Chapter Four

"Has any one seen Rosie today?" Beau asked everyone in the restaurant the next morning

"No, neither she or Ian have been in today that I know of. Why?" the hostess asked him.

"No reason. I'd actually like to congratulate her and her groom on their joyous news." I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought to himself. Wishing him well. Rosie should be mine, is going to be mine, he corrected himself. It's her destiny to marry me!

"You asking about Rosie, handsome? Heard her talking to Stephan just a while ago. The LePages took the newlyweds out to breakfast. Seems they were going to Paris to do some sightseeing while they were here. So they won't be back until the day after tomorrow," one of the waitresses said. "Although, judging by the way the groom was looking at his bride this morning, if he has his way they probably won't be getting that much sight seeing done in 'the City of Lovers'," she giggled. Beau stomped out without saying anything.

"I swear, that man is so rude. If he weren't so cute, I would throttle him," she sniffed, returning to her work. Beau's earlier statement raised some suspicions in all those who had heard it.

"Someone better alert Stephan that Beau's up to no good, ASAP! But the question is who's the one who has the guts to cross Beau?" another of the waitresses asked.

"I'll do it," said a new voice. Everyone turned around and were startled to see that the voice belonged to Louis. It was he who had volunteered.

"You'll do it? But when Beau hears about his, there'll be nothing left of you. He'll tear you to pieces for this."

"I don't care. If Rosie's in trouble, then I'll help her in any way I can. Besides she's the only person who's ever treated me with any decency. I've never seen her happier. It would be a damn shame if Beau were to succeed in whatever plan he's hatching." With this, people started seeing him in a whole different light.

"Wish me luck!" and with that Louis left.

Beau went back to his business fuming, back to the gym that he owned and operated. Maybe a good workout is what's in order for me, he thought. While he was lifting weights, it hit him. He snickered evilly to himself. Rosie didn't know it, but she had just given him the upper hand. He could work out the first part, getting the judge, and then round up his cronies to help him to carry out his plan. This would be perfect. Everything was working out his way. Rosie would finally be his at last.

Across town, Louis was telling Stephan that Beau had some sort of plan in the works. He told him what had just occurred in the restaurant, and everyone agreed that something should be done.

"You're right, Louis. Something needs to be done about him, but aren't you worried about Beau?"

"I don't care. What matters here is Rosie and Ian's happiness. I can take care of myself. We need to focus on the more important issue."

"You're right. I think I already have a plan, but if it's going to work we'll need everyone's cooperation. Gather up the LaFemme sisters and Beau's buddies, and let me talk to them. We've got to make them go along with what ever he wants them to do…"

"What!"

"Hear me out. They'll be on our side because I've seen how everyone in town, save for Beau, is pleased for Rosie. We'll let Rosie and Ian in on our plan when they get back, so they know what's going on as well."

"And every one will be more happy to go along our plan."

"Right! Is it a deal?"

"It's a deal." They shook on it as an agreement. As Louis was leaving the shop he asked Stephan, "Have you found anymore on the mystery of the ghost?"

"No, I haven't and I haven't been able to ask Rosie about it either. I'll have to wait until they get back from Paris in a couple days." With that they parted.

Both plans went into effect. The cronies met with Stephan and Louis, and then Beau. They were more enthusiastic to go along with the bookseller's plan, than that of Beau's, because of the exact reason Stephan had stated. They were only going along with Beau because they were afraid to cross him. The triplets were only party to Stephen's plan. Beau had contacted them, but they had refused to have anything to do with him because they didn't want to ruin Rosie's happiness. Beau thought it was pure jealousy on their part, so they let him believe that. As for Louis, Beau had not seen him since the night he learned Rosie was married. It was better this way without him. He would probably screw it up anyway.

Everything was going according to his plans. He had contacted the judge and explained to him what needed to be done. The corrupt judge was all too willing to go along with Beau's plan to marry them and he accepted the bribe. All that was left was the bride herself and everything would be complete. Heh-heh-heh, he thought, in a couple days at this time we will be husband and wife at last. He could hardly wait.

Rosie and Ian returned from their two days in Paris to the little village. Beau heard this from his contacts and bided his time. Tomorrow night he would be enjoying the company of Madame Beau Laroche and there would be nothing that Ian could do about it. Meanwhile, Stephan had updated the McKendricks on the scheme that Beau had concocted, as well as the counter plan they had thought up. Ian was furious.

"Why that lowdown, scheming, good for nothing…Where is he? I'm going to kill him!" He started to get up when Rosie restrained him and tried to soothe him.

"Ian, no! If you go after him now, he might know something's up."

"Rosie, are you out of your mind? Did you hear what he has planned? He can't get away with this."

"Yes, I did and it infuriates me just as much as it does you, if not more. Always wanting what he can't have, that's typical Beau for you. Look, the reason why I'm so calm is because we have the whole village behind us. Beau doesn't, he only he thinks he does." Despite this, Ian was not pacified. "I promise to stay close to you at all times until we leave to go back home. Alright?" she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"What happens if one of us has to do something that causes us to be apart from the other for a little while? We can't be together all the time." Ian was hardly convinced.

"Then Celeste, the triplets, or myself will be near Rosie while you two are separated." Stephan told him. No one will let Beau get anywhere near her on his or her watch. I can guarantee you this."

Ian was somewhat appeased, but he still wanted to go after Beau. Stephan was good as his word. He contacted the sisters and let them and his wife know what the plan was.

The next afternoon when Ian had to run some errands, all three of the sisters volunteered and said they would watch for Beau as well as keep Rosie company. This would give them the chance to listen to Rosie talk about the wedding. They met in the little coffeehouse, Le Café, near the bookshop. The sisters were all eager to hear Rosie's story.

"Come on, Rosie, spill everything and don't spare the details from where you met such a gorgeous hunk of man to your wedding day."

"Don't forget your wedding night and Paris!"

"Marie, is that all you think about?" Michèle asked her sister.

"Alright, alright. Settle down and I'll tell you everything," Rosie said, chuckling. She began to tell them about how she had met Ian, when she and her family moved to a new neighborhood as an eight-year-old.

"I swear that the neighborhood didn't know what to do with me. I was somewhat of a tomboy, didn't like frills and dresses, to the chagrin of my mother. She thought little girls should be quiet and dainty. I was hardly that. It's because I, an only child, grew up with boys in my old neighborhood and because there were no other girls, I learned to be like one of the boys. Being a tomboy was fun; I got into a lot of trouble though because I didn't 'act like a little lady'.

"My parents still doted on me, but I wasn't spoiled, because to them I was a miracle. My parents were older and had been told they couldn't have children. Then one day they received wonderful news and I arrived on the sc-"

"Rosie, get on with the story! We already know this from other times you've been here."

"Okay, okay!" She told them that because she was different from the other girls, she gained the respect of the boys, especially Ian.

"After a while, we became the best of friends. If there was any trouble that we could get into, we got into it. However, we were always there for each other no matter what. This carried into our adolescence and young adulthood. Ian and I could talk to each other about anything, especially dating. Being a member of the opposite sex, we could bounce info off each other, to get each other's opinion of each other's respective relationships. This was a great help, especially with me having to deal with Beau; on the other hand, both of us always had to convince our dates that the two of us had just a harmless platonic relationship going on…"

"Rosie! Get on to the good parts."

"Alright, alright! It wasn't until a year last May, the year before, when Ian surprised me for my birthday that both he and I realized our relationship had turned into more than that of just friends. When I left to go back to the States, we fell deeper in love with each other. Every one back home was elated for us, and on Christmas Eve he proposed to me. I said yes and here we are at last, married and sharing our lives together."

"Oh, how romantic!"

Rosie told them about their wedding day, every last little detail of how the ceremony went, her gown and bridesmaids' gowns, to the reception.

"It was wonderful, truly a day to remember! I think Ian still can't believe we're married. Every time I catch him looking at me, he's got this look of wonder in his eyes, as if he were in a dream. I know exactly how he feels, because that's way I feel, too," Rosie sighed.

"Imagine falling in love with your best friend, your soul mate, and realizing that you are meant to be. It's like something out of a fairy tale."

"Childhood sweethearts. Oh, how wonderful!"

"Not to get off the subject, how does Loverboy kiss?"

"Marie!"

"Well? Is he better than Beau, or not?"

"Can he kiss? Boy, can he ever kiss! His kisses are unbelievable. Does he know how to sweep a girl off her feet! One good thing I can say about Beau is that he is a great kisser, but Ian's kisses put his to shame. His are like-like…I just get weak thinking about them…"

"Now I can't believe what I just heard. Me? Second best? Inferior to someone else? Never!"

The four were frozen and could only stare at him. He smirked and started towards Rosie. With two strides he reached her, grabbed her and swung her over his shoulder in one fluid movement before she had time to react. Then he walked out of Le Café, with Rosie struggling to get free, and said, "Later, girls! Oh by the way, you're welcome to come to the wedding in a little while."

"Wedding? What wedding?"

"Why, yours and mine, my little bride."

"What? Are you crazy? Put me down this instant, Beau!"

"Sorry, can't do that, love, because it's destiny, yours and mine, for us to be married together forever. The judge is waiting for us and I've taken care of the roadblocks in our way."

"Aren't you forgetting a few tiny details."

"Like what?"

"How about the fact that I'm married and that I have a husband already? Who, I might add, I love very much!"

"Easily fixable. The judge can remedy that with no trouble."

"You bribed him, didn't you?"

"So, what's it to you. Does it matter anyway? You are going to be my wife, Rosie, and there's nothing you can do."

"Ian is my husband and he's more of a man than you'll ever be, Beau. I should have known you would have taken the low road by bribing someone, just like your ancestor. He failed and so will you."

"No, Rosie. I will have avenged him, but for that little failure of his-kindly keep it down! Also, I would retract that statement regarding my manhood if I were you. Ah, here we are. Already? Here we go." He bounced her on his shoulder to get a firmer grip.

They had arrived at the appointed place, the banquet hall, where Beau had told his cronies and the judge to meet. Rosie was little panicked. Where was Ian? He'd come and rescue her, she was sure of that. She had hoped that someone else would have helped her with her predicament because every one in the street, from Le Café to the hall, had seen her. How could they not have helped but notice? She was slung over Beau's shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. How humiliating! She had tried to get the villagers' attention, but they would not interfere because of Beau's good mood. They were afraid of his quick temper and ignored her pleas for help.

Back at the coffee shop, the triplets were miserable. They had let Rosie and Ian down. What are we going to tell Ian when he comes backwas the question running through their minds. Just then Ian walked into Le Café.

"Where's Rosie?" he asked.

"Oh, Ian, it was horrible!" they all cried. "We tried to stop him but he was too fast."

"He?"

"Beau has got Rosie and is going to marry her in a little while. He said so himself. We're so sorry."

"There's no time to lose. We've got to hurry. Let's go!"

"They headed down toward the hall."

"Well, then Beau is going to be surprised when he finds that his buddies have thwarted him. Instead of the judge, there'll be a little reception in honor of the newlyweds, for Rosie and I. That's why I was gone for a while. I needed you to stay with Rosie so she wouldn't find out. It's a surprise for her."

"Oh, how sweet!"

"Rosie's such a lucky lady. How romantic!"

"Do you have any brothers like you?"

"Marie!" exclaimed Michèle and Monique.

"Just asking!"

"Here we are! Want to bet Beau can't believe what he's seeing?"