“So we’re headed to Tahoe, right?” she asked. It had to be Tahoe because that’s where her parents lived.
“Yes.” Andre caressed her face. “Are you feeling all right?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not nervous about telling your parents?”
“You’re not?”
“Of course I’m not.” Andre grinned. “They love me.”
“That they do.”
Tasha had taken a page from Camille’s play book, insisting that she and Andre marry before leaving the States. And since they were going to marry before heading to France, she wanted do it in Tahoe, with her parents at her side.
The way Tasha saw it, Andre didn’t have anything to lose if they got to France and he was talked out of the marriage. If she was going to give up her apartment and quit her job, she wanted some reassurance that when they got to France she wouldn’t be shown the door by the de Laurent faction.
Not that she thought Andre would do that to her. He’d never do anything to hurt her, not on purpose anyway. But emotions were running high, what with the baby and all.
Andre was an honorable man. She knew that. She also knew he was trying to do the right thing. In the light of day, Maurice—who might not be as on board with this baby adventure as Andre thought—stood a pretty good chance of talking Andre out of marrying Tasha. It was, after all, something that until now Andre himself hadn’t been in favor of doing with anyone. Ever.
That’s why Tasha had asked that they marry before leaving America. In her mind, it would be a lot harder to show a wife the door rather than a fiancé.
“Mon trésor…” Andre fingered her bangs back out of her face. “Why the long face? Are you unhappy?”
Tasha closed her eyes and shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m very happy.” She opened her eyes back up and looked at him. “I’m just a little nervous.”
“But why?” Andre fiddled with his tie. “I know you think you’re giving up your dream to marry me and have our baby, but that’s just not true.”
“My dream?” She narrowed her eyes.
“You want to be an actress.”
“Well, yeah…I did.”
“If you want to be an actress,” he said. “I will make that happen.”
“I don’t know, Andre.” She dragged her fingers through her hair. “It just doesn’t seem that important anymore.” She shrugged and tilted her head to one side. “People’s dreams can change right along with the circumstances.”
She supposed that’s what happened to Andre, too. He’d gotten a new dream, just like she had. And that’s why she was on this plane about to head to Tahoe to marry him.
“There’s something I want to tell you.” His demeanor became quieter, less animated. He reached for her hand and cut his gaze away from her.
This was starting to sound an awful lot like a confession. And confessions were rarely good. Fear knotted in Tasha’s gut. “If you’ve changed your mind,” she said behind jittery nerves, “you’d better talk to the pilot before he takes off.”
Andre laughed, loud and hearty. “I’m not changing my mind.” He shook his head. “Remember the house we went to see? For my sister?”
“The one she inherited from your uncle?”
Andre nodded. “I need to tell you about my inheritance.”
“Okay…” The word fell off her lips. Tasha wasn’t sure what Andre’s inheritance had to do with her, but considering that his inheritance would someday lead to her own child’s inheritance, she supposed she had a right to the details. Immediately, she felt the need to reiterate her position, and said, “I’ll sign any prenup you want. I know you’ll provide for our child.”
“The prenup will be fair to both you and our child. But that’s not what this is about.” He paused long enough to catch his breath. “My uncle, or rather my mother’s uncle, Edouard Renault, didn’t have any children. Julian and I were his nearest living relatives.”
“So he wasn’t a blood relation to Lecie? But he left her a house anyway,” Tasha said. “That’s so cool.”
“Oh, not just a house. Fifty million to go with it.” In just a few words, Andre’s demeanor had gone from edgy and uncertain to lighthearted and amusing.
“Fifty million?” The words caught in her throat and she started hyperventilating.
Andre’s carefree demeanor stepped aside, in favor of a new, take-charge disposition. “Bring us some water, Simon.”
Without a word, Simon delivered a chilled glass and a bottle of water. Andre took them, thanked Simon, then poured a bit of the water into the glass and handed it to Tasha. “Simon, inform Barkley to prepare for take-off.”
“Right away, sir.” Simon stepped back, turned and headed through the cabin door.
“I’m sorry.” Tasha paused to sip the cool water. “Fifty million dollars is way beyond my comprehension.”
“As my wife, you should get used to it.” He fastened Tasha into her safety belt, then searched for his own.
“Why? Did you and Julian inherit fifty million too?”
“Julian did. But I inherited much, much more.” He paused to click his belt in place. “I inherited the bulk of my uncle’s fortune. There’s a conglomerate, Mont Claire Enterprises, which includes Riviera Hotels and Draco Studios among its holdings.”
Andre looked at Tasha, probably waiting for her to say something, but she couldn’t. She was flabbergasted. She had to say something, though. The last thing she wanted Andre to think was that she couldn’t handle his world. “So…” Her tone was weak, so she cleared her throat before continuing. “I guess I don’t have to worry about whether or not you can take care of me in the style I’m accustomed to.” She capped it off with an uncertain laugh.
Tasha had never had the luxury of not having to worry about next month’s rent, groceries, and utilities. This was going to be a new experience for her. One she hoped she didn’t muck up too terribly.
Her wit was one of the things Andre loved about Tasha. Even when she was nervous, she had an innate ability to see humor in most situations.
She drew in a deep sigh, then said, “Well, I suppose there’s one good thing that can come from this.”
“And what’s that?” Andre asked, loosening his safety belt now that the airplane had reached its cruising altitude.