Chapter 15 #2
‘Let’s just say that she was after Joe’s money, not his love. She heard that he owned a successful restaurant, and we think she decided she wanted to be with him because of it.’
Mia couldn’t hide her surprise, and she lowered her glass. ‘That’s awful. You know, he let me believe he worked in the bar when I first met him, which makes complete sense now.’
Vivienne laughed. ‘That doesn’t surprise me.
He’s worked so hard for everything,’ she said.
‘Our father was so hard on him when he was younger. He told him that he had to make his own way in the world, that he needed to create his own fortune, and from the day Joe could get a job after school, he was working. Our dad was so proud of him.’
‘I don’t, I mean, I want you to know—’
‘I’m telling you, so you know why he gets how he gets sometimes,’ Vivienne said. ‘He’s found it hard to trust ever since, and I understand why, I do, but we all want him to be happy.’
They were interrupted by the matriarch of the house calling them all to the table, and Mia carried her glass of wine through to the dining area and took the seat she was directed to.
She would have offered to help, but Joe came to sit beside her and warned explicitly against getting in his mother’s way.
‘She likes to do it herself,’ he said. ‘Until it’s time to clear up, and then she’s very good at delegating.’
‘And our brother is very good at getting out of that,’ Vivienne said as she breezed past.
Mia studied Joe while he bantered with his sisters, taking in the stubble along his strong jaw, the dark brows and thick dark hair that he often ran his fingers through.
She’d noticed he had a little habit of tugging his fingers through the ends when he was talking to his sister, and it made her smile.
She was an only child, but she’d always been fascinated by the relationships between siblings and had often wondered what it would have been like to have a brother or sister.
And even though she’d come here hoping to discover more clues about her past, Mia found she couldn’t think about that as she was welcomed into the kind of family gathering that made her forget everything else.
She watched as Joe refilled everyone’s wine and made a fuss of pouring juice into the glasses of his niece and nephew; at the way his mother served each of them, clearly taking so much pride in feeding her family.
But it was noticing her watch her son a little longer than she did her daughters that tugged at Mia’s heartstrings, and it made her wonder if there was something else she didn’t know about Joe.
There was a reason he’d asked her, she could sense it, and it was more than just wanting to distract his mother and sisters from his lack of a love life.
She had the distinct feeling that there was something else under the surface, something much deeper, that he was trying to hide from.
‘Are you okay?’
She glanced at Joe, wishing she knew him well enough to lean in and press a kiss to his cheek, but instead she nodded and turned back to listen to his family.
‘Marguerite, there’s something I need to tell you,’ Mia said to Joe’s mother, as they stood shoulder to shoulder in the kitchen.
She’d been warned about offering to help, but his mother hadn’t shooed her away when she’d come to visit her in the kitchen as she prepared dessert.
‘You’ve been so kind to me, and the way you’ve opened your home, and…
’ Her voice trailed away and she inhaled and turned to face her, setting down the plate she was holding.
‘You’re trying to tell me that you’re not actually dating my son?’ she asked, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
‘You knew all this time?’ Mia asked. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘And ruin all the fun?’ she asked.
Mia laughed; she couldn’t help it. ‘Well, I want you to know that it was all your son’s idea, but still, I’m grateful that you invited me to lunch.
It’s been one of the best Saturday afternoons I’ve had in a long time.
’ It had been more than great; it had made her heart sing just being part of such a larger-than-life, loving family, even if she was just an observer.
But they’d made such an effort to welcome her, and she imagined it hadn’t been easy for them all having to converse in English for her sake.
‘I just couldn’t pretend any longer, not when you’ve been so kind. ’
‘Oh, I’m well aware it would have been Joe’s idea. I can just see how clever he thought he was being, distracting us with a lovely English rose.’
Mia swallowed, and she wished that she were standing in this woman’s kitchen because she was dating her son.
She missed her own mother terribly, and it was at times like this she wished they lived in the same country, instead of on opposite sides of the world.
But when Mia had spread her wings and thrown herself headfirst into her career years earlier, her mother had done the same and started to travel, ending up falling in love with an Australian and never coming home, other than to return to pick up the pieces and care for her in the months after Ethan had passed.
‘Well, thank you,’ Mia began. ‘I just couldn’t continue without saying something, and I really have had the most wonderful time.’
‘It’s been our pleasure to have you, and I must say, ruse or not, I’m invested in your journey now,’ she said. ‘But there’s no need to let my son know that I’m on to your little secret.’
Mia met her gaze and saw that his mother was enjoying this as much as anyone.
‘I don’t know if I’ll even see him again after today,’ Mia said. ‘I mean, he’s…’ She wasn’t quite sure what she was trying to say, and it was his mother she was speaking to, after all.
Marguerite patted her hand. ‘Something tells me this isn’t the last time I’ll be seeing you, Mia.
It’s been more than a few years since Joe brought a female friend anywhere near his family.
’ Her eyes seemed to brighten. ‘Besides, there’s so much we need to discuss about your family history.
I think you’re going to find out more than you expect. ’
She squeezed Mia’s hand and gave her a knowing smile, which left her wondering what on earth had just happened.
Was she meaning that Joe might really be interested in her?
She glanced past his mother through into the living room, seeing Joe spread out on the sofa, laughing at something his sister had said.
He was handsome and funny, but he’d also experienced a loss not unlike hers, which made her feel even more drawn to him.
When he looked up and caught her looking at him, Mia froze. His mother had busied herself with food preparations and breezed past her with a large cake, and Mia stood awkwardly. But Joe didn’t seem fazed, waving her over, and instead of letting herself be embarrassed, she went towards him.
‘I hope my mother has been behaving herself,’ he said, patting the spot beside him and speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear. ‘She’s known to be extremely badly behaved at times.’
His mother made a noise from the other side of the room that sounded more snort than laugh, and Mia chuckled.
If they’d had a moment alone she would have leaned closer and whispered to him that his mother was in on their secret, but before she could, they were being beckoned to the table for dessert.
It had been a feast like she’d never seen before, and it hadn’t finished yet.
‘Mia, how long are you in Paris? I never did ask you,’ his mother queried.
‘I’m supposed to return to London in a few days.’
‘Ah, such a shame. Is there any way you could extend your stay, if you discovered more about your aunt?’
Mia looked between Joe and his mother. ‘Well, yes. My plan is to stay on if I manage to find any more clues.’
When his mother looked up and met her gaze, she realised Marguerite had no intention of letting on that she knew about Joe’s white lie.
‘I actually heard back from an old family friend, and he thinks you should travel to the Jura Mountains to visit an old distillery there. It’s been owned by the same family for generations, and the great-grandfather is still alive.
’ She gave Mia a knowing look. ‘If your aunt was selling absinthe in Paris, depending on the scale of the enterprise she was involved in, he could have some answers for you.’
‘You truly think they might know something?’ she asked. ‘I’d very much like to visit them, if you think they’d be open to having me.’
‘I already took the liberty of making a call, since I know how passionate you are about finding answers to your questions,’ she said, her smile widening as she turned to Joe. ‘When I told them that my son would be accompanying you, they were most receptive.’
Joe coughed beside her, his fork hovering as he appeared to almost choke on his cake.
‘What could be more romantic than a trip to the countryside, darling? I thought you’d be over the moon to have a few days off work and take your lovely Mia there? There’s nothing quite like the fresh air of the countryside for young lovers to enjoy.’
Mia bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. His mother had played her son without even breaking a sweat, and from the single raised eyebrow she was giving Joe from across the table, she was making it very clear that she was calling his bluff.
‘What do you say, Joe? You’re awfully quiet,’ his mother said, her eyes positively glowing with delight. ‘Do you not want to take darling Mia on a trip? I think we’d all like to uncover the story of this fabulous aunt of hers, and it would be yet more special if you were by her side.’
Joe slid his arm around the back of Mia’s chair, but she could hardly even glance at him. She was equal parts amused at his mother’s plan and horrified that he might actually decide to go through with it.
‘What a wonderful idea, Maman. If Mia wants me to accompany her, that is? I wouldn’t like to be presumptuous.’
‘Mia?’ his mother asked.
She looked at her, their eyes meeting across the table as her stomach fluttered with anticipation. His mother was giving her the choice: she was asking her if she wanted to spend time with her son or not. She was calling Mia’s bluff just as much as she was calling her son’s.
So she took a deep breath and said the only thing that came into her head, before she lost her nerve.
‘When do we leave?’