Chapter 30: Stories of the past

At half past ten they woke up in the dark apartment and both were hungry. Seb ordered something and opened a bottle of champagne. They enjoyed the city lights and had a picnic on the roof terrace.

"Life is full of surprises." Annabelle mumbled and sipped from her glass. "If they had told me a few months ago that I would celebrate my birthday in Paris with you, I wouldn't have believed it."
Seb grinned. "How do they say it again? Life strikes you when you're busy with other things..."
"It certainly is true." Annabelle agreed.

"What happened between you and David?"
His question took her by surprise and she looked at her feet. When they got out of bed, she dressed in jeans and a white blouse. Her hair was tousled and her cheeks were still glowing. Or was it because she felt uncomfortable because of his question?

"It just didn't work out." She answered.
"Was there another woman?"
"No!" Her cheeks reddened even more. "Maybe that would have made it easier." She said without thinking. "I could have hated him then." She shrugged. "Now I just feel like I have abandoned him because I couldn't help him." She looked at Seb with a tortured look. "But how can you help someone when he doesn't want to admit he has a problem? He had a huge gambling problem, but it didn't want to see it himself."
"It's a common thing with addicts." Seb agreed. "When they don't want to accept help, there is not much you can do."

Annabelle shook her head. "I probably didn't deal well with it. When I knew about it, I left the house angry and shocked. When I calmed down, I went back to talk to him. I took brochures with phone numbers from all kind of social workers and organisations, but he got furious when I talked about that. He thought we could go on like nothing happened. He said it was a just a hobby." She played with her glass. "Even when I took off my engagement ring, he thought I didn't mean it."

"You still care about him, don't you?" Seb asked softly.
"Of course I care about him and I worry about him. We have been together for 3 years and it's hard to end it like that." Her voice faltered.

She looked at him and her emotions played up. It was a delusion that she still cared for David. But it was nothing compared to the feelings she had for Seb. Annabelle took a sip of champagne. 'You can't think straight', she said to herself.
"That's my sad love life." She smiled and tried to sound casual. "What about you?"

Seb shrugged. "Since Hélène died, I didn't have serious relationships anymore. I kept it superficial and made sure I had enough work to keep occupied."
"So that is what you recommend to someone with a broken heart?" she asked a little disappointed. She knew their gathering was just a fling, but she didn't like hearing it so brusquely.

"Non, that's not what I recommend." He was silent for a while and she saw the sadness in his eyes. "It didn't help to get over the lost of my wife."
She swallowed, ashamed she made such a blunt remark. "I'm sorry, Seb."
He shook his head. "I learned to live with the fact that Hélène is gone... I have too. But I still miss her."
Annabelle hugged her knees and rocked back and forth. "Tell me about her." She said softly.

"What do you want to know?" He seemed surprised that she asked that question.
"Where did you meet? What kind of woman was she?"
"We met in La Provence, at the estate. After my father died, my mother and I moved over there. I just graduated and had to start a new job in Paris. Just then, Hélène walked in with a team of interior designers. She looked beautiful with her long dark curly hair, just like a painting. Dark eyes, a smiling mouth, very lively. I planned to stay 4 days, but it became 2 weeks. I went back to Paris just in time to start my job. 2 weeks later I had convinced her to give up her job as interior designer and to move in with me in Paris."

"Wow. So, it really was love at first sight." Annabelle said.
Seb nodded. "I never believed it could happen, but yes... It was like a 'coup de foudre'. I still see her as she walked into the estate. 2 months later we got married. Some people thought it was too quick, but we knew it was the right thing to do. Afterwards I was happy we didn't waste any time."
"How long were you together?" Annabelle asked carefully.

"Seven beautiful years." He shrugged. "It's something to be happy about. I started a business with Urs and when things were going well, we spent more time in La Provence. Hélène loved it there. At first we only stayed there in August, but when my mother died, I inherited the estate and we stayed longer."

He was quiet for a long time. "That is where she died, in La Provence, where it all started... She lost control of her car in one of the hairpin bends on her way to the village."
"Oh Seb, that's terrible..."

He looked at her as if he hadn't heard her and shrugged. "Life goes on, right? You learn to deal with things." His voice sounded bitter.
Annabelle took his hands. She didn't know what to say. Words didn't seem to be enough.

"Anyway, enough sad stories." His gloomy state of mind seemed to be over. "Let's drink to the future." He suggested and refilled her glass.
As she sipped from her glass, the phone rang.
"I'll be right back." Seb went in and Annabelle stayed out, thinking about what he had said.

Her break up with David had been tough and painful, but compared to what Seb had gone through, it suddenly seemed unimportant. It was obvious that Seb still loved his deceased wife. She heard it in his voice and saw it in his eyes.

Chapter 31: Wicked plans

A chilly breeze blew and Annabelle shivered. She decided to clean up. On her way to the kitchen she heard Seb's warm, melodic voice. Unintentionally she stopped to look at him.
He sat behind his desk, his back towards the door and went through some papers. It obviously was a business call.

"I pretented to held it together and made sure I had enough work to keep me busy." Seb said before. Maybe she should do the same, she thought sadly. She quickly walked to the kitchen.
From the corner of his eye, Seb saw her walking by. "Look, Urs... It's almost midnight and I don't want to talk about it right now. Annabelle is here and I think it can wait until Monday."

"Time is money, Seb. We have to solve this as soon as possible." Urs insisted. "I got a fax from my lawyer this morning with a copy of Fabrice's will. It has some interesting information. My lawyer says there is a way to avoid the condition that Annabelle can't sell the house the first 6 months."
"Go on." Seb leaned back in his chair.
"You could marry her..."

The soft words hit him hard. "You've got to be kidding, Urs!"
"No, I'm serious. Fabrice even mentioned it in his will. If you marry Annabelle, the house and grounds are yours. He even put money aside as a wedding gift. I'm telling you, Seb: if you marry her, we can have the bulldozers there tomorrow and tear the place down. Besides, with that wedding gift you get a fair amount of money. Ok, I know she will own half of your properties, but you can avoid that with marital conditions." Urs said.

Seb cursed. "I never heard anything more ridiculous. Why do you think Annabelle would agree?"
"Come on, Seb... With a few sweet words you can talk her into it."
"We are talking about Annabelle here." Seb said. "She loves that house and isn't planning on selling at all. Besides... I think she still loves her ex."
"So it's the right time to do it." Urs said. "Considering business, this is very beneficial for us. I know you like her, Seb, I saw that during dinner. And you probably slept with her as well."
"It's none of your business, Urs." Seb angrily said.
"Ok, I'm just asking you to think about it. You have nothing to loose, but everything to gain: a beautiful woman in bed and a remarkable profit on top. If the marriage doesn't work out, you can always divorce her and it probably won't cost you as much as the loss of this project."
"You know, Urs..." Seb interrupted him brusquely. "You're a wicked businessman."
Urs laughed. "Consider it, that's all I'm asking. Besides did you get the copy of the will?"
"Yes, I've got it, but I'm not interested, Urs. This goes way too far." Seb sounded really angry.
"Well, just read through it. Don't forget, Seb, it was Fabrice's last wish and you should respect it. Oh, Brigitte thought it would be a great idea as well. She said it was about time you got married again even if it is just for 6 months."

Disgusted, Seb put the phone down. He thought for a minute and then went to see what Annabelle was doing. He found her on the terrace, leaning over the balcony, looking at the city.
"Are you ok?" She looked at him and was surprised to see the anger in his eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine." He said.

It didn't sound like that, but she decided not to push it. "You know, I think you were right when you said you should keep busy when you're sad. I always feel a lot better when I'm busy."

Seb looked at her. A breeze blew the hair out of her face. She had high cheekbones, perfect lips, full and sensual, and beautiful twinkling eyes. She was a very attractive woman.
Annabelle noticed he stared at her and her heart started to race again with a mixture of desire and uncertainty. She was desperately trying to ignore the intense longing inside her.

"I've been thinking about what I'm gonna do to Fabrice's house." She said.
"Oui, that seems to be your favourite topic." Seb smiled.
Annabelle decided to ignore the sarcastic remark. "I'm thinking about replacing the wall between the dining room and living room by an arch. What do you think about it?"
"Why are you asking me?" he asked amused.
"Because you're an architect and I would like some professional advice." She said, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, you know how I feel about it." He softly said. "I think the house should be taken down."
"Seb, it's not funny." She angrily said. "This is Fabrice's house we are talking about."
"It's your house." He said. "You should do what you think is the right thing."
"Exactly and I'm gonna make sure it will be repaired."
"I know." With his finger under her chin he forced her to look at him. "Tell me, Annabelle... Did you ever see Fabrice's will?" He tried to discover in her eyes if she knew about his conditions.

A little surprised by his questions, she raised her eyebrows. "Well... no. I got a letter from my lawyer that said I inherited the house. I talked briefly to him in his office when I picked up the keys, but I never saw the will." She shrugged. "Why? Was I supposed to read it?"
"No, I just wondered what you knew about the conditions."
"All he said was that I had to live in it for 6 months before I could sell the house. He told me there were a few special conditions. To be honest I didn't really thought about it, because I was so excited I inherited a house and I didn't think about selling it. Oh, he did tell me I had to contact him if something would change in my marital state." She smiled cynical. "I told him that wouldn't be very likely."

Seb nodded. It was clear to him that Annabelle didn't know about Fabrice's last wish.
"Why do you ask anyway?" she asked him. "Are you still obsessed about buying it? I thought you had given up by now."
"You are the one that started about it." He reminded her, smiling.
"Yes, and I already regret it. That little joke about tearing down my house wasn't funny, Seb."

He smiled and leaned towards her. "Annabelle, it's just a house. Let's not talk about it anymore and think about more interesting things."
"Like what?" she asked breathless when she felt his lips close to hers.
"Like this..." He eagerly kissed her lips.
Suddenly she forgot all about the house, Seb's love for Hélène and David.

Chapter 32: A discovery

It was early on Sunday morning. Annabelle nuzzled a little closer to Seb and listened to the sound of the bells from the church. She wished she could stop the time and they could stay like this forever. Unfortunately their flight was at 12h30, so they had only little time left.

She looked at the sleeping Seb. His lashes were dark and full, lashes a lot of women would be jealous of. And those lips... When she thought about last night, she felt flushed again. When she kissed his lips, he returned it sleepily.
"Hmm... That's a nice way to wake up." He mumbled lazy.
"I was thinking the same." She smiled.
He leaned on his elbows and kissed her tenderly.

And that's when the phone rang.
Annabelle sighed and put her arms around his neck. "Doesn't your phone ever stop? Don't answer it."
Seb kept kissing her and she thought he would take her advice, but suddenly he slipped out of bed. "I remember Urs was gonna call me this morning." He apologised.

Disappointed Annabelle looked at him. She saw his muscular body when he put on a robe and left the room.
It gave her a nagging feeling that he could switch so easily from passion to business. The machine could have taken the call. After all it was Sunday morning.

She sighed again and slipped on her robe. She walked to the kitchen to make some coffee.
A few minutes later, Seb came in. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news. I can't fly back with you this afternoon. Urs called me about a few problems I have to deal with at the office. But I'll drop you of at the airport first."
"Oh, there's no need." She said quickly. "I can take a cab."
"The independent woman." He teased her and pulled her to him. "Ok, but I only let you take a cab if you promise to have dinner with me on Wednesday."
She pretended to be thinking. "Ok, it's a deal, but I want to cook for you at my place."
"Sounds good." He kissed her on the lips. "You can impress me with the Cuisine Anglaise." He mumbled.
She smiled and looked him in the eyes. "And you can impress me by giving architectural advice about that wall."
"Here I was thinking you wanted to cook for me, but you clearly have a hidden agenda. Annabelle Palmer, I see through you."
"Busted." She smiled.
He kissed her tenderly again. "I'll see you on Wednesday. I'm gonna take a shower before I leave, but I'll call you a cab first."


It was strange to be alone in his apartment. Annabelle took a shower, got dressed and packed her bag. While she was waiting for the cab, she walked around the apartment. The champagne glasses were still in his office. When she took it, a paper with Fabrice's name fell on the floor. When she picked it up, she realised it was Fabrice's will.

She frowned and thought about how Seb had asked her about it last night. Why did he ask so many questions when he had a copy himself? And why did he have a copy? The answer wasn't that hard to find... He was obviously still planning to buy her house.

She looked through the papers and saw that there was a note from Urs attached to it. It was in French, so it took her a while to understand it. He mentioned something about a marriage as a solution, but that made no sense at all. She sat in Seb's chair and spread the plan on the desk. After some puzzling she saw that Seb's house was indicated, just like Fabrice's house and behind that some others.

How could it be? There were no houses behind Fabrice's. She frowned and looked at Urs' note once more. She wished her French had been better. Why could a marriage be a solution? A solution for what?

Chapter 33: Deceit

The sound of a closing door startled her.
"Annabelle, it's only me." Seb's voice sounded through the apartment. "I came back to get some papers I forgot."

For a minute she considered to put the papers away so that she wouldn't get caught by going through his stuff. But she decided not to do it. This was about her grounds, so she had every right to know what was going on.

"Annabelle..." His voice faltered when he saw her sitting at his desk with all the papers in front of her. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"I was going to ask you." She snapped.
He came in the office and walked towards her. "I'm sorry, but those papers are private." He said irritated.
"Yes, but they are about me, aren't they, Seb?" Her heart was racing. Just before, the atmosphere had been tender and loving. They even teased each other about having ulterior motives. But suddenly the teasing had a whole other meaning.

"You wanted me to believe that you only wanted to buy the house because it was a little annoying to drive over my grounds to get to yours, but that wasn't the reason, was it?" She looked at the plan. "It looks like you have bigger plans, don't you?" Her voice sounded cold. "Fabrice's house is an obstacle for you. That's why you went through so much trouble to get a copy of the will. You wanted to know how you could get rid of me within 6 months. That's probably why you invited me here as well..." It hurt her when she realised the truth. "And that's probably the reason why you slept with me..."

"Annabelle, that's not true." He said calmly. "I invited you here because I wanted to spend some time with you..."
"Save the smooth talk, Seb. I won't fall for it anymore!" she interrupted him. "I'm not crazy. I know exactly what is going on here." Her eyes spit fire. "I knew it wasn't gonna turn out into something serious between us, but I never expected that you would do something so low."
"Annabelle, stop talking and listen to me..."
"I don't want to listen to you anymore. And don't think you will make it up to me because to be honest: I only slept with you to distract me from my true love." She wished her words would bruise his arrogant ego. But it hurt her to say those things, because she knew it wasn't true. Sleeping with Seb had meant so much more for her.
"But I thought that at least we were honest with each other." She said softly.

"It was never a secret that I wanted to buy your grounds." Seb sounded determined.
"That's true, but you didn't tell me about all this." She angrily swept the papers from the desk.
"I didn't tell you about it, because I didn't think it mattered."
"Well, you are right about that, because the answer is still no." She stood up. "By the way, what is this marriage proposal Urs is talking about?"
"You really have been nosing around, haven't you?" Seb said calmly.
"What does it mean, Seb?" She asked again, looking intently at him.

He picked up the papers from the floor. "Apparently there is only one way to avoid the six months rule... And that is that I marry you." When he saw the colour draining from her face, he continued unaffected. "It seems that Fabrice mentioned in his will that the house is mine when I marry you. And he put some money aside as a wedding gift."

"So that's what you had planned, Seb? A quick romance, a marriage and an even faster divorce?" Her heart was beating so fast that it hurt. "I hope you planned to ask me on one knee, 'cause that would make it so much easier to say no."
"Don't you think you are running ahead a little, Annabelle?" he said coldly. "I didn't ask you to marry me."
"Did you save that for our date on Wednesday?" She walked past him. "Screw you, Seb. I'd rather marry the devil than you!"

When she reached the door, he grabbed her arm. "Wait a minute!" he angrily said and turned her to him. "To make things clear: first of all it was Urs who came up with the whole thing and I told him it was ridiculous. Secondly, I didn't tell you about the building plans because I didn't want to pressure you to leave. And thirdly, I invited you here for personal reasons without any sneaky motives."

Annabelle swallowed. She wanted to believe him so badly, but she couldn't. The sound of the doorbell sounded through the icy silence. "That will be my cab." With all the self-control she had, she released herself.
Seb followed her to the living room. "Annabelle, you are making a big mistake." He said calmly.
"I don't think so."

"I could have gotten you out of the house I long time ago if I really wanted."
The arrogant and self-confident way he spoke, made her stand still. "The house is mine, Seb." She looked furious at him. "You are just going to have to accept it."
"Oh really? Think about where your water comes from."
"What the hell are you talking about? I know I'm not connected to the main supply, but I have my own source."
Seb shook his head. "Non, you are using my water."

He smiled sadly. "My source. You know, I could have disconnected you from your only water source a long time ago, but that didn't seem very nice. If you want to play it hard now... It's fine with me."
Annabelle starred at him. "Is that a threat?"
"Non, I'm just telling you how it is. Look at it when you get home and you'll find out I was playing fair the whole time."
"Oh please, disconnect me if you feel better by doing it." Annabelle said furious and slammed the door behind her.

All the way to the airport she was fuming. She was furious at Seb, but just as furious at herself for being so stupid to sleep with him. Why didn't she see through him?
She thought about other conversations with Seb and remembered that he hesitated when she asked if he would be angry if she didn't sell him the house. And he had reacted very amused to her enthusiasm about it. What was it he said again? "But let me give you some advice. Never get emotionally involved in business matters. If you're not objective and businesslike, it could cost you heaps of money."

His words kept running through her mind. She felt stupid and used. It was so obvious she had been a business project. He slept with her for just one purpose.
The pain she felt when she realised it, was unbearable. She kept saying that she didn't care, that she had no feelings for him. That it didn't mean a thing to her...

But they were just hollow words and the pain remained.

Chapter 34: A cold shower

The sun rose above the Mountains and spread a golden mist over the vine yard. A rooster crowed in the distance.
Annabelle was awake very early. Since she had come back from Paris a week ago, she hadn't slept well. Although she didn't feel like getting up, she threw back the covers and walked to the kitchen to turn on the water tap.

It had been become a daily routine. The first thing she did every morning was making sure there was still water. She didnt only do it in the morning, but also during the day and sometimes she even stood up at night to see if there was water. Every time the water streamed she felt relieved.

She quickly held the kettle under the tap, so she wouldnt loose the precious drops. She put the kettle on the stove and opened the back door to the garden.
It was a beautiful morning. The sun felt soft on her skin and a little bird was chirping. It looked like the perfect world without worries, but if Seb carried on with his evil plans it soon would be over. The vine yard would be demolished with the house and there wouldn't be a tree left for the little bird to sing his song. Annabelle chewed her lip and tried not to think about it.

Seb is a monster she said to herself. A real monster. But why didn't he shut off the water yet? The question had been haunting her for days now. When she got back to the house, she immediately looked into whether he really owned the source and it looked like he had spoken the truth. But why hadn't he shut off her supply ages ago?

She had already taken precautions in case there was a water crisis. She filled up all the buckets and the bath and she had ordered a water tank that would be delivered next week. After instalment she would feel a lot safer. She wasn't planning on giving up that easily.

But it still hurt that she had to fight Seb. She never expected that he would be so mean, especially not after the way he had held her and kissed her. When she lay in her bed at night, she only had to close her eyes to remember how nice it had been to lay in his arms. It wasn't easy to forget about it.

She always thought her break up with David had been painful, but it was nothing compared to this torture.
"You're a disaster when it comes to picking the right man, Annabelle." She said to herself. "You should give up. Join a convent or something."

She heard the water boiling and went back to the kitchen. She would go to the village later on, to buy fresh vegetables and other groceries.
When she got back to the living room, the phone rang. Thinking it would be her mother or Karina, she answered it. But instead she heard Seb's relaxed voice. "Bonjour. Are you willing to talk to me yet?"
"You have a nerve calling me!" Her voice faltered while she spoke. A wave of mixed feelings hit her. And it was stupid, but she was happy to hear his voice. She tried to resist that feeling. "No, I don't want to talk to you and I never will."
"Come on, Annabelle, this is stupid." He said impatiently. "I gave you a whole week to cool down. I think that's long enough. Let's meet up and discuss this as grown ups."
His tone irritated her. "Go to hell!"
"What are you doing today?" he asked, pretending he hadn't heard her.
"I'm going to the market to do some grocery shopping. Not that it's any of your business." Why was she telling him this? "Look, Seb, I never want to see you again." She said. "I'm hanging up. Goodbye."

When she hung up the phone, she sat down, trembling. Just hearing his voice made her knees week and it irritated her.
A few minutes later she was in the shower and wondered why every man had left her. It started with her father who left when she was 12 and she hadn't seen him in 5 years. Then it was Julian who couldn't be trusted, then David and now she could add Seb to the list.

Strangely enough it was Seb who had hurt her the most. It was so bizarre, cause she only just met him. The memory of his kisses and sweet touch made her tremble, just like his sweet words and the way he looked at her.
Just then, the water stopped. At first she thought she had leaned against the grip and switched it off herself, but then she realised it wasn't her. The water had been shut off.

Her hands were shaking when she reached for a towel and wrapped it around her. To be sure, she tried the tap at the sink. No water at all.
Annabelle was furious. She couldn't believe he could do this. But then again, he had seduced her in the past to get what he wanted. Of course he could do this.

When her mobile rang, she answered it angrily.
"Are you prepared to listen to me now?" Seb asked coldly.
"I don't like being blackmailed, Sébastien."
"The only thing I ask is to have lunch with me in the village. You told me you were going there."
"I don't want to have lunch with you." She answered grimly.
"You want to have water again?"
"You know I do." She sounded stressed.
"Bon, then say after me: "Yes, I will have lunch with you at the restaurant on the village square at half past one."

She wanted to tell him he could go to hell. She thought for a minute while the cold water dripped down her face. She wanted to say no, but in the end she agreed. "Ok, I'll see you there." Maybe she should say to his face what she thought about him. "But only coffee." She added quickly. "No lunch."
"Ok, I'll see you then, Annabelle."
A few minutes later her shower was running again.

RE: The Legacy 2 - A house in France
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Chapter 35: Revelations

On her way to the village, she thought about what she was going to say to him. She was not gonna back down!
She parked her car in the shade of some trees, took her purse and got out.

The village was in between the mountains and looked like a painting. Green avenues with irregular pebbles lead to the large village square.
It was only 50 kilometres from the tourist places at the coast, but it was still unchanged. It looked like time stood still here. There were just a few shops, 2 restaurants and 1 pub. Some days it was almost deserted. You only heard the water from the fountains just like the dull sound of the jeu de boules balls.

Today the village seemed to have woken up. Kids were laughing, people talking. The booths from the local market were covered with cloths for the burning sun, but they couldn't shut it out completely.

Annabelle was happy she wore a cool summer dress. She walked past the booths and saw heaps of green and black olives, lots of fresh vegetables, various cheeses and an assortment of fresh made bread that made her lick her lips. Everything looked so tasty.

When she stood at one of the booths to buy the ingredients for a salad, she felt dizzy and nauseous. She quickly got out of the crowd and looked for a place in the shade to sit down. She felt relieved when she sank down on a small wall at a silent side of the square. She felt the nausea go away. For a minute she closed her eyes.

"Annabelle." Seb's voice made her look up.
"I thought it was you." He said and walked to her. "I saw you walking away from the market and..." He suddenly noticed her pale face and asked worriedly "Are you ok? You look terrible."
"Thanks." She said dryly.
"Non, really, you don't look well." He sat down beside her and felt her forehead.

The cool touch of his hand on her feverish forehead made her feelings jump up again. She discovered that she felt desire as well. She tried to recover. This was the man that had tried to use her for business purposes. He sounded worried, but all he cared about were his grounds and his business.

"I'm fine, Seb. The heat got to me, that's all."
"Are you drinking enough water?" he asked. "In this heat you dry out quickly."
"Isn't it ironic to hear that question from a man who shut off the water this morning?" She looked angrily at him.
"You have to drink water from bottles, not the water form the tap." He said quickly. "Besides, I only shut you off for 5 minutes, Annabelle, so don't overreact."
"It is still a dirty trick. How did you do it anyway?" she asked furious.
"Oh, that's simple. I just pulled a handle."
"Well, I don't forgive you."

He looked at her face. Her cheeks were colouring again and her eyes sparkled again. "It made you listen, didn't it?" he asked softly. "And I wanted to see you."
His words and the way he looked at her confused her.
"I missed you." He continued softly.
She looked at him. The truth was that she has missed him as well, more then she ever thought would be possible.


There was no doubt about it: the attraction between the two of them was very strong, and right now even stronger then ever. She tried to convince herself that it didn't mean a thing. His words weren't sincere. The only thing he wanted were her grounds. Keeping this in mind, she mumbled: "Well, I didn't miss you."

He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "I've been thinking about you day and night."

She could be thrilled just by looking at his lips. A wild and untameable desire rose inside her.
She loved him. The revelation shocked her so much she got dizzy.

She started to talk quickly. "Look, Seb, I shouldn't have agreed to meet you. You can talk as sweet as you like and give me as many compliments as you want, but that doesn't make me change my mind. I know your true character now..."

When she wanted to get up, he forced her down again. "The water thing from this morning was only to show you that I could have done it a long time ago if I wanted to. But I didn't. And I made sure your electricity was installed as quickly as possible. You really think I would have done that if I wanted to get you out of here?"
"Stop it, Seb." She tried to release herself. "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies. You just used me..."
"I know you've been hurt in the past, Annabelle." His words were soft. "But I'm not David. I don't want to use you or hurt you or deceive you. I love you."

For a minute she thought she misunderstood him. She stopped wrestling him.
"I asked you to come to Paris because I longed for you. No ulterior motives, just a longing to be with you and hold you in my arms."

Annabelle was speechless. She so badly wanted to believe him.
"From the first time you walked into Fabrice's house, I felt attracted to you. It was like history repeated himself." He added softly.
He tenderly tugged her hair behind her ear. "It was the same feeling I had with Hélène. And it scares me."

The despair in his voice surprised her. Seb was always so in control and sure of himself. She had never heard him say that he was afraid of anything.
"I came up with all kinds of excuses to stay away from you. I told myself that you were just a gold digger, that you had fooled Fabrice by pretending you cared for him. Until the moment you arrived here..." His voice trembled. "I couldn't hide behind excuses any longer because I saw that you are really caring and sweet. In fact you were everything I wanted."

She was silent for a while. Her heart was beating so fast that her chest hurt. "You're just saying so..." She wanted to believe him, but she was scared to death. How could she know she could trust him? She wouldn't be able to bear it when he would hurt her. "I eh... I've got to go." She quickly got up.
"Annabelle..."
While she walked away, she heard him saying her name, but she didn't look back.

Chapter 36: Scenes

Annabelle cleared a way through the people, while Seb's words kept going through her mind. "I'm not David. I don't want to use you or hurt you or deceive you. I love you."

Although she wanted to believe him, she just couldn't do it. "You're a sensible grown up woman, Annabelle." She said sternly to herself. "So you have to realise Seb is only trying to get in your good books with his smooth talk. It's all about the house. You can't trust him."

She kept repeating that last sentence until she reached her car. She took a few deep breaths before she turned on the motor. She wasn't planning on getting hurt again. She had been through it too many times.

"And what about falling in love with you?" a little voice whispered. She tried to ignore it. But the things he had said like "I thought about you day and night" kept haunting her.
She wanted to believe him... She loved him so much. Day and night she had been thinking about him. The thought that she had to go on without him, was unbearable. It was like someone had ripped her heart out and left an empty space that couldn't be filled ever again.

How could she go on without him? How could she cure the pain that was ripping her apart? Her eyes filled with tears and she wiped them away angrily. She had won over her problems before, so why couldn't she do it now?

She put her car in reverse and looked in her mirror if the road was clear. She waited patiently until the car that blocked the road behind her, would drive by. When the driver didn't move, she looked again and saw someone getting out.

When she realised it was Seb, her stomach jumped up. She took a deep breath and opened the window. "Can you move your car? You're in my way." It surprised her how cool and in control she sounded.
"I'm not leaving, Annabelle, because we didn't finish our conversation." He sounded just as cool and determined as she did.

She saw him coming closer and closed her car doors. "I told you everything I wanted, Seb, so please go away." When she grabbed the steering wheel with trembling hands, she saw he bend over at the window.
"I'm not planning on going anywhere, Annabelle, so you better come out so we can talk."
"If you don't move your car, I'm gonna make a scene." She warned him with a shaky voice.
"Really?" he sounded amused. "What are you gonna do?"
She angrily pushed the horn. "This is what I'm gonna do." She answered furious. "And I won't stop until you move your car."
He grinned. "Go ahead. It would be good to have some witnesses."
"Witnesses for what?" she asked suspiciously.

He held up some papers. "These are some legal papers Urs gave me to buy the house."
Annabelle bit her lip. "I don't care what it is, Seb. I want you to move your car, so I can go home." She pushed the horn again and a few people looked curiously at them.

Seb didn't react to the noise or the people. He gave her the papers. "Look at them." He insisted and held them so close that she could see it were the same papers she saw on his desk in Paris. But then he slowly ripped them apart with strong determined moves.
Her hand slipped off the horn when she saw the scraps swirl through the air.

"That's what I think about Urs' deal." He said solemnly. "Look, Annabelle, I love you and there won't be any apartments on your grounds. The deal is off."
She didn't react immediatly because her heart was beating so fast.

He dropped the rest of the papers in her lap and turned around to the people that had gathered around them. "I love this woman!" he yelled in French. "And the whole world should know." Applause and whistling followed to his announcement. "And I want everyone to know that there won't be apartments on her grounds, because the last thing I want is for her to get hurt."
"Seb, stop it." Annabelle mumbled when another round of applause followed. "You're making a scene."
"Wasn't that what you wanted?" he asked.

When she looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what I want." She admitted hoarsely. "I just don't want to get hurt anymore, Seb. I... I couldn't stand it anymore."
"Open the door and come out, ma Belle." He said sweetly.
After a little hesitation she did what he asked and the rest of the papers fell on the street.

Chapter 37: I love you

When she got out, he tenderly wiped away her tears. "I'm so sorry, ma Belle." He whispered. "I never meant to make you cry and I never wanted you to get hurt. What I said just now, is the truth. I invited you to Paris because I longed for you. Without ulterior motives. You have to believe me."

He sounded so sincere that she let go of her defensive attitude. She believed him, but her voice was so smothered with emotions that she couldn't answer him.
"All I'm asking you is a chance to prove myself." He said seriously. "I know you still love David and that it's still early for you, but I don't mind waiting, Annabelle. I will wait as you long as I have to."
"Urs is not gonna like that." She managed to say hoarsely.
"Screw Urs." He said determined. "I arranged for you to get connected to the central water supply in the morning."
"You did that for me?" she whispered.
"I would do anything for you, ma Belle." He answered seriously. "And you are right. Fabrice's house is so charming and has so many opportunities I would be crazy to tear it down."

Suddenly she laughed, while a tear escaped. "I never thought I would hear you say those words."
"And I never thought I would fall in love after Hélène died."
Once again her tears were streaming.

"Don't cry, ma Chérie." He wiped away her tears and held her close. "I never meant to hurt you." He whispered. "I wanted to get you out of here at first, but I couldn't do it anymore when I was with you. You just had to look at me with your gorgeous blue eyes and the whole project didn't mean a thing to me anymore."

"It's like I'm dreaming when I hear you say all those things." She said. "But it's the best dream I ever had." She kissed him hungrily and he answered it with all the passion and love he had in him. Their embrace became more and more deep and fierce until they heard the applause and cheering behind them.

Seb let her go. "Let's get out of here." He said softly.
She didn't know what to say when he led her to his car. When she said next to him, she mumbled "I should have driven my own car home."
"I'll let someone pick it up." He said, manoeuvring his car over a small country road. "You're in no state to drive right now." Seb looked worried at her. "How are you feeling now?"
"Shocked." She answered dryly. "This morning I was so angry and shocked that I can hardly believe what you just said."
"Well, it is the truth. We are friends again, right?" he asked while he parked his car at the front door.

"Annabelle?" he insisted when she didn't respond immediately.
"I thought we were a bit more then friends." She whispered. "Didn't you just say you loved me?" She looked shy. "And that you would wait for me?"
Seb smiled. "I love you with all my heart and I'm prepared to wait for you till the end of time."
She swallowed emotional. "And I love you." She whispered. "With all my heart."

For a minute it was deathly silent in the car while Seb looked intently at her. A muscle moved in his cheek.
"To be honest... I thought that the deep feelings I had for you were just a reaction to my break up with David." She said barely audible. "Truth is that I never felt like this before. I realise now that I never really loved David, but with you it is real... I'm crazy about you, Seb, and I would do anything for you..." She shrugged insecure. "So, if you want the house..." A tear escaped her eye. "... you can have it because it seems so unimportant right now."

"Ma Belle..." Seb took her in his arms. "You are the most important thing for me as well right now. Keep that in mind, please." He kissed her hungrily. This was what she had been longing for all those nights she wasn't with him.
"Oh, I love you!" She put her arms around his neck and they kissed for a long time, relieved and very sure about their love for each other.
"Shall we go in?" she whispered with trembling voice. Her body was asking for more.
Seb smiled. "What happened to the young lady that almost ran out of my car when I brought her home some time ago?"
She had to laugh about the teasing way he said it. "She surrendered to a force she couldn't resist." She said.

They got out and stood in the sun.
Seb extended his hand to her. "Annabelle, before we go in, I want to ask you something." He said solemnly.
Startled she looked at him. "What's that?"

Suddenly he kneeled down. "Annabelle, will you be my wife?" he asked with a hoarse voice. "I want to grow old with you... have kids together and wake up next to you for the rest of my life."
Her eyes filled with tears. She kneeled down next to him and hugged him. "Name me a day and I'll be there." She promised softly.

Epilogue

It was early summer in Provence and very hot. Annabelle walked out the backdoor and looked at the garden. The vine yard looked healthy and the trees started to bear fruit thanks to the new irrigation system. It was great to stand in the shade and enjoy the changes that the house had been through the last couple of months. She looked happily at Villa Miracle, her legacy.

The new red roof shone in the sun, the old window-frames had been replaced by new ones, but everything in the authentic style of the house.
The interior was even more impressive. There were varnished wooden floors everywhere and a new kitchen had been build around the old stove. The most beautiful things were the taps that were finally connected to the main water supply. Upstairs the rooms had been renovated and were decorated with antique furniture. Everything in the style that fitted a French country house.

"I think you would be happy, Fabrice." Annabelle whispered while she watched a little bird in a tree. "It's my last morning here, but Villa Miracle sure feels like a home."
"Annabelle?" Her mothers' voice sounded through the house. "Annabelle, where are you? The flowers are here."

Annabelle smiled. "Oh, I forgot to tell you... My mother is coming to live in your house for a while. She wants to be around when her first grandchild is born." She caressed her still flat belly. "The baby will be here by the end of December, Fabrice, so it will be very busy at Christmas. What do you think about the name Paris? It seemed appropriate..."

"Annabelle?" Her mother appeared in the door and her mouth dropped. "Sweetheart! You look beautiful!"
Annabelle turned around. She wore a long, cream-colored dress, outlined with golden stitches. Her hair was up with fresh flowers in it.
"You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen!" her mother stammered, drying her tears.
"Come on, mum, don't cry now." Annabelle laughed while they walked in.
"I can't help it." Sarah Palmer said. "I'm just so happy for you! Seb is an amazing man and you two are obviously very much in love. But why are you here?"
"Just thinking."

"The cars are here." Karina appeared behind Sarah and smiled at her friend. "It's time to go."
When Annabelle left the house as an unmarried woman for the last time, she felt a little nostalgic. She remembered the first day she came here in the rain. And she remembered the day Seb had asked her to marry him. A few weeks later she told him about their baby.
She smiled when she thought about it. Seb had suggested they waited 6 months to get married.

"I think it would be a good idea, Annabelle. We will prove that our marriage has got nothing to do with Fabrice's will and then it's clear to everyone that we do this because we love each other."
"But I already know that." She said softly. "And I think waiting for 6 months would be a terrible idea."
"Well... it is a long time." He shrugged.
"It sure is." She smiled at him. "And I don't know if I'll fit in a wedding gown in 6 months."
Seb frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I'm pregnant, Seb. Our baby is due in time for Christmas."

She remembered the surprised look in his eyes and then the delirious joy. He had held her so close and kissed her so tenderly that the memory still made her cry.
Annabelle softly closed the door behind her. The future was waiting for her. A future that would be radiant in every possible way.



THE END