I unfold my arms. “The thought may have crossed my mind.”
“Mine, too,” she admits. “Many times.”
“What do we do, then?” Darrel asks.
“I’ll call Grandpa François tonight.” Elise sets her napkin on the table and stands up.
So do Darrel and I.
“How do you plan to persuade him to hand over the letters?” I ask.
“I’ll tell him it’s the price we must pay for Gilles’s and my deliverance.”
“You know it isn’t, right?” I remind her, safe in the knowledge that reciprocity has her pinned down. “You don’t owe me anything.”
Her lips paint a humorless smile. “Yes, I do.”
I shrug as if to say, as you wish.
She gives a determined headshake, making her silky hair sway in a manner that’s inexplicably pleasing. “Besides, I deserve the truth. If the most illustrious member of my family turns out to be a douche and a coward, then I should know so I can move on.”
“Fair enough,” I say.
She strides to the door. “Thank you for the dinner. It was delicious.”
I help her into her coat. “Does your grandfather live in Chambéry?”
“He lives in a tiny bourg about an hour’s drive from here.”
“If you obtain his consent tonight, then we’ll take you there tomorrow morning.”
She puts on her hat. “I won’t give you the letters. We can read them together, but I won’t hand them over to you.”
I frown, unsure how to react.
“They belong in my family, and I want them to stay in my family,” she says. “Especially if they bring dishonor to us.”
Oh, I see.“We can make copies. I give you my word they’ll remain confidential.”
“How much is your word worth?” She grips the door handle. “Men lie. They break their word without the slightest hesitation if they think it’s in their best interest.”
“Like your brother?” I stare at her with sympathy. “Was your father a liar, too?”
“I don’t know.” She steps over the threshold. “I was too young when he passed.”
“I accept your terms,” I say.
After I shut the door behind her, Darrel and I exchange a look.
I know what he’s thinking because I’m thinking the same thing. Elise believes she’s being cautious and smart, but she has no idea how naive she really is. Once she obtains the letters, I can simply take them from her. Hell, I can send men to break into her grandfather’s apartment tonight and steal them, if I want.
And I probably should, given that my country’s future hangs in the balance.
Elise’s role as the Key to the Third Key has been fulfilled. I can resettle her in another city or abroad if she wishes to put some distance between Doc and herself and would consider it a fair deal for all parties.
Yes, I can remove Elise Pontet from the equation at this very moment. But I won’t. She agreed to help me even though she didn’t have to. The damned reciprocity works both ways.
ELISE
