“So you told him where I was and that he must come and see me.”
“As soon as he knew, he wanted to see you.”
“And did you by any chance mention the salon … and the fact that there was a question of opening in Paris?”
“The Countess did that over dinner.”
“But was it entirely a surprise to him?”
“Well, I might have mentioned …”
“And now he has made this offer. I fancy it was not something he did on the spur of the moment.”
“Why this catechism? Is it not good that he should wish to do this thing?”
“So you suggested it to him?”
She lifted her shoulders. “He wanted to know how you did … what was happening … It was natural that he should wish to hear of his daughter. Oh, enough of this. You must take the money.”
“Grand’mere, I couldn’t! It is like begging. It is shameful. It is like asking a price from him because he deserted my mother.”
”You think of yourself, ma cherie. You must think of others. This will give him great pleasure. Why should he be denied that because of your pride?”
“Grand’mere, you surely do not want to take his money!”
“Most gladly, would I. It will give us what we need … that salon in Paris. I have always known it was necessary for us. I have always said to myself, ‘Some day’ … and now it has come and you are turning away from it.”
“I can’t take it, Grand’mere.”
“So we are all to suffer for your folly. You, I, the Countess, Cassie … and your father.”
“But surely …”
She shook her head. “Think of that man. He is beside himself with contrition. He wants a chance to right the wrong he did your mother. It has been on his conscience for years. If he could do this thing he would be so happy. He would feel that he had made some recompense. But Madame Lenore… she says No. My pride, my precious pride … must come first.”
“Grand’mere, how can you put it that way?”
“I put it the way it is. Now I go, my obstinate little mule. Good night. Pleasant dreams. Dream of all the good you could do and which you are refusing because of that foolish pride which is no good to God or woman.”
“Goodnight, Grand’mere.”
She turned at the door and threw me a kiss.
“May the good God keep you, my precious one,” she said.
When the Countess heard of my father’s offer she clapped her hands in glee and threw her arms round Grand’mere’s neck.
“Do not be too happy,” said Grand’mere. “Lenore has decided not to accept.”
“What?” cried the Countess.
“Something called pride.”
“Oh no!”
“Yes … alas,” said Grand’mere.
Grand’mere sat rocking from side to side, a smile playing about her mouth.
“That poor man,” she said, “that loving father. He is covered in shame because of all that happened years ago. Now he has found her and wants to show her how happy he is. He wants to bestow this outward sign of his joy … and his daughter says, ‘No. You must go on reproaching yourself.. I am not going to release you one little bit.’ Poor man. Pride is a cruel thing. It is one of the seven deadly sins, you know.”
“It isn’t like that, Grand’mere. I know now that you sought him out just for this. You were determined to find him because we needed this money to open the Paris branch. Confess.”
“I meet him. He wants to know what his daughter is doing. I tell him … and how could I not tell him of this? He listens … most intently … and he says to himself, ‘Ah, here is a chance for me to right the wrong I did to my poor Marie Louise.
This is her daughter … hers and mine … I will make her happy. I will give her this money for her business. I have plenty. I can do this with ease. But alas she will not take it. Her pride stops her.’ Never mind his remorse, his sadness. That must not be helped because of this pride … this strong stubborn pride… .
I could not help laughing and very soon the others joined in.
The Countess wanted one of her celebrations. “Cassie,” she called, “bring a bottle of champagne.”
“But I have not agreed. …”
“This is too great an opportunity to miss. You could not be so cruel to us all.”
“But don’t you see?”
“I see the future. I see that Paris salon. What we have always lacked can be ours.”
Cassie came in with the champagne.
“What’s happened?”
“Lenore’s father has offered to put up the money for the Paris salon.”
Cassie’s face was alight with joy. She put down the tray and turned to me.
“Lenore,” she said, “it’s wonderful.”
I thought: You, too, Cassie. And in the end I gave way.
Now there was bustle and excitement. I was gradually being convinced that I had done the right thing. My father was constantly at the salon. He listened to our plans with enthusiasm.
Julia called.
“The most wonderful thing has happened,” the Countess told her. “We are going to open in Paris.”
Julia listened wide-eyed.
“We have a benefactor,” said the Countess gaily. “Lenore’s father is putting up the money.”
“Lenore’s father!”
“Yes, he has appeared … out of the blue. He is charming and generous.”
My father came in while Julia was there and was introduced to her.
“I’ve seen you before,” she said.
“You were with us in the park,” I reminded her.
“Oh yes, I remember. The admirer. We joked about it. We said Lenore had an admirer.”
“So she has,” said my father.
“How wonderful! You must tell me all about it.”
The Countess could not stop talking. Even I was quite caught up in the project now, and when I saw the joy my acceptance had brought my father, I began to think they were all right.
“You are wise,” said Julia. “Most of the houses have Paris branches. You will go zooming ahead now.”
She talked of Christmas. “It was a pleasant time, wasn’t it … until that girl had hysterics in the gallery. Everyone seemed to take that to heart. I suppose they think a lot about that sort of thing in the country. I expect Drake is working hard down there. He said he had to do a bit of ‘nursing.’ This is the time to do it. He has to be ready for this election … letting them all know how much he cares about them.”
She kissed me effusively and went off.
That very day it was arranged that I should go with the Countess and my father to Paris. We were going to stay there until we had found the premises and set things in motion.
I was now as eager as any of them; my father was so happy. He would be of great help, said the Countess; not only was he a business man, but he was also French, and we should have to remember that we were in France.
“We are not likely to forget it,” I told her.
She clapped her hands and murmured: “Paris”—as though Paris was heaven.
So I left Katie in the charge of Grand’mere and Cassie and with my father and the Countess I set out. From the moment we left the Gare du Nord, I was caught up in the excitement of that most enchanting of cities and I was convinced—as was the Countess—that our venture was going to be a success. It was comforting to be in the care of my father, for the city was a little bewildering. He had taken on all the arrangements; he knew exactly what we should do first. He was in high spirits and I realized how happy I had made him—as well as the others—by accepting this offer.
He hustled us into a cab and gave the cocher instructions to take us to our hotel in the Rue de la Fayette. I shall never forget that ride through the streets of Paris where everyone seemed so full of vitality. We passed markets where I glimpsed barrows on the pavements; the cafes and restaurants where, in the summer, my lather told me, I should see people eating and drinking at the tables in the open air as they liked to live out of doors. The traffic seemed to move in all directions and the drivers shouted to each other above the hubbub of the streets.