She had brought her three daughters, Clarice, Hélène and Louise, up from the country to their house in Paris four days ago, and since their arrival every day had been crowded with a round of engagements; drives in the Bois, dinner parties, soirées and evenings at the theatre. Today, however, had been their most important appointment of all, an appointment at the House of Worth for the final fitting of Clarice’s wedding dress. She, the eldest of Rosalie and Emile St Clair’s three daughters, was to be married to Lucas Barrineau of Montmichel in just three weeks’ time and today had been the final fitting of her specially designed dress. Her younger sisters were to be bridesmaids, but their dresses were already hanging in the wardrobe back at Belair, their country home. They had been made locally, but Clarice’s dress had not been entrusted to a provincial dressmaker. Clarice was the centre of attention wherever she went; she had left her rounded, childish figure behind and grown into a beautiful young woman. Her thick, curling fair hair was a legacy from her maternal grandmother, as were the speedwell-blue eyes that danced with the happiness of a bride-to-be.

The St Clairs at Belair and the Barrineau family at Montmichel had moved in the same social circle near the village of St Etienne for more than a generation. Clarice had known Lucas all her life, but the gap of four years between them had made Clarice a child when Lucas left home to study at the Sorbonne and then make the grand tour of Europe. On his occasional visits home their paths had not crossed, but when he’d finally come back to St Etienne three months ago, he had met her again at a dinner party given at Gavrineau, the home of friends of his parents, Elisabeth and Raoul Barnier, and discovered not only that Clarice had grown up while he was away but that she was the toast of the neighbourhood. He’d watched her across the dinner table, the candlelight gleaming on her shining hair, her wide blue eyes sparkling as she conversed with the man on her right, the son of the house, Simon Barnier. Though Lucas had known Simon from childhood, he had not seen him for some years, as Simon had been living abroad. Now he was back. Lucas had never particularly liked him but suddenly, watching his easy discourse with Clarice, he realised he disliked him excessively.

It was only a matter of days before Lucas visited Emile St Clair to ask permission to address Clarice, a matter of weeks before he proposed, and a matter of moments before she accepted him. It was a splendid match for Clarice and her delighted parents were determined that everything should be perfect for their daughter’s wedding day.

Emile St Clair, a professional man, a successful architect, had picked up the pieces of his architectural business after the civil war that had raged through Paris had nearly bankrupted him six years earlier. With hard work and determination he had repaired the family finances and, recognised by his colleagues as a shrewd businessman, he had prospered. Now his favourite daughter was about to marry into the landowning Barrineau family. Emile was particularly pleased with the match, recognising it as a step up in society for Clarice. Though the St Clairs’ country home – bought by Emile’s father when he married some sixty years ago – was a substantial house gracious in design and set in delightful gardens, it was completely eclipsed by the grandeur of Montmichel, which had been in the Barrineau family for several generations. Proud of his Clarice, when it came to her wedding, Emile was determined no expense should be spared. When Rosalie had suggested to him that Clarice should be dressed by the finest designer in Paris, he had not demurred, simply saying, ‘Certainly, if Monsieur Worth is truly the best.’