He checked his watch. ‘Only a couple of hours.’
We sat quietly together. He stroked Simone’s hair.
I shifted and he glanced at me. I opened my mouth to say ‘Mr Chen, are you a god?’ and then closed it again, feeling ridiculous. I decided to make a sideways attack on the issue.
‘Mr Chen, what’s your real name?’
He looked straight into my eyes and I nearly became lost in them. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘Because on the letters that come in, you have six different first names.’
‘You’ve been in my study?’
‘No, of course not, I respect your privacy. But I’ve seen the letters.’
‘I’ll have to tell Leo and Monica that; they’re always trying to tidy my study.’ He didn’t seem fazed. ‘Six names would be about right.’
‘So which one is the right one?’
He smiled slightly. ‘They all are.’
‘Oh, come on,’ I said. ‘What’s your real name?’
‘Right now, my real name is John Chen Wu. That is me.’ He smiled into my eyes. ‘You can call me John if you like.’ His gaze became intense and he dropped his voice. ‘Call me John.’
I looked back at him and spoke softly. ‘I don’t think that would be appropriate.’
‘As you wish.’ He leaned back and stroked Simone’s hair. ‘We’ll be there soon.’
Loud snores floated from the back of the plane and we both smiled.
Once again Mr Chen did something to the airport staff and they didn’t notice the bag as it went through the X-ray machine.
A van with a driver was waiting for us at the airport and took us into the city of Paris. Simone stared out the window, delighted, as we drove past the elegant, old-fashioned buildings. We pulled into a side street on the edge of Montmartre, around the corner from the Moulin Rouge. Five-storey town-houses stood either side of the tree-lined street, with curved façades and elaborate windows.
The driver parked the van outside what appeared to be an apartment building. Inside, it was a house. The large entry had sweeping Art Nouveau stairs and a glittering chandelier.
A slender, middle-aged Chinese lady came down the stairs to meet us. She wore a flowing pantsuit of white silk, and had an enormous amount of hair piled on her head. She moved with the grace of a princess and her smooth oval face was angelic.
Simone ran to her and clutched her around the legs. ‘Aunty Kwan!’
Ms Kwan crouched and pushed a stray lock of hair out of Simone’s eyes. ‘Simone, Simone. You are more beautiful every day, and more and more like your mother.’
Simone kissed her loudly on the cheek.
Ms Kwan rose and went to Mr Chen. She put one slender manicured hand on his shoulder and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.
I’d never seen him blush before. It was charming.
‘Hello, old Wu,’ she said. ‘Keeping well?’
‘All the better for seeing you, my Lady.’
‘You have left it a long time, my friend.’
‘I know.’
‘Jade and Gold?’
‘Coping.’
She sighed. ‘Next time I will come to you.’
He shook his head.
‘Fine then, be stubborn.’ She saw me. ‘Who is this?’ Her eyes widened. ‘I don’t believe it. Haven’t you learnt your lesson?’
‘No, no, this is Simone’s nanny. Miss Emma Donahoe.’ He looked into her eyes. They concentrated on each other, then both snapped out of it.
‘I see.’ Ms Kwan glanced down at Simone. ‘And is Miss Donahoe a good nanny?’
‘Emma’s great,’ Simone said. ‘She’s fun.’
‘Then Emma is a welcome guest. Welcome to Paris, Emma.’
I had the irrational feeling that I wanted her for my mother. ‘Thank you.’
Ms Kwan patted Leo’s arm. ‘Make sure he comes sooner next time, Leo.’
‘That’s very easy for you to say, Ms Kwan.’
Ms Kwan raised her arms in welcome. ‘Shall I show you to your rooms?’ She took Simone’s hand, then linked her other arm in mine. ‘Come, let me show you where you will stay, Emma. Tomorrow Leo will take you and Simone to see beautiful Paris while I talk to Ah Wu. And then you, Leo and I will have a little chat.’
I was too awestruck by her graceful presence to say a word.
Simone adored the Eiffel Tower. There was a long queue for the lifts, but she was happy to wait, hopping from one leg to the other with excitement until she fell over.
‘Try to stay on your feet, Simone,’ I said with mock exasperation.
‘I know, I keep “doing a Simone”,’ she said. ‘I can’t help it.’
Leo studied the crowd around us carefully.
‘What?’
He shook his head.
I moved closer to him and spoke more softly. ‘We’re a long way from home, Leo. I don’t think anybody around here even knows who she is.’
‘You can never be too careful,’ he said.
When we reached the top of the Tower we had to run to keep up with Simone. She raced from one side to another, showing me all the landmarks: the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe.
‘How come you know Paris so well?’
‘Because I come here all the time, silly Emma. We used to come here a lot before. Now we don’t come as much.’
‘Before what?’
She ran away.
‘Is Ms Kwan Mr Chen’s sister?’ I asked Leo.
‘Nope.’
‘But they’re related, then?’
Leo turned to follow Simone without answering me.
It was already dusk by the time Simone had finished with the Tower. By then Leo and I were thoroughly sick of it.
‘Wait until the Science Museum,’ Leo said. ‘She likes it even more than this.’
Leo called the driver to collect us from one of the side streets bordering the Tower gardens. As we walked through the darkening city, he put his mouth next to my ear. ‘Don’t stop, keep walking, don’t look back.’
I did as he said. We walked on a few metres without him, then Simone stopped dead. I pulled her hand, but she refused to move. She shook my hand free and ran back. I hurried to follow her, but she had stopped.
Leo was facing off against three young Chinese men. All of them appeared strong and muscular and they were concentrating on Leo.
‘Move back, Emma,’ Leo said without looking at me. ‘Take Simone back out of the way.’
I did as he said. I thought about running, but I didn’t know how many more of them might be waiting for us in the shadows.
In martial arts movies, the villains take on the hero one