Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
étienne, Régis, and Félicité led their mother to the back while I darted into the wine cellar, ostensibly to grab a couple more bottles. In reality, I needed a moment alone to process the whirlwind that had just blown into our lives.
"That was one of the more awkward things I have ever seen," Remi's low voice came from behind me as I stared up at the shelves of wine, trying to focus on the labels instead of the chaos in my head.
I exhaled, my shoulders sagging. "It most certainly was. But hey, who can't handle meeting their estranged dead father's wife, who I think is actually a Disney villain?"
Remi chuckled, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. "Céline has ice in her veins, it's true. She really embodies being a French woman."
I turned around, finding myself closer to him than I'd expected. His presence filled the small space, warm and solid.
"Do you know her well?"
Remi shrugged, the movement causing his shirt to stretch enticingly across his chest. "Not all that well. But I have known her for a long time. She didn't come around very often, even when Pascal was alive. She didn't get on very well with Pierre."
"Yeah, I kind of got that feeling," I said, trying to focus on the conversation and not the way his cologne was making my head spin. "She seems pretty bitter about the will situation."
Remi's laugh was low and rich. "Yes, she would be. Not for any valid reason other than she's just sort of a greedy bitch. I think that’s where étienne gets it."
I laughed in spite of myself, the sound echoing in the cellar. "Is she really that bad?"
Remi sighed, his expression softening. "I don't know. She's not evil or anything, she's just not particularly likable. And she certainly doesn't try to be. You saw the extent of her warmth. That was all incredibly on-brand."
I shivered over-dramatically. "Still trying to defrost."
Remi smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that made my heart skip a beat. Then, his gaze shifted to the shelf behind me.
"I think that one there," he said, reaching past me to tap a bottle. His arm brushed against mine, sending sparks dancing across my skin. "You'll enjoy it."
I swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how close we were. "It feels so strange to just be digging through Pierre 's wine cellar like this."
Remi's smile held a touch of sadness. "It is. But it's your wine cellar now. As weird as that may seem."
I sighed, the weight of my unexpected inheritance settling on my shoulders once again. "It just feels wrong. I feel like the wine belongs to you."
He shrugged, the movement bringing him incrementally closer. "Probably." His smile turned sardonic, but his eyes were warm. "But don't worry. I have plenty of my own. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, not coveted. Just promise me you'll share the good bottles with me."
I grinned, feeling a flutter in my stomach at the thought of future evenings spent sharing wine with Remi.
"Promise."
We both reached up for the bottle then, our hands brushing. We froze, the air between us suddenly charged with electricity. I could hear the blood thrumming in my ears, feel the heat radiating from him. For a moment, we were suspended in time, hands touching, eyes locked.
He glanced down at me, and I was struck anew by how tall he was, how the muscles in his arms rippled as he held his position. He smelled intoxicating, a mix of sun-warmed skin and something earthy—uniquely him. I prayed I wasn't visibly drooling because I couldn’t feel anything but my skin buzzing.
He worked his jaw, his eyes traveling from my eyes down to my mouth. My lips parted instinctively, and I saw his pupils dilate. He leaned down, closing the distance between us painfully slowly. I felt the buzzing tension between us, like a live wire waiting to spark.
" Elodie! "
Félicité’s voice rang out, cutting through the moment like a bucket of ice water, bringing everything crashing back to reality. Both of our hands dropped, and we stepped away from each other, the spell broken.
Félicité came around the corner, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in our flushed faces. "Oh, there you are. Her Majesty has requested a sparkling rosé. Do we have any chilled?"
Remi and I exchanged a loaded look before I turned to Félicité and forced a smile. "Right. Of course," I said, my voice slightly breathless. "Let me look."
With a couple of bottles of the selected wine in hand, Remi and I walked back out to the terrace. The ghost of Remi's touch lingered on my skin. The memory of our almost-kiss burned in my mind, a promise of something simmering just beneath the surface. Whatever was brewing between us, it was clear that it wasn't going away anytime soon—family drama be damned.
The siblings and Céline were hunched over the table, engaged in a heated discussion in rapid-fire French that ceased abruptly as we approached. Remi and I exchanged a glance, both of us pretending we hadn't noticed the sudden silence. If Remi had caught any of what they were saying, his face betrayed nothing.
Céline 's face lit up with a smile as artificial as a plastic decor grape. "We were just discussing plans for the holidays."
"Right. Never too early to plan," I replied, plastering on a smile. "I come bearing refreshment."
"Wonderful. I am dying for something crisp and cold," Céline purred.
Remi did the honors of pouring everyone a glass, his steady hands a stark contrast to my jittery nerves. We all settled around the table, the air thick with tension as we sipped our wine in silence. I could almost hear the gears turning in Céline 's head as she studied me over the rim of her glass.
"Well, Elodie," Céline finally broke the silence, her voice dripping with faux sweetness. "I imagine you're going through everything in the home and dividing it up amongst your siblings?"
"Mama," étienne interjected, his voice tight with barely contained frustration. "Can't you just leave it alone?"
"What?" Céline 's eyes widened in feigned innocence. "It's a perfectly logical question. There are things in that house that have been part of your family for generations. I would imagine that Elodie would do the right thing by making sure they go to the right people."
I felt a surge of irritation at her thinly veiled insinuation. "Well, I hadn't really gotten to that part yet," I began, trying to keep my voice level. "Obviously, if there's anything meaningful any of you want, that's perfectly fine." I caught Remi's eye, drawing strength from his subtle nod of encouragement. Straightening my spine, I continued, "But you know, it's funny when you think about it. The things that have been in their family for generations have also been in my family for generations."
Céline 's eyes narrowed slightly, her forehead remaining suspiciously smooth. "That's one way to look at it," she said, her voice cooling several degrees. "But do you really feel like you're part of this family? I mean, you've only just met everyone. You never even knew Pierre."
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I really didn't want to be having this conversation, but I also wasn't going to let her sit here and bully me.
"That's not actually true either," I said, my voice stronger than I felt. "I was born here. I spent the first few years of my life here. With my mother and Pascal. Pierre knew me. Colette knew me."
"I think what she's saying, mama , is she was here first," Félicité chimed in with a little smirk that made me want to hug her.
Céline 's face tightened, clearly not finding any amusement in this turn of events.
"Maybe we should change the subject," Régis suggested.
A tense silence fell over the group. Finally, Céline nodded, her smile returning like a mask sliding back into place.
"Of course. Let's lighten things up. Elodie, I am incredibly excited to see what you do with this place. It really could do with some love, and it's lovely to see somebody taking care of it after all these years."
I wasn't sure how much of it was genuine, but at least it sounded sincere enough. We all raised our glasses in a toast that felt more like a temporary ceasefire.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of the terrace door opening. Colette stepped out, freezing mid-step when she spotted Céline. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she recovered, smoothing her features into a polite smile.
"Céline, how lovely to see you," Colette said, her voice steady despite the surprise evident in her eyes. "I was not expecting you, or else I would've been here to greet you. I've been down to the farmers’ market."
Céline responded with a noise that managed to convey both acknowledgment and utter disinterest in one fell swoop.
"Colette . Lovely to see you. It’s been a while,” she said, her tone suggesting it was anything but. "I surprised everyone with my arrival, I have to say. But I was dying to meet Elodie here. What a lovely surprise she is."
Colette 's smile thinned, and I could practically feel the temperature on the terrace drop a few degrees. It was clear that Céline 's charm offensive wasn't winning her any favors in this house.
"Will you be staying for dinner then, Céline?" Colette asked, her tone carefully neutral.
My stomach did a somersault. I hadn't even considered that possibility. But of course, she had driven all the way out here. Before I could think better of it, the words tumbled out of my mouth: "Oh, yes, you should. Stay the night even. It's a long drive back."
Back to where? I didn’t even know.
The moment the invitation left my lips, I wanted to snatch it back out of the air. But I forced myself to maintain my smile. I had to show that I was courteous and mature. I was the oldest child, right? Even if I'd only just discovered that fact.
"Oh, what a lovely offer," Céline cooed, her eyes glittering with—was that triumph? "Perhaps I will. I am getting older, and my eyesight is not what it used to be."
Somehow, I highly doubted that. She looked as sharp now as I imagined she had been for the past thirty years, her gaze as keen as a hawk's.
"Wonderful," Colette said tightly. "I will start putting something on. Can I bring you anything to nibble on in the meantime?"
My stomach was so tied up in knots I didn't think I could get a cracker down. But I smiled and nodded anyway, channeling my inner hostess with all the strength I could muster.
"That would be lovely, Colette. Whatever you think is appropriate," I said, realizing I had no idea what constituted an appropriate afternoon snack in Provence. Might as well leave it to the experts.
"Absolutely. Right away," Colette said, disappearing back into the house with a speed that suggested she was eager to escape the tension on the terrace.
As I watched her go back in, I couldn't help but feel like I'd just inadvertently extended an invitation to a tiger to stay in our henhouse. I caught Remi's eye across the table, and his sympathetic wink gave me a small measure of comfort.