Heaven Scent (15 page)

‘I’m game if you are,’ he responded, meaning it. He’d had enough of playing happy families. Besides, Vero had promised him all sorts of fun if he made it back to school soon. Max settled back in his chair, his eyes sparking up decisively. ‘Let’s do it,’ he told Seraphina. ‘It’s no fun here anyway.’

Cat’s mood darkened. The twins were the only friendly faces around La Fleurie. She wasn’t sure if she felt drawn to them because they knew about loss at such an early age or if she just felt sorry for them for being so misunderstood, but Cat knew she would miss them if they went back to their college. The rest of the family seemed to have written them off as naughty and rebellious, but she couldn’t help thinking the twins were incredibly vulnerable. How could Guy treat his children this way? she thought. He had no idea how much he was hurting them with his cruel dismissals and his preference for spending his time focused on the business rather than them. Cat knew it wasn’t her place to say anything but she sincerely hoped Guy came to his senses before it was too late.

‘Might you still be here when we come back for half-term?’ Seraphina suddenly felt a bit tearful about the possibility of never seeing Cat again.

‘Oh . . . er . . . I doubt it.’ Cat shook her head. ‘Although I haven’t a clue what’s going on yet, to be honest. Bloody passport,’ she added to herself in English.

She almost told Seraphina her suspicions about Delphine being responsible for its disappearance, but she reminded herself that the old lady was Seraphina’s grandmother. It wouldn’t go down well, however austere Delphine was.

Seraphina hugged her tightly. ‘I really hope you stay,’ she whispered in Cat’s ear. ‘I know you want to go but I wish you could stay for a bit longer.’ She didn’t know why she felt so attached to Cat. It was madness, really.

Max nodded. ‘It’d be good to see you when we get back,’ he said in a gruff voice, kissing her cheeks politely.

Feeling dismal, Cat watched them as they drifted off to pack.

Xavier was about to have a shower when he found a handwritten note from his grandmother slipped under his door. What on earth did she want? Handwritten requests from her never boded well; it either meant he was about to get his knuckles rapped or she wanted him to do something, neither of which was remotely appealing. Xavier couldn’t help hoping she might go back to Toulouse in the near future. Sweet as she could be at times, his grandmother had the knack of making him feel like a schoolboy, which Xavier detested.

Since the disastrous family meeting Delphine had been conspicuous by her absence, shutting herself away in her quarters and emerging only for meals. Leoni, relieved not to have to discuss the heated row that had taken place in the boardroom, saw it as a positive sign and even thought it might mean their grandmother felt remorseful about her meanness. Xavier, knowing his grandmother better, thought otherwise. Far from hiding away because she was licking her wounds or feeling repentant, Xavier was convinced his grandmother simply needed solitude and privacy in order to plot and scheme and do whatever was necessary to bring the family back into line.

‘Come back to bed, darling,’ Therese cajoled, flipping the sheet back to expose a rather slutty red thong and not much else.

‘I have a meeting,’ Xavier replied.

He had a quick, hot shower. Therese was becoming increasingly demanding, he thought impatiently. And she bored him. It was time for a change. He and Therese were just too different, he thought as he quickly shaved. She was laid-back and lazy and he liked to be active. Aside from his daily swims, he had his climbing, he loved beach sports and he always enjoyed casinos and eating out. A few years back, he would have ridden every day but that was out of the question now. Another great love ruined by circumstances, one he sorely missed if he was being honest with himself.

He emerged from his ensuite bathroom to find Therese snoring like a French horn, with her legs wide open and her pale breasts lolling. Xavier flipped the sheet over her before dressing in a freshly ironed shirt and a pair of smart trousers and then made his way to his grandmother’s rooms. She was seated on the rose-pink silk chaise longue in the corner. In front of her on the table was a silver tray bearing an exquisite Limoges porcelain coffee pot with a floral design on it and some matching cups that looked as though they wouldn’t bear the weight of the coffee inside them.

Delphine poured him a strong, black coffee, just the way he liked it and, smiling, she patted the place next to her on the chaise longue. She admired his ability to look so stylish considering he had probably only just got up. She wondered if his unsavoury girlfriend was waiting for him in bed. The girl was reasonably pretty but she was hardly good enough for someone as handsome and gifted as Xavier.

Xavier sat down and picked up the delicate cup warily. The informal setting, the antique china – he was right, something was definitely up.

‘Thank you for joining me at such short notice,’ she said, her hazel eyes warm. ‘I felt we should talk after that terrible meeting the other day.’

‘Oh?’ Xavier regarded her coolly.

Delphine nodded. ‘Yes, I was so upset after . . . after everything that happened and I wanted to ask your opinion on it.’

Xavier drank his coffee. ‘I see. And which particular aspect would you like me to comment upon?’ He sat back, his manner casual but his eyes alert. ‘Are you after my opinion on Leoni’s extravagant but quite possibly sound ideas for the business? No? Perhaps you’d like me to assess the sales figures for the last quarter.’ Xavier met her eyes. ‘Or would you like to discuss what to do about Cat Hayes, especially since she had the audacity to speak up and make her presence felt in a family meeting.’

Delphine smiled approvingly. Xavier might have spent the last two years doing nothing apart from sunbathing and sleeping around, but he was as sharp as a tack. And contrary to what her son Guy thought, Delphine was certain Elizabeth’s death wasn’t the only reason for Xavier’s indifference towards the perfume business. That was another matter, however, and one Delphine planned to deal with once this particular problem had been resolved.

‘I’ll get straight to the point,’ she said. ‘You’re right, Cat Hayes is posing a problem. As you know, she turned down the money Guy offered her and she is keen to leave as soon as possible. Her passport is missing but I’m sure it will turn up shortly. In any case, she has probably been on to the British authorities to organise another one.’ Delphine glanced out of the window thoughtfully. ‘In the meantime, Miss Hayes is at a loose end. Or rather, she
is
a loose end.’

Xavier didn’t smile at the weak joke. ‘What does this have to do with me?’

‘What it has to do with you is that bearing in mind Miss Hayes’, shall we say, insight into the perfume business the other day, it made me wonder if she might be useful to us while she’s still here.’

‘Useful? In what way?’

Delphine refilled his cup and offered him a plate of exquisite, handmade macaroons which he refused. ‘No? They are your favourites. Anyway, as I was saying, I am loathe to admit it but the girl did come up with some interesting thoughts about the business. Even Leoni’s idea seemed to make more sense once it was explained properly.’ Delphine pursed her lips. ‘I can’t say I fully approve but I can see the sense in maximising the business and I suppose we should be grateful that Miss Hayes pointed out the anniversary of Rose-Nymphea. What about a little trip to Grasse? You could take her to the perfume factories. You could tell her all about the art and science of creating scents.’

‘And why would I want to do that?’

‘Because you don’t have anything better to do,’ Delphine fired back crisply, the warmth evaporating from her voice. ‘Guy and Leoni are far too busy to undertake such a trip.’ She sipped her coffee, regarding him over the paper-thin rim.

Xavier stared at her. He knew exactly what she was up to. His grandmother thought that if he went on some trip to the place he had learnt his craft, he would fall back in love with the perfume-making process. She hoped he would get so carried away telling Cat Hayes all about his apprenticeship and about his passion for scents that he would come back renewed, refreshed and raring to get back into his lab again. Filled with contempt at the obviousness of her plan, his lip curled.

Delphine guessed what he was thinking and stared him down. ‘Cat Hayes might be able to assist with the business and if anyone can get her to do it, you can.’ Delphine raised her eyebrows delicately when she saw Xavier’s expression. ‘No one is asking you to sleep with the girl, Xavier! That would be highly inappropriate. She was married to your cousin, however briefly. No, I am simply asking you to be persuasive, to see if she can tell us anything useful. Blind her with science, give her the whole, heady perfume experience.’ Delphine flapped her hand in the air. ‘If nothing else, I want her to understand why this is all so important to us, and why we need her to sign those papers as soon as Pascal can arrange them. It is in the family’s best interests.’

Xavier stiffened. He wasn’t ten years old any more. The emotional blackmail she always fell back on had worked then because he had been too young and immature to spot it. These days, he recognised that the family’s ‘best interests’ simply meant his meddling grandmother had no other argument to get her own way.

Xavier stood up. He could say no but the fact was he didn’t have anything better to do and he probably was the best man for the job. His expertise in the perfume business was second to none and a part of him resented Cat Hayes’ obvious low opinion of him as an empty-headed philanderer. He just wished his grandmother wasn’t so manipulative.

‘Fine. I’ll do it,’ he said with bad grace. It would get him away from Therese, at least, and as soon as his duty was done and he was back at La Fleurie, he could give Monique a call and go out on the town.

Delphine nodded. ‘Thank you, Xavier. I knew I could rely on you.’

Xavier paused by the door, feeling the need to score a point of his own. ‘Are you organising anything, as Cat suggested, to celebrate Rose-Nymphea’s half-century?’

Delphine bristled. ‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘A party. Guy thinks it’s a splendid idea and I suppose I can see the appeal. I intend to create a spectacular event, one befitting our signature perfume.’

As Xavier left the room, Delphine decided to put to one side the fact that Cat had been the only person to notice the anniversary. It was too vexing for words.

 

‘So why were your family initially so against your home fragrance idea?’ Ashton asked Leoni as they stood outside Jo Malone in Sloane Street. As usual, Leoni was wearing a stark but tight-fitting dress, in slate-grey this time, with a black wool coat over the top and a Hermès scarf knotted at her throat. He caught a waft of her perfume, L’Air Sensuel, which she sometimes wore.

Leoni’s lips tightened. ‘They were against the idea because they don’t like change. Anything new and daring has them retreating into safety, especially when it comes to the visions I have for the perfume business; you know that.’

‘They clearly don’t know they have a genius idea in their midst.’ Ashton threw her a smile. ‘It’s a shame Xavier has ducked out of the business because otherwise I’m sure he’d stick up for you.’

Grateful for Ashton’s support, Leoni wrapped her coat more tightly round herself. February in London was predictable for its unpredictability and although she had anticipated a chill in the air, she was astonished to find herself in sub-zero temperatures with the threat of sleet overhead. She glanced at Ashton. He was wearing a dark overcoat with a cornflower-blue shirt from Pinks that matched his eyes. A group of girls teetered past in high heels, giving him quick, appreciative glances. His preppy blondness and lovely eyes probably made Ashton quite a catch when he was on home turf, Leoni realised.

‘So the family meeting was stressful?’ Ashton asked as he rubbed his hands and blew on them for warmth.

‘Terrible!’ Leoni replied with feeling. ‘That girl, Cat Hayes, came up with all sorts of suggestions and really made her presence felt. Very inappropriate.’

‘I thought you said she supported your ideas?’

Leoni relented. ‘Well, yes, she did actually and it was very generous of her in the circumstances. I suppose I just thought she’d sit back and say nothing. Grandmother was in charge as usual and you know how scary she can be.’

Ashton did a mock shudder. ‘God, yes. She’s absolutely terrifying.’

‘It’s just . . . Cat Hayes made it obvious she didn’t want to be at the meeting and that she just wants to come back to England but I have to admit she made some very good points,’ Leoni said grudgingly.

Ashton smiled at her unwillingness to admit that Cat Hayes had impressed her. He opened the door to the Jo Malone store and they went in.

Leoni admired the light, airy space and the calming cream and mirrored decor. If only she could have the chance to create a shop like this! One step at a time, she reminded herself. She needed her family to agree to the idea before she started planning her own shops in Paris and London.

‘Wow, this place is amazing,’ Ashton exclaimed.

Leoni nodded. A woman was receiving a luxurious-looking hand and arm massage in one corner and another – a bride, if the bulging folder of coloured swatches and sample invitations was anything to go by – was sitting at a counter having a skin consultation. Fragrances mingled in the air and their combined scent was enticing rather than overpowering. A table in the centre of the shop had a neat crescent of fragrance bottles displayed on it. They were identical in appearance but Leoni knew that each one contained its own identity, totally different from the scent in the bottle next to it.

She moved over to the home fragrance area and paused by the section devoted to candles. She loved candles; they created such a warm, inviting atmosphere and having a subtle fragrance drifting in a room somehow transformed it from drab to cosy.