Chapter 39
It was the next morning before Francis called the meeting. The court physician was taking care of the body as per the King's instructions. She was to be buried in the castle graveyard later that afternoon.
Everyone gathered in the library at the one long table that was there. It wasn't a very big one, but it did contain a large variety of books, which Auguste picked up in his travels. He had originally bought them for Nicole, but stopped bringing them after she her death. When he noticed Danielle's love for reading, he began to bring them home again.
Vivienne was still tapping her foot under the table. Isabel had to be coaxed away from the window, Adrienne still hadn't come home and Alexandre had disappeared with Camille.
Phillippe sat at the table nervously tapping it with his index finger. He had a few papers in his hand.
"Shouldn't we start this little get together?"
Francis looked at Marie, who was sitting next to him at his right. Henry and Danielle were sitting opposite them, Jacqueline and Laurent sitting next to Danielle.
"All right, Phillippe," the King said, "if you're so anxious to begin this thing, you talk first. What have you got to say that's so important?"
Phillippe smiled. "Well, the first thing I would like to pass on my condolences to you at Thérèse 's untimely death."
Francis looked up at him, a little surprised. "She was your sister in law too, Phillippe. We are all family here, at least that's how I look at it."
"Well, now that she is gone, there really should be no cause for a dispute. It was my brother's chateau to begin with."
Marie sat up and shot her younger brother a angry look. "He was my brother too, Phillippe, but let's get something straight here. That chateau never belonged to this family."
"But he told me.."
"Do you have any papers to prove that it was his chateau, Phillippe?" Francis asked.
"It's right here, Francis," Phillippe said, opening the page. "It's all right here with Jules' name and seal. All signed ready for your.."
Vivienne looked at her husband. The noise under the table was her foot going up and down again. "Well, Phillippe, what's wrong now? Where is it? Where is this deed that you keep talking about?"
Phillippe fidgeted. He looked up from the paper and looked at Francis, then turned to his wife.
"WELL?" she screeched, her foot and now her fingers were going al at the same time.
"It's in his name, but it's signed over to Thérèse with his permission. In the event of her death, the estate is signed over to the Danielle only through the King and Queen of France." "WHAT?" Isabel screamed, looking over at Phillippe. She turned to Vivienne. "You told me that the manor was left to.."
"They changed the will," Phillippe said, looking from his wife back to Francis. "You people changed the will."
Francis smiled.
"And?" he asked, looking at him.
It was the next morning before Francis called the meeting. The court physician was taking care of the body as per the King's instructions. She was to be buried in the castle graveyard later that afternoon.
Everyone gathered in the library at the one long table that was there. It wasn't a very big one, but it did contain a large variety of books, which Auguste picked up in his travels. He had originally bought them for Nicole, but stopped bringing them after she her death. When he noticed Danielle's love for reading, he began to bring them home again.
Vivienne was still tapping her foot under the table. Isabel had to be coaxed away from the window, Adrienne still hadn't come home and Alexandre had disappeared with Camille.
Phillippe sat at the table nervously tapping it with his index finger. He had a few papers in his hand.
"Shouldn't we start this little get together?"
Francis looked at Marie, who was sitting next to him at his right. Henry and Danielle were sitting opposite them, Jacqueline and Laurent sitting next to Danielle.
"All right, Phillippe," the King said, "if you're so anxious to begin this thing, you talk first. What have you got to say that's so important?"
Phillippe smiled. "Well, the first thing I would like to pass on my condolences to you at Thérèse 's untimely death."
Francis looked up at him, a little surprised. "She was your sister in law too, Phillippe. We are all family here, at least that's how I look at it."
"Well, now that she is gone, there really should be no cause for a dispute. It was my brother's chateau to begin with."
Marie sat up and shot her younger brother a angry look. "He was my brother too, Phillippe, but let's get something straight here. That chateau never belonged to this family."
"But he told me.."
"Do you have any papers to prove that it was his chateau, Phillippe?" Francis asked.
"It's right here, Francis," Phillippe said, opening the page. "It's all right here with Jules' name and seal. All signed ready for your.."
Vivienne looked at her husband. The noise under the table was her foot going up and down again. "Well, Phillippe, what's wrong now? Where is it? Where is this deed that you keep talking about?"
Phillippe fidgeted. He looked up from the paper and looked at Francis, then turned to his wife.
"WELL?" she screeched, her foot and now her fingers were going al at the same time.
"It's in his name, but it's signed over to Thérèse with his permission. In the event of her death, the estate is signed over to the Danielle only through the King and Queen of France." "WHAT?" Isabel screamed, looking over at Phillippe. She turned to Vivienne. "You told me that the manor was left to.."
"They changed the will," Phillippe said, looking from his wife back to Francis. "You people changed the will."
Francis smiled.
"And?" he asked, looking at him.