They both felt a little more normal when they had the distraction of the chateau to keep them busy. They were sifting through assorted estimates from subcontractors that week, and other workmen they were hiring. They consulted with each other constantly and went out to the chateau three times. It was a relief to have a project to focus on, and little by little, they began to feel normal with each other again. He even made her laugh once or twice, which broke the tension.
Olivia finally said something to him about it at the end of the week. It took her that long to be able to talk about it. They were sharing a sandwich at the chateau, and she looked at him calmly. “Are you okay?” she asked him, and he looked surprised. They’d had a nice morning, working together, with no trace of the malaise that had plagued them since New York.
“Yes. Why?”
“I was scared to death in New York. You must have been even more terrified than I was. I thought they were going to put you in jail.”
“So did I.” It was a relief to talk about it, and he was glad she had. “I felt so awful putting you through that.”
“I’m sorry about your brother. It must be terrible for you and your mother.” He nodded agreement and looked at her.
“I thought you were going to fire me in New York. I wouldn’t have blamed you. You were incredibly decent about it.”
“It’s not your fault. It must be a heavy burden for you to carry.”
“I’ve never been accused of being him before. That was a little too much reality for me.” He still looked shaken.
“I’ve never heard of mirror twins before. Lucky for you.”
“It’s the only way our mother could tell us apart. I think it’s pretty rare.”
“It must have been fun being twins,” she commented.
“It was, as kids. Not anymore. Once we were teenagers, he was always tougher than I was, and meaner. He used to beat the shit out of me sometimes. My mother says now that he was always different, that he has no heart. I loved him anyway. I think that’s how twins are, it’s a special bond. I would have died for him then. But not anymore. I have no intention of taking the rap for him. I hope that’s the last time that anyone ever gets us confused.”
“It’s a little bit like Cain and Abel, isn’t it?” she said pensively.
“Yeah. A little too much so.” They turned to other subjects then and went back to work. By the end of the following week, things felt normal between them again, except that Olivia was still waiting for the report on him.
She was surprised to hear from Jean Beaulieu that week, Audrey Wellington’s decorator friend who had come to tea. He was giving a dinner party on Saturday and invited Olivia. She was grateful for the invitation. She still wanted to meet people in Paris and hadn’t yet. He said he was having twelve people over for dinner.
“It won’t be as elegant as your place, with your fancy butler,” he teased her. “But I have a pretty good cook I hire for parties.” She wanted to find one too that she could have cook for dinner parties, once she met some people. She accepted Jean’s invitation with pleasure. It was her first step into a Parisian social life.
She wore a simple but sexy black dress when she went to his dinner party. He had a very fancy apartment on the avenue Montaigne, with a view of the Eiffel Tower. His apartment looked like a yacht since that was most of what he did. But the people were interesting and pleasant. She was seated next to a very charming architect, Charles de Prex. He spoke excellent English and was mesmerized by her. Jean told him about the chateau she was renovating and decorating and he was impressed. He appeared to be at the dinner on his own. And just before the party ended, he asked her if she would have dinner with him sometime. She had enjoyed his company all evening.
“I’d like that very much,” she said, and meant it. She’d had a very good time talking to him, and he was clearly very taken with her. He hadn’t left her side all night. It was only when they collected their coats that a very pretty redhead in a short black dress sidled over to him, and told him to stop misbehaving, it was time to go home. She was his wife. He looked mildly embarrassed but not very, and Jean told her after they left that he was a bit of a player, but a great guy. His wife was a very successful attorney and they had four children. Olivia was incensed by how misleading he had been. He had never once said he was married or mentioned his wife. And what was he going to do about the dinner invitation he extended? Just take her out and cheat on his wife?