“You’ve got Jules, Lucas, and the supervisors! You can harvest without him.”
Right away Antoine regretted having said those words. Aurélien’s eyes were ablaze with fury.
“Alex will be on my land when harvest comes, I’ll tell you that much right now! I don’t give a damn about your vineyards.”
Antoine raised his hand to make Aurélien stop.
“Come on, calm down. You’re not going to make a scene here. I’m sick, remember?”
“So what? I’m not the Red Cross, and neither are my sons!”
“Damn it, Aurélien. It bothers you that much that your sons are helping me out?”
“Yes!”
This cry from the heart made Antoine angry.
“Your sons like me, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m Alex’s father-in-law, and Jules would’ve liked to be in the same position.”
Aurélien, wild with rage, exploded in spite of himself.
“You’re out of your mind! You think your wishes are reality? Yes, wouldn’t you love to have two Laverzacs as sons-in-law? You could keep one for yourself, is that it? But it’s not going to happen! My estate is huge. It’s not some two-bit operation, and I need all my people. You can’t be comparing my land with yours—that’s insane!”
Antoine straightened in his bed. He was pale as a ghost.
“Yes …” he said, slowly. “It’s true that you let two of your four sons go. … Not everyone has a passion for the land in your family. … Listen, Aurélien, if you hadn’t had the brilliant idea of adopting Jules, you’d be neck-deep in troubles today. … You think it’s easy for me to have two daughters and a son-in-law busy elsewhere? I worked just as hard as you did, even if I didn’t succeed as much as you, even if it’s not on the same scale, even if my wine is less noble. … But I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and my wife’s family didn’t own a bunch of land. You think you’re the cat’s meow, but you don’t impress me one bit!”
Aurélien knew he’d gone over the line earlier, but no one in years had dared talk to him the way Antoine just had.
“My poor Antoine,” he said. “You try to scare me with those three or four measly vines of yours, then make me feel sorry for you and your woes. I never would’ve expected it from you. That heart attack made you weak.”
Antoine suppressed a curse and called out in a loud voice, “Marie! Marie!”
As he waited for his wife to arrive, he glared at Aurélien. As soon as she walked into the room, he said, “Show Aurélien to the door. I don’t ever want to see this son of a bitch in my house again.”
In Marie’s presence, Aurélien couldn’t back down. Even though he realized he’d been out of line, he clammed up and stormed out of Antoine’s room. Marie, though distressed, did nothing to stop him.
Jules was smoking in the darkness of the bedroom, happy to feel Laurène sleeping right against him. She displayed so much inexperience during their lovemaking that he found himself deeply moved. She’d made huge efforts during the day not to look or smile at him, for fear of betraying herself. But she beamed with joy—anyone would have had to be blind not to see it. A couple of times Aurélien had observed her, intrigued. Jules wondered how he was going to tell his father about him and Laurène. And how he’d react to the news!
He caressed Laurène’s soft and warm skin. He’d stubbornly and passionately wanted her. Still, her departure for Mazion, far from driving him to despair, almost relieved him.
He heard the sound of the Mercedes and realized that he’d unconsciously been waiting for Aurélien’s return. He listened to the noises of the house and suddenly held his breath. Aurélien was coming up the stairs instead of heading down to his room. Jules jumped out of bed, put on his jeans in a hurry, and slipped into the hallway. He barely made it to his bedroom before Aurélien walked in and hit the light switch.
“You awake?”
Without waiting for an answer, Aurélien went over to the old leather armchair by the fireplace and sat down heavily.
“What a night,” he grumbled.
Jules remained on the defensive, surprised still by this unexpected visit. Aurélien almost never set foot upstairs.
“Something wrong?” he ventured.
Aurélien looked at him and asked, “You always sleep in your jeans?” He wasn’t smiling, keeping his morose expression. “Jules …” he said, “what would happen if Antoine and I had … a falling-out?”
The words stunned Jules. He stared at his father, then got out of bed and walked toward the armchair.
“Why?” he asked. “It’s already happened?”
“Yes. … I’m not sure what really happened. I’ve had too much to drink since. … I think it had to do with Alex. And you.”
Jules tried to imagine what might’ve occurred between the two men.
“What about Alex and me?” he asked.
“I’ve given you so much leeway, each and every one of you. …”
He did seem to be drunk, as he’d said, but he was keeping his cool.
He continued, “That old fool would love for you to be his second son-in-law. And, by some kind of double-dealing, for Alex to fall into his trap for good. He’s had that in mind for a long time, and now he’s trying to plan for his retirement. He’s always been jealous of us. … Talk about a phony friendship. He wants my vineyards for his grandchildren and for my son to do all the work for him to boot!”
Jules listened to his father, horrified.
“And let me tell you one thing, Jules. There’s no way Alex won’t be here with us for the harvest. Until the very last grape on the very last parcel of land is picked. I’m still in charge around here!”
Hesitant, Jules took a couple of steps toward his father.
“Maybe we should talk about all this tomorrow?” he said.
“No!”
“You’re not really in any shape to discuss this—”
Jules conciliatory voice was interrupted by Aurélien’s scathing tone.
“I’m warning you, you’re going to wind up in the doghouse if you keep this up.”
Silence fell between them. Jules buried his hands in his pockets. He knew there was nothing he could do about the situation at the moment.
In a neutral voice, he asked, “Want me to help you to your room?”
“First answer me,” Aurélien said.
Jules stifled a sigh of exasperation.
“Answer you what?” he said. “Alex will either do what you tell him or he’s going to decide for himself. I have no idea. …”
“What about you?”
Jules forced a smile. The accusation was loud and clear.
“Me?” he said. “I’m always on your side, whatever happens. But I think that everything can be done correctly both here and at Mazion at the right time. You had a fight with Antoine? So what? You’re not going to let his grapes rot on their vines, are you?”
His dark eyes were riveted on his father’s. Aurélien finally lowered his head.
“Can I give you a hand now?” Jules said.
Aurélien got up. As he was staggering, Jules grabbed him by the arm.
“Things will end up badly between us one day,” Aurélien said.
“Why do you say that?”
Aurélien shrugged and held onto Jules. They both walked out of the bedroom and crossed the hallway to the staircase.
“Do you know why I forced you to go away to school? Because I figured that as soon as you began taking care of Fonteyne, it would be the beginning of the end for me. You’d be going up, while I’d be coming down. And we’d meet up at some point. Oh yes! And on top of that, you’re always so … You make my blood run cold. That’s it! That’s what you do to me.”
They were now in front of Aurélien’s bedroom door. Jules opened it and guided his father to his bed, then took a few steps back without looking at him.
“You’re not saying anything? You let me speak because I’m drunk? Because you’re finally finding out some
of the things that are on my mind?”
Jules wanted to leave. Aurélien’s underlying aggression was unbearable.
“I’m out of here,” he managed to say.
“Yeah, go ahead. Leave. …”
In the hallway, Jules leaned against a wall for a second. He wondered whether his father would be able to get undressed and into bed by himself. But he went straight for the library, where he turned on a bouillotte lamp and poured himself a drink. He remained still for a long time, glass in hand, deep in thought.
Aurélien’s comments, though uttered while drunk, didn’t completely surprise Jules. The timing of the fight with Antoine seemed too perfect to be innocent. Did Aurélien know that Jules and Laurène had made up? Was he trying to protect himself by creating chaos between the families? He was cunning enough for that. Breaking ties with Antoine would force Jules to keep quiet about Laurène.
I wanted to keep quiet anyway! Why? Why …
Had he been a coconspirator without knowing it? Jules shivered. He was still in his jeans, bare-chested, and the air in the library was cold. He poured a bit more cognac in his glass and leaned against the sliding ladder. The antique lamp shed just a bit of light in the large room.
I didn’t want to force Laurène on him. To rub his nose in it. To go back on my word. … I gave him time. … Time to find someone else. …
The sound of rainfall took him out of his meditation.
Again! We can’t catch a single break this year.
He set his glass down hard, saw a drop of cognac on the table, and made it disappear with his fingertip. He then turned off the lamp and left the library. Once upstairs, he hesitated in front of Laurène’s door but decided to go sleep in his own bed.
She angrily stuffed her things into two suitcases. She wasn’t doing it right and her clothes were overflowing. Jules was looking at her, feeling awful. He’d come to her bedroom early and told her the latest news.
“Your father, my father, wine, inflated egos—I’m so fed up!” is all she’d said about it.
He tried to calm her, swore that the feud would only be temporary, that he’d go see her each day in Mazion until he was able to talk to Aurélien.
She shrugged and said, “You? In Mazion? During harvest? You won’t have the time, and you know that full well. Fonteyne above everything else! And Alex is going to do just like you: what he’s told. No chance of getting away from the vines for even five minutes.”
Then Jules started to shout, too.
“What, you want me to just leave here and harvest over at your father’s?”
Then he regretted his outburst and took her in his arms. He cajoled her for a long time.
“All right,” she wound up saying, “we’ll go into hiding and wait until our fathers make up. …”
She lacked conviction, and he felt obligated to ask, “You’d feel better if we had a bigger crisis on our hands? If you really want to, let’s go to Aurélien right now together. I mean it, I don’t want to lose you for so little.”
But she grabbed him by the arm.
“For so little? Fonteyne? Your father? You think I’m that stupid? Things between us already had a rough start, let’s not add any more difficulties. You’re the one who’s right.”
She finished packing in silence, but as he was heading for the door, she asked him, in a tiny little voice, “If I’d gone along with it earlier, would you really have gone to your father?”
She waited in vain for an answer, and he stepped out of the room without turning around. Holding back her tears, she closed her suitcases. Her place right now was with her mother in Mazion, she was certain of that, but the idea of leaving Fonteyne tore her apart inside.
Lucas had parked the Mercedes in front of the terrace and loaded Laurène’s suitcases in the trunk. The entire family was outside, with Fernande standing in the background, sorry to see the young woman go. Robert kissed Laurène with obvious embarrassment, as he wondered to what extent he was responsible for all these upheavals. Jules, sitting on the stone balustrade, seemed detached.
Aurélien, emerging from his office, came out last. He went over to Laurène with a smile on his face and grabbed her by the shoulders affectionately. He looked emotional.
“Kiddo,” he began, “old men’s quarrels have nothing to do with you. …”
Jules strained his ears but stayed where he was.
“I’ve been very happy with you,” Aurélien continued. “I’ve gotten used to the way you work, and I’ll miss you.”
He paused, and Jules, from his vantage point, could tell that he really was sad.
“I hope you’re as hardworking once you’re home,” Aurélien added. “And please come back to see me once in a while.”
He’d lowered his voice while uttering those last words. His hands were heavy on the young woman’s shoulders.
He leaned toward her and whispered, “Young people do silly things. … Listen, Fonteyne will always be here for you. You have my word. …”
She smiled at him. She liked him, in spite of everything, and he could tell that. He let her go, and she went down the stairs.
Behind her, Jules suddenly said, “I’m going with her.”
“Don’t be too long,” Aurélien said. “I need you!”
Laurène got into the car, angry with herself for being so moved. Jules couldn’t come up with anything to say to her on their way to Mazion and contented himself with holding her hand.
As soon as they arrived in the yard, Marie came out of the house to greet them. She was still a bit uncomfortable in Jules’s presence after her daughter’s confessions. She was stuck on the painful episode with Robert and felt sorry for Jules. They entered the kitchen, and Marie made some coffee as Laurène went up to say hello to her father. When Jules sat behind Marie, she got even busier and began to chatter so that there would be no silence between them.
“To think they wound up fighting like that,” she said. “Such old friends. It’s a shame. But, you know, to be stuck in bed during harvest this way. … You have to understand Antoine’s position. …”
She wouldn’t look at Jules while she poured a cup of coffee. Jules interrupted her.
“I like Antoine, and I know how difficult Aurélien can be. … Is Alex around?”
“Yes, with the laborers.”
He noticed her embarrassment and wanted to make her feel better.
“Marie,” he said, “I have something very serious to tell you.”
Seeing her become rigid, he added right away, “I’d like to ask you for your daughter’s hand. We’d get married next spring. …”
Marie finally met Jules’s gaze. She looked stunned.
“She told you about Bob, right?” he said. “Forget about it. It’s nothing. …”
Astonished by what she’d just heard, Marie clutched the back of a chair.
“She drove me crazy, you know. …” Jules continued. “When it comes to her, I’m not myself anymore. But we dealt with things, she and I, and I think we’re on the same page. … Only now, there are certain hurdles in the way. …”
Marie got ahold of herself. She gave Jules a huge smile and spared him the rest of the painful story by interrupting him, “Nothing in this world would make me happier than you and Laurène getting married. Does Aurélien know about this? No? So he’s going to be furious. … He was so angry when he left the house the other day!”
“They won’t remain mad at each other forever. You keep this news to yourself until they make up, okay?”
“You can count on me,” Marie said.
She was still smiling, her eyes bright. On a sudden impulse, she went over to Jules and hugged him.
“I’m so happy for you. I like you a lot, kiddo. …”
Jules was moved by her outburst of affection. He said, his voice low, “Until then, Marie, try to convince your daughter to be a little patient. …”
He didn’t have to elaborate, as Marie gave Jules a knowing look. She knew Laurène well enough to figur
e out Jules’s worries.
As Laurène came back downstairs, Jules got up, set on saying goodbye to Antoine before leaving. He wanted to get an idea of his state of mind and the rancor he had for Aurélien. Marie accompanied him to the bedroom but didn’t enter. Not only did she prefer leaving the men by themselves, she was in a hurry to meet up with Laurène.
Antoine gave Jules a lukewarm greeting.
“So,” he said, “you’re giving me back one of my daughters? You Laverzacs are so kind. I heard Alex arriving this morning, and I’m still stunned. He’s come over to take care of my land? Aurélien didn’t impose his veto? I thought that’s what he told me he was going to do. …”
Jules smiled and didn’t think he should respond directly to all of it.
“I didn’t want to leave your house without shaking your hand, Antoine,” he said.
“For now, you’re not as big a jerk as your father,” Antoine said, “but I don’t know if that’s going to last.”
Jules burst into his light laugh.
“Well, I’ve got to go. I have a lot of work to do. You’re ten times less sick than you think.”
He left Antoine, a smile on his face. His resemblance to Aurélien was too striking not to amuse Jules. He went back to the Mercedes, looking for Laurène. He finally spotted her, on the other side of the yard, standing still. He lit a cigarette, without moving and without trying to walk toward her. After a moment, she was the one who came over to him.
“You’re going back to Fonteyne,” she said, pouting. “When will you be back?”
Jules sighed and said, in a soft voice, “All I can do is invite you over for dinner once in a while. …”
“If you like. … But it’s going to be even worse after the harvest. The vinification will keep you even busier.”
She threw herself into his arms and cried.
“If I hadn’t been so stupid,” she said, “we wouldn’t be in this spot. Everything would’ve gone smoothly, without a hitch. … You have no idea how I regret the way I behaved, Jules.”
He softly caressed her hair and asked, “Will you have the patience to wait, Laurène?”
“Yes,” she said with a strong voice, in spite of her tears.
He slowly kissed Laurène and then stepped away from her. He glanced her way one more time and then climbed into the car. Reassured, he was now in a hurry to leave, to get back to Fonteyne and Aurélien, who was waiting for him.
A Bordeaux Dynasty: A Novel Page 20
