“I’m sorry about your uncle, honey,” Beau said. “He’s gotten very resentful, and all he does is drink these days. Drake sent your cousin Axel to Borneo and he stayed there, workin’ with Drake’s friends. Gilbert hasn’t been the same. He’ll sleep it off in the car and feel the fool for making a scene.”
“It’s all right,” Evangeline said immediately, dismissing the entire incident.
Timur didn’t dismiss it so easily. He leaned toward Ambroise. “You were telling us about your sketching. Do you sell your work?” He poured genuine interest into his voice. He was interested, just not for the reasons it appeared.
Ashe beamed at him. Evangeline smiled gratefully. Ambroise squirmed a little and then glanced at his father.
Christophe wasn’t so shy. “He’s sold several. In fact, he had a showin’ the other night and it was a huge success. You should get somethin’ he’s done and put it in your home, Evangeline. His drawings are beautiful, and eventually they’re going to be worth a fortune. I’ve been tellin’ him to quit his job and sketch full-time.”
“The sketches of my home aren’t up for sale, are they?” Evangeline asked.
“No, of course not,” Ambroise said hastily. He stirred cream into his coffee. “You need privacy, and it would be a security risk. Christophe made that very clear to me. The drawings were just for him. There was a discrepancy I couldn’t quite account for, and I like talking things over with Christophe because he …” He trailed off, waving his hand in the air as if that gesture finished his sentence.
“He what?” Ashe encouraged.
Ambroise looked more uncomfortable than ever. He squirmed on the chair, his face flushed with embarrassment. “When I bring him a math equation, he doesn’t act like I’m a total lunatic.”
“Eccentric,” Christophe corrected.
Timur’s phone vibrated. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen beneath the table. The text was from Gorya. Evidently, Evangeline’s uncle was wandering around outside the house. Timur discreetly texted back to allow the man enough rope to hang himself.
“What was the discrepancy?” Evangeline persisted.
Ambroise shrugged and looked once more to his brother, as if the man would bail him out of the awkward conversation.
“The measurements were off in each of the rooms with the outside of the house. In other words, sister, you either have the thickest walls known to mankind, or you have secret passageways in your home.” Christophe smirked. “You can’t hide much from a mathematician artist like Ambroise.”
Evangeline slipped her hand into Fyodor’s and glanced at Timur. He kept his face blank as he chewed the filet mignon the chef had broiled to perfection. He was uncertain how best to handle the situation. Anything he said would tip off Evangeline to the fact that he was going to interrogate her brothers and father and definitely her snake of an uncle, who wasn’t in the least bit drunk.
“Ambroise, what wonderful gifts you’ve been given,” Ashe said, her eyes soft. Her features showed nothing but appreciation. “I can’t wait to visit the gallery where you’re showing some of your work. Evangeline, we’ll have to go. Maybe you wouldn’t mind showing us around,” she added.
Ambroise sent her a shy smile. “I’d like that actually. I especially wanted Evangeline to see my sketches of the swamp. Some of them are really good, but others, I’m just missing some little detail. It keeps me up at night thinking about it. Charisse and Armande took me out around their property, and Armande even walked through the swamp with me, but I just can’t get it right.”
“It?” Evangeline said. “What are you looking for?”
He frowned and put down his fork. “I draw the trees and brush and even the moss with no problem, but when it comes to the water, it’s never right. Never .” Frustration edged his voice.
Timur had to believe Ambroise’s irritation was genuine. He didn’t even seem to be tasting the food, which was more than excellent. Beau and Christophe had no trouble eating everything put before them.
“It’s probably because the water changes all the time,” Evangeline said. “From one moment to the next. Wind, leaves, wildlife, snakes, birds, all of it touches the surface and changes the look. More than once I’ve seen what looks like diamonds glittering on the surface. Other times, that same area gleamed like glass. Another time it was a mirror, reflecting everything around it.”
Ambroise started to stand, but Christophe waved him back to his chair. “Sit and eat. You can sketch later.”
“But she’s right. The things she’s saying, those are the details I need …” Eagerness edged his voice.
“You never forget a thing,” Christophe said. “Never. You’ll remember if Evangeline hiccups.” He grinned at his sister. “You look good, belle soeur . I wanted to make certain you were well taken care of, and I see that you are. You look happy.” He sat back, his gaze going to Fyodor. “I’m looking for a job.”