“How can I help you?”
“Did you see either of them today?” She shook her head. “Do you know their plans now that they’re on vacation?”
“I believe they were intending to be with family in Nice like they always do.”
Nice? Cami had never mentioned extended family living there. Why had she lied to him that she wouldn’t be leaving Vence? What kind of a secret had she been keeping from him? “Do you have a name or an address where I can contact her there?”
“I’m sorry. All I know is they always spend time with her father’s family.”
Her father’s family with a last name Delon? “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”
After she walked off, he phoned Delphine and told her he might not be home all night. She assured him she could stay indefinitely.
With that resolved, he drove to the office on the estate to see Dominic and eat dinner with him. Between the two of them they could get on the phone and try to track down Cami’s family.
CHAPTER TEN
CAMI’S MOTHER DECIDED to go on vacation a day early. They left town on Monday and drove to Nice with their suitcases. They spent the next two nights there with family and got everything ready so that when they returned after the operation, they’d have what they needed.
Those were difficult nights to get through for Cami. On Wednesday they drove back to Vence and checked into the hospital. That evening the technician doing Cami’s labs had finished drawing blood for a second time. After he left the hospital room, housekeeping came in and set up a cot where her mother would sleep for the night.
Now that they were alone, Cami eyed her ever faithful mom who stood at the side of her bed.
“Well, Maman, this is it. By tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, Dr. Molette explained that the keyhole surgery will be over.”
“That’s right. He said you would have smaller scars and get out of the hospital quicker. Better yet you’ll have less pain while the scars heal and will get back to normal activities sooner.”
“That’s an impossible dream, Maman.”
“Nothing’s impossible, Cami.”
She sat up straighter in the bed. “You also heard him say that if it doesn’t work, I’ll have to come in again for open-heart surgery after he returns from vacation.”
Her mom reached for her hand. “It’ll be a success. Your uncle Emil and aunt Liliane have planned for us to come to their house while you recover. Everyone is anxious to wait on you.”
Cami loved her father’s older brother and his wife. He ran a small trucking company in Nice. They lived in a charming home where she’d spent many hours over the years, especially during the semesters while she’d been attending the university.
“That would be wonderful, but I don’t have your faith about the outcome of the operation. We might not be going anywhere.”
I might not make it out of the hospital.
“Nonsense. You’ve always been so brave about this, and I’m so happy it’s finally here I could cry.”
“You and me both.”
“It hasn’t been fair to you all these years, waiting and waiting.”
Cami squeezed her mom’s fingers gently. “Nor to you. Have I told you how much I love you? When I was with Raoul on his sailboat, he told me a story about his tragic relationship with his father. It made me appreciate even more being born to the best parents in the world.”
Her mom’s eyes watered. “Thank you, darling. Certainly you know how much joy you bring to mine. But let’s change the subject because I know how deeply in love you are with Raoul. Why not tell me what else happened while you were out there with him?”
“H-He wanted me to go to a party at his cousin’s place in a couple of weeks.” She stumbled over her words. “But I told him I’d be on vacation. After we got back to the villa, I thanked him for a lovely time, said goodbye and left.”
“And he let you go, just like that?” Her mom was going to keep this up until she’d wrung the truth from her.
Cami hugged the pillow against her. “No,” came her muffled response, but the tears falling down her cheeks betrayed her. “He asked me to marry him.”
“That doesn’t surprise me a bit, but you obviously said no or he’d be here at your side this very minute.”