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Part 2 of 2
Summary: After daring not to crush his daugther's spirit, he gave a young man named Pierre permission to court his daughter who the boy claimed he loved. But the uneasiness Gaston felt from the moment he relented to three months later had not withered. And he should have known why.
Number of years married: 23
Sons: 5
Daughters: 4
~:~ I will feed you to the wolves! ~:~
Pierre tucked a strand Julia's curly brown hair behind her ear. Julia held his latest courting gift - a tall sprig of lavender. It was simple but such a gift from her intended, Julia cherished it. His fingers lingered on the curve of her delicate chin. His eyes studied her as if he were taking in every inch of her beautiful face, wanting to remember every fleck of sunlight in her brown eyes, every rose-colored tinge to her cheeks, every spark of joy that brightened her smile.
"Julia, would you like me to walk you home?" Then he thought a bit more. "At least halfway home?"
She shook her head. Today had been lovely in town with him. Walking through town, arm-in-arm, seeing other lads that went to school with him.
He had been surprised to learn she was educated. Girls in Villeneuve did not go to school - they were kept at home and taught how to run the household. She nodded greatly and excitedly explained how her mother taught all her brothers and sisters to read and write. That her father taught them how to count and solve problems. Then her and her siblings were taught how to run the household, work in the fields, tend to the horses, take care (and prepare) livestock, and handle weapons.
Pierre had slgihtly grunted to that. She knew more about surviving on her own than he did. But he gave her a kind smile as she continued her tales.
They came upon the square and she stood up on the fountain. On trips to the market, her papa and mama never stayed for too long. Simply to go about their business then leave. She always wanted to stay a bit longer. But she never had the courage to ask. Nathie had asked once when he was ten and Papa had been very stern with him. She had been six at the time and Mama had made her leave her book at home, without argument.
Even still, she didn't see anything absurd with this little town.
Pierre stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'm going to stop in at the blacksmith's."
"Okay," she said. "I'll stay here."
He gave a nod and went off. She eventually sat on the wall and watched the villagers go about their lives. She didn't remember the town well - she had been four-years-old when they had moved into Papa's hunting lodge in the country.
She thought of Papa recounting how squished the house was getting with he and Mama, Nathie and Gilby, her and Tommy, and newborn baby Agatha in one tiny two bedroom house. He said they had been as overdue on the move as Agatha had on arriving into the world. To that, she remembered, Mama smacked his arm.
She smiled and thought about taking a stroll, seeing if she could find where they used to live. All she remembered was that it was a few houses away from Granpapa.
With her sprig of lavender in hand, she skipped down the cobblestone lane toward Granpapa's home. His garden had gone to waste - weeds had overgrown and the tree was unkept, littering the ground with years and years of dead leaves. She paused in front of the decaying fence then she remembered what she overheard Mama tell Papa one night. That Granpapa was getting sick. That though his spirits were high, he was withering away. She had cried and Papa had held her. And Julia had snuck away.
She passed his home and continued down the street where it curved with the hill. She smiled as she spotted a house with a leaning fence. She remembered Mama recounting stories of Papa's struggle to fix the fence and how it refused to stand up straight. Then she mentioned it didn't help every time he jumped over it when he was in a right hurry to get home. He always blushed at that.
"Oi! Get movin', blasted whippersnapper!" the cranky owner shouted from his doorstep.
Julia jumped. "Sorry, sir." And she scurried away toward the fountain again.
But she stopped short at the end of the lane. Her feet were glued to the spot and she heard a shocked gasp leave her lungs.
Pierre stood at the fountain while another girl stood beside him. His lips were hungrily attacking hers. Her hands roamed his upper half and his ever so gracefully slid down toward her waist, then her hips, to the curve of her bottom. But they parted at the sound of her gasp.
He looked like a deer that had just been startled.
Julia saw who it was he had been kissing: Amethyst Rose.
He always spoke of the other girl being awkward. He mocked her lack of being able to fit in. He said she was undeniably and horrifically different than the other girls in town. But she could see now that Amethyst matured into a very beautiful young woman.
"Julia-"
A spark of anger brought her from her disbelief.
She marched right up to him. She stomped on his toes. Then on the floor beside Amethyt's feet stood a bucket of water - no doubt Pierre was playing the part of the eligible and unattached gentleman helping the lady carry home her water.
Julia thanked the heavens that Papa had made them lug full buckets of feed for the cows and pigs throughout their childhood. She grabbed the filled-to-the brim water bucket and flung it at him. Its solid bottom struck his chest and he made an 'oof' noise. Then she gave him a right good shove. He lost his balance and landed hard against the street.
His eyes were wide and terrified. He made no attempt to offer an explanation.
She wouldn't wait around for some made-up story. She was off. She pulled herself up on Alerion and raced for home. All eighteen miles, tears stung her eyes.
Her legs were like jelly by the time she made it to the front door. She yanked open the handle and stumbled inside. She vaguely noticed her mama in the kitchen and her siblings were all a blur as she raced through. She glanced through every room until she found who she was looking for, who she needed the most.
Gaston had just set down his shaving knife on the washroom's shelf when she appeared in the doorway. He barely had enough time to take in her flushed face, her tear-streaked cheeks, and her quivering bottom lip before she clung to him.
"Jules, what's the matter?" he asked worriedly as she sobbed into his chest.
She hiccuped. "He lied-"
He berated himself for allowing her to go through such pain. Then his blood began to boil as he thought of some boy having the nerve to hurt his daughter. "Pierre?"
She nodded.
"I'm going to tan his hide," Gaston snarled. He pried her hands away and grabbed his boots. He vaguely heard her sob and her feet patter against the wooden floor as she ran to her mother. All he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears as anger took over him.
Belle heard and caught Julia just as she stumbled into the living room. "What's the matter, my sweet?" she asked softly as her oldest daughter cried into her.
Julia sobbed, holding onto her for dear life. "Oh, Mama- It was dreadful!"
She looked over Julia's shoulder to Gaston for answers, but she noticed his eyes were dark with rage. She forced Julia to look at her. She gripped her shoulders firmly. "What happened?" she asked in a serious tone for Gaston looked ready to murder someone.
"Pierre kissed Amethyst Rose-" she cried. "I- I told Papa-"
Belle looked to the man at the sound of his boots nearing the front door. She watched him then tried to follow. "Gaston, what're you going to do- Gaston, don't take your rifle- Breathe, we'll- we'll talk it over- Gaston! Gaston!" she shouted after him.
But the hunter didn't listen. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and mounted Alerion before urging the horse towards town.
Julia hiccuped and hugged her mother again. Then in a soft voice, she asked, "Is he going to kill Pierre?"
A sigh escaped Belle. She wasn't sure what her husband would do, but it wasn't what Julia needed to worry about. "No, he's.. at best, he's going to scare the boy." She hoped that was all he would do.
Gaston rode up the boy's home. "Pierre!" he shouted greatly. "Pierre!"
The young lad opened the door timidly. His face was very pale for Julia's father was the last person he expected to see. He knew he should have lied to the girl after she caught him kissing Amethyst. But he tried to remain collected, even in the presence of the former army captain. "Monsieur Gaston- I can explain-"
Gaston loaded and set up his rifle, aiming for the noise to frighten the boy. "You'll do a lot more than explain." His voice was tense and he gritted his teeth. "Get your coat. You're comin' with me."
"... yes sir," he managed. His eyes never left the intimidating man with the menacing gun standing outside the fence. He blindly pulled his coat off the rack inside the door before closing it. He carefully made his way to Julia's father. He tried not to gulp in fear as he stood just a tad shorter than the taller man. "Sir?"
He nodded his head, signalling the boy to follow. He took Alerion's reins and led the horse down the path.
Pierre did as he was told with no questions asked for some time before his stomach began to twist. Worry was starting to get the better of him.
Julia's father had not spoken about where he was leading him. Pierre tried to reassure himself - the man hadn't taken a rope, therefore he wasn't going to tie him to a tree and leave him for the wolves. But he did have a rifle, and he had heard that a gunshot wound to vital organs was a most miserable and painful way to die.
He swallowed as fear struck. "Monsieur Gaston-"
He gripped Pierre's collar and picked up his pace, practically dragging the young man. The villagers out in the late evening whispered as he pulled Pierre through the town toward the winding path that led away, past the fields, toward the thickening trees.
Pierre thought of calling for help, but surely someone - anyone - could see that he was being taken against his will.
But then, there weren't many people who would dare stand against Gaston the Hunter, the war hero, the Captain. He shuddered as he realized that killing another man would probably not put a dent in his conscience- he had done it plenty of times before during the war.
He watched as the fields of grass grew thicker until forest underbrush crunched under his boots. Then the trees seemed to narrow as he was pulled further and further into the forest. The trees soon hid them from any outsider's view. He could barely make out the meandering horse that Gaston left tied to a branch.
Gaston released the boy from his grip and watched him stumble to try and make an escape.
He pulled the trigger.
Pierre jerked as the bullet took a chunk of wood out of the tree just beside and just above his head. Then he shouted hurriedly, "Monsieur Gaston! I didn't mean to hurt Julia- It's just-" His shout dwindled to a cowardly plea.
Gaston shoved the bullet harshly into the chamber before setting it up again. "It's just what?" he growled dangerously.
He gulped. Then he let out a nervous laugh as a cold sweat broke out on his face. "You know how it is…" he tried in humor. "So many beautiful girls-"
He fired again.
It ricocheted off a stone and the noise pierced Pierre's ears. The young man jumped.
"So many beautiful girls?" Gaston didn't take lightly. "More beautiful than my Julia?"
Pierre coughed. His eyes were wide and fearful though he tried to build up his courage. "Well, sir- I'm sure when you were choosing a wife, there were many, many beautiful girls-" He wrung his hands. He just knew that an attractive man like Julia's father had many women to choose from before he married. He certainly knew the man would understand his side of the story. "It's hard to choose just one-"
Gaston reloaded and fired again. The bullet cut through branches and landed solidly in the tree beside Pierre's arm. "Say it again! I dare you." His eyes were dark and angry and challenging.
The words the boy had spoken were an insult. An insult to not only his daughter but his wife who he loved beyond measure.
He slid another bullet in place and spoke in a low growl, "My wife was the most beautiful girl in the village." He stepped closer to Pierre who took a great step back. "She was appealing because she hadn't made a fool of herself to gain my favor. But she wasn't simple." He cocked the rifle. "She had dignity and I admired her for it. She completed the emptiness in my heart. There was no other woman like her nor could there ever be."
His eyes narrowed, daring the other to continue his lies.
He swallowed and tried to reason again. "Well, sir, certainly you've seen Amethyst and her-"
Gaston unsheathed his hunting knife and stuck it in the tree beside Pierre. His fingers tingling with a near uncontrollable fire. "You mean to tell me you fooled my Julia in believing you loved her- wanted to marry her when all you wanted was to woo some harpy-"
Pierre's courage surfaced at the wrong moment. "Don't you speak about her like that! You don't know her!"
Gaston grabbed a fistful of the boy's hair. He forced his head back, making the young man look at him. "How dare you lie to her! My darling daughter who I would certainly die for- How dare you get her hopes up- you pathetic and cowardly swine!" He released him from his painful grip and gave him a hard shove and pulled the trigger.
Pierre fell to the ground and scrabbled away as fast as he could.
Gaston took a step towards him and Pierre let out a shout. He hoped with all his might that someone would hear him and that they'd stop this mad man from killing him.
There was a movement in the trees and Gaston lowered his rifle. He knew who it was. He reluctantly stepped back, still huffing with sheer anger.
"Papa!" Julia cried. "Papa, don't hurt him!"
She appeared through the next layer of trees, still nearing them. She picked her way through the brush. "Papa! Don't-
She came into the clearing and saw Pierre lying on the ground looking white as a sheet and utterly terrified. But she didn't feel as sorry as she had imagined she would. She stumbled a bit and Gaston caught her arm, steadying her and bringing her closer. Her eyes couldn't leave Pierre's.
He realized who stood there before him and most gratefully in between him and the Captain. "Julia!" he cried in relief. "Am I glad to see you!"
She tried to feel pity as she stared down at him, but no such feelings surfaced. She made a noise in the back of her throat.
He suddenly saw his advantage. In the months he had been with Julia, she was easy to please, and in this case, he hoped she'd be easily coerced into siding with him rather than her menacing father.
He pointed at Gaston with an accusing finger. "He's- he's trying to kill me! Julia, my darling, tell him we talked about it. Right after it happened. Remember? It was all a misunderstanding."
Gaston boomed a contemptuous laugh. "I was never going to kill you, boy!"
That gave great relief to Pierre for a brief moment.
Julia's fears were also settled but then she noticed that her father was reloading his rifle a little too calmly. Her stomach twisted with in anxiety.
"But if you are commanding Julia and telling her what to say-" He chuckled darkly then gave Pierre a gleaming and slightly manic grin. "- I might reconsider such a choice."
He raised his gun, aiming it for the helpless boy on the forest floor.
"Papa, please-" she stopped. She put her hands on his arm, trying to get him to lower the rifle. "Papa!"
The sharpness to her voice cut through his anger and he relented with a snarl under his breath.
She bit her lip and looked at him. "Papa," she said softly. She mustered her courage. "I- I want to speak with Pierre alone."
He looked at her sharply.
"Please."
Gaston's lip curled with much disapproval. He let loose a growl as he stalked off. But he chose a spot where they could not see him but he could hear everything.
Julia wrung her hands and Pierre stood carefully. He took a few steps back from her, terribly afraid that as Captain Gaston's daughter, she'd kill him with a mere swing of a-
He visibly shuddered as she removed the hunting knife that was lodged in the tree trunk. His eyes were glued to her hand.
She gave a small but stiff smile and pocketed it in her leather pouch. She heaved a breath and looked at him. She was ready to hear what sort of explanation he had to offer.
Pierre swallowed. He looked at her. "Julia, I wasn't lying when I said I fancied you..."
She swore she would not cry. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her show emotion. But he had broken her heart and made her afraid of love.
Her voice quivered, "Then why did you want to court me if there was another? Why did you make me believe you loved me?" Tears welled up in her eyes.
He shrugged simply. "I thought I did. You were beautiful and kind.. but then-" He took a turn and his voice filled with awe. "- Amethyst Rose blossomed into a right and pure beauty. I had to take my chance with her before any other boy in town did."
Julia let go of a sickened breath. But she could tell he wasn't hearing himself. And it was almost as if he had forgotten she was there.
A wide grin adorned his face and Julia knew that no one could ever think of her and wear that same smile. "She is so much more beautiful than any girl I've ever met. Nobody can compare to her! She fills my heart and I know she will make me the luckiest man in Villeneuve." His eyes focused blankly on her and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Julia, I know someone will like you and maybe even love you, but even if they don't, your parents don't seem like the type of people to throw you out of the house and make you beg on the streets because you're not the marrying type-"
A broken and pained and cowardly scream of pain left his lungs loudly.
More tears had begun to fall by the time she heard the gunshot. She watched Pierre fall to the ground, holding his bloodied shoulder. He wailed and cowered before her father.
But she couldn't hear Papa's angry shouts and curses and threats.
She hadn't realized she was stepping away until she collided with a tree. She cried quietly and watched emptily as her papa grabbed Pierre by the collar and dragged him through the brush and between the trees before flinging him onto the dirt road where the young man picked himself up and ran away.
"Julia?"
She let out a sob. "Oh, Papa!" she cried.
He pulled her close and let her sob hard into him. He kissed the top of her head and let out a sigh himself. The boy had been awful towards her. He knew if she ever chose another suitor, he'd have a thorough interrogation with the young man. She will never go through this hell again.
Her legs gave way and he lifted her still quite effortlessly into his arms.
She protested half-heartedly as he started for home, "I'm too big to be carried-" But she didn't tell him to put her down.
He gave a sad smile and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I do not care. You'll always be my little girl."
Julia eventually fell asleep - the events of the day finally taking a toll. Gaston had untied Alerion and set her on his back soon after her breathing evened out. He climbed up behind her and held her as they continued home. He woke her when their house came into view.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She rested her head on his collarbone. "I'm never going to find someone," she said quietly.
Gaston felt his heart break. He feared she had taken those boy's cruel words to heart. "You will, my Jules. You're worth so much more than what he said."
She gave a small sniff. She spotted her mother as they neared the house, and soon she was there, helping her dismount Alerion.
Belle looked to her husband as he joined them. "What happened?"
"Bullet grazed him," he grunted nonchalantly. "Honest accident if anyone asks. Boy looks like a deer."
Julia found herself sitting across from her papa at the table. She glanced around at her innocent and carefree siblings - it would be years before they were in her shoes and even then, they'll have better luck.
She sniffed again and wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. Her lip quivered as she looked to her papa. "But just say I don't-" Her brown eyes were wide and pleading and scared.
Gaston offered her a gentle smile. He took her hand in his. "Julia, my sweet Julia. He had no right telling you such lies. You're smart and kind and beautiful. You're determined and feisty and headstrong." He chuckled a bit, "Just like your mother. And there's someone out there who will love every bit of you. I guarantee that when he finds you, he will never want to be parted from you and he will love you with all his heart."
Belle leaned against his shoulders and wrapped her arms around him. "Just like your papa loves me."
A happy tear slid from Julia's eye and she smiled.
Updated at a decent hour (for me), I quite like that :D
There it was! If there were any mistakes (grammar/word wise), I'll fix it later... Dx
Thanks for reading!
