After lunch, Ryenne climbed up to the room she shared with Lucien on the top floor of the Malraux house and pulled out her laptop. While waiting for the computer to awaken, she looked out the dormer windows across to the Bois de Boulogne. Less than a mile away, she could just barely see the reflection of cars on the Boulevard Périphérique and beyond it, the dense foliage of the many types of trees in the huge park.

On her first day here, she and Lucien had walked through the park. He had pointed out the various trees and different areas of interest, like the tiny Château de Bagatelle, created by Louis XVI’s brother on a bet with his sister-in-law, Marie-Antoinette.

She couldn’t see the château from this distance, but she enjoyed knowing it was there. It occurred to her that she didn’t really know what kinds of trees and flowers were in Central Park in New York City, but she now knew the Bois de Boulogne contained beech, linden, cedar, chestnut, elm, and even redwood, which she had thought only grew in California. The French park also had two racecourses, a tennis stadium, and greenhouses. As much as she loved New York, Paris was winning her over.

When her laptop was ready, she called Gavin. He answered more quickly than she would have expected, considering the early hour in New York.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted her as usual.

“Hey, Gav, why did you want to talk so early?”

“I didn’t want to miss you. I’m sure you and Lucien are super busy with sight-seeing and... ahem... other things.”

Rolling her eyes, she waited him out. She knew he’d get to the point on his own.

“I’m nervous about the wedding,” he said. “I haven’t seen Christopher in more than a year and I don’t know why he invited me anyway.”

“So, why go, Gavin? We don’t have to.”

“I do,” he insisted. “I don’t want Christopher to think he has any kind of hold over me.”

“But he doesn’t, right?”

“Not exactly. But I don’t want him to think that he affected my life.”

“You’re the only one who can let him affect your life. It’s up to you to move on, Gavin. I thought you had.”

“I thought I had, too, but since Marco, I’ve been thinking about my choices. Even after Christopher broke my heart, I still went into each night out and each new meeting thinking this could be the beginning of something special.”

Ryenne nodded. She knew. She had been there through them all. He always thought he had met the one, but it was because he wanted it so bad.

“Maybe I was looking through rose-colored glasses so often because I didn’t want to become jaded and bitter after my experience with Christopher.”

“But that’s a good thing, Gav.”

“Yeah,” he conceded. “But it hasn’t been good for me. It means that I get my heart broken over and over and over again.”

That was true. And it was hard to watch, over and over and over again. “What’s the alternative, Gav? You have a big heart. You can’t let someone like Christopher change that about you.”

She could see the dark circles under his eyes. He probably wanted to talk to her this early because he didn’t want to admit to her that he wasn’t sleeping. “Oh, Gavin, honey, I wish I had the perfect words for you. The best revenge will be for you to get enough sleep and look your usual gorgeous best and blow his socks off at the wedding.”

“Blow?” he asked with a sardonic smile.

“Um, not exactly what I meant.”

They laughed.

“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t know if I can salvage my looks at this point. We only have a few days left before the wedding.”

“Well, my dear, the best thing isn’t how gorgeous you are. Christopher knew it and broke your heart anyway. That you are still as sweet as the day I met you ten years ago is one of your best features. So, you go to that wedding and strut your stuff and be as sweet as you can be, as only you can be, and he will regret his choice. And if he doesn’t, then it’s his loss, not yours. He clearly wasn’t right for you.”

“You can say that again.” Gavin tossed his head back like a horse. “He chose a toad like Ned.”

“Gavin.”

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t be mean. I don’t really have anything against Ned. But I hope he knows what he’s getting into with Christopher.”

“Okay, but it’s not our place to tell him.”

Noises from downstairs dragged her attention away from her best friend. Three floors up, she shouldn’t be able to hear much. It sounded like Françoise had raised her voice, something Ryenne hadn’t heard in her week here.

“Gavin? Hang on.” She listened for a moment. Voices reached her but she couldn’t make out the words. “Let me call you back.”

She went downstairs and listened to Françoise’s voice rising. “My son does not speak for our business. I do. You will leave. Now.”

“Maman, let’s not make hasty decisions. You and I should talk about this.” Lucien sounded agitated and conciliatory.

“The day Malraux Frères gets in bed with rogues is the day I die. Good day, Monsieur Renardin.”

Ryenne went back upstairs, smiling at Françoise’s stern tone, and resumed her call.

“What happened?” Gavin asked.

She filled him in on what had happened last night. “It looked like the same guy, Renardin, came today, maybe to set up an appointment with Lucien for next week. I’m surprised he came himself rather than having an underling call. Maybe he wanted to reassure himself of the family’s willingness.”

“From what you said, it sounds like Françoise isn’t willing after all.”

“She’s pretty pissed. I don’t envy Lucien right now, having to face his mother and explain what we were thinking last night when we agreed to work with them. You know, Gav, I wonder if now is really a good time for me to come home.”

“Wait, Ry, what are you saying? You promised you’d accompany me to this wedding.”

“I know. I know. I will. But I feel bad about leaving them right now. Clearly, things are happening here. The Fangs are making a move on the Malraux.”

“Didn’t Françoise shut the guy down?”

“She did, but something feels wrong. It’s the Fangs, after all.” She ran her fingers through her hair where it fell down below her shoulder. “It’s probably nothing. I’ll be coming home in a couple of days, as promised.”

“Maybe you’re right, Ry. This is Lucien’s family. They could be your family someday. The Fangs are not to be messed with, as you saw firsthand in Kenya. Those people are crazy. Maybe you should stay.”

“Gavin, I promised I’d go with you to Christopher and Ned’s wedding. I’m not letting you walk into that lion’s den by yourself.”

“You’re the best, Ry.”

“No, you’re the best. But I think there’s nothing to worry about. Françoise threw the guy out. The Fangs would be foolish to mess with the Malraux.”

Dread curled in her stomach. The Fangs weren’t fools and they clearly planned to mess with the Malraux.