It sounded like an insane idea to Theo when she told him about it, but Gabriel convinced him it would be good for her, and help her get back to an active life again. She was fifty-seven years old and couldn’t mourn Lorenzo forever.
The restaurant did for her what Gabriel had hoped it would. It gave Maylis a reason for living. It took a year to make the needed changes in the house, build a commercial kitchen, and create a beautiful garden for people to dine in during the summer. She hired one of the best chefs in Paris, although she hated going to Paris as much as Lorenzo had, and all the chefs she was interviewing came to see her in St. Paul de Vence. She hadn’t been to Paris in nearly thirty years, and had never seen Gabriel’s gallery. She was happy in St. Paul de Vence, and she let Gabriel stay in one of the rooms in the house on his frequent trips to check on her and advise her about the restaurant, which she called Da Lorenzo, in honor of the only man she had ever loved.
The restaurant was an astonishing success the first year, with reservations booked up to three months in advance. Sophisticated art lovers came from everywhere to see Lorenzo’s work and eat a three-star meal, rivaled only by La Colombe d’Or, who were as surprised as everyone else by what Maylis had done. She hired an excellent ma?tre d’h?tel to oversee the dining room and garden and a top-notch sommelier, and with his help they filled their wine cellar with remarkable wines, and they became one of the best restaurants in the South of France, frequented by lovers of art and gastronomy. And Maylis presided over all of it, talking about Lorenzo, and seeing to the clients, as she had with Lorenzo’s artist friends long before. She was the keeper of the flame, and a charming hostess in one of the best restaurants in the area. It was a talent no one had suspected she had, and Gabriel often told her how proud he was of her. They had always been good friends, but had grown even closer in the years since Lorenzo’s death, as he continued to advise and help her, particularly after she started the restaurant.
It was two years after Maylis opened the restaurant when Gabriel took his courage in his hands, and told her how he had felt about her for years. He was spending more and more time in St. Paul de Vence, staying in one of the bedrooms over the restaurant, for weeks at a time, supposedly to counsel her, when in fact he just wanted to spend time with her, and be near her.
He was able to be absent from Paris, since his daughter, Marie-Claude, was working at the gallery by then, and he was hoping to ease her into running it. She was doing an excellent job, although she complained about his being away so much and leaving all the responsibility to her, but she was enjoying it too, and had introduced some new contemporary artists, who were selling well. Just as her father had, she enjoyed discovering new artists and presenting their work. And she had a good eye for what would sell in the current art market. Gabriel was justifiably proud of her.
On a quiet night, after the closing of the restaurant, sitting at a table in the garden, Gabriel opened his heart to Maylis. He had been in love with her almost since they met, and only his deep respect for his old friend, and his appreciation of the love they shared, had kept him from speaking to her sooner. But with her new lease on life and the success of the restaurant she had created, he finally felt the time was right. It was now or never, although he was terrified of destroying the friendship they had had for nearly thirty years.
Gabriel’s confession came as a shock to Maylis, and she discussed it with her son the next day. Theo knew how much his father and mother had loved each other, and what a brilliant artist he was, but he had by no means been the saint Maylis had portrayed him as since his death. And he had often been hard on her as he got older. She had devoted her whole life to him, and forgave him all his flaws. Theo had a far more realistic view of who his father had been, irascible, cantankerous, difficult, egotistical, even tyrannical at times, and possessive of his mother, with a temper that didn’t improve with age. Gabriel was a far gentler, more giving man, who had demonstrated deep concern for her and always put her first, unlike his father, and Theo had suspected since his father’s death that Gabriel was in love with her, and hoped he was. He had always thought Gabriel was a wonderful person and good for her, and he encouraged her to give Gabriel’s feelings for her some very serious thought. He couldn’t imagine a better companion for her and didn’t want her to end her years alone.
“But what would your father think of my going off with him? Wouldn’t that be a betrayal? They were good friends, after all. Even if your father was rough on him at times.”
“Rough on him?” Theo had said, laughing at her. “He called him a crook for all the years I can remember. ‘My crooked art dealer in Paris.’ I don’t know another human being who would have put up with him, except you. And Gabriel always stuck by us, and he’s still here with you now, Maman. And if he’s always been in love with you, it’s to his credit that he never let it show while Papa was alive. He was a true friend to both of you. And if you accept him now, it won’t be a betrayal, it will be a blessing for you both. You’re too young to be alone. And Gabriel is a good man. I’m happy for you. You deserve it, and so does he.” And Theo knew that Gabriel would be so much easier than his father had been, and so much kinder to her. He was the ultimate gentleman, and Theo was glad that he had finally declared himself and he hoped she would consider it seriously, and she did.
She gave Gabriel her answer a few days later, and told him she could never love any man as she had Lorenzo. She had deep affection for Gabriel, and admitted that she loved him as a friend, and it might grow into something more with time, now that he had expressed his feelings for her. But she warned him that even if they became involved romantically, which she acknowledged as a possibility, Lorenzo would always remain her first love, and the love of her life. Gabriel would have to be willing to be second best, and have a lesser role in her life, which she didn’t think was fair to him.