After hugging Max, she started to leave, but he called her back.
Rachel turned around. “What is it?”
“Since Emma is too modest to tell you, then I will.”
“Tell me what?”
“Oh, I’ll do it,” Emma muttered. “Unbelievable as this may sound, I’ve been commissioned to be the head chef for a coronation taking place in Meridia in the near future.”
Rachel flashed her a tender smile. “That’s not unbelievable, Emma. It’s long past time your talents were lauded internationally. A coronation will be a huge media event. You’ll become more famous than you already are.”
“That’s what I was saying,” Max chimed in.
“Who’s being crowned?”
“Prince Sebastian.”
“Whoa…the playboy all Europe has been talking about? Hmm… Interesting…”
“Oh, stop—” Emma cried, but her cheeks were flushed.
“No— I won’t,” Rachel persisted. “We’ve served a lot of royals here from around the world. One of the Meridian royal family must have tasted some of your superb meals and put your name on their secret short list.”
“Isn’t that just what I said?” Max blurted.
In a quieter voice Rachel said, “No doubt Dad is walking around like he has been made king.”
The three of them burst into laughter
.
“Seriously, Emma. Out of all the great chefs in the world, his very own daughter has attained a singular honor. I’m so proud of you.
“You can bet I’ll be phoning you constantly for a blow-by-blow account of every exciting detail.”
Max nodded. “That goes for me, too, Emma,”
Rachel stared at the two of them. “I really am going to miss both of you. Take care…”
Before Rachel broke down again, she hurried out of the kitchen and left the restaurant on foot.
Once she reached her flat, she called for a taxi to take her to the airport for her flight to New York.
Besides starting a new career, she would call Rebecca’s ob-gyn for a complete check-up. Pending the outcome—because it was still hard to believe she was pregnant—she would inform Luc.
CHAPTER NINE
LUC couldn’t believe it was already August eighth, and not a personal word from Rachel.
One month ago today had been her grandfather’s funeral. The Valentine family had sent a printed thank-you note for the flowers in care of Chartier et Fils. That was it.
After what she’d shared with him at his house about the dynamics in her family, Luc knew how hard William’s death would have been on her. But she could have no conception of what her silence was doing to him.
At the conclusion of a business lunch with a first-time buyer from Norway, he excused himself and left for the St Hippolyte winery. On the way, he finally gave in to the impulse to phone her cell. But he received a shock to discover her service had been disconnected.
Alarmed by that piece of news, he called information for the number of the Bella Lucia on King’s Road.
This abstinence out of respect for her pain had gone on long enough.