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daughter.
    “30,000,” the other man said. Francesca smiled to herself. She was worried that she would go at a low bid. She hoped that Jacques would stop bidding, as she did not fancy the idea of being on a date with him.
    “40,000,” Lord Jacques bid. The guests gasped.
    “50,000.”
    “70,000.” Lord Jacques bid as he stood up.
    Macee looked at the other man to see if he was going to bid but he did not. “The winning bid is for 70,000 Euros by Lord Jacques,” Macee shouted as the guests clapped their hands. Francesca looked at Jacques, but she could not read his expression. She was still reeling from what just happened. Why would he pay that much just for a date with her? Granted it was for charity, but 70,000 Euros. That was unheard of; what could he possibly be thinking?
    Francesca returned to her seat. “I am going to kill her,” she said to Liane.
    “That was amazing,” Liane replied. She was shocked at Jacques's bid, shocked and impressed.
    “Oh that was great,” Katherine said to Francesca.
    “It was uncomfortable,” Francesca replied.
    “Why? There were men willing to pay that much just for one dinner date with you.”
    “The wrong ones.”
    “That is humour, right?” Katherine looked at Liane and then back at Francesca. “The man is handsome and oozing with sex appeal,” she added. “Why wouldn’t you want to go out with him?”
    “I agree one hundred per cent,” Macee said as she re-joined them. Francesca whipped her head in Macee's direction.
    “Macee, how could you?” Francesca complained.
    “Frannie, I would think that you would feel at least a little good about it.”
    “I would! You got the highest bid of the night. The second one is not even half yours,” Liane said. Francesca sighed and picked up her glass of champagne.
    “At least he knows I am worth a lot,” she said.
    “That's my girl,” Mrs LeBlanc said. The queen said nothing as she sat there listening to their conversation. She had hoped to see her daughter with Lord Jacques. He was the next man on her list of suitors for her daughter. It did not sit well with her that he was interested in a LeBlanc.
    “You found someone that you liked?” Prince Louis asked Lord Jacques. Although he was surprised that it was Francesca.
    “I did,” Lord Jacques replied.
    “That should make for an interesting dinner date,” Jean Pierre said.
    “Oh, yes it will. I am intrigued to find out the result,” Prince Louis added.
    The auction had ended, which meant the end of the night. As the guests were leaving, Francesca went to speak with Lord Jacques. She stood in front of him with her fingers laced together. While she had much to say to him, her mouth went dry and she found that she could not say anything. She just stared at him as he looked back at her.
    “I look forward to our date,” he said to her breaking their silence.
    “You paid that much for a date with me?” Francesca sighed. “What is it that you want from me?” she asked him. She could not understand what he saw in her.
    “It is for charity is it not?”
    “Yes, but I was the only woman you bid on.”
    “You were paying attention to me?”
    “Do not flatter yourself.” Francesca turned on her heel and walked off. Jacques had never had a woman speak to him as flippantly as she did. He was a well-groomed respectful man with a title and the advisor to the future king. Maybe it was because she was the crown princess's sister that she acted the way she did. On the other hand, it intrigued him. He could not wait to get to know her more.
    Macee linked her arm around her husband's as they left. She bid farewell to the staff members and the girls. They had managed to raise 900,000 Euros. As her first charity event, she could not believe how well it had gone. “I wonder if the queen liked the event,” she asked Louis.
    “I am sure she did. Everyone did,” he replied.
    “I definitely did.”
    “You did a great job.” He kissed her on the cheek as their driver