“Consider it a wedding present from my shop. I hope you’ll come in again.”
“Of course I will! I can’t thank you enough. Will you please gift wrap it for me?”
She was so thrilled with her purchases, she couldn’t stand still. As soon as he handed it to her, she put it in her purse and hurried outside to a tête de taxi. When she said the Decorvet Domaine, the driver nodded and they took off for Vosne-Romanée.
En route she received a text from Ginger.
I was right. He did get to your romantic soul. Forget everything I ever said. I couldn’t be happier for you.
Tears stung Abby’s eyes to have her friends’ blessings.
When the driver reached the gate, he made a phone call and the doors swung open to let them through. She gave him directions to the petit château and paid him before getting out of the taxi.
For the rest of the day she did work on the internet. First she looked up the University of Burgundy located in Dijon and discovered that the humanities and sciences were well represented on the main campus with law, medicine and literature in separate buildings. She didn’t know if she could ever get a teaching position there, but it wouldn’t hurt to inquire.
Then she looked up where to get French lessons. Abby could go many directions, but thought it might work to hire a private tutor. She found the names of three qualified instructors and phoned them for more information.
After saying she would get back to them, she fixed herself some food from the kitchen and then sat down to watch TV. But she could hardly concentrate while waiting for Raoul to get in touch with her. She knew he wouldn’t be coming over, but when it got to be nine o’clock, it surprised her that there’d been no phone call.
It wasn’t until she climbed in bed and set her alarm for six a.m. that she received the long-awaited text.
Tomorrow every dream of mine is going to come true.
She sent a text back.
Get a good sleep, beloved. You’re going to be loved the way no one has ever been loved before.
After putting the phone on the side table, she buried her face in the pillow, whispering his name.
* * *
Raoul waited near the landing pad at the Dijon-Bourgogne Airport in the Maserati. He rechecked his watch. Five after seven. The helicopter should be here by now. Mon Dieu...if anything unforeseen happened to her at this point, he wouldn’t want to go on living.
He was ready to contact his pilot when he saw the helicopter approach. The second it set down, he got out of the car and hurried toward the door even though the rotors were still going. His pilot opened it and there stood Abby who cried out his name and climbed right out into his arms.
“Dieu merci you’re here.” He covered her face with kisses. “Another minute and I would have lost my mind.”
“You’re not the only one.” She kissed him with enough passion to rock him back on his heels.
“Let’s get you in the car with all your things and I’ll drive us to the hotel near the city hall where you can change.”
With the help of his trusted pilot, they stowed all of her things. Raoul waved him off and got in behind the wheel. He shot her a piercing glance. “Are you ready?”
She reached for his hand and squeezed her answer hard.
Once they reached the hotel parking, they took only the things she’d need for the ceremony and hurried inside. Everything else would stay locked in the car.
He’d gotten them a room on the second floor near the elevator where they’d both change. Raoul had ordered breakfast. They ate quickly. As soon as she disappeared into the bathroom with her garment bag, he put on his white dress shirt and formal gray suit.
Then he waited with pounding heart for her to emerge. When she walked out a few minutes later, he couldn’t catch his breath. Her dress, made of the finest white Chantilly lace, covered her from her neck to her wrists, and followed her curving shape to her knees. On her feet were matching lace high heels.
“Abby—” His voice shook.
He took one white rose from the white rose bouquet he’d had made up for her and tucked it behind her ear.
Abby’s green eyes roved over him hungrily, feeding his desire. “I’m the luckiest woman in the whole world.”
Raoul handed her the bouquet of roses and her purse. “Let’s go get married.”
A taxi waited for them out in front of the hotel and drove them to the entrance of the city hall. As he helped her out to the pavement, a volley of whistles sounded. She literally stopped traffic as they walked up the steps into the building.
He cupped her elbow and walked to the room where Deputy Mayor Judge Tibault was waiting for them. The older man couldn’t take his eyes off Abby. After introducing them to the two witnesses who’d been brought in from the other room, he winked at her. “No wonder Raoul wanted the banns waived. If I were thirty years younger...”
Abby blushed and clung to Raoul.
“If you’re ready, then stand in front of my desk and hold hands.”
She put her bouquet on a chair, then placed her right hand in his.
“Abby Cederlof Grant and Raoul Capet Regnac Decorvet, do you both come together of your own free will in the prefecture of Dijon on this ninth day of June to be united in marriage?”
“Yes,” they said in unison.
“Raoul? Do you take Abby to be your wife?”
“I do”
“Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, through the good and the bad, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?”
“I do”
“Abby? Do you take Raoul to be your husband?”
“I do,” sounded her tremulous voice.
“Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, through the good and the bad, forsaking all others and holding only unto
