Abby knew that would be the girls’ reaction. “I feel the same way. Since we’re in Europe, where would you guys like to go? I need to conserve my funds, but I’ve been budgeting in my mind. I believe I have enough money to spend two weeks here. What about you two?”
They both figured two weeks would be all they could afford.
“Any ideas where you’d like to go?”
Zoe took a deep breath. “If I had the chance, I’d fly back to Greece in a minute.”
That didn’t surprise Abby. Their divorced friend hadn’t said anything, but Abby sensed there was a man involved. “What part exactly?”
“Patras. I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time in that area.”
“Maybe we could take a small tour of some of the Greek Islands too. What do you think, Ginger?”
“Not that I wouldn’t love to travel there, but to be honest, I’d rather go back to Italy. There’s so much to see and it’s so glorious. I couldn’t get enough of it.” By the tone in her voice, Abby wondered if Ginger had also experienced some kind of romantic interest.
As for Abby, she’d met a mysterious Frenchman earlier today, but it was best she never saw him again. “Where do you want to visit in Italy, Ginger?”
“Venice. It’s the most romantic city on earth.”
Well, well. Their friend did have a reason to want to go back. Abby was sure of it.
“I have an idea. If we pool our resources, we can afford a two-week vacation. Maybe we could drive to Venice tomorrow and spend a few days there before visiting Rome. From there we’ll fly to Patras and tour around that area for a week before we go back to California. What do you think?”
Ginger looked at Zoe before she said, “What do you want to do, Abby?”
She wanted to stay longer and see if she could find that rumored poem, but it probably didn’t exist. “I’ve been living in Switzerland since January and am ready for a new adventure.” Which was true.
“Not even one guy has caught your eye who wants you to hang around?”
Zoe had just given herself away.
Abby shook her head. “I’m not ready to meet a man.”
Ginger’s eyebrows shot up. “You will be when the right one comes along.”
Someone out of this world had come along earlier today, but she needed to run from him and keep running. “Let’s change the subject. Are you guys on board with our plans?”
“According to Magda, we have to visit the Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory in Broc,” Zoe interjected. “She has already paid for us to take the tour. Why don’t we at least do that tomorrow to make her happy?”
Abby eyed them both. “I toured that plant in March. It’s really worth the time. While you do that, I’d like to do a little more research on Byron while we’re in St. Saphorin.
“Maybe you guys should drop me off at the local library in the village. That’s one place I haven’t visited. Then I’ll walk back to the farmhouse and wait for you. If you two leave in the morning, you’ll be back by afternoon and we can leave for Italy.” Magda was funding their rental car.
They agreed it was a great idea and drove back to the château. If Raoul Decorvet was still around in the morning, Abby didn’t plan to be here. She would be insane to hope they might see each other again. She had the fear that getting involved with a man who made her feel this besotted without even knowing him could destroy her.
* * *
After a shower and shave, Raoul Capet Regnac Decorvet, the elder son of the duke of the Vosne-Romanée region in the Burgundy department of France, concluded his business with the new owner of La Floraison.
Once Raoul had assured him he’d be back at the end of June to tie up any loose ends, he hung up the phone and ate the breakfast Gabrielle had brought to his room in the château. He drank more coffee and made half a dozen calls to members of his staff while he looked down from the upstairs window that faced the courtyard.
The three women had left early in their rental car and hadn’t returned. He knew from Gabrielle they hadn’t checked out. To his shock, Mademoiselle Grant hadn’t left his thoughts all night. He was overwhelmed by unfamiliar feelings for her that made him desperate to see her again. It astounded him he should have these desires when he’d only spent a few minutes with her. Nothing like this had ever happened to him in his life.
Raoul had of course enjoyed relationships with women from time to time growing up. It had been his destiny to marry the woman his father had demanded he marry, but he had felt nothing like this. Two years ago his wife and baby had tragically died in a car accident. Since then he’d been a slave to work.
When he came to Switzerland on business, he’d never dreamed he’d meet a woman who seemed to have invaded his mind, his psyche, his body the way she’d done yesterday. He couldn’t explain it, but her effect on him had brought him alive.
His senses were involved from the moment he’d seen her sitting on the bench at the train station seemingly happy on her own. She’d made a breathtaking picture.