A French Girl in New York ( The French Girl Series #1)

Chapter 46

"I'm so glad you two came," Maude said suddenly.

She was going to miss their bickering.

"Just wait till you hear Jazmine whine about her small-town itch," Cynthia replied.

"It is a real condition," Jazmine protested. "I went on a forum where people described the same symptoms I had."

"That just means they'd escaped from the same psychiatric ward you were held in," her sister snorted.

"STI is a condition that even famous people have apparently. Don't you find it weird that celebrities are always born in small towns and die in big cities?" Jazmine mused.

"Martians have small town itch too, that's why they leave their tiny planet and come visit us on Earth," Cynthia said with a wicked grin.

Maude laughed.

"You two can stop now. We're almost there."

It was as if time had stopped at 29, rue du Général de Gaulle. Same boring plants, same vases, same paintings, same furniture. The twins had grown a few inches, but were still the same mischievous, little monsters they had always been. And of course, Mrs. Ruchet was still comfortably seated in her couch. She probably hadn't moved from it a single inch in six months.

Only a close observer might notice that the china vase on the chimney was no longer there. With no one to watch them, the twins had gleefully smashed the object while playing soccer one afternoon in the living room. Maude noticed Mr. Ruchet had grown a few stray grey hairs.  She however had no idea those grey hairs came from having to take care of his own children. The Ruchets had refused to hire a nanny while Maude was abroad and were eagerly waiting for her return. With Maude gone, Mr. Ruchet had been obliged to pick up the twins from school every weekday. He felt it to be an immense task indeed and keeping an eye on them after school would have been too much to ask.

Maude thought Mrs. Ruchet looked a little green in the face and knew she must have started on a new diet. Perhaps only green fruit and vegetables, Maude mused, trying to control an irrepressible laughter.

When Mr. Ruchet saw Victoria, a strange look appeared on his face, as if he was seeing a ghost.

As they all sat in the living room, Mrs. Ruchet stared at Maude fixedly then blinked twice. Maude ignored her, but she continued her strange behavior.

"Is something wrong?" Maude asked finally.

"Aren't you going to get us drinks?" Mrs. Ruchet asked astonished.

"Maude just got here," Victoria pointed out, trying to hide her utter bafflement. "I think we'll manage without drinks."

"Besides, we have important matters to discuss with you," James added.

"I hope you didn't come here in hopes of making Maude sign another contract. Ze deal was six months. A contract is a contract," Mr. Ruchet stated ceremoniously.

"We understand that. This is another matter entirely. We would like to adopt Maude," James continued.

Mrs. Ruchet let out a small cry and brought her hand to her heart.

"Robert," she whined.

"Don't worry, honey," he said soothingly. "Zat's not going to happen."

"And why not?" Victoria asked coolly.

"We are her foster parents."

"You never adopted her, never really wanted her to be a part of your family, did you?" Victoria asked masking her contempt with difficulty.