A Bordeaux Dynasty: A Novel (73 page)

Dominique had loved Alexandre too much to easily forgive him for her bruises and his cruelty. She was convinced that they’d made a terrible mistake by leaving Fonteyne after Aurélien’s death. But how could they get back on track now? She thought that Jules hated Alex for good. The trial, the heinous insinuations, the destruction of the field weren’t things he would forget about anytime soon.

Often at night, she’d cry thinking of the inevitable divorce. The twins often asked about their dad. How could she explain to them that he was basically banned from the paradise that was Fonteyne?

Dominique sat behind the wheel of the Mercedes. She started the engine and slowly worked her way down the driveway. She hadn’t seen Alexandre in three months and felt extremely anxious. For the entire trip, she tried not to think of their reunion, about what she was going to tell him. She’d dressed normally, without any particular effort. It wasn’t up to her to win back her husband, she’d decided.

She parked in the rear of the hospital and had to ask the information desk for her husband’s room number. She quickly walked down the hallways and wound up in front of Alexandre’s room without having had time to gather her thoughts. She knocked. He didn’t call out for her to enter but came to the door himself. He was wearing jeans and a black turtleneck. She thought he was pale and skinny, but his eyes had a sparkle she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“You came to get me?” he asked, with a silly grin. “That’s nice of you. But I think that … well … maybe you and I should talk a little, right?”

She felt much more emotional than she’d anticipated. She tried to come up with something to say but could only mumble incomprehensible words.

“My stuff is ready,” he said. “I’m not exactly unhappy to leave. Actually, I can’t stand this room anymore. … So we could chat in the car, if that’s okay with you. I took care of all the paperwork this morning, so we can just go.”

She nodded and he went over to the bed to grab his suitcase, trying to hide his limp. She refrained from offering any help carrying his suitcase, not wanting to embarrass him, and she walked in front of him all the way to the parking lot.

“It’s my tibia,” he explained as he shut the car trunk. “They’re going to have to operate on it again in a while. Jules did a number on me.”

“Well, you pushed him to the limit,” Dominique muttered as she opened the passenger door for him.

“He’s still a thug,” Alex said, slowly. “He tried to kill me, he really did. Nothing warrants that, not even some vines in Margaux.”

Dominique was now sitting but didn’t start the engine. She turned to Alexandre.

“Aurélien would’ve done the same at Jules’s age,” she said, her tone of voice firm.

“Don’t I know it,” he said. “All the Laverzacs are monsters, including yours truly.”

He began to laugh. She’d forgotten about his contagious laughter.

“So we’re going to Fonteyne, right? Jules invited me for Christmas Eve dinner. What an honor. …”

“Alex …”

“I’m just kidding,” he reassured her. “I can’t wait to see the boys and kiss them. But there’s one thing I’d like even more, and that’d be to kiss you, Dominique.”

He didn’t move, his shoulder resting against the car door. She leaned toward him and gave him a light kiss on the lips. He didn’t try to take her in his arms.

“Please forgive me, Dominique,” he said, looking right at her.

Ill at ease, she started the engine and drove the car out of the parking lot.

“I did a lot of things that I deeply regret, but I won’t be able to ask forgiveness forever. I know you’re going to need some time to trust me again, though, right?”

He was desperately waiting for a response.

“We’ll see,” she muttered.

“I’ve paid a high price for my mistakes. Jules made sure of that. He did one hell of a good job. Like he always does, in fact. …”

Dominique shot him a worried look.

“I do mean that,” he added. “Contrary to what you might think, I do think that he’s doing things well. And that’s why he gets on my nerves so much. He always makes me feel like a loser. It’s so hard. He and I are going to have a long talk when I get home, but that’s not what’s most important to me. What’s most important to me is that I love you, Dominique. … And so far you’ve said nothing to reassure me. …”

She stopped the car at a red light and put a hand on her husband’s arm.

“If everyone tries hard,” she said, “I suppose that everything is going to go well.”

He frowned, trying to figure out what exactly she’d meant by that.

“I’m ready to do everything you want me to,” he said. “You’re much wiser than I am. … But it’s so hard to carry around the label of loser, coward, and now evil man because of the field incident. If the entire family sees me that way …”

“It was convenient and easy living in Mazion, since my parents never judged you.”

She’d thrown that comment at him like a jab, and he understood that he was far from being out of the woods. He decided to be honest.

“I’ve had it up to here with Mazion,” he said. “Too many bad memories there, and it’s all my fault. I’d love to stay at Fonteyne from now on, but that isn’t up to me.”

In a once familiar gesture, Dominique put her hand on Alex’s knee, which made him shiver. He caressed his wife’s fingers timidly. She enjoyed the contact, as it reminded her of the old bond between them.

“We’re almost to Fonteyne,” she said, just to break the silence.

“Like I don’t know the way as well as you do,” he said with a beaming smile.

Jules opened the door to the Little House and walked in with Bernard. The house was cold and already overrun by spider webs, but it didn’t smell musty.

“I’m not certain we’re going to need this house,” Jules said, “but I’d still like for it to be cleaned. Just in case. …”

Bernard looked at the windows, at the old paintings on the walls, and his gaze stopped on a beautiful, large fireplace made of huge stones. Their boots left prints on the dusty floor. The Little House had the charm of an old residence carefully renovated.

“If you want me to,” Bernard said, “I can wash the walls and the floors, air out the place, sweep the chimney …”

“Yes. And if you find anything that needs to be fixed, go ahead.”

“I’m going to open a few windows,” the young man said.

With the shutters open, light poured inside the house. Some of the furniture seemed abandoned along the walls, with drawers or doors ajar. Absentmindedly, Jules shut a closet.

“If you could take care of this today,” Jules told Bernard, “that’d be great.”

He blew at a couple of flies that had died on a window ledge. He walked into the kitchen and smiled, as he remembered bottle-feeding the twins there a few times. That was back when he got along well with Alex.

I’ll offer to let him stay,
he thought,
because it’s my duty to do so. … And because this is his home, after all. …

“Just a bit of cleaning at first,” he told Bernard. “If we need to paint some walls, we’ll attack that down the road. But I still don’t know if … Anyway, we’ll see …”

He turned to the young man who was waiting, standing still.

“It’s a bit cold in here, we should turn on the heat. Let’s make sure everything’s in order.”

“Right away, sir.”

They went down to the basement to check out the boiler.

“This is a nice house,” Bernard said, softly.

For a long time the Little House had been used as storage. Before Alex and Dominique settled there, Aurélien put everything in there he didn’t want in the castle anymore. When they were little, the four brothers had played there. But then, renovations had turned the place into a pleasant and comfortable home. When he got married, Alexandre had complained about being chased out of the castle by Aurélien, but Dominique had loved the idea of moving into the Little House, as it gave them a bit of independence.

Jules watched Bernard as he lit the boiler’s pilot.

This kid really is incredible. Smart, so together …

His smile surprised Bernard, who didn’t know how to react. A loud roar soon traveled through the house as the heating system kicked in.

“Good,” said Jules. “Okay, I’m going now. I promised the kids to help out with decorating the tree.”

He left the Little House, surprised at having given Bernard an explanation. But visiting the house had made him uneasy, reminding him of a bygone era. He hesitated, glanced at his watch, wondering if he had time to take a quick tour of the cellar. Then he decided he shouldn’t make the children wait. Why not, for once, sacrifice an entire morning for their sake?

From his bedroom window, Louis-Marie saw Jules walk to the castle. He’d also promised he was going to come down to help his daughter and nephews with the tree. But first he needed to call Pauline, to know what was going on with her. Though he’d given up on hoping, he’d put this moment off for as long as he’d been able. It was now time to put a stop to the guessing game and learn the truth. He sighed, seated himself comfortably in a wingback chair, and dialed the number of his Parisian apartment. At this time of day, Jules knew, Robert was at work, up to his elbows in blood in some operating room. Pauline picked up on the second ring.

“It’s you, darling?” she said, cheerfully. “Wait just one sec, I have to put something on. I’m just out of the shower. Wait …”

He did wait, patiently, imagining her running to fetch a bathrobe.

“Are you still there?” she asked, back on the phone. “I’m so glad you called. You never do.”

With her usual fecklessness, she was already trying to make him feel guilty.

“It’s December twenty-third,” he said. “I’d like to know what your plans are for tomorrow. If you remember, we’d agreed that …”

“I know, I know!”

This was followed by a moment of silence, then he heard her sniffling.

“You’re crying?”

Pauline never cried, except out of anger, and Louis-Marie had the impression that Pauline was playacting.

“You know I’m not coming to Fonteyne,” she said, her voice strangled.

Louis-Marie had known she was going to say that, and still it came as a shock to him.

“What am I supposed to tell Esther?” he said. “That we’re divorcing?”

This time he was the one going on the attack.

Immediately she replied, “You tell her what you want. Whatever is best for her. I understand if you want to leave me.”

“What? Me, wanting to leave you? I’ve never heard anything so outrageous in my life!”

“Wait,” she said, “you’re getting this all wrong. I said I needed some time and it’s over now, I know. I’m going to spend Christmas with Bob, it’s true. I promised him I would, and I can’t do otherwise. But it’s not what you think. … Maybe it’s just a spurt of insanity. You don’t have to put up with it all, and I’m not asking you to. … And even though you may want to slam the phone down, honey, I love you. I’m not wishing you a merry Christmas because I know you’re sad. I’m also sad, you know …”

Louis-Marie felt a detestable ache in his heart. He didn’t think she was putting on an act after all. She really was unhappy. She was ruining Louis-Marie’s life, as well as Esther’s, and maybe Robert’s as well. All that and she said
she
was sad. He remembered how she never could make a decision, how anytime some difficult situation arose, Pauline crumbled.

“So you put your daughter on a train, you spend Christmas with your lover—who happens to be my own brother—and you say that you love me. I’m getting this right?”

“Honey …”

“Wait, Pauline! Don’t interrupt me, please. I don’t want to suffer for the rest of my life, I’m certain you can understand that, in spite of your selfishness. I gave you some time. A lot of time! About Robert, I think I always knew. It’s possible that after our long … separation, that Bob wasn’t able to convince you and that you’re still interested in me. Only you can’t have it both ways. You understand that?”

“But I’m not …”

“Yes, that’s exactly what you’d like. But, you know, there’s a limit to what I can take. Do whatever you want with your life, sell the apartment. I’ll gladly take care of Esther if that’s better for you, and you can plan your future without worrying too much about her. I think she’s going to enjoy living here.”

“In Fonteyne? You can’t …”

“I’m staying here for good, Pauline. Esther is going to be surrounded by her family—her aunts, her cousins, her uncles—and that’s going to be great for her. And I’ll send you alimony if you don’t remarry, so you won’t be at Robert’s mercy and you won’t have to find a job.”

Louis-Marie took a deep breath and heard that she was crying again. He straightened and added, his voice soft, “Don’t cry, honey,” he said. “You have people who love you. …”

He gently hung up the phone, struggling against the temptation to call her right back. Against all odds, he’d hoped until the very end. Until the last moment he’d imagined her jumping on a train. In spite of all his resolutions, he still wasn’t completely over her, and he wished he could hold her in his arms and forgive her and make reckless plans for the future. But he resisted picking up the phone. He’d already worked too hard getting used to his wife’s absence to ruin everything because of a moment of weakness.

He went to the bathroom, took a long look at himself in the mirror, and splashed some cold water in his face before going down to the main living room. Esther was already up on a ladder that Jules held for her. The twins were fighting over a string of lights, and Laurène, who had Lucie-Malvoisie in her arms, couldn’t make them stop.

“Do something,” Jules asked Louis-Marie, pointing at the boys.

Since he seemed vaguely troubled, Laurène handed him the baby and ran over to help the twins herself. Maybe because he felt lonely, Louis-Marie immediately began singing a lullaby. Jules broke into his usual laughter.

“Stop that,” he said, “she’s going to hate music for the rest of her life. Quit singing or I’m letting go of the ladder and your daughter is going to fall.”

Esther pretended to be scared and began to scream. Laurène had managed to take the string of lights away from the twins, but two bulbs were broken. The twins threw themselves at the box containing the ornaments.