by Harper Lin
“You made your daughter proud,” Clémence shook her head.
“You know what, Clémence? You’re the pathetic one. You were always pathetic, following me around like a lost puppy. Where’s your great artistic achievement, huh? You’re just jealous, like you always were.”
Clémence took a deep breath. “You know, I used to have respect for you. But what’s the point of being talented when you’re unscrupulous and have no morals? Art is about revealing the soul. Is that why your new paintings are so dark and disturbing? But it doesn’t matter, does it? Your career is over. Murder and art fraud—you’re finished.”
“Shut up,” Gilles said coldly. “You’ve spoken for long enough. Now if you know all this, why would you come to the house of a murderer?”
Clémence gave him a strange look. “Who said I came alone?”
On cue, the police burst in through the front door.
“Freeze! You’re under arrest.”
Inspector Cyril St. Clair entered, after several armed policeman. He watched with delight as the men were handcuffed.
“Bravo, boys,” Clémence said. “Your confession has been recorded. That’ll make the trial a lot faster.”
Clémence pulled down the collar of her black dress to reveal a hidden mic taped to her chest.
Arthur also entered, smiling smugly. He stared Mathieu down, who looked away in disgust. Arthur hugged Clémence. “You were amazing.”
Clémence turned back Mathieu and Gilles. “You didn’t think I’d be stupid enough to come without backup, did you? When your Mercier turned out to be a fake, I went to the police with my suspicions that you were making copies in this house. They also ran a test on the Mercier that had been sold at the auction. Surprise, surprise, that turned out to be a fake, too. The police backed my theory, and I came here and got your confessions. I’m sure that there is more evidence in Gilles’s room that the police would love to get their hands on. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more fakes in there.”
“We also found a footprint at the murder scene,” Cyril added, not to be outdone. “I’m sure we’ll find a matching shoe, Gilles. You’re going away for a long time, boys.”
Clémence looked deep into Mathieu’s eyes. “What do you want to tell your daughter?”
His pale eyes were blank. “Nothing. Tell her nothing.”
Chapter 19
The night before Clémence’s birthday, she wore a slinky black dress and stepped out on the balcony of her apartment. The moon was an oversized orange, perched above the rooftop of a neighboring building. The Eiffel Tower stood high and mighty across the Seine. In less than ten minutes, it would shimmer, as it did every hour on the hour after sundown.
A red tablecloth covered the balcony table. A single candle was placed on top. Arthur had set it with the meal that he’d cooked—pasta, as that was the only thing he could cook, but she was pleased nonetheless. He’d made an effort to learn to make something more complicated from his family chef: smoked salmon, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes were thrown into the mix with a light creamy sauce.
When she came out, he was pouring champagne into their flutes.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he said as she took her seat.
“Just tonight?” she teased.
“Every night. You look beautiful twenty-four, seven.”
“That’s better.” She placed the napkin on her lap.
When she tried his pasta, she smiled in delight. “This is actually pretty good.”
“You sound surprised,” Arthur said.
“Does this mean you’re going to cook for me all the time?”
He laughed. “Let’s just start with special occasions for now. Becoming your slave is a gradual process.”
“Maybe I’ll hire you to cook at Damour,” she said.
“Happy birthday.” He gazed deep into her eyes. “Je t’aime.”
Clémence’s birthday party was tomorrow, and she was closing down Damour for the evening to have it. She realized that birthdays weren’t just about getting older, but to celebrate her life and the people she loved and got to share it with. She had to make the most of the good in her life, and there was plenty of good.
At almost twenty-nine, she’d surrounded herself with people she could trust. Through trial and error, she’d shed her naïveté and learned to be more discerning. She’d especially grown in the past few months when she’d faced more of the darkness of humanity than she’d ever experienced before in her life.
As she expressed all this to Arthur, he took her hand and kissed it.
“But I hope you maintain some of your innocence and curiosity,” he said. “Even if it gets you in trouble sometimes.”
“Only if you don’t scold me when I do.”
“I have to admit, I did think there was a chance that I’d lose you to Mathieu,” he admitted.
“Really? Honesty is important to me. Mathieu broke my trust, and there was no way I would’ve forgiven him. I was only interested and making amends and being friends, that was all. Now, unfortunately, it’s beyond repair.”
Sarah had been devastated when Madeleine and Clémence paid her a visit to break the news. She planned on moving back to Ireland, since Mathieu was not the kind of father figure she wanted for her daughter.
“I thought there was some unfinished business there,” Arthur said. “He was your first big love. I’d never really been in love before you, so I didn’t know what to think.”
Clémence took in his adorable face. Arthur could really surprise her sometimes with just how sweet and romantic he was. “Well, stop worrying, because I’d never been as in love with anyone as I have with you, either. Hopefully things will simmer down, and we can enjoy the rest of the summer in peace.”
Arthur chuckled. “I doubt that. Now that your ex has been arrested, the paparazzi are not going to loosen up anytime soon.”
Clémence sighed. “I wish I could take a vacation.”
“You know, that’s not a bad idea. I’m submitting my Ph.D tomorrow. Just before your party.”
“Really?” Clémence exclaimed. “You’re done? You never told me that!”
He nodded proudly. “That’s why I’ve been so busy recently. J&D offered me a full-time contract, but I don’t need to start immediately. Why don’t we go away?”
“Where do you want to go?” Clémence asked.
“I have that place in Honfleur,” Arthur said, referring to the house that his family owned. “It’s empty, so we’ll have the place to ourselves. All the Parisians are in the south of France in the summer, so the beaches there won’t be too crowded.”
“So lets’ go. Just the two of us.”
Clémence finished the rest of her pasta, thinking it was the best thing she’d ever tasted because it was made with love by the man she loved.
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Recipe #1: Classic French Croissant
Okay, so making croissants is a bit of a process, but it’s totally worth it. It might seem confusing at first, but follow the steps and you’ll end up with croissants that resemble something you’d find in your local bakery. And if it doesn’t, I’m sure it�
��ll taste good anyway!
Makes 16
For dough:
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. cold whole milk
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cups + 2 tbsp. cold water
3 tbsp. soft unsalted butter
1 tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. Instant yeast
2 1/4 tsp. table salt
For butter layer:
1 1/4 cups cold unsalted butter
For egg wash
1 large egg
Make the dough: Combine dough ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl once if needed. Mix for 3 minutes on medium speed. Transfer dough to a lightly floured 10-inch pie pan or a dinner plate. Flour top of dough lightly. Wrap well in plastic to prevent it from drying and refrigerate overnight.
Make the butter layer: On day 2, cut cold butter lengthwise into half-inch slabs. Place slabs to form a 5 or 6 inches square between two pieces of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to pound out butter until it’s about 7.5 inches square. Put in the fridge as you roll out the dough.
Laminate dough: On a lightly floured work surface, unwrap dough. Roll into a 10 to 12 inch square. Take the butter out from the fridge. It should be cold but pliable.
Place butter on top of dough. The points of the butter square should be centered along the sides of the dough so the flaps of the dough can be folded over the butter. Fold all four flaps of the dough to the center of the butter so it resembles a square envelope. Press edges together to completely seal the butter in the dough. This way, the butter won’t escape.
Lightly flour top and bottom of dough. Use rolling pin to firmly press on the dough to elongate it slightly. Roll, focusing on lengthening rather than widening. Keep edges straight. Roll until it’s about 8 x 24 inches. Keep square shape; reshape corners with hands if needed. Brush flour off dough.
Fold dough into thirds, like a letter. Put dough on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.
Take out and repeat the rolling process. Roll dough until it’s back to 8 x 24 inches. Fold in thirds again. Brush off excess flour. Cover and freeze for another 20 minutes.
Take out and repeat rolling and folding process. Put dough on baking sheet and cover with plastic. Tuck plastic under all four sides and refrigerate overnight.
Divide dough: On day 3, unwrap and lightly flour top and bottom of dough. Lengthen dough with rolling pin. Roll dough into a narrow strip, 8 x 44 inches. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with flour. (If it resists rolling and shrinks back before you get there, fold dough back into thirds, cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.)
Lift the dough an inch or so off the table at its midpoint and allow it to shrink from both sides. This helps prevent the dough from shrinking when it’s cut. Make sure there’s extra dough on either side to allow you to trim ends so they’re straight. Trim.
Lay a yardstick or a tape measure lengthwise along top of dough. Use a knife to mark dough at 5-inch intervals (7 marks in total) on one side. On the other side, make the first mark, 2.5 inches in from one end, then make 5-inch intervals starting from that point. You’ll have 8 marks that hallway between the marks of the opposite side.
With a pizza wheel or a knife and a yardstick to guide you, cut the dough diagonally from top mark to bottom mark, changing the angles to make triangles. You’ll end up with 15 triangles and a small scrap of dough at each end.
Shape croissants: Lay triangle on a work space with the fatter end closest to you. Roll dough away from you. Roll dough all the way down its length until the pointed end of the triangle is directly underneath the croissant. Bend the two legs toward you to form the crescent shape. Gently press tips of legs together to help keep this shape (they won’t stay touching).
Shape remaining croissants the same way.
Proof croissants: Whisk egg with 1 tsp water in a small bowl until smooth to make the egg wash. Lightly brush it on each croissant.
Refrigerate remaining egg wash, as you’ll need it again. Wherever you proof your croissants, make sure temperature is not too warm that the butter melts out of dough. Preferably a draft-free spot at 75 to 80°F.
Bake Croissants: Brush croissants with egg wash for a second time before putting it into a 425°F oven. After 10 minutes, rotate sheets. If baking two sheets at the time, swap their positions in the oven. Continue baking until bottoms are an even brown and the tops are richly browned, with the edges showing signs of coloring, about 8 to 10 more minutes. If it darkens too quickly, lower oven temperature by 10°F.
Let cool on racks. They’re best served warm. If not, they can be reheated and eaten within 1-2 days.
Tip: Add flavor to your croissants by using the ingredient of your choice. Nutella, jam, chocolate, ham and cheese can all be rolled up within the croissant dough.
Recipe # 2 Pain au Chocolat
Made from the same layered dough as croissants, the pain au chocolat (chocolate bread) is golden and crispy on the outside and melted chocolate swirled around the inside. They’re also known as “chocolatine” or chocolate croissant.
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 tsp instant dried yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water for 5 minutes. Add flour, sugar, milk, melted butter, and salt and mix the dough on medium speed for 2 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour at a time until dough is firm enough to hold a shape.
Shape dough into a ball and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Roll dough into a 10-inch by 15-inch rectangle. Cover loosely and let rise for 40 minutes.
Brush dough with softened butter. Fold dough into thirds, like a letter. Roll dough back into a 10 x 15 rectangle shape. Fold dough into thirds again and cover with plastic wrap. Put in fridge for 1 hour. Repeat this process one more time.
Cut dough into 12 rectangles with a sharp knife. Arrange a line of chopped chocolate along one end of rectangle. Roll it once. Press down lightly. Roll it again. Add another line of chocolate. Roll and press down again. Keep rolling and keep ends under the pastry.
Arrange finished pain au chocolat on a lightly greased baking sheet. Leave at least 1.5 inches between each pastry. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour until doubled in size.
Preheat over to 400F. Whisk egg and 2 tablespoons of milk together to make an egg wash. Brush egg wash across the surface of each pastry. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until puffy and golden brown.
Recipe #3: Croissant aux Amandes
Here is an easy and delicious recipe for almond croissants using leftover buttered croissants. Makes 8.
8 croissants, day old and left at room temperature overnight
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup almond meal/almond flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature and sliced
2 large eggs
3 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp rum or 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
Powdered sugar for dusting
For the syrup: Combine 1 cup water, 2 tbsp sugar and 4 tbsp rum in a small saucepan. Bring to simmer for 1 minute and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.