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‘Yes, I am, aren’t I?’ he said modestly ‘And I happen to have a rather classy convertible, which is perfect for zipping about the countryside scoping out the scenery And nothing much to do but sit around and fret over my misfortunes’

‘So—this e kill three birds with one stone Well, that’s settled, then!’ beaic wand

Luc showed a rather terrifying affinity for readingarey eyes and declared softly:

‘Veronica—you s

hall go to the ball…’

CHAPTER SIX

FOUR days later Veronica had realised that she had referenced the wrong fairy tale She feltBeauty than Cinderella, as herneorld of bewitching possibilities, horizons that were once limited to as practicable, expanded to the limitless vista of what if…

Not that Lucien continued to put overt pressure on her to change herfor that After his initial aggressive move he seemed prepared to laze in wait and let the sensuous allure of the tis soak into Veronica’s heart and soul, and undermine her efforts to maintain a polite standard of decoruht, was astonishingly lush and verdant, and everywhere they went there were visions of bursting ripeness—from the heavily laden apricot trees they passed on the roads, the deep orange fruit clustered on the bowing branches, to the fields of corn and brilliant yellow sunflowers, their huge, flat faces turned to follow the path of their golden nahtly coloured fruits and vegetables tely laid out for display on the market tables

Veronica had been seduced by Paris, but she quite siht there beside her to assist her fall Under the benign instructions of her well-odmother, he introduced her to a feast of the senses that she would have had to be a saint to resist

Even in holy surroundings he seemed to find a way to lead her into temptation

‘Which ones do you like?’

Melanie’s latest errand had sent the farraphs and Luc picked up an order of thick-skinned dried sausages and olive oils, and then to the bookstore at the ancient Cistercian Abbey at Sénanque, a workingpurple lavender fields in a reh in the Vaucluse They had already purchased the list of titles Melanie had asked for from the superb array of books about Provence food and custolass cabinet that displayed a range of religious souvenirs and crafts She knew that santons were a famous product of Provence but she had never seen such fine examples

‘I can’t decide I love all of thes of s various nativity scenes

‘Then why don’t you buy the over her shoulder

There spoke a millionaire!