Heaven Scent

by Sasha Wagstaff

  ‘Well, it wouldn’t really, would it?’ Xavier pointed out reasonably. He put an arm round Max’s shoulder and gave him a brotherly hug. ‘You know you can always talk to me, don’t you?’

  Max nodded, turning away. ‘Yeah.’ His voice sounded gruff.

  ‘Sometimes you just need a father, I know, and we haven’t really had one of those for the past couple of years.’

  Max scowled. ‘He’s just useless.’

  About to defend his father, Xavier realised he had thought very much the same thing about him over the past two years. Practically all of their conversations revolved around him returning to work, not about anything meaningful and certainly never about their mother.

  Max jerked his feet in the water angrily. ‘He doesn’t even know about Seraphina and this boyfriend of hers.’

  ‘What boyfriend?’

  ‘He’s older than her and that’s about all I know about him.’ Max shrugged helplessly, wishing he could do something about it. ‘I have a bad feeling about it, Xav. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know but she’s changed since she’s been with him.’

  Xavier’s brown eyes were full of concern. ‘Should I speak to her?’

  ‘No, she’d only be furious with me for talking about it. I just hope she doesn’t do anything stupid, that’s all.’

  Xavier sighed. ‘All right. Now, do we need to talk about this drugs thing?’

  Max shook his head. ‘I’ve learnt my lesson, Xav. I didn’t even really enjoy it that much,’ he confessed. ‘Vero and the boys . . . it was more about hanging out with them. They’re older than me. They’re cool, with their motorbikes and all that stuff.’

  ‘Have you heard from them since you’ve been expelled?’

  Max frowned. ‘No, but I’m sure they’ll be in touch soon.’

  Xavier wasn’t convinced. Kids like Vero and those boys who followed her around only hung around with rich, screwed-up kids like Max because they thought it added something to their group. Max, with all his hang-ups and his rebellious attitude, had probably attracted a great deal of attention due to his daring antics and complete disregard for rules but now that his wildness had tipped over the edge into expulsion, Xavier suspected Vero and the rest of them wouldn’t have much time for his younger brother.

  Max changed the subject. ‘Seraphina told me you and Cat had a good time in Grasse.’

  Xavier shot a glance at him but said nothing. He’d hardly describe it as a ‘good time’ and he was certain Cat wouldn’t have said that either.

  ‘What has Dad said about you being back in the lab?’ A bitter expression flitted across Max’s face but it was fleeting. He couldn’t resent Xavier for doing what he loved most in the world. It was his father he was furious with.

  ‘He doesn’t know. At least, if he does, he hasn’t said a word to me about it.’

  Max raised his eyebrows. ‘So what’s this new fragrance then?’

  Xavier played with his cigarette packet. ‘I suppose, loosely speaking, it’s a floral with a blast of sweet rose and orchid as a top note with some creamy amber and white lilies, and the base notes are a honeyed cedarwood, musk and a really dry, lemony frankincense.’ He stared past Max, his mind darting. ‘It’s the heart notes I’m struggling with. I want a fruit accord but something isn’t quite right. I think mandarin but it needs something else too, as does the base note.’ He needed to talk to someone about it but the only person who seemed able to listen to him properly and spark off his creativity, unbelievably, was Cat.

  Max was impressed. He didn’t understand everything Xavier was talking about but he knew enough to see that his brother was on to something big.

  ‘If I get it right, it’s going to be the best thing I’ve ever done,’ Xavier admitted, the thought filling him with momentary anxiety. ‘Is Cat still here?’ he asked, as casually as possible.

  ‘For now.’

  Xavier felt a moment of irrational panic but he squashed it down. ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘Rumour has it Pascal’s completed all that paperwork,’ Max shrugged. ‘Once she’s signed it, she’ll have no reason to stay. Although, I did overhear the housekeeper gossiping and she reckons someone stole the first set of papers.’ He looked gloomy. ‘I thought I might get the blame. Everyone around here seems to think I’m capable of most things. No one’s said anything to me about it, though – not yet, anyway.’

  Xavier’s brow wrinkled in confusion. ‘How strange,’ he said. ‘Still, Cat’s old passport will have been cancelled if she’s applied for a new one, I should think, so it doesn’t really matter about the legal papers.’

  ‘Oh well.’ Max didn’t really care what Cat did or why she was here. He liked her, she was extremely pretty and she had always been nice to him, but he had far too much going on in his head to worry about his cousin’s widow. Grabbing his baseball boots, he shot Xavier a curious look. His brother was staring into space. Max shrugged. Most likely Xavier was pondering the elusive missing ingredient in the fragrance he was working on because he always got like this when he was developing something new. Leaving Xavier chain-smoking and thoughtfully swishing his feet in the water, Max headed to the stables to saddle up Le Fantome.

  There was nothing for it, thought Xavier, he was going to have to speak to Cat. He couldn’t get her out of his head and the only thing he could do was talk to her again to check how he felt. For all he knew, he was imagining things and he had to know for sure.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nursing a sore throat and taking a break from her home fragrance campaign, Leoni was sitting in the main salon drinking a cup of honey-infused tea with a slice of lemon in it.

  She leant over the edge of a sofa and stared out of the window in bemusement watching the preparations for the Rose-Nymphea party getting underway, suppressing a laugh as she noticed her grandmother bossily clutching a clipboard and presiding over events as though she was the conductor in charge of a wayward orchestra. Case after case of wine was being delivered, as well as some crates of vintage champagne which Leoni happened to know came with a heart-stopping price tag.

  It was like watching a gigantic wedding being organised, Leoni thought with a frown, wondering if Delphine would go to half as much trouble if her granddaughter was about to get married. Although, on reflection, she probably would, Leoni decided. If only to celebrate the fact that her granddaughter had finally managed to find a man to settle down with, just as all Ducasse women should. Leoni wished her grandmother wasn’t so bigoted.

  Still, perhaps Jerard was the man who could change all that. Nice looking, hard working, caring – what more could she ask for? All right, so she hadn’t experienced any particular knee-trembling when they’d kissed and Jerard hadn’t exactly thrown her into bed and torn her clothes off, but so what? Lust was overrated. Leoni had allowed herself to be caught up in such silliness when she was younger – look at the way she had lusted after Ashton! And it had been such a waste of time too.

  Leoni swallowed. No, at her age, she should be thinking about a stable, lasting relationship with plenty of shared interests; passion and desire were for childish crushes, not a mature, serious relationship. Feeling her mood plummet slightly at this sensible but rather uninspiring thought, Leoni ignored her feelings and checked her phone to see if Jerard had sent her any texts. He had. Short but sweet as always and mostly about the meeting he was attending or what time he would be back but it still made her smile that Jerard took the time to let her know his whereabouts.

  She realised she hadn’t heard from Ashton for a while and sent him a quick text to check he’d been invited to the party. He sent her one back telling her he’d received his invite and that he’d probably be there. Unreasonably, Leoni felt disappointed that he didn’t seem to want to indulge in any general chat the way he usually did – she and Ashton always chatted about nonsense, he was the one man she could say anything to, however absurd it might sound.

  Perhaps Ashton was busy too, Leoni thought, wondering why she seemed
to be surrounded by men who thought more about business than relationships. Well, friendships, in Ashton’s case, but still. Wondering if he might bring a date to the party, Leoni couldn’t resist sending him a quick text about it. When he didn’t immediately come back, she sighed and headed outside for some air.

  Discovering a group of men stringing up fairy lights and fixing unlit torches into the lawns nearby, she wondered why it was taking so many of them to sort out what seemed to be a relatively simple job. Then Leoni realised Cat was taking a swim in the pool. No wonder the men were so distracted, she thought tartly. Cat was all butterscotch hair and golden-hued skin and as she swam to the edge of the pool and smiled, Leoni realised with annoyance that the dark, sooty lashes framing the outrageously pretty aquamarine eyes were clearly natural.

  Shivering, Cat gestured to the water. ‘Fancy a dip? The air is chilly, but the pool is so well-heated, it’s not that bad once you get in.’

  ‘I have far too much work to do,’ Leoni snapped in English, shoving her hands into the pockets of her sleek, black dress and omitting to mention that she had been doing nothing more useful than drinking tea for the last hour or so. Randomly wondering why she found it endearing that Ashton spoke French like a bumbling fool, Leoni reverted to her mother tongue grudgingly, knowing Cat preferred it. ‘Some of us have jobs, you know.’

  Cat flushed. ‘Indeed.’ She leant on the edge of the pool, her expression glum. ‘I thought I had a new job sorted back home but it’s all on the back burner again. Christ, I hate not working. It’s not natural, is it?’

  Leoni contemplated her. She’d forgotten Cat had a life back in England and she supposed that being stuck out here in France wasn’t exactly conducive to getting another job sorted out.

  ‘Why did you get fired from your old job?’ she asked out of interest.

  ‘Er . . . for taking an extended honeymoon,’ Cat replied abruptly, not wanting to set off Leoni’s temper by talking about Olivier. Seeing Leoni staring back at her expectantly, she continued grudgingly. ‘I hadn’t had a holiday for years but for some reason, my boss took exception to me getting married and staying in France for a few more weeks.’ She lifted herself out of the water, revealing a toned body in a sky-blue bikini she had borrowed from Seraphina. It was slightly too small but it highlighted her curves perfectly.

  Leoni suddenly envied Cat – not for being a widow at such a young age, naturally – but really, when was the last time she, Leoni, had gone for a swim or done something relaxing? Her work schedule was so tight, it simply didn’t allow for down time in the form of a calming swim or even a rejuvenating massage. Although, if Leoni was honest with herself, it was a self-imposed pressure but she didn’t know how else to live. Her life had always been about work; after a series of terrible dates in her youth and the realisation that nothing would ever happen between herself and Ashton, Leoni had devoted herself wholeheartedly to the family business. Until now, Leoni reminded herself. Now, she had Jerard.

  What must it be like to look like Cat, she wondered. Even wrapped in an emerald-green towel with messed-up, wet hair, Cat looked sensational and Leoni couldn’t help envying her, despite her losses.

  ‘Did you hear about the legal papers going missing?’ she asked.

  Cat nodded, looking exasperated. ‘Can you believe it? My passport mysteriously turns up and then those papers disappear into thin air.’

  Leoni perched on the edge of a sun lounger, giving a nearby workman a pointed glance when she noticed he was fiddling with an already secured string of lights. He moved away, throwing a final look of longing in Cat’s direction.

  ‘What do you mean, “mysteriously”?’ Leoni asked, referring to Cat’s passport.

  About to offer her thoughts about it, Cat closed her mouth. She hadn’t a clue which members of the family she could trust around here. And even though she knew Leoni was frequently irked by Delphine’s interfering ways, Leoni’s loyalties would reside with her family when it came down to it.

  ‘Oh, nothing,’ she answered finally, her eyes downcast. ‘I’m getting carried away with conspiracy theories at the moment. Ignore me.’ Cat buried her head in the towel, rubbing her hair briskly. ‘It doesn’t matter, anyway; I still need to wait for my new passport.’

  Leoni held her face up to the emerging sun, allowing herself to relax for a moment. She realised she must look incongruous reclining on a sun lounger in a tight dress and high heels but right now she suddenly couldn’t care less. Why did she push herself so hard? she wondered. Why did she put herself under so much pressure there was no time for fun?

  Leoni suddenly felt unsure of herself and she found herself questioning why she didn’t have more free time to enjoy herself. Her girlfriends were in Rome on a hen break, no doubt eating deliciously fattening gelati and chatting up handsome Italian men. She had declined to join them, citing heavy work commitments. Yet in reality she could have done with a break and she would still have had plenty of time to get back for the Rose-Nymphea party at the weekend. Leoni sighed. She really did seem to have her life-work balance all wrong.

  ‘How’s your pitch going for the home fragrance line?’ Cat asked, emerging from under the towel. ‘I meant what I said about helping if you’d like me to.’ She sat down on the lounger nearest Leoni. ‘Actually, I’m dying to do something – anything, really. It’s beautiful here and I hate to admit that I’m bored, but I’m used to working, you know?’

  Leoni nodded, hesitating. Why wasn’t she taking Cat up on her offer of help? She had far too much on her plate to manage it all single-handedly and Cat, out of everyone in the vicinity, was the best placed person to assist her with the pitch. She had probably delivered this kind of thing hundreds of times before and judging by the way she had handled herself in the family meeting, Cat would know just the right thing to say to win Guy over.

  About to take her up on the offer, Leoni noticed Seraphina approaching them wearing a robe over a bright pink bikini with a straw hat, her platinum-blond hair tied in a side ponytail. She looked as though she belonged on the pages of the glossy fashion magazines she was so attached to. Feeling frumpy and invisible in her smart dress and heels, an aggravated Leoni got to her feet. Why were Cat and Seraphina swanning around in bikinis, anyway? It was only just spring! Leoni had never felt more undesirable or drab in her life and her mood turned frosty.

  ‘Thanks, but I don’t need your help,’ she said to Cat tersely, changing her mind in a heartbeat. ‘I just can’t concentrate because of this stupid party. Not with all the crashing and banging going on around me.’ She shot the lighting men a hostile glance but they were too busy checking out the doubly rewarding sight of Cat and Seraphina to notice. Leoni came to an important decision. After the party, she and Jerard were going to sleep together. It was about time they cemented their relationship and, for once, she was going to urge Jerard to put pleasure before business. As a bare minimum, Leoni decided, she wanted some sort of confirmation of his commitment to her. All of a sudden, it seemed important to know Jerard had real feelings for her. Not just romantic ones but sexual ones, too.

  Seraphina sighed at Leoni’s curtness and turned to Cat. ‘Do you have something to wear for the party?’

  Cat sat up. ‘God, no, I haven’t. My friend Bella said she was going to send me some of my party dresses from storage but nothing’s turned up yet.’ Her eyes clouded over. ‘I totally forgot about it, to be honest.’

  Leoni narrowed her eyes. ‘So you’re staying for the party, are you?’

  Cat looked pained. ‘I have no choice. Well, I could sit in my room during the party, I suppose,’ she added, sure Leoni would think that the best idea. ‘And without anything suitable to wear, I might do just that.’

  ‘I can lend you something,’ Seraphina offered. ‘I have tons of gorgeous clothes.’

  ‘Not that you wear them much these days,’ Leoni interjected sarcastically, feeling left out of the girly chatter. Missing Jerard and narked that Ashton hadn’t come back to her about hi
s date for the party, she lashed out. ‘Did you really think that riding bareback around your college was the best way to get your father’s attention?’

  Seraphina went pink. ‘I wasn’t trying to get his attention,’ she fired back, hurt. ‘I was trying to make a stand about Max being expelled, that’s all.’

  ‘What, by getting yourself expelled at the same time? Very clever, Seraphina, very commendable.’

  Cat frowned. ‘That’s a bit unfair,’ she said heatedly, then held her hands up apologetically. ‘Sorry; obviously this is none of my business but I think we all know that Seraphina’s naked horse-riding was a protest. Besides, Guy does need to pay the twins some attention . . .’

  Leoni’s lip curled. ‘Oh, I see, now you know more about my family than I do. Don’t start getting ideas above your station. You’re Olivier’s widow and nothing more, do you understand?’ Spinning round, she hurried off, her high heels savagely stabbing holes in the perfectly clipped lawn.

  ‘I’m not likely to forget that fact, am I?’ Cat muttered dejectedly as Leoni disappeared from sight.

  ‘Oh, ignore her!’ Seraphina flapped a hand. ‘She’s just ridiculously uptight. Nothing a good bout of sex wouldn’t cure.’

  ‘Seraphina!’

  ‘Well, it’s true.’ Seraphina smiled. ‘Leoni’s got this new boyfriend, Jerard, but they haven’t done the deed yet.’

  Cat was shocked at Seraphina’s directness. ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘Because she’s like a cat on a hot tin roof and there’s no way she’d be like that if she was getting some.’ Seraphina flipped over on to her front, her expression rueful. ‘Trust me, I know. And no, I don’t mean me.’

  Cat glanced at her worriedly. She was becoming increasingly concerned about Seraphina’s older boyfriend but she had no idea what to do about it. She had thought she might be able to approach Leoni and get her take on it but judging by Leoni’s aggressive reaction just now, she was the last person Cat should think of confiding in.