Page 38 of Love in Bloom

CHAPTER NINE

Villandry Château/Loire Valley

Camille woke to moans coming from Tristan’s nest on the floor. Not again. This was the third time, and they’d gone to bed after midnight. It was like sleeping with a newborn, up at all hours of the night. Or at least that’s what she imagined nights with a newborn babe were like. She leaned over the side of the bed to check on him.

Tristan rolled side to side, clearly tangled in the bedspread.

She slid to the floor and worked to separate his limbs from their straight jacket.

A hand flew out, catching her in the ribs. She wheezed, trying to get her breath. It was difficult work in the dark to get Tristan free. She considered turning on a light but wasn’t sure if that would wake him or terrify him more. Best just to get on with it.

Once free, Tristan settled down, muttering in his sleep.

Camille climbed back into the bed, sleep elusive.

They couldn’t keep this up. Tristan’s episodes grew more frequent each night they spent together. Was it from the accumulated stress of each day of their sham marriage piled onto the last one? Would there be yet another episode tonight? She needed rest. Her thoughts circled until she finally slipped into a deep sleep.

Groggy, and in desperate need of the loo, Camille stumbled from the bed, turned the door handle, and entered the bathroom. Bright lights assaulted her eyes while steam covered her skin.

“Camille!” Tristan yelped as he turned his scarred back toward her.

She caught a flicker of his boxer shorts before he hiked on pants. She closed her eyes.

“What the blazes are you doing?” he asked.

“Sorry! I needed the loo. I thought you were asleep. I didn’t know you were showering. The door wasn’t locked. I’m sorry.” She took a step, slipped on the watery floor, and caught herself on the counter.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Her eyes adjusted to the lights, and she stared at the scars crossing his damp chest. “Tristan, what happened?” She reached her hand out toward his skin, thinking he would step away, but he remained in place. “What kind of monster did this to you?” She traced her fingertips over the raised bumps. Some were wide, others thin. Some were smooth and others jagged. They ranged in color from white to red.

Tristan closed his eyes, his expression crumpled. “Prison guards did this to me.”

“Prison!” Camille gasped. “What? When? Why?”

Tristan sank onto the closed toilet lid and covered his face with his hands.

Camille knelt before him on the cold, wet tile. She placed her hands on his knees. “Please, Tristan, please tell me. Trust me. I want to know who you are.”

“I was in prison in Singapore, well, an illegal prison anyway. The disagreement with the company I was doing research for was over animal testing.”

“Animal testing!” Camille had never agreed with the idea of animal testing. She’d grown up in the country with too many pets to want to ever torture them by testing a product on one of them. That’s why she worked in all organic makeup.

Tristan lowered his hands to look her in the eyes. “I didn’t know when I joined the research team that was the protocol. I was under the impression they were a clean facility. I conducted research in one area, and, in an undisclosed location, they did the trials. If I’d known, I’d never have taken the job.”

“But why would your actions get you thrown in prison?”

He exhaled a long breath. “When the company wouldn’t agree to my request that they stop animal testing, I took matters into my own hands. I made a phone call to the international organization that oversees the humane treatment of animals and turned them in, putting the company’s certification in jeopardy. Somehow the company traced the call back to me. After the phone call, I made the situation worse by entering the facility and by freeing the animals.”

“Oh, Tristan.”

“I’m not a very good criminal.” His smile was strained. “I left fingerprints and was caught on the security cameras. Turned out they had separate back-up power from the main source. Naturally the company charged me with breaking and entering along with fining me the cost of all their runaway research. They recaptured most of the animals the following day. All my work was for naught.”

“I agree, your choice wasn’t wise, but why such punishment?” She traced the scar on the back of his hand.

“At the time, I was involved with the owner’s daughter, Jia. My actions were regarded as both a professional and personal betrayal. While I awaited my supposed trial, I was placed in a private prison facility, not registered on the government books. Though all of that I learned later.” The bitterness of his words contorted his facial features. “I’m fairly certain that Jia’s family made sure I had the works in terms of treatment as a warning to both native and foreign staff that insubordination would be punished to the full extent of their wealth.”

Tears spilled down Camille’s cheeks. “How cruel.”

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