Rene seemed to think about it. “That could work. My friends will put the word out.”
“And no one is better at spreading gossip than Hallie. The minute I tell her, she’ll sell it, if you know what I mean.” She was sure Hallie could have the story they wanted out in no time at all. “She’ll frame it as an undercover romance. If people ask, we can tell them we didn’t want to be out in the open until we were sure about our relationship. The situation at your company forced our hand, but we made the decision to take the plunge because we’re very much in love. We would have liked to have more time, but we’ve got faith.”
“You are far better at this than I am, Madam Mayor.”
She had experience on how to control an unwieldy narrative. “We should go with that story with everyone except our closest acquaintances.”
“There will still be talk,” he pointed out.
“Maybe amongst themselves, but I assure you no one in this town will talk to Charles.” Charles Darois’s past actions would be their best ally. “People around here can’t stand Charles. That wife of his is snooty and their kids are bullies. It also might be time to do some charitable work.”
Rene stared at her, emotion plain on his face. “Sylvie, do you have any idea what you’re saving for me?”
“I hope that I’m saving your job and your house. I’m also saving this town, because if Charles takes over, you’ll probably move to New Orleans.” This was something else she’d weighed in her decision. “You do a lot for this town. The Beaumonts help out, but you personally fund an enormous amount of this town’s needs. Charles won’t do that. He won’t care. I don’t even understand why he wants this place, since he hates the town so much.”
“Because he’s always been jealous of me. Because his father was jealous of mine. It’s a family tradition.”
She would love to understand the foundation of the rivalry. “Is it because your grandfather entrusted the company to your dad? From what I remember, your uncle wasn’t interested in business.”
“No, my uncle liked to cash checks and have parties. His job was being rich. He dabbled in business and my father indulged him. He started up a magazine once. It lasted a whole three issues before he lost interest. It wasn’t the only time. He hated that my father held the purse strings, but if he hadn’t, Charles’s childhood would have gone differently. Now I hold those same purse strings and they all hate me. My cousins can’t handle money. If I thought they could, I would have bought out their shares and sent them on their ways. That’s not what my father taught me to do.”
“So Charles thinks he can do it better than you, and he’s desperate to prove it. We’ve got to make everyone understand that having a steady income is more important than a one-time windfall, and then a slow erosion of the company that’s taken care of them their whole lives.” She was good at convincing people to see her side of things. It was pretty much her job. She could put all that training into use for her . . . friend. She’d almost thought husband. It was the danger of the position she found herself in. She had to remember that the marriage part wasn’t real, even though the relationship might be.
“I’ve talked to them. I don’t think the others can be swayed.”
“Leave that to me.” She would need to make a study of the board members. She didn’t know the rest of them as well as she knew Charles. “Your aunt’s birthday is coming up, right?”
“Yes. We’ll need to go to Houston. She lives there now.”
Sylvie had a better idea. “Or we could bring them all here, and I could throw her a big party out at the B and B. Your aunt enjoys a good family reunion, but the last I heard, she was in a condo now and everyone would have to stay at hotels. If we bring everyone out here, we can get them all in one place. It’s her ninetieth, right?”
“How do you remember all of this?”
Information was all part of her job, and the mayor of a small town needed to know everyone. “It’s a talent of mine, but don’t ask me to remember a phone number. It’s a good thing I was born in the age of smart phones.” She sat across from him. If she kept it up, she would pace a hole in the gorgeous carpet. “This is nothing but a campaign, you know. I’m good at those. I can take care of this for you.”
“I don’t like the idea that you’re not getting anything out of this.”
“Because you’ve been trained to think that your only value is the money you control. That’s simply not true, Rene. I’m going to help my friend, and this town will help you, too. You’re important.”