Chapter 45
NOW
The side door opened, and Yves beckoned them inside, his eyes darting as if he were granting them access to a secret criminal lair rather than the hotel kitchen.
They walked through, ignoring the curious stares from the kitchen assistants, and made their way through the dining area to the main corridor.
‘And you’re sure Claudine isn’t here?’
Yves nodded. ‘She’s off sick. If anything changes, I’ll call.’ He looked at her. ‘I’m sorry for what I did with the fire extinguishers.’
‘Don’t be. You did the right thing. It could have been much worse than some ruined decor.’ She tried to smile.
‘And you think you might be able to… improve things?’ He glanced around him, as if still worried about being caught.
She shrugged. ‘I hope so? But you know, either way, if Claudine does find out, I won’t mention you… helped.’
Yves’s face relaxed. ‘Thank you.’
Feeling sick, Bella walked towards the Superior rooms, Brad, Odette and Kitty trailing in her wake. Henri had had something he had to do, so hadn’t been able to come with them, but in a way she was relieved. The fewer people, the less chance they’d be discovered.
When she opened the door to the first, then the second room, they all fell silent.
The smell was the first thing to hit them – a singed, revolting stench, overwritten with something chemical.
Then, once they adjusted enough to focus on other things, it was impossible to miss the streaked walls, the ruined artwork, the curtains, the mess.
‘Oh là là,’ Odette whispered to herself.
Brad gave a low whistle.
‘See!’ Bella said. ‘I told you it would be impossible.’
‘No,’ Brad said.
She turned to look at him.
‘It’s not impossible,’ he said. ‘Difficult, sure. But doable.’
‘You aren’t serious?’ She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or finally allow herself to hope a little. ‘You really think we can mend this?’
‘Well, maybe not make it exactly as it was,’ he said. ‘But yeah. I’ve got a painter contact who owes me a favour.’
‘Is there anyone in Paris who doesn’t owe you a favour?’
‘Probably not.’ He grinned.
‘And…’ Odette’s voice was quiet, she cleared her throat. ‘And if you want, I can— well. You can have a painting, if you want.’ She spoke in English for Kitty’s benefit, her accent making the language sound prettier than its reality.
‘Really? You’d do that?’
Odette nodded, her cheeks flushed.
‘Oh, my God! Thank you!’ Bella grabbed Odette and squeezed her in an enormous hug.
Odette was seemingly surprised either by her own offer or the tightness of Bella’s squeeze.
‘See!’ said Kitty. ‘And I’m sure we can clean up the worst of the mess. The carpet’s still OK, thank God.’
‘Yes, but that’s still not all of it! What about the curtains. They were beautiful! Hand-stitched. And what about the furniture?’
Kitty looked at her. ‘It hasn’t occurred to you?’
‘What? What hasn’t occurred to me?’
‘Well… if only you had a house full of beautiful furniture sitting somewhere, say, in the countryside, that you could borrow from.’
Bella’s mouth fell open. ‘The Peyrat house!’
‘Well, yeah. I’m surprised you didn’t—’
It hadn’t crossed her mind. But then Peyrat seemed so many miles away, a different life. She couldn’t imagine that she could actually travel from this world to that. But she could… just.
‘Je peux vous aider?’ said another voice.
They all jolted with surprise. Turning, Bella’s eyes travelled down to meet those of an old lady, whose dog sat patiently at her feet. ‘Madame Roux!’ she said, slipping into French. ‘Oh, it’s nice to see you. I— We were just looking… We—’
Madame Roux laughed. ‘You think I am stupid? I know what you are doing.’
‘Oh. Please don’t tell Claudine.’
‘You must think me mad also? Claudine would ask you to leave immediately.’
‘But you don’t want us to?’ Bella tried.
‘Claudine is a silly girl. Proud. She has decided that it is all over. But if you can give her some hope,’ Madame Roux shrugged, ‘then I am happy to help you.’
‘Thank you. For not telling her.’
Madame Roux laughed. ‘I offered to help, not keep secrets. You think the only thing an old lady can do to help is to keep quiet? Non; do you not remember that I am a seamstress?’
‘Oh yes!’ Bella couldn’t help but glance at Madame Roux’s rather gnarled fingers. ‘But—’
Madame Roux followed her eyes. ‘Ah, they are old, my hands, but they work!’ she said. ‘In any case, I have curtains at my shop.’
‘Your shop?’
‘Oui. It is small. It is closed for many years. But I have my materials, some curtains. My machine for alterations.’
‘You really think you could make… something beautiful?’
‘As if I would make anything other!’ Madame Roux tsked. ‘I am sure if Jean-Paul Gaultier trusted me, then you can too.’
Brad grinned. ‘Jean-Paul Gaultier?’ he said quietly to Bella.
‘I’ll tell you later.’ Then, ‘Well, thank you. I don’t know what to say.’
‘It’s OK.’ Madame Roux’s face fell a little. ‘It is nice, to be able to help. Claudine is too proud to ask, thinks too little of me, in any case. But perhaps this will show her that I can be an asset, not just an inconvenience.’
They all stood looking at one another, stunned for a minute that they had, somehow, put a plan together. Then, ‘I’d better call my buddy,’ Brad said, pulling his phone from his pocket.
‘I’ll go and select some art for you to choose from,’ said Odette.
‘I will get a taxi to my shop,’ Madame Roux said. ‘Yves can help me.’
‘And I guess,’ Bella said, looking at her sister, ‘I’m going to Peyrat.’
‘Looks like it.’ Kitty smiled. ‘Although I hope you’ll still have time to come with me to the airport later?
And on the way you can tell me all the other plans.
My French is pretty basic, so unless you were just telling them that Jean-Paul Gaultier is coming to help, I haven’t got a clue what’s going on. ’