Chapter 14
All right, Alex, what have you to tell me this time? I hope it's something worth hearing."
Vivienne stood next to Alexandre and was nervously tapping her foot. Alex always hated that about his mother. It was a bad habit and usually meant that she was in trouble with her. He was trying to avoid staring at it, but it was impossible.
"Are you sure that we are alone here in the garden, Mother? Seems to me that there are a lot of ladies milling about."
Vivienne looked as if she were about to throw a fit. "Details, my son. I want details!"
Alex sighed and looked into her eyes, but he couldn't keep his eyes there for too long. It was still moving up and down, still tapping away.
"I've done it, Mother. I've asked Danielle to marry me, just as you asked me to do. We engaged."
There were other words he could have used, ordered was one that came to mind, but he didn't dare. Not with those tapping toes.
Vivienne looked at him, her foot still moving up and down. "And did she give you an answer?"
Alex was still staring at her the moving tootsies. "No," he answered her, " not yet." He looked up at her, obviously upset about something.
"Mother, I can't do this to her. I mean it's not right. I love Danielle too much to deceive her like this. I just want to see her get hurt. "
Vivienne's glare never wavered from her son's face. The foot started to tap even faster and harder.
"Deceiving her? How are you deceiving her? You say you love her then this should be easy for you to handle."
Alex shook his head. "Henry is the one who loves her. Not only that, but she's the right choice for a Princess."
Vivienne laughed. "A servant girl married to a Prince. What a fairy tale that would be." She laughed for a little while with Alex watching her every move, including that bobbing foot, which he noticed had stopped. When she finally noticed, she stopped.
"Danielle will just have to learn to live apart from her true love. I've already convinced Francis, now all I have to do is make Marie see the light of day, but she won't budge."
Alex looked at his mother. "If Danielle isn't right for the Prince, Mother, what makes her right for me?" He glanced at the foot again, which, as he had suspected had begun to tap again.
"I want what's coming to me, Alex. Therese is leaving everything to that girl, the money, what's left of it and the chateau. Don't you know why she really brought Danielle here, my son?"
Alex shook his head and stared down at her foot. It had finally stopped moving. He looked up again. "I've heard a few things," he said.
"Well, maybe you've heard this then," Vivienne continued. "She's Therese heir to the family fortune, Alex." She made a sweeping gesture with her arm. "All this, son, all of it. The house, the gardens, everything to her and I plan on getting a piece of it before it's too late. And you are my golden opportunity, Alex. You are my brass ring."
She looked at him waiting for an answer. The foot began to tap again.
"Well?" she asked, angrily.
Alex watched his mother trying not to smile. "Where did you hear that? I have heard nothing of that sort at all. Are you sure you're right because."
Vivienne smiled, as she turned from her son and began to walk away. "Oh," she answered finally, "what do you know?"
"Apparently, not enough," Alex whispered, half to himself and half to his mother as he watched her walk through the door talking to herself.
Then he began to run after her. "Mother, wait, please."
Author's Note:
This is where I will have to leave it for now as I am going on vacation for a week. I want to thank all my readers for their support and I'll see you when I get back.
All right, Alex, what have you to tell me this time? I hope it's something worth hearing."
Vivienne stood next to Alexandre and was nervously tapping her foot. Alex always hated that about his mother. It was a bad habit and usually meant that she was in trouble with her. He was trying to avoid staring at it, but it was impossible.
"Are you sure that we are alone here in the garden, Mother? Seems to me that there are a lot of ladies milling about."
Vivienne looked as if she were about to throw a fit. "Details, my son. I want details!"
Alex sighed and looked into her eyes, but he couldn't keep his eyes there for too long. It was still moving up and down, still tapping away.
"I've done it, Mother. I've asked Danielle to marry me, just as you asked me to do. We engaged."
There were other words he could have used, ordered was one that came to mind, but he didn't dare. Not with those tapping toes.
Vivienne looked at him, her foot still moving up and down. "And did she give you an answer?"
Alex was still staring at her the moving tootsies. "No," he answered her, " not yet." He looked up at her, obviously upset about something.
"Mother, I can't do this to her. I mean it's not right. I love Danielle too much to deceive her like this. I just want to see her get hurt. "
Vivienne's glare never wavered from her son's face. The foot started to tap even faster and harder.
"Deceiving her? How are you deceiving her? You say you love her then this should be easy for you to handle."
Alex shook his head. "Henry is the one who loves her. Not only that, but she's the right choice for a Princess."
Vivienne laughed. "A servant girl married to a Prince. What a fairy tale that would be." She laughed for a little while with Alex watching her every move, including that bobbing foot, which he noticed had stopped. When she finally noticed, she stopped.
"Danielle will just have to learn to live apart from her true love. I've already convinced Francis, now all I have to do is make Marie see the light of day, but she won't budge."
Alex looked at his mother. "If Danielle isn't right for the Prince, Mother, what makes her right for me?" He glanced at the foot again, which, as he had suspected had begun to tap again.
"I want what's coming to me, Alex. Therese is leaving everything to that girl, the money, what's left of it and the chateau. Don't you know why she really brought Danielle here, my son?"
Alex shook his head and stared down at her foot. It had finally stopped moving. He looked up again. "I've heard a few things," he said.
"Well, maybe you've heard this then," Vivienne continued. "She's Therese heir to the family fortune, Alex." She made a sweeping gesture with her arm. "All this, son, all of it. The house, the gardens, everything to her and I plan on getting a piece of it before it's too late. And you are my golden opportunity, Alex. You are my brass ring."
She looked at him waiting for an answer. The foot began to tap again.
"Well?" she asked, angrily.
Alex watched his mother trying not to smile. "Where did you hear that? I have heard nothing of that sort at all. Are you sure you're right because."
Vivienne smiled, as she turned from her son and began to walk away. "Oh," she answered finally, "what do you know?"
"Apparently, not enough," Alex whispered, half to himself and half to his mother as he watched her walk through the door talking to herself.
Then he began to run after her. "Mother, wait, please."
Author's Note:
This is where I will have to leave it for now as I am going on vacation for a week. I want to thank all my readers for their support and I'll see you when I get back.