitcases to get them to shut. There’s wreckage within those cases that I’m not sure you’re ready for. There’s chaos in there that I’m not sure I’m ready for.’
‘Unleash it,’ said Simone, and released the champagne cork quietly and without spilling a drop of the precious liquid. ‘I live for chaos.’ Setting the magnum on the bedside table, Simone began to rummage through the basket at her feet. ‘I could have sworn I put some champagne flutes in here somewhere. Special picnic ones.’
‘Plastic ones?’ said Gabrielle.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Simone. ‘Heathen. Where have you been living these past seven years? Ah, here they are.’ She brandished them aloft with a flourish. ‘Not plastic. Polish crystal. Perfectly shaped, beautifully balanced, and as delicately made as petals on a rose. Plastic champagne flutes,’ muttered Simone with a shudder as she filled the two glasses and handed one to Gabrielle. ‘God help us and welcome home.’
They ate atop the highest hill in the area, surrounded by grapevines and with the rooftops of the chateau spread out below them, and, in the distance, the rooftops and church spires of the village.
‘What will you do while you’re here?’ asked Simone after the last crumbs of cheese had been nibbled and the last sliver of pâté had been devoured. ‘Luc said you planned to stay in the area for a few weeks.’
Gabrielle nodded. ‘I came here on business as well as to see Maman. Rafe and I make wine these days.’
‘Oh?’ said Simone, her voice a little too offhand to actually be offhand. ‘What kind of wine?’
‘Cabernet sauvignon, mostly, and some cabernet merlot. For the high end of the market and worth every cent. We’re looking to extend our export opportunities into Europe and set up a distribution arm. It makes sense to look for premises in the place we know best.’
‘Rafael wishes to return?’ said Simone.
‘No. Not Rafe. Just me.’
‘Oh.’
‘Don’t sound so disappointed.’ Gabrielle slid Simone a sideways glance.
‘I’m not disappointed,’ said Simone with a toss of her head. ‘Not at all. I’m just…curious. What kind of operations base are you looking for? Business premises or residential property?’
‘Both.’
‘With or without land attached?’
