Games (Timeless Series) (9 page)

Complying, Giselle pivoted
. Her skeptical eyes met her sister’s laughing eyes in the looking glass, and she let out a disbelieving humph. “I am beginning to think there is no one out there for me. I doubt I will ever fall in love.”

“Do
not be so sure,” Marguerite said, shaking her head.

“How can I not be when no one I
have met to date holds my attention for long?”

“Bah!
Those men are but fools who fall all over a pretty face and soft words.” She dismissed Giselle’s admission with the wave of her hand. “Here, let us get you out of that gown so we can run along. I am sure Mama and Papa will be expecting us.”

“I like being a pretty face and saying soft words,” she said, laughing at her sister’s accurate description of the men she’d met, while struggling out of the gown.

“Is that all you are?”

“Well, no.” Then picking up
her blouse and slipping into it, she asked, “But is that not what the men want?”

“I guess some do and those men are all wrong for you
. They know nothing of what is inside of you. They never bother to look deeper because the surface suits them fine. Yet that is the very reason they do not hold your interest for long.”

Giselle was silent as she turned to allow help with her buttons
. Marguerite’s assertion brought forth thoughts of Simon Harrington. He saw her differently than the other men she’d known. Was that why she had found him so interesting? Maybe her sister was on to something.

“What you say makes sense
.” She shrugged, watching her sister’s capable hands move quickly. “I did meet someone last summer while I was in Louisville. He is different.”

Marguerite stopped buttoning Giselle’s blouse and glanced at Giselle
. “Ah, so a suitable gentleman has finally captured your attention,
non
?”

Giselle gave her head a forceful shake. “
Non
, it is not like that. He is definitely unsuitable, but he did capture my attention.”

“You met someone and you did
not share the news with me?” Her expression turned curious and her eyebrows rose. “What I want to know is why you chose to keep the information to yourself,” she asked as she finished the last button.

“Because there is no information to tell
. This happened months ago and is irrelevant now,” Giselle said in an irritated tone, turning around and stepping into the split skirt of her habit.

“Then why do you still remember him?”

She stopped her movements, holding the skirt in place. “Well, maybe he was worth remembering. At least a little bit.” A smile took over her face as she continued dressing. “But he is also the most infuriating man I have ever met and if I ever set eyes on him again, he will get an earful.” Her voice held much more vehemence than she’d intended.

“So tell me about him.” Marguerite’s expression turned speculative
. “Where did you meet him?”

Giselle’s soft laughter erupted.
“Why the inquisition? There is nothing to tell. I met Simon at a ball. We danced and he escorted me to dinner. But I danced with dozens of men that night.”

“
Yet you remember only one.” Her sister tugged the skirt, righting it, while Giselle stood still.

“
Non
! I remember others besides Simon,” she replied, raising her chin and meeting Marguerite’s probing gaze.

“Seems like a lot happened in such a short time for you to be calling him by his first name,” Marguerite stated patiently, her expression saying she
was having none of Giselle’s denials.

“Oh
, please,” Giselle scoffed, waving her hand. “You are starting to sound like a matchmaker and it is unbecoming.”

“I
am simply curious. There is something in your voice when you talk about him.” Marguerite distractedly turned her attention to a gown on a mannequin. She began pinning seams together and making an adjustment on the bodice. “I wonder why, is all.”

“That
is because he has the ability to set my teeth on edge. Simon Harrington is an odious man and I thank God he is not around to annoy me further.”

“Simon Harrington?”
She broke off, thinking. “Why does the name seem familiar? Have you spoken of him before?”

“The name seems familiar because we met him in Paris
. He is an associate of Papa’s. Now do you see why he is so unsuitable?”

She gave an unconcerned shrug
. “I do not remember him. Why would having an association with Papa make him unsuitable?” She finished her adjustments and patted the mannequin. “There, this dress is ready for Mrs. Meyers to try on.”

“Really
, Marguerite.” Holding on to her riding boots, Giselle sighed in exasperation as her sister unbuttoned the dress and took it off the mannequin. “Sometimes you can be so obtuse. Papa is the one who warned me off Simon back in Paris. Monsieur Harrington is not one to get seriously involved with anyone, especially a little nobody stuck in the middle of nowhere, so can we just drop the subject?”

Giggling, Marguerite shook out the dress and countered, “Oh, Giselle, you are so amusing
. I do not see how you can call yourself a little nobody stuck out here when your name is spoken with awe on most of the young men’s tongues from here to Louisville and Lexington.” She moved to hang it in the armoire. “
Non
, I would venture to say there is more to this man than meets the eye. And I, for one, would love to meet him.”

“I
doubt that will ever happen.” Giselle silently watched Marguerite close the armoire doors, then added, “Simon Harrington is off chasing danger and excitement. I am sure I will never have to set eyes on the man again. Which is a good thing, because I know I should stay clear of him. He is not only dangerous, but good-looking and charming as well.”

Wearing an insightful smile, Marguerite kept quiet while Giselle finished pulling on her riding boots
. When the two were ready to go, the smile was still in place.

Annoyed, Giselle pulled her sister along
. “Wipe that knowing grin off your face. You think because you are so much older, you know everything. In this, you are way off.”

“Whatever you say,” she said, laughing and allowing Giselle to lead her from the room
.

The two were still at it when they walked into their parent’s home some ten minutes later.

“Marguerite? Is that you?” came a voice from the back of the large house.

Sop
hie Franklin had started for the foyer and stopped suddenly, meeting her youngest daughter’s gaze.

Giselle thought her mother was a striking woman
. The fine lines around her eyes, the only clues to her real age, deepened along with her smile.

With her outstretched arms she moved to gather Giselle to her ample breast in a fierce hug
.

“It has been too long,
ma fille
.” She let go and said in a louder voice, “Marcus! Come! Our baby is home!”

Marcus Franklin, a tall, slender, handsome man in his
midfifties, obviously still rugged and fit, came barreling down the stairs. Enthusiastically, he picked Giselle up and twirled her around as if she weighed no more than a feather, just as he always used to do when she was a girl. All too soon, he set her down and placed a big kiss on her forehead.

Laughter caught in Giselle’s throat at his actions and was still present in her
voice. “It is so good to see you both. I have missed you. Until this moment, I never realized how much.”

“Come,
Lizette has made fresh croissants and hot chocolate,” Sophie said, wrapping an arm around both daughters and squeezing. “She left it warming on the stove. Even though the weather is mild, there is still a chill in the air. I think we could all benefit from something warm.”

“Oh, Mama
.” Giselle blinked the moisture away from her eyes. “It is good to be home.”

“And we
are happy you are home, child.” Together, they all walked into the kitchen. “Tell us all about your life on the farm,” Sophie said.

All four
sat around the table, catching up on each other’s lives, when Marguerite said, “Papa, do you remember a man by the name of Simon Harrington?”

“Simon Harrington?
” Giselle gave her sister a warning look while her father stroked his jaw. “Yes, I remember him well. Paris. He’s a good man.” He glanced up, his brows rising. “What made you ask about him? I wouldn’t expect to see Simon around these parts. Did you meet him somewhere? Is he in town?”

Ignoring Giselle’s dirty look, Marguerite bestowed a pretty smile
. “
Non
, I have not met him, but Giselle has.”

“
Really? I wonder if he’s still in the game.” When he turned to look at Giselle, his eyebrows lifted higher. After eyeing her, he grunted. “Where did you meet him? Surely not on the farm. Although I know he’s passed through Louisville now and again. It would be nice to see him on one of his trips.”

Her
reluctance would raise more questions, so Giselle smiled and said, “We met at a ball in Louisville several months back. I danced and talked with him. He remembered you, Papa.”

“Thinking of him now brings back memories of my life
before your mother and I met.” He put his hand over his wife’s and squeezed. “But the minute I first laid eyes on your mother, I knew my days of intrigue were over. So you danced with him, huh?”

Avoiding his speculative gaze, she looked down at her cup, studying the flowers intently, and shrugged
. “
Oui
, he seemed nice enough.”

“Nice enough doesn’t describe Simon,” Marcus said, chortling
. “My God, what I would give to have been a fly on the wall and see the two of you deal together. I’ll bet sparks flew.”

Annoyed by his remark, she glanced up and caught his amused eyes
. “Papa, you warned me away from him. Do you not remember?”

“Yes
, and I recall that was right before we left Paris.”

“Well
, it seems to me nothing has changed since then. He is still unsuitable. Since that is the case, I cannot see why it amuses you so to imagine us dealing with each other now.”

Her father’s bark of laughter filled the air
. “A lot has changed since then. Back then, he was much too experienced for a green girl like you. Not that I had to worry about him. He’s got some principles. It was you I worried about. But I don’t know why. You’re much more deadly to the opposite sex, and I pity the men who get caught up in your web.”

“Papa!
What an outrageous thing to say.”

“Outrageous, maybe
. But true nonetheless. I know my own daughter, for heaven’s sake. You do tend to be a bit fickle.”

Stunned into silence, Giselle could only stare at him
. Finally, in a wounded voice, she said, “I am not fickle. I admit I like to flirt and I adore the attention my beaux give me. Why is it a man can do so and no one calls him fickle? I am just enjoying myself while waiting for the right one to come along. How is that so wrong?”

“It’s not wrong.” Sighing, he placed his hand over hers
. “It’s part of you and I love every flirtatious bone in your body. But I do feel you see it as a game. I know you don’t mean to stomp on the feelings of those men who become enamored of you. After all, they are grown men who should know better than to be led around by the nose.”

“Papa!”
Giselle laughed at the mental picture her father’s statement brought forth. “I do not lead them around by the nose. You make them sound like fools.” She turned to her mother for help. “Mama, tell him I do not do that.”

Sophie shrugged
. “Well, not so much the nose, but the ears? Maybe?” she said, with a little chuckle. “I have often wondered how you accomplish such a feat with a few words and a look.” When Giselle rolled her eyes, her mother laughed again and came out of her chair to give Giselle a hug. “It is who you are. And I, for one, would have you no other way.”

“Aye, your mother has a point there
. I guess if I were to warn anyone now, I would warn Simon Harrington.”

“Oh, hush, Marcus
. You act as if the men have no will in the matter,” Sophie said as she sat back down.

“You’re right, Sophie
. I probably don’t have to warn him.” Chuckling, he turned to Giselle. “I certainly don’t think you’d have him by the nose, like all the others.”

“You two are dreadful
. I did not come all this way to see my family and expect to be insulted.”

“I’m not insulting you
,” Marcus teased, smiling. “I’m merely pointing out that you two are a perfect pair. And in a match between the two of you, I’m not sure who’d come out the winner.”

“
You are supposed to be on my side. I am your daughter, for heaven’s sake.”

“Yes
, you are, and a beautiful one at that. So, tell me about meeting Simon. How is he? I gather he’s still doing special jobs?”