Chapter 17
Nicole stood outside the manor, looking toward the castle. What was going on? She had been waiting for Marie to show up for what seemed like hours.
Except that there was no Marie, or Francis or Auguste.
Speaking of Auguste, she should never have walked away from him. She was too stubborn and she knew what she wanted when she wanted it.
Right now she wanted Auguste.
She didn’t want to go to him. That would be unthinkable. After all, he was the one who called by the wrong name.
But it wasn’t the wrong name, now was it.
He had called her Nicole, that was her name, wasn’t it? She had wanted him to call her Nicole ever since they met. If she heard herself called Marie one more time, she would scream.
So why had she gotten so upset when finally called her by her real name?
I don’t think that I wanted him to know first, she thought, I wanted to be the one to tell him.
She turned away. Maybe she should go to him. Apologize to him. Explain that she wasn’t trying to make a fool of him or of anyone. This is what Marie wanted, not her.
Why couldn’t she just come right out with it? She wanted to tell him the truth, didn’t she? What was she so afraid of?
The sun was going down and it was getting dark. Where was that girl? She was beginning to think that all three of them went to the castle together.
She turned toward the castle again. Why was she standing here waiting for the three of them? Maybe she should go to the castle and tell him what she wanted to.
Yes, she would do that and she would go now.
She walked into the driveway and onto the road. She could walk, it wasn’t all that far. Maybe she would run into them as they…
She heard horses’ hooves behind her. She turned to see both horse and rider catch up to her and pass her. They were moving very quickly, as if they were in a hurry.
She wasn’t sure but it looked like Auguste.