Bold text is for words spoken in French but translated to English

Chapter 43 Bouchard Estate – Family Reunion

The days flew by as everyone was emersed in preparations for the arrival of family members from across France for the wedding. Jack and the children were now inseparable, and Jack spent most nights with Marcel at the other house. It was bittersweet for Lucas and Elizabeth who were used to having morning family snuggles before setting about their day. But they were happy that he was assimilating so well with the children, the farm, and family as a whole. He was looking forward to the arrival of more families, especially the children; the more the merrier.

Lucas was reading the newspaper when Annette called to him, "Lucas there is a phone call for you, a Mr. Huntley." Lucas rose and walked over to answer the phone.

"Hello, this is Lucas Bouchard," he said not revealing that he knew who was calling.

"Sir, this is Benjamin Huntley, I will be traveling south to Lyon and wondered if I might call on you."

"Well, hello Benjamin. I have been expecting that you might call. If you will be passing through this area, then by all means, you must visit us. I will tell you that family from out of town are arriving for a reunion and a wedding so it will be a bit busy around here, but you are certainly welcome to stop by."

"Well, if it is not an inconvenience then I would like to stop by on the first of July around noon. Will Miss Laura be there as I would like to pay my respects?"

"Ah, there it is," he thought to himself. But to Benjamin he replied, "I will let her know that you will be arriving. I am sure she will be pleased to see you again as will my wife and son," Lucas told him.

"I hope they are all well and I do look forward to a reunion with Mrs. Bouchard and young Jack too," Benjamin told him.

"They are all quite well, thank you. So, we shall see you at noon on Tuesday. Come hungry as the women will want to feed you," Lucas told him.

"Is there anything I can bring?" he asked.

"It isn't necessary but I am sure if you were to bring a tart or other sweet for dessert it would be appreciated. The woman are busy baking for the family reunion party, so it would be considerate if you provided dessert for lunch. And for the men, they are always eager to sample new wines … to check out the competition as it were."

"That sounds like a plan. I will stop by my favorite bakery in Dijon, and I do have some bottles of wine from Alsace that I can bring. I will let you go Sir. Please give my respects to your family and we shall see you soon."

"Sir is fine for now in mixed company, but it is Lucas between us."

"Thank you, Lucas, we shall see each other soon." And with that, Lucas set down the receiver and headed back to his paper. He was soon joined by his cousin Annette, Elizabeth and Laura who were taking a break from the kitchen.

"Benjamin Huntley gave me a call this morning. Annette, he is the young man that we have spoken about from the ship. He is traveling to the Rhone-Alps Province and will be passing through. I have invited him to stop by at noon on Tuesday. He sends his regards to all." Lucas looked over at Laura who had blushed a light shade of pink and lowered her eyes. He smiled at Elizabeth who had made note of Laura's reaction.

"I am sure that we will be very busy, but I think we can spare some time to welcome the young man. Perhaps Laura can give him a tour of the garden and serve him lunch out on the veranda," she said. Laura was now genuinely blushing as she looked up at Elizabeth.

"Don't worry Laura, we can spare you for a few hours,so that you can entertain our guest." said Annette.

Laura nodded, looking down at her hands. "I will be happy to … to….." she fumbled. "Shall I pour us a cup of tea?" She asked the other women.

Ben had decided to drive from Paris to Dijon on Monday so that he could start out fresh from there this morning. As he drove through the luscious green vineyards of Burgundy toward the Jura, he was in high spirits. His business meetings had been going very well and he was hoping that his father would be pleased with his efforts. He expected positive outcomes from his business in the Rhone-Alpes Province as well.

His mind drifted from his business dealings to a certain young lady. He hated to admit even to himself the impact she had had on him in such a short time. She wasn't like any of the women he was acquainted with, women that were schooled in social protocol of polite society and wore the latest fashions and were up on all the topics circulating that season. She tended to be quiet, but she was well spoken when engaged in conversation. She was kind and sweet-mannered and pretty. She wasn't painted and certainly did not put on airs; she presented herself exactly like she was. It was very refreshing. But it was her keen mind that he most appreciated. They had a common love of poets and literature in general and she could hold her own in discussion on such topics. He was looking forward to seeing her again. He wondered if the warm feelings she elicited when he thought of her now would be there when they met again. Perhaps it had just been the excitement of the voyage? Somehow, he doubted it.

He was whistling as he began the rise to the Bouchard Estate and soon saw the gates and pulled onto the drive leading to the house. It was a beautiful stately stone farmhouse fronted by a magnificent rose garden. He was nervous as he parked in front and made his way to the house bearing gifts. He had purchased two tarts and a large bouquet of flowers before he departed Dijon, and he also carried one of the bottles of wine with him. The rest of the case he would bring in later. He knocked on the door and was soon greeted by Lucas who was expecting him.

"Here, let me help you with those," Lucas said as he took the boxes with the tarts. "Come in, come in. Everyone is in the kitchen, and I know that isn't where we usually greet company, but as I told you we are in the midst of a family whirlwind right now." Lucas turned to make his way to the kitchen with Benjamin trailing behind him. He could have put the man in the parlor and called in the others but had decided that this was a better test to see the mettle of this young man.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Benjamin Huntley who we had the pleasure of meeting aboard ship. He has brought us some gifts including these delicious looking tarts from Dijon," Lucas announced. Elizabeth came forward and greeted him in the traditional French way.

"Welcome Ben, we are pleased that you have stopped by," she said. "This is Annette and Yvonne, Lucas's cousins and his Tante Anne.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He tipped his head in a slight bow. "I know you are very busy, so I appreciate that you have allowed me to call on you."

Tante Anne stepped forward and greeted the man taking from him the flowers and the bottle of wine. "Thank you for these and the pastry. Laura, would you please put the flowers in water?" Laura, who had been over at the stove, stepped forward to take the flowers from Anne. Her cheeks were pink, and she could have used the excuse of the hot stove but everyone in the room could see that she was pleased to see the young man.

"Miss Laura, it is a pleasure to see you again. I hope you have been well," Ben said.

"Yes, thank you. And it is nice to see you again. I hope that you will enjoy your stay.The estate and the families that live here are quite wonderful," she told him.

"I am glad that you are enjoying your stay and I am very pleased to be able to visit. Where is your young charge?" inquired Ben.

"Oh, he is out at the barn with the children. There was a colt born on the night we arrived, and they spend a lot of time there visiting him and a litter of puppies as well."

Elizabeth stepped in. "Why don't you take Benjamin to see Jack and meet the children? You might also find some of the men there and can introduce him. And then perhaps you can take him on a tour of the rose garden before lunch."

Anne quickly agreed, "yes.. go… go. Show our guest around."

Laura removed her apron, revealing her best day dress. It was the color of ripe peaches, and it showed her complexion to advantage. She began her way to the door with Ben beside her. Lucas stepped toward them as they approached the kitchen door. "Laura, when you are done with visiting with Jack and the children in the barn, why don't you stop by and Elizabeth and I will join you for a stroll through the rose garden," said Lucas, obviously establishing his role as father figure. He had told Benjamin that Laura would be properly chaperoned, and he intended to keep his promise for now at least. He had spoken in English to ensure there was no misunderstanding his intent. Ben spoke French very well, but it was not his native language.

Laura looked up at Lucas and smiled at him. He wasn't old enough to be her father, but she definitely saw him as an older brother. He was kind and did all he could to ensure that she enjoyed her time on their trip, but he was also going to keep his promise to her father, to ensure her protection. "We will come straight away to get you when we are finished at the barn."

"Perhaps we can bring Jack with us when we come, that is if we can persuade him away from the others," interjected Ben. He wanted to be sure that he did everything he could to make this man believe in his best intentions.

"Alright then, tell Jack that his Papa and Mama would like him to come with you. I will bring a toy sailboat that we can sail in the pond," Lucas told him.

With that, they headed out toward the barn. Benjamin politely slowed his gait so that Laura could keep up with him.

Benjamin was having a wonderful day. The children had shown him the animals, leaving not one cow, horse, or puppy out. Jack was excited to tell him all about how the horse came from his Mama and how she fed him. And how much he had grown in just one week. Laura had giggled and laughed at Jack and his stories about the colt and the puppies. He also imitated all the sounds of all the animals on the farm including the two hogs which had been recently purchased. Everyone was rolling with laughter when he started grunting.

They had then collected Elizabeth and Lucas to join them for a stroll in the rose garden. The little boy and his parents spent most of the time sailing the little boat on the pond, leaving him to stroll and chat with Laura as long as they were within sight. After a grand tour of the roses, they sat on a bench not too far from the pond but out of ear shot.

"I am having such a wonderful time. Jack and the children were very entertaining. But I am glad that we have some time alone together too," he told her.

"I am so glad that you have come for a visit, Benjamin. It is nice to see a new friend from the ship."

"And I am glad I have come too. I hope I don't shock you if I say that I have been thinking about you often and looking forward to this day since we parted in Rotterdam," Benjamin told her, eagerly waiting for her response.

Not for the first time that day Laura blushed. She was both nervous and excited and worried about what was proper for her to say. Finally, she looked up and straight into his eyes determined not to be flustered and silly. "I have been thinking about you too. I hope that is not too forward for me to say?" She really wasn't sure about these matters and planned to ask Elizabeth later that evening more about how to handle his interest and any advances. Perhaps she should have thought of doing that before he arrived, but Lucas and Elizabeth were right near if she needed them.

"No, please be candid. I find you sweet, very kind and genuine and I admire that very much. I hope we will have more time this summer to better get to know one another."

"I would like that very much," responded Laura with a smile.

Their chat drifted to their favorite topic. They had both promised to read a story by Virginia Wolfe that Elizabeth had recommended to Laura so they could discuss it. It was quite different from anything either of them had read before; they enjoyed a lively discussion on the unique style of the author's writing. Soon, the trio at the pond began to venture over to where they were sitting. Lucas could now hear the gist of their discussion.

"I thought it wasn't my cup of tea," he told them. "But I was glad that Elizabeth let me escort her to the reading on that very book. It was our first date you know?" He looked over at Elizabeth and grinned. She poked him.

"We went as friends," she told them, "And, I am sticking to it." She looked up at Lucas with a moony look on her face. They may have gone as friends, but it had been a perfectly romantic trip and she knew that she was falling for him as much as she tried not to acknowledge it at the time.

"I later read the story and found that I enjoyed the unique style in which it was written. What did you think Ben? I know that Laura enjoyed it," Lucas asked.

"It was a bit different than my usual taste, but I did enjoy it thoroughly. I think I might read another of her works actually; I hear her short stories are quite good." Ben responded.

"They are quite different than the book you read but also divinely written. I think you will enjoy them too," Elizabeth added.

"Shall we head back over to the house? I think that Laura has prepared a luncheon for the two of you to enjoy on the veranda. The rest of us are grabbing our lunch whenever we can in the kitchen… no sit-down lunch today as all efforts are to get ready for the family reunion party tomorrow," Lucas told him.

"That sounds nice," he said as he looked toward Laura and smiled. The group headed back with Jack skipping along singing a French tune that he had learned from young Pierre.

Laura and Ben enjoyed their lunch on the veranda. She had prepared a picnic style meal featuring homemade cheese from the farm along with warm crusty bread she had just removed from the oven. There was a delicious salad Niçoise style with farm fresh eggs, lettuce, and vegetables. It was Elizabeth's favorite, so Laura knew how to prepare it. Annette had shown her how to make a wonderful mayonnaise she had prepared that morning from locally bottled olive oil. The fare was simple and delicious. They then each had a piece of the delicious apple Tart Tartin that Ben had brought with him along with a cup of espresso with a dollop of whipped cream.

Soon it was getting to be time to say goodbye. They had had a wonderful few hours and were a bit saddened to have to say goodbye. Annette came out when she saw that the couple had gotten up from their places and interjected, "I thought I would come help clear the table."

"Oh no," said Ben. "I am happy to help Laura with that and then I will take my leave." He began stacking dishes as he spoke.

Annette motioned to Laura to join her just a few feet away. "Would you like the young man to return tomorrow for the party? It might be nice for you to have someone close in age there."

"But he is heading south this afternoon as he has a business meeting in a couple of days," Laura replied.

"Well, if you would like him to stay, Albert is detained in Paris and won't be here until morning. He could use his room at the inn in town. I already inquired when he called to let us know of his delay. So, if you would like Ben to come to the party then I will make the offer. It is up to you of course; I won't invite him if you are not comfortable with it." Annette assured her.

"I would love that, but I need to ask Lucas if he approves," she told the other woman.

"No need. I took the liberty of asking him before discussing it with you. He has given his approval."

Laura beamed with pleasure, "merci Annette."

"De rien," the woman replied letting Laura know that she was happy she had pleased her. They returned to the table where Benjamin had returned from his first trip to the kitchen and was gathering the serving dishes.

"Mr. Huntley, we would like to invite you to return tomorrow for the family reunion. My cousin Albert is delayed in Paris and won't be arriving until tomorrow morning. He has a room reserved in the town for several days and won't have use of it tonight. He has invited you to take advantage of it if you like. He said he would meet you there when he arrives." Annette gave Ben a warm smile letting him know that he was very welcome to join them.

He looked over at Laura to be sure that this met with her approval. When she smiled at him and nodded, he was happy to accept. "Thank you and I do accept with great pleasure. I should let you get back to all of your preparations. Unless there is something for me to help you with?"

"That is kind but unnecessary. You go on ahead and get settled at the Inn. Tell Jean-Claude and Marie that I said they must make you feel welcome." He nodded and the three finished with the cleanup before he headed back to the town in the foothills below.

Laura floated the rest of the day. After dinner she joined Elizabeth and Lucas who were sitting in the parlor. Jack was off for the night with Marcel, so they were enjoying some quiet time before the big day tomorrow. She and Elizabeth had now met many of the relatives that were staying at the estate but had yet to meet those staying in town.

"Before I retire for the evening, I wanted to thank you for today, and for allowing Annette to invite Benjamin back for tomorrow," she smiled at both but all knew that the message was primarily for Lucas.

"Our pleasure Laura, he seems like a very nice young man. And I approve of you seeing him as a friend for now as long as he adheres to my rules. I will keep my promise to keep you safe," Lucas told her in earnest.

"Elizabeth, before he comes tomorrow, may I speak with you?" asked Laura.

"Of course, I can stop by your room before we retire if you like," Elizabeth smiled and looked toward Lucas who smiled his agreement. He knew that Laura needed to talk to another woman, and he was happy that it was Elizabeth. He knew for a fact that she would give good advice on being "appropriate" as he had seen for himself how she comported herself before they were seriously courting and even beyond….

"I'll see you later then," Laura turned and headed for her room.

"It seems that we are both getting a lot of practice that may come into use someday," Elizabeth remarked as she stroked his cheek and leaned in for a kiss.

Laura had changed out of her dress and into her nightgown and was resting on the bed thinking about her day when Elizabeth knocked on the door.

"Come in, " she called. Elizabeth came in and sat on the bed next to her and reached out to hold her hand.

"Thank you for coming. I feel so confused right now and just need to talk to you, to get advice. I have all these feelings and don't know what to do with them," Laura looked at her.

"I am glad you have asked for my advice. I can tell you that each woman must follow her inner voice. But I do remember what it is like to feel that first bloom of love. And even when I fell in love with Lucas, I was a widow with a child, but love is love and the feeling is miraculous when it is the right person," said Elizabeth. "Do you think he has feelings for you beyond friendship?"

"I think so, he told me that he thinks about me often, and he didn't say it like it was only friendship. I didn't know if it was okay to say that I thought of him as well?"

"It is best to be truthful, but proceed with caution until you know more about him. Be sure that it isn't the romance of the trip that is influencing your feelings," she told her. "And if he makes any advance that you are not comfortable with; it is never wrong to ask for his patience even if you feel the urge to succumb in the moment. Do you understand?"

Laura nodded, "it took you and Lucas a number of years…..?"

"Yes, but that was due to entirely different circumstances. I was still overcoming grief that had me wanting to go slowly. I do not regret it as we had a beautiful friendship to build on when I was ready. You must take it at your own pace, you are a grown woman now, and must learn to be responsible for your own path. Lucas will say that he is responsible for you, but that is only because he wants you safe and sound back to your father's home. Let him protect you as you need; if the young man is out of bounds, then be certain to have Lucas intercede on your behalf. Believe me he will never be far away until he is certain of Benjamin's intent and can trust him with you."

"But how do I know when to be concerned?" she asked.

"You will know, if you seriously question whether what you are about to do is right, then it isn't right for you. Do you understand? If at some point he asks if he may hold your hand and you want him to then that would be fine, but if he tries to touch you more intimately then you must tell him that you ask for his patience. If he is a good man, then he will listen. I have a feeling that Benjamin has had experience with women that are more forward and has been disenchanted. That is part of your attraction for him. He is ready for a genuine long-term relationship, and it is up to you whether you are interested in that with him. Don't lead him on if you are not; it will only lead to heartbreak."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. I feel so clumsy and inexperienced. But I do understand from him that he wants me to be candid and genuine and the rest will come with time." She leaned and hugged Elizabeth and held on tight. "I am so glad that I have you."

"Anytime you need me I will be there. Lucas will be too, but I know some things are easier with another woman. Just be sure to call on him if you ever need to. I will bid you good night. We have a big day ahead of us."

"Good night, Elizabeth and thank you again." With that Elizabeth slipped into her own room and changed to her night clothes and then joined Lucas who was reading a book on the Moorish invasion of Spain and the treasures that they left behind when they left Spain after some 400 years of rule.

"Well, my dear, how did it go?" Lucas asked.

"Well, I think. I told her that the most important thing was to not do anything that she wasn't completely comfortable with. To ask for his patience and that if he was a good man, he would be. Sound familiar?"

"Yes, I remember a wise man saying something akin to that once. He grinned at her and then thought about that evening in his office when he wanted to capture her lips with his, more than his next breath. But he had kissed her hand and encouraged her to "run away". She looked at him now with that look of love that always grabbed his heart, and he leaned in for the kiss that he had wanted then and he wasn't one bit patient when she responded to him now.

The next morning was almost chaos as those at the estate took care of the animals and then grabbed a handheld breakfast out on the veranda. Only the women and a select few men were allowed in the kitchen. The men would be starting a wood fire outside in a pit off the kitchen so that the coals would be ready to roast leg of lamb that would be the main protein for their midday feast. They would eat around two o'clock to allow for the family members in town to head up to the estate as well as Albert who was on his way from Paris and one family coming up from Nice. Some had already donned their local costumes for the dancing that would be held that afternoon. Most of the men chose to change later as they had barn duties to attend to and then they would be roasting the meat. For now, they were preparing long tables outside that were stored in the shed at the back of the house. They put them on the veranda and then a couple of the women and older of the children helped drape the checkered table clothes over them and set the tables. Anne had gone with Laura out to the garden that morning to cut roses of every color…. pale pink and deep rose along with creamy white and yellow and a soft peach color. The tables looked cheerful, and the atmosphere was becoming electric as family who hadn't seen each other for months or even years greeted one another. Grandmere/Tante Anne was in heaven with all the children around her and Jack was excited to meet them all. The older children were put in charge of the younger ones as they all headed to the barn to see the new colt and the puppies that were being weaned by their mother. Lucas was put in charge of "the bar" where bottles of wines that had arrived from all over France were waiting including the case of wine that Ben had brought the day before. Champagne was put on ice for a toast after dessert to kick off the dancing.

Suzette and Andre and their children were the last of the families to arrive (from Nice). They were soon followed by Benjamin with Albert in tow; Albert had driven down in a rental car earlier that morning from Dijon after taking a night train from Paris. Another round of introductions was made as Albert and Benjamin were introduced. Albert found Lucas and was very happy to see him again and to hear the latest news of their cousin Gustave. Finally, after many hugs and kisses, Lucas grabbed Elizabeth who was passing by and introduced her. Albert hugged her and kissed her over and over. He loved her already because Gustave had talked about her with so much love on the phone. Finally, Lucas interjected.

"My dear cousin, you might let my wife breathe a bit," to which Albert responded by releasing her.

"Mon cher cousin, Gustave was totally right. You are a very lucky man to have found such a woman that would agree to marry you," Albert announced to which Lucas rolled his eyes and Elizabeth giggled.

"I didn't make it easy," she teased and hugged her husband's waist as she stood by his side.

"All good things come to those who wait," Lucas added as he kissed the top of her head.

Albert moved forward to hug them both. He was almost as tall as Lucas but stockier and they managed to finally extricate themselves from this bear of a man. He went off to great others as Benjamin approached.

"Thank you again for letting me join your family today. I know it is a special day as they celebrate your marriage and their reunion for Georges wedding."

"We are happy to have you. Laura is in the kitchen for now if you want to stop by and say hello to her and those you haven't met yet. I am sure they will find you a job or two. We all have our assignments. Mine is to man the bar…. so apropos," Lucas told him.

Ben headed into the kitchen and was greeted by Annette who introduced him to the others as if he were hers…. He paused to say hello and then was sent to the tables with large serving trays that would be used for the meat the men were roasting outside. He then made the rounds of the men so he could meet those that hadn't been there the day before.

The children were rounded up to sit at one of the tables that was especially prepared for them. And everyone else randomly sat where they found a chair. Food was brought to the table in courses from the sideboard. And the head at each table was entrusted to keep the food circulating. Lucas, with Antoine's help, made sure that the wines were paired with the course at hand. It was a merry event with much laughter and obvious love.

Benjamin sat next to Laura at the table nearest to the children. The older children were entrusted with the younger ones, but Laura kept one eye out for them in case an adult was needed. She had risen on a couple of occasions when a young one had started crying and attended to them. Benjamin was taken with how she automatically was drawn to them and made sure that everyone was kept content. She apologized and excused herself each time and he finally told her, "No need to apologize to me, I am fine if they need you. They are your priority now, but I will be expecting a dance or two later," he teased.

"We have been learning the folk dances for this afternoon. Are you familiar?" Laura asked.

Well, I do know a version of the Bourrée so I hope they will dance that one. I have seen others but not participated but I am always game to try," he told her. "You can help to teach me."

"Well, we may be stumbling around together but it should be fun. They have a group coming from town to provide the music. A couple of the family can play very well but they are all to dance upon Tante's order. So, Antoine got some friends to agree to entertain us."

"I assume you will be returning Albert to town afterward?."

"Yes, they have a room at the Inn for me tonight. Albert will go back with me or get a ride back with one of the others if he wants to stay late. I must head out pretty early in the morning tomorrow, so I need to make it a bit of an early evening."

"I am just glad you are here," Laura said with a smile. "Will you be heading back this way?"

"Well, I have planned to go to the beach for a few days after my next business stop. But I could be persuaded to come back through on my way to Bordeaux."

"I would like that very much," she said trying to sound confident but a little tremor in her voice was endearing.

They danced away the afternoon and into the evening. Everyone was dressed in their traditional costumes including Ben who had been given one that Pierre had kept from his youth.

They decided to start with the Bourrée, a very lively old traditional French dance from several mainly Southern provinces but known across France, and even by Benjamin. It is usually accompanied by a Cabrette (French bagpipes) a Vielle ( hurdygurdy ) a Fiddle and Accordion. The musical group announced the dance and asked for partners to take the floor. Ben came to Laura and bowed slightly asking for this first dance. They joined the couples on the veranda where they had the tables moved to the side. Almost everyone participated, including Lucas and Elizabeth and many of the children as well. Laura was happy and flushed as she danced to the music that was familiar from their practice and that she recognized as one of the tunes that Gustave had played for the town during Hope Valley Days.

Next up was the Farandole, an open-chain community dance that had been in France for many centuries, most notably in the southeast region of Provence where several family members lived. It was the easiest of the traditional dances to learn and it is often danced in school cultural events. Those who knew it well were teaching a group of novices and the children had formed their own chain. It mattered not if it was perfect at all, it was fun and merry to be sure.

Next up the family from the north west was eager to do the Maraîchine, a folk dance popular in Bretagne (Brittany) well known for its dances of Celtic inspiration. It was performed in a ring or line and the group had chosen to form a large ring to the lively music. And lastly, they danced a traditional dance from Burgandy, that was a reel style dance like some that had been imported to America. They were all winded and sat for an intermission while Antoine joined his friends and played the accordion during their break.

Benjamin and Laura made it back to their seats winded, like the rest. One dance had turned into four and Laura was giddy. Several of the family members, including Antoine, had asked her for a dance after the break and Ben assured her that he would find a partner. He danced a Bourrée with Elizabeth while Lucas danced with his cousin Annette and so it was that day turned into evening in a lovely whirl. The musical group announced the last dance, and Ben sought out Laura to join him before he had to leave. When it was over, he went to thank his hostess and to say goodbye to Lucas and Elizabeth. Albert had decided to go with him but promised everyone to be back the next day. Albert, Ben, and Laura walked to the car and then Albert got in the passenger side leaving Ben to say goodbye to Laura.

"I had a wonderful time today. I wish I could stay on, but I must attend to business. I would like to come back after my business trip to Lyon and my visit to Nice. I will be heading west to Bordeaux but could come before I head there." It was a statement but also a question.

"I would like that very much," answered Laura quietly. He took her hand and bowed, not so forward as to kiss it but clearly indicating that he would not have minded.

"I bid you adieu and will call the house with my travel plans after I arrive, and they become more firm." And then with that he rounded the car and headed to town.

Lucas had been observing them from a distance but wasn't too worried because at least Albert was with them. He waited for Laura to approach. "Did you enjoy today as much as it seemed? You didn't even sit out one dance. Benjamin also was an eager participant."

"Yes, I had a wonderful time. Lucas, I hope you don't mind but Benjamin will be calling the house in a few days after his schedule is firmed up. He would like to stop by again before heading west to Bordeaux."

"That will be fine. He is very respectful as far as I can tell and genuine in his intentions. If you would like him to visit then you have my approval," Lucas told her. "But you know that Elizabeth and I are going to Paris a few days after the wedding, so his visit might not fall at a good time."

"Perhaps Annette and Marcel will agree to chaperone if you and Elizabeth are out of town?" Laura asked hopefully.

"We shall see, but I will consider it if they agree…" Lucas said after a pause, still not certain how he felt about it. He went with her as they sought out Elizabeth who was helping with cleanup. Much of that would be done the next day but food and beverages were taken care of first.

"Hello you two. I was wondering where you were off to," Elizabeth said.

"Laura was saying her farewell to Ben who left with Albert back to the Inn. It seems that he would like to return on his way to western France," Lucas told her.

"That sounds nice," Elizabeth answered.

Laura told her, "His visit may coincide with your trip to Paris. If it turns out that, that will be the case, I will ask Annette and Marcel if they will be my chaperone when he visits; if Lucas agrees of course."

"Oh, I am sure they will be happy to stand in if Lucas and I are away when he comes. We can talk more about it when we hear his plans," Elizabeth took her hand and squeezed it.

Lucas held each arm out, "Ladies, may I escort you back to the house?"

"We would be delighted," said Elizabeth beaming at her gallant husband. And she took one arm and Laura the other and the trio headed back to the house.

They had made a cup of herbal tea and headed to their rooms. Laura sipped her tea and changed for bed. She was physically tired but happy as she slipped between the sheets. She closed her eyes and heard the music and felt the twirl as she danced herself into dreams.