‘That was unkind of me, teasing you like that. But honestly, I do hope to have something of interest to share with you soon,’ he said, nodding to the waiter who came back to refill their glasses. ‘I appreciate your dedication to the past, and you’ve piqued my curiosity.’
‘It just feels like something I need to do, for my family,’ she told him. ‘I have this overwhelming feeling that I owe it to my grandmother, to know where she came from and what led to her birth mother placing her for adoption.’
‘You were close to your grandmother?’
‘I was. She was everything to me, and I don’t think I’ve ever accepted her passing.’
‘And your mother?’
Blake blew out a breath. ‘My mother has been unwell for most of my life. It started when my father passed away, and she just never recovered.’
‘Is she still…’
‘Alive?’ Blake finished for him. ‘Yes, she is. It was described to us as a complete nervous breakdown at the time, and she has never recovered. My siblings and I visit her every month. She lives in a residential care home in the countryside, but shedoesn’t know who we are or communicate with us in any way. Which is why I was the person contacted when the news about my grandmother’s birth came to light.’
Henri’s gaze softened. ‘I’m sorry. You’ve been through a lot.’
Blake sipped her champagne and waited for the emotion to pass. It had all happened such a long time ago, but talking about her mother always sent a ripple of pain through her that was hard to fight. It was one of the reasons she so rarely told anyone about her family’s situation.
‘You have siblings?’ Henri asked gently.
‘I do. A brother and a sister, both younger than me.’ She hesitated. ‘I raised them, so they feel more like children to me, even though they’re both adults now.’
‘I lost my father when I was just a boy, and although I have always been very close to my mother, it would have been nice to have siblings. I’ve always imagined it would have made things easier, just having a brother or a sister to go through life with.’
‘I’m so sorry to hear about your father.’ Her fingers itched to reach out and take his hand, but she hesitated. ‘And I think you’re right. Sometimes it’s easier to go through something like that with a sibling. There’s a sense of shared trauma that no one else understands.’
‘And now you’re in Paris, without said siblings, to discover secrets from the past?’ He raised his left eyebrow in such a comical way that it made her giggle. It was as if he’d somehow turned their shared emotion over losing a parent into something humorous, and it didn’t help that now an entire glass of champagne was making her giddy.
‘When you say it like that, you make it sound scandalous.’
‘Well, who’s to say it wasn’t scandalous? A fashion designer and a secret baby in the ’30s does sound rather wicked, if you’re asking me.’
Blake smiled at him as their entrées arrived, leaning back slightly so the waiter could place hers on the table.
‘I’m pleased you knocked on my door yesterday, Blake.’
She glanced down at her food, feeling flushed from the champagne and the attention. And when she looked back up and found him still watching her, the butterflies filling her stomach made her wonder how she was ever going to eat a thing.
Almost two hours later, after another glass of champagne, followed by the most exquisite array of succulent chicken, potatoes, vegetables and lamb, Blake had decided that as far as dates went, she’d never had one like it. Whether she saw Henri again or not, it had shown her that she needed to date more often, and that interesting, wildly attractive men really did exist. The way he looked at her made her feel desired and beautiful, made her forget that she hadn’t been in the company of a man for such a long time, and she wished that their night wouldn’t end.
When their server came back for the third time to see whether they needed anything else, Henri gave her a look that said they probably should move on.
‘Thank you for a wonderful evening,’ Blake said, as Henri came around the table to pull out her chair for her.
His hand brushed her arm as she stood, and she glanced up at him. He stayed standing just a little too close, before reaching for her bag and passing it to her.
‘Would you like me to drive you back to your hotel, or should we walk to get eclairs?’
‘Eclairs?’ she asked. ‘I don’t think I could eat any more even if I wanted to!’
‘Well, a petit eclair won’t take up much more room, and besides, we can walk there. I know a place not far away.’
Blake would have said yes to anything that meant extending their evening together, and so she found herself walking ahead of Henri through the restaurant, until he offered her his arm when they were out on the street. She slipped her hand through it, smiling to herself when he leaned in slightly.
‘These eclairs are to die for. I haven’t had one in a very long time, but they will be worth the walk.’
‘I’m sure this is where you take all your dates,’ she teased.
