held a finger up to her lips. “Not here I won’t. I’m doing my best to put the past in the past.”
“She’s amazing,” Ariane said to Marie-Claire. “I told you we wouldn’t get a word of complaint out of her. If my husband had…”
“But he didn’t. How is Etienne?” Lise asked, anxious to change the subject.
“See for yourself. Here he is now.”
Lise felt slightly nervous seeing her brother-in-law, a Rhinelander prince, not knowing what or how he felt about her divorce from Wilhelm. But Etienne greeted her warmly and her fears were dispelled. Whatever he’d heard, he obviously had no hard feelings against her, and Lise was relieved. She could see immediately how happy the young recently married couple was. She stifled a pang of envy. When Marie-Claire’s husband, Sebastian, joined them she knew she had no worries on that side either. Neither sister had made the kind of mistake she had. Sebastian was charming and clearly adored her sister. No, she was the only one who’d made the wrong choice of a husband.
Admittedly the choice had not been hers. It had been her father’s. But, as she’d told Charles, she could have protested more strongly. When the men left the sisters to refill their champagne glasses, the three women found seats under a magnificent oak tree on the edge of the garden. Ariane turned to look at Lise again and regarded her sister carefully.
“How do you feel?” Ariane asked with concern. “You look sensational, by the way. Pregnancy agrees with you. Don’t you think, Marie-Claire? I don’t remember that dress. How is my niece-or nephew-to-be doing?”
Before Lise could answer, Marie-Claire leaned forward and asked under her breath, “Where is Wilhelm?”
“I hear he’s in America, but I really don’t know,” Lise said. And prayed that was the end of that discussion.
“What are your plans?” Marie-Claire asked. “We’ve missed you so much. I hope you’ll never leave here again. Ariane has moved way over to Rhineland, but that can’t be helped. Now that I’m back from my honeymoon, I want us to get together as much as possible. Is that clear?”
“All clear,” Lise said with a smile. “As usual, you two have asked so many questions I don’t know where to start. And you’ve scarcely given me a chance to say a word. I’m fine and I’ve been right here, in the gardener’s cottage where I plan to remain as long as the powers on the throne are willing,” Lise said. “I wrote you both, but our paths haven’t crossed lately. With both of you married, I didn’t expect to see as much of you. But here we are, together again. Now, tell me, besides honeymooning, what have you two been up to?” Lise asked, deftly switching the subject from herself to them.
“We arrived only yesterday from Rhineland,” Ariane said. “For the party—and to see you, of course—then we’re off again on a business trip.”
“I suppose there are rumors in Rhineland,” Lise suggested hesitantly. She didn’t really want to know about any rumors having to do with her.
“Of course, what would life be like without rumors?” Ariane said lightly. “Rumors about a takeover of St. Michel, about a missing heir to the throne. These are nothing new. But rumors concerning you? Believe me, no one would dare say a word against my sister in my presence.”
Lise nodded gratefully. What else would she expect from her little newly-wed sister?
“Speaking of rumors,” Marie-Claire said, looking over her shoulder to be sure she couldn’t be overheard. “What’s this I hear about Charles Rodin?”
Lise felt her cheeks burn. “I…I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything.”
“Are you sure?” Marie-Claire persisted. “Are you sure you haven’t seen him?”
“Seen him? Yes, I saw him. He came to pay his respects.”
“Is that all he paid?” Marie-Claire asked. “I thought maybe he asked you to marry him.”
“Why would you think that?” Lise asked, startled. “Don’t tell me it’s on the Internet,” she said, in an attempt at levity. But she should have known she couldn’t fool her sisters.
“Oh no. It’s more like ESP or just common sense. He’s available, you’re available. You know, he’s nothing like his brother. That’s what everyone says,” Marie-Claire said. “So if he did ask you to marry him…”
“I would refuse, of course,” Lise said firmly.
“But why?” Ariane asked. “You mustn’t let Wilhelm put you off marriage forever. You just heard, Charles is nothing like his brother.”
“I don’t know that for sure. I don’t know anything about him. I met the man once at my wedding. Then he stopped by to see me. We had a nice conversation, but that’s hardly the basis for getting married again. They’re twins. How different can they be?” Lise asked. But in her heart she knew they were as different as night and day.
“What about the baby?” Marie-Claire asked softly, her green eyes wide. “Don’t you want a father for your baby?”
“Of course I do. But there are more important things. Like a warm, loving home. I think a child is better off with one good parent than with two parents who are at odds with each other. The three of us know a little bit about that.”
Her sisters nodded in agreement. There was a long moment of silence while they were each lost in their own thoughts.
“But what about security?” Ariane asked.
“I guess you mean financial security,” Lise said. “That’s a worry, of course. I still have the jewels mother left us. I can always sell them if it comes to that. But I’ll tell you this. I’d rather live in the most humble cottage with Nanny and my baby than the biggest palace with a man I didn’t love.”
“You mean you couldn’t love Charles?” Ariane asked. “He’s really very nice. Nothing like his brother. Except in looks, of course. They’re both handsome devils.”
Lise sighed. As if looks mattered. “When I was your age, Ariane, and young and naive, I might have fallen in love again and jumped into another marriage, but…”
“Young and naive,” Ariane sputtered. “Did you hear that, Marie-Claire? I’m an old married woman now and I demand to be treated with respect.” Her blue eyes twinkled and the three of them burst into laughter. The idea of Ariane as an old married woman at the age of twenty-three sent them into helpless giggles. Lise realized she hadn’t laughed for months. It was so wonderful to be with her sisters again. She’d been hungry for the warmth and affection they shared. After they’d calmed down, Lise gazed off into the distance for a long moment.
“If only life was that simple,” she said quietly. “Loving someone because they’re nice.” Even as she spoke the words, she wondered if she’d know love when she found it. Chills up and down the spine, goosebumps on the skin, an erratic heartbeat. What did those things mean? A heightened sexual awareness, due to living a celibate life. That was all. Love was something else entirely.
“So tell me, you two, are you both happy? Are you sure you’ve made the right choices?”
Their spontaneous bursts of joy told Lise all she needed
