Free Gift of the Black Virgin by Serena Janes Page B

their get-togethers with Daniel around which dog was where,
and when.
    But if that’s the least of my worries, I
shouldn’t complain.
    There was one other little concern that
plagued him, however. When he’d happened to glance at the real
estate listings Joanna had put together, he was surprised at the
high price tags on most of the properties. Of course they’d
discussed the kind of house and land they wanted, and he thought
she was wasting her time looking at houses they couldn’t possibly
afford.
    One evening, the two of them sat at the
dining table, enjoying a cozy fire. Jo had served a slice of veal
terrine studded with pieces of fois gras and a glass of Monbazillac before dinner. The succulent aroma of roast
capon filled the house, causing Luc’s mouth to water. Joanna’s
cooking was really coming along, he thought.
    It seemed the right time to broach the
subject of expensive real estate. He picked up the stack of
listings and pretended to flip through them casually.
    They were arranged in order of price, the
least expensive on top, but he noticed that only a few fell into
their price range. Anna was going to buy his share of their
property, and Joanna had listed her condo, but even then there
wasn’t going to be a huge amount to put towards the new house. He
didn’t want to take on a big mortgage, considering they had only
his salary, at the moment. Then there was Daniel, and the costs of
raising another child or two, when the time came.
    “Some of these places are much bigger than
what we’ve discussed,” he said, getting right to the point. “And
more expensive.” He took a drink and looked at Joanna carefully,
not wanting to offend or disappoint her. They’d agreed that a small
acreage, with a medium-sized house in good repair, would suit them
perfectly.
    To his surprise, she smiled, took the papers
out of his hand and fanned them flat on the table in front of her.
Then she said softly, “Yes. But there’s something I haven’t told
you.”
    He felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Where
money was concerned, he didn’t like surprises. Already he’d seen
Joanna spending a lot on non-essentials. A few days ago she’d come
home from the supermarket with over a kilo of the priciest terrines
and pâtés . He knew better than to ask what they cost.
    Then there was her wedding dress. It was
perfect for her, he had to admit. But when he saw the price tag he
had to bite his lip.
    True—she paid for these things with her own
money, but still…
    “What don’t I know, Cherie ?” he asked
tentatively, smearing another bit of meat onto his bread.
    “I, um, I mentioned that when the condo sells
I’m expecting about six hundred thousand US, right?”
    “Right,” he answered, nodding. That would be
more than he would get from Anna, but he was okay with that. He had
a little extra put away for moving expenses and incidentals.
    “And?” he asked.
    “Well, I haven’t mentioned the other
money.”
    “What other money?” He swallowed his food
with some difficulty, feeling his body tense.
    “My inheritance.”
    “Oh.”
    From her father. Of course.
    “I never said anything because it seemed kind
of too soon, you know?”
    He nodded again.
    “I mean, he’s been dead only a few months.
And it’ll take at least another few for the money to come
through.”
    He saw the tears in her eyes and decided to
keep quiet.
    “But as soon as I get it, I’ll start the
process of getting it transferred to my account here. And then I
want to put it all into the new place.”
    Luc blinked in surprise. She wasn’t crying,
but her face had grown serious. For a moment, he couldn’t think of
anything to say. Then he shook his head, staring at the pile of
listings on the table. “Are you going to tell me how much you’re
expecting?”
    “He left my sister and me exactly one million
dollars. Each.” Joanna said softly, raising a hand to tuck a stray
lock of hair behind her ear. His own hand reached to rub his jaw
line