A sleek black Bentley and a Mercedes drove one behind the other toward Versailles, leaving behind the noise of the city. The further they went, the denser the trees and cleaner the air. By the time Grace arrived at the Bellavance estate, it was half past five, and the sun hadn’t yet dipped below the horizon.
She followed the path leading in. On both sides of the front garden stood rows of large plane trees, their leaves casting dappled shadows and softening the afternoon light. Along the neatly trimmed lawns, lavender bushes lined the edges—not quite in full bloom yet, but fragrant all the same.
The driveway gently curved past the lawn and ended at a white marble fountain. Beyond that stood the three-story French manor, classic and grand.
This was old-money wealth—quiet, tasteful, steep
