“Don’t worry. I’ll keep this under wraps until we hear from you again. All we want is your happiness, darling.”
“I love you, Mom. More than you know. I promise to call soon.”
Abby got ready for bed, but she barely slept waiting for morning to come.
CHAPTER NINE
WHEN MORNING CAME, Raoul texted Abby that he was driving over to the apartment. By the time he arrived in front, his nerves were so shot he was trembling and felt ill. If she told him she couldn’t marry him...
Abby opened her door to him, wearing a creamy linen blouse with a wrap-around khaki skirt. He walked her inside and reached for her, kissing her so soundly they were both weaving by the time he allowed her to breathe. “Did you get any sleep?”
She avoided his eyes, terrifying him. “No. I talked to my mother last night. Dad wasn’t home. I told her everything.”
His insides froze. “Abby?”
“She said if it’s going to be a mistake, it would be better we have a civil ceremony first. Then no one will have to know.”
Raoul could hardly breathe. “Is that how you feel? That it will be a mistake?”
“Not if we set some parameters. How do you feel about a working wife?”
With that one question, his taut hard body relaxed. She lifted her green eyes to his, revealing a shine that almost blinded him.
“You realize I’ll have to find a teaching position somewhere around here, and I’ll have to go to school to learn French.”
“Abby—” he whispered her name again, and started to reach for her.
“And one more thing. I want a baby with you so badly I expect to get pregnant ASAP. If that happens, we’ll work out everything else.”
In the next breath he cupped her face in his hands. “You just gave me the answer I’ve been dying for. All my adult life I wondered when or if the right woman would come along. When I found you sitting on the train station bench, my heart almost failed me. Somehow I knew my search was over.”
“So did I. It was a feeling that grew stronger with every passing minute,” she murmured against his lips, hugging the life out of him. “I love you so terribly.”
“Je t’aime, mon amour.”
Raoul began kissing her with abandon. The freedom to love her had caused him to forget everything else. His hunger had taken over and he couldn’t get enough of her. He buried his face in her neck.
“Our wedding day can’t come fast enough, but I agree with your mother. I don’t want anyone to know we got married until after the fact. By the time my family comes to grips with it, they’ll be ready to see us married in the church. But I’m going to have a devil of a time pretending that nothing is going on when all I want to do is steal you away for weeks on end. Come on. We have work to do.”
“Where are we going?”
“To my office. I’ll have our breakfast brought in from the château kitchen. While we eat, we’ll start to make arrangements. The first thing we have to do is meet with Boris Rochefort, our attorney in Dijon who’s licensed to practice law both here and in the States. He’ll issue us affidavits of law and marital status. I’ll also need a copy of Angélique’s death certificate. Next we’ll go to Dr. Filbert’s office for our medical exams.”
“Ooh. I forgot about that. Can you trust these men not to tell anyone about us?”
“If they want to keep their jobs.” She laughed. “Before we leave, you need to send for a certified birth certificate.”
She leaned over to kiss him again. “I brought one with my passport, just in case of some emergency. Who would have thought I was going to need it to get married to the most marvelous man on earth?”
He gathered her in his arms. “You’ve made me so happy, I’m never going to let you out of my sight.”
“Promise? Oh, Raoul.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, but he was too hungry for her and knew this couldn’t go on if they were going to make the appointments he’d set up for them.
* * *
After they left her apartment and ate breakfast in his office, they drove to Dijon in the Maserati. Once they’d gone through the motions to receive the various certificates, Raoul took her to the city hall where he introduced Abby to Deputy Mayor Judge Tibault. His friend would marry them and waive the banns. Because of his packed schedule, the soonest their wedding could take place was nine o’clock on Thursday morning, three days away.
By evening they dined at the Coin Caché. He reached across the small round table for her hand. “I brought you here to eat their two specialties: eggs in red wine, and Paris-Brest.”