The Beautiful Ones - Silvia Moreno-Garcia Page 0,16
shocked. An entertainer new to the city talking to Nina?” Gaétan said, sounding surprised yet pleased. Likely he saw this as a mark of his cousin’s attractiveness, the nonexistent Beaulieu charm. “But I spoke to René Rambulen this morning, and he assured me Hector Auvray’s bank account is substantial and he is polite. Unlike other entertainers, he is not found frequenting cabarets and drinking establishments. They say he is, in truth, a bit too serious. Of course, that is not a complete assurance of his character.”
“No, it’s not,” Valérie said. “But it is like Antonina to utterly lose perspective the first time a stranger says a word to her, and for you to go along with her in order to keep the girl happy.”
Gaétan appeared contrite, but not contrite enough to stop pressing his point. “Valérie, it is … Nina is a sweet girl, but she is also somewhat misunderstood. When she was but a child, I remember how she used to make furniture move, pots clang. It scared the other children. They called her the Witch of Oldhouse. And now that she has grown up, even now they remember these things, and she’s not had many suitors in Montipouret.”
Any wonder why? Valérie thought. Antonina botched everything. When it was necessary that she speak, she grew quiet. When she must be modest, she was loud. When she must smile, she smiled, but too eagerly. She made a fool of herself when they visited the Deforniers, ensuring every young man in attendance quietly chuckled and thought What a dolt! and went in search of a more sophisticated young lady.
“She’s not in Montipouret anymore. She has had many chances to socialize with people her age, to speak to charming young men.”
“She’s spoken to this one, at least. What did you think of him when he visited here?”
She held the silver brush in the air for a second, frozen, then slowly ran it down her hair. Her throat felt dry and she thought her tongue would not move, but she found herself forming words, her voice light.
“He seems an educated man, well groomed. It is difficult for me to say anything else, having met him but briefly.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Gaétan said, pacing behind her in his favorite robe, the dark crimson one that suited him poorly. “I am torn, Valérie. I do not want to make her unhappy and rob Nina of the chance to make a new friend. On the other hand, who knows if he is a proper acquaintance. An entertainer, a performer. I do not wish to be closed-minded and fastidious. What do you think?”
Valérie bit her lip and set the brush down. Her fingers rested against the edge of her vanity for a minute as she considered what to say next. She could feel her heart beating fast in her chest, and she was afraid Gaétan might notice something was amiss even if he would not have noticed a conflagration in the room next door.
“Perhaps it wouldn’t be bad if I accept his invitation to the theater. It would give us a chance to interact a bit more. We could make up our mind on him.”
“That is excellent,” Gaétan said. “Yes. You must go with Nina to the theater and converse with Mr. Auvray. And if you deem it prudent, we can invite him for dinner at a later date.”
“Certainly.”
Valérie turned around, feeling more confident. She looked fully at her husband, who was pleased with the result of their deliberations.
“However, I do wish you’d make it clear to Antonina that she must not be seeking you to adjudicate on these matters. Your aunt has entrusted her care to us, and I am merely looking out for her.”
“I will speak to her. Do not worry,” Gaétan said.
She felt wicked for a brief moment, for deceiving him. But she could not have told him the truth, that she’d met Hector years before and he was more than a performer she had once, casually, chanced upon. That was impossible. She could have steered Hector away from their household, though. She could still do it. She could convince Gaétan that the trip to the theater had been a disaster, make up a lie.
Valérie doubted she would. She felt irresistibly thrust forward. A force had been set in motion and she was unwilling to stop it.
CHAPTER 6
Nina woke up early the day they were supposed to go to the Royal and spent an inordinate amount of time considering her hair. Valérie had picked