family!”
Cat hovered in the kitchen.
Loic indicated towards the chair next to him. “Come and sit down, Cat.”
Sylvie and Josephine were clasping each other’s hands now, speaking in super rapid French.
“Mutual congratulations society. Happens every time they get together,” Loic said. “Did you … sleep well, Cat?”
Cat put down her coffee. “Yes, thank you. But -”
“ Bien.” Sylvie turned her smiling face to encompass them all. “Shall we tell them? Shall we tell them our darling little plan, chérie?”
Cat felt her stomach tumble.
“Cat?” Loic’s voice was low.
“ The café is ready, darling,” Sylvie smiled at him.
“ Oui,” he growled, not taking his eyes off Cat, and pushing back his chair.
No, please, Cat thought, let’s not discuss this in front of this elegant, beautiful, stranger. Who is clearly some of sort professional success as well. Not now.
“What sort of practice do you work in, Josephine?” Cat asked.
She could sense Loic’s narrowed eyes not leaving her for a moment.
“ Psychologue.” Josephine’s voice was like crystal.
“ Oh, congratulations!” Cat said. Of course. Why not? The girl would be psychoanalyzing everyone in the room as well. She probably knew about Sylvie and Cat’s mad plan already. Their body language had probably given the game away before they spoke.
“ Oui, chérie, it’s a big practice in Paris. So exciting for Josephine. But, still! Cat and I have an announcement!” Sylvie clearly was not going to be put off.
Loic returned with four espressos. He handed one to Cat first, and she tipped her head back and drank it.
“ Shall I tell them, or you?” Sylvie’s eyes danced.
Cat shook her head. “Perhaps later,” Cat said, wanting to indicate wildly at Josephine, failing spectacularly to move her head in inch.
“ Spill it out, Cat,” Loic said.
“ We’re all family, Catherine,” Josephine purred.
“ Oh! Congratulations! I didn’t realize,” Cat said, springing up out of her seat. “Champagne, then? Chocolates? Let’s celebrate!”
“ Sit down,” Loic growled.
Sylvie and Josephine burst into fits of hysterical giggles.
“Oh, sorry, chérie!” Sylvie wiped her eyes. “Forgive me! I thought you knew. I thought Loic would have told you.”
Cat ran a hand through her hair. “Yes, sorry?” she said, trying to avoid Loic’s eye as hard as she could.
“ Oh,” she said. Josephine was still falling about her chair. “Sorry. It’s been a big few days for all of us!”
“ Of course, chérie,” Sylvie leaned forward and patted Cat on the arm. “We understand. I should have introduced her properly. Cat, this is my daughter, Josephine.”
Cat sat down hard on her chair.
“Enchantee,” Josephine held out her hand again. This time, Cat shook it firmly.
“ Now.” Sylvie had a beady look in her dark eyes now. “Cat and I have something to tell you both. We have, as you say, a plan.”
Cat closed her eyes.
“What is this?” Josephine’s face turned serious in the flicker of a second.
“ Oh, yes,” Sylvie said. “Cat is going to research your grand-mere. She has agreed to do a thorough job of it, haven’t you, Cat?”
“ Pardon?” Josephine barked.
“ This’ll be interesting.” Loic folded his arms.
“ Well.” Cat cleared her throat. “Well, the thing is. We don’t really have a plan. It’s just that, well, if I can find out why Isabelle, your grand-mere, kept all of this a secret, then I’m hoping that Sylvie will take back her inheritance. I think there’s been a mistake.”
“ Oh, no, no, no. I have worked all of this out.” Josephine stood up and moved behind her mother, resting her hands on Sylvie’s shoulders. “It was, how you say it? Posttraumatic stress. Grand-mere could not bear to return to the place that she had to flee. It is simple. There are many cases like this one, you see.”
Loic caught Cat’s eye. Cat looked away.
“ She then shut it all out,” Josephine went
Cat hovered in the kitchen.
Loic indicated towards the chair next to him. “Come and sit down, Cat.”
Sylvie and Josephine were clasping each other’s hands now, speaking in super rapid French.
“Mutual congratulations society. Happens every time they get together,” Loic said. “Did you … sleep well, Cat?”
Cat put down her coffee. “Yes, thank you. But -”
“ Bien.” Sylvie turned her smiling face to encompass them all. “Shall we tell them? Shall we tell them our darling little plan, chérie?”
Cat felt her stomach tumble.
“Cat?” Loic’s voice was low.
“ The café is ready, darling,” Sylvie smiled at him.
“ Oui,” he growled, not taking his eyes off Cat, and pushing back his chair.
No, please, Cat thought, let’s not discuss this in front of this elegant, beautiful, stranger. Who is clearly some of sort professional success as well. Not now.
“What sort of practice do you work in, Josephine?” Cat asked.
She could sense Loic’s narrowed eyes not leaving her for a moment.
“ Psychologue.” Josephine’s voice was like crystal.
“ Oh, congratulations!” Cat said. Of course. Why not? The girl would be psychoanalyzing everyone in the room as well. She probably knew about Sylvie and Cat’s mad plan already. Their body language had probably given the game away before they spoke.
“ Oui, chérie, it’s a big practice in Paris. So exciting for Josephine. But, still! Cat and I have an announcement!” Sylvie clearly was not going to be put off.
Loic returned with four espressos. He handed one to Cat first, and she tipped her head back and drank it.
“ Shall I tell them, or you?” Sylvie’s eyes danced.
Cat shook her head. “Perhaps later,” Cat said, wanting to indicate wildly at Josephine, failing spectacularly to move her head in inch.
“ Spill it out, Cat,” Loic said.
“ We’re all family, Catherine,” Josephine purred.
“ Oh! Congratulations! I didn’t realize,” Cat said, springing up out of her seat. “Champagne, then? Chocolates? Let’s celebrate!”
“ Sit down,” Loic growled.
Sylvie and Josephine burst into fits of hysterical giggles.
“Oh, sorry, chérie!” Sylvie wiped her eyes. “Forgive me! I thought you knew. I thought Loic would have told you.”
Cat ran a hand through her hair. “Yes, sorry?” she said, trying to avoid Loic’s eye as hard as she could.
“ Oh,” she said. Josephine was still falling about her chair. “Sorry. It’s been a big few days for all of us!”
“ Of course, chérie,” Sylvie leaned forward and patted Cat on the arm. “We understand. I should have introduced her properly. Cat, this is my daughter, Josephine.”
Cat sat down hard on her chair.
“Enchantee,” Josephine held out her hand again. This time, Cat shook it firmly.
“ Now.” Sylvie had a beady look in her dark eyes now. “Cat and I have something to tell you both. We have, as you say, a plan.”
Cat closed her eyes.
“What is this?” Josephine’s face turned serious in the flicker of a second.
“ Oh, yes,” Sylvie said. “Cat is going to research your grand-mere. She has agreed to do a thorough job of it, haven’t you, Cat?”
“ Pardon?” Josephine barked.
“ This’ll be interesting.” Loic folded his arms.
“ Well.” Cat cleared her throat. “Well, the thing is. We don’t really have a plan. It’s just that, well, if I can find out why Isabelle, your grand-mere, kept all of this a secret, then I’m hoping that Sylvie will take back her inheritance. I think there’s been a mistake.”
“ Oh, no, no, no. I have worked all of this out.” Josephine stood up and moved behind her mother, resting her hands on Sylvie’s shoulders. “It was, how you say it? Posttraumatic stress. Grand-mere could not bear to return to the place that she had to flee. It is simple. There are many cases like this one, you see.”
Loic caught Cat’s eye. Cat looked away.
“ She then shut it all out,” Josephine went
Similar Books
