“Yes, but I can tell you’re so in love with him you can’t help yourself. Just remember that Ginger and I will be thinking of you tomorrow, even though you won’t be thinking about us. Now I’ve got to run to catch the ferry. God bless. May you have joy, Abby.”
Joy was the right word.
Abby ate her pasta salad and then did some window shopping until it was time to pick up the ring. When she walked into the shop, he had it waiting for her.
“Do you want this gift wrapped?”
“No.” She inspected the inscription. “This is perfect. Thank you. Just put it in the little box.”
“Très bien.”
With it tucked safely in her purse, she started to leave, then went back to the counter. “Do you have any pins for a woman to wear on a suit jacket or dress? Maybe something with flowers?”
He frowned. “What do you mean exactly?”
“Well, I’m getting married in the morning to an important vintner in the region, and I’d like to have a gift to give my fiancé’s mother. Nothing extravagant, but something meaningful that says I love her wonderful son.”
“Let me think. I’ll have to go in back where I keep my special collections.” He came out a minute later and laid a little one-inch gold pin on the velvet. It was a vine with enamel purple grapes and one enameled white flower at the top.
Abby shook her head. “I can’t believe you have something like this.”
“Burgundy is famous for its vineyards.”
“It’s exactly what I was hoping to find. How much is it?”
“Consider it a wedding present from my shop. I hope you’ll come in again.”
“Of course I will! I can’t thank you enough. Will you please gift wrap it for me?”
She was so thrilled with her purchases, she couldn’t stand still. As soon as he handed it to her, she put it in her purse and hurried outside to a tête de taxi. When she said the Decorvet Domaine, the driver nodded and they took off for Vosne-Romanée.
En route she received a text from Ginger.
I was right. He did get to your romantic soul. Forget everything I ever said. I couldn’t be happier for you.
Tears stung Abby’s eyes to have her friends’ blessings.
When the driver reached the gate, he made a phone call and the doors swung open to let them through. She gave him directions to the petit château and paid him before getting out of the taxi.
For the rest of the day she did work on the internet. First she looked up the University of Burgundy located in Dijon and discovered that the humanities and sciences were well represented on the main campus with law, medicine and literature in separate buildings. She didn’t know if she could ever get a teaching position there, but it wouldn’t hurt to inquire.
Then she looked up where to get French lessons. Abby could go many directions, but thought it might work to hire a private tutor. She found the names of three qualified instructors and phoned them for more information.
After saying she would get back to them, she fixed herself some food from the kitchen and then sat down to watch TV. But she could hardly concentrate while waiting for Raoul to get in touch with her. She knew he wouldn’t be coming over, but when it got to be nine o’clock, it surprised her that there’d been no phone call.
It wasn’t until she climbed in bed and set her alarm for six a.m. that she received the long-awaited text.
Tomorrow every dream of mine is going to come true.
She sent a text back.
Get a good sleep, beloved. You’re going to be loved the way no one has ever been loved before.
After putting the phone on the side table, she buried her face in the pillow, whispering his name.
* * *
Raoul waited near the landing pad at the Dijon-Bourgogne Airport in the Maserati. He rechecked his watch. Five after seven. The helicopter should be here by now. Mon Dieu...if anything unforeseen happened to her at this point, he wouldn’t want to go on living.