He paced. “I was with her this morning, at lunch and after work.”
“All in one day? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“I know I sound like I’ve lost my mind. She’s not who I thought she was, but I still don’t know why she came here.”
“And I can tell you’re not going to give up until you get answers. I take it she’s a knockout.”
“You have no idea. I didn’t know I could have feelings this fast for another woman.”
“That’s how it happened with me. One evening while I was checking on the inventory at the Guinguet I met Toinette. As you know, my world changed that night when I called and told you about her. But circumstances forced me to break off with her in order to marry Sabine. I’ve never been the same since. Thank heaven you’re back home and not in Paris because I need to reveal a truth you don’t know about yet. I’ll tell you on Thursday. For now, I’ve got to go.”
Raoul rang off before a puzzled Dominic could say goodbye. No matter how bad it got, he was thrilled Raoul had decided to get out of his marriage. He’d do whatever he could to help his cousin.
As for his own situation, before any more time passed, Dominic needed to talk to Corinne. He didn’t want to put this off any longer. It wasn’t fair to her to let her go on expecting an imminent marriage proposal. She was attractive. Dominic knew she’d meet another man, hopefully one who would love her for who she was, whether she came from money or not. She deserved to find true happiness. So did he.
Once he told her the truth and ended any thoughts her parents had put in her mind about marrying him, her pride might be hurt, but it was the only way to handle what their two families had tried to set up.
He had his own life to live. And now that he’d met Nathalie Fournier, he couldn’t imagine her not being in his life.
CHAPTER FOUR
“MAMAN?”
Wednesday evening had come. Dominic would be arriving shortly to show her around the vineyard. It was a beautiful evening and she was going crazy waiting for him so had called her mother to check in.
“Yes. What is it, darling?”
Nathalie had left work to eat dinner and was freshening up in the mobile home. She’d brushed her hair, leaving it loose, and wore a fresh pair of jeans and a yellow pullover. “I’ll be home a little later than usual and don’t want you to worry.”
“That’s all I’ve done since our talk. I don’t think it’s wise to keep this up. Either walk away now, or tell Dominic Fontesquieu why you’re there.”
“I will. I just need a little more information and to think everything through. If worse comes to worst and he demands an explanation, I’ll tell him the truth. Depending on the outcome, I’ll bring him to the house so he can see Alain for himself.”
Her mother’s sigh was telling. “You could be wrong and it could cause trouble.”
“It won’t come to that, Maman. When I get home, we’ll talk.”
After they hung up, her mother’s concern ate away at her. Was Nathalie wrong about Dominic having been Antoinette’s lover? Of course, the only way to find out was to ask him and hope he’d be honest with her.
But to approach him about such a sensitive matter was daunting. “Did you have a brief affair with a woman you met at the Guinguet during the harvest two and half years ago? If so, then I believe you could be the father of my deceased stepsister’s son.”
Deep in thought, she was startled by noise outside. He was here. A burst of adrenaline shot through her. She reached for her purse and hurried out the door. Dominic had parked his car behind hers and Nathalie climbed in the passenger side before he could get out.
“Hi,” she said, knowing that once again she was out of breath. It happened every time she saw him. He smelled so good and had dressed in a blue sport shirt and khaki trousers. There could be no other man like him in existence.
His black eyes ranged over her, taking in every inch. “You look too beautiful for a woman who’s been picking grapes all day.”
“That isn’t true, but I like hearing it.”
“If you’d glance in a mirror, it would remove all doubt.”
His words brought heat flooding to her cheeks. “Where are we going to go?”
“I thought we’d take a walk in one of the terroirs at the upper elevation. It overlooks the land down to the sea for a spectacular view.”
The male sight before her eyes was so spectacular, she was at a loss for words.
He backed around and drove down the road past the place where she picked grapes. When they came to a crossroads, he turned right and followed another road. It paralleled more rows of healthy vines for a long time, then rose until he pulled over to the side and parked.