Page 84 of All the Gossip from Paris
“Sophie. Please. Can we talk?”
“I’m exhausted. I’ve been up since before dawn, and it’s almost tomorrow. I need sleep. Please just go to your room tonight.”
Liam brushed a hand over her cheek, then bent and kissed her. “I could come in and help you to relax.”
His offer was tempting. So very tempting. And like everything else in her life, she was torn between doing what was easy and what she really needed.
She’d spent her life capitulating to the wants and needs of others. It was time for a change.
She kissed him back. “I need some time alone. Thank you for today. I know you were getting paid to take the photos and help with the filming, but you should still have been acknowledged. I’m sorry my father didn’t mention you by name.”
Liam held her gaze. “He didn’t mention you either, and that’s the bigger crime. But we both know that already. I’ll go now, but will you promise me something?”
“What?”
“You won’t take what he said to heart. I mean, you didn’t betray him. If anyone has been wronged in all of this, it’s you. You deserve better. You deserve to have your talents recognized and to be valued.”
He raked a hand through his dark brown hair. “And that didn’t sound at all like a cliché and a half. But you know what I mean. I hate to say it. But Sophie, you’ve got to stop allowing people who are only thinking of themselves to define your life.”
She slowly nodded. How many times had she and Camille had this same conversation, almost word for word?
“I can’t talk about anything else tonight; my brain is fried. Good night, Liam.”
Sophie pushed open her bedroom door. Liam was still standing in the hallway camera bags in hand, a half hopeful look on his face.
She closed the door.
It was time for her to stop taking the easy road in life. Time to think about what she wanted—what she needed.
CHAPTER FORTY
Sophie woke late the following morning. She’d been utterly exhausted last night. Instead of finding blessed sleep she had lain awake staring up at the ornate ceiling of her bedroom for hours on end.
Her mind was a whirl of anger. The one time her father could have acknowledged her efforts, and instead he’d singled out Patrice. And then he’d turned on her as if she meant nothing to him.
She was done. As soon as her father was well enough to return to the atelier, she was going to confront him. Tell him that things had to change.
Or I am out.
Rolling over, she kicked off the covers and climbed out of bed. Padding barefoot over to the window, Sophie drew back the curtains. Heavy gray snow clouds blotted out the sun’s weak light.
It was warm inside the chateau, but she shivered at the sight. January was always cold. Today it looked positively freezing. Snow had fallen sometime overnight, and her mother’s beloved formal garden slept beneath a blanket of white.
At least it would mean no one would be out in the grounds or along the river. She really didn’t need people. What she yearned for was a few precious hours alone with her thoughts. Time which she could use to make some major life decisions.
Heading into her bathroom, Sophie stripped off her sleep shirt and stepped under a steaming hot shower. With the water cascading down her body, she closed her eyes. She let her thoughts go with the flow.
It was close to eleven o’clock by the time Sophie finished drying her hair and putting on her winter woolens. Her mother had a strict rule that lunch was to be served between midday and two. Family members and guests staying at the chateau were expected to attend.
Hopefully an hour would be long enough for her to take Rollo for a walk, then make it back to the house in time for lunch. After that she’d seek Liam out and they could finally sit and have that talk.
Liam finished loading up the photo files to the secure Royal family private network. He chuckled as he recalled seeing the bemused expression on Sophie’s face when he’d asked her which of the major IT companies hosted it. She’d then explained that her family owned its own ring of global satellites and web servers.
“That’s the last of them,” said Liam.
“You took some amazing shots last night. I think François will be pleased when he sees them,” replied Ryan.
Pleased was apparently as far as Ryan’s new father-in-law went when it came to offering praise to others.
