Rene had married her because he could trust her. Nothing this woman said would change that fact, but it could be interesting to know what the rumors were. “All right, I’ll bite. Why did Rene choose me?”

“He couldn’t have chosen anyone else,” Ashley replied. “You seem to be under the mistaken idea that he had some kind of a list and you were at the top. Like if you’d said no, he would have moved on to the next lady. You were the only one he ever meant to ask because you’re the only one my aunt will accept as a reasonable quickie bride for Rene.”

None of that made a lick of sense to Sylvie. “Why? I understand why I would be the first one he went to. We’ve been friends for years and he trusts me. Rene spent a lot of time with my family.”

Ashley’s eyes rolled. “It’s all about your family. There’s one thing in Papillon Aunt Roberta respects, and it’s not your political skill or your brother’s talent with a camera. She respects your mother. She’s the tiniest bit afraid of your mother, and that’s what Rene’s counting on. You’re the one thing Charles is scared of. Aunt Roberta would reject anyone Rene brought in at this point out of sheer spite, but she’ll think twice about rejecting Marcelle Martine’s daughter.”

“My mother isn’t someone to fear. Roberta doesn’t live here anymore. She gets her hair done in Houston.” But Sylvie’s brain was already racing. Her mom had been a part of many loony schemes over the years. What had her mother done?

“Fear might be too strong a word, but I swear it’s in there somewhere. According to Aunt Roberta, your mother did tarot readings back in the day,” Ashley began. “She had a spiritual center in her salon. Does she still have that?”

She did. And she still did tarot readings. That was Miss Marcelle’s Salon. Come for the straightening, stay for the séance. “Was this before Roberta moved to Houston?”