Gwen stopped at an intersection, peering up the street at the mountains. The way the sun set over their peaks wreathed them in fire, and it captivated her for a few moments.

Switzerland had to be one of the most beautiful places she’d gone with Aiden over these last few months. She started off down the street, glancing occasionally in the windows of the shops on either side of her. At this hour, many of them stared back at her with Closed signs. Or signs that she thought said that (if that’s what Geschlossen meant, anyway).

She wasn’t really interested in shopping anyway. Her walk also took her down the lanes of recent memory. Finally getting to see Big Ben, going through the Chunnel and seeing all of the artwork in the Louvre, wandering the grounds at Versailles... And all of that in the first few weeks! Since then, Aiden had taken her through Belgium, Holland, Germany, up into Denmark and Sweden and Finland.

There had even been a layover in Moscow before Warsaw, down into Greece and then across the sea into Italy and Sicily. And finally up through the Alps into Switzerland. And the beauty of this place kept getting to her, kept sticking in her head.

The trip had been a dream come true, Aiden taking her places and doing things with her that she and tens of millions of weekly lottery players only dreamed or fantasized about.

And she couldn’t help the melancholy deep inside her from spreading itself in a numbing coldness through her veins.

She thought of one of the things she’d told Aiden the day they got engaged. Of that conversation where she wished they could buy a place here and settle down, because it held no bad memories for either of them, just the promise of a great future.

Judith took that from her, from them. And now this beautiful place would always be tainted by it all.

That night, after whatever shenanigans Judith put them up to, she intended to tell Aiden that she wanted this to end. That she wanted to go home with him, back to New York. She’d had her fill of beauty and travel and awful relatives. And now she just wanted him.

The street lines came on then, the one directly above her buzzing to life. Gwen continued on for a few more blocks, trying to clear her head with all this fresh air. She met a few other pedestrians, some of whom nodded and smiled at her in universal greeting.

She went until when she turned around she could no longer see the mountains or the hotel outlined against them.

The street led to what looked to be a small parade square, a fenced off statue of a sword-wielding man astride a horse in the center of the space. More closed storefronts stared blindly out into it. And there were benches along the outer perimeter, which was also ringed by a thin garden.

Gwen sat on the nearest bench and then leaned forward, looking off into nothing with her chin resting on her knuckles.

“Is this seat taken?” She didn’t immediately recognize the voice.

“Plenty to go around,” Gwen said, tilting her head toward the row of empty benches next to hers. Why do people always have to interrupt what is obviously supposed to be a moment of quiet contemplation?

“That’d be a no then, I take it?” he sat down beside her.

“I’m actually trying to be alone here... Oh, you,” Gwen said.

Ben sat beside her, his arms crossed and a grin on his face. Seeing him immediately reminded her of the feel of his stubble against her face, the insistence of his lips against hers. Gwen pushed back against those memories.

“Everyone appreciates good company, love. You appreciated it not so long ago.”

“That was different. I didn’t know what you were trying to do. If I could go back and stop it, I would. What are you doing here anyway? Are you stalking me? Because that is not okay.”

“Whoa, whoa. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off like that. I’m out here one, because I like going for walks. Good for the soul, didn’t you know? And two, I’m a journalist. You can’t think that you and your Harvard man are the only story around here.”

“I suppose...” Gwen said. It still seemed weird, him being there like this, but Gwen had been increasing her tolerance to weird over these last few days. If weird were alcohol she didn’t think she’d be a cheap drunk anymore. Still, she didn’t exactly feel comfortable sitting next to the cause of one of her biggest and most recent problems.

“I think I’ve had enough of fresh air and culture for one evening. I’m going to head out now. Nice seeing you, well not really, but you know what I’m trying to say.”

Gwen stood up from the bench, flinching as muscles tightened from sitting stretched.

“Wait! Gwen, please, just give me a few moments.”

“What for? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you caused between me and Aiden? Do you have any idea how you made me feel after you couldn’t control yourself?”

“You’re right, you’re right. Of course you are. Please, just do me the courtesy of hearing what I have to say,” Ben said, standing up with her and spreading his hands in supplication.

“Make it fast,” Gwen replied, crossing her arms and giving him a glare.

“Will do,” Ben said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, “Here goes. First, I am truly sorry for that. Deeply sorry. How am I doing? Carrying on, I did it because I thought I sensed something from you. I thought I got a signal from you that maybe, just maybe, you’re not as happy with Aiden as you think you are. And I also got this idea in my head that maybe you fancied me a little, too... Is my minute up yet?”

“Just about.” Gwen shook her head. Apparently there had been misunderstandings and mixed signals on both fronts. Besides, Ben wasn’t trying anything on her now. Maybe he was being genuine. Best to let him down easy.

“So tell me, Gwen, am I wrong about you and Aiden and you and me?”

Her shoulders heaved in a sigh. “There has just been so much going on lately. You wouldn’t even believe it. Look... Ben, you’re a nice guy. I think you’re funny and charming and smart. In different circumstances, I would love to be with you. And I do like you, maybe more than it’s okay to like you... But the circumstances don’t allow it. And I don’t want them to.”

“And what about Aiden? You two patched things up, I take it?”

“As much as they can be patched up. Things are just a little tense right now, because of some really strange circumstances with his family. Aiden is different. He’s always under a lot of pressure. He has his company and his money to worry about, and I just want to help him with that.”

“What if he didn’t have that company and that money, though?” Ben said, “Would you still feel the same way about him?”

Gwen shook her head, “No. Of course I wouldn’t. Sometimes I do think it would almost be better for us if he didn’t. It wouldn’t get in the way anymore. Money complicates things like you wouldn’t believe. But it’s so much a part of him that it scares me a little to think of him losing it.”

“So you’d still love him, then? No room in there for Ben?” he said.

“Okay, the third person thing’s a little weird. Also, of course I’d still love him. I’d love him if he didn’t have a cent to him. And that will never change. There. Is that satisfactory? No more mixed messages, or signals, or inklings, or any of that sort of thing.”

Ben smiled and nodded. “That’s actually all I needed to hear. Thanks, Gwen. You have no idea how much hearing all that helps me.” He held out his hand.

Gwen shook it. “Good, well, I guess this is goodbye then?”

“Yes, I should think. Parting and sweet sorrow and whatnot.”

Before she could stop him, he lifted her hand up to his lips and gave it a scratchy kiss. “Until we meet again,” he said.

He was a handsome man, and charming. However, Gwen was glad she wasn’t with him. And despite what she’d said to the contrary, she didn’t think that she’d start anything with him. There was something not quite wholesome about that man. She wasn’t exactly certain what or why. It was only a feeling, an intuition.

She watched him walk away, then checked her phone for the time. “Oh!” she said, realizing that if she wanted enough time to really go through her outfits for whatever Judith had planned she’d have to get back to the suite about fifteen minutes before the current time.

***

“SEND HIM IN!” JUDITH said, and the butler nodded.

Moments later, a rather tall, rather handsome Englishman in need of a shave stepped into Judith’s sitting room.

“You have it, then?” Judith said, feeling far too giddy for her age.

“It was like you said, she walked right into it.” He pulled a small black recorder out of his pocket and set it on the coffee table. It rather reminded Judith of a tube of lipstick.

He pushed a button and through the tiny speaker Judith heard two voices.

“What if he didn’t have that company and that money, though? Would you still feel the same way about him?”

“No. Of course I wouldn’t...”

Gwen sounded even shriller through the tinny speaker than she did in person, Judith noted.

He killed the sound. “Satisfactory?”

“More than satisfactory. Thank you again for your services, Mister Somersby.”

Ben Somersby gave her the full wattage of his smile. “Oh, it was my pleasure, madam.”