Chapter 15: A Family is Formed
That first morning Henry was up at the crack of down, as well as the rest of the family. From the very beginning he could feel a new sense of understanding building inside of him. Suddenly everything about Danielle made perfect sense. All those things that he found so profound and fascinating about her seemed attainable and frankly, he was jealous.
He had spent his weeklong absence studying his servants carefully. He watched them, talked to them, the whole time taking notes, and now all that effort seemed silly and wasted. No amount of conversation could possibly explain the feeling of pride he felt as he sat down at the table for lunch that first day.
During breakfast they had talked primarily about the chores that needed to be performed that morning. Gathering eggs, milking cows, weeding, harvesting honey and beeswax, the typical chores of an average farm. At the time Henry thought sure he was in for a hard and rather boring morning. But if that was what he had to do, then for Danielle's sake he would do it, if for no other reason then to be able to stay here with her.
Lunch was a different story all together. He sat down at the table for that second meal full of hope and pride. As he watched the family munch on Louise's perfect soup he felt that for the first time in his life he had something real to be proud of. The crown, his palace, his fine tailored clothing all seemed meaningless and stupid, and for the first time he was embarrassed to have such things.
That morning was probably the best morning of his life, save of course, for the one when he stole Rodmilla's mare and met Danielle. First, Maurice explained to him the in's and out's of egg collecting. Apparently there were two types of eggs, one's that were fertilized and ones that weren't. You didn't want to collect the fertilized eggs because they would hatch and the chicks could be sold at market. The one's that weren't fertilized were the ones that could be used as food. He was shown how to tell the difference between the two and then was sent to do the chore. He met Maurice in the garden with a basket full of eggs. Maurice took it and began the chore of inspecting each one. At first Henry was annoyed by it. Didn't the old man trust him? But then, when he saw that he had mistakenly taken five fertilized eggs he realized that the task was far harder then he thought and he scolded himself for being so quick tempered.
Next came the two men headed to the barn to milk the three cows the family owned. Again Henry was scolding himself. He went from being quick tempered to just plain ignorant. You would have thought that after the egg incident he would have realized that Maurice knew what he was talking about and he should really listen, right? Of course not. Once again, he let his arrogance get in the way. Maurice tried to warn him that the third cow of the group, the one they called Emma was pregnant, and about to calf. Emma, according to Maurice had a track record of being very ill tempered when in such a delicate condition, and therefore it was very important that you milk her properly. One of the men would have to offer her a special treat of apples while the other milked her. Maurice explained that you could only pull once on each teat before she started to get cranky. Therefore Henry would have to pull once on each teat in a clockwise motion and then repeat the process. That's where Henry goofed up. He figured that instead of pulling once and then repeating, he would just pull twice really fast, it was the same thing right? WRONG!!
Maurice stood at in front of Emma distracting her with apples and kind words while Henry sat on the stool and tried his best to milk her. He got away with pulling the first teat twice and then went on to the next. He pulled once and noticed no change, so feeling brave he pulled again and that's when it happened. Emma mooed deep and lifted her back leg. In a matter of a split second the bucket had been kicked over, Henry barely escaped with his nose, and Maurice was laughing himself into a coma.
"I told you she was testy, boy!" He snorted merrily. Henry laughed too. He must look like the world's biggest idiot. Some hotshot high society boy thinking he could just waltz in and teach these people a thing or two about their own way of life. It was then that it sank in that in this world, the real world, he was a beginner. He had no skills to speak of and therefore was at the mercy of these people. They were letting him stay here, eat the food that they worked hard to prepare, sleep in a room that he didn't have rights too, and all he was able to do in return was make the well oiled morning routine a clunky, slow test of patience.
That's when it all started to click. Danielle lived each day working hard but what she got in return was something no amount of money could buy. Every apple she ate, every glass of juice she drank, every frank she received going to market, she worked for all that. This family had the satisfaction of being self-sufficient. They grew their own food, made their old clothes, and cleaned their own house. They didn't depend on anybody but themselves. The world could blow up around them and they'd be just fine.
As the morning progressed Henry felt more and more like an outsider. Like a burden on these wonderful people and this beautiful way of life. Sometime between helping Paulette and Jacqueline weed the garden, and helping to clean out the barn he realized that more then anything he wanted to be a part of what was happening around him. He wanted to learn everything that they could teach, and stay here with Danielle forever.
When lunchtime came he entered the house with the others and sat down at the table. Conversation was light and happy. He nibbled at his food, unable to shake the feelings growing inside of him.
"Eat up boy, you earned it." He heard Maurice call from across the table. He smiled softly.
"So," Danielle chimed in, "how was Monsieur LaCroix's first day on the job. Does he pass your inspection Maurice?" The teasing tone in Danielle's voice made Henry's heart race.
"Well, Emma almost knocked that beard right off his face, but I've never seen someone with natural planting abilities like his." Henry felt his mood lift. Perhaps there was hope for him yet. Maybe, just maybe if everything went well he could become part of this family, here in this house, forever. As he ate his soup he started thinking about the seeds he'd planted that morning. With proper care one day they two would be carrots, and potatoes and beans. And they would be washed and prepared and cooked in a hearty soup, a soup that Henry would hopefully be eating. And as he ate it he would enjoy each bite because he new that he earned every last drop. Finally his life had meaning, a direction, a purpose. Now he just hoped he could find a way to hold onto it.
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With the daily chores completed the family found themselves with quite a few late afternoon hours to do with as they pleased. It was warm and sunny. A clear blue sky and a gentle breeze, so the general consensus was that it was too good of a day to waste indoors.
Henry decided to try his hand at fishing. After constructing a pole and digging a few worms for bait he headed towards the river. As he exited the path he could clearly see Danielle sitting on the shore of the river. She seemed to be deep in thought, and for a moment he was unsure if he should disturb her. He was about to turn to leave when she happened to see him.
"Henry!" She called out. The sound of her voice was delightful, and she appeared to be relaxed and happy. Henry walked down the beach and was soon at her side.
"This Henry person must be very important to you." He said as he sat down on the warm sand. She giggled happily and Henry felt his heart race.
"I am sorry, Jean. I did not mean to offend you. I guess I just miss him is all." Her voice grew soft, and Henry swallowed a lump that instantly developed in his throat.
"Forgive me for being forward, miss, but I'd bet everything I have that he misses you as well." Things grew eerily quiet and Henry felt the need to change the topic quickly. "Anyway, it appears, Baroness, that great minds think alike. It's the perfect day to spend at the river." Danielle smiled brightly and Henry felt his mood lighten.
"Originally, I thought I would go swimming, but once I got out here I started to listen to the birds and I just got lost in the beauty of this place." Henry started to bait his fishing pole as he listened. It always amazed him that just when he thought he couldn't love her anymore then he did, she proved him wrong.
"I thought I would try my luck with fishing."
"Oh! That sounds fun! I've never done that before!" Henry chuckled.
"Well, I'm afraid I've only done it once before. As I recall I didn't catch a thing and fell into the river and had to be rescued by a family friend."
"Oh dear! And you're going for a repeat performance?" This time Henry's laughter was a soft little giggle, a sound that prompted a wide smile on Danielle's face, and rosy cheeks on the man in question.
"All I can say, Milady, is that I hope you are a good swimmer."
"Indeed I am."
"Good. Then I trust I will return to the house in one piece." For hours the two sat near the edge of the water. After a while they forgot about fishing and allowed themselves to get lost in the tranquility of their surroundings. The birds singing elaborate songs and the soothing sound of rushing water complimented the soft breeze perfectly.
"Jean," Danielle said out of nowhere, "you don't have to stay here if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel forced to stay."
"What are you talking about?" Henry asked. His eyes were locked on the river and he was only half listening to the conversation.
"I just wanted you to know, that I'd understand if I woke up one morning and you weren't here." Henry snapped back into reality and gave Danielle a sideward glance.
"Why would you say that?" Danielle could hear that he was starting to get upset and silently wished that she hadn't said anything.
"I just wanted you to know that you have a choice."
"I came here because I wanted to. I'm staying here because I want to. I love it here, I've never felt so alive as I did this morning."
"I'm glad you like it here." Danielle felt a strange sense of loss building and for a moment she wished they could talk like they used to. Danielle and Henry, best friends, partners in life. She wished that Jean Paul wasn't needed, but at the same time she understood Henry's logic. She just couldn't seem to talk to Henry directly so having him there, as a different person, she could talk to him indirectly. That way there was no pressure from the past or their potential future. As Jean Paul, Henry and Danielle could approach their relationship with a clean slate. She understood the logic, and was enjoying the results, but part of her knew she was just putting off the inevitable.
"I'm glad that you're glad that I like it here." Henry blushed softly.
"I keep thinking something. Mind if I share?"
"Of course not." He replied instantly.
"As crazy as all this is, these last few weeks. Sitting out here in this beautiful place, I can't held up think that everything is going to be okay. Somehow, someway, I'm going to be okay. We're going to be okay." Henry felt his eyes mist up. We. She said we. It took a minute to process that information.
"I think so too." He whispered softly. To his surprise he felt Danielle's hand slip into his. The feeling of her skin against his sent shock waves through his body. For a long time they didn't move and neither said a word. To was too beautiful of a moment to spoil with words.
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That evening was a quiet one. Henry was in front of the fireplace in his room. He had a warm blanket wrapped around his body and a copy of Thomas Moore's "Utopia" in his hands. He was reading it diligently. The first time he had read it, the meaning and beauty was lost on him but now after knowing Danielle, he was reading it with new eyes. The beauty of the words touched him profoundly.
He heard someone knocked on his closed door and he groaned slightly. He called for the unknown visitor to come in. He wasn't surprised to see Paulette come in the room, he was, however surprised to see the worry written clearly on her face.
"Henry might I talk to you?" Before Henry could correct her she added, "it's important, I'm very worried about Danielle." Henry got nervous.
"Why? What happened?" He asked.
"I was hoping you knew." Paulette sat on the end of his bed, and Henry was grateful that he didn't have to look her in the eye. He sighed heavily an action that made Paulette queasy.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Henry lied.
"Don't play dumb with me boy! I can see the bruises, I'm not blind!" Paulette snapped at him. Henry could hear that she was trying not to cry, and he wanted to tell her everything. If for no other reason then to have someone to compare notes with, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"It's not my place to say." He told her instead.
"Henry, the only reason I came to you tonight is because I believe that you love Danielle as much as the rest of us." She could see Henry nod his head in agreement, "as I told you once Maurice, Louise and I raised Danielle after her father passed. To me, she is my child, and I know something is wrong with her. I can see it in her eyes; I can hear it in her voice. I lay in bed at night wondering what on earth happened to her, and I know something did, so don't try and tell me otherwise." Henry again nodded.
"She doesn't even know that I know, Paulette."
"Well, if she didn't tell you, then how did you find out?" Paulette asked, pressing him for information.
"If you had seen what I saw that day at Le Pieu's then you would indeed understand."
"I see" she paused, unsure of how to continue, "it's bad, isn't it Henry?" Again, Henry nodded. Paulette stood up and started towards the door, she placed her hand on the knob and then paused. For the first time the two of them locked eyes. "I knew the only thing that could keep her from loving you would be another man." Henry realized that she too had put the pieces together, and something about her demeanor told him that she would not tell anyone. Henry watched her walk out the door. When she was gone he let out a heavy sigh and put his book down. He didn't feel much like reading.