Page 46 of Only You
Her eyes grew wide. The words had been an inkling in the back of her mind; an idea easily dismissed. Yet, when Damien disappeared, it became a fantasy. Now… now, she had to choose. If she said no, this would have to be the last time she saw him. Roulet knew there was something between them. Maintaining the affair after she was married would be difficult, especially since she would be leaving the city soon after. They would have to give up everything…
‘How do we do that?’
He flipped them over, so she was laying atop him, her hair falling around their faces. Damien’s fingers trailed up her exposed back, his hooded gaze making her throat run dry.
‘I may not be in the navy, but I have friends there. I can call in a favour or two. I have money saved. It’s not a lot but—’
‘My trousseau,’ Sabine said. ‘Between that and Lamont’s ring, we’ll have more than enough money to disappear.’
‘Now, we just have to pick a place and a route,’ Damien said.
‘My father comes in October,’ she told him, remembering the letter he sent before departing from Côte d’Ivoire. ‘We have to leave before he arrives, or we won’t have a chance.’
‘I’ll find a way out before then,’ he vowed.
‘I never have anything to do on Wednesday or Saturday. I’ll convince Madame Roulet that I need another walk,’ she smirked.
‘Okay.’ He looked over at the clearly expensive dress that lay abandoned on the floor. ‘And maybe come in something more… subtle.’ She giggled before nodding eagerly. Her laughter faded as she realised the implication of what was happening.
‘We’re really doing this,’ she whispered.
Damien’s eyes grew serious, and he leaned up to kiss her. It was a gentle touch, sealing the promise. They weren’t going back; they couldn’t. And Sabine couldn’t think of all the promises she made to her father. She was here now, and she needed to be happy.
‘Yes,’ he said between kisses. ‘We’re doing this.’
Chapter Seventeen
Paris
September 1896
Madame Roulet was right when she said that having something to fight for changed everything.
Now that Sabine knew she was going to run away, she was able to endure the last of the wedding preparations, spending time with Lamont, and could even ignore Genevieve much more effectively. Every night she would sort through her trousseau and pick out the most valuable pieces, wrapping jewellery and expensive but light linens in the kita cloth she brought, knowing she could strap it across her chest and hide it under her coat. The days seemed to slow down the closer she got to Wednesdays, the nights over too soon after being in Damien’s arms. While she struggled to hide her excitement, her sudden ‘glow’ being explained away with her upcoming nuptials.
It was finally happening. She was going to have a chance to breathe, to be in love.
To live.
‘I can’t believe you had Francois by his last franc,’ Damien said as they walked towards the city centre. ‘How did you manage to learn cards?’
‘Madame Roulet has many ways to entertain herself,’ she said, fanning herself with her hat. ‘Plus, after a few rounds of watching, anyone can pick up on how to play.’
‘Your domination was incredible to watch, my love. I think you broke him,’ Damien complimented as he kissed the back of her hand.
Sabine laughed, throwing her head back. ‘My God, I gave his money back! He shouldn’t gamble if he isn’t prepared to lose,’ she reasoned.
‘But lady luck was shining down on you and cards are the ultimate temptress. Who was he to resist?’ He grabbed her by the waist suddenly and Sabine let herself be pulled in, smiling against his lips as he kissed her. Damien pulled away a bit, eyes lustful. ‘I, for one, cannot imagine.’
‘Not even a little?’ she teased, stealing a quick kiss.
Damien looked her up and down, forlorn. He dipped down to kiss her neck and up to her ear. ‘Not again,’ he whispered.
She wrapped her arms around him and sighed happily, glad she didn’t have to worry about drawing eyes.
They had met by the river again and Damien greeted her with a wide grin. After weeks of planning, he had figured out their escape. They would go to Tunisia, where they could blend in with the newly educated French citizens starting a new life. He had a friend on the ship that would sneak them on board and papers that would be good enough to establish new identities when they arrived. The ship would leave the day after next, and Sabine hadn’t hesitated to say yes.
To celebrate, he took her to a pool hall on a side of town where rumours wouldn’t get back to Roulet. They drank and gambled the night away. She wasn’t nervous; she only brought a few coins, with all her other valuables tucked away under her bed.
