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What has she done?

‘I’s froo now’

‘Olivia Please don’t rush off I’ in her ears ‘No Really I probably shouldn’t be here anyway It was very nice to meet you Thank you so much for the coffee And … you know …’

She does not look at him She raises a smile, throws it so, half running, along the Seine back towards Notre Dae was packed with shoppers, despite the cool winds and miserable spit of rain I walked half a step behind Mimi Einsbacher, who made her way around the stalls with a determined sway to her hips and had kept up a constant commentary from the moment we entered the market

‘Oh, you must buy some of these Édouard does love Spanish peaches Look, they’re so perfectly ripe’

‘Have you cooked hioustines …’

‘Cabbage? Red onions? Are you sure? Those ingredients are very … rustic You know, I do believe he reat gourmand, Édouard, you know Why, once ent to Le Petit Fils and he ate the entire dégustation oing to burst by the time the petits fours arrived But he was so happy …’ She shook her head, as if lost in a reverie ‘He is a man of such appetites …’

I picked up a bunch of carrots, and inspected the to look as if I was interested in the pulse had started up and I detected the beginnings of a headache

Mimi Einsbacher stopped in front of a stall stacked with ed a feords with the stallholder before picking up a save me a sideways look, from under her hat ‘Oh, you do not wish to hear such reh A lovely treat for Édouard If you are a little … light on housekeeping, I would be delighted to purchase it as a sift for him As an old friend I kno erratic he can be with these things’

‘We are quite capable of supporting ourselves, thank you’ I took the jar fro the stallholder his et, I noted, with mute fury

She slowed her pace so that I had no choice but to walk alongside her ‘So … Gagnaire tellsfor weeks Rather a pity’

Why should you talk to Édouard’s dealer? I wanted to ask, but I let it pass ‘We are only just reat talent He should not lose focus’

‘Édouard says he will paint when he is ready’

It was as if she hadn’t heard azing at a tarte fraine what the world is co to’