Page 74 of From Notting Hill with Love…Actually
David hadn’t said too much after the events of the night before. He’d been polite and courteous, as he always was, but he’d been distant too.
I couldn’t say I blamed him. After what he’d told me last night, I realized he was right—I hadn’t given any thought to how all this must seem to him. If the shoe had been on theother foot, and it was David racing about with another woman in tow, would I have been as gracious to David as he had been to me, and let him continue? I think, not.
I vowed once this was all over I would somehow make it up to him.
Not that I wanted it all to be over: that was something else I hadn’t given much thought to—returning home again. Once my time was up, that was it—I would return to Stratford, to Maddie, my father, and to David, and I would probably never see Ursula, Oscar, or, more importantly, Sean ever again.
I sighed heavily.
“Hey, buck up,” Sean said. “She has to be at one of them—it’s just a matter of time.”
“It’s not that. I was just thinking about something David said last night.”
It was Sean’s turn to sigh now. I knew he hadn’t been very impressed by David’s actions.
“What has he said this time?”
“He asked me what would happen if we do find my mother and she doesn’t want anything to do with me. After all, if she didn’t want me when I was a baby, why should she want me now?”
Sean stopped walking, placed his hands firmly on my shoulders, and turned me around to face him.
“Stop this,” he ordered, looking directly into my eyes. “You were so enthusiastic about all this before last night—there were no doubts in your mind at all about what you were doing. All you wanted was to find your mother. You weren’t worrying about who she was, or what she’d think of you—just that you’d finally get to meet her.”
“I know but…”
“But nothing, Scarlett—it’s David who has put all these doubts in your mind. I don’t know what he said to you after I left last night, but it hasn’t done you any good.”
“David was very understanding about everything, actually.”
Sean let go of my shoulders and spun away from me, rolling his eyes. “Understanding—yeah right, that’s what it was. Controlling, more like.”
“Sean, please,” I said, putting my hand on his arm. “Let’s not argue about David. My mind is in enough turmoil thinking my mother could be just around the corner every time we get off the Metro. I can’t deal with this right now.”
“I’m sorry,” Sean said, giving me an apologetic smile. “I won’t mention his name again.” He put his arm through mine and saluted with his other hand. “Right then, Red, it’s full speed ahead. The next handbag shop awaits us!”
We walked a bit further along the Champs-Elysées and there, as promised, was another Louis Vuitton shop, selling its distinctive luxury leather luggage and bags. Sean pushed open the door and we went inside.
“Bonjour,” he said to the exquisitely made-up assistant behind the desk.“Parlez-vous anglais?”
“Oui, monsieur, I most certainly do,” she replied in extremely good English. “How can I help?”
It was always a relief when the assistant spoke English. It was hard enough explaining to someone in our own language who we were looking for and why. But in the little bit of French Sean and I could cobble together between us, it was virtually impossible. I watched her while Sean spoke; with her shortcropped hair and elfin features, she had an aura ofAmélieabout her, which I felt only boded well.
“Ah good,” Sean said. “We are looking for a lady called Rosemary. Do you have anyone who works here called that?”
“Or it could be Rosie?” I added helpfully.
“Non, we have no one here of that name, I am sorry.”
“Have you worked here long…Chantal?” Sean asked, looking at the assistant’s name badge. “I mean, is there a member of staff that’s been here a longer time than you?”
Chantal looked puzzled.
“Someone older?” I tried.
“Ah yes, older, now I understand. There is Marie, she has been ’ere for er…long time.”
“Could we speak to her?” I asked.
