He knew his cousin’s marriage had been in shambles from the start, and that both Raoul and his wife carried a deep sorrow from losing their little girl, Celine, who had died at one month from a bad heart. Dominic wondered how much longer the two could keep up pretensions.
“My greatest regret is that I didn’t go to Paris with you years ago. Let’s face it, Dom. You were the only one in the family with the guts to get out before being swallowed alive.”
“But I’m back now.” For how long he didn’t know. It depended on Nathalie Fournier, who’d swept into his life on Friday, bringing a beauty and charm that had put some kind of a spell on him. His desire to
get to know her had stoked an unprecedented hunger in him, though his cousin didn’t know that.
Raoul stared hard at him. “Yes, but you’re still free to make your own decisions. Nobody owns you and your life is intact.”
“No one owns you, Raoul.”
“You’re right. I take ownership for my guilt and mistakes with Sabine.”
Dom let out a troubled sigh. “As you can see, the tentacles brought me back temporarily.”
“The day you came home was my salvation.”
“You’re mine, Raoul. Whatever you’re planning, don’t leave.”
“Not yet anyway. I need to know where I stand financially before I do anything.”
“I’ll get busy on it.” Something serious was going on with Raoul.
“Thanks. Now enough about me. I hear Etienne is still sick.”
“He’s finally getting better. I’m filling in for him a while longer, but something odd has come up I want to talk to you about.”
“Go ahead.”
Dominic told him everything, but didn’t reveal the strength of his attraction to the pharmacist. “Am I being paranoid that she’s up to something questionable?”
Raoul studied him for a minute. “Being an undercover freelance reporter is a big stretch from being a pharmacist. But I’d trust your instincts as they’re rarely wrong. If you feel something isn’t right, then it isn’t. What’s your plan?”
“I’m going to get to know her.”
“After a few days you’ll know if she’s out for a scoop on the business. It has happened before. Grand-père forced the perpetrators to pay stiff fines and do jail time.”
“That’s our grandfather.” Dominic didn’t want her to have to face that type of punishment for trespassing. If that was what she was doing.
Just then, Raoul received a text. After reading it, he looked up. “I’ve got to get over to my office.”
“I’ll call you tonight.”
“What would I do without you in my corner?”
On that note, he dashed off.
Dominic sat back, pondering his cousin’s counsel to follow his instincts about Miss Fournier. He planned to find out what made her tick.
After pulling all the information on Raoul’s investments, he did some figures and prepared a form to give his cousin. By afternoon he’d finished his work, so he drove his car back out to the terroir. Dominic made sure he’d shown up early enough to catch sight of the woman who was constantly on his mind.
Paul and Gregoire kept moving up and down the rows to help the workers. At 4:30 p.m. he saw her and several others leave the vineyard, though she walked down the road rather than climb into one of the trucks.
Dominic called to her as he pulled his car alongside her on the road. “Mademoiselle Fournier?”
She swung toward him, her eyes lighting up when she saw him behind the wheel. “Bonsoir, monsieur.”
“Since I’m on my way back to the chateau, allow me to drive you to your mobile home.”