Note: Bold text indicates that it is a translation from French
Chapter 40 Journey to the Bouchard Estate
Excitement mounted as they drove southeast from Dijon, through the fields and vineyards toward the town of Poligny. The landscape was a patchwork quilt, each square with its even rows of grapes embroidered in lush green on its warm brown fabric. Occasionally a green field of grass with grazing animals would interrupt the patterns.
"Look Laura," Jack pointed excitedly, "are those the special cows?"
"Antoine?" queried Laura.
"Oui, those are theMontbéliardecows that make the milk for our Comte cheese of the Franche-Comte Province. We have some on the estate and you will be able to see them up close. We will show you how we get the milk for the cheese," Antoine answered.
"See Mama, the special cows are white with big brown spots." He turned to Yvonne and Marcel, "the cows are white and brown" and repeated as best he could in French, "les vaches blanche et brun". They both nodded enthusiastically and repeated the phrase in French adding the word for "are" and then repeated in English. Antoine looked over at Elizabeth and winked as she smiled broadly back at him.
"Who shall we be meeting today, Antoine?"
"Well, almost everyone who lives on the estate most likely. There will be my parents, Marcel and Anne, my brother Marcel's wife Yvonne and then Pierre and Annette who have four children. The only one missing will be George, he is on his way to Normandy where his mother lives for part of the year with her family. He is bringing her back with him so she can be here for the wedding. She will stay at the estate for the summer as per her usual routine. She used to live here full-time, of course, when her husband was alive."
"I have consulted the family tree that Lucas helped me with, but it is a bit overwhelming. I am both excited and nervous about meeting everyone."
"No need to be nervous, they will all love you. Lucas is a favorite and Gustave raves about you in his letters. He is quite complimentary. Gustave has quite discerning taste, so they are all convinced already that you are beautiful and kind and a wonderful mother."
"Well, that is very flattering. Gustave is nothing but kind to me. He vexes Lucas in the way of brothers, but to me he is nothing but truly generous and sweet and he dotes on Jack as well."
"Well, he must genuinely like you then because Gustave can be quite the curmudgeon. We had been hoping he would fall in love with someone that could sweeten him up. To tell you the truth, sometimes when I speak with him, I wonder if he might be in love with you, Elizabeth."
"Oh no! He does have a very soft spot for me, but he is loyal to Lucas and very, very happy for him; I assure you," said Elizabeth emphatically.
"Yes, he may be a bit cranky and contrary at times, but he took to Lucas during his summer visits with us and left for Canada when he invited him for a visit. He never looked back and seems to love it there in Hope Valley."
"Well, we are so happy that he is there with us. I hope he does find someone someday. When I watch him with Jack, I see that he would make a fine father. He is so attentive and kind. The cranky side certainly does not show itself one little bit. He seems to save the sarcasm for Lucas. But it is all with love, he would do anything for Lucas and the feeling is mutual. Tell me something about Poligny," Elizabeth steered the conversation in a different direction.
"Well, Poligny lies in the foothills of the Jura Mountains; the terrain is quite interesting. Steep limestone cliffs border one side of the town. It has a population of around 4,000 people and is the capital of the Comte region and Jura district. It is known for its Comte cheese and the surrounding land for its fine cool weather wines, both red and white."
"How far is the estate from the town?" Elizabeth asked.
"Not far, around 20 kilometers. It is a bit higher in elevation. We are known for our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. The estate has quite an assortment of animals that provide us with milk, eggs and poultry. The children are too attached to the sheep, goats and cows for us to slaughter them, so we mostly purchase our meat from nearby. We do make our own pork sausage, however, and bring in hogs a few months before to fatten them up. We don't raise baby pigs or the children would get too attached. We also raise vegetables and have fruit trees and raise some bees that feed from the mustard plants that are grown between the rows of grapes in the vineyards. It is a shame that you won't be here in late summer when the mustard will show itself. We do have to purchase grains and some fruits and vegetables, but we are partly self-sustaining."
"That sounds amazing, Antoine. I know we are going to have such a wonderful month. Jack will especially be in love. Lucas spends time with him visiting the local farms. He has one farm in particular, The Henderson Farm, that Gustave likes to purchase from. Lucas has taken to going out there for Gustave now that he has Jack to bring with him. They don their rubber boots and enjoy stomping in the mud puddles together. It was on their return from one such trip that Lucas taught Jack his part in his marriage proposal. Lucas and Jack will tell you about it if you ask," Elizabeth urged him.
"I will do so when the others are there to hear it too. Mamam will be so delighted, she has been anxious for your arrival," Antoine told her. "Lucas has always been a favorite nephew."
"I am anxious to meet her too, Lucas speaks so lovingly of his Tante Anne. She holds a special place in his heart. Tell me more about the estate."
"The main house was built around 400 years ago and then some 200 years later a wing was added. A second house was built just over a century ago to accommodate the growing Bouchard families. Marcel, Yvonne and their children live in that house with my parents. George lives at the original house where he will be joined by his new bride when they marry. My cousin Pierre and his family live in the newer wing of the house. I usually live with my cousin George but will have to consider a more appropriate arrangement when he is married. You will be staying in the original house. George's fiancé Juliette will move in when they return from their honeymoon at the end of summer. There is plenty of room in the house for you and Maman and George and others that are coming for the wedding. Some will be staying in a quaint old inn in Poligny as there will be relatives arriving from across France."
"It is going to be an exciting visit from the sound of it. Lucas has tried to prepare me, but there is nothing like facing the real thing," said Elizabeth.
"You will have the time of your life; we will ensure it!" said Antoine with great confidence. "Anything you need or want please come to me. Maman and I will be delighted to help, as will Yvonne and Annette, they are truly sweethearts. None of them speak English but Pierre is somewhat proficient so he can be a resource if you need anything. Marcel is more than happy to help as long as your French is serviceable which it sounds as if it is."
"Well, I do need practice so this is a great opportunity for me. I see that Jack will absorb it like a sponge. His English is expanding quickly as he has a Papa to chat with now too, and he seems to be able to separate the languages with no issues. Yvonne, Marcel and the other children will be a big help."
"Tell me more about your Maman. I do know that she is a talented artist," said Elizabeth. "Lucas has one of her paintings that is quite beautiful."
"Oui, she is quite talented but did not have much time when she was raising her children and tending to her duties on the farm. Now that she no longer has those chores to attend to, she has taken up painting in earnest again. Her oils of the landscape here and in Normandy are quite beautiful."
"I am not the most skilled, but I do dabble with drawing and watercolors a bit. I would love to have her teach me a little more about oils. The one Lucas has is done with a scalpel and is quite impressive. It captures the quilt-like landscape of the region."
"She will be delighted. Lucas has quite a fondness for art. I thought he might pursue it, but he has such a head for finances and diplomacy that he was meant to be a leader in business," said Antoine.
"Yes, but he has interest and some skill with sketching. He and Jack spend quite a bit of time drawing, especially on our long journey. Lucas ties it into Jack's interests in animals as well as mechanics, and the places we visit. He works with him in French as well as English so you will find Jack has a fine vocabulary of jungle and domestic animals in both languages. His drawing ability is also quite advanced for his age with Lucas's prompting," said Elizabeth proudly.
"You should have Jack share his drawings with Maman. She will enjoy it as none of her children were endowed with her talent," Antoine chuckled, "Marcel and I draw an animal and have to write the name next to it, so you know what it is…... Albert is no better but he has a fine sense for writing. He authors wonderful short stories and poetry. We were quite surprised when he decided to be a lawyer. He will be coming down to the estate in a week or two, you will enjoy him. His English is extremely fluent, more so than mine as he also knows all the legal jargon as well."
"I look forward to meeting him too. Does he look like you and Marcel or does he favor your Maman?" asked Elizabeth.
'Ah, the Bouchard genes are strong. He has the Bouchard looks. He is almost as tall as Lucas, and don't tell Lucas I told you, but he is almost as handsome," Antoine winked at her.
"My lips are sealed," she said. "I will give my assessment after I have the pleasure. But of course, you know that I am biased. Love makes one that way, but I do know that Lucas is exceptionally handsome. I was struck by it upon our meeting. But of course. you know that I was a recent widow when we met and those feelings would take a long time to be acknowledged," Elizabeth told him.
"Lucas has told us. I am very sorry that you had this loss in your young life, and I am glad you found love again," Antoine said quietly.
"It took me a long time to completely let go. I was fortunate that Lucas patiently waited for me. He never gave up hope that we would be together. And he loves Jack as if he were his own flesh and blood. He is the only father Jack will ever know as my former husband died before I even knew I was carrying a child. Lucas does not hesitate to discuss my former husband in general terms with Jack; he never met him, but knows about him through the community and the legacy he left behind."
"Well, I know that Lucas was in love at first sight from my conversations with Gustave. Gustave said he mooned like a smitten schoolboy in your wake," Antoine divulged.
"So, he tells me too," said Elizabeth. "I am a very lucky woman to have such a man to love me. Pardon me for being so open. I feel that I know you already. Gustave has told me so much about you."
"Don't apologize, we French are big fans of such love stories. And Lucas will not mind. He is a Frenchman at the core after all."
"Yes, he has the soul of a French poet, he shows me the words that are written in his heart. We have a common love of literature that helped bring us together."
"Yes, and I understand you are an accomplished author. Lucas says your short stories and novel about life on the Canadian frontier are both whimsical and profound. He speaks of you with such pride."
"I am sure he exaggerates. But it was my dream to be both a teacher and an author since I was very young. He and his mother were quite instrumental in helping me to craft a novel that was worth publishing and then making the dream come true. Antoine, you are still quite young but how is it that you haven't yet married?"
Antoine hesitated for a few moments and Elizabeth could feel his mood suddenly change. "I once was engaged to my childhood sweetheart. She lived on a neighboring property, and we were inseparable as children. We walked to school in the village every day and played whenever we could. As we grew up, the friendship blossomed into love. I left for University, but travelled home each weekend to be with her. Once I graduated, I asked her to marry me; we planned on a Christmas wedding." Antoine's voice broke and Elizabeth could see the tears well up in his eyes.
"You don't have to tell me if it is too painful," Elizabeth told him.
"No, it is okay. You of all people will understand the pain of losing someone that is like the other half of you. Janine was walking to the village market when it began to rain, a small truck skidded on the road and struck her. It was a tragic accident. She wasn't killed immediately, but died before I could reach her to even say goodbye." The tears began to roll down his cheeks. "It has been five years now, but she is everywhere I go. I see her tossing rocks into the stream and dancing in the fields in the sunlight. I still feel our first lover's kiss, and I smell the lavender in her hair as I held her. Everyone tells me I need to move on, to find another love so I may have a family. But I can't find it in me to let go."
"I am so sorry Antoine. I know what you are going through and there is no time schedule no matter what anyone else says. It took me four years, three years after I met Lucas, to finally work through my grief. By then he was firmly rooted in my heart, but my mind needed time. I know that someday you will find the one who you can let in. You must know that Janine would want that for you. My husband, due to his job, had written me a letter in the event of his death. He explicitly told me to promise him that I would open my heart to love again, but even so, it was difficult. But I am the perfect example that one can love deeply twice in a lifetime. If you ever want to talk to someone, I am here for you. I know that your family means well, as did mine, but it isn't always easy to help without having lived it."
"Thank you, Elizabeth. I may take you up on your offer. I want to tell you more about my Janine someday. Sometimes I think I should move away to let the memories go. Albert has asked me to come live with him in Paris, but as much as I want to have a fresh start, I can't bear to leave her. Does that sound crazy?"
"No, not at all. Your memories are here in Comte and you feel close to her here. But believe me Antoine, your heart will always hold her, and the memories will be there too. A heart has no limits, you can love another; you must let yourself be open to it. I will share my journey with you whenever you like. Each person is different, but you might find some kernel of hope in my story."
"Thank you, you are very kind just as Gustave told us. And speaking of Gustave, he is one that did not inherit the Bouchard looks. He favors his Maman in most ways," Antoine informed her.
"Yes, we were quite surprised when we learned he was Lucas's cousin. They kept it quiet so as not to show favoritism with the staff," Elizabeth explained.
"By the way, the children are having a wonderful time it seems. Laura is being a saint with them all over her," declared Antoine. "Laura, are you surviving back there? Would you like to get out to stretch your legs? We are approaching a very small town; it is little more than a roadside café and mercantile but a nice stop none the less."
"That would be wonderful, thank you. I think the children could use a stretch too to work off some of this energy," Laura replied.
"Elizabeth, what do you think? A coffee perhaps and juice for the children? Perhaps a treat?" asked Antoine.
"That sounds perfect. How much longer to the estate?", she inquired.
"Under an hour. But let's get out for a while. They are not expecting us to arrive before dinnertime. It will be a light repass tonight as they all know that we dined quite grandly at lunch. We will have a proper feast tomorrow with everyone at the main house," Antoine assured her.
A few minutes later Antoine exclaimed, "it looks like Lucas and my brother had the same thought as me. There is the truck," he pointed at the vehicle that was parked to the side of the café/store."
Lucas had noticed them from inside and came out to greet them. Jack ran to his Papa and was promptly scooped up for a hug. Lucas grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her in for a quick kiss. A light blush spread over her face as she had been missing him with all the chat about him with Antoine.
"Papa, Papa, we saw the special cows. They are blanche et brun and Antoine says they make special milk."
"Yes, they are and yes they do," said Lucas. He turned to Marcel's children, "Have you been learning any English on the way here?"
"Yes!" they said in unison. "The cows are white and brown."
"Very good!", Lucas told them. "Jack you are a good teacher."
Jack hugged his Papa with a big hug. "I missed you."
"Je t'aime, Jack" replied Lucas. "And I missed you too. Now come inside and get some refreshments and then we will head off to meet the other children… and the puppies of course."
With that, Lucas gave him a kiss on the cheek and set him down. He soon would be unable to lift and hold him in his arms as he was growing fast. He planned on fully appreciating this time while he could. He took Jack's hand and offered his other arm to Elizabeth and headed back into the café with the others. Jack soon released his hand and skipped over to Yvonne and young Marcel. Lucas sighed; he felt that pang that he knew Elizabeth experienced when he himself had begun to garner some of Jack's attention. His little boy was growing up. Elizabeth seemed to sense his mood and squeezed his hand. She always knew… he thought to himself. Little could pass by the other, now that they had given themselves to one another. They were bound together and shared in the joys and in the sorrows and everything in between.