“I know.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I have faith in you.”
He checked his watch. “We have ten minutes before everyone will congregate. Let’s go greet my grandparents first.”
With his arm around her waist, he ushered her inside and up the stairs to the second floor. After a knock, he opened the double doors. Lisette had wheeled his grandparents into the main salon. She congratulated them first.
“Ah—” his grandmother cried when she saw them. “That lace is breathtaking. How beautiful you look, Abby!”
“Thank you. It’s because I’m so happy to be married to your grandson. Doesn’t he look handsome in his gray suit?”
His grandfather smiled and nodded.
“Papi? Mamie? May I present my wife, the joy of my life. Look what she gave me.” He walked over to the old man so he could examine the ring.
Abby hurried to his grandmother and gave her a kiss on both cheeks. They both marveled over the dazzling diamond.
She grasped Abby’s hand. “I’ve never seen him this happy.”
“That’s what my parents said about me when we sent pictures to them a little while ago. We’re going to have a wedding picture made up for you.”
“We would love it. Abby—don’t let what anyone says or does disturb you,” she whispered.
“I won’t,” she whispered back. “We know you and your husband approve of our marriage. That means the world to us.”
“This is a difficult family.”
“I think all families are, a little.”
She stared at Abby. “I can see you are the right one for him.”
“I’m glad if you think so.”
“I’ll pray for you.”
Her words stayed with Abby as they heard voices in the entry. Raoul reached her side and put his arm around her shoulders. Soon the family entered the salon. She counted at least twenty-five members. She recognized Jean-Marc, Gilles, Paul and Raoul’s father, who sat in his wheelchair, but not anyone else.
The shock on each face told a story Abby would never forget. Raoul’s arm tightened. “Thank you all for dropping everything to come here today. I wanted you to know that Abby Grant, the light of my life, became my wife this morning at the mairie in Dijon by Deputy Mayor Tibault. We’ll be married at the church in Dijon in a few weeks.”
Before he could say another word, she heard a cry and the pregnant brunette woman standing next to Paul left the suite. That had to be Josette.
Her husband walked over to Abby and Raoul. “Welcome to the family.” He kissed her on both cheeks. After giving Raoul a hug, he hurried after his wife.
In the next breath Raoul’s father, with a scowl on his face, barked to Jean-Marc to wheel him out of the room. The lovely older woman who’d been standing next to him—the thin one with the reddish-blond hair who had to be Raoul’s mother—seemed to pale. She looked conflicted before following her husband out of the salon.
“Just a minute, darling,” Abby said to Raoul. Then she ran after his mother and caught up with her in the entry hall. “I wanted to give you this.” She put the tiny wrapped gift in her hand. “I love Raoul desperately and want us to be friends.”
His mother looked utterly bewildered before Abby ran back to Raoul, passing his two aunts and their families who were walking out.
It was like watching dominos fall one by one.
“Congratulations,” said one of the men who resembled Raoul’s father. “I hope you’ll be happy.”
“Thank you, Oncle Pierre.”
The other older man who stood next to Pierre nodded to Raoul. “I must say I’m surprised you didn’t pick a woman of our own nationality, but I wish you both well.”
“Merci, Oncle Lucien. That means a lot. To be honest, love picked me,” he said, kissing Abby’s cheek.
Gilles frowned at Raoul. He said something in French Abby didn’t understand and strode out of the salon behind his father.
Abby felt like she’d been watching a bizarre play, not believing that anyone could sketch characters as unbelievable as these real people. Did inheriting a title truly do this kind of damage?
When his aunt left the room, Raoul pulled Abby into his arms and held her for a long time. She wanted to tell him they should leave here and never come back. No one deserved this kind of treatment.
There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but she knew she couldn’t. This was his life. He’d been totally honest about it. She’d just pledged to love and support him.
Learn and grow together even when this is not always so easy to do.
Those words were part of the vows she’d taken just hours ago. She had to honor them, but she knew it was going to be the hardest test she would ever have to pass in this life.
The sadness in his grandparents’ eyes since the rest of the family had come into the salon haunted her. Raoul had clung to them all these years for a reason. Well now he had Abby too! She would be his rock.
When Raoul let her go, she walked over to his grandfather and gave him a hug. “Now that we’ll be living in the cottage, we’ll come to visit you every day. Raoul needs your help and your wisdom,” she murmured near his ear.
She felt him reach for her hand and squeeze it hard, but she knew he was getting tired. So was his grandmother.
Raoul blew both of them a kiss, then grasped her hand and they left the suite for the car. Neither of them spoke as he started the engine and drove to the cottage. When they arrived, he sat there without moving. “I knew it would be bad, but I can see I should never have subjected you to this.”
“But you’re too honorable to behave in any other way.”
“Why did you run after my mother?”
“To give her a little gift for having the most fabulous son on earth.”
“Abby—”
“Tell me something. Why did your sister walk out like that? What’s the real
