Chapter 19
"Child, whatever are doing down there?"
Adrienne looked up and saw her mother standing next to her, her hands on her hips. Behind her stood Vivienne, still tapping her foot as usual. Alexandre was next to her, trying not to smile.
"Aunt Thérèse was just looking for her other earring. She's right over there, Mother. You should have passed her."
"Fool child," Isabel said. "There's no one here at all. Get up."
Adrienne shook her head. No, she thought not again. She stood up and walked in the direction that Thérèse said she'd be in, but she was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.
"Silly girl," Isabel told her again. Thérèse doesn't even wear earrings." She came closer, "Come child, do you know what's going on?"
Adrienne looked at the spot then at her mother and her aunt. Then she looked at Alex who by this time was softly laughing until Vivienne turned around to stare at him.
"Well, I think our little plan has gone awry," Isabel said, turning toward Vivienne.
"What do you mean?" Adrienne asked brushing the dirt from her knees.
"Just what I said, daughter. Our plan to gain control of my sister in law's chateau and wrest it away from Danielle."
"Don't forget all that money, Isabel. It is rightfully mine, at least some of it." Vivienne smiled. "But I think we can still salvage it."
"How? Didn't you see that they all left together?"
"Who left?" Adrienne asked, a little confused. She looked at Isabel first, then Vivienne, then at Alex.
"The four of them," Alex answered, after no one else did. "You know, Henry, Danielle, Thérèse & Marie."
"Where did they all disappear to?" Adrienne asked.
Alex shrugged. "No one I've spoken with seems to know."
"That Thérèse floats about as if she were a tiny fairy," Isabel said, frowning. "She's never done one bad thing in her life and has never spoken ill of anyone."
"Yes, it's true," Vivienne agreed, "a perfect little angel. How do you think Danielle came to be here in the first place? Just another one of her good deeds for an old friend of the family."
"Very old and very respected member of the family," Isabel agreed, "a friend of your husband's, I believe."
"Yes, he was, until his death. When Rodmilla moved into the manor, she unknowingly carried out our plans for Danielle's dismissal. What we hadn't counted on was Thérèse's plan to bring her here. It was as if she knew what we had been planning all along."
Vivienne nodded. "Well, now we will have to wait and see what happens before we strike again. I think that Thérèse is onto us. So if we just bide our time."
Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Adrienne, who had just begun to speak. He couldn't let this happen, not to the woman he loved and was preparing to marry. He started to back of when Adrienne noticed him and pulled him back.
"Where do you think you're off to, you little worm?" she asked him.
"Child, whatever are doing down there?"
Adrienne looked up and saw her mother standing next to her, her hands on her hips. Behind her stood Vivienne, still tapping her foot as usual. Alexandre was next to her, trying not to smile.
"Aunt Thérèse was just looking for her other earring. She's right over there, Mother. You should have passed her."
"Fool child," Isabel said. "There's no one here at all. Get up."
Adrienne shook her head. No, she thought not again. She stood up and walked in the direction that Thérèse said she'd be in, but she was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.
"Silly girl," Isabel told her again. Thérèse doesn't even wear earrings." She came closer, "Come child, do you know what's going on?"
Adrienne looked at the spot then at her mother and her aunt. Then she looked at Alex who by this time was softly laughing until Vivienne turned around to stare at him.
"Well, I think our little plan has gone awry," Isabel said, turning toward Vivienne.
"What do you mean?" Adrienne asked brushing the dirt from her knees.
"Just what I said, daughter. Our plan to gain control of my sister in law's chateau and wrest it away from Danielle."
"Don't forget all that money, Isabel. It is rightfully mine, at least some of it." Vivienne smiled. "But I think we can still salvage it."
"How? Didn't you see that they all left together?"
"Who left?" Adrienne asked, a little confused. She looked at Isabel first, then Vivienne, then at Alex.
"The four of them," Alex answered, after no one else did. "You know, Henry, Danielle, Thérèse & Marie."
"Where did they all disappear to?" Adrienne asked.
Alex shrugged. "No one I've spoken with seems to know."
"That Thérèse floats about as if she were a tiny fairy," Isabel said, frowning. "She's never done one bad thing in her life and has never spoken ill of anyone."
"Yes, it's true," Vivienne agreed, "a perfect little angel. How do you think Danielle came to be here in the first place? Just another one of her good deeds for an old friend of the family."
"Very old and very respected member of the family," Isabel agreed, "a friend of your husband's, I believe."
"Yes, he was, until his death. When Rodmilla moved into the manor, she unknowingly carried out our plans for Danielle's dismissal. What we hadn't counted on was Thérèse's plan to bring her here. It was as if she knew what we had been planning all along."
Vivienne nodded. "Well, now we will have to wait and see what happens before we strike again. I think that Thérèse is onto us. So if we just bide our time."
Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Adrienne, who had just begun to speak. He couldn't let this happen, not to the woman he loved and was preparing to marry. He started to back of when Adrienne noticed him and pulled him back.
"Where do you think you're off to, you little worm?" she asked him.