The English girl rolled her eyes and stuck out her hand to me. ‘I’m Kathryn, from London. You’ll get used to Clementine – she behaves as if all the world is a stage, that’s all.’
I laughed, liking both women on sight. ‘How do you two know each other?’
Clementine gave an airy shrug. ‘Kathryn lived in Paris when she took a perfumery class here a million years ago. Back then she ate the cherry clafoutis and she was a lot ’appier, I can tell you that.’
‘I studied here a few years back, but Clem would have you believe I’m in my twilight years or something. I might have imbibed more back then but people mature, they grow up. Well some of us do.’ She gave Clementine a pointed stare.
You could sense their comradery even though they mocked one another, something that was more for my benefit.
‘I’m Del, from Michigan, America.’ Not Del ’n’ Jen. Jen ’n’ Del. Gosh, that felt weird.
‘We know,’ Kathryn said, her eyes twinkling. ‘And rumor has it, you’re one to watch out for.’
I cocked my head, debating how to answer. ‘I don’t know about that.’ Better to downplay any skills they thought I had. I didn’t want them ganging up against me when the challenges began.
Kathryn folded her arms. ‘Don’t be so modest,’ she said, and flicked her hair. ‘We know all about you, your beloved nan taught you perfumery …’ The sentence was left hanging.
How did they know about me and Nan? We came from nowheresville …
‘Who told you?’
‘It’s not hard to find out information if you know where to look,’ Kathryn said. ‘Social media is a marvellous thing.’
‘Oui,’ Clementine cut in. ‘And so what if you ’ave ambition for eyeballs and a nose that could rival Anais Laurent …’
I laughed at her transparent attempt to get me to admit I was one of the main contenders. No chance I’d be that easily fooled. While it was clear they’d done some digging, they really didn’t know much in the scheme of things.
‘I think comparing me to Anais Laurent is stretching it a little.’ Anais Laurent had paved the way for female perfumers in what was once a man’s world. Her nose was legendary, and her perfumes still sold well despite being designed half a century ago. Every perfumer desired a formula so popular it lived on long after you’d left this mortal coil, just like Anais.
Clementine narrowed her heavily made-up eyes. ‘There’s no room for humble ’ere, Del. Better that you admit you’re in contention for the prize and then we can all play fair, non?’
Straight-shooting Clementine fascinated me, but I kept my game face on. ‘Of course! And I hope we can all be the best of friends.’
‘We already are.’ Clementine tossed her bag on the double bed closest to the balcony, the bed I’d already laid claim to. ‘So tell us,’ she said. ‘How did you find the selection process? Wasn’t it intense?’
I laughed. ‘You can say that again! Towards the end I didn’t think I’d make the cut. There were so many tests! And taking them on the fly on a video call …’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Right? My ’ands shook so bad on those video calls, it was lucky I didn’t drop my parfum and smash it to a million pieces. But look, we’re here! What made you enter, Del?’
I folded my arms, considering. ‘So many reasons: meeting the mysterious Lecléres, adventure, wanderlust …’ And the desire to win. ‘Perfumery has always been my happy place.’ Without Nan, I’d struggled to find the joy in creating, struggled to find the joy in anything, and Jen figured this competition might help me find my way back … Or had she orchestrated this so I’d be out of the way?
‘I see,’ said Clementine, drawing me back. ‘From what we ’eard, you had plans to open a perfumery boutique in New York, but your sister got cold feet. That must have been tough for you, especially as you’re so close. And she gave it all up for the love of a man …?’
I stood there dumbstruck, wondering how she could know such a thing. I wasn’t one to overshare, and I most certainly didn’t pour my sorrows out over social media. ‘How could you possibly know that, Clementine?’ I tried to sound relaxed, but the words came out clipped.
‘I ’appen to know a few people in Manhattan and they mentioned that you’d forfeited your bond for your cute little pop-up shop before you’d even set foot in New York. Tragique, non?’
I swallowed back sudden tears and turned away, pretending to hunt for something in my bag. What a stroke of fate that she’d known that part of my past. Giving up the pop-up shop had cut me to the quick but I couldn’t go to New York alone and without Jen’s half of the investment. Basically, the decision was all down to money – without her I just plain couldn’t afford it. And it hurt, knowing that prime piece of real estate would probably never be available again, not in my budget. Jen would have loaned me what she’d saved but I just couldn’t ask her. Not if she wasn’t joining me there.
‘Now ’ave I upset you?’ Clementine asked.
I pasted on a smile. ‘Not at all. I’m still going to New York, but first I wanted to see Paris.’ And win the money to go to New York … Did desperation shine in my eyes?
‘Right, well, we have to keep an eye on Anastacia, apparently she’s a little bit of a wizard when it comes to perfumes. I hear she’s notoriously egotistical though,’ Kathryn said, I think sensing a subject change was in order.
Quick as the click of fingers exhaustion hit me. Was it Clementine and her digging or the memories it conjured? I pulled my shoulders back – I was here to win, damn it, and win I would.
The girls were competitive but at least they weren’t shy about revealing it. They didn’t hide the fact they wanted to win the high stakes game and it was brave to show their hand so openly. Alliances aside, at least I knew what I was in for. Didn’t I?
Paris suddenly felt like a long way from Whispering Lakes …
‘I’m going to meet a friend before dinner,’ Clementine said, giving me a bawdy wink that helped ascertain the friend was of the male persuasion. ‘Back soon!’ She air kissed me and left, swinging her hips like a diva.
My phone buzzed and Jen’s name flashed. ‘Bonjour, Mademoiselle,’ I said, adopting a woefully bad French accent to mask the fact I didn’t quite know how to act with my sister any more. Such a foreign feeling, and one I hoped would fade.
‘Look at you, all Frenchified already!’ she said. I’d never been away from Jen before and now we were on entirely different continents. ‘So fill me in. How was the journey? Is Paris as beautiful as they say?’
Falling back on the bed, I launched into story mode as if nothing had changed and I wasn’t disappointed in her. I told her every little thing except the part about stepping into oncoming traffic and the gorgeous stranger I’d locked eyes with for the briefest moment. No need for her to worry about me in the big bad world.
‘So no hot men? The pilot, the driver, the Leclére staff? I bet they’re all gorgeous in that broody French way?’
I tutted, ‘I’m not here for love, Jen. As you well know.’ And it was a bit of a sore point considering …
She huffed. ‘Surely there’s time for a little romance in the city of love?’
‘City of light,’ I corrected. She knew how important