‘Oh, you startled me! Have you been there long?’
‘No. I was trying to decide if you are more beautiful when you look like a woman on the cover of Vogue or when your hair is all over the place and you are covered in mud.’
‘And what conclusion did you come to?’ asked Alexandra, going to him.
Antoine shrugged. ‘I could only think that I love you more every time I look at you. Are you ready for your ordeal by elderly Frenchwoman? You look le dernier cri du chic.’
She was wearing her new dress and matching coat, new patent leather court shoes with kitten heels and a discreet bow on the toe. Donna had not only made sure her hair was perfect but had manicured and painted her nails. (There had still been traces of mud under them which Donna had picked out with an orange stick and a lot of tutting.)
‘Merci du compliment, M. le Comte.’ She wished she could mention her engagement ring but somehow she couldn’t. He was looking at her in such a way, she didn’t want to risk spoiling the moment.
‘Shall we go?’ he said. ‘I have the office car downstairs.’
Alexandra had the impression that he was a little bit nervous too.
Chapter Thirty-five
Apart from her lack of an engagement ring, there was one other thing that was worrying Alexandra.
‘Are you ever going to be able to give up work and devote yourself to the farm and the chateau?’ she asked as she folded her legs neatly into the back of the car.
‘I have left Véronique in charge, and told her she can consult me as often as she needs to but that I’ll only go away once a year, and never for more than a month.’
‘And is she happy with that?’
He shrugged. ‘She has to be – she’s certainly pleased about being in charge. I just hope Stéphanie will be happy too!’
‘I am sorry to have missed Jack and Penelope’s wedding and seeing the girls in their bridesmaids’ dresses.’
‘There will be photographs,’ said Antoine, sounding a bit distracted.
Alexandra wondered if he was worrying about earning enough money for the family, the chateau and the farm. She thought of her own fortune, which he would have access to when they were married. Would she ever be able to mention it? He was proud; he wanted to provide for his wife and his family. Her money would have to be introduced by stealth, she realised. But she’d manage. She looked out of the window and tried to enjoy the drive.
‘You don’t need to worry,’ he whispered as they stood waiting for the door to be opened. ‘I’ve told her all about you.’
‘That doesn’t help!’ It mattered to her hugely that as Antoine’s prospective bride, who already had so many marks against her (English, too young, his children’s nanny), didn’t do or say anything out of place. ‘In fact, it probably makes it worse!’
The door was opened by the manservant to reveal an apartment very like Donna and Bob’s, only this one was full of antiques. It looked to Alexandra as if a museum had had to move to smaller premises but had left nothing behind.
Although Antoine was currently staying there, they were ushered through to the salon with all due ceremony to meet his godmother.
La Comtesse de Saint-Hubert was tiny, wearing a skirt and jacket that she’d probably had since before the war, and would definitely have come from one of the top Paris fashion houses. Her hair was perfectly coiffed and her diamonds were enormous. Alexandra held on to Antoine’s arm a bit tighter. She’d never been particularly impressed by class or wealth and felt perfectly relaxed about spending time in stately homes. But this time it mattered if she was approved of or not.
La Comtesse de Saint-Hubert insisted on speaking in highly accented English and reminded Alexandra of Mme Wilson, who had taught her cooking in England and where she had met her two best friends.
Introductions were made, champagne was offered and accepted (gratefully) and everyone was seated.
‘Well, my dear Alexandra – I may call you that? I have taken the liberty of looking up your family – you are to be marrying my godson who is very dear to me – and I am pleased to discover that yours is a family I know of.’ She inclined her head graciously.
Had Alexandra been standing up she’d have curtseyed.
‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Antoine. ‘It would never have done for me to marry someone who wasn’t of noble birth.’
‘You tease, Antoine, but these matters are very serious.’
‘I apologise, Godmother.’
‘I am so sorry about your parents,’ the Countess went on, addressing Alexandra. ‘A tragedy.’
