Scandalous Affairs (Ebook)

AS HER FOOT touched the first step, Celeste breathed a sigh of relief. She’d made it this far. Only a little bit further and she’d be inside.

She looked back to where she’d come from out of the forest. The snow was broken in places with grass stems poking through, but hopefully if someone noticed they’d think it was just a passing deer.

A shiver ran across her shoulders. It was unseasonably cold, even for late December, and her thin jacket was no match for the north wind, but if she was to blend into the society wedding unnoticed, she couldn’t arrive in her thick duffle coat.

It was today or never. This was probably the last time she’d have an opportunity to search the chateau before the hotel opened in a few days.

The terrace at the top of the steps had been cleared. She pitied the bride who had to stand out here for photos in the icy air. To the left of the paved area was an alcove flanked by large potted plants wrapped in winter fleece. The perfect cover for changing her shoes.

Balancing on one foot at a time, she slipped her feet out of her boots and into the high heels she carried in her tote. Stuffing the bag into one of the boots, she placed the pair of them out of sight behind a large stone pot. With luck, the shelter of the house would keep the insides dry until she returned. If not, it was going to be an even colder walk back through the forest.

Spying a door slightly ajar on the terrace, she made her way over, mindful that at any moment she might be seen. Her heart thumped in her chest. Nerves were getting the better of her, but she’d made it to the building without being discovered. It would be foolish to back out now, with the open door just a step or two away.

The strains of a band playing drifted out onto the terrace, and inside she could see people dancing. This was the perfect opportunity. She would look like a guest who had stepped outside for a moment. The warmth of the room beckoned her.

She took a deep breath and walked through the door.

La vie en rose. A wry smile came to her lips. Americans. They were suckers for corny tunes. And Parisians were happy to take their dollars and provide them. But the bride looked beautiful. And very, very happy. A twinge of envy tugged at her heart. Had she looked like that once?

“Madame?” A waiter paused beside her. She took a glass of champagne from his proffered silver tray.

“Merci,” she said before he disappeared into the throng of people just a short distance away.

Taking a sip, her gaze was drawn back to the bride swirling around, the handsome groom seemingly entranced with the vision in his arms. Merde, Celeste, get a grip. Now is not the time to get distracted by the past. Although ironically that was exactly why she was here.

She wove her way through the guests towards a pair of grand, ornate doors that she prayed led to the main foyer. In her pocket was a rough sketch of what she hoped would be the route to the room she was looking for.

Natalie had derided her when she came home with a stack of magazines promoting the rich and the famous’ newest luxury getaway just outside Paris. Especially when she realised that Celeste was using them to draw a detailed layout of how it was now, and how it might have been eighty years ago using books she’d found in the library.

But the homework would pay off today when she didn’t know how long she’d have before someone questioned exactly what she was doing. There was no time to waste. Even once she found the entrance to the tunnel, she’d probably still need an hour or so to locate the gap in the wall and retrieve the papers. If they were there, she reminded herself.

Celeste stopped near the main doors, placing her back against the wall. She let her gaze roam around the room. Had anyone noticed her? No. She didn’t think so.

“I don’t know what Nicky’s going to do now Alex is married.”

The woman’s voice drifted up from one of the tables nearby. Celeste’s gaze flicked automatically to the happy couple on the dance floor. Perhaps there was nothing to be envious about after all. A little sadness entered her heart. Sorrow for the bride.

“Those boys have been as thick as thieves for so long now it’s hard to imagine them growing up and having families of their own.”

Ah. That would teach her to listen to other people’s conversations. A bad habit she’d picked up as the middle child. From the balcony of her parents’ apartment, she could hear everything from her brothers’ rooms on either side. And she hadn’t been above using the information to her advantage when they were younger.

“Nicky’s thinking about babies? I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend.”

“Oh, I’ve given up on that boy. He’s always done everything in his own sweet time. Stubborn as a mule and just as temperamental.” She laughed, taking the sting out of her words. “No. My big hope for grandchildren is Suzy. She keeps on telling me she’s putting her career first for a while, but I’m always reminding her she’s not getting any younger.”

Celeste choked on her champagne mid-sip and the woman twisted around in her chair and smiled. “Not dancing?”

Mon Dieu. She needed to get a move on before anyone else noticed her. The woman was obviously close to the groom, who according to the magazines was also the CEO of the hotel group.

She cleared her throat. “I’m waiting for my friend. I’ll just go and see where he’s got to.”

Turning, she rushed out of the room and into the foyer before the heat rising in her cheeks gave her away as the liar she was.

An expanse of marble flooring lay in front of her, while a grand staircase that parted on a mezzanine floor above and swept down either side of the central hall completed the feeling of opulence. A reception desk to one side was the only concession to the area’s modern purpose, but other than that Celeste could imagine that little had changed from how it might have looked nearly a century ago.

Fortunately for her, many of the guests were mingling out here, where it was quieter and easier to talk. She walked between the two staircases and found a bench tucked away behind the stairs, providing her all the privacy she needed to pull out her sketch and decide which path to take next.

To her right was a lounge area with a bar, and further down she could see the door that led to the library. In the photos of the magazines it had a billiards table in it, too, and the hollow sound of a cue hitting a ball confirmed her sketch to be correct. Which meant the restaurant and then the kitchens were on the opposite side next to the ballroom.

She studied the double doors at the end of the corridor, and her heart beat a little faster as adrenalin started to course through her veins. The room she was searching for, the salon, was beyond those doors. Was the room in use today or would it be locked?

Celeste breathed in deeply. There was only one way to find out.

Her heart hammered in her chest with anticipation. There was no one in the corridor, but that could change at any time and she might lose her moment to discover what lay beneath these walls.

Forcing herself to take a step forward, Celeste jumped as loud laughter came from the billiard room. Someone glanced up as she passed the doorway, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the game in front of him.

Marble flooring had given way to plush carpet that was soft underfoot and thankfully quiet. She reached the double doors and stood before them for a moment, trying to find the courage to go in. One step closer to her journey’s end. Except what if someone was using the room? She could hardly go in and start searching for the entrance to the secret passageway.

Although it had been mentioned in one of the articles she’d read, so maybe guests would expect the whole tour. Stop stalling and get on with it. She reached out and twisted the golden doorknob. The door opened easily to reveal the room just as it had looked in the glossy pages of the celebrity magazine. And best of all, no one else was there.

Her shoulders relaxed with relief while her stomach muscles tightened with a twinge of excitement. This was it. The lever should be right under the fireplace canopy according to a newspaper clipping she’d read.

Carefully closing the door behind her, Celeste walked across the room straight towards the fireplace. A fresh flower arrangement filled the area where the log fire should have been. That was one problem she hadn’t considered. Would she have been able to reach the lever if the fire had been lit?

Celeste groaned at her stupidity. She didn’t even know yet if she could reach the lever, fire or no fire.

She leant in, placing a hand for balance on the fireplace surround, and reached up with her other hand.

“I think you’ll find the lever you’re looking for is a little more to the left.”

Celeste jumped at the unexpected voice.

The deep voice with a hint of an American accent sent a shiver down her spine. She straightened but didn’t turn around, giving herself time to think.

She could bluff this. She just needed to stick to her plan. She was a guest of the bride looking for a little excitement. Perhaps she didn’t speak any English? Maybe that would get rid of him.

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