“I haven’t made any set plans, but I do need to pick up some clothes.” There were several coats and a lot of sweaters she wanted to bring back, and there was no point leaving them since she knew she wouldn’t be spending time there. He was so pushy that it was easier to say yes than continue to fob him off. He was very artful at what he did, and persistence usually got him what he wanted. “I suppose I could go tomorrow, around noon.” She made the decision while she spoke to him. It couldn’t do any harm. He was annoying, but maybe he really would pull off a simple advantageous sale, since he knew plenty of rich people who could afford a château. And then she wouldn’t have to deal with realtors, strangers, and a curious press. She could see how he made his deals, all “among friends.”

“I won’t stay long. I don’t want to intrude. I just need to see enough to give my friend an idea. May I take a few photographs while I’m there with my phone?”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” she said bluntly. “It’s our home, and it’s not on the market.” And it had a shocking history now that the tabloid press was always hungry to exploit.

“Of course, I understand. See you tomorrow at noon,” he said quickly, and hung up before she could change her mind.

—

The next morning, Theo overslept by half an hour, which was unusual for her. She got three important emails from Matthieu’s CEO, which she had to respond to, so she got in her car a little later than planned. One of the bodyguards, Daniel, was going to drive her, and she’d given her driver the day off. Daniel was driving a station wagon they always used on the weekends. She could almost see Axel in the back seat when she got into the front passenger seat. She usually sat in the back seat with him, and Matthieu in the front seat where she sat now, with their driver at the wheel. Or sometimes she drove there alone with Axel, and Matthieu drove up on his own. She tried not to let the past surge into her head. There were so many good memories associated with the château, before the last bad ones replaced them. It was all a jumble in her mind now as she watched the familiar landmarks begin to slide by. It was only a little over an hour from the city, and it looked like real country, not a suburb. Matthieu had bought back a lot of land around it, which was planted in orchards and surrounded by farms.

She noticed that it was twelve-thirty when they reached the driveway and turned in. She could see Pierre de Vaumont waiting for them, and she wished she had gotten there slightly early as she had planned.