Later, when the ladies had withdrawn to the drawing room, Madame Beaumont said, ‘Your English guest seems a very pleasant person, Suzanne.’

Her sister turned on her at once. ‘Isabelle, how can you say so? He wheedled an invitation from Lucas when he was in London, and we know nothing about him. He will leave as soon as the wedding is over and Lucas has left on his honeymoon. There will be no excuse to trespass on our hospitality after that.’

Surprised at her antagonism, Isabelle replied mildly, ‘He’s the son of an English baronet, I believe, Suzanne, and thus entirely unexceptionable.’

‘I have to say, Maman, that I also found him quite charming,’ said Diane. ‘I liked him very much.’ She turned to her cousin, Mademoiselle Roubert. ‘Did you not think him so, Cousin Pauline?’

Pauline Roubert coloured. ‘I’m sure any friend of Lucas’s will be charming,’ she replied softly, and Mia, as always taking her lead from her sister, murmured, ‘Charming.’

‘I don’t intend to discuss him any more,’ snapped Suzanne, murmuring sotto voce, ‘I don’t want Lucie to get any stupid ideas about him.’

Lucie, overhearing this conversation, said pettishly, ‘What ideas, Maman? How can I have any ideas? I haven’t even spoken to him yet.’ But, she thought privately, he did smile at me and he has a lovely smile.

As the ladies discussed him in the drawing room, Rupert was enjoying a cigar and cognac in the dining room with the gentlemen, the conversation flowing easily as he was accepted as Lucas’s English friend. At one point there was some discussion about the following day and Rupert was surprised to learn that the actual marriage would take place at the Mairie, the town hall he had seen as Lucien had driven him through the village.

‘In France one cannot be married in a church only,’ Lucas explained. ‘First is the civil ceremony to make us man and wife in the eyes of the law, and then the church service to marry us in the eyes of God. We will drive to the Place for the first part and then as husband and wife we will walk together to the church. Most of our guests will await us there. You will see us as we walk down the aisle together.’

It was delicately done, Rupert thought as he lay in bed later that night. He was to wait in the church with the less important guests.

Well, he didn’t mind. He knew that Madame Barrineau would prefer he wasn’t there at all, but he’d enjoyed meeting Lucas’s family that evening. He had also learned that there was to be a ball on the second evening. They certainly know how to celebrate a wedding, he thought, and he wondered if Lucie would be there. She was very young, too young really, but she would probably be allowed to dance at her brother’s wedding.

I’ll ask her for a dance, Rupert thought with a grin, if only to tease her mother. He realised, as he drifted off into an easy sleep, that he was looking forward to the following day.