The Royal Romance - By My Side

What's the worst that can happen?

The fashion show wasn't really Maxwell's afternoon activity of choice on arriving in Paris, but it had given him something interesting to put in his daily update to Jen, which he'd tacitly tapped out while the models strutted up and down. He'd told her all about the fashlanthropic purpose of the activity and had allowed Jen to congratulate him on somehow convincing Madeleine that Bertrand had dealt with House Beaumont's donation (which he hadn't).

He'd also told her about the argument Hana and Madeleine had had last night at Madeleine's bachelorette party. Something to do with chocolate? Whatever, Hana was really upset. Jen had not been very impressed and had decided Madeleine needed to be brought down a peg or two. Maxwell wasn't volunteering for that particular job, but he said he'd bear it in mind. After all, if things went as planned in New York, Jen was definitely going to be putting Madeleine's nose out of joint.

Finally, he'd told her where he'd been planning to go tonight; where he was now. As usual, he'd got the reminder that he needed to convince Savannah to tell her brother and Bertrand where she was. For the sake of the little chunky monkey that now fiiiiinally lay asleep in his cot, following a combination of uncle cuddles and songs of the sea. It was now time to activate this plan.

"Aaaaaaand, that little baby is finally asleep." He crept back stealthily into the living room of the small Parisian apartment, and threw himself triumphantly onto the sofa next to the tired looking brunette, whose face lit up with relief at his words.

"Oh, that's brilliant. Thank you! You're a baby-whisperer."

"Yeah well, obviously I haven't had as much practice as you.. and he's changed so much since I was last here... Think he remembered me?"

She smiled warmly. "Yeah, I think he did. Well. I really appreciated having a night off. I've cooked myself a meal, caught up with all the housework, it's been brilliant!"

"And now for the best part," he said, producing a bottle of wine from the carrier bag he'd brought in with him, which had also been packed with toys and treats for baby Bartie. "You get to chill out with yours truly and a glass of wine!" He held it up with a victorious flourish.

"Aw, Maxwell. You're the best. I don't know what to say..."

"Just say that again..."

"Seriously though," she sighed, as he got up and went to get two glasses and a corkscrew from the kitchen. "You are. Everything you've done for us... all the money you've sent over... I don't know how to thank you enough."

"Where do you keep the corkscrew?" he called out to her.

"Oh.. I'll come get it."

She joined him in the kitchen, and passed him the corkscrew. She stood watching as he poured the wine into two glasses. "Bottle of Ramsford's finest. I pinched it from the cellar at Beaumont Manor. Don't tell Bertrand."

She laughed. "I'm not likely to."

He took a sip, and she did the same, as they stood together in the kitchen. He put his glass down on the side, and smiled at her. "Well. This is nice."

The next thing he knew, she drew really close.. so close that their lips were touching.

Instinct forced him to draw away, and step a couple of steps back. "Wait.. what was that?"

She looked at him with devastation in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, Maxwell. I'm so, so sorry. I just thought...."

"Hey..." Nooo, this was bad. She'd burst into tears. "C'mere, Savannah. C'mere." He walked back over to her and held her in his arms while she wept. "S'okay. Doesn't matter."