5The children of the village school were blissfully en vacances. Though she missed their high spirits and happy noise, Caroline was looking forward to bringing some real order to Tristan Séverin’s office now that the pressure of the school year was finished. She was dressed in her customary crisp white shirt and tailored skirt, paired with low heels—a flattering, professional outfit. She wore little makeup, but hardly anyone would say it was missed, as her bone structure was striking and her color lively.
She did not see Tristan’s car in the small lot for the school. She often teased him about being lazy for driving, since he and his wife lived in the village and he certainly could have walked. But Tristan insisted that his car was his refuge, the one place he could sit and have a private
