“It has a pureness and reminds me of you.”
Everything he said touched her heart.
By the time she got off the phone, they’d reached the estate and Raoul drove them to the south entrance of the château. Suddenly the gravity of their announcement and what it would mean to his family took hold of her. When he turned off the engine and helped her out of the car, she hugged him hard.
“Don’t be afraid. We’ll just have to give them time. Remember part of our vows? It will take faith to be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring.”
“I know.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I have faith in you.”
He checked his watch. “We have ten minutes before everyone will congregate. Let’s go greet my grandparents first.”
With his arm around her waist, he ushered her inside and up the stairs to the second floor. After a knock, he opened the double doors. Lisette had wheeled his grandparents into the main salon. She congratulated them first.
“Ah—” his grandmother cried when she saw them. “That lace is breathtaking. How beautiful you look, Abby!”
“Thank you. It’s because I’m so happy to be married to your grandson. Doesn’t he look handsome in his gray suit?”
His grandfather smiled and nodded.
“Papi? Mamie? May I present my wife, the joy of my life. Look what she gave me.” He walked over to the old man so he could examine the ring.
Abby hurried to his grandmother and gave her a kiss on both cheeks. They both marveled over the dazzling diamond.
She grasped Abby’s hand. “I’ve never seen him this happy.”
“That’s what my parents said about me when we sent pictures to them a little while ago. We’re going to have a wedding picture made up for you.”
“We would love it. Abby—don’t let what anyone says or does disturb you,” she whispered.
“I won’t,” she whispered back. “We know you and your husband approve of our marriage. That means the world to us.”
“This is a difficult family.”
“I think all families are, a little.”
She stared at Abby. “I can see you are the right one for him.”
“I’m glad if you think so.”
“I’ll pray for you.”
Her words stayed with Abby as they heard voices in the entry. Raoul reached her side and put his arm around her shoulders. Soon the family entered the salon. She counted at least twenty-five members. She recognized Jean-Marc, Gilles, Paul and Raoul’s father, who sat in his wheelchair, but not anyone else.
The shock on each face told a story Abby would never forget. Raoul’s arm tightened. “Thank you all for dropping everything to come here today. I wanted you to know that Abby Grant, the light of my life, became my wife this morning at the mairie in Dijon by Deputy Mayor Tibault. We’ll be married at the church in Dijon in a few weeks.”
Before he could say another word, she heard a cry and the pregnant brunette woman standing next to Paul left the suite. That had to be Josette.
Her husband walked over to Abby and Raoul. “Welcome to the family.” He kissed her on both cheeks. After giving Raoul a hug, he hurried after his wife.
In the next breath Raoul’s father, with a scowl on his face, barked to Jean-Marc to wheel him out of the room. The lovely older woman who’d been standing next to him—the thin one with the reddish-blond hair who had to be Raoul’s mother—seemed to pale. She looked conflicted before following her husband out of the salon.
“Just a minute, darling,” Abby said to Raoul. Then she ran after his mother and caught up with her in the entry hall. “I wanted to give you this.” She put the tiny wrapped gift in her hand. “I love Raoul desperately and want us to be friends.”
His mother looked utterly bewildered before Abby ran back to Raoul, passing his two aunts and their families who were walking out.
It was like watching dominos fall one by one.
“Congratulations,” said one of the men who resembled Raoul’s father. “I hope you’ll be happy.”