Бесплатный фрагмент - Fragile Paradise

Chapter 1 Mysterious house

House on the island of Sicily. The villa looks impressive in size, with a swimming pool in the courtyard, fenced from the outside by a high fence, with massive metal gates that hide the life of the inhabitants of the house from prying eyes. When someone found himself outside the gate, a magnificent view of a well-groomed and fragrant garden of unusually beautiful climbing and bush roses, magnolias and neatly trimmed bushes opened up to his gaze. Evergreen cypress trees were planted along the fence along the perimeter of the entire site, the tops of which reached towards the sky. Immersed in the orange orchards and olive groves of Palermo, it was Louis’s choice when he decided to move from France to Sicily. Chronic bronchitis, which tormented the owner of the villa especially severely in winter in France, forced him to change his place of residence. Strangers were rarely in the house; they mostly invited people to visit and receive people whom one or another resident of the house knew well. The villa was home to Louis de Grasse, his wife Vanessa and two grandchildren, Melisande and Pierre-Martin, whom they took in when they were small. A tragedy that changed the lives of all family members forever. They lost their father as children, and Olivia’s father decided to take them to Sicily. Throughout their childhood and youth, the grandchildren lived with their grandparents, and as adults they moved to Milan and Rome. They flew to Palermo for holidays and celebrations to celebrate the birthdays of their beloved relatives.

One of Louis’ favorite holidays was Christmas; all his family and friends gathered for this holiday. He truly loved this time, the time of magic and fairy tales. Glowing garlands on orange trees and palm trees, which grow in abundance in Sicily, created a festive atmosphere. The streets were decorated with street lamps, the city looked very elegant during the holidays. The house was decorated with garlands, the fireplace was decorated with spruce branches with toys, gingerbread cookies, balls and fruits. Louis loved to stage a nativity scene on the theme of the birth of Christ. These toy scenes, which necessarily included figures of the infant Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, were decorated with various fruits, including tangerines, an indispensable attribute of Christmas and the New Year. The festive table setting was incredibly beautiful and sophisticated, because Melisande studied to be a designer, and the girl had excellent taste. The house was filled with light, and it seemed that it was breathing at such moments when the whole family and friends gathered to prepare a festive dinner, which was prepared for several days in an atmosphere of incredible cordiality and laughter. Everyone liked this time, because they felt family unity, warmth and cohesion, despite strained relationships the rest of the time. At the Christmas celebration, in addition to the grandchildren Pierre-Martin and Melisande, Louis and Vanessa, there were also both of Louis’ daughters, Olivia, the eldest, the mother of the grandchildren and Inessa, who lived in London, Edward, Melisande and Pierre’s cousin on the father’s side, his mother and several friends. It was an incredibly happy time for everyone. When everyone finally gathered at the table, casual conversations were held, laughter was heard, and the topics of conversation were very different. Everyone was elegantly dressed: Louis put on his favorite suit from Dior, Vanessa put on an incredibly beautiful dress, which, despite her age, showed a good figure, a diamond necklace with a large pink pear-shaped diamond enveloped her neck, and her ears were no less beautiful earrings, her own She wore her long blond hair in a low bun. Melisande and Pierre-Martin also looked beautiful, she received luxurious raven-colored hair as a gift from her grandmother, and she, just like her grandmother, collected it in a low bun. Pierre-Martin looked very respectable, his wrist was decorated with a collectible Rolex watch, a gift from his grandfather for last Christmas. Olivia and Inessa dressed in similar ruby-colored dresses, swan necks were decorated with necklaces with diamonds given by their mother, they did not like to wear their hair in hairstyles, and therefore decorated their heads with tiaras studded with tiny precious stones. Edward and his mother were also dressed very smartly for the occasion.

After the holidays, the house was empty again, and only Louis, Vanessa and the grandchildren remained in it, who wanted to spend more time with them. One day, after all the other people had left the villa, Louis called Melisande and Pierre-Martin to drink wine and talk. When the grandchildren came in, Melisande hugged her grandfather with great warmth, and Pierre-Martin patted Louis on the shoulder and said:

— Well, how’s the holiday?

Louis smiled at this and said:

— I liked everything. It’s good that everyone arrived, our communication was as cordial as before. And you are my good fellows for being able to please your old man.

Melisande responded to this with the words:

— Grandfather, how can you say such a thing? You know that I always leave this time for you and grandma, because I know how valuable it is for you.

The grandfather took his granddaughter’s hand in his and replied:

— Thank you, dear, of course, I know that. Vanessa looked incredibly beautiful this Christmas.

— Yes, she looks incredibly beautiful and, as always, is dressed tastefully, and there are simply no words for the necklace. Is this your gift? — Pierre asked his grandfather.

“No,” Louis answered with some tension in his voice, “she apparently bought it in Dubai, and yes, it’s great.”

“Yes, grandma is our great traveler, she’s been everywhere, you’re probably tired grandpa, let me walk you to your room,” the granddaughter suggested.

“Oh, come on, I can still run myself,” he answered, smiling.

— Well, okay, I’ll go pack my suitcase, and Pierre wouldn’t hurt you, otherwise you like to run around at the last moment and pack everything, we’re flying out tomorrow.

“I’ll collect it, I’ll collect it,” Pierre answered his sister, laughing.

With this, they went up to their room and began to pack their suitcases, and Louis remained sitting near the fireplace.

Their mother, Olivia, saw them only on holidays, but they called each other often. For her, the children were a living reproach that she was an unhappy person and therefore the relationship between them was not very warm. After the death of their father, the relationship worsened, the mother pulled away from raising the children and increasingly retreated into herself. Therefore, it was obvious that children would be better off in Sicily. Even during the celebration of this or that holiday, they communicated little. This did not surprise anyone, although Louis tried to somehow facilitate their warmer communication. But this took time, a lot of time.

Life for Louis and Vanessa has been slow since they moved here. They began to walk more often, they even had favorite places. The city, a major seaport in which they lived, was on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In Palermo, there was a mixture of 4 cultures: European, Byzantine, Arab and Sicilian, an indescribable atmosphere of an ancient city, in which the intersection of eras and times concealed pieces of antiquity, Arab rule or the Middle Ages.

Louis’s favorite place for walks with his wife was the Garibaldi Garden in the center of Piazza Marina, in the historical district of Palermo, Calsa, which occupied almost 21 hectares of land and was planted with fragrant magnolias and tropical plants. The garden was literally surrounded by greenery, trees and various shrubs; here you could hide in the shade from the rays of the scorching sun. In this garden there was one extraordinary tree, a mighty old ficus, whose roots and branches had witnessed many events. During the Inquisition, heretics were burned in the square, criminals were executed, and Over the years, the monarchs of Sicily played weddings in this square.

During one such leisurely walk, Vanessa uttered a rather strange, as it seemed to Louis, phrase:

“And one day they will burn me at the stake of my vanity,” she said in a gloomy tone.

Louis took his wife by the hand and answered:

— Don’t say that Vanessa, there’s no reason to burn you. Let’s go and sit in the gazebo under our favorite tree, then drink coffee in our place and go to the museum.

“Let’s go,” Vanessa seemed to have forgotten what mood she was in a couple of minutes ago. Her mood changed more often than the weather in their city, but Louis was already used to it. The weather, in contrast to her mood, was wonderful, the sun was shining brightly and her husband grabbed her a straw hat with wide brims and a ribbon so that the wind would not blow the headdress away. After sitting on a bench in silence and silence for half an hour, they got up and walked towards the Gadini restaurant to drink coffee. They quickly finished their meal at the restaurant and returned to the square to take the car to the museum.

The museum that Louis suggested going to was the Capuchin Museum, Vanessa had heard something about it, but she was not able to visit it, and she was glad that her husband would give her a tour there. The museum was called the Catacombs of the Capuchins and consisted of long galleries, the only inhabitants of which were the dead. This burial dates back to the founding of the order and at first only monks were buried there, but then, with the permission of the archbishop, they began to bury benefactors, aristocrats, representatives of noble families, famous and honorable people, citizens of Palermo.

“It’s amazing that you remember my desire to visit this museum,” Vanessa said to her husband while they were driving.

Louis smiled and replied:

— Of course, I remember, especially that you were interested in the story of the little girl who was buried there, and I myself became interested.

They finally arrived, parked the car in the parking lot and bought tickets.

When they entered, a terrifying sight met their eyes, on the one hand, but on the other, it was so touching, because their relatives came here to these people and could visit and talk with them, showing deep affection for family traditions. The crypts had a special microclimate due to the fact that Sicily was of volcanic origin. And that is why dead people did not decompose. However, the sight was not for the faint of heart: empty eye sockets, withered bones with hair on their heads were dressed in clothes, some in elegant suits and dresses, others in simple clothes. Some people were changed by relatives several times a year.

Vanessa took Louis by the hand so that the picture he saw would not be so creepy, but anxiety reigned inside. She especially wanted to look at the tiny girl, whose story shook her to the core.

Among all these people, and there were about 8,000 of them, lay a girl who died at the age of 2 from pneumonia and the girl’s father, heartbroken, found a doctor, whom he persuaded to embalm the child in such a way that the charming features would not decompose over time.. When they approached the child, they saw a girl with hair and eyelashes, intact soft tissues and did not look at all like a dead girl, rather like a sleeping beauty. Vanessa began to have thoughts, and she decided to share them with her husband.

“Louis,” she turned to him.

He looked at her, squeezed her hand tighter and asked:

— Everything is fine?

— Yes, everything is fine, but I had thoughts while we were walking among these people.

— What thoughts?

“When the hour strikes for me to meet the creator in heaven,” she began.

— Vanessa! — Louis’s tone made it clear that he did not like the topic that his wife had raised, she looked at him and said:

— Please listen to the end without interrupting me. It is very important. When I give my soul, I don’t know to God or the Devil, I want to look like this girl, even after many years I want to maintain my beauty, you can arrange it, I know.

Louis looked at her and regretted that he decided to bring her here, now it became clear to him why she had wanted to visit this museum for so long, to see what this girl looked like, and, apparently, to make him promise to fulfill her last wish.

— Are you serious, Vanessa?

— Yes, seriously, and also…

— What else?

— I want our graves to be nearby and in this cemetery, you will tell our girls about this, won’t you?

— Are you going to die? — he asked sharply.

— No, it’s just a wish.

“Your wishes are nice, I promise to think about it, let’s go to the car.”

Louis pulled his hand and walked towards the exit. Vanessa remained standing next to the girl in upset feelings. Five minutes passed, and Louis returned for her.

“Vanessa, let’s go,” he called.

“I’m coming,” she cast a farewell glance at the child in the coffin and followed him out.

Then he did not attach due importance to this conversation, although he thought about it for some time.

Louis was a man of broad views on life and human possibilities. Therefore, when two grandchildren began to live in their villa, he observed them, what they liked, and asked questions. This is how time passed with the family. Louis carefully observed the children and their passions. He himself was a wine collector and spent a lot of time with winemakers. Sometimes I took my grandson to such meetings. He did not insist that the boy’s professional activity be somehow connected with wine, because he believed that everyone could choose their own occupation. Once after such a meeting they had an interesting dialogue.

— How do you like the wine? Have you revealed its taste, what bouquet?

— I think that this wine was aged in oak barrels and that’s why it has such a tart taste and grandma wouldn’t like it.

Louis hugged his grandson and ruffled his hair.

— You’re right Pierre, it’s not so elegant that grandma will like it. But you’re great, your passion for wine is bearing fruit. Would you like to create something like this?

Pierre winced and said:

— I believe that it is better to sell wine than to produce it, especially since our mother is engaged in this. And I want to help her with this.

— Yes, you’re right, my little friend, and how do you see it?

— I want to be like you!

— Like me? — Louis laughed, — well, it’s necessary! I never thought that someone would want to be like me.

— You are strong, smart, I want to be like that too!

— You will have to study a lot for this, are you ready for this? — Grandfather asked, squatting down.

“Ready,” the grandson said confidently.

With that, they got into the car and drove home.

Melisande and Pierre-Martin were very different people, despite their close relationship. Everyone chose an activity based on their desires, especially since their grandparents always supported them. Melisande was fond of drawing since childhood, and her favorite pastime was to lie in front of the fireplace on the carpet and draw, dangling her legs in the air. Louis did not approve of this, and therefore she only did this when she was with Vanessa. The interior of the house was in the classicism style of Louis the Sixteenth, after whom the owner of the villa was named. When Vanessa saw her granddaughter’s drawings, she suggested that Louis send the girl to an art school so that she could develop her talent. This conversation took place over one of the dinners. That evening they celebrated the successful completion of a transaction, many dishes were prepared, and the grandfather allowed his grandson to choose the wine.

— Well, Pierre, let’s check what you’ve learned so far? Go to the cellar and bring the wine that you think will best complement our dinner.

Pierre left and Vanessa said:

— You know, I think that we need to send our granddaughter to an art school.

— Why do you think so? — Louis looked questioningly at his wife.

“Look,” she said, handing her husband Melisande’s drawings.

— We need to know what drawings and how they were done. Was she drawing while I was away?

— Yes, while you were away.

— Again on the floor in front of the fireplace, I guess? — Louis asked his wife, laughing.

— How did you guess? — Vanessa was surprised.

— I know this is her favorite place in the house. I saw it once, but didn’t scold it.

At that moment, Melisande entered the dining room.

— What are you watching?

“Your drawings,” answered the grandmother.

“But I don’t show them to anyone,” the granddaughter answered displeasedly.

— We were wondering, and Louise took them in your room, will you forgive us? — Louis felt a certain pang of conscience that they had invaded her personal space.

— I forgive you, but why did you watch them?

— We want to ask you.

By this time Pierre had already returned, and they were all sitting at the table.

— What to ask? — She asked while helping herself to a salad.

— How do you feel about studying at an art school?

Pierre joined the conversation:

“I think you should accept this offer, little sister.”

— Okay, I’ll study there. But keep in mind that if I don’t like it, I won’t stay there.

and their daughter Olivia made decisions so quickly. And Melisande reminded Louis of herself very much.

— Are you sure? — Vanessa decided to clarify, — let’s go to the galleries, you’ll look at the paintings..

— Yes, grandma, it’s a good idea, but I’ve already made my decision.

— Anyway, one of these days we will go to the galleries.

— Fine.

At this point they continued dinner and their conversations turned to art, Pierre talked about his successes at the Lyceum. From the outside they looked like an ideal family, but that was only the first impression.

Artists see the world differently, Louis was convinced that Melisande perceived everything differently, not like other people. She asked permission to remodel her room when she was a 15-year-old teenager, and her grandfather gave permission to see what would come of it. Having received money for materials, she did not let anyone into the room until the end of the renovation; only the workers who made the room saw her, but they were silent. When the renovation was finally completed, all family members saw the interior of the room and were very surprised. The room, its walls and furniture were strikingly different from the rest of the house. Melisande allocated herself a working area, which she separated with a screen, the color of the walls was deep blue, not all of them, but only where she planned to do creative work, the other three walls were white, and instead of the paintings that hung before, she decorated the wall with African masks, which Vanessa brought it a long time ago. When Vanessa saw them on the wall, she was overcome with horror, and she apologized to everyone and left the room.

Pierre and Louis said in one voice:

— Lord, how did you come up with the idea to decorate the walls with these masks?

And Louis added:

— Where did you even find them?

— So what do you think? Like? — Melisande asked her grandfather and brother, smiling; she learned about them from Louise, she got them for me from the outbuilding.

— This is very unusual, and definitely not my style, but since you like it, why not.

“Congratulations, little sister, on your new room,” Pierre hugged his sister.

Finally Vanessa returned to them and said :

— You have good taste, honey.

The granddaughter approached her and, taking her hand, asked:

— Granny, are you really not angry that Louise showed them to me and I hung them up?

“No, but it’s such a color, you probably need to study, boys, let’s go,” she took Louis and Pierre by the hands, and they left Melisande alone.

The life of Olivia’s children away from home was so interesting and eventful. They grew up, each with their own life, in different cities in Italy. By that time, Melisande had already trained as a designer and lived in Milan. She made a friend, with whom she drank coffee, discussed projects, went to exhibitions, and sometimes went out of town for picnics.

The life of the young designer took place in the center of Milan, her apartment was located on Dante Street, not far from the Sforzesco Castle. There was a luxurious park where it was nice to spend time in and grab a coffee to go. Her studio was also not far from home. As a rule, her day began at five in the morning or a little later, after waking up, washing her face and throwing a silk robe over her elegant shirt, she went down to the first floor. She loved the divine aroma of coffee that enveloped the entire kitchen when she brewed it in a Turk from Istanbul. While the coffee was brewing, she looked through her email on her laptop; there were various offers of cooperation, but they did not attract her. She wanted to do something worthwhile and was waiting for a client who had unusual taste and could trust her in interior design. Very soon she was supposed to have the official opening of the studio and her family and friends were supposed to fly in; preparation for this event took up almost all of her time. She preferred to dine in the city at the fish restaurant La Risacca, there was a sophisticated and informal atmosphere that allowed her to work and dine in peace. After lunch, she always called her grandfather to find out how things were going with them, but today she still had to call her brother in Paris, where he had flown to settle his business and decide whether or not to buy a chateau in Bordeaux. After lunch, she decided to take a walk and at the same time call her grandfather and brother. Having dialed her grandfather’s number on the phone, she waited; Ludovic did not pick up the phone for a long time and finally answered:

— Hello granddaughter! — his voice was joyful, which lifted Melisande’s mood.

— How are you doing, grandpa? Anything new? Like a grandma?

— Things are good, I recently spoke with your mother, she said hello to you. Grandma is fine, let’s go for a walk with her, what’s new with you?

— I’m getting ready for the opening, will you come?

— Exactly, your discovery, I forgot, forgive me. Yes, of course we’ll fly, do you need to call your mom about wine at the event or will Pierre take care of this issue?

— Pierre has a lot to do now, he’s rushing around with his discoveries, and besides, he wants to buy a chateau in Bordeaux, so I’ll call my mother.

— Okay, but I think he can get to the opening.

— I’ll call him today, let’s discuss this point.

— You are business people with me, so run, granddaughter.

“Yes, business,” she answered with a smile, “we’ll call you this week.”

— Yes, we’ll call you, bye!

After talking with her grandfather, she smiled, she really liked the fact that he was in a great mood and promised to be at the opening. Walking into a nearby coffee shop, she grabbed a large caramel latte and headed to the park. Sitting down on the bench, she took out her phone and dialed her brother. Pierre-Martin immediately picked up the phone:

— Pierre, hello!

— Hello, little sister, how are you doing? Are you getting ready to open?

— Yes, I’m getting ready, I’m doing well, I talked to my grandfather.

— Yes, and how are they doing?

— They are great, just imagine, he forgot about my discovery, but I reminded him, and he said that they would arrive.

— And will there be a grandmother?

— As I understand, yes, how is your deal? What did you decide with the chateau in Bordeaux?

— I haven’t decided anything yet, I need to fly and look…

— You’ll fly after my opening.

— Yes, most likely, a detailed analysis of both the soil and the vineyard is needed.

— Yes, this is a serious matter, it takes time. Well, okay, we’ll call again.

— Yes, in touch, have a nice day!

— Bye to you too!

After talking to everyone and finding out that everyone was doing well, she decided it was time to go back to the studio and do her own thing. In the evening there was a call from my mother.

Having reached her studio, the first thing she did was ask her assistant if anyone had called her:

— Beatrice!

— Yes?

— Did they call me?

— There was a call from Dijon, Madame Saint-Etienne de Grasse called.

— Mom called, I’ll call you back from the office, thank you!

The mother’s unexpected call aroused interest, and she decided to call back immediately. The beeps were ringing, but my mother did not answer the phone. A minute later they answered on the phone:

— Yes, I’m listening.

— Hello Mom, you called me at the studio while I was at lunch, did something happen?

— No, I wanted to know how the preparations are going for your opening of the studio, and to clarify whether you need help with the wine?

— Yes, with wine, I just wanted to ask for help.

— Okay, the wine will be delivered two days earlier.

— Great, how are you doing mom?

— I’m doing as well as possible.

— I’m glad that everything is fine with you, we’ll call you then during the week.

— Yes, we’ll call you, all the best, bye.

— Bye!

Melisande dropped the call, and she felt a little sad that conversations with her mother were limited to business only, and there was no hint of the warmth that was there before.

Many years later, when Pierre was already living in Rome, he recalled his conversation with his grandfather, and his heart was filled with warmth. After graduating from the lyceum and university, he started working in one of his grandfather’s companies, and after working there for 5 years, he decided that it was time to open his own chain of wine stores. Wine became his passion, he could talk about it for hours, taste it, and of course, following the example of his grandfather, he began to collect his own collection. In Rome, Pierre had two apartments, one was next to the Castel Sant’Angelo, the other was on Corso. He lived in the second apartment because his favorite gym was located next to it, which he went to three times a week to keep himself in good physical shape. He had a chain of wine boutiques and indoor casinos in several cities, including Rome, Milan, Paris and Marseille. The wine shops were supplied from the vineyards of his mother, Olivia Saint-Etienne de Grasse. The wines presented in his stores were only of two grand classes cru (highest) and premier cru (first), it promised a special pleasure for the people who idolized this drink. Red Burgundy wine made from Pinot Noir with the sweet taste of raspberries, cherries and strawberries delighted the tastes of the most demanding people, and white wine Chablis was created from Chardonnay grapes. These are the kind of wines that Melisande should have had at the opening. The Côte d’Or region was considered the heart of Burgundy, and translated from French meant “Gold Coast”.

Chapter 2 Time to part ways

In France, Madame Saint-Etienne de Grasse had a magnificent chateau with vineyards in the Côte d’Or region, which produced the best and most expensive wines of Burgundy. Olivia lived in France all her life and, unlike her father, had no plans to move anywhere. She was born on the outskirts of Beaune, but spent her childhood and youth in Lyon. When there was talk about her parents moving to Sicily, Olivia decided to move to Dijon. At first, Louis thought that she would move with them, but he did not take into account the fact that by that moment she had grown up and was ready to make important decisions herself and bear responsibility for them. However, Louis was a man who was difficult to convince of anything, and he decided to set a condition under which Olivia could remain in France and live independently. Since his communication with her was limited in time throughout his life, he could not even imagine that his daughter would be against moving with them. He thought that she would take it as something inevitable, but it turned out that he was wrong. One autumn evening he decided to talk to her seriously about the future. Olivia sat near the fireplace and read another book; she also loved to watch the firewood crackle and the flames dance in the air.

“Olivia,” Louis addressed her softly, “let’s go and talk in my office before dinner.”

She realized that the conversation would be serious, since her father called her into the office. It was always like this with them: they discussed everything related to business or any changes in life in a strictly closed office, lined with collections of weapons from different times. From the office there was a door to the rich library that Louis collected throughout his life. Not only Olivia loved to spend time there, but also Vanessa. Louis and his daughter entered the office, and he looked at her and pointed to a chair for her to sit down. He stood near the window, looked out of it for about two minutes, then sat down at his luxurious work desk. It was custom made from solid oak with an original tabletop decorated with handmade inlay, and the drawers in the cabinets were lined with velvet. Louis loved beautiful things very much and spared no expense on them. He also taught his children and grandchildren a love of beauty and careful handling of things.

“Olivia,” he looked carefully at his daughter and continued his speech, “you understand that this is a serious decision and I need to make sure that you are ready for an independent life.”

— Yes, dad, I understand everything.

Louis raised his palm, signaling to his daughter that she should listen to him without interrupting. Olivia fell silent.

“I know that you are a free-thinking person, convinced of the success of any of your business, but as a father, I worry about you. As a person with life experience, I must warn you about the difficulties that may arise when you are left here alone. You know that I have always supported people who have aspirations and desires. I will help you, but I want you to know that at any moment you can move to Sicily with your mother and me.

Olivia liked the course of the conversation less and less, but she listened to her father without interrupting. Realizing that he says all this with the best intentions. When her father finished speaking, Olivia decided that she could express her opinion on all this.

She looked at her father, and he realized that he would listen to her now:

— I see you want to tell me something.

— Yes, dad, you’re right. I’d like to speak up.

— Okay, I’m listening.

— You know my love for the country in which I was born and raised, and I never allowed the thought that I would need to leave it. I love Lyon, Paris is sometimes pleasant to me, but not so much that I visit it more often than necessary. Everything here is dear to me, everything breathes my childhood. The fact that you chose Italy to move to, I think, is no coincidence. You’ve been preparing for this move for quite some time. You built your life your own way, achieved everything you wanted, you are an example of a person that many people want to emulate. And I am among them, I want to be like you so that you are proud of me. And I want to build my life myself. So please leave me here.

Louis was silent and thought at that time that his daughter had somehow unexpectedly grown up. He was overcome by disturbing thoughts about life in Sicily without his daughter. It always seemed to him that this time would never come. But he understood that every person has a chance to live their life the way a person wants, and it would be a colossal mistake to deprive his daughter of such an opportunity. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on the door.

— Come in!

Louise came in and said:

— Dinner is ready, will you come to the table soon? Madame asks.

— Yes, we’ll be leaving soon. Five minutes.

“Okay,” and she left.

Louis stood up and went to the window.

“Okay,” he turned to his daughter, “I’ll buy you a chateau and give you money to open a business.” We will draw up a business plan together, and you will have a year to develop your business.

Hearing this, Olivia could hardly restrain herself from expressing wild joy. She knew that her father had never particularly liked displays of emotion. He was a reserved and cold person, stingy in showing any emotions, be it a joyful or sad event, his face remained invariably calm, and not a single muscle moved.

“Okay, dad,” Olivia calmly responded to her father’s proposal, “I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in your decision and in me.”

“God willing,” Louis answered, “and now we can go to the table.”

— Yes, you can.

They went into the dining room, but there was no one at the table.

— Louise! — Louis called loudly, the housekeeper came out of the kitchen.

— Did you call?

— Yes, where is Vanessa?

— Madame was waiting for you, and then she asked for a shawl and went out into the garden.

“At a time like this,” the owner of the house said thoughtfully.

Olivia looked at her father and politely suggested:

— Maybe you and I will go out into the garden and find mom? We need to tell her the news.

Louis glanced at her quickly and nodded. They left the house.

Vanessa hated waiting for something or someone for a long time. This depressed her, and she, left alone, often went to her favorite roses. When Louis flew away on his business, she died of melancholy and spent a lot of time in her room, sitting in a chair and looking out the window, no one knew what she saw there or wanted to see. At such moments, she did not even go out to eat and Louise brought food to her room, otherwise one day Louis would have risked finding his wife who had died of hunger. She loved to go out into the garden and sit in the gazebo, which was surrounded by bushes of antique Gerda roses Nissen, their color was carmine pink, and they smelled of a sweet fruity aroma. She saw these roses in an old garden when she flew on a trip to Germany. She was told that this variety was created during the time of Victor Hugo and she was very impressed. It was these roses that Vanessa planted herself, despite the fact that they had a gardener who kept order.

That evening she sat in the dining room and waited for her husband and daughter, when some time passed, tired of waiting, she decided to go to her favorite gazebo, to the roses.

“Louise,” she called her faithful maid in a velvety voice.

— Did you call Madam? — Louise smiled and approached the mistress of the house.

— You could go upstairs and bring me a shawl, I want to go to the garden.

“But dinner is coming soon,” the housekeeper noted.

— They are still in the office, I have time, and I’m not comfortable sitting at the table alone.

“Okay, I’ll bring it now,” — having said this, Louise left.

Vanessa threw the shawl over her shoulders and went out into the garden. By the time Louis and his daughter left the office, she was circumcising her favorites.

Olivia and Louis walked along the path paved with stones, birds chirped and dusk slowly descended. They heard the pruning shears working and realized Vanessa was busy. When she was busy with her roses, she became so lost in herself that the world around her ceased to exist, there were only roses and her. And time passed very unnoticed. This time she was again in her thoughts and did not hear her husband and daughter approach her.

“Mom,” she looked back at the call and met Louis’ gaze, and for the first time in many years of their married life she did not look away under the weight of her husband’s gaze. The strained relationship between the parents did not in any way affect their attitude towards their daughter.

“You were late in the office,” Vanessa said displeasedly to both of them. Louis could not stand it when she showed displeasure.

“We were discussing business, and Olivia has news that she wants to tell herself.”

The daughter stood impatiently and shifted from foot to foot. Louis, seeing this, said:

— Speak already.

— Mother! — Olivia’s tone was joyful, but Vanessa was not happy about it, “Dad decided to help me, I will have my own business and my own home, can you imagine?!

However, seeing her mother’s sad look, Olivia stopped her fiery speech. Vanessa’s look was a reproach for her husband, who made it clear that she was not enthusiastic about this idea. There was a silent question in her eyes: “How could you? How could you do this to me?”

“Vanessa,” Louis wanted to explain to her the reason for this decision.

He took her hand, which he rarely did in ordinary life and often at receptions and celebrations.

— Let’s go to the gazebo and talk there. Olivia go inside, we need to talk in private.

Olivia nodded obediently and walked down the path towards the house. Having reached the house, she wrapped herself in a blanket and climbed onto a chair with her feet up, looking at the fire blazing in the fireplace and reading a book. She knew that her parents’ conversation would be long.

Left alone, Louis and Vanessa went into the gazebo and sat on a bench. Olivia’s father understood the seriousness of the situation and nevertheless his face remained calm and impartial, but in his soul the devils lit a fire that blazed with emotions. They were silent for a long time, looking straight ahead, and no one dared to start speaking. Louis perfectly understood Vanessa’s condition; he himself was a little uncomfortable because he supported his daughter in such a bold desire to start her own independent life away from her parents. He knew that accepting their decision would be a difficult ordeal for Olivia’s mother. Although she was never particularly close to her daughter, she did not know her experiences and desires. The feeling of motherhood awakened in her only after the birth of the second child in their family. She didn’t know how to behave with her first child, didn’t understand what to do with him. She gave all her love to her second daughter. Olivia had a sister she preferred not to talk about. Even my sister’s name was similar to her mother’s name, Inessa.

Finally the wife spoke.

“Louis,” she began this difficult conversation in a trembling whisper, which made her husband sad, “you understand how hard it is for me to realize that our daughter decided to start an independent life, and you decided to help her in this desire.”

— Apparently I should have refused her? — Louis answered in a cold tone and looked at his wife with anger. Not understanding why she is so reluctant to let her eldest daughter live an independent life, while the youngest has been in another country for a long time.

— I understand her desire to live separately from us, but she is still a child.

— You know her character very well, she is stubborn beyond belief and if I refuse to help her, it will be a tragedy, and besides, Inessa has been living in England for a long time.

— Okay, let it be your way, but I ask you, find a way to watch her.

— I’ll find it. Now let’s go have dinner, everyone is already hungry,” the husband got up from the bench to go home, but Vanessa grabbed his hand and said:

— Wait!

Louis looked back and realized that this was not the end of the conversation.

— Do you want to add anything to our conversation about Olivia’s move? — he looked at Vanessa and saw in her eyes the deep pain of despair and tears that flowed down her cheeks.

— No, I want to talk about you and me. How will we live now? After all, since our wedding, our relationship has changed a lot and not for the better. I’ve been worried about this for a very long time, but I couldn’t find the moment to talk about it with you. You act like we’re fine, everything’s fine. But obviously this is not the case. We should have talked about this earlier, I don’t understand why I was silent for so long. I think you should think about this. Perhaps what I say will seem stupid and insignificant to you.

Louis looked at his wife in surprise, expecting that the conversation would end there, but he was mistaken. Vanessa continued her monologue.

— You don’t think I’m the smartest woman, I know, don’t deny the obvious. You never once reproached me for not working a day, and I wasn’t involved in raising Olivia either; I was constantly traveling after her birth. In these travels, I didn’t notice how one day was like another, I didn’t know what routine was in marriage, I didn’t understand women who said that marriage was strangling them. No one was holding me back, I was free to do whatever I wanted. Even after Olivia was born, I couldn’t stand three months at home with the baby and flew off on another trip. And when I returned, my daughter didn’t even want to come into my arms. Would a normal loving mother do this to her child? I think no. It’s hard for me to say this, but it’s like she’s a stranger to me, as if she’s not my child. I still don’t understand her, I don’t know what she is like. “I’m a bad mother for her,” Vanessa concluded her monologue with these words.

Louis was shocked by such words and thoughts, which she had obviously been carrying within herself for a long time. He did not understand how all these years he could not notice such different attitudes towards Olivia and Inessa. And it’s true that there was coldness towards the first from her very birth, while she practically never parted with the second until the moment Inessa left for England.

— Vanessa! Stop! Stop saying such terrible words. I know that you are not on the closest and best terms with Olivia, but I have never heard her complain about the lack of attention on your part,” saying this, he hoped that his wife’s confession would end there. At her husband’s words, Vanessa only smiled a bitter smile.

“She doesn’t say anything only because she doesn’t know a good mother, better than me.” But I think that with the appearance of Inessa, she felt the difference,” she continued her monologue, looking into the twilight approaching night, and not only in nature. It was as if she had not heard what Louis had told her before. This angered him and he stopped her speech in a rather rude manner.

— Vanessa! Shut up! — he almost shouted to silence her. But her reaction was rather strange, she looked at him with an incomprehensible gaze, as if she had not heard his scream.

“You’re not listening to me,” she continued in an offended tone. This completely drove him crazy, probably for the first time in his life he had to raise the tone of his voice to make a person hear him.

— Shut up! “I don’t intend to listen to your nonsense anymore,” his cry echoed throughout the garden, after which he got up and left, leaving his wife alone. Vanessa knew that he could not stand her tears, and therefore did not even hope that he would return to comfort her. She also left the gazebo and went to the fountain, which was in the depths of the garden. Louis walked along the path towards the house and hoped that Vanessa would follow him, but almost reaching the house, he looked back and did not hear his wife’s steps. He had to walk back to the gazebo, but when he got there and looked inside, Vanessa was not there. He listened to sounds in the garden, but there was no hint of anyone’s presence other than himself. There was a feeling that she simply evaporated like stardust, dissolved in the air. Only the crowns of the trees rustled softly and reminded him of that soft and warm autumn when Vanessa agreed to become his wife. It was the happiest autumn for both.

“We had a fight again,” Ludovic thought to himself with annoyance, “but before that didn’t bother me, it’s strange. All this talk about our imminent separation from Olivia revealed so many problems that existed before, but for some reason we didn’t talk about them. Do I… have a soul?” — the question asked to himself surprised him. Of course he had a soul, but his heart was stone ice. All people are accustomed to considering it something living, but for him it was just a piece of meat, a muscle that only distilled blood in the body and nourished other organs. The indifference with which he lived towards people admired and horrified at the same time. Neither screams, nor tears, nor pleas had any effect on him. He always made decisions and acted exclusively on conditions favorable to him. People who interacted with him on business matters were amazed at the predatory grace with which he managed his affairs and the gentle way he treated his wife and daughters at receptions and celebrations. His favorite expression was the words: “Just because you exist, this does not mean that you live.”

Olivia found him in such deep thought in the gazebo.

— Where is mom?

Louis was silent, and then calmly answered:

— I do not know where she is. We had a little fight, and I thought that she would follow me, but when I got home, I realized that she was not there. I returned here, but she was no longer here.

— What do you mean she was no longer there? And where is she?

— I don’t know, I think somewhere nearby, at least she definitely hasn’t disappeared.

Olivia was upset by her father’s attitude towards her mother and wanted them to find her.

— Dad! — Olivia looked sternly at her father, “Aren’t you worried about what’s wrong with your mother?”

“She’s safe and sound, and you’re being too dramatic.” Let’s go into the house, she’s probably already at home and waiting for us.

— Are you sure? — the daughter asked her father in a suspicious tone.

— Yes, I’m sure she was overtired, the conversation was not easy for her. The news is very unexpected.

All these words from her father and his obvious indifference hurt Olivia. There were tears in her eyes, and she repeated the same phrase in a whisper:

— How can you be so indifferent?

A minute later she was overcome with rage, mixed with pity for her mother, and she began to yell:

— How can you be so indifferent?! — the air shook under her scream, tearing her father’s soul, touching him to the quick that lived in the depths of his cold heart. He made an effort and hugged his daughter. She didn’t even try to escape.

— Well, don’t cry, mom will be found, let’s go into the house.

Olivia removed his hands from her and, looking at him, said:

— As always, yes, everything will be fine? You don’t have it any other way.

“Yes, you’re right,” Louis left his daughter in the gazebo, and he quickly walked towards the house. His temples were pounding with anger; he was angry that Olivia, who had not known her mother’s love for many years, defended her so fiercely. A swarm of thoughts swirled in his head.

“What ‘s going on this evening? The two of them decided to finish me off. Is it really not obvious to Olivia that there is such a different attitude towards her and Inessa? If she had disappeared, Vanessa would hardly have been so worried, but while looking for Inessa, she would have made the planet spin in the opposite direction, so long as nothing happened to precious Inessa. Devil”.

When he entered the house, his voice echoed through the hall like thunder as he called to the housekeeper:

— Louise! — from his cry the crystal glasses shook and began to sing.

The housekeeper immediately left the kitchen:

— Did you call, monsieur?

— Where is your mistress? She came home? — Instead of answering, he bombarded the servants with questions.

— Yes, she came ten minutes ago and immediately went up to her room and said that she wouldn’t have dinner.

“Very good,” with these words Louis ran up the stairs, and Louise heard the door slam in Vanessa’s room. She remembered this evening for a long time, because it was the first time she saw the owner of the house like this. A conversation in a raised voice could be heard upstairs.

Louis burst into the room and began to say :

— What are you allowing yourself to do?

Vanessa was sitting in a chair at that time and raised her head to look at her husband. Her gaze was completely calm, and her voice was as if nothing had happened:

— Something happened?

Louis was taken aback for a second and did not know how to react to such behavior. These were the first signs of mental illness in his wife, but then he did not pay attention. Louis calmed down and said:

— Let’s go have dinner.

“Okay, let’s go,” Vanessa rose from her chair, and together they went down to the dining room. By this time Olivia had already returned to the house and they sat down to dinner.

Chapter 3 Dijon. Captivated by dead roses

Having chosen a place of residence, Olivia and her father purchased a chateau, which was not far from Lyon. The region was called the Gold Coast, it was located 25 km from Dijon. She lived there alone for a year, opened a wine store, her father visited her periodically, but she was not very happy about this and waited for her parents to finally move to Sicily. Louis never warned her about his arrival, and now he arrived unexpectedly once again. But he decided not to immediately go to his daughter, but to visit his old friend. His path passed through the place where her store was located, and as he passed by, he noticed that there were rose bushes near the entrance. He smiled and thought:

“Did Vanessa really manage to instill in her a love of flowers? Wow.”

Life flowed like a river, and time inexorably ran forward. Louis clearly felt how age was taking its toll and how his feelings towards his family were intensifying; tenderness for his daughters and warm feelings for his wife began to appear. Now, when the time had come to part with Olivia, he thought about how she would live here all alone. They were never close, and this is probably why the daughter endured separation from her parents so easily.

Having bought a bottle of red wine, Louis went to see his old friend. Daniel was originally from Düsseldorf, but left there at the age of seventeen. His parents were not rich people and were able to give him little; looking at how they lived, he decided to move to France. In the country of grapevines, he organized his own business and managed to make friends with influential people, including Louis. When they met, they discussed more than just business issues, since he was a member of the de Grasse family and knew a lot. Louis’s friend was aware of the family’s move to Sicily and the fact that Olivia was strongly against it. He was the eyes and ears of Louis, because his friend trusted him very much. When Louis approached the fence, Daniel was sitting in the gazebo and smoking a pipe.

— Daniel! “You will open the gates of your house to your old friend,” smiling, Louis called his friend

The friend, hearing his name, rose from the bench and walked towards the gate. Seeing Louis, he was happy, although he understood that his friend most likely came again on his daughter’s business.

— Louis! Glad to see you, come in,” he opened the gate and extended his hand to say hello.

Louis passed and they shook hands.

A lot of time had passed since they last saw each other, and he knew nothing about what was happening at Louis’s house. Daniel, seeing that his friend was tired after the journey, invited him to immediately sit down at the table and open a bottle of wine.

“Let’s sit down, you’re obviously tired, let’s open the wine, here’s some more cheese,” Daniel said, taking out several types of cheese from the refrigerator.

— Yes, perhaps we can drink some wine. I’m here for a short time, for a day or two, so I want to immediately ask how my girl is doing.

— Olivia is doing well, we sometimes meet on the street, and I go to her store. Why are you here for a day or two? — Daniel asked, pouring wine into glasses.

“Vanessa hasn’t been feeling well lately and I need to be with her.

— Something serious? If you need help, you can always count on me.

From Louis’s eyes, his friend realized that this was not just an illness, but something more serious. He was frightened by his own feelings towards his wife, because before he had not been interested in her condition. Attachment and sense of duty that appeared at the end of life. He was torn between Olivia and his wife, because they both needed his time and attention. Louis was silent, lost in his thoughts, Daniel broke the silence.

— Let’s talk about Olivia. The more I watch her and how she runs her store, the more I think that she should think about opening her own restaurant.

— Why such conclusions?

“People come to her store because they like the way they are served.” Good service, pleasant staff and of course the attention of the hostess. Talk to her about it.

— Okay, I’ll talk to her about this after we move. And I came this time to tell her exactly this news. You can congratulate me on purchasing a house in Sicily.

“Already,” Daniel became a little upset, “this means this is our last meeting here.”

— Yes, everything happened quickly, unexpectedly for many.

Hearing his friend’s sad tone, Louis felt a pang of conscience, because he and his friend had gone through a lot and he was one of his close people. He drove away his sentimental thoughts, but his resistance was not as strong as in his younger years, it seemed that the great Chinese wall in Louis’ soul had collapsed. The ice that had shackled his heart for many years was broken. The iceberg began to melt.

— I know I know. I’m sorry it turned out this way. But as I mentioned earlier, it’s about Vanessa. She asked for a quick solution to this issue.

— Did you ask for it yourself? — Daniel asked in surprise, “who would have thought.” After so many years of traveling, she still hasn’t lost her love for it. How are you doing with her?

“Something has happened to her since we’ve been living together.” Something strange, Daniel. She abandoned her roses and garden. She doesn’t care about Olivia at all. They sometimes talk to Inessa, but also less and less. She spends more and more time in her room, only letting Louise in, but when she leaves, she is always depressed, as if it were contagious. Her condition worries me, because this has been going on for three months now. I can’t leave her alone anymore, although I never thought about it before. She doesn’t always have dinner with me, sometimes she just comes to the table. And the strangest thing is that at these moments she puts on her diamond necklace.

Daniel did not have the patience to listen to the end, and he interrupted and said his thought regarding all this:

— Sorry Ludovic, but it seems to me that she is suffering from depression. Maybe she should see a psychotherapist? I can make inquiries about good specialists.

— Do you think? I doubt she’ll like it. She never liked doctors. And to be honest, I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to do, for the first time in my life. When we have dinner, we talk about the theater, cinema, weather, wine, but not a single word about roses or daughters. I don’t understand what’s going on.

— Have you tried to talk about your daughters? But roses, what do they have to do with them? To be honest, I’m surprised by her behavior; I’ve known Vanessa for more than a day or even a year, and I can say that something has broken in her. I think it’s better for you and me not to guess, but to consult with people who know the human soul or who think they know. As you wish,” Daniel expressed his assumption with a knowing smile.

— How to say to you. Not that I tried. During one of these evenings, when we were having dinner together, they brought us a parcel. It was signed supposedly from Olivia, but I know my daughter’s handwriting and can say that it was not she who sent the parcel. The box was intended for Vanessa. I didn’t open it, I put it on the dresser, thinking that she would open it after dinner, but she got up from the table and went to this parcel. I offered to help, she refused, saying that she would open it herself. When she opened it, she immediately lost consciousness, I barely managed to catch her.

— What was in the box?

— Someone sent her dead roses of the variety that she once brought from Germany. These were her pearls. Well, that is, they were dried, but she always treated the flowers as if they were alive. I was surprised by their number. 113 roses, why they were sent and why in such quantities, I still don’t understand.

— Yes, it’s strange, I think she should still see a doctor if she’s so worried about the flowers. Although their number is really interesting.

It was already well after midnight when the conversation between the two friends ended. Daniel prepared a room for him.

— Thank you for the conversation, it’s late, I need to go to bed.

— Think about the doctors, good night to you.

— Yes, I’ll think about it, good night to you too, tomorrow I’ll go to Olivia.

The friends went to their rooms, and everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Louis was thinking about how to talk about his daughter’s move and whether it was worth talking about his mother’s condition, and Daniel was thinking about tomorrow, sinking more and more into sleep about his affairs.

Louis slept poorly, and this affected his mood, so in the morning he did not wait until he returned from the city of Daniel, but only left a note with kind words and sincere gratitude for the warm welcome. He decided to walk to his daughter’s store. His gait gave the impression that he was late for something, but he always walked quickly. Having reached the store, he stood indecisively, wondering whether he should talk about Vanessa’s condition. At that moment, Olivia left the store and, seeing her father, shouted to him, but he did not pay attention. Now he was absorbed in his thoughts. She came up and touched his shoulder, he flinched and turned around. Not expecting to see his daughter at all, he was at a loss.

“Olivia,” he said his daughter’s name in confusion.

— Dad! Are you here again? — the daughter’s tone was dissatisfied, and this was understandable. It seemed to her that her father did not trust her at all, and she did not fail to tell him about it.

“I get the impression that you don’t trust me at all.” By the way, I have already achieved some success.

Her father interrupted her:

— That’s not why I’m here. Another reason. And I know how you are doing.

— I wonder where this comes from?

— Not about that now. This is my last visit here, we are leaving very soon. And no one will stop you from living your rich and interesting life. And if you are still worried about your parents, then I decided to show your mother to a psychotherapist,” Ludovic suddenly blurted out, and then fell silent, realizing that he had said something that perhaps should not have been said.

— Mom? To a psychotherapist? — the daughter asked, not particularly alarmed. Louis was surprised by Olivia’s cold tone, because it was the first time he had seen such indifference on her part.

— I see you are not interested in this, I will not detain you. I understand that I was not the best example of how to treat her, however, I realized my mistakes and changed my attitude towards her. I know I can’t ask you this. But we are leaving soon, and I don’t know how soon you will visit us there. I ask you to come with me and spend time together. Inessa will arrive.

— Let Inessa say goodbye to her, I don’t want to see her, everything will be fine with her, especially if you’re so worried. But I have my own life and affairs that cannot wait.

Louis knew this would happen, but did not say anything. He could not blame her, knowing full well that it was her mother who was to blame for Olivia becoming like this. Vanessa, being married and having a child, did not give up her passion — traveling. Having barely given birth and having stayed at home with her husband and child for three months, she found a nanny for Olivia and flew away. Louis was not at home at that time, otherwise he would have stopped her, but he never imagined that Vanessa would do this to a little man who needed the love and care of his family. After some time, this began to bother her, but in the process of studying the history of a particular place, this quickly passed. Six months later, she returned home for a while, Olivia was already a year old then, and, seeing that she was not attracted to her, Vanessa, after just two months, flew off on a trip around the world, which lasted somewhat longer than planned. This was due to her irrepressible curiosity and excitement. It was they who led us into the impenetrable jungles of the dark continent. But family life and the presence of a child could not hold her back for long. A month later, a friend invited her to relax on the Cote d’Azur, and she decided that after an active holiday it was time to lie on the beaches.

Louis greeted his wife somewhat coolly, but was glad that she had returned. Little Olivia, seeing Vanessa, hid behind her father, and, hugging his legs, raised her head and asked in a shy whisper:

— Dad, who is this?

— Olivia, it’s your mom, go to your room. Louise, take her upstairs.

The housekeeper approached them and, taking the baby by the hand, led her upstairs. The girl looked around, as if trying to remember her mother.

— You were late that time.

— And it’s true, I’ve been gone for a long time, Olivia doesn’t even recognize me.

Louis responded to this with a question:

— Should she?

“I don’t think I should, I’m tired from the road, I need to take a bath and unpack my things.”

— How long will this last? Go, Louise has already prepared your room. Come down for dinner, I have to work.

— Okay, see you at dinner.

Vanessa went up to her room and lay down on the bed, she was in a state of absolute happiness that was difficult to hide, and even the cold reception of her family could not spoil it. After changing into a robe, she went to the bathroom. After taking a bath and drying her hair, she put on her cotton suit and went downstairs, grabbing her diary, which contained a tiny box decorated with roses. Having gone down, she asked Louise where her husband was.

— Monsieur left not so long ago.

— So the office is free, that’s good. I’ll be in the library.

With these words, she went into the library, and while she was alone, she decided to quickly do her job.

It was time for dinner and they gathered at the table. Louis asked Vanessa about her travels and what interesting things she saw.

— How were your travels? Which countries have you visited?

— We managed to visit many countries. It went well, how could it have been any other way? — she answered, smiling. Suddenly she felt a surge of tenderness and took Olivia’s small hand in hers.

— Mother! — the daughter was not delighted with this gesture and pulled out her palm, looked at her father, and he realized that she wanted to leave the table. Louis did not interfere with this, despite the fact that they did not even finish dinner. Olivia ran upstairs, followed by Louise, but the girl closed the door and the housekeeper realized that she should not disturb her. Having locked herself in the room from everyone, she began to cry, but she did not need to be calmed down, she was not accustomed to this. She was not accustomed to using pain and tears to attract the attention of adults. There was silence in the dining room at this time. And Louis decided that it was time for them to go to their rooms.

— I think it’s time for us to go to bed. Today was a hard day for me, I think it’s not easier for you. I’ll go to Olivia myself, and you go to your room and don’t even think about going to her.

The husband made it clear that he would sleep in his room, and Vanessa in hers. Louis had long distanced himself from his wife, but before he had not shown it so clearly, but now it was visible to the naked eye. He rose from the table, thanked Louise and headed towards the office to prepare documents for the transaction. Vanessa finished her favorite tea and followed Louis. Entering the office, she found him at his desk, deep in thought. He held a Rubik’s cube in his hands and spun it, thinking about something. Hearing the door open, he raised his brown eyes in surprise, clearly not expecting to see Vanessa at such a time.

— Is there something you wanted to discuss? Or do you need money? — he pointed to the sofa with his hand, “take a seat,” his tone betrayed dissatisfaction.

— No you are not right. Now I didn’t come to talk to you about the card at all, thanks to you there is so much money there that I can fly to Dubai or the North Pole every day, but there will be no less money there. I don’t want to delay this conversation because it’s very important,” her tone made it clear that she was serious.

“Okay, let’s get straight to the point,” he put the cube aside and looked attentively at his wife.

“I disturbed you at this time because,” she nervously twirled her wedding ring on her finger, “I came to tell you that I was expecting a child.”

There was silence in the room for several minutes; Vanessa could not understand her husband’s reaction to this, at first glance, unexpected news. After another minute, Louis spoke:

— I suspected this, judging by your behavior at the table today. From your affectionate glances at Olivia, it was as if you were trying to remember something you didn’t have. Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be a mother?

— You knew? — she thought, not realizing that it was so noticeable to others, and it was obvious to Louis, with his ability to unravel other people’s intentions and secrets, — but why didn’t he say it himself? You were waiting for me to give you this news, but why?

— Because I knew this even before you left for the Cote d’Azur. You wouldn’t have left if you knew that. I hoped that once you found out, you would come back, and that’s what happened. I hope this child will be happier and will not be abandoned by you as soon as he is born. Because you see how Olivia is growing. She is not attached to any of us. This worries me, but apparently you are not very worried. But no matter how much it pains me to look at my unhappy child, it’s beyond my strength to even talk to her about it. And I think that this will come back to haunt us in the future. Nothing just happens and goes unnoticed. Remember my words, when it gets hard, naturally, morally, because you have no other worries, and it’s unlikely that you will ever be puzzled by how to earn a piece of bread. I think our conversation is over, for me for sure, and it’s time for you to go to bed.

Vanessa was shocked by her husband’s words, and she didn’t even have the words to answer him. She wished him good night and left the office.

“Good night,” she said as kindly as possible as she left. Going up to her room, she drank the chamomile tea that Louise had carefully left on the bedside table. Then I took a warm bath and changed into a shirt. I turned off the light in the room and went to bed, but sleep did not come. She could not forget the words her husband said. Vanessa got out of bed and, throwing on a robe, went downstairs to the kitchen. There she found Louise preparing a curd mixture for a casserole. Seeing the hostess, she smiled and invited her to sit down.

— Can’t you sleep?

— Yes, I can’t sleep, please pour me a glass of water. The conversation with my husband was difficult.

“You can’t sleep because Monsieur said all sorts of things to you.” He is always busy with business, always goes to bed late, hardly communicates with anyone except his beloved Olivia. He loves her very much, although he doesn’t show it. It’s hard for a little girl alone, with only a nanny. If she had a brother or sister, she would probably have more fun.

— Do you really think so, Louise? — in Vanessa’s voice one could hear doubts and at the same time hope that Olivia would really be better off if there was another child in their family. She saw in her short visits home that her daughter was growing up unsociable and unsociable, almost alone all the time, not counting the nanny and Louise. Her heart should have squeezed in pain, but it was stubbornly silent. But at the thought that another child was living inside her, her heart began to beat joyfully, which made her soul feel warmer, because she was still able to feel maternal feelings.

— Yes, I think it will be so, it should be so. Although time will still pass until that moment, and during this time a completely different feeling may settle in her little heart,” Louise looked somewhere into the distance while saying this. Vanessa did not understand where the housekeeper was leading the conversation and decided to ask directly:

— What other feeling can she have? — She continued to look at Louise with an uncomprehending look.

— Feelings of hatred towards an unborn child.

This phrase pulled the rug out from under Vanessa’s feet.

— How is this possible? Louise, you’re talking about a little girl. She still knows nothing about life, about the world, about people. She can’t be that cruel.

Louise said a phrase that made Vanessa feel dizzy.

— Well, it can. And I’ll even say more, she has the right to this, although she does not understand everything that happens between adults. You yourself must understand this. You don’t know her. Children are sometimes very observant and become cruel because they feel more in their hearts than adults. As you know, everything that is laid down in childhood stays with a person for life.

— You’re right, I don’t know her at all. I’m not even trying to find out. And it’s probably too late to do this, she believes more in her father than in me,” Vanessa sadly concluded.

— It’s time for you to go to bed, you’ve had enough shocks for today. Come on, I’ll take you with you.

— You take such good care of me Louise, thank you.

— You forget that I have been living with you for quite a long time and am used to taking care of you and your family.

They went upstairs and Vanessa saw her husband coming out of Olivia’s room. She approached him to find out how she was. Louis was surprised that his wife was still awake.

— You need sleep and peace now, why aren’t you in bed yet?

— I couldn’t sleep, how was she?

— It’s already good, I fell asleep, and you go. I’ll be gone all day tomorrow, I have business in Paris.

— Okay, maybe I’ll take her for a walk if she wants it. I don’t even know what she likes.

“Good night,” Louis gently hugged his wife and went to his room, and Vanessa went to hers.

All the time she spent with her father as a child remains indelibly in her memory. Memories of her mother were etched into her memory by a fragment of a crystal vase, which, apart from pain and over the years of hatred, brought nothing, as soon as someone around her started talking about Vanessa, a picture appeared before her eyes, which she observed as a child suffering from lack of maternal love and affection. People often told Louis that when they looked into the eyes of little Olivia, they saw the suffering of an adult. Even when she laughed and was joyful, the look of green eyes bordered by thick and fluffy eyelashes evoked an awkward feeling in those around her that they could not experience their losses like this seemingly careless and needy child. That morning, after breakfast, Olivia went up to her room to read a new book that her father had brought her from Paris. Inessa and Olivia’s rooms were located on opposite sides of the house; the mother converted the guest room into a nursery, as long as Inessa was nearby. Having entered her room, she was about to sit down and read, but she heard voices in the garden, and she decided to see who was having such a joyful time there; Inessa’s laughter was heard, which was quite rare for Olivia. They played. It was not a surprise to her that her mother loved her second, and it was a shame that no one except Olivia herself saw this. Even the father did not know everything that was happening. Tears welled up in her eyes, making them look like lakes after rain, when she saw her mother take Inessa in her arms, press her and kiss her. So much tenderness, so much love and all to her. At that moment, a feeling arose in the heart of the little man, which is characteristic of adults rather than children. Resentment and hatred. She threw the book on the floor and opened the window to let in some air. She was choking with wild resentment, with a nagging pain in her chest that she was not needed and not important to her mother. Her father wasn’t even there to calm her down. She knew that if her father had been at home, her mother would not have behaved this way, at least not in the garden. They would lock themselves in Inessa’s room and read fairy tales. How she wished her father was with her now. She knew that her father was not a fan of violent manifestations of emotions, being himself stingy with feelings, he made Olivia the same cold person. Although she was not particularly close to her father, she knew and felt his love. And yet, the feeling of being useless to no one did not leave her. Since childhood, she understood that there was no spiritual connection between her father and mother, although they hid this from her. They lived in the same house, but they lived like strangers to each other. All the evenings that the three of them spent, when Inessa’s mother enrolled her in a private school in England, in front of the fireplace, at dinner, in the library or on a walk, they talked about architecture, art, poetry, their tone was falsely joyful. There was only pretense and masks, masks, masks. Countless masks, replaced as often as the orchids on the tables were changed. Among acquaintances and friends, the family of Louis and Vanessa was considered perhaps the happiest. Only behind the pretense of adults, people did not see or feel the falseness that Olivia felt. She did not understand with her mind everything that was happening, but she felt the lie hiding under the smiles of her parents.

Was it sad? Yes, that’s exactly what happened. At first, the unsuccessful relationship with her mother did not burden the young girl’s life; moreover, to some extent it made it easier for her, freeing her from the pangs of conscience that she did not visit her parents, that she did not call so often and was interested in their affairs. They missed that moment, that important moment when they explain to a little person what is good and what is bad. When he is taught the secret of family relationships, the value of family. They show how important it is to be one whole, how important it is to be in a family, to keep this hearth and see to it that the fire of love, care and mutual understanding does not go out from the indifference, heartless words and malicious intent of envious people. There was this moment, but they missed it. Everyone was busy with themselves, with their thoughts, affairs, and they did not care about the development of the little man. And before leaving for the big world, they suddenly showed concern, forgetting that the little man had grown up, he was not interested in how he “should think,” he began to think and reason independently, and now he thought and felt, as it was convenient for him, so as he liked. They raised an egoist and a spiritual one. Even though she had a mother, father and sister, Olivia had no family. There was only a feeling of bitterness, loneliness and pain. Unbearable pain from the fact that there were people related by blood and yet infinitely distant. There were no family traditions, there was no hearth. Wasn’t at home. There was a physical home, but there was no mental, spiritual home where she could find peace. There was no fortress that would save us from adversity, from disappointment. She couldn’t trust anyone. She was so lonely. To the point of stupor, to madness. She didn’t know where to place herself; she was a “spiritual orphan.” No one, not one living soul, could understand her, and did she even need this understanding? To turn into an invisible spirit, which, like the wind, moved wherever it wanted, flew up to strangers and whispered into their ears the truths of family relationships, the truth of life, the truth of every day they lived, the smiles of loved ones.

It was not at all surprising that she calmly endured the months alone, at home.

Chapter 4 Sisters

The plane landed right on schedule, and Olivia set foot on Italian soil for the first time. Inessa’s flight was delayed, and so Olivia decided to wait for her sister in the coffee shop. Her phone rang, Louis was calling.

— Yes, dad.

— Hello daughter, have you arrived yet?

— Yes, I’m at the airport, Inessa’s flight was delayed, I’ll wait for her at Al Quattro canti.

— Okay, I sent the car for you, it will be there in about half an hour.

— Okay, we’ll call you later.

— Yes, bye.

Olivia ended the call and went to drink her favorite latte with a double shot of milk.

Taking coffee and a newspaper, she sat comfortably on the sofa, while listening to about incoming flights. 15 minutes passed and she heard that a plane from London had landed.

“Must be her plane.” A couple of minutes later the phone rang again, it was Inessa.

— Hi where are you?

— Hello, I arrived half an hour ago, I’m sitting, drinking coffee, come to Al Quattro canti.

— Okay, I’ll be there soon.

— Don’t rush, dad sent a car for us, but it will be there in only ten minutes.

— Fine.

Finally, a slender girl with a mop of luxurious wavy black hair sat down next to Olivia, her eyes were brown, a snow-white wide smile shone on her face when she saw her sister. Both girls looked like young graceful panthers that had just descended to the ground to hunt, fragile hands with graceful thin wrists and fingers, as if they had been playing the piano all their lives, decorated with watches and bracelets, rings with fancy diamonds sparkled on their fingers. All the people who met them turned after them to once again admire their predatory beauty and grace. While Olivia was paying, Inessa called her father.

— Dad, I’ve arrived.

— Your flight was delayed.

— Yes, it was foggy in London, I think that’s why, but we’ve already met Olivia, we’ll go outside soon

— Now the reason for the delay is clear, but oh well. The main thing is that you both made it. The car is already waiting for you at the entrance

— Okay, see you dad.

— See you.

Inessa dropped the call, looking at her sister and realized that she was not in the mood to communicate. The whole time they were driving in the car they didn’t say a word.

While they were at the airport, the parents and servants at home were putting the finishing touches on before the arrival of their guests. Louis decided that lunch would include traditional Italian dishes. Vanessa was concerned that her daughters would like everything and walked through the rooms that had been prepared for them. She found that everything was fine and went down into the living room satisfied. Louis was also happy with how everything worked out. Finally, a car arrived and the parents came out to meet their daughters. Louis opened the car doors and helped his daughters out, first Olivia came out, then Inessa. The eldest daughter warmly hugged her father, the mother received a barely noticeable smile and a quick hug, the youngest daughter, on the contrary, rushed to her mother and hugged her tightly, and exchanged a glance and a nod of her head with her father.

— How was your trip? — the first question that the father asked his daughters.

“It’s okay, dad,” Olivia answered him for both of them.

— Great, come into the house, I’ll take your suitcases.

Inessa took her suitcase, making it clear that she would carry it herself; her father did not insist and took Olivia’s suitcase.

“What a wonderful garden you have, dad,” noted Inessa.

“And there are roses,” Vanessa spoke to her.

— It didn’t even raise any doubts, you took your roses from France, those rare ones?

— Yes, they are here too. They really like the climate here, I’ll show you after lunch.

“Okay, of course, mom,” her favorite answered, smiling.

Everything in the house was as Louis loved it, many beautiful things, the fireplace was also a decoration of the living room. Olivia appreciated the dining table, which was made of solid oak for twelve people. He stood in the middle of the dining room, surrounded by chairs upholstered in emerald velvet. The legs of the table and chairs were carved, and on the backs there were fleurs-de-lis, a symbol of the French House of Bourbon, which were present on the coat of arms of Louis the Sixteenth. The walls in the dining room were white, creating airiness and lightness, but one wall was black, decorated with a large round mirror from the center of which, like the rays of the sun, mirrored rectangles diverged. On the table stood three transparent vases with armfuls of white hydrangeas, their whiteness reminiscent of the tops of mountains covered with snow.

For lunch they prepared traditional Italian lasagna, then served meat and vegetables. When they sat down at the table, there were only drinks, bread and olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Their meal was accompanied by a conversation, during which the parents learned news from the lives of their daughters. Louis was interested in many things, Vanessa, on the contrary, remained silent for some time, then nevertheless asked several questions.

“You grew up so quickly that mom and I didn’t even have time to look back.” You live in different countries. Inessa, how are you doing in your studies? Olivia, I also want to hear your story about your successes.

While helping herself to vegetables, Inessa replied:

“I’m doing well in my studies, I’m looking for a home, but I think about that later, let’s talk.”

Olivia at that moment looked at her father and saw his surprise, because he had not told her that he and Inessa had talked about buying a house. Apparently, this news was also unexpected for the father, otherwise he would not have raised his eyebrows so much, only Vanessa took it calmly.

“Vanessa,” the husband turned to his wife, “how long have you discussed this with her?”

— In the last conversation on the phone, she simply said that she would also like her own house like Olivia, because she has been living alone in France for more than a year.

“Yes, I live,” the eldest daughter sharply inserted her word.

Louis, not wanting to argue at the table, raised his hand as a sign for everyone to be silent and said:

— I don’t want to hear arguments at the table, let’s stop this. Fruit and cheese will be served soon, we will discuss the topic of buying a house with your mother in the office after lunch.

After the father’s words there was silence, which he himself interrupted:

— Olivia, tell me how are you doing?

— I’m doing well too, I’m thinking about opening a restaurant.

— That’s good, we’ll talk about this later too, but now let’s get down to dessert.

They brought out various fruits and several types of cheese. Eight varieties of Italian cheese were brought out on a flat, beautiful dish, including the world-famous Parmesan, Gorgonzola, and mozzarella, as well as those that were better known in Italy, provolone, pecorino, and bra. Louis was very fond of Parmesan with honey and pear, Vanessa preferred pecorino with grapes and they washed down dinner with wine, of course. Their lunch lasted for two hours, having finished the meal, they got up from the table. Louis called Olivia into the office, and Vanessa and her youngest daughter decided to take a walk in the garden.

“Sit down,” he pointed to the sofa with his hand, Olivia obeyed her father and sat down.

— Tell me how you are doing with the store, and we’ll talk about the restaurant right away.

— Dad, everything is fine with me, and honestly, I flew here to rest, maybe we can talk about business, then we’ll talk?

— It’s better to finish business conversations first, besides, mom and I have prepared a very busy program for you, then we simply won’t have time to talk.

— Okay, let’s do it now. The store is doing well, so I thought about opening a restaurant. The other day before the flight I saw Daniel, he sent you warm regards.

— You say the restaurant is a good business. And do you have enough capital to open?

— Yes, my money is enough for me.

— You will also say hello to him, and I will also send him a couple of bottles of balsamic. I became a co-owner of another business here.

— Dad! When will you rest? — Olivia was indignant.

“I have no peace in this world, maybe in the next.” You know very well that I cannot sit idle.

— I know of course. Take care of your health, please. How are you and your mom doing?

— Okay, everything is fine. We often walk, talk, go to the opera and museums. Vanessa still wants to go to the Capuchin Museum, but we can’t get there yet.

— I’m glad you’re doing well. Inessa became a beauty, you noticed how she stretched out.

— Yes, she grew up, and she still has immeasurable love for her mother.

— They are so similar to their mother.

This was probably the first time Olivia called Vanessa mom instead of mother. The grievances of childhood and the words of adults fall deeply and wound to the very soul. And this did not escape the attentive gaze of the father.

— Yes, you’re right, Inessa is very similar to her mother, only her eyes look like mine. But she gave you both luxurious hair, apparently Inessa did something with it, it became wavy, it didn’t seem like it was like that before.

“I don’t know and I don’t want to know what they were,” Olivia rudely interrupted her father’s speech, “I’ll go into the room,” she got up and left the office. Louis was amazed at this change of mood, but did not even have time to say anything before she left the office. He also went out and met Vanessa and her youngest daughter. They were returning from the garden and it was obvious that the time spent together had benefited both of them. Inessa chirped something to her mother about her friends and London. This is how the sisters’ first day in Italy went. Then their parents, as promised, did not give them even a day of rest. Louis loved to plan everything, and Vanessa gave instructions a month before his daughters’ arrival to find places that she would like to show them. In the coming days they visited both Garibaldi’s garden and the sea square. Vanessa included in the list exactly those places where she and her husband most often walked on their own, so that the children would have an idea of how and where their parents spend time. And for one evening, Louis booked a box at the opera. They decided to go with their daughters to the opera at the Massimo Theater, which was the largest in Italy and famous for its excellent acoustics. Their whole family loved the opera, and Vanessa really enjoyed going to such an event. Before getting ready for the theater, she always visited a beauty salon, and this time she decided to take both daughters with her.

— My girls, before the theater I would like to go with you to a beauty salon. Olivia, you should come with us too,” she said this in a velvety voice, but it hurt Olivia’s ears with its pretense. Nevertheless, in order not to upset her father, she agreed.

— Okay, I’ll go with you, I’m waiting for you on the street.

Louis understood that she was doing this only out of respect for him, and, going out into the street with her, he said:

— Thank you for agreeing to go with them.

— What else can I do? I know how important all this is to you. I’m not even talking about her. I understand that you invited us both here to improve our relationship, in my opinion, you don’t see the obvious at all, I’m sorry,” she took her father’s hand, realizing that it was difficult for him to listen to this.

— Yes, you’re right, that’s exactly why I called you. After all, you don’t fly to each other.

“She and I are strangers, accidentally brought up in the same family.” I’m already sick of this pretense, not only mine, but our entire family’s. You and mom, your relationship collapsed a long time ago. Why should we pretend?! I don’t understand, I don’t see the point. It’s time for you to come to terms with the fact that we will never communicate,” Olivia exclaimed in her hearts.

— Olivia! You say terrible things. Just think about the fact that there is no one dearer to her, and never will be. You must talk, understand each other and forgive childhood grievances.

At her father’s words, she grinned sarcastically and added:

— Are you kidding me now?

— I’m talking seriously.

— Better think about your mother. As soon as I see it, Inessa, her favorite, won’t know how her mother is doing. She lives in London and doesn’t even think about those who pay for her studies.

— Calm down, why are you saying that now? After all, I helped you when you decided to stay in France, you are not fair to us.

— Not to you. Only to her,” Olivia turned around and went into the house. When she entered the house, Louise was carrying chamomile tea on a tray to Vanessa’s room, they encountered Olivia at the door, and from the anger that gripped her, she shouted at the housekeeper and overturned the tray of tea. Louise stood rooted to the spot, not understanding what happened in a split second. Louis ran after his daughter, looked at the broken cups and teapot and followed his daughter into the office. He knew her violent temper, especially when she was taken out by talking about her mother. Inessa came down from the second floor, and, seeing that Louise was collecting broken dishes, asked:

— What happened? Did the father turn the tray over?

The housekeeper shook her head and she realized that this was the work of her sister, she ran into the office to find out what had happened, and when she ran in, she found her father and her older sister talking in a raised voice. Louis, seeing his youngest daughter in the office, shouted to her:

“Now is not the time, Inessa, go away,” he pushed her out the door and locked the office with a key from the back.

“Great! So we went to the salon,” thought Inessa.

She went up to her mother and said that they would go to the salon together.

— Mom, let’s go together, Olivia is arguing with her father.

— What? Why?

— I don’t know, he kicked me out the door. I don’t intend to wait for her. Let’s go,” she took her bag and they went down to the car. Vanessa and Inessa left, and in the office there was a tense dialogue between the father and the eldest daughter:

— Olivia, calm down, please. She yelled at Louise, broke the dishes…

The daughter looked at her father and said in a firm voice:

— You can just leave me alone. What do you need?! What do you all want from me?! You can just leave me alone — shouting this, she grabbed the key from the table, opened the door and went up to her room. There were tears in her big green eyes, just like once in childhood, and again pain pierced her.

Louis was shocked by his daughter’s words, he even forgot how to speak. This was exactly what he had told Vanessa in France. That sooner or later it will come back to haunt them that their daughter was raised by strangers. He realized that his daughters would not be able to find a common language, neither now nor later. He understood that this was his failure as a father and Vanessa’s as a mother. As he grew older, he increasingly came to the conclusion that the cocoon opens one day, and here is their cocoon, in other words, the opportunity to reconcile the daughters was long lost, and it was impossible to return back the time when childhood grievances could be forgotten. The constant lack of attention from her mother developed in Olivia a persistent feeling of uselessness for her family; her father, always busy with business, still found time to communicate with her, but her mother, who abandoned her when she was very young, now evoked only a feeling of hatred. They never made it to the opera that day. Louis did not want to go without his eldest daughter. Vanessa decided to spend this evening in the company of Inessa at home in the living room. She sat and waited for her youngest daughter to come down. Inessa was in no hurry, the feeling in this house was strange, because she was not used to staying with her parents for so long, especially when they had Olivia. Their relationship was formal and devoid of any kind of emotional contact. At receptions they pretended that they had a warm sisterly relationship, they were the ideal of mutual understanding, and many family friends set them up as an example for their daughters. However, all this was just a screen, a skillful play by two actresses. Vanessa did nothing to improve their relationship, Louis was busy ensuring their future and therefore did not delve into the intricacies of their communication. Finally, Inessa went down to the dining room and sat down next to her mother. Vanessa took her beloved daughter’s hands in hers and asked softly:

— What’s on your heart? What’s in your soul? I, too, was just as young and carefree, and fluttered through life, and I have something for you.

Inessa looked at her mother and was so touched by these questions that she could hardly hold back her tears.

“Mom, dear mother,” the daughter turned to Vanessa in a whisper, “everything is really great with me, you don’t need to worry about me, okay?”

— Fine. Let’s go,” she stood up and led her daughter by the hand into the library.

— Why are we going there?

— I want to show you one thing, but no one else should know, in general, do you understand me? — the mother looked carefully into her daughter’s eyes to make sure that her daughter would not tell anyone about this.

— Nobody will find out, Mom, I promise you.

When they entered the library, Vanessa pointed her daughter to a chair and said:

— Sit down.

Inessa sat down, and her mother walked along the shelves with books, reached the windows, closed the curtains, and turned on the lights. The daughter began to fidget in the chair, showing with all her appearance that she was impatient to find out the reason for their being here.

— Mother! What did you want to show?

— Be patient!

“Okay,” Inessa lowered her eyes guiltily, and her mother began the story.

— Once upon a time, a very long time ago, I happened to visit an extraordinary place, and I have a reminder of it for the rest of my life. It’s here,” she placed the ladder against the shelves and climbed the steps. I took out a very ordinary book, which was a little shabby over time, but overall looked good. Inessa was silent. Mom handed her a book with the words:

— Open it.

The daughter raised her head and looked into her mother’s eyes, as if she wanted to see the answer that in this book, Vanessa looked distant and lost in her thoughts. When Inessa began to slowly open the cover of the book, a chill ran down her mother’s back, as if she was reliving her emotions of those years. At that moment, a knock on the door distracted them. Louis was outside the door.

“Come in,” Vanessa did not want to arouse suspicion and therefore decided that Louis, seeing the book in his daughter’s hands, would think that they were talking about art and would not interfere. She whispered to Inessa not to open the book when her father came in. The daughter nodded and at that moment the door opened and the father came in.

— Did you interfere? — he asked kindly.

“We are talking about the fashion of past years, no, it didn’t interfere,” the wife answered with a smile.

— Fashion is interesting, but I think I’ll take my leave. What kind of work do you have in your hands, Inessa?

Vanessa reacted instantly and replied:

— It’s about court style, corsets and fluffy skirts, you’re unlikely to be interested in that.

The husband answered calmly, not suspecting that they simply wanted to distract him from the book.

— You’re right, good night girls!

“Good dreams, father,” Inessa smiled sweetly at him.

Louis left, and Vanessa exhaled with relief and told her daughter to take the book into the room, and there they would open it.

A week passed since the daughters visited their parents, each daughter tried to spend more time with the parent she loved most. And Inessa decided to take advantage of the situation to her advantage. One afternoon she was sitting in her room, surfing the Internet, and, hearing her father’s steps towards the stairs, she loudly called him to her:

— Dad!

— What? — Louis responded to his daughter’s call in a not very pleased tone, as he was in a hurry to see the doctor about his wife’s health.

“Well, come into the room, I need to talk to you,” Inessa, stretching in her chair, continued to call her father to her.

— What did you want? — the father sat down in a chair and looked questioningly at his daughter. Inessa smiled mysteriously, as if she had prepared a surprise, but delayed answering.

“And I want a motorcycle,” she finally said.

— Sorry, what do you want, did I hear right? Motorbike? — the father was surprised at the request

“Yes, yes, a motorcycle,” she answered, laughing.

— Why does such a young girl need a motorcycle?

— What do you mean why? Driving around London in my free time, and besides, when I have a house, I don’t want to take the tube.

— To drive it you need time and a very strong desire to master the art of driving. And I haven’t promised anything about the house yet.

Inessa’s face showed displeasure.

“You will talk to your mother about this topic, and besides, I’m already old enough to live in my own house,” she continued to insist on this idea.

— The topic at home has not yet been discussed, and I think that the motorcycle is your next whim, you could ask your mother for it.

— No, dad, I can’t ask mom like that. This is quite serious, and I ask you not to tell her.

— Okay, you take him by Christmas, I’ll arrange everything.

— Are you serious? God, I’m so happy, thank you, dear dad,” she jumped up from the chair and hung on his neck.

Louis was very surprised by this turn of events; this happened extremely rarely; usually all her love and tenderness went to her mother, and not to him.

“That’s it, it’s time for me to run,” he removed his daughter’s hands from her neck.

— You are always running somewhere…

— Life works that way. A doctor is about to appear in our house soon.

— Are you sick? — Inessa was upset.

— I’ll explain it to you later. There is no time now.

— Fine.

Louis went downstairs and left.

The doctors advised Louis to give Vanessa a course of sedative therapy at home and give her IVs. He thought about the proposal for a long time and finally agreed. On the day they wanted to begin her treatment, all members of the de Grasse family were at the estate. Everyone wanted to support Vanessa, because they knew that she would not accept the fact that Louis agreed to this therapy and would take it hard. Although when she was invited to her husband’s office and was introduced to the nurse who would take care of her, she reacted to this with suspicious calm.

“Darling, sit on a chair, or lie down on the sofa, I think you’ll be more comfortable there,” Louis tried to be as gentle as possible with her, understanding her mood.

Vanessa showed no resistance and calmly lay down on the sofa. The nurse had already prepared the system with the medicine, began to prepare Vanessa, she lay motionless, and it seemed that she was indifferent to all the fuss going on around her. She looked out the window with glassy eyes. The nurse rubbed her arm with alcohol and took the system’s needle to insert into Vanessa’s vein. Louis did not leave her one step and looked at his wife with some sympathy. Only the nurse carefully inserted the needle into the vein and then Vanessa seemed to wake up, she looked wildly at the nurse, but her hand did not waver and she continued to insert the needle from the medicine into the head from under the syringe, setting the amount of medicine that entered Vanessa’s blood. Everything was calm. As soon as the nurse left the room, Vanessa seemed to go wild, a wild and very angry beast possessed her. She jumped up from the sofa and began to pull the needle out of her vein. Louis was immediately next to her, squeezed her in his arms and tried to persuade her not to hurt herself. Vanessa’s condition was insane. She looked at him with an absent look and suddenly began to laugh. Somehow unnatural and hysterical. Her laughter was unpleasant and hurt the ears.

— Vanessa! What are you doing?! Stop! You’re making it worse for yourself — she again tried to free herself from his hands, but it didn’t work, then she started screaming at him.

— Yes, you decided to drive me crazy! Take all these needles and syringes and nurses away from me, otherwise… otherwise I’m not responsible for myself — she looked furiously at her husband, and he realized that she was not joking at all — what do you think about yourself? Who allowed you to bring these people here and perform some procedures on me. What do you even know about me?! — she continued to talk nonsense and fell silent abruptly. This alarmed Louis. Such a drastic change of mood. This spoke only of a temporary calm before the storm.

Olivia and Inessa came running in response to the noise in the office. It was the first time they had seen their mother in such a fit.

Inessa, seeing how Louis was squeezing his mother, ran up to him and tried to unclench his hands, but he did not unclench his hands, his grip was like that of a bulldog,

— Let go of mom! — She started screaming hysterically at her father. Olivia stood quietly to the side by the door and simply watched. Inessa could not watch that her mother wriggled like a snake in her father’s hands, and he, like a skilled hunter, held her and did not think of letting her go, no matter what she said.

— You’re hurting her! Father! Let go of mom,” Inessa covered her face with her hands and slid down the wall to the floor. The older sister’s reaction surprised Inessa. She was very calm. Suddenly Inessa stood up sharply, and, grabbing the figurine from the shelf, approached her father from behind. Olivia foresaw such a reaction and in an instant, finding herself near Inessa, grabbed her hand and dragged her away from her father. She started to struggle and Olivia hit her sister on the cheek and said:

— Don’t you see what’s happening to your mother? Father is trying to do what’s best, leave the office!

She came to her senses and obediently left the office. Olivia, having locked the door behind her, decided to help her father pacify her mother’s rampage. She found the medicine they wanted to inject into the mother and gave her the injection. Immediately Vanessa’s body went limp and the daughter and father laid her on the sofa, and they sat down next to her on the floor. It was the first time Olivia had seen her mother have a seizure. She looked at her father, he looked tired.

“Father, what was that?” Now Louis had to give an answer.

— It was another attack of hers. She is ill. And he doesn’t want to admit it.

— How long has she been sick?

— Before you left for Dijon, signs were visible, but I did not attach any importance to it. However, as always, he added with a bitter smile.

— I don’t… I don’t understand… what’s wrong with her? How can this even be explained? — it was clear from the daughter’s voice that she was not worried about her mother, but was just interested.