Siena’s head tips to the side. “Huh. I always thought it was kind of charming.”
He opens the door that leads outside. “Yes, perhaps so, but many believe it is sexist to refer to women differently solely based on whether or not they are married.”
“Hmm,” Siena says as she steps outside. “I can see that, I guess. Where are we heading now?”
“To Vidal’s grounds and gardens, which I think you will like very much.”
In his defense, the grounds are impossible not to like, especially with the sun dropping lower and lower in the sky. It casts halos and soft shadows everywhere. It’s not just the immaculate and tidy hedged statue garden, though. There’s an entirely separate garden with all sorts of flowers planted in the middle of low-lying hedges. There’s a vineyard and fruit trees. A church. Cloisters. A lake with a fountain in the middle. A labyrinth. And, last but not least, ruins.
“Thisis the oldest part of the castle,” Philippe says as we start walking along the outer wall of the chateau. “It was ruined during a battle a long, long time ago.”
Its edges are draped with ivy, softening the roughness of the uneven stone. There’s a gap in the middle of the wall and beyond it, a swimming pool. When the wall starts up again, it leads to a tower missing a roof.
Siena looks all around with wide eyes and parted lips, and I can’t blame her. No one could look at this place and wonder why Madi and Rémy chose it for their wedding.
“From there”—Philippe points to the ruined tower—“you can see the valley below.”
“Really?” Siena asks.
“Yes, but it is dangerous now, which is why we have closed it off to the guests.” Philippe grimaces apologetically.
“Yeah, of course. Safety first and all that. Well, it’s not like you’re hurting for beautiful views here.”
“No,” he says, glancing at her in a way that would make a Hallmark movie director slow-clap.
But I’m not a Hallmark movie director, and I’m feeling pretty done with this tour.
“Well,” I say, if only to remind them I’m here, “it’s getting close to dinnertime…”
“Oh, right,” Siena says, as though she had forgotten about such trivial things as the need to eat. She turns to Philippe. “Thank you for the tour. This will really help with the planning. Your chateau is incredible.”
“I am very happy to show it to you, and, of course, I am here if you have any need of me.” He takes a little card from the inner pocket of his suit coat and hands it to her. “There is my information.”
Real smooth,Phil.
Siena glances at both sides of the card. “Thanks. Ormerci, I guess.”
“Je vous en prie, madame. I will leave you to your dinner plans.” Philippe gives a little bow and walks toward the dungeon, the modern equivalent of a king walking to his throne.
“Why are you looking at him like that?” There’s a frown on Siena’s brow and an amused smile on her face.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re considering tackling him.”
“I’m not.” Well, now I am.
She cocks a brow. “Then what?”
“Just hadn’t figured that was your type. That’s all.”
“What type?”
I jerk my thumb over my shoulder toward Philippe.
“You mean the handsome, nice, chateau-owning type?”
I chuckle and start walking, and she follows my lead.
