“I agree,” she murmured. “Who’s the man in the picture with you?”
“My great uncle Jerome, the man I’ve talked about. It was my birthday. I’d just turned fifteen and his wife took that picture of us when we returned to the château from inspecting that particular terroir in the vineyard. They’d planned a surprise for me that evening. It was one of the happiest nights of my life.”
She nodded. “Seeing that photograph takes me back to a time of great happiness with my parents too. From the time I was five, Papa always took us to the vineyard in the fall. It was one of my favorite things to do with him, but because certain roads were blocked off, we could never get close enough to the château to suit me. Then he’d drive us around Vence and relate stories about its history.”
“Give me a for instance,” Raoul urged her. “I love hearing about your childhood.”
“I remember him saying that Francis the First, the knightly prince who furnished the ash tree that still grows near the fountain in the city, loved his mother so much, he knelt before her whenever they talked.”
Raoul cleared his throat. “I didn’t know that fact about his mother.”
“Do you think it’s true?”
“We’ll never know, but it makes a tender story.”
“Yes. Papa loved history and knew a lot of things. He should have lived for a long time.” Her voice wobbled before she sat back down.
“His legacy lives in you, Cami. Your words have touched me to the core.” He walked out in the hall and s
tarted bringing in the large boxes containing a computer and printer. Then he brought in the smaller boxes.
“Shall I help unpack those? I’m still on your clock for another hour. Let me be useful.”
“Your work ethic is as unmatched as your energy. Make yourself comfortable and we’ll go through them. Before we do though, I’ll bring us some coffee and then we’ll get started.”
“That would taste good about now.”
CHAPTER FOUR
ENCOURAGED THAT CAMI didn’t want to leave, Raoul hurried to the kitchen and made a fresh brew. His mind kept going over the things she’d told him. The mention of the knight’s mother made him realize he needed to call his own mother and try to make things better between them.
He hadn’t sat next to her at the funeral, but that was because Sabine had been right there. Even if his mother understood, he wanted to explain and Cami’s words reminded him he shouldn’t put it off.
Filling a plate with pastries, he carried everything to the study and handed her a mug. The pastries he put on the desk, then he pulled up a chair.
She reached for one and bit into it. “Um. Just what the doctor ordered.”
Raoul swallowed his coffee, then studied her for a moment. “I can tell you’re wondering why I kept this room locked while you and your coworkers were cleaning.”
A fetching half smile appeared. “Am I that transparent?”
“You know that old saying about eyes being mirrors of the soul.”
“Afraid I do. I’ll keep them closed from here on out.”
Low laughter rumbled out of him. Raoul knew he was in terrible trouble where she was concerned. It was too soon to be this enamored, but he couldn’t help it and decided it was time to do something about it.
“If you remember, I told you I wouldn’t be accepting the CEO position.”
She drank her coffee slowly. “I remember everything you told me.”
“That’s because I’ve gone into business for myself, but it’s still a secret. I put these boxes in here last week and locked the door. I didn’t want anyone coming to the villa and getting curious.” He opened the first one and pulled out some files.
“Why are you telling me?”
He gave her a long side glance. “After what we’ve just shared, I trust you.”
“That’s a real compliment. Are they in alphabetical order?”