Interlude in Provence

Interlude in Provence

She sat across the table from me. Exquisitely dressed, taut with energy, compact but wary, hiding her eyes behind very dark glasses. I held her gaze, or what might be her gaze behind the glasses.

"You've tracked me down. Why?"

She knew why. I was the aggressive young male hired as an aide/chauffer/bodyguard for one of her parties who had stumbled onto a secret that was very precious. Actually, I now possessed a set of secrets that could unravel her entire family relations and fortune.

We were sitting on a sunny terrace at the guesthouse owned by one of her cousins in the town of Digne, an administrative center in Provence with history measured in millennia. At one time, her family was royalty in the House of Savoy. But 19th Century treachery, part of the absorption of Savoy by the French Republic, had ended all that. What remained was an industrial fortune centered in Turin, and an extended family occupying over a dozen important landholdings and minor castles in France and Italy.

As I sat silently, letting these details run through my mind, her shoulders twitched in irritation. I finally responded, "There are interesting things I have come to know about you."

"I gathered that from your note. If this is ordinary blackmail, what number did you have in mind?"

I reached for my beer as she sipped from a glass of kir. The disparity in our drinks framed us, I thought. The half-American kid from Paris matched to the elegant woman whose principal home was in Milan, but who seldom spent many nights in one place.

"What I have learned suggests that our conversation may be extended. Possibly as long as a week."

She had no doubt scrambled to investigate as much of my background as the three days between the receipt of my note and this meeting allowed.

I, on the other hand, had used almost a month to fill out my knowledge of her.

"Bastard! That is impossible."

I wore a wide brimmed hat to shield me from the hot sun, but there was no doubt that she could see my smile. A forced enough smile that she knew there were many more chips on my side of the table than on hers.

"I propose that you clear your calendar for several days and arrange for the family cottage which sits to our west to be provisioned for a similar period. Then we will both agree that our security details are to be stationed a minimum of five kilos from the cottage. There will be bicycles but not automobiles near the cottage for the same five kilo distance."

Her lips were a firm straight line of anger and impatience. "No. Non. Never."

I turned my head to look at a lush field of lavender beyond the houses across the street. The aroma filled the air, but I doubted Alexandra appreciated it. She held an engineering degree from the university in Milan, mostly to please her father, and a business degree from the international school in Geneva, to please herself and expand career options. To be more exact, the degrees were part of a so far well orchestrated plan to place her at a nexus of French-Italian anti-corruption efforts. Of course, in a region with such a history of plot and counter plot as Provence, there were additional sidelines to be explored.

"Alex, do not be stubborn. It demeans a smart woman such as yourself. The material in my possession is much more serious than ordinary blackmail. You will make the requested arrangements and you will do it within the hour."

"I could pick up the phone and have you shot."

I didn't doubt that she could. But would she? Wheels were turning behind the opaque glasses. Did he have retribution in place for any violence of hers? Were there documents ready to mail in event of his disappearance?

"That would not be a good idea. The consequences would be worse than dealing with me directly."

We each sipped our drink and allowed the silence to grow.

"There has to be a time certain at which we reappear on this terrace."

"I will agree to that. Pick a time at least three days in the future."

"Noon on Wednesday."

"Agreed. At what hour shall I approach the cottage, finding you already there?"

We rose and I left a generous amount for the cousin's server.

"Arrive at five tomorrow. I will provide cocktails and you will provide a list of your demands."

"Alex, two cautions."

She turned back to look at me. "No games with weapons going to the cottage. My people already have the route under surveillance. And no games with the kitchen. I will do the cooking, and we will savor the same delectable menu."

She turned without saying anything and walked up the street to her Maserati.

I texted an all clear to my helpers and set a meeting for an hour hence.

The four of us sat in a dive in the lower part of town. We didn't stand out, but the regulars knew we were outsiders. It didn't matter. Patrons drank their liquor and minded their business.

"Colin, what are we up to?"

Jack was my younger brother. He and his friends Ritchie and Jim were my security detail, all three of them hired out of their grad school summer break.

"I have identified a possible source of badly needed income. But she is very smart and resents being blackmailed, especially by an American, even if I have French roots."

"So we are here to enjoy the countryside and protect you from attack by a smart and wealthy female?"

"More or less. I need to do some applied persuasion, and told her she was required to host me in a cottage a few miles out of town. And both of us are required to keep helpers at a distance."

Ritchie asked, "We are part of your bluff? We are to look tough and ready to take out her bodyguards?"

"If you wouldn't mind. I know the pay is not adequate..."

My brother was not sure whether he was amused or not. "Colin, if genuine bodyguards show up and this party goes south, you will suffer..."

"Thank you for reminding me, Jack. She is a prize worth taking a few risks to capture."

Before they could decide my risks were not their risks, I ordered another round and offered to fund dinner.

* * *

The next afternoon, using the map on my phone, I stopped the car at the 5K distance I had specified to Alexandra and got out. I rehearsed the emergency plan with the team and hoisted a backpack heavy with food and drink as protection against whatever she had done about provisioning. With a quick wave, I started down the shady lane leading toward the de Costanza family cottage. According to the satellite map, this was the only vehicular access to the cottage complex, so Alex and her helpers were either ahead of me, as ordered, or coming along behind in a bit. Five kilometers was about three miles, a distance which gave me time to consider Alexandra's state of mind.

She was smart enough to realize that anger was no help in a situation where her adversary appeared intelligent and well informed. Probably, she was constructing a mental decision tree, as was I. I smiled to myself. Perhaps we could turn the two trees over to an AI agent and become bystanders. A mechanistic chess game, but with tangible assets on the table. Large and tangible assets. The de Costanza's, according to my sleuthing, were several times billionaires.

The cottage sat in the midst of some sheds and outbuildings, surrounded by fields of lavender. Would have seemed ordinary, except for the meticulous grooming of the garden and paths. The front door opened into a large living space, with a kitchen extension to one side.

"Hello, Colin, I am here as requested."

She was sitting in an armchair next to the empty fireplace, a glass of something in her hand.

"Hello to you, Alexandra, I will take a minute to put away the perishables."

The kitchen was modern and complete. I had shopped for two full days, and leftovers beyond that. There was an island with a washing sink. I was watched in silence, until she came across the room and offered me a pour from a bottle that looked like the one from which her own glass came. I accepted and gently tapped my glass to hers. If I was lucky, there was nothing nasty in it.

"Are we celebrating something, Colin?" Her gaze was serene. Whatever threat I was, she was prepared to deal with it. I gestured to a stool. "Some cheese? A cracker perhaps?" She received the offer in silence while I finished my work.

I fixed a plate of soft cheese and crackers, walking to the French doors opening to a patio. "Come, let's enjoy the view and the fine weather."

She sat easily and returned my gaze. Tailored black trousers, topped by a gray wool turtleneck. Expensive leather trail shoes with wool socks. A sensible outfit for an athletic woman who might need to make a run for it. I wondered idly how many yards I would need to bring her down. Not many.

The wine was excellent. Properly chilled, light and fragrant. I gestured to the glass and asked, "From the family vineyards?"

"Yes. One of my uncles is obsessed with grapes. The family subsidizes him and receives this bounty of the earth in return."

She was exceedingly well spoken. Went with the self image of a woman of the world.

"Alsatian in character. From the high Tirol? Occasionally there is noble rot and a special vintage?"

"Where did a rude American like you learn about wine?"

That brought a smile to my face. Under other circumstances, she could be flirting. I doubted that was the case today.

"My mother died in childbirth. I was raised in Paris by her mother and had wine with my meals from an early age."

"Your father remarried?"

"Not for many years. He buried himself in work and rose rapidly in the Foreign Service. He went wherever the need was and my grandparents looked after me."

"You are very sturdy, where did that come from?"

"My grandfather was an athlete. One of the best tennis players in France. Until he was thirty, he was indulged by his family. After that, they demanded marriage and a position in the industrial company. He saw to my sports training. But you must already know this?"

"Fragments only." She hesitated, and went on. "What is it we need to discuss? And why will it take more than an hour or two?"

For a minute, I sipped the wine and enjoyed the birds singing in the trees around us.

"As I said in the village, I have learned interesting things about you. There is the surface Alexandra, enjoying life and representing the family interests well. There is a deeper layer, connected to officials in the Provence Department, which assists in the quiet elimination of criminals. And there is a deeper layer yet, connected in some way to the national security apparatus."

The beautiful face, whose skin was still unlined, frowned. "You cannot possibly have discovered all that on your own. Who are you working for and what do they want?"

She was either very good at concealment, or did not actually know what I was about. Did not know the inner streak of anger at the world that drove me.

"You see, these revelations take time to uncover. I need to know more about you, and you need to know more about me."

Her body had become tense. "To what end?"

"That, my dear Alexandra, we shall spend the next days exploring."

I rose. "Kitchen duties call. There is a small roast to prepare for the oven. Would cocktails at six and dinner at seven please you? Or is that timing too gauche American?"

She rose to my side, taking a hand and kissing it. "You really are a devil. Wine and dine the target? I am very sorry that my evening gown did not accompany me."

The eyes had a smile. The wheels turning behind them had decided to relax and see what the American with Parisian varnish was up to.

I squeezed the muscled shoulder. "Find your bed and take a nap."

She still held my hand. The eyes were serious and inquiring, "Is my body at risk?"

Fingers tightened on the shoulder. After a pause, "No, beautiful Alexandra, your body is not at risk."

She walked to the far doorway to the other wing, leaving me wondering whether her methods included the use of that body and its charms. I had been warned off, but as she asked, "To what end?"

* * *

The lamb roast was too much meat for two, but the extra would provide sandwiches later. There was an excellent roasting pan, into which also went potatoes. The asparagus was expensive, but too good to pass up. I had fresh lettuce for salad, and chocolate eclairs for dessert.

Dressing for dinner meant a fresh blouse for Alexandra, and a cleaner shirt for me. I inquired, "Gin or Vodka?"

The ambiance was beginning to get to her. "Vodka please. Alcohol is required for us to get down to business?"

It was too warm for a fire, but we sat in the armchairs to each side. I raised my glass, "Here is to your good health, Alex."

After a pause to relish the high quality burn of my gin, I said, "To put your mind at rest, I am hoping to become a helper in your empire."

She choked and sputtered. "Blackmailing your way into my endeavors? How does that work?"

Her face was a delightful pink, the brows furrowed. I wanted to take her in my arms in the worst way, but there would be considerable persuasion before that event.

"One, I have to convince you of my potential value. Two, I have to convince you I can be trusted."

"Impossible!" She used the French pronunciation with vehemence.

Leaving her word hanging in the air, I rose to carve and serve the dinner. In the American manner, everything at once.

There was a refinished Provincial dining table for four persons. I had found sterling in a drawer to grace the beautiful table. While I worked on the meal, Alex quickly gathered a few flowers by the door and placed them into a simple vase to make a fine ensemble.

From a closet, she extracted a well aged bottle of Burgundy and opened it. The color in the proper glasses from a cupboard was fine.

I held her chair, which she didn't expect. After a few bites, she acknowledged, "This is excellent. My mother would look at you and look at me and ask silently with her expression why I was not pursuing you."

"You are one of the most eligible women in France. Or for that matter, Italy. Will there ever be room for romance in your life?"

"I am not answering that question. What about your love life?"

"I was almost married once. Still haven't decided whether that was good or bad."

"What happened to her?"

"The family said I had no money and no prospects. She needed to find a man with money she could love."

"How long did that take?" Alex almost grinned at me.

"Three years. Princeton plus Yale Law plus eight figures in a trust."

"Is she happy?"

"How does one find that out? No one tells the truth. She does have a healthy set of twins from last fall."

That did not please my hostess. "What is it about men that the measure of a woman is healthy babies?"

"There was a time when the future of the species depended on healthy babies."

She grimaced, "Yes, you are right, I suppose. But in these changed times, with far too many babies here and there, can't we do better by intelligent, hardworking females?"

Like the last strong statement, I left this one hanging in the air as I rose to fix the coffee and serve the dessert. She cleared the table, making grumpy noises.

"Will it help if I say I admire the brilliant, hard working, youngest female of the de Costanza family?"

She nudged me with her hip. "No, absolutely not. I am a virtual prisoner in my own cottage!"

I headed toward the bedroom wing with plates and silver. She followed with coffee, pointing to her room.

"You shouldn't be in here, but you did say you weren't going to attack."

Once we were situated, I leaned carefully over and lightly kissed her forehead. "You just took a baby step toward trusting me."

"Ridiculous. You are threatening much worse things than a visit to my body."

"Speaking of ridiculous, these eclairs are ridiculously sinful."

"You have a very smooth way about you, Colin. If we were here for other reasons, I might be thinking of taking my mother's advice."

She was warming up. I needed to take another step forward. It helped that twilight was fading and the fine meal had made us drowsy. I slipped under the duvet and closed my eyes.

Her hand found a tuft of hair to pull. "What is this? You look far too comfortable in MY bed."

"You just accused me of seduction, whereas your own flirting is as bad. I am exhausted from dealing with that sharp mind. May I doze here?"

She slipped next to me under the duvet. "I can't imagine why I am allowing this. You could smother me in the blink of an eye in the dark of the night."

I turned into her back and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. She relaxed into my warmth and mumbled, "Terrible."

She woke me in the night. We had turned over, and now it was her arm holding me tight. I made a little noise and fell back asleep.

"You don't deserve this, but..." The cafe was strong and black. Hers was white. She smelled of fresh shower gel and wore an embroidered robe. Back under the coverlet, she said, "Are you ever going to stop your nonsense and talk to me seriously?"

I wondered if she had ever been half naked in bed with a man threatening her well organized and secret world of cloak and dagger.

I sipped the steaming brew and took a deep breath. "I suppose it is time to admit we both have ties to the world of spies."

She stared across at me, "I admit no such thing."

I stared back and she finally said, under her breath, "Damn, I should have known."

I ventured to the kitchen to unearth the place where yesterday's fresh croissant were buried. Butter and jam and croissant were delivered to the woman still muttering in the bed with early sun slashing across it. She looked adorable bundled in the delicate embroidery.

"You look very attackable in that fabulous robe."

"Yes. It was my mother's. I lusted after it for years before she made it a birthday present. Part of her campaign to get me thinking about romance."

"What if it makes Colin think about romance?"

"I'm still not talking to you. Especially not about that!"

I had a moment of disappointment before noticing that her arms were outstretched, reaching for me. It was no trouble at all to fall into them, narrowly avoiding the plate of pastry.

"This is not going according to script. Not at all."

"What if we call off the dogs and go for a hike? There is a lot to discuss, and we don't need any listeners. Do you ever scan places like this?"

I got another kiss before she sat up. "Did I miss something? Have we had a lover's quarrel and patched it all up?"

"I thought we had reached agreement in principle to combine forces?"

She stood angrily in the sunlight and threw the robe at me. The light and shadow across her curves and protrusions was wonderful. I instantly needed my camera.

"Combine forces?! I suppose you want to use that awful prick on my defenseless socket?"

The eyes were laughing. I stood and tossed my sweats at her. The awful prick was fully erect and pointing at its intended victim. Instead of racing away, she jumped forward and flattened me on the bed.

"I don't succumb to males this easily. If you have the right answers on our hike, there might be rewards at the end." Her fist gripped the prong and squeezed as hard as she could.

I walked us to the patio, grabbing my phone and wrapping her in my arms. The phone was answered on the first ring.

"Colin, I hope you are calling to turn us loose. She looks magnificent!"

Alex was squirming violently. "Let me loose, horrible man. I don't do nude studies on the patio!"

I dropped my arms and she promptly jumped into them and kissed me fiercely.

"What will they think now?"

"They don't know what I am up to in detail. I suspect they think they were hired to support your seduction."

"That requires that you put me down and I slap you as hard as I can."

Slowly, I complied. She did a wonderful job of screaming hateful words at me along with the slap. A quick push had us inside where the sting was softened by a hot wet kiss.