“I’m sorry, Hallie. The last thing I want to do is offend you. I want to close the door on that chapter of my life forever.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“But will you be able to forgive me?”

She jerked her head around. He saw a blur of blue-green fire. “How can you ask me that? Don’t you realize I’m your friend?”

Friend.

In his gut he recognized he wanted her to be more than that to him….

Rebecca Winters, an American writer and mother of four, is excited to be in this new millennium because it means another new beginning. Having said goodbye to the classroom where she taught French and Spanish, she is now free to spend more time with her family, to travel and to write the Harlequin Romance® novels she loves so dearly.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to e-mail her, please visit her Web site at: www.rebeccawinters-author.com.

The Frenchman’s Bride
Rebecca Winters

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

REACHING for a towel, Vincent Rolland stepped from the shower of his London hotel suite having made the decision to fly to Paris after his business lunch later in the day. This weekend he’d be taking his twins home to St. Genes. He couldn’t wait.

The chateau had been like a tomb without them. Though there’d been phone calls and visits, the nine month school year had been too long a separation.

It was Thursday. They weren’t expecting him until Friday, but he wanted to surprise them. Tonight they would celebrate the end of school together before flying home to their chateau tomorrow.

While he was shaving, he heard his cell phone ring. It was probably one of the children calling him now.

He hurried into the other room to answer it. A glance at the caller ID told him someone from St. Genes was ringing.

Hopefully nothing was wrong.

“Oui?”

“Bonjour, Vincent.” It was the housekeeper. She sounded in good spirits.

“Bonjour, Etvige. How’s Pere Maurice?”

“Don’t worry. He and Beauregard just left on their morning walk.”

That was reassuring; with the twins away, his grandfather and the dog were becoming devoted to each other.

“Monsieur Gide at the bank in Paris called you. He’d like you to phone him as soon as you can. Here’s his number.”

Monsieur Gide? Vincent hadn’t talked to him since he’d set up an account for the twins last fall.

He wrote it down. “Merci, Etvige. Tell Pere Maurice I’ll call him from Paris.”

Once they’d hung up, he punched in the number and was put through to the bank manager.

“Thank you for getting back to me so quickly, Monsieur Rolland. You did say to phone if the need arose.”

“Of course. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to let you know that two days ago your son wrote a check for a large sum of money. Before I put it through, I thought I should call to be certain you approved.”

“How large?”

“Eighty-seven hundred Eurodollars. There’ll be nothing left in the account.”

On hearing the banker’s words, disappointment swept through Vincent that his children hadn’t waited for him before they spent it.

“It’s all right, Monsieur. I promised them a car if they did well in their end of year exams.”

“A car? I’m afraid this check was made out to Rue Vendome Fine Jewelry.”

Jewelry—

A shudder passed through his body.

Just hearing the word was like an echo from the blackest period of his life.

“Hold the check until I’ve made an inquiry.”

“Very good, Monsieur. Here’s the number.”

As soon as Vincent hung up, he called the jewelry store.

Vincent couldn’t imagine what this was all about. On the whole his children had always exercised good judgment and were trustwor—

“Bijoux Vendome.”

“Bonjour, Monsieur. I’d like to talk to the manager please.”

“Speaking.”

“This is Vincent Rolland.”

“Oh yes, Monsieur Rolland. Just the other day your son was in to buy an exquisite ring for the woman he intends to marry. He is very much in love and insisted on the finest aquamarine to match her eyes.”

“Mon Dieu,” Vincent whispered in agony.

He gripped the phone tighter. History was repeating itself. Like father, like son…

“Hallie?”

Hallie Linn had just left Tati’s department store in Paris where she worked when she heard a familiar voice. She glanced to her left. A taxi had pulled up alongside her and the rear door was flung open.

In the back sat Monique Rolland, the vivacious French girl who’d attached herself to Hallie over the last school year.

“What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you. It’s your birthday! We’re going to celebrate!”

Birthday? She’d completely forgotten about it.

Furthermore, Hallie had already said a final goodbye to Monique and her brother Paul two days ago. Hallie was sure that this was just another excuse to get the three of them together before the twins went home to the Dordogne region of France for the summer.

Monique’s unexpected presence outside Hallie’s work meant the motherless teen still couldn’t let go and was feeling the wrench of separation.

In truth, so was Hallie.

While she’d been in Paris doing service as a lay nun for the Dominican’s international outreach program, she’d learned to love the precocious twins like family. To spend any more time with them would make it that much harder for Hallie to leave. But she had to; Hallie would be entering a convent in San Diego, California, in two weeks.

“How did you know it was my birthday? I didn’t even remember it.”

“When we crossed the Channel to spend the day in England Paul sneaked a peek at your passport. Now get in the taxi!” she cried. “We’re blocking the traffic!”

Hallie didn’t budge. “You’re supposed to be at school right now. You know very well they’re having a farewell dinner for everyone.”

“I’d rather be with you. Don’t worry. I obtained special permission to stay out until eight o’clock. Come on. We’re wasting time.”

At this point the impatient taxi driver muttered a curse, prompting Hallie into action. Against her better judgment she climbed in the back seat. Once she’d shut the door, the driver darted into the crush of traffic. It was a miracle they didn’t have an accident.

“Where are we going exactly?”

Monique flashed her a mischievous smile. “That’s my surprise.”

“Another one?”

There’d been so many throughout the last nine months, but Monique had never shown up in a taxi before. They normally walked or took the subway and trains.

“Is it far?”

There was a hint of mystery in Monique’s expression. “Wait and see.”

“Look me in the eye and swear that your headmistress said you could stay out late.”

With a toss of her head, Monique dismissed Hallie’s concerns as utter nonsense.

“I thought so,” Hallie murmured. “Not only are you breaking the rules, if we travel much further, this taxi ride is going to cost too much money for your budget. I’m getting out at the next intersection.”

“No!” Monique cried out. “You can’t do that or you’ll spoil everything!”

A certain nuance in Monique’s voice told her that not only had the twins organized something elaborate, they’d been planning it for a long time.

“You know I don’t want to ruin your surprise, but I’d hate to see either of you get into trouble on your last school night.”

“I passed my finals with highest marks. Besides, the headmistress wouldn’t dare get me into trouble with Papa.”

“Why not?”

“Because he never forgets to bring her a supply of the best wine from our vineyards when he comes to Paris.” Her dark brows arched. “She wouldn’t want that to end, or the visits. So far he has resisted her attempts to seduce him, but she hasn’t given up yet.”

The cynical comment coming from the mouth of such a wonderful young woman wounded Hallie.

“Don’t look so shocked, I’ve told you before that all women find my father irresistible, money or not.”

While Hallie was digesting this latest confidence about the headmistress, she noticed they had arrived in the sixteenth arrondissement, an area noted for being one of the most prestigious residential neighborhoods in Paris.

The taxi drove along the Rue de Passy with its many shops, then turned down another road and eventually pulled up in front of an apartment building. It was a beautiful example of Fin de Siècle architecture. Only the extremely wealthy, like Monique’s father, could afford to live here.

Hallie followed Monique out of the taxi. Once she’d paid the driver, they entered the elegant lobby where she punched in a code so they could ride the elevator.

It took them to the third floor where the doors opened to an exquisite apartment with expansive rooms. Much of the furniture and fixtures were fine antiques, yet the sumptuous appointments created a welcoming feel.

Monique walked over to the French doors which led to a terrace. “Wow!” She darted Hallie a gamin smile. “Your own private view of the Bois de Boulogne.”

Paris in the spring. It was a glorious sight, but Hallie couldn’t concentrate on the view when she had serious reservations about spending more time with the twins.

“Does your father know about this?”

“Oh la la! For your information he’s in London on business and won’t come for us until tomorrow afternoon. Paul and I have been given permission to use the apartment for special occasions. Your twenty-fifth birthday is just such an event.”

Though Hallie had never met Vincent Rolland, she secretly admired him. For a single parent he seemed to have done an excellent job of raising his children. They didn’t smoke, take drugs or abuse alcohol. Both were exceptional students, bright and charming. In Hallie’s opinion they were quite outstanding. He deserved a great deal of credit for being a terrific father.

What she couldn’t understand was why he’d sent them away to boarding school. How had he stood to be parted from them? As for the twins, they adored him. Hallie knew they lived for his visits and telephone calls.

“I’d hate to think you were taking advantage of your father’s generosity because of me.”

“Of course we’re not! As I’ve told you before, you worry about us too much. We’ll only be here for an hour. S’il te plait, don’t be a, how do you say it? Wet rug?” She stamped her well shod foot, impatient for Hallie to relax.

“You mean, blanket, and that’s a dated expression. If you want to sound modern, try saying ‘don’t be such a big fat pain.”’

They both ended up chuckling.

Such an unlikely pair they were. Hallie’s well endowed figure was four inches taller than her five-foot-four friend who possessed a small framed body.

The French girl had a chic hairdo of short, dark brown curls that shaped her Gallic head. Hallie’s chin length blond hair had been styled in a beveled cut to look ruffled. It required little care which was the whole point.

The differences didn’t end there.

Where Hallie donned the cheapest blouse and skirt she could find in the bargain barrels at Tati’s, whenever Monique was out of school and they went on longer outings to Chartres or Mont St. Michel to visit the famous abbey, she always wore Italian designer clothes.

“Salut everyone!”

Paul, Monique’s twin brother, joined them on the terrace and kissed them on both cheeks. At a lean six feet, he was as good looking as his sister. Both twins wore their clothes well. Today he was dressed in a Polo shirt and jeans. Give him another eight to ten years and he would be a very attractive man.

He and Monique acted at home here. Maybe Hallie was being too cautious, but she knew the twins attended the very top private schools. With such strict rules, she didn’t want to be the reason they bent them. It would be a shame to ruin their good records at the midnight hour.

“Thank goodness, you’ve arrived, Paul. Hallie thinks we shouldn’t be here. She’s ready to fly the croup!”

“Coop,” came Hallie’s automatic response. “That’s another expression you need to throw out. If you want to be hip, I’d better buy you the latest book of idioms. Unfortunately by the time you’ve memorized it, all of them will be dated, too.”

Paul laughed. “You’re here now and we’re not letting you go until we’ve had a toast to celebrate your birthday. Come with me.”

They followed him into the dining room where he filled three wineglasses with golden liquid. The label on the bottle featured the Rolland name.

He lifted his glass. “To you, Hallie, for making this year unforgettable. May this be your happiest birthday!”

They all clicked glasses.

Hallie didn’t drink alcohol, but she took a sip so she wouldn’t offend them. They’d planned this little party in her honor. She was touched to realize they’d gone to so much trouble.

Before she left Paris she would write them a final letter of goodbye and wish them a happy life. So why not enjoy this unexpected moment of camaraderie while they were still together.

Monique excused herself for a moment, then returned with a gaily wrapped package Paul must have brought with him.

Hallie put her glass on the table so she could open it. Inside was a beautiful chiffon designer scarf in a café-au-lait and white print. “It will look nice with your brown skirt.”

Emotion made her throat swell. “It’s lovely, Monique.” Hallie tied it around her neck in order to please her. “But you shouldn’t have done it.”

“I would have given you a lot more things, but I knew you wouldn’t accept them. At least you can wear it for the rest of the time you work at Tati’s.”

“I’ll always treasure the memory of this day,” Hallie said, not wanting to argue the point. She would mail it back to Monique with the letter; she shouldn’t be spending her money on presents.

The French girl cocked her head. “It looks very elegant with that white blouse you’re wearing.”

“It’ll look elegant with my other blouses, too.”

“I know. They’re all white,” Monique quipped.

Suddenly the three of them were laughing. They had a healthy sense of humor. Hallie loved them and was feeling the sense of loss more keenly than ever.

She wasn’t supposed to form attachments, but they’d happened anyway. First in San Diego where she’d roomed with Gaby Peris before coming to France.

Gaby, a widowed immigration attorney who’d shared an apartment with Hallie to cut down on expenses, was now married to Max Calder, an ex-CIA agent. They had a new baby girl whom Hallie had only seen in pictures. They’d named her Hallie.

“Now, if you two will excuse me, I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

Hallie eyed Monique with a puzzled expression. “We just got here. Why are you leaving?”

“She’s going to her favorite shop before it closes, aren’t you,” Paul insisted with a strange smile.

“That’s right. À bientôt—see you in a bit.”

After Monique disappeared, Hallie turned to Paul. “You’re both acting very mysteriously.”

He rubbed his palms together. “If we are it’s because I wanted to be alone with you.”

“Why?”

“So I can do something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

“What’s that?”

“This.”

In the next breath he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on her closed lips.

It came as such a complete surprise for all the obvious reasons, she decided to treat it as one of Paul’s little jokes. He was a terrible tease on occasion.

“Wow! My last kiss before I go into seclusion. You’ve definitely made this birthday unforgettable.”

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” he confessed. “Now close your eyes. I have something else to give you.”

“I think you’ve done enough for one day,” she cautioned, but he ignored her. In a lightning gesture he reached for her left hand and slid something cool and metallic on her ring finger.

Her smile faded when she glimpsed the square-cut aquamarine stone mounted in yellow gold. The gem had to be three carats at least!

The sheer clarity and color made her gasp.

Even if it was an imitation, it must have cost a lot of money. More than was prudent even for someone of Paul’s resources. When he knew what she was all about, it defied logic he actually meant her to have it.

What was he thinking?

She started to ask him, but the look of desire in his eyes stopped her cold.

“Happy twenty-fifth birthday, ma belle.”

Hallie blinked. Paul was serious.

She sensed he was trembling. Gone was the fun loving, lighthearted banter she’d always associated with him.

How long had this been going on?

In her attempt to be there for the twins as part of her service in the outreach program, she hadn’t realized he’d become infatuated with her. If there’d been telltale signs, she hadn’t read them.

“It’s a gorgeous piece of jewelry, but you’ll have to return it.”

“Don’t be silly.” He grasped her hands tighter so she couldn’t remove it. “Even if you don’t wear it, I want you to keep it as a constant reminder of me.”

“I can’t do that, Paul. You know why. Material things don’t matter to me. When I enter the convent, I won’t be taking anything with me.”

His eyes had grown suspiciously bright. “I’m counting on your not entering. I adore you, Hallie—” he cried with all the ardency of a lovestruck teen.

“I’m staying in Paris as long as it takes to talk you into coming home to St. Genes with me. You weren’t meant to be a nun. One day I hope you’ll become my wife.”

His wife—

He pulled her close with surprising strength. This time he gave her a man’s kiss filled with the heat of passion.

She couldn’t believe it!

“Paul—” She pushed her hands against his chest to separate them, but he was so strong! Right now she prayed for inspiration to know how to reject him without hurting his pride.

“What in the name of heaven is going on here?”

A deep masculine voice permeated the stillness. Paul sprang away from her, flushing guiltily.

Hallie, on the other hand, was still so dazed at the depth of Paul’s feelings for her—feelings he’d kept hidden until today—she was much slower to react to the interruption. All this time she’d thought of him like she might a younger brother.

“Papa—I thought you were in London,” he said in a subdued tone.

“Obviously,” came the terse reply. “I had the ridiculous impression my children might enjoy a celebration dinner with me this evening. But it appears your taste runs to something much stronger indeed.”

There could be no doubt from his acid tone that Vincent Rolland had come into the dining room, that he’d caught his eighteen year old kissing a strange woman, that he’d seen the wine bottle and glasses on the table.

The evidence was so incriminating, Hallie shook her head. It just couldn’t be worse for Paul, yet she really wasn’t surprised. She shouldn’t have ignored her earlier intuition that the twins had no business skipping school or bringing her to their father’s apartment.

Hallie simply hadn’t expected the man himself to arrive from England at the precise moment his son chose to reveal his affection for her.

Curiosity caused her to look across the expanse at Monsieur Rolland. She found herself staring at him.

The twins had shown her pictures of their father, but the camera hadn’t captured his disturbing sensuality. She hadn’t thought it possible any man could be more attractive than the new husband Hallie had lost in that horrendous plane crash two years ago. But she was wrong…

The twins had inherited their father’s dark hair and brown eyes. However there was none of their innocence in his piercing eyes as his gaze swept over her, assessing her feminine attributes for a long serious moment.

Hallie had been the object of men’s attention since her teens and had learned to live with it. However this man seemed to be looking for something beyond the physical. In the unremarkable blouse and brown skirt she was wearing, the designer scarf must appear ludicrously out of place.

He advanced into the dining room, his bronzed hands on his hips. Dressed in a pale blue knit shirt and cream colored jeans that molded his powerful thighs, his masculinity threw her senses into upheaval.

Closer now she could see his rock-hard physique topped Paul by several inches.

He picked up the wine bottle. One black brow slanted in displeasure. “I can’t fault your choice of vintage, but on a Thursday evening when you’re supposed to be celebrating the end of school with your classmates?” He finally put the bottle back on the table.

Paul cleared his throat. “Hallie’s birthday is much more important than being with a bunch of guys. Papa—may I introduce my friend, Mademoiselle Linn. We met last fall.”

Lines darkened his arresting features as he examined her face and hair once more. Then his gaze dropped lower until it came to rest on the aquamarine stone shimmering on her finger.

“Ms. Linn,” he muttered icily, insultingly, as if even having to acknowledge her presence was something he could scarcely tolerate.

Hallie was confused. Surely seeing her being kissed by his son didn’t warrant such venom. In fact, she had the idea this display of hostility was a rare occurrence.

Determined to smooth things over she said, “How do you do, Monsieur Rolland. Your children have sung your praises for so long, I’m glad to have this opportunity to meet you at last.”

“Papa? Could we go in the salon for a moment?”

“No, we could not.” The quiet rage boiling beneath the surface was unmistakable. His eyes, more black than brown, remained fastened on the ring. “Since Mademoiselle Linn is such an intimate part of your life, I see no reason to exclude her from this conversation.”

“It’s true that I’m in love with her,” he explained. “She means everything to me. In time I intend to marry her.”

Paul!

Not only was she years older in age and experience, he had to be in complete denial.

A pulse throbbed along his father’s jawline. “How very interesting… Now I understand why she’s wearing a piece of jewelry that caused you to withdraw the entire balance of your checking account for the school year!”

Hallie moaned.

Paul displayed the classic symptoms of a rich young man whose infatuation had led him to make a very foolish and costly mistake.

“I’ll always remember that you wanted to give me this ring, Paul, but you know the reasons why I couldn’t possibly accept it.”

She’d wanted to protect his sensitivities, but he’d gone too far and needed a wakeup call. Without hesitation she pulled the ring off her finger and put it on the table.

His face went ashen.

“It’s too late to try to impress me with a ‘you never meant to keep it’, Ms. Linn.”

Paul wheeled around. “You don’t understand. I can explain!”

“I’ll bet you can,” his father bit out. “Just as you can explain how many times you’ve brought her to my apartment since last fall.”

“I’ve never been here before this evening,” Hallie addressed him in a quiet voice.

Right now she wasn’t concerned for herself. It was his debilitating anger toward Paul that worried her. Monsieur Rolland had every reason to be upset, but the man was livid. To humiliate his son in front of her was doing much more harm than good.

“Of course you haven’t.” He sent her a mocking smile. “Just as you had no idea that stone is the real thing.” His eyes impaled her. “I wonder what else you’ve managed to wangle out of him.”

Such cynicism explained Monique’s remarks earlier. Like father, like daughter.

Hallie eyed him without flinching. “I’d be happy to discuss this with you, but I think you should talk to your son alone first.”

His glacial smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m not interested in what you think, Ms. Linn. The more you say, the more I’m convinced the ring is only part of an elaborate scheme of extortion only a brazen young woman of your obvious charms would dream up to keep him in your thrall.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Paul cried. “You have no right to speak to Halli—”

“Enough!” His father silenced him. “Do you think me a complete imbecile? Don’t you ever shout at me like that again, and don’t ever speak to me of rights. You’ve forfeited any of yours by abusing my trust.”

As if on cue Monique made her entrance. “Me voici!” she called from the foyer. “I’ve returned. Your time is up, Paul. I’m giving you fair warning in case I’m interrupting anything…”

Monique’s words set the seal on this incredible tableau of misunderstanding. The little monkey had aided and abetted her brother so he could be alone with Hallie. It was a total revelation to her.

She couldn’t understand how the twins would think she could have a romantic interest in Paul, who was so much younger. To spend all these months with her and still not appreciate her commitment to the vocation she’d chosen to follow…

The more she thought about it, the more she supposed it was a case of two idealistic young people believing what they wanted to believe.

From what they’d told Hallie, their mother had died in childbirth. After being separated from their father this last year, no matter how hard he’d tried to be an attentive parent and stay in close contact with them, they’d clung to Hallie. And this was the result!

“So—the prodigal daughter returns to the scene of the crime loaded with more clothes than are humanly decent.”

The moment Monique entered the dining room, her face turned to a study in bewilderment. She came to a standstill in front of her father. “Papa,” she murmured, clearly shocked by his presence. “I thought you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”

“Obviously.” He clipped out. “Otherwise this clandestine little arrangement would have gone undetected. What is it, nine months now that Ms. Linn has been given carte blanche to exploit my children and their propensity for handing over their material goods, which you’ve conveniently forgotten I provide?” he thundered.

“I’m surprised you had enough money left to purchase anything at all!” He plucked the box from under Monique’s arm and opened it. Out slithered a flaming red cocktail dress. “Is this another contribution to the impoverished Ms. Linn?”

Hallie didn’t think her blouse and skirt looked that bad.

“She’s obviously doing very nicely by you two. Let’s see…a designer scarf, a Givenchy dress and a nine thousand dollar ring.”

Nine thousand dollars—

Her shocked gaze met his.

“That’s quite a haul for one day’s work, Ms. Linn.” The skin around his lips had turned a noticeable white.

“Papa—” Monique gasped, shaking her head. Tears filled her eyes. “What’s wrong? You are totally mistaken about everything, mon pere.”

He straightened to his full height. “It seems my daughter as well as my son has been thoroughly duped. You do know the meaning of the word, as in taken—conned—” His chest heaved.

“By Hallie?” Monique cried. “Impossible!” She stamped her foot, a habit of hers when she took a stand. “This was a surprise birthday party for her. She knew nothing! In fact she was so worried we might get into trouble, she almost didn’t come in the taxi with me.”

“But she did come,” her father rejoindered. “Take a good look. Until a moment ago she was wearing a small fortune and thanking your brother in that age old feminine way that leads a man to his destruction.”

His reaction didn’t add up to the man the twins idolized. That person was a success in his business affairs, and a hero to his family. The unbending male standing a few feet from her bore little resemblance to the paragon of her imagination.

“Don’t you realize she’s made utter fools of you both, and gives me great cause to reflect on my own effectiveness as a parent,” he ground out.

Hallie heard agony in his voice just now. In spite of his anger, it tugged at her.

“You two will go downstairs now, and take a taxi back to your schools. I’ll visit you after I’ve had a little chat with Ms. Linn.”

The combination of pain and bitterness in Paul’s eyes caused Hallie to fear for the relationship between him and his father.

Paul’s anger was more frightening than his parent’s because he was young and vulnerable, and had been caught redhanded at a very precarious moment in his life. It would take him much longer to forgive his father.

Her heart sank when he stormed out of the dining room and Monsieur Rolland let him go.

Monique stared up at her father like she’d never seen him before. Then her injured glance shifted to Hallie. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed the words before hurrying after her brother.

The minute Hallie heard the elevator doors close she said, “Please don’t let them leave this way. Run after them quickly and apologize before any more damage is done!”

CHAPTER TWO

VINCENT ROLLAND’S eyes glittered with menace.

“It’s a little late to be talking about damage, particularly if you’re pregnant. But Paul couldn’t know of your secret yet, otherwise he would never have left here without you.”

Whoa. “Haven’t your children ever mentioned me to you? Not even once?”

He looked like a man who’d had about all he could take.

“I didn’t know of your existence until I saw my son kissing you with enough passion to convince me he’s moved way beyond rational thought.

“I’m warning you now, Ms. Linn— No woman is going to trap my son into a travesty of a marriage and put him in bondage for the rest of his mortal life.

“If you’re pregnant, you’ll never have the opportunity to blackmail him. Before morning you’ll be on a plane to wherever you came from with enough money to satisfy even your colossal greed.”

This was a side of the twins’ father she doubted they knew anything about. Perhaps he was wealthier than Hallie had imagined. Naturally he would want to be certain his children weren’t being preyed upon. But to assume she was pregnant and accuse her of manipulating his son without giving her or Paul a chance to explain, fueled her anger.

“I’m not pregnant. But if I were, are you telling me you would bribe me into going away, knowing I was carrying your grandchild inside my body?” she asked incredulously. “You would deprive Paul of his own child to love and raise?”

A harsh laugh came out of him. “Who said anything about it being Paul’s?”

All these months Hallie had secretly revered the twins’ father, but no longer.

“Be careful before you say anything else you’ll live to regret, monsieur. Paul took us both by surprise today, but since you weren’t capable of listening to reason, I fear your reaction will have caused real damage to your relationship with him.

“The truth is, I had no idea he’d developed a crush on me. Boys do that on occasion around an older woman. However I didn’t realize it until a few minutes before you walked in.”

“It’s hardly a crush, Ms. Linn,” he retorted bleakly, appearing older all of a sudden. “The reality of the ring and everything it entails puts this whole matter in a different light.

“Too many afternoon cocktail parties have a way of turning a boy’s head and dissipating his brain. Particularly when a predatory female who looks like you supplies that extra je ne sais quoi.”

“Je ne sais quoi?” Hallie mimicked the words as she untied the scarf and laid it on the table with the ring. “That ‘little extra something’ is a dated expression Americans acquired years ago. Your daughter uses them constantly.”

He moved closer, putting his hands on his hips once more. A grimace darkened his features. Even in his anger, he was so attractive she was alarmed to find herself distracted by his potent sensuality.

“Who are you? What are you doing in Paris? How did my children meet you?” he fired one question after another.

“I’m someone who has been a friend to the twins.”

“You expect me to believe that?” he lashed out.

“Yes. Just as I believe anything you tell me would be the absolute truth, too. Monique is like you in so many ways. But you’d be wise to watch your words because your cynicism has rubbed off on her.

“She was sure her headmistress wouldn’t get her into trouble with you because, to quote your daughter, ‘the woman is still trying to seduce you.’ Sorry to be blunt, but dated expressions don’t have quite that je ne sais quoi with me anymore.

“And one more thing. I don’t care if you’re as rich as King Midas! Since your son hasn’t worked in the vineyards for the last school year, then leaving nine thousand dollars in his account is entirely too much money for an impulsive eighteen year old to handle, no matter how trustworthy he’s been up until now.”

“Are you quite finished?”

“Not yet,” she said, ignoring his withering tone. “Let’s just be thankful he tested the waters with me because I love your son like I would a younger brother. I care about his welfare.

“Paul doesn’t realize it yet, but I’m part of a fantasy in his mind. He’s confused right now. Give him a few more years and he’ll have figured everything out.

“Do you know he wants to be exactly like you when he’s grown up?” she drove the point home. “Self-assured, desirable to women, a success in life? For your information he did everything right when he toasted me with wine from your vineyards and wished me a happy birthday.

“No one could have been more charming or gallant. And even though he trembled when he kissed me, he didn’t hesitate. In fact he was very masterful when he reached for my hand and slid that ring on my finger.

“In ten years or so years he’s going to make some lucky woman a wonderful husband in every way that counts. He shows all the promise, but he’s still young and capable of being wounded because you shamed him in front of me.

“Surely you must know how much you hurt him by not letting him talk to you in private. I don’t understand you, not when I think you’ve raised the most wonderful children I’ve ever met. That’s why I stopped short of slapping your face.”

Silence followed her last remark. He studied her for a long moment. “Before I have you investigated, why don’t you answer my questions.”

Investigated— He would go that far?

“Paul already told you. My name is Hallie Linn. Today I turned twenty-five, not eighteen! Until your children decided to surprise me with a little birthday celebration, I’d forgotten about it.

“We met last fall when they came into Tati’s where I work. They were looking for birthday gifts for you, but were sticking to their budget. I asked them to describe you to me before I suggested a pair of gloves and a wallet.”

She could tell by a flicker in the recesses of his dark eyes that he remembered receiving those gifts.

“They were surprised to find an American working there and loved trying out their English on me. In fact they begged me to correct their mistakes. I was charmed by their earnestness and their adoration of you. It was Papa this, and Papa that.

“Before they left the store, they asked if they could come back the next week and practice their English with me again. I said yes, but didn’t really expect to see them.

“Two days later they showed up and pled with me to spend my lunch hour with them. They’d brought sandwiches and drinks. I could hardly refuse, so we walked over to Notre Dame cathedral and had a little picnic.

“They spoke English the best they could and told me about life in St. Genes with you and their great grandfather Maurice. Oh yes, and Beauregard.

“At some point that afternoon the three of us became friends. It just happened. We’ve been close ever since. I should have recognized the signs of Paul’s infatuation before today, but I didn’t.

“I assume that’s why they’ve never told you about me. It was wrong of them of course. But just now you treated their omission like they’d committed a sin. Why did you do that?”

He moved closer. “How did you get a job at Tati’s?” His question proved he was too upset to be reasonable. “The government rarely issues work permits to Americans.”

“They made an exception in my case, but don’t be concerned. I’ll only be depriving your countrymen of a job for another two weeks, then I’ll be gone for good.

“As for your other fear, you’ve already solved that problem by coming to Paris to take your children home. Tell me something—if you’re so distrustful of them, why did you send them away to boarding school?”

His lips twisted unpleasantly, but she was determined to make this last point.

“The twins could have gone to a perfectly good college in St. Genes so they could live at home with you where they belong. Life is so fleeting! Don’t you know the love of a parent is more vital and necessary to a child than any expensive education?

“Your children worship you. They’ve missed you horribly and have studied hard to get the best grades so you’d be proud of them. I ought to know because I’ve spent hours tutoring them for their exams while we’ve explored Paris together on my days off.

“No doubt Monique bought that beautiful red dress to wear in front of you for Pere Maurice’s birthday celebration next month. She claims every woman fantasizes about you.

“Though she hasn’t said as much to me, I know she’s worried that someone will come along you do want in your bed. Every day that she grows older, she’s frightened she’ll be replaced in your affection.

“Please—if there is a special woman in your life you haven’t told them about either, don’t let her be at the chateau when you take your children back to St. Genes. Give them your total attention first so they’ll know nothing has changed.

“And please—promise me you’ll work things out with Paul tonight before it’s too late. He’s trying hard to be a man. Go to him and explain why you were so upset. Paul’s so sweet and sensitive inside. He’ll understand and forgive you.

“Adieu, monsieur. Que dieu vous benisse.”

A few seconds later the elevator doors closed, leaving Hallie’s words reverberating in the dining room.

Vincent remained frozen in place.

Like a master swordsman, she’d cut and thrust to produce a firestorm of emotions at the deepest level of his psyche. Then she’d had the audacity to bid him goodbye forever, imploring God to bless him.

He’d never met anyone remotely like her.

Never mind the womanly attributes that had blind-sided his son. What spell had this enigmatic stranger cast over both twins to evoke such singular affection?

For nine months their relationship had been flourishing without his knowledge. Vincent felt wounded. Betrayed.

He didn’t buy the explanation that the twins had kept Ms. Linn’s existence a secret in order to surprise him with their English proficiency.

No doubt Paul had fallen hard for her from the outset and had sworn Monique to secrecy. For a long time now she’d managed to infiltrate their world. No telling how many intimate details about his personal life and those of his children she’d elicited.

Though he didn’t have the faintest clue who this American really was, he was going to find out.

He went to the study to look up the number of Tati’s Department Store, then made a call to the manager. After being put on hold for a long time, someone in the credit department picked up and told him the manager had left for the day.

Vincent tried to get information about Ms. Linn, but was told he’d have to speak to the manager in the morning.

No sooner had he hung up, so he could call his attorney who would get the desired information for him, than his cell phone rang. The number of the chateau was displayed.

He clicked it on. “Vincent here.”

“My boy…are you sitting down?”

Pere Maurice’s sober question caused him to break out in a cold sweat. “What’s wrong?”

“We just had a call from Passy Hospital in Paris. According to the police, Paul ran in front of a truck while he was crossing the boulevard against the light. They checked the ID in his wallet, then called here. He’s still unconscious.”

“I’m on my way!”

The short trip to the nearby hospital passed in a blur. He entered the emergency room on a run. The fear that Paul might not wake up had taken hold. Now it was Vincent imploring God to bless his son and keep him alive.

“Where have you put Paul Rolland?” he asked the staff worker at the admitting desk. “The police tell me he was hit by a truck. I’m his father.”

“Your son is in cubicle five. You can go through those doors.”

He pushed them open and hurried inside. The drawn curtain at number five caused his heart to drop like a stone. A nurse was just coming out.

“Is my son still unconscious?” he demanded without preamble.

“No. He woke up a few minutes ago.”

Vincent could breathe again. “Dieu merci—oh, thank God.”

“He’s still being examined, but you can go in.” The nurse pulled the curtain aside for him.

At first glance, Paul looked wonderfully alive despite his pallor. There was a goose egg at the side of his forehead near his hairline.

The doctor was cleaning an abrasion on his left cheek. He looked up as Vincent introduced himself.

“Your son is a lucky young man. There are contusions on his left arm and leg, but no broken bones. The X-ray shows he has suffered a concussion, but with a few days bed rest the dizziness will pass and he’ll be fine. I’ll arrange to have him moved to a private room.”

Those words brought exquisite relief. “Thank you for everything,” he said before the doctor left the cubicle.

Now that they were alone, Vincent snagged a stool with his shoe and rolled it over to the examining table. He sat down next to Paul whose eyes had been closed the whole time.

“My son.” He reached for his right hand. “It’s Papa. I’m here. Thank God you’re going to be all right!” his voice shook.

Paul didn’t respond.

“Paul? Say something to me.” His throat swelled. “I love you.”

“No you don’t.”

The hurtful retort issued between taut lips sounded so cold, Vincent was crushed.

“Leave me alone. I don’t want you here.” He found the strength to pull his hand from his father’s grasp.

Vincent’s spirits plummeted to new depths. “That’s your anger talking. You know I would never leave you. You’re my son. I plan to stay with you until you’re out of the hospital and I can take you and Monique home with me.”

Paul’s eyes opened once more, but there was no sign of warmth in those dark remote depths, or in his facial expression. The son Vincent had loved and raised from birth was nowhere to be found.

“I’m not going to St. Genes. That’s over. I plan to stay in Paris. Don’t worry. I’ve already arranged for a job and a place to live. You won’t have to provide for me ever again,” he tossed Vincent’s words back at him with a bitterness that went marrow deep.

A grimace broke out on Vincent’s face. “I know I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment, Paul, and I apologize for them. When you’re feeling better, we’ll have that talk you wanted.”

“It’s too late. We’re finished. I never want to see you again.” His eyelids fluttered closed, dismissing his father.

Letting out a sigh of remorse for having brought on this impasse Vincent said, “We’ll talk about things later. Right now the only thing that matters is that you recover.”

If Paul heard him, he made no further comment.

Deciding it was better to let him rest, Vincent used the cubicle phone to put through a credit card call to Pere Maurice and let him know Paul was going to be all right. The old man wept with relief. Fortunately he hadn’t tried to reach Monique who knew nothing about the accident yet.

They talked for a few more minutes, then Vincent followed the orderlies who took Paul to a private room on the third floor. While a nurse took his vital signs, another doctor came in the room and shook hands with Vincent.

“I’m Dr. Maurois. If you’d step outside in the hall for a moment, I’d like to talk to you about your son’s case.”

Vincent complied, but his senses were on alert that something was wrong. He eyed the man grimly. “Are there complications I haven’t been told about?”

“I’m afraid so. However the attending physician felt it best that you hear the details from me. I’m the head of the psychiatric department here at Passy Hospital.”

The doctor might as well have driven a fist into Vincent’s gut. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

In the next few minutes he heard news no parent ever wants to hear.

“If you’d prefer another psychiatrist, feel free to find someone else.”

“I’m sure you’re well qualified,” Vincent murmured. “Heaven knows my son needs help. The sooner, the better.”

The psychiatrist nodded. “What are your plans for the next few days?”

“To stay here with my son. My daughter Monique, his twin, will be joining me.”

“Good. For the time being, don’t mention what I’ve told you to him or your daughter. Only say and do the things that come naturally. I’ll be talking to him at regular intervals over the next forty-eight hours, then I’ll meet with you and your daughter, both together and individually. We’ll go from there.”

“Thank you,” Vincent said in a dull voice.

Once the nurse assured him Paul was resting comfortably, Vincent left to drive over to Monique’s school.

Before going to her room, he went to the office and thanked the headmistress for watching out for his daughter. She told him it had been a pleasure. She also invited him to come by any time when he happened to be in Paris on business. Her eyes held a private invitation he couldn’t possibly misconstrue.

After hearing Ms. Linn repeat Monique’s words revealed in confidence about the headmistress, he found himself repulsed by her blatant offer.

There’d been several women over the years he’d enjoyed when he’d gone out of town on business. But the headmistress would never be one of them.

Still in shock after learning what Dr. Maurois had to say, his heart sank further to discover Monique in her bedroom lying prostrate on the bed. Her tear-ravaged cheeks devastated him. He’d seen her like this before, but never because of something he’d done. It cut him to the core.

Riddled by guilt on so many counts, he sat down on the bed and put his arms around her. “I’m sorry, mon cherie. So sorry.” He rocked her for a while. “One day I hope you and Paul will be able to forgive me.”

Like Paul, she remained mute. What had he done?

Aware that Paul had been left alone he eventually said, “Come on. We need to get back to the hospital. Let’s carry your things out to the car. There’s something important I have to tell you, but I don’t want to talk about it until we’re away from the school.”

On that note his puffy-eyed daughter helped him load the trunk with her cases which she’d already packed in anticipation of leaving school for good. En route to the hospital he turned to her. “How come you and Paul didn’t share a taxi back to your schools?”

“He took off running. I couldn’t stop him. But I have to tell you—I don’t blame him for what he did, Papa.”

Monique was fiercely loyal to Paul. Vincent loved his daughter for it.

“Neither do I. Unfortunately your brother was so upset, he met with an accident.” It was the truth, just not all of it. That wouldn’t come until Dr. Maurois felt the time was right. “But he’s going to be fine,” he added the second he heard her frightened cry.

“No broken bones. Only concussion. In a few days he’ll be able to travel. The problem right now is, he thinks he hates me, and he has every right.

“Before we spend the night with him, I want to hear all about Hallie Linn. Don’t leave anything out. And don’t worry, I’m not asking because I suspect her of something sinister.

“However I do need to know about your relationship with her so I can understand what’s going on inside of Paul. I love your brother. But until I hear all the facts, I won’t be able to truly apologize to him in a way that he’ll accept as genuine. Do you know what I’m saying?”

“I don’t think this is something you can fix, mon pere.”

Coming on the heels of Dr. Maurois’s gut wrenching news, her opinion alarmed him. She sounded too grave and final about it.

Some time during the last nine months, his children had grown up. He hadn’t been there to see it happen and felt searing pain. Not only for what he’d missed, but for what he’d caused to happen.

“I have to try.”

“Paul’s been in love with her since the first day she waited on us at Tati’s. I could see why. She’s perfect! I totally approve of her for my future sister-in-law.”

“What makes her so special?”

“She’s the only person I feel is worthy of Paul’s love.”

Worthy?

Coming from Monique who was a twin and crazy about her brother almost to the point of being possessive of him, those were powerful words. He needed to tread carefully.

Since Vincent had married at eighteen, right now wasn’t the time to raise the issue that Paul was too young to know the difference between infatuation and love.

Without sounding like a hypocrite, how could he tell his daughter that Paul would probably be in love four or five times until he’d reached his mid to late twenties?

A man needed to be that age before he became a responsible adult with a viable career. Only then could he hope to find the kind of stability needed to achieve a happy marriage with the right woman.

“Paul would have told you about her a lot sooner, but he was afraid you wouldn’t approve of his falling in love with an American. He asked me not to say anything about her until he was ready.”

Vincent knew in his gut that wasn’t the reason his son had kept him in the dark. He shifted gears to pass a car. “I have no bias against Americans. I admit there was one client who came here a few years ago I didn’t particularly care for, but on the whole I find most of my American acquaintances quite charming.”

He sucked in his breath. “My reaction to Ms. Linn had nothing to do with her nationality. I was in shock to think Paul had spent the money on a ring rather than a car designated for your graduation gift.”

His daughter lowered her head. “He was determined to get engaged by the end of the school year. I told him I didn’t care about a car. If he wanted to spend that money on her, it was fine with me.

“In case you’re worried, he plans to pay you back in monthly installments. His headmaster gave him a reference and he used that to get an entry level job at a bank in Montparnasse. He’s supposed to start his training on Monday.”

Incredible.

Tomorrow Vincent would go over to Paul’s school for his things. While there he would phone the bank and let the manager know about Paul’s accident.

“I had a talk with Ms. Linn after you two left the apartment, petite. Though she looks younger to me, she says she’s twenty-five.”

“She is. Paul saw the inside of her passport.”

“Don’t you think a woman seven years older than your brother is too old for him?”

“Of course not,” she answered back, but it was a little too fast even for Monique. “Paul finds her totally fascinating.”

And because you love your twin, you’re not about to sabotage his plans.

Vincent rubbed the back of his neck in consternation. He wagered there weren’t too many females in all of Paris with Ms. Linn’s fascinating feminine attributes. With those long legs, she had a voluptuous physical allure that didn’t require expensive clothes to draw a man’s attention.

As far as he could tell, she wore no makeup. After she’d removed the scarf, he’d noticed a small cross hanging around her neck, but he’d seen no other jewelry.

Except for the ring she’d removed in his presence.

“Paul thinks my girlfriends at school are shallow and boring. I happen to agree with him. Hallie has had experiences that make her different from other people. She’s the best listener in the world.”

With a woman who looked like Ms. Linn hanging on Paul’s every word, he never stood a chance.

“Does she have family here in Paris?”

“No. She was born in California, but she’s all alone in the world now.”

“I see.” He pursed his lips. “Tell me about these experiences that have made her so unique in your eyes.”

“I don’t know the details because it’s hard for her to talk about them, but she was in a plane crash a few years ago. It made her reassess her values. She decided she wanted to help people.”

“That’s an admirable desire,” he murmured, trying to keep the condescension out of his voice.

Out of all the people his children could have met in Paris, how did they happen to run into this particular woman?

“What brought her to Paris?”

“Her work.”

“You mean there’s a Tati’s in California, and she was transferred here?”

Monique shook her head. “No.”

Vincent gripped the steering wheel tighter. He’d played at this conversation long enough. “Why do I get the feeling you’re afraid to answer my question?”

“Paul asked me not to tell you.”

“If she’s so perfect, then why the concern?”

“Because he knows the answer will make you happy.”

His daughter was speaking in riddles. More puzzled than ever, Vincent pulled into the hospital parking and shut off the engine.

“Am I such an awful ogre you can no longer trust me with the truth?” He needed all the truth his daughter could give him in order to work with Dr. Maurois.

She slowly turned her head toward him. The tortured brown eyes so dear to him seemed to take up her whole face.

“In two weeks Hallie’s going back to California to enter a convent.”

A convent.

Ms. Linn?

“Paul can’t bear it,” her voice trembled. “That’s why he gave her the ring, so she’d know he was serious about getting married one day. He’d do anything to stop her from making a decision that will prevent him from seeing her again. If you knew how wonderful Hallie was yo—”

“Just a minute,” he cut her off. “Back up.” Vincent’s mind was reeling. “She told you she intends to become a nun?”

Talk about dangling forbidden fruit in front of Paul! Could anything the opportunistic Ms. Linn have dreamed up to bring him to his knees have worked better than a fabrication like that?

“Papa— Hallie already is a lay nun.”

“Then she’s been lying to you,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“No,” Monique protested in a calm voice. “She’s been doing church service for the last year and a half through the Dominicans. First in California, then at Clairemont Abbey not far from Tati’s.

“Nowadays more and more women are working as lay nuns in ordinary clothes while they mingle with the public. They hold day jobs to pay for their own housing and expenses.”

This was the first Vincent had heard of it. Whether it was true or not, Monique firmly believed Ms. Linn’s story. Until he could check it out, he didn’t dare alienate his daughter any further.

He took a fortifying breath. “All right. Assuming everything she’s told you is true, why is she suddenly leaving Paris?”

His daughter looked crestfallen. “She has plans to take her vows at the motherhouse in San Diego in June. The only problem is, once she’s professed we’ll never see her again.” The tremor in her voice revealed such deep affection, it stunned Vincent.

“Paul’s desperate to keep her here. He loves her so much. It isn’t like he has a few years to work on her and get her to change her mind before proposing. He had to do it now, today, before it was too late! It’s taken him months to get up the courage.

“We planned the birthday fete in order to bring her to the apartment where he could have privacy when he asked her to marry him. Since he needed time alone, I left them long enough to buy Etvige a dress with the last of the money I’d been saving. She’s always wanted something stylish from Paris.”

His daughter’s explanation plunged him further into the black hole engulfing him since his conversation with Dr. Maurois. While she was talking, he could hear another voice from another conversation, drowning out her words.

“I’m not pregnant. But if I were, are you telling me you would bribe me into going away knowing I was carrying your grandchild inside my body? You would deprive Paul of his own child to love and raise?”

A harsh laugh came out of him. “Who said anything about it being Paul’s?”

“Be careful before you say anything else you’ll live to regret. Paul took us both by surprise today, but since you were incapable of listening to reason, I fear your reaction has caused irrevocable harm to your relationship with him.

“Promise me you’ll work things out with him tonight before it’s too late. He’s trying hard to be a man. Go to him and explain why you were so upset. Paul’s very sweet and sensitive inside. He’ll understand and forgive you.”

Vincent groaned. His assessment of the situation had been so completely off the mark, he felt like he’d entered the twilight zone with no exit.

In reality there was no exit, not after what the psychiatrist had told him.

Paul’s mental health was in grave jeopardy. Furthermore Vincent had permanently destroyed the bond with his son, a bond he’d once thought to be indestructible. What made things even more hopeless—he couldn’t help Paul if he wanted to where Ms. Linn was concerned.

She wasn’t in love with his son.

If Vincent recalled her words correctly, she’d said she loved Paul like a younger brother. Before leaving the dining room she’d murmured “Goodbye forever. May God bless you.”

Something about those parting words convinced Vincent she’d been telling his children the truth. She’d meant what she’d said in the literal sense because she would be turning her back on the world when she took her vows.

Everything that had transpired at his apartment was starting to make a horrible kind of sense. The Rolland household had been turned inside out.

Monique was barely speaking to him. His son was in hell because Vincent had insulted the love of his life, a woman who was about to become cloistered and permanently unavailable to him.

Everything Vincent had done since the twins’ birth to make sure they didn’t repeat his mistakes had blown up in his face.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

Had it only been twelve hours since he’d awakened in his hotel room in London, excited because he was going to fly to Paris to surprise his beloved children?

Tonight despair made him feel a thousand years old.

“Let’s go inside, petite. Paul needs us, even if he wishes I were drawing my last breath in the middle of the Sahara.” Even if my son wishes he’d left this earth…

CHAPTER THREE

IT WAS five o’clock on Saturday evening. Hallie took care of her last customer, rang up the receipts and left Tati’s.

Two days had passed since she’d hurried out of Monsieur Rolland’s apartment in pain. The terrible situation she’d unwittingly created by becoming friends with his children had been haunting her until she had to do something about the awful limbo she was in.

Last night she’d started a fast after her prayers. Tonight she had an appointment to talk with Mother Marie-Claire about the twins. By now they were home with their father in St. Genes. Hallie feared that any attempt on her part to talk to him or his children by phone would prove unsuccessful.

The only thing she could think to do was send him a letter conveying her sorrow, and hope he wouldn’t tear it up without reading what was in her heart first. But before she put her thoughts to paper, Hallie wanted to know her Superior’s opinion on the problem.

In the beginning Hallie had perceived she could fill a need for the twins while they were away from home. Tragically it had backfired with shattering consequences.

The painful encounter with their father had caused Hallie to lose confidence in her judgment as a human being, let alone as a nun. Where had the inspiration been to prevent this disaster?

Was she such a prideful person it had gotten in the way because she’d believed it was her mission to comfort the motherless twins? Had it blinded her to signs of trouble?

Or was it some latent maternal instinct that had suddenly sprung to life, thus preventing her common sense from surfacing?

In either case, what kind of a nun was she going to make in the future working with young people?

This was one of the questions she needed answers to. If she didn’t find some peace on the matter soon, Hallie feared she wouldn’t be good for the order. Sick at heart, she started walking faster.

“Ms. Linn?”

Hallie knew that deep, masculine voice. She spun around in surprise that the twins’ father was still here in Paris. Her heart skipped several beats.

She’d wanted another chance to talk to him and try to make things right. His presence meant that one of her wishes had been granted at least.

He’d pulled his car up to the curb not far from Tati’s. It was like déjà vu if she remembered Monique waiting for her in the same spot two nights ago. Except that he got out of his vehicle to approach her.

This evening he was dressed in a lightweight gray suit. It provided the perfect foil for his dark, handsome looks. But as he drew closer, she felt he’d aged since their confrontation.

Lines bracketed his mouth. His olive complexion seemed paler. She glimpsed pain in those deep set brown eyes made more remarkable by lashes black as jet.

Though he didn’t stare at her with the same contemptuous disdain as before, she had no sense that his feelings were any friendlier toward her. More, it was a case of enough time having passed for the first white heat of anger to dissipate.

“Paul’s in the hospital,” he began without preamble.

Those were the last words she expected to hear. “What’s wrong with him?” she cried in dismay.

“My son’s not dying if that’s what you’re worried about. At least not from anything physical,” came the muttered aside.

“Then what is it?”

She heard his sharp intake of breath. “He ran in front of a truck after he left the apartment the other evening.”

“Oh no—” A shudder rocked her body.

“As I told you, he’s going to be fine. All he sustained was a concussion and some bruises.”

Her eyes closed tightly. “Thank heaven he’s alive. He was so upset it doesn’t surprise me he didn’t watch where he was going.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he fired back. “When the paramedics brought him to the hospital, he was unconscious. He woke up in the emergency room thinking he’d died and had awakened on the other side.

“When the doctor told him he hadn’t been killed and was very much alive, Paul didn’t want to believe it. That’s when he admitted he’d run in front of the truck on purpose.”

“What?” Hallie couldn’t bear it. “Paul really wanted to die?”

His tortured gaze reflected her horror. She felt his hand close over her elbow. “We need to talk, but we can’t do it here. I presume you’re off work?”

“Yes,” she answered, feeling light-headed. “I was on my way…home.” She would reschedule her visit with Mother Marie-Claire later. This was more important.

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