“I have a job to do at three. I’m not sure how long it would take,” Phineas said.
“Is seven okay?” Pearl asked.
“Seven isparfait,” Pierre said, nodding, his yellow eyes twinkling. “There’s a nice little bistro at the corner called Coat.”
“There is?” Pearl asked in wonder.
“Well, there will be. It’s not open yet, but I know the owner and he can accommodate us. Would you like to meet there and then we can talk?”
“I suppose.” What was he going to do, say no?
“Bon. I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve been…I’ve been looking for you for a long time.” Pierre tore his gaze from Phineas, and then bowed slightly at Pearl. “A pleasure,cher.”
Phineas watched Pierre quickly walk away, his mind still racing.
“I wonder where he’s staying,” he whispered.
“Room with a Tomb,” Pearl answered.
His eyes widened. “How do you know?”
“I saw him earlier when I stopped by to give Sven something. Actually, at first glance, I thought it was you, and then I saw his scar and realized it wasn’t. It took me by surprise how familiar he seemed.”
“Yes,” Phineas agreed. “It took me by surprise as well.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know.” Phineas realized he was still holding her hand and then remembered that Pierre referred to her as his girlfriend, but she hadn’t corrected him. And neither did he because he really wanted Pearl to be hischer. “Thanks for staying with me.”
“Of course,” she said softly.
“I’m sorry he assumed we were…that you were…”
“Why are you apologizing about that?”
His stomach knotted, his heart racing as he looked down at her, the woman he’d loved for so long, and then he glanced down at her hand, the one he was holding, and he realized she was wearing the bracelet he gave her at the end of last summer during her going-away party at Room with a Tomb.
A bracelet he’d made, but had been too shy to give her, and he’d hated that she was leaving. He understood why she had to leave Harmony Glen, but it had broken his heart just a bit, because when she was far away, he couldn’t protect her.
She glanced down where he was staring. “It’s beautiful. I never got the chance to thank you for it. I wear it every day.”
“You do?”
“I was wearing it the day my brother got married. Though under that diaphanous bridesmaid dress Mona picked out for me, it was hard to tell. Way too much tulle.”
Phineas’ heart melted. “You looked like an angel.”
“I’m not an angel though.”
You’re my angel.
“What do you mean?”
Pearl shrugged. “Everyone thinks I’m so good and caring. I mean, I try to be, but I do have selfish thoughts that don’t make me quite angelic.”
Now he was intrigued. “Oh?”
“Yes.”
