“Well, that was anticlimactic,” I mutter, gutted.
“It was a downer, for sure,” Henri concurs. “But you aren’t giving up just yet, are you?”
I’m on the verge of tears. “What else can I do? I’m at my wit’s end.”
“Keep producing ideas like the one about Notre Dame,” he says. “They might jog my memory again, and I might remember some other place that didn’t seem relevant before.”
Audrey nods. “It’s the way to go, Your Highness. That’s how we’ll end up finding the key. I’m sure of it!”
I’m not, but I smile, loath to brush aside their attempts to boost my morale.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Back at the bar, we return the key to Severin.
“How did you like our chapel?” he asks Audrey and me.
“It was lovely,” I reply, doing my best to mask my low spirits. “Thank you so much for lending us the key!”
He surveys me. “You look like you could use a pick-me-up.”
So much for trying to appear chipper!
Turning to Henri, Severin asks, “Have you tasted my new cocktail yet?”
“Which one?”
“It’s called Severin’s secret. It’s a concoction that will transport you to realms uncharted, where flavors intermingle in a completely unique way, thanks to my secret ingredient.”
“What ingredient?” Audrey asks.
He places an unmarked bottle on the counter. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be secret anymore, would it?”
Audrey’s eyes narrow and her mouth thins.
She doesn’t like this.
“Your cocktail sounds great,” Henri says, “but the ladies are eager to get back, and I’m driving.”
Sounds like he doesn’t like this, either.Neither should I, both out of caution and because I hate surprises.
“You know what?” I look from Audrey to Henri to Severin. “I’ll have one.”
It’s an immature thing to do and I know it. For someone turning thirty tomorrow, I’m acting like a teen hell-bent on proving to her overprotective parents that she’s a grown-up and can do whatever the hell she pleases.
Guilt knots my belly but not enough to backpedal.
I lean toward Audrey and whisper, “If, for some unfathomable reason, Severin wanted to poison me, he’d just spike the finished drink. Why boast about a secret ingredient?”
“Good point,” she concedes before turning to Henri. “You can order one, too, if you wish. I can drive us back.”
Henri and I order two Severin’s Secrets and find a table at the back of the bar. It’s cozy, if a little hidden away.
Audrey mutters about the limited visibility from our table and announces she’ll take a look around the bar. It’s her not so subtle way of saying she’s going to scan the patrons for potential threats.
“I’ll have a soda at the counter afterward,” she adds. “It’s a much better vantage point.”
The cocktail turns out to be delightful. It’s fruity with a kick that sneaks up on you.
