Alexander II had complained that he did not have foie gras; the chef told him it was out of season. Not so for us on that evening. I have no idea how, but the staff managed to find foie gras in the summer. Every course was exquisite, but it was the simple preparation of the delicacy for which the czar had longed that brought me unprecedented bliss. It was smoother than butter in my mouth.
The party broke up quickly after dessert. Colin offered to escort me home and asked the waiter to get us a cab, but when we stepped out of the restaurant, I asked if we could walk instead. The evening was cool, and the air felt marvelous, especially after I had so thoroughly stuffed myself. The atmosphere of the city bore little similarity to that of London. In Paris one felt buoyed by a sweeping energy that intensified emotions, made colors softer, and seemed to make even the act of drawing breath a tactile pleasure.
“I mean it when I say I have no desire to return to London,” I said, looking up at the clear sky.
“I am quite in sympathy with you, although I would not discount the pleasures of London so completely. I do not think you have had the opportunity to thoroughly investigate them.”
“I know you are correct, but I cannot separate London from my mother, and until that is possible, I shall never be comfortable there.”
“I think if you agreed to marry an old, crusty duke with a large fortune, produced several dozen children, and asked for her advice on every possible occasion, you would get along with her famously.”
I laughed. “You appear to spend little time in England. What do you do?”
“Nothing too different from your husband.”
“You’ll forgive me, Mr. Hargreaves, but we weren’t married long. I can’t say that I really know what Philip did, other than hunt in Africa.”
“That certainly encompassed a lot of our time, although recently more of Ashton’s than my own.” His voice grew quiet as he spoke of his friend. “We determined, while at Cambridge, that we would visit every famous site from classical antiquity. Caused quite a scene in the harbor at Rhodes looking for the remains of the Colossus, which, I may point out, don’t appear to be there.”
“Misguided youth,” I said with a smile.
“Quite. I met that fellow Schliemann in Berlin, and he gave me excellent directions to the site he believes is ancient Troy.”
“Did you go there?”
“No. We started with the Colossus because we knew a chap at university who was headed for Cyprus and figured we could travel with him as far as Rhodes. After the next term, we went to Rome but soon became distracted from the project as we both took on more responsibilities.”
“I should love to see it.”
“Rome?”
“No, I quite prefer the Greeks. I’d like to go to Troy.”
Colin laughed. “I cannot picture you trudging through the Turkish countryside.”
“I thought you had liberal views on what women should be allowed to do. It’s not as if I were suggesting joining one of your hideous hunts. I imagine that there aren’t wild animals behind every rock in Turkey waiting to charge at helpless humans.”
“I wouldn’t object in principle to your going to Troy, but I will admit that I don’t view you as an adventurous type.” His eyes searched my own.
“Beast! You don’t know me at all.”
“Would you have the wardrobe?” He was laughing, and I realized he was teasing me.
“Isn’t Ephesus in Turkey? Perhaps I could visit there on the same trip. I’ll send you a note from the Temple of Artemis, where I assure you I will not appear in evening clothes.”
“I didn’t realize you had an interest in antiquity.”
“Philip inspired me.”
We had reached the rue de Rivoli and were nearly at the Meurice. “Let’s keep walking; I would like to see the river at night.” We turned away from the hotel and walked until we reached the Pont-Neuf. The air had grown chilly, and I had not worn even a light wrap; Colin stood near
The party broke up quickly after dessert. Colin offered to escort me home and asked the waiter to get us a cab, but when we stepped out of the restaurant, I asked if we could walk instead. The evening was cool, and the air felt marvelous, especially after I had so thoroughly stuffed myself. The atmosphere of the city bore little similarity to that of London. In Paris one felt buoyed by a sweeping energy that intensified emotions, made colors softer, and seemed to make even the act of drawing breath a tactile pleasure.
“I mean it when I say I have no desire to return to London,” I said, looking up at the clear sky.
“I am quite in sympathy with you, although I would not discount the pleasures of London so completely. I do not think you have had the opportunity to thoroughly investigate them.”
“I know you are correct, but I cannot separate London from my mother, and until that is possible, I shall never be comfortable there.”
“I think if you agreed to marry an old, crusty duke with a large fortune, produced several dozen children, and asked for her advice on every possible occasion, you would get along with her famously.”
I laughed. “You appear to spend little time in England. What do you do?”
“Nothing too different from your husband.”
“You’ll forgive me, Mr. Hargreaves, but we weren’t married long. I can’t say that I really know what Philip did, other than hunt in Africa.”
“That certainly encompassed a lot of our time, although recently more of Ashton’s than my own.” His voice grew quiet as he spoke of his friend. “We determined, while at Cambridge, that we would visit every famous site from classical antiquity. Caused quite a scene in the harbor at Rhodes looking for the remains of the Colossus, which, I may point out, don’t appear to be there.”
“Misguided youth,” I said with a smile.
“Quite. I met that fellow Schliemann in Berlin, and he gave me excellent directions to the site he believes is ancient Troy.”
“Did you go there?”
“No. We started with the Colossus because we knew a chap at university who was headed for Cyprus and figured we could travel with him as far as Rhodes. After the next term, we went to Rome but soon became distracted from the project as we both took on more responsibilities.”
“I should love to see it.”
“Rome?”
“No, I quite prefer the Greeks. I’d like to go to Troy.”
Colin laughed. “I cannot picture you trudging through the Turkish countryside.”
“I thought you had liberal views on what women should be allowed to do. It’s not as if I were suggesting joining one of your hideous hunts. I imagine that there aren’t wild animals behind every rock in Turkey waiting to charge at helpless humans.”
“I wouldn’t object in principle to your going to Troy, but I will admit that I don’t view you as an adventurous type.” His eyes searched my own.
“Beast! You don’t know me at all.”
“Would you have the wardrobe?” He was laughing, and I realized he was teasing me.
“Isn’t Ephesus in Turkey? Perhaps I could visit there on the same trip. I’ll send you a note from the Temple of Artemis, where I assure you I will not appear in evening clothes.”
“I didn’t realize you had an interest in antiquity.”
“Philip inspired me.”
We had reached the rue de Rivoli and were nearly at the Meurice. “Let’s keep walking; I would like to see the river at night.” We turned away from the hotel and walked until we reached the Pont-Neuf. The air had grown chilly, and I had not worn even a light wrap; Colin stood near
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