She said, ‘He’s a charming young man, don’t you think? So unassuming and with such good manners.’

‘Well, I agree he seems that way, but appearances can be deceptive, can’t they? We don’t know the man, after all. Indeed, I don’t think the Barrineaux do either. He was invited to the wedding by young Lucas, and you may remember Suzanne wasn’t best pleased. For all we know he’s an adventurer out for what he can get.’

‘Out for what he can get?’ echoed Rosalie. ‘A harsh judgement, Emile. What makes you say so? You hardly know the man.’

‘Exactly,’ said Emile. ‘We hardly know him and here he is coming to ask for Hélène.’

‘Ask for Hélène?’ Rosalie looked startled.

‘Ask my permission to address her.’

‘And did you give it?’

‘No,’ snapped her husband.

‘Why not?’

‘Why not? Because as you so rightly said, we hardly know the man. How do we know he’s not after her inheritance? How do we know he can provide for her as she should be? He’s a younger son…’

‘Yes, I know.’

‘You know? How do you know?’

‘Somebody told me; Suzanne Barrineau, probably. Does it really matter if he isn’t going to inherit a title? You haven’t got a title!’

‘That’s neither here nor there,’ retorted Emile.

‘So, what did you say?’

‘I said I’d think about it and tell him tomorrow. He maintains he’s not asking for an engagement, not yet, but that’s what he has in mind. He actually told me he’d fallen in love with her. Ridiculous! He’s only seen the girl about twice!’

Rosalie looked across at her husband and gently shook her head. ‘Oh, Emile,’ she sighed. ‘Are we getting old? It only took me one dance with you.’

Emile stared at her. ‘What d’you mean?’ he said.

‘I only danced with you once before I knew you were the man I wanted. Remember the evening of Madame d’Aramitz’s Christmas ball?’

Emile coughed, trying to hide his emotion. He remembered the Christmas ball only too well. Rosalie had come escorted by her mother, young, only eighteen, in a white ballgown with pearls threaded through her hair. It had only taken him one look before he too was lost.

‘My mother didn’t approve of you because you weren’t from a landed family. You had to make your own living. It didn’t stop us, though, did it?’ She reached for his hand and held it against her cheek. It was longer than she could remember since they had been as close as this and she didn’t want the moment to pass.

Emile looked at her as if seeing her again for the first time in years. ‘You’re still beautiful,’ he murmured before pulling his hand away.

‘So,’ Rosalie continued as if there had been no emotional interlude between them, ‘what are you going to say when he comes again tomorrow?’

‘I don’t know,’ he admitted. ‘He’s English!’

‘He is, and we can’t change that, though if they married they might choose to live here in France.’