An odd shop

Alexandre opened the car door and reached out his hand to Lily. Her hand seemed so fragile in his. Carefully, she placed one of her little feet on the cobblestones. It reminded him of the danger that was now her constant companion. Every step she took could be her last. Was it worth all this. More and more often he found himself thinking how pointless his revenge might be. He knew he could never justify it if she would become another victim on his path of revenge. A nasty bitter taste lingered on his tongue. The past days had given him headaches, and he wondered when Claudio would bring his little Caligula from Italy. Worried, he let his eyes wander across the street. It already was dawning. Everything seemed quite normal. Passers-by strolled over the cobblestone pavement, in some shops the lights were already burning, while melodies and laughter were carried along by the wind. They stood in front of a small shop, rather inconspicuous. Delicate fabrics, seats and ribbons were skillfully displayed in the shop window. The cold air was tingling on his skin, while the smells of the city filled his nose. It conveyed the impression of idyll. Nevertheless, his tension did not ease. He pulled Lily closer, her body was so fine in his embrace as he directed her to the front door. She seemed so small and fragile.

Suddenly, Lily turned in his arms. Her eyes were gleaming clear, like two pure sapphires. "What are you so afraid of?"

In shock, he stared at her.

You! He was going to say. But the words did not pass his lips. He was afraid of making a mistake she would pay the price for. He forced a smile on his face. "Look, I'm smiling. I'm totally fine."

"You're smiling because you're terrified." Her words sliced right through his facade, ice-cold. Confusion crept up inside him.

His head dropped onto her shoulder, burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her familiar scent. Security. Alexandre breathed in and out, seconds passed before he could sort out the flood of thoughts in his head.

"Something happened..." He confessed to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He held her close. Felt her slight warmth in his arms. "I wonder..."

And then she did the simplest thing in the world. She leaned over and let her little hand slide over his mop of hair. She caressed his head tenderly. "Everything will be all right." She whispered softly onto his cheek. Her soft breath tingling sweetly on his skin as a decisive wind of calm blew through his innermost being and his world cracked open. "Tell me when you're ready." She whispered.

He could not allow de Cocieux to take a second life. He simply had to save her from that fate. It was his duty! With a calm expression, Alexandre thought that he should settle these issues with Cocieux and as soon as possible put an end to this. Right now, he couldn't do things without caring about consequences as he had in the past. After all, he now had a child and a wife. He felt responsible for his little family, after all, it was he who had involved them in this chaos. He swore to himself he would not abandon them. The events of the past, it absolutely couldn't be allowed to happen once more with Lily. So, he had to be very, very cautious and careful.

A bright ringing sounded as they entered the front door. It was a rather nondescript dress shop. Alexandre could hardly believe that his mother wanted to have Lily's wedding dresses made here. He narrowed his eyes as a rather plump little lady rushed over.

"Hello, the bride is here!" The elderly lady greeted them with a hearty laugh on her round face.

"And here we have the groom. I've been warned," the woman kept chirping. Alexandre drew his eyebrows together. Was his mother suffering from a lapse in taste? He was about to grab Lily and drag her out of the shop.

If, this woman represented her clothes, it wasn't a wise idea to waste his time here. He had to say she looked pretty unusual. Her short gray hair seemed to be disheveled by the wind, while the shrill frame of her glasses with flowers and glass stones rested on her bulbous nose. The sight of her white tunic top and the black cloth trousers did not make it much easier to digest his shock. To be honest, Alexandre had never seen a woman in trousers before. It was considered scorned. Only some women of the working class could afford to wear trousers in their work uniform. But certainly not a designer. Especially a designer who was trusted by his mother. Alexandre thought he had wandered into the wrong shop.

"The ladies de Valois and Clermont are waiting, together with your bridesmaids upstairs."

Alexandre tried to relax his muscles that had cramped around his shoulders. Damn it!

But Lily didn't seem to care. With a tender smile around her lips she greeted the paradise bird and followed her up the stairs. So Alexandre was saved of the decision to run away or to give the lady a strong leap of faith.