“Oh, my God,” Diego says. “This is truly a miracle.”
“I couldn’t have said it better. Nicoline and I couldn’t believe our luck. Madeleine, Antoine’s daughter, instructed her father to take us to the nearest clinic. She stayed on the phone the whole way there. She was also the one who communicated with the doctor because he didn’t speak a word of English either. We thought we were going to be able to get Nicoline the care she needed, but the doctor quickly burst our bubble. From what he could assess, the injury was much more serious than he first thought. Experienced doctors and specialists don’t work at that clinic on weekends. They employ young doctors, but none of them had the skill required to treat her particular injury. Doctor Verne told Madeleine her father needed to drive us to Nice.”
“What a shame you had to travel in such pain,” Diego says. “As a doctor myself, it’s not something I would ever want to tell a patient.”
“I did my best to keep it together given how generous Antoine was with his time and his desire to help, but it wasn’t a pleasant ride.”
“What a story,” my mom says, shaking her head.
“Jonas and I were so stressed out,” Nicoline says. “And I suspect Antoine was fairly agitated as well.”
“We couldn’t speak the language and we had to rely on someone else. A stranger. I’m a proud man.” Nik’s dad pauses and combs his hands nervously through his gray hair. I know now where my fiancé gets this habit. “Being this vulnerable is not something I’m used to.”
“I’d feel the same way. I’d die to protect my own,” Diego says.
“Even if you couldn’t see two feet in front of you to take us back to the castle, I felt safe the whole time with you, Jonas. I always knew as long as we stuck together, we’d find our way back… and we did. You’ve always been my superhero. Since the day you married me.” Nicoline pats her husband’s arm affectionately.
They share such boundless love.
“So you ended up in Nice?” I press Jonas to continue his story.
“Forty minutes later, we arrived at the Menica hospital and we went straight to the specialist Doctor Verne had recommended to us. By this time, Antoine’s phone was dying.”
“Oh, no.” I bring my hand up to my mouth.
“I’m afraid so, Ciara.” Jonas pinches his lips together and nods his head at my reaction.
“We started panicking again,” Nicoline adds.
“At that point, frustration seeped in. One thing I’ve always prided myself on is my ability to protect my wife and my children. I was failing miserably and that was just unacceptable to me,” Nikolaj’s dad pauses for a few seconds and it’s clear he’s still shaken. “Suddenly, Antoine gestured to let us know he’d be back. We were hoping he was going to come back with someone who spoke English, instead he came back hugging an electronic device. The same one he’s holding right now.” All five of us turn around at the same time to look at the Frenchman waiting patiently. “Antoine came back with an iPad Mini. He’d remembered he had left the device in the glove compartment of his car. By another miracle of God his daughter was still able to translate everything for us.”
“Holy smokes.”
“Indeed, Ciara. That’s exactly how we felt. Antoine and I sat in the room patiently looking on as Dr. Jean-Baptiste de Montault patched my wife’s leg up. When he was done I was still concerned about Nicoline’s wellbeing and although her leg was bandaged and she was no longer in pain, I was still fretting. She was more concerned with the fact I couldn’t see clearly and I was still walking around half-blind.” Jonas chuckles.
“I asked Madeleine to inquire about an eye doctor so Jonas could get a pair of new glasses or else he wasn’t going to be able to see anything during the wedding tomorrow. That would be a crying shame. Dr. Jean-Baptiste de Montault referred us to a colleague, Dr. Yves St-Paulin. After a two-hour wait, Jonas had a brand-new pair of elegant French-designed glasses. By the time we were done it was already one o’clock. We were tired, starved and exhausted. I explained our state to Madeleine and before I knew it, Antoine was driving us to a restaurant. I was so famished, I could have eaten everything on the menu.”
“As much as I’d love to make fun of my wife, I had to restrain myself not to order two of everything. We hadn’t eaten since the night before. We had gone without food for over seventeen hours.”
Nicoline smiles and shakes her head. “The whole time I was wolfing down my food, I could only think of the fact I hadn’t yet reached my kids because there was no way of contacting them. Do you know what the problem is with technology today?”
“You don’t have to remember anyone’s phone number anymore.” My mom is the one who answers.
“Exactly, Julia. We couldn’t use Antoine’s mobile to call our kids because we couldn’t remember their numbers. I mean, other than the area code, I was clueless. I was taken aback by the realization that although a mobile phone is the most practical thing in the world, it’s useless when it doesn’t work.”
“It’s happened to me many times. This is a whole new generation, Nicoline. We actually had to memorize phone numbers or write them down in an address book. Our kids don’t do that anymore. They swoop, swipe and tap their way through their day.”
“You said earlier no one you asked knew of Château Balzac,” my mother says. “How can that be possible and how did you manage to find your way back?”
“That’s right. Nicoline even wrote it down on a piece of paper. A nurse at the hospital did a Google search, but she came back empty-handed. We started to think we had lost our minds. I started doubting that we had the right name, but I could see myself still holding the invitation when we received it by mail and I distinctly remember saying out loud the name of the castle because it sounded so enchanting. Also when we arrived yesterday, I remember the clerk welcoming us to Château Balzac. I mimicked the proper pronunciation in my head. That fueled me not to back down. If no one could point us in the right direction, I knew I could figure our way back once we got on the road.”
My mom, Diego and I look at Jonas, puzzled.
Nicoline is the one to answer our silent question. “Jonas has a photographic memory. Once he drives somewhere, even once, he never forgets it. Although when we came from the airport we were at the back of a chauffeured car, we were so taken by the scenery we rode all the way here without exchanging one word. We simply held hands. We were too busy admiring some of the most breathtaking scenery we had ever seen.”
“Once I could see again, it was very easy for me to direct Antoine back to the castle,” Jonas says.
“Wow,” I say.
“Nicoline, this is an unbelievable story and I have to agree with my husband, it’s a miracle all the pieces fell together and you’re here safe with us again,” my mom says.
“Julia, what kept me going, without food, without rest and in terrible pain was the fact that I wanted to be present when my baby boy takes this incredible woman as his wife.”
“Same here,” Jonas agrees.
I blush as four pairs of eyes focus on me. I silently thank my lucky stars. This day started off on the wrong foot, but this is a wonderful happy ending. “Nikolaj was certain he’d find you and I believed him. That said, we wouldn’t have gotten married had you not been present. It wouldn’t be right.”
“And it would’ve broken my heart if the fact that Jonas and I acted impulsively caused you and Nikolaj to postpone your wedding.”
All of a sudden I flash back to a conversation I had yesterday. “I know why no one could find Château Balzac,” I exclaim, slapping the palm of my hand against my forehead. “Last night Eloise alluded to the fact that the hotel’s website wasn’t up yet. During my tour of the gardens, before dinner, I enquired about that and Kayla explained since I’m their first official guest, they wanted to capture some more photos before launching their website. The castle doesn’t open to the public for another few more weeks. She also explained they changed the name to a more Anglo-friendly one. The
original name of this place is Château Angennes de Rambouillet.”
“You can’t be serious,” Nicoline says.
“Quite a mouthful, I know.”
She looks at me, completely flabbergasted. “There’s no way on earth I would’ve been able to remember such a complicated name, let alone pronounce it.”
“At least I know I wasn’t crazy when everyone around us assured us that Château Balzac doesn’t exist.”
We all sit there and ponder Jonas’ words.
I’m so engulfed in this bewildering tale, it’s only now that it occurs to me I should go and introduce myself to the man who saved the day. “Let me go and say thank you to Antoine in French. I’ll also invite him to stay for dinner with us tonight.”
“Honey, that’s a lovely idea.” My mom cheers.
“Ciara, this sweet, sweet man has been a lifesaver to us. On behalf of Nikolaj’s dad and I, I’d really appreciate it if you could extend such kindness to him.”
“I’ll be right back.” I get up and approach the shy French man who is now sitting at the outdoor bar savoring an espresso coffee. “Antoine?”
“Oui, c’est moi.” He stands to greet me. He’s so short, he has to tilt his head back to meet my eyes.
“Enchantée. Je m’appelle Ciara. Un grand merci d’avoir sauvé mes futurs beaux-parents.”
“Ah, ce n’est rien. Ils étaient mal pris.” Antoine blushes when I thank him for rescuing Nik’s parents and tries to sweep my sentiments under the carpet as if it’s no big deal.
“Vous avez tort. C’est incroyable ce que vous avez fait pour eux. Pour nous.” I gently correct him to let him know his actions mean so much to me. And I also know how significant they are to Nik.
“Je suis vraiment content d’avoir pu aider. Ma fille me dit que vous vous mariez demain.”
“Effectivement.” I confirm that his daughter’s right. I’m getting married tomorrow.
“Toutes mes félicitations.”
“Grâce à vous ce sera un heureux mariage.”
“Ah non, quand même.” He blushes again when I tell him my wedding day will be a joyous one thanks to him.
“Si. Puis-je vous inviter à dîner avec nous ce soir ?”
“Ah bon.” He raises his eyebrows and nods his head side to side the way the French often do when considering something. “Ce sera avec plaisir, Ciara.” I beam with joy when he accepts my dinner invitation.
An immense wave of gratitude washes over me and without thinking twice I decide to invite this little man, his daughter and his son-in-law to join tomorrow’s festivities. “C’est avec un immense plaisir que vous êtes invité à célébré mon mariage demain.”
“Oh là là. Vous êtes sérieuse ?”
“Bien entendu. C’est la moindre des choses.”
“Je ne dirais pas non. Je suis un romantique même si j’ai perdu mon Adeline il y a quelques années déjà,” he chokes, sharing that he’s still a romantic at heart even after losing his wife Adeline a few years ago.
“Entre nous, Antoine, je le suis aussi. Mais il ne faut surtout pas le dire à qui que ce soit.” I laugh when I confess that under the façade I’ve become a romantic.
“Ma fille devais rentrer de toute façon ce soir pour passer le weekend avec moi. Son mari et elle seront ici vers les vingt-deux heures, donc ça tombe bien.” It’s serendipitous coincidence that Antoine’s daughter and his son-in-law were planning to spend the weekend with him on his farm.
“Dans ce cas là, elle devra venir nous rejoinder ce soir dès son arrivée et vous serez tous nos invités d’honneur demain. J’insiste à ce que vous l’invitiez tout de suite.” I smile at him warmly. I insist he texts Madeleine immediately to invite her to join us tonight when her and her husband land at ten. Given we have so much to celebrate, I doubt anyone will be going to bed early.
“J’accepte avec plaisir, Ciara.”
I hug Antoine. How quickly a stranger can become a friend.
“Vous avez faim? Vous voulez mangez?”
“Non, pas du tout. Ça va. Merci.”
“Un dessert peut-être?”
He refuses my invitation to order a meal from the kitchen, but hesitates when I tempt him with dessert. “Je ne dirais pas non. J’adore les deserts.” Antoine grins.
“Génial! Je demande à Michel, le maître d’hôtel, de bien s’occuper de vous.”
“Merci encore.”
It so happens that Michel walks our way and I accost him to introduce him to Antoine. After quick introductions and a quick synopsis of how this man came to play such an important role in today’s saga, the hotel manager assures me he’ll ask the hotel staff to take good care of the little Frenchman until the rest of the guests return from the search. I return to sit with Nik’s parents and mine.
“So he’s coming?” Diego inquires. Four eager faces peer at me.
“He is.” They all clap, elated. “I didn’t stop there, though. I couldn’t. He did so much for all of us and on a whim I invited him tomorrow to the wedding. Since his daughter and son-in-law will be in town, I also invited them.”
There’s a collective nod among the four people sitting at my table and I know instantly that acting on my instincts was the right thing.
“Brilliant idea,” Nicoline says.
“I think so, Nicoline. We owe him so much.” I smile warmly, grabbing her hand. A tear rolls down her cheek. “Are you in pain?”
She shakes her head. “No. Ciara…” She stops, inhaling. “I want to thank you,” she chokes.
“It was nothing—”
“I’m not talking about Antoine. I’m talking about saving my marriage,” she interrupts.
What?
“I’m… I’m not sure what you mean,” I stutter.
“Jonas and I had grown distant after the fiasco with my son. I mean it started before that. Our marriage had turned into a functional union. The passion we once shared seemed to have cooled off over the years, but last year was that breaking point for us. Jakob has caused this family a lot of irreparable harm. My desperate attempt to ignore the facts drove an even bigger wedge between my husband and I. Your wedding was a sort of redemption for me to prove to myself and to others I was a fit mother. So I thought. I know Nikolaj thinks I’ve always seen his eldest brother as the chosen one, but the reality is Nikolaj has always been able to stand on his own two feet from the day he came out of my womb. Unfortunately, it took a lifetime for me to accept that was never going to be the case for Jakob. I never felt Nikolaj needed me as much as his big brother did. Nikolaj always makes the smart decisions. Even now, by marrying you…” She pauses briefly and takes my hand in hers. “This little escapade in the South of France and last night’s adventure has brought Jonas and I closer than we’ve been in at least a decade. Also, realizing that we might be lost in the middle of nowhere and unable to make it back in time for my son’s wedding forced me to come to terms with a harsh reality. As a mother, I need to tell my last-born more often how much I love him and how much he means to me. So for those reasons, dear Ciara, I want to thank you. When you moved your wedding away from Copenhagen, I was no longer able to hide. I couldn’t pretend I was so consumed by all the little details that I didn’t have time for my husband and I didn’t have time to recognize how important my son is in my life.”
She blurts out her confession in one sweep without taking a breath. My heart swells. I’m thrilled I inadvertently helped these two rekindle the magic in their relationship.
Wow.
None of us dare to speak. Not even her husband. What she shared is so deep and so emotional, there’s not much any of us can add. Tears roll down her face, but her smile indicates they’re happy tears. Jonas leans in and kisses his wife on the lips like they’re newlyweds.
That’s it. I lose it. I sob in the face of Nicoline’s words and this show of affection. I hear a sniffling that’s not my own and when I turn to meet my mom’s eyes I see she’s moved as I am. Both Nikolaj’s and my parents embrace each other
in a long, amorous hug. For a former nonbeliever like myself, this is a powerful moment. Love can last a lifetime.
After a few long contemplative minutes, Nik’s mom breaks the silence.
“I need to go to the bathroom. If I don’t, I’ll burst. I’ll be back.”
“I’ll come with you,” both my mom and I say as we jump to our feet to help Nicoline. She stops us with a raised hand.
“Thank you, ladies. This is already my third round of the day on my own. I’ve got this. The doctor says I’ll have to use these,” she says, pointing at her crutches, “for the next six to eight weeks. I have to be comfortable getting in and out of a bathroom or else it will be a very long two months.” She giggles before hopping away.
We all stand looking as she bravely makes her way back inside the castle. When she disappears, we all sit down and exhale at the same time. I’m about to suggest we order a bottle of champagne to celebrate when from the corner of my eyes I see the only man on this planet capable of making my heart stop.
“Nikolaj!”
My fiancé enters the gardens like a victorious Viking returning from war. From the redness of his cheeks and his sweat-drenched tee shirt, I’d be willing to bet he ran halfway back here. We lock eyes and we both flash a giddy grin. We don’t need to exchange one word. We both know exactly what the other one is thinking.
Once we’ve connected, he turns his attention to his father. “Dad!” Nik shouts.
“Nikolaj!” Jonas exclaims as he turns to face his son. He gets to his feet and opens his arms.
Nikolaj rushes forward. I’m taken aback when he grabs his dad in a huge bear hug, rocking him back and forth. Nikolaj’s face lights up with love for his father.
Jonas places both hands on his shoulders and looks into his eyes. “God, I’m glad to see you again, son. I was so worried our escapade would cause us to miss your big day, but we’re here.”
“You had me worried sick.”
“I know. I’m so sorry,” Jonas says regretfully.
“You’re safe and that’s all that matters. Where’s Mom?”
Always & Forever Page 28
