Thank you so much for your reviews! It's the only thing I really open my mail for, actually. Every one means a lot to me, so don't think it desn't matter. This chapter is lighter than the others, so I'm not sure, really, how you guys will like it. Hope you do!
The Humphreys decided to come to France with the Archibalds this year. Blair's happy to have her best friend with her, and her two kids, Celia and Daisy. But then there was Humphrey, she thinks. Thank goodness Nate talked to him most of the time.
"How did it go?" Serena asks, as they lie on their backs on the Archibald sailboat. The rest had gone snorkelling.
"How did what go?" Blair asks innocently.
"Your drink with Chuck!"
"Right. That." Blair turns the other way to hide a smile. "It was okay."
"Oh, come on, B. It's you and Chuck. . .There has to be something else."
"I'm happily married, thank you very much. Don't you remember being my bridesmaid?"
"And I know that," Serena says sympathetically. "But I'm just worried."
"Why?"
"Because he's obviously still in love with you."
"He never was."
"Only you think that."
"Because he isn't," Blair says firmly. "And he never was."
"You were," Serena points out.
"I thought I was," she says, and wonders if it's a lie. "But I was. . .excited by the idea of Chuck Bass. That's it."
"That's it?" Serena repeats incredulously.
Blair rolls eyes, picking up the camera from the table and stands. She waves at Nate, and the kids in the water, snapping their photos and grinning.
"Join us, Blair!" Nate calls out with a smile. "The water's not too cold."
Her phone receives a text, and she signals at them for a moment.
Wish I was there with you, B.
-C.
For a second, she thinks about replying. Serena watches her pointedly, and she decides to turn her phone off and join her family.
"Are you coming, S?" she asks triumphantly.
"I think I'll wait. Go ahead."
"Okay." She turns to the ledge. "Nathaniel Archibald, if you don't catch me, you're dead."
"Dad, watch out," Josiah teases.
She jumps off with her eyes closed, and for a second, her mind drifts to. . .the unthinkable person. But as soon as she feels the cold water on her skin, and arms winding around her, she pushes him off her thoughts. She opens her eyes to see Nate, as he holds her tightly.
"Glad you joined us," he says, with a smile. "Josiah and I were thinking of dragging you down."
"Hmm. . .Not a very good idea."
"Yeah, Audrey said that."
She looks into her husband's blue eyes and realizes that he deserves better from her. It's not as if she doesn't love him, or he doesn't love her. Blair smiles at him, playing with the curls of his hair as he whispers something into her ear that makes her giggle, in full view of the Humphreys and their children.
"Oh, watch out, guys. Your parents are turning the ocean into cheese," Dan laughs.
"Shut up, Humphrey."
"I think I just vomited internally," Audrey tells Celia.
"Me too," Josiah says, joining the girls.
"So Audrey, how are you and Daniel?" Nate asks lowly back at the Chateau. Everyone's in the living room.
"Dad!" she says quietly. "Not now."
"Why not?"
Harold picks up on the conversation. "Did I hear right? My granddaughter's dating Daniel Bass?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at Blair, who also receives a smirk from Serena.
"Yes, she is."
"If I remember correctly," Roman starts. "Your mother—"
"Is starving," Blair cuts off cheerfully. She claps her hands together and turns to Nate. "I say we should go out for tea."
"I agree," he adds helpfully. Blair sneaks a warning look at Harold and Roman, who are both smiling knowingly. "Anyone else?"
"Um, actually, tea sounds great—" But Dan is cut off by one of the maids.
"I'm sorry for interrupting. . .But there's a boy here. Monsieur Bass."
"Bass?" Blair and Audrey both say at the same time. Nate shoots them both a look.
Blair clears her throat and smoothes her dress faux-calmly. "Which one?"
"E' is looking for Mademoiselle Audrey and is waiting at the door."
"May I be excused?" Audrey asks her mom, pretending not to be eager.
"Did you invite him?" Nate asks.
"Of course not."
"Go ahead," Blair tells her, forcing a smile. She tells herself that it's stupid, thinking for one moment it could be him. It would've been a disaster, and yet, that doesn't stop her from feeling. . .disappointed. "I'll get us some drinks, in the meanwhile."
Serena follows her up. "And I'll help."
They head towards the wine cellar, and Blair grabs a bottle of champagne and searches for another drink. She stops pauses, hesitating for awhile at the bottle of fine scotches, but moves on after reminding herself that scotch isn't much her type, really. Never has been.
"You thought it was Chuck."
"No I didn't."
"I saw your face, B."
She shrugs, pretending to concentrate. "I was surprised Daniel would come out here in France. Chuck wouldn't come here. That's completely stupid."
"Uh huh." Serena joins her in searching for another bottle of wine. "So what do you think he came here for?"
"Audrey, duh."
"With Nate around. . .I'm impressed." Serena laughs, and picks up a bottle of rosé. "Here, I found a good one."
"Nate's taking it pretty well, actually. No blood or broken bones yet," she replies with a grin as they push the doors open. "But it's still pretty early on in their relationship."
"You think?"
She gives Serena a knowing smile. "Trust me, they've just begun."
--
"Charming!" Roman exclaims, welcoming Daniel into the room. He shakes hands with Nate, Harold and Dan, and smiles at everyone else.
"I'm sorry for intruding--" he begins.
"You're not," Harold says, winking. "Have a drink."
"Thank you. Oh, and you look beautiful, Mrs. Archibald, and Mrs. Humphrey. France becomes both of you."
Serena smiles and looks at her daughters, who both look glad at the new arrival. Josiah seems relieved not to be the only boy anymore, and Audrey, well, she's blushing, but happy. Blair leans back into Nate's arms, watching her daughter with Daniel Bass. She really is happy for her, that Daniel had realized how he felt for her without too much running away.
Really, she is.
"I missed you," Daniel whispers into her ear. Blair pretends not to hear it.
"Me too."
"So tell us, Daniel," Serena begins. "Your dad's okay with you flying to France?"
"Of course. He told me to take the Bass plane and—I almost forgot. . ." He digs into his pockets. "He told me to give this to Mrs. Archibald, for, you know, coming on such short notice."
She takes it under seemingly everyone's scrutinizing eyes, refusing to open it until she's alone.
"And I brought a couple of bottle of scotch, my father's favorite. Your maids brought them down to the cellar, I think."
"Tell him thank you for us, Daniel," Harold tells him. "And you're welcome to spend the night here, of course."
"Just not with Audrey." Nate grins as they all laugh. Blair tries to join in, but all she can think about is the box in her hand that she's itching to open.
It looks like it might just be a box of chocolates. But it isn't. It's the Erikson Beamon necklace she'd returned to him all those years ago, when she'd grown tired of always being taken for granted. He'd kept it.
She runs her fingers all over it, the smooth cold metal and the diamonds. Suddenly, she spots a new addition, an engraving at the back of one of its pieces, and the back of her throat starts to hurt. Warm tears cloud over her eyes.
Love, Chuck.
He probably didn't think she'd find it.
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