Shadows of Paris by Eric D. Lehman

Author:Eric D. Lehman [Lehman, Eric D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Homebound Publications
Published: 2016-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

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On Monday another note arrived in my box at the École, longer this time, in Lucy’s exquisite handwriting.

“Dear William. I am so sorry for what happened to our day. Paul was home this weekend, and after a huge argument, he insisted on meeting you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you more about him before, but as you witnessed, he can be quite jealous. I was so hoping you would have left already, and then I could have explained everything to you later. Most weekends he is not in Paris, even though his business classes are during the week. He has what my parents in Massachusetts would call a ‘rich social life.’ This must seem like a small problem to you, having gone through a divorce. But you can see why your friendship has meant so much to me these past weeks. I hope you can forgive me, and I would like to try again this Saturday. If you can bear it, please come by the Rose Saturday morning at our usual time. Lucy”

Of course I went. I wasn’t a complete jerk. I bought coffee and croissants and showed up at her little bookstore fifteen minutes early. The door was locked, and I waited outside, until Lucy popped into the street.

“Isn’t the store open today?” I asked.

“Ma mère will do that soon.” Lucy took the coffee and bit heartily into the croissant. “We’ll go east today, if you don’t mind.”

“Sounds good,” I said, smiling.

Lucy smiled back. “Thanks for coming, by the way.”

We wound out of the Marais labyrinth and through the Place de la Bastille, discussing the merits and defects of the enormous glass and steel opera house. Then we turned up the Rue de la Roquette, where Lucy detoured into a flower shop. “We have to make a quick stop.” She purchased a small bouquet, and we continued along the avenue, talking about our shared ignorance of European architecture. She told me about visiting the Navarres’ country house near Orléans for the first time. “It’s not exactly a mansion, but it’s big enough to house a large family and their goats. The first time I went, Paul’s grandparents were still alive. They were so sweet to me and spent that year of weekends teaching me old French recipes.”

“I’ve been trying a few of those myself,” I said. “But I haven’t had an authentic instructor to help me along.”

“Well, maybe…” Lucy stopped herself. “Anyway, they died shortly after that, and their funeral was when the Navarres formally invited me to be part of their family.”

“How’s that?”

“Well, it wasn’t maybe as formal as you’re thinking. But they offered me a place at their table every night, and turned one of the rooms at the house into a permanent space for me.”

I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were walking, and as Lucy turned through an open gate, I looked up and saw a hill of crypts unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was an actual city of the dead, with cobbled avenues lines with elaborate tombs.

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