Page 19 of Wrong Train to Paris

“I’m sorry.” A sick feeling compressed her stomach. “I thought...” Her throat got tight, and she blinked at the stinging in her eyes. Instead of putting the nursery in order, she’d made everything worse. She hurried over and started to drag one of the heavy pots back toward the center of the room. “I will put them all back. And dig out the seeds. And put the seedlings in dry soil.”

Luc muttered something she couldn’t hear. He rubbed his forehead and sighed, looking around the room. “It can all be put right after lunch. Come along. Gabi is waiting.” He moved to the door and held it open, gesturing for her to precede him.

Julia glanced at him as they walked along the path through Gabi’s garden. His mouth was pulled tight, and the lines between his brows were deep. She felt utterly deflated and rather ill. “Luc, I am so sorry. I thought I was being helpful.”

He glanced at her. “I know.” His face softened slightly. “And I’m thankful for the effort. The nursery has never been so orderly.”

“But I ruined everything.” She hung her head. “And I made more work.” A new thought jolted her. “Will the seedlings survive?” The idea of him losing the seedlings he’d brought all the way from Greece made her stomach drop.

“I think so.” He nodded. “After lunch, I’ll replant them in dry soil, and they’ll go beneath the table, out of the sunlight.”

“I will help you set it all right,” she said, determined to fix what she’d done.” With the two of us working together, it will—”

“Perhaps Gabi could use your help in the house this afternoon.” Luc opened the door to Gabi’s kitchen.

His voice was not angry, but there was no mistaking his intention. He’d had quite enough of her assistance.

Julia’s chest burned, and she swallowed against the lump in her throat. She moved past Luc into the house, not daring to look up at his face, lest she start to cry. She’d started out this morning hoping to make things better with Luc, but she’d managed to do the exact opposite.

Chapter Eight

Julia did not add muchto the conversation at lunch; instead, she fed bits of her food to Fredric and his black-and-white sister. She felt terrible for the trouble she’d caused Luc. And the more she considered, the more ashamed she was. What arrogance to believe she knew better than he how to manage his business.

“Juliette, you have hardly touched yourandouillette,” Gabi said. “Are you ill, ma chérie?”

Julia forced a smile. “No, not at all.” She took a bite of the sausage and commented on how delicious the food tasted.

“You must keep up your strength,” Gabi said. “Working in the nursery can be very tiring.”

Julia broke off a piece of bread and spread the chèvre cheese over it. She kept her gaze from Luc, feeling a thickness in the air between them.

“And how did you get on?” Gabi asked, cutting into her sausage. “Did you manage to get all of the seedlings planted?”

“Oui,” Luc said.

Julia hazarded a peek at him, but he didn’t look up from his plate.

Gabi looked between them, her gaze turning thoughtful, but she did not comment further. Instead, she filled Luc in on the morning’s confrontation with the Laurents about Fleur the goat. “And does she just expect me to allow her animal to eat my garden?” Gabi finished the story with a huff.

“Maybe I will have a look at the Laurents’ pen,” Luc said. “Figure out how Fleur keeps getting out.”

“I’m sure Mathieu would appreciate it,” Gabi agreed. “He tries to manage all the chores as he used to, but it is so much more difficult lately with his hip...”

Luc grunted in agreement. He pushed back from the table and stood. “Thank you for lunch, Gabi.”

“I will see you at suppertime.” Gabi let him kiss her cheek. “And Juliette, will you return to the nursery with Luc?”

Julia looked up, meeting Luc’s gaze and feeling her face go crimson. The sick feeling returned. “I... no. Can I be of any use to you inside, Gabi?”

Luc left, and Gabi leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. “Ma chérie Juliette, tell me, what has happened?”

The heat returned to Julia’s chest as she explained what she had done in the nursery that morning. “Luc didn’t get angry, but I know he felt frustrated,” she said.

Gabi swatted her hand through the air. “Don’t worry about Luc. He’s grateful for the help. And the nursery needed a good cleaning.”

“I shouldn’t have assumed my way was best,” Julia said, looking down at the cat on her lap. She hated the thought of Luc out in the nursery right now, remembering with every seedling he replanted what a frustration she’d proven to be.

Gabi stood, taking their plates to the washbasin. “After we wash the dishes and prepare for dinner, I have a closet I’d planned to clean out. Do you know of anyone who might be able to help?” She winked and grinned.

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