Page 28 of Forgiving Paris
She was a fraud.
10
Mia Barrons balanced an ice cream cone in one hand and three shopping bags in the other. Today was her birthday, and she had spent it the way she dreamed. With her oldest daughter, shopping and laughing and eating their way through Paris’s famous third and fourth arrondissements.
She had three girls now, and all of them lived in Normandy with Mia and her husband, on a working dairy farm.
A far cry from the life Mia had lived when she was trying to be an artist here some twenty-three years ago. She put the thought out of her mind.
“Look at this, Mama.” Estelle was twenty-two and the thrills of Paris beckoned her much as they had Mia all those years ago. Her blond daughter pointed to a window display. “Those heels! If only I had a reason to wear them!”
“Your graduation, maybe?” Mia took a closer look. “You’ll be a doctor one day, Estelle. Passing your baccalaureate may be just the first step, but it’s worth celebrating.”
“True.” Estelle’s green eyes sparkled as she looked back at the pair of shoes. “They’re expensive.”
“Let me get them.” Mia linked arms with her firstborn. “Come on.”
They walked inside the boutique even as Estelle shook her head. “Mama, it’s your birthday. I can’t.”
“My precious Estelle.” Mia stopped and smiled at her daughter. “Seeing you happy, that is my favorite gift.”
The shoes were a perfect fit, and no surprise. Estelle could have been a model with her height and striking looks. Instead, she wanted to help people. One day soon, she would be the very best doctor.
When the shoes were packaged and they had set out again along Rue Quincampoix, Mia turned her face to the sun. The weather was balmy and breezy. Perfect for their trip to the city.
“Let’s stop here.” Estelle walked ahead to what looked like an art gallery. Light of the Seine, it said on a colorful sign above the door.
Mia smiled. She and her husband, Harry, had been searching for a piece to go in the dining room. He and the other girls were meeting them in Paris tomorrow, then the family would stay for a week. Harry had meetings with dairy buyers, and Mia and the girls would visit the museums. And they’d do more of this, of course.
The gallery seemed warm and inviting with two walls of windows. The light brought out exquisite colors in the various pieces.
“Hello.” The woman at the counter looked to be in her forties. She had clear eyes and a kind expression. “Welcome to Light of the Seine.”
Mia understood how the gallery got its name. “Your place is beautiful, madame.”
“Merci.” The woman smiled. “I’m Emilie. Did you hear about our show this Thursday night?”
“No.” Mia looked at her daughter. “We’re from Normandy. I’m afraid we’re just visiting.”
Estelle spun around and grinned at her. She mouthed the words: “A gallery show!”
Mia shook her head. “No… We have plans for our evenings.” It was true, Harry had dinners lined up with their family and his clients every night of the week.
“Well, here.” The woman took a flyer from her countertop. “Just in case.”
The minute Mia took the flyer, she stopped. Everything around her slipped into slow motion. She stared at the face of the artist at the center of the paper. “Ashley… Baxter.”
“Yes.” Emilie looked pleased. “You know her work?”
Mia’s heart began to race, and she held on to the counter so she wouldn’t drop to the floor. “I… no. It’s just…”
“Mom?” Estelle was at her side. “Are you okay?”
“I…”Pull it together,she told herself. She clenched her jaw and worked to stay strong. “Ashley… she used to live in Paris. Is that right? A long… long time ago?”
Emilie looked more closely at Mia. “Why, yes. She did.” A slight pause told Mia much. The shopkeeper knew at least something about Ashley Baxter’s past. “The gallery used to be called Montmartre. It was in the third. Ibought it a few years ago. Changed the name and moved it here.”
Mia could barely focus on the woman’s words. “You… you knew Ashley back then.”
