Chapter 24
Twenty-four
It was with astonishment and dismay that Arlette and Clément heard Isabelle’s story about what had happened with the letter, as they shared a simple lunch of gazpacho, bread and cheese in their apartment kitchen.
‘You know,’ Isabelle finished, ‘even though it might sound like pure heresy coming from me, I have come to think that what is important isn’t the physical fact of the letter, but the story it tells about the hidden design.
And that’s not all. Oddly, I feel closer to Elisabeth Fontaine now than when I found the letter.
It’s wonderful to have shared the experience with people like Romy and Audrey, who are bringing their own light, their own insight to something we’ve all come to really care about.
And that’s something that Cazenave will never be able to take from us, even if we never recover the original letter. ’
Arlette nodded vigorously. ‘Absolutely! And that’s the most important thing.’
‘And, as you know what the letter reveals, you might still find a way to uncover the fate of those sketches,’ Clément said.
‘Yes, of course, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up about that,’ Isabelle replied.
‘What I really hope for right now is finding out why Elisabeth entrusted them to this Mademoiselle Houssaye, whoever she was. That, I suppose, is the key for me,’ she added, a little surprised at herself, for up till that moment she hadn’t known that was what she thought.
After leaving Arlette and Clément’s apartment, Isabelle took the Metro to the Batignolles quarter, and spent the next couple of hours happily wandering in the district’s relaxed village-like atmosphere, with its tranquil squares surrounded by small restaurants, food shops and boutiques.
There were children playing, knots of people chatting at outdoor tables, and geranium-decorated balconies hung over the square and narrow streets, giving the area an almost provincial air.
Almost, for the boutiques were certainly very Parisian, in their sophisticated mix of quirky and chic.
Isabelle browsed in a few and ended up buying a small but satisfying assortment of things: a soft deep green scarf for Adeline and a funny wooden puppet for Adeline’s son, Matthieu; a pair of fabulous musical note cufflinks for Simon, who often had to wear formal dress; a mini notebook embossed with a gorgeous Art Deco image of a dancer for herself; and a 1970s Eiffel Tower snow dome for Carlos.
He had a collection of vintage snow domes at his place, and she hoped that she would soon get a chance to give it to him.
And now, Audrey and Romy approached together, ready for the meeting with Patricia Landry.
Romy was summery in a sleeveless calf-length flowery sundress and strappy sandals, and Audrey chic in a bronze-coloured shirt, straight dark pants and cream slingbacks.
Isabelle was wearing her dark green dress again, which she’d worn the day she’d first turned up at Romy’s place, with the addition of a gilded cicada brooch.
‘Have you been here long?’ Audrey asked, as they exchanged greetings and a kiss on both cheeks.
‘I’ve been in the area most of the afternoon. I had a nice time browsing the gorgeous shops and even bought some presents for my family, so the time passed quickly. How’s your day been?’
‘Great,’ said Audrey. ‘I went to the art school. It’s very atmospheric—I could just imagine Alice there.
And I was shown around by a woman named Gabi Picabea.
She’s an artist who, as it happens, comes from Sydney too, but now lives in Paris and works part-time at the art school.
She was excited to hear my great-grandmother had gone there and had some interesting things to show me from the time.
I took heaps of photos, I’ll show them to you later. ’
‘Sounds fabulous,’ said Romy. ‘As for me, I went to class. We have to hand in our final project soon. But in the lunch break I met up with my friend Mickael, and he told me he’d gone to the office to ask when Professor Cazenave would be back.
They said the prof will be returning to work on Monday, as he has exams to supervise. ’
Isabelle remembered Liana Diop at the auction house telling them that Cazenave had said he had to get back to Paris.
But she hadn’t expected that he would actually be brazen enough to go about his normal business after what had happened in Toulouse.
Clearly she’d been wrong. ‘He’s got some nerve!
’ she said, feeling the anger rising in her again.
‘Either that, or he can’t afford to lose his job, and is willing to take the chance that we’re just going to let this go,’ Romy said.
‘That is certainly not going to happen,’ said Isabelle, grimly. ‘Monday morning will find me at the school, and if he doesn’t want a scandal, he’s going to have to give me back the letter.’
‘And we can come with you,’ said Audrey, ‘to back you up.’
‘Exactly,’ said Romy, grinning. ‘All for one, and one for all!’ Isabelle’s anger dissipated again, replaced by a rush of warmth. Yes, she’d been a fool to trust Cazenave, but she’d made some true friends.
‘On another subject, there’s something I want to show you before we go up,’ Audrey said. She took a stiff folder from her bag and opened it. ‘I had it printed up this morning. It’s a sketch that Alice did back then of Mariette in the fabric shop. I thought Patricia Landry might like it.’
‘Oh wow,’ Isabelle said. ‘She’s going to love it!’
‘It’s so alive,’ Romy said, gazing at the drawing. ‘You can just imagine that she’s about to speak.’ She rummaged in her own bag. ‘And I brought this, too,’ she said, holding up the catalogue from La Belle Jardinière. ‘We can show Patricia Landry how someone pencilled Houssaye on it.’
‘Excellent idea,’ Isabelle said. ‘The more we have to show her, the better. Now, shall we go up?’