the ideal fairy-tale castle. Reminds me of the ballroom scene from Beauty and the Beast.”
“I see it.” I brought out my art supplies. “Is this one of the reasons why you wanted to go to Paris?”
“Yes. This was the best place for me and my career. Let’s just say that when I told my family I needed to come here, they weren’t surprised. That was two years ago, and I feel like I’m ready to move on. I’ve learned what I can in Paris. I might come back again in the future.”
More clues. I tallied up the ones I had, and I still didn’t have enough to make a good guess. “I don’t have a clear idea of what you do yet, but I’m narrowing it down.”
“Do you want a hint?” A playful smile teased his lips.
I laughed and shook my head. “That’s cheating.”
His nearness strengthened the scent of coffee, vanilla, and sugar. My pencil slipped from my fingers and rolled onto the floor. I leaned down and reached for it, only to have his hand meet mine. The warmth of his skin sent blood rushing to my neckline and up to my cheeks.
Marc’s fingers lingered over mine for two more heartbeats before he pulled away.
“Look.” He pointed to the windows.
The rain had stopped and the darkened sky was cleaved by the golden blades of the sun. Emerging columns of brilliant light bathed the Hall of Mirrors. Gilt and crystal blazed.
In the middle of it all was him.
“And this is why this place is magical.” Marc’s dark brown eyes met mine. I wasn’t certain if he referred to the room, or me.
“Did you plan this? Like you did with those delicious jams this morning?” I asked.
“If I had, I would have met you years ago.”
I bit my lip. It had only been two days, yet I was falling.
We spent the rest of the hour drawing in relative silence, the sounds of our pen and pencil scratching across the page, the absence of words replaced with the steady rhythm of our breathing and furtive glances.
As we continued our tour of Versailles, I took the moments we shared in the Hall of Mirrors and tucked them away, as if they were a precious family heirloom like my grandmother’s jade bangle.
The matchmaker said I had no red thread.
Marc couldn’t be mine, no matter how much I wished it.
At best we could remain friends. The time we had left together seemed both an eternity and an instant.
We walked the beautiful gardens Marc had described and, after a time, arrived at Grand Trianon, Marie-Antoinette’s pink marble palace. The gardens were larger than I had expected, and my feet protested with every step. I tugged on his arm to stop.
“The spirit is willing, but my feet are killing me. Unless there’s a helpful little carriage to get us to our next destination, I don’t know if I can make it.”
“There isn’t a carriage, but there is a little train.” He led me into the parking lot near Grand Trianon to a stop where a couple waited. “I’m sorry. It is a lot of walking. I walk everywhere, and like to walk, so it never occurred to me that you might not be used to it.”
“I should have learned and worn better shoes.” I bit my lower lip. “Back home, I drive everywhere.”
“Paris is a such a walkable city that I got in the habit here. I didn’t walk this much in Montreal.” He offered his arm for stability as I adjusted my shoes.
When I glanced up, I noted the twinkle in his eyes.
“You’re lying to make me feel better,” I accused.
“Did it help?” he asked.
“No.”
“The little train goes to every stop. It’ll take us to the Temple de l’Amour and back to the main palace.”
I almost squealed with delight. “That helps. Thank goodness for modern transportation.”
The little train was really a beefed-up golf cart pulling along three caravans of shaded seats. Marc paid for our tickets as he found us seats in the first car.
“The way you talk about this monument, it sounds amazing.”
“When we go to the main building, I believe you can see it from Marie-Antoinette’s bedroom window.”
Six minutes later, we walked out into the gardens of Petit Trianon. Against the green meadows and flowers, the domed marble gazebo lured me in from a distance. We crossed a bridge over a tiny brook to reach our destination. It was as romantic as its moniker: slender columns held a small dome while inside was a