Okay, here's chapter two (yay!). I've been searching a lot, and found out (with some distress) that the English soldiers never let the men leave the church in Grand Pré after the declaration, and kept them captive there until the boats arrived… So I ended up rewriting half of chapter one, and you should go and re-read it (at least the second half, after the line of ******) so you understand what's going on in this chapter… Okay, I know I'm making the English soldiers terribly cruel, but bear in mind that lieutenant Wolfe was only following orders, and that the Acadians deportation was one of the most cruel act from the Europeans ever seen in men history, aside from the Holocaust (well, at least they didn't let the Acadians die in gaz chambers…), so the acts I'm relating are based on true facts I read in books and such. I'm warning you, this isn't a happy story! Also, before you ask, I didn't write the Cajun accent in the LeBeau's speech, simply because they are talking in French, and what you read is a traduction of what they say. When they really talk in English, I'll say it, and will add the accent. Review comments are at the end, friends.
Enjoy!
Flames
Belle sighed, and looked up from the woolen shirt she was mending. It had been raining for five days now, and there seemed to be no end at the desastrous weather outside. It had its good, making the grass green and cooling down the temperature. But it kept the kids inside.
They did stay inside the house the first four days, screaming their lungs out. Hyperactive very young children yelling and running inside the house had finaly driven the women crazy, and they sent them outside the fifth day. They would come back covered in dirt and mud, but exhausted. With a little luck, maybe they'd even fall asleep during supper, their head lolling with sleep, and eyes closing against their will, heads threatening to fall in their plates. Belle smiled. She wasn't used to live with so many persons in the same house. But with the men gone, the LeBeau sisters came back to the family house, and brought their children. The house was big enough, but the presence of so many people required a little bit more cooking, and a lot of patience.
Belle looked at the other chair in the living room, making sure Madeleine, Remy's sister, was deep asleep over her knitting, and got up to walk to the big window. The sky was a dark grey, but at least it wasn't raining anymore. Belle narrowed her eyes, looking as far as her eyes could see, but there was still nothing. The road was desperately desert, and there had been no sign of life from the men. Belle swallowed the lump she had in her throat since the carriage had dissapeared over the hill. Surely they would be back soon. Five days was way too much for her, but… She had never travelled, but she knew Grand Pré was quite a ride. She had guessed a two days ride, but maybe she was wrong.
She was about to turn around and sit back when she saw some movement on the road. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see what it was, and tried slowing her heart beat down.
Her heart sank. A single rider, the horse galloping at full speed towards the house. The herd of kids, hearing the horse steps, emerged from behind the house, and stood in front of the entrance.
Belle ran to the door, waking up Madeleine in the process of tripping over her foot. Her sister-in-law followed her to the door. "What's wrong, Belle?"
"Someone's coming" she answered, and opened the door.
The horse slowed down as he went through the small gate entrance, and head straight to them. Madeleine gasped.
"Maximien?" The young priest jumped off his horse, his wet blonde hair glued to his head, and soft brown eyes blinked, aknowledging their presence. "Why are you here?"
"Oncle Max!" Éloïse squealed and ran to her father's brother, and Maximien gave her a small smile, opening his arms to her, and he picked her up before turning to the two women.
"Madeleine... There's something I have to tell all of you."
~~
Maximien sat at the table, focusing on his cup of coffee so he wouldn't have to face the seven women sitting around him, waiting for him to talk about whatever it is he had to say. His mother, his three sisters and three sisters-in-law* were all looking at him. For some obscure reason, he looked up to stare into Belle's eyes. "It seems his Majesty the King of England is tired of us, and sees us like a menace." He looked down at his untouched coffee again, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. "Everywhere in Acadie, they captured men and young boys in all the different reunions. Three hundred alone in Grand Pré." A dead silence fell over the kitchen. Belle leaned over the table, her eyes wide with worry.
"You mean they captured our husbands? They're keeping them captured in Grand Pré?" she asked. Maximien nodded.
"It happened two days ago, and I learned it in Baie Ste-Marie only this morning… I came here as fast as I could to warn you."
"Warn us?" Henriette drew her grey brows together. "Surely they will free the men, non? They didn't do anything wrong…"
"Of course they did, mère." She stopped talking and looked at him, her mouth agape. Maximien took in a deep breath before breaking the news. "They were born Acadians, born francophones and sworn ennemies to the English crown." Henriette looked insulted.
"What are they going to do to us? Hang us for treason, because we were born?" Maximien looked at his mother in the eyes.
"No. They're deporting us. That's why they kept the men captured, so there would be less resistance when they came…"
"They're deporting us? Expulsing us from our homes?" Henriette was standing now, her face red with frustration. "How can they do such a thing? I never thought Englishmen compared themselves to animals! Monsters!" She was pacing to and fro in the kitchen, salt and pepper locks falling from her chignon at the back of her head. Marguerite rose to her feet, and took her hands.
"Mère…" Henriette didn't listen to her, and turned to Maximien.
"When are they coming? We have to get prepared…"
"Maman! Maman!" Belle turned her head to the entrance, from where the children shouts could be heard. Alexandre burst into the kitchen, his brown eyes wide with fear under auburn locks. "Red soldiers are coming down the hill, maman! And they have guns!" Everyone stood up and walked to the door in frenzy, and Maximien met his mother's eyes.
"I think you got your answer."
~~
Belle ran outside the door to see her son was right. The children were all standing in front of the door on the veranda, and they all turned, eyes wide, to burry their faces in their mother's skirt.**
Sure enough, a group of fifteen red Dragoons was slowly coming down the hill, sitting straight on their horse's back, and pistols hanging over their legs. They also each had a sword, Belle noticed, and her heart leaped. They were seven woman, a priest and a bunch of kids, armed with a hunting gun and kitchen knives. She never liked being pessimistic, but the situation looked hopeless. The group of soldiers came to a halt in front of the veranda. A huge carriage was following them, filled with a dozen women and children. One of the soldiers's horses took a few steps forward, and his rider saluted them, a deep frown on his face. His hair was so black it shinned blue in the eerie lighting, and his pale blue eyes were piercing. Belle shivered. He spoke in English.
"I am lieutenant Logan Wolfe, from the English Dragoons, and we are here on the orders of colonel John Winslow, to take you to Baie Ste-Marie, where it will be decided on where you will be shipped."
"Parlez en français, monsieur, on ne comprend pas l'anglais***." Maximien took a step forward and opened his wool coat, plainly showing the maplewood beaded rosary hanging over his shirt. "I am father LeBeau, from the parish of Ste-Marie" he said, still in French. The soldiers glanced at each other, and Belle repressed a moan. How could they communicate when they couldn't understand each other? The soldiers took care of the manner by drawing out their guns, using international language, and pointing them at the group of women and kids in front of us.
"I said : you're all coming with us" lieutenant Wolfe repeated. Alexandre let out a yelp and let go of Belle's hand to run away.
"Alex! Come back!" Belle yelled as she ran after her son, and her heart stopped when she heard a gunshot, and saw Alexandre fall on the ground, screaming in pain. He sat in the grass, clutching his left leg, and Belle fell on her knees next to him. Juliette stepped forward, raising angry green eyes to meet the lieutenant Wolfe's ice cold ones.
"How dare you shoot on a child?!" she screamed in French at him. "He's only six, how can he tell wrong from right?" Maximien took her arm and drew her back.
"Please, Juliette, the child will be safe. But for now, I think we better do as they say."
They climbed in the carriage, and Belle bandaged Alexandre's foot at best she could. She looked around, searching for her kids. Baby Julien was in his aunt Madeleine's arms, and Éloïse and Sylvain were with Juliette, sitting each side of her and clutching their aunt's waist. Belle sighed. At least her children were okay. Or would be, as soon as they would get the bullet out of Alexandre's foot. But as the carriage slowly walked away from the house, filled with lonely woman and crying children, Belle looked up at the now empty house.
And nearly yelled her heart out, as flames came out of the broken windows, and the roof fell down, raising high flames and a cloud of smoke in the grey sky. The house was no more, and Belle felt fear seeping in her heart as she hoped with all her might that Remy would be waiting for her where the English soldier were taking them.
* Okay, just so you don't get too lost with all the names, here's a quick list of characters:
Jean-Luc LeBeau (father), married to Henriette Leblanc LeBeau (mother), children listed below…
Remy LeBeau (main character [duh]), married to Belle Boudreaux LeBeau, children : Alexandre (6), Éloïse (4), Sylvain (3) and Julien (1)
Henri LeBeau (brother), married to Mercy Massé LeBeau, children : Thomas (5) and Louise (3)
François LeBeau (brother), died in battle in 1754
Jules LeBeau (brother), married to Juliette Gagnon LeBeau, no children yet
Maximien LeBeau (brother), catholic priest, single
Jacqueline LeBeau Boudreaux (sister), married to Julien Boudreaux (Belle's brother), children : Anne (2)
Madeleine LeBeau Perron (sister), married to Olivier Perron, no children yet
Marguerite LeBeau Savoie (sister), married to Émile Savoie (remember Lapin?), children : Luc and Marc, twins (1 year old)
In other words, the three sisters are Jacqueline, Madeleine and Marguerite, and the sisters-in-law are Belle, Mercy and Juliette.
** They are pretty young… the oldest is Alexandre, and he's 6.
*** Talk in French, mister, we don't understand English.
BJ2 : I'm sorry, but you'll have to put it down once in awhile, cause this is going to take some time to write! But I do have lots of information, and my storyline is almost finished writing, so it should come quite easily… Glad you like it!
LEM : I am intending on writing a novel with this story. I've been having this idea for a long time. Though when I do try to edit a book (keyword : try), it'll be in French. I'm considering this story as a tryout, and the final result will probably be a book, with different names and a lot more information. So I'm not doing all this research only for fanfiction, but also for the sake of my dream of writing a book. Maybe…
ishandahalf : I'm hoping you're still on your angst crave, because it's going to take a while before any romance or fluff comes in… I swear I'll put Rogue in it, in a few (many?) chapters. And don't worry, you'll recognize her. After all, I already fitted Logan in… And yes, Remy is married to Belle, and they are happy together, but you wait and see all the cruelty I have in my pocket for poor Remy. Gambit torture at its best. *sigh* I hate myself, but darn I love it!
marie-josée : Hey, une amie! J'étais bien surprise de voir un review en français, mais ça fait du bien après avoir tant écrit en anglais… ça change, et ça fait plaisir. Je suis bien contente que tu apprécies l'histoire. C'est effectivement beaucoup de recherche, mais ça vaut la peine puisque j'ai l'intention de me servir de cette information et de l'histoire pour écrire un livre plus tard (en changeant les noms, bien entendu…)
Warmer than Fire : Well, the biggest part of researching is done, but like I said to the others, it's not only for fanfiction. Though it does make it more accurate, and I'm a perfectionnist…
foofighta : Oh, you do know me very well, and no, they won't be happy for long… Sorry, but the eyes are gone, replaced by nice soft chocolate brown eyes. Sorry, but he would have ended on the stake in these years if he had red eyes…