Page 44 of Daughters of Paris

Behind the thick lenses, Sébastien’s eyes gleamed. ‘Well then, you walk ahead, and I will follow.’

Colette walked along Boulevard Pereire. As she drew closer to the hotel, she heard Sébastien shouting.

‘Colette, darling, wait.’

She turned round. He had removed his coat and was dressed only in trousers and a shirt. The shirt was buttoned up wrong: a clever, subtle touch to suggest it had been put on hastily. He must be freezing.

‘What do you want, Sébastien? Leave me alone!’ Colette raised her voice.

Sébastien held his hands out. ‘I didn’t expect Monique to show up.’

‘Didn’t you?’ Colette folded her arms tightly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a razor thin sliver of light as somebody moved aside one of the drapes in the salon window. ‘I suppose you were just hoping to let her climb into bed with us, were you? As if you could satisfy both of us at once! Ha!’

Sébastien blinked and Colette wondered if she had gone too far.

‘She’s just a friend. It’s you I love. Please give me a second chance.’

Sébastien walked towards her. Colette step backwards, slightly closer to the door of the hotel. By now there were faces at windows.

‘No. You’ve had too many chances already. This evening was your last. Men are deceitful and worthless! There’s nothing you can say to convince me.’

She found she was enjoying this. She hadn’t realised how much pent-up rage she still held for Gunther.

‘What about this?’ Sébastien asked.

He strode forward quickly, took her in his arms, and kissed her.

First, she felt only dark amusement. How like a man to steal a kiss even in this situation. But as their lips collided something awoke within her. She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back, very thoroughly. She felt Sébastien stiffen but then he gave into the kiss too.

It was good.

Very good.

She could see why the imaginary Colette would give this imaginary Sébastien so many chances. He only pulled away when Sophie called from the doorway of the hotel.

‘Colette? What on earth are you doing?’

She and Sébastien still held each other. Her breath was coming in hot short gasps.

‘Go away, Sébastien,’ she said.

Their eyes met. Her hand on his neck could feel the pulse hammering below his ear. Hers thumped equally rapidly. He nodded curtly. She nodded back. The objective had been achieved. No one could doubt that Colette had been streets away from home all night, having a sordid quarrel with a lover.

‘You know where to find me if you change your mind,’ he said gruffly. He turned and walked away.

The problem, of course, was that she didn’t, and as she watched him stride into the shadows, she very much wished she did. A man who could kiss like that was too good to pass up.

She turned to Sophie. ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving the club. I’ve made a huge mess of everything, and now I think I’ve missed the last Metro home. Please can I stay here for the night?’

Sophie took her arm with an eager smile. ‘Naturally you must. I can see we have a lot to talk about.’

Chapter Thirteen

No one came hammering on the door at daybreak to arrest Fleur. She woke at five, too tense to sleep any longer and watched the sky turn from black to dull grey. She had tried to remain awake but had fallen asleep before she heard Colette come home. At seven she knocked softly on Colette’s door but there was no answer and her stomach churned. Sébastien would have taken care of Colette, but what if something had befallen both of them?

She took a cup of coffee back to her room. There was nothing she could do except wait and see what happened. At half past ten she heard the front door and presently there was a knock on her bedroom door. It was Colette.

‘Oh, thank the Lord!’ She collapsed onto Colette’s shoulders. ‘When I realised you weren’t here this morning I didn’t know what to think. Where were you all night? With Sébastien?’

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