LITMIR.BIZ

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padded into the room right on cue, wearing what Emma recognized as one of Melanie’s hats. Emma went to her daughter and scooped her up for a kiss before turning back to Jacqueline.

      “You may wish you could have switched places with me by Sunday. I have a feeling this little one is going to keep you quite busy.”

      Jacqueline opened her arms, and Avery wiggled free of her mother to vault herself into them.

      Emma watched them and wondered if her words would be truer for herself. What if this weekend didn’t go well, and she found herself wishing she had stayed home with Avery instead?

      * * *

      THE NEXT DAY, Emma stood before the eighteenth-century château and simply stared. The others were unloading from the van they had rented to bring them from the train station, their voices overlapping in a melody of excitement, but she was transfixed by the elegant stone facade with diamond-grid windows in front of the circular drive. The exterior of their weekend home displayed an air of old-world charm coupled with new-world adornment in the form of a contemporary white entry door and topiary shrubs in classic stone pots. She relaxed a bit, seeing this inviting atmosphere. She may have been uncertain about the trip to the countryside—feeling guilty for leaving Avery in her grandmother’s care and uncertain about spending so much time in Cole’s company. But now, seeing the welcoming sight of the château, she thought perhaps the next few days might not be so bad.

      As the others came up behind her, they began to offer compliments on the grounds, equally as enamored with their surroundings as she was. They dropped their luggage on the lawn as Marc approached the front door and Cole came up behind her.

      “Not too bad,” he remarked from beside her, “but I thought it would be bigger. Like a castle.”

      Emma resisted the urge to laugh. “A château served as a manor house for the landed gentry. Though some were large enough to be castles, many were simply large country homes, such as this one.”

      Just then, their host opened the front door in response to Marc’s knocking.

      “Bonjour! I am René Denis,” the man said in French. “I assume you are the party from the city, Aquitaine Enterprises?”

      Emma quickly translated this for Cole as Marc politely requested the gentleman switch to English, if possible, in deference to their American boss.

      “Oui, but of course. Come, bring your bags and place them in the front hall so I can give you the tour.”

      They each hefted their luggage and followed Marc into the cool interior of the house. Leaving their bags in the entry area, they were given a quick overview of the château’s first floor. There was a lounge area with quaint furniture and wooden beams adjacent to a game and TV room, a Provençal-style kitchen with a cozy table for intimate meals, as well as a larger dining hall and laundry facilities in the back of the house.

      René explained the schedule of meals and then suggested they retrieve their luggage and follow him up to the first floor. There were a total of six bedrooms, each with a private bath, meaning everyone would have their own room. They quickly claimed their quarters and René announced he would give them a half hour to unpack and settle in before they should join him in the kitchen for lunch and then further orientation.

      Left to their own devices, they retreated to their respective rooms. Emma was glad to have grabbed one of the middle-size bedrooms near the top of the stairs. Rather than unpack, Giselle joined her. They commented on the beauty of their surroundings.

      The view from Emma’s bedroom window revealed a spacious stone-paved patio as well as a glimpse of a sparkling lake. Emma had also read there were hiking and bicycle trails, a nearby outdoor activities course, a forest chapel and, of course, the lake for swimming and fishing.

      “We must tell Julien this should be an annual event,” Giselle announced as she stretched out on Emma’s bed.

      Despite the charming setting, Emma remained skeptical on that score. “Let’s wait and see what’s in store for us before we sign up for anything regular,” she said.

      “Don’t be so worried, Emma. It’s going to be a perfect weekend.”

      Emma hurriedly hung her clothes in the wardrobe and placed her cosmetic bag in the bath. She checked her watch. “I’m going to call Avery before lunch and the orientation. I’ll meet you downstairs in a bit.”

      “Suit yourself,” Giselle replied with another stretch and peered out the window once more as Emma grabbed her cell phone and headed for the door.

      * * *

      EMMA ENDED THE phone call and allowed her shoulders to sag with relief. Now that she had spoken to both Avery and Jacqueline, she felt as if she could enjoy the rest of the day. She wasn’t accustomed to leaving Avery for a whole weekend at a time, and she’d grown a little uneasy during the train ride as she imagined everything that could happen in her absence.

      Now that she had heard Avery’s voice and received Jacqueline’s reassurances, she determined to lay her worries to rest and focus on the retreat. She was just pocketing her phone as she turned and caught sight of Cole coming around the side of the house.

      “Checking in with your daughter?”

      “Yes,” she admitted and then noticed he was holding his cell phone. “You?” She gestured.

      “Just letting Julien know we arrived.”

      They came to a stop at the château’s front door. “It’s a lovely estate, and René seems like a competent host. Julien must have done his research,” he observed.

      “He always does. Julien is decidedly thorough.”

      Cole eyed her after this statement. “I never meant to imply he isn’t.”

      Belatedly, she realized how defensive her words had sounded.

      “I admire Julien,” Cole went on, “and despite any misgivings I might have about being in France, I’m honored to be working with him thanks to this merger.”

      “I’m...glad to hear it since I’m pretty fond of Julien myself.”

      The conversation stalled, and Emma folded her arms awkwardly.

      “So, you ready for this?” Cole asked.

      “I guess so. How about you?”

      Cole shrugged. “After lunch and the orientation, René said our first activity will be at a nearby ropes activity course. He said the purpose of the exercise is to give us ‘the opportunity to bond as a team and find our spirit of camaraderie.’”

      Emma couldn’t help grinning at how Cole repeated René’s words, imitating the man’s French accent.

      “Sounds like René is determined to unite us.” She didn’t add that he might have his work cut out for him. While she got along with her coworkers well enough, none of them had ever participated in an event like this and certainly not with the intention of bonding with a new boss.

      She cleared her throat. “Did Lillian ever send you on a corporate retreat before?”

      He shook his head. “This is a first for me. I have to admit, I’m curious to see how it goes.”

      “Me, too.”

      Just then, René opened the front door and called them in for lunch. Cole gestured for her to go ahead of him into the house, and she followed René into the château’s dining room.

      Lunch was served on a table laid with chipped, antique plates and elegant silverware wrapped in linen napkins. The dishes were simple but delicious: quiche Lorraine with salty bacon and creamy egg custard nestled in a puff pastry; salad with crisp, fresh vegetables in a tangy red wine vinaigrette; and several varieties of cheese along with still-warm, round loaves of peasant bread and a jar of local honey.

      Famished after their train ride to the countryside and further transportation in the rental

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