Happily Ever After - Arminel's story. Updated 16/6, P21
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The CBB -> Ste Therese's House
#1: Happily Ever After - Arminel's story. Updated 16/6, P21 Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 3:11 pm
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Links to previous parts:

Part 1

~pim~

Thank you for the fabulous link to the archive, Pim; here's the next bit.

Gill and Alex returned from Interlaken to discover a team of workmen erecting large polythene sheets around their home, and Mike Maynard standing in the garden supervising it all. Gill strode into the garden, closely followed by Alex, and crossed to Mike.
"What is going on?" she demanded accusingly.
Before Mike could do more than think how like her mother Arminel was, Genevieve came running out of the front door and across the lawn to them. "Oh, Mum, it was me," she said, with a most un-Chaletian-like disregard for grammar. "I was cooking chips and the pan caught fire. I'm so sorry."
"Is everyone all right?" Alex asked, putting his arm around Genevieve. "Where are the children?"
"They're all right," said Genevieve thankfully. "We got out in time, but the house is ruined."
"It's not ruined," put in Mike, thereby earning himself a hard stare from Gill. "The men think that they can get it sorted out in a couple of weeks. Until then, Mrs. Fraser, you are more than welcome to move into a wing of Freudesheim. It's such a big house that you would have plenty of space and your own kitchen and everything. I'd be well out of your way."
Before Gill could answer, Alex said, "That's very kind of you, Dr. Maynard. But I'm sure you'll appreciate that this is all a bit of a shock, and we can't make any on the spot decisions. We'd better go and have a look inside. Come on, darling." He put his hand through Gill's arm and steered her over to the chalet, and in through the front door.
"I am not staying in that man's house," said Gill, glaring up at Alex. "It's all some glorious excuse to get Arminel there."
"Genevieve has already said she started the fire," Alex reminded her. "I don't think Dr. Maynard had anything to do with it."
"Then he's seizing the opportunity to get his claws more firmly into her," said Gill, who was unwilling to be placated. "Oh, no, look at the kitchen. It's ruined."
"I'm really sorry," said Genevieve coming up behind them in time to hear her comment. "I was talking to Antoine and when I went back to the kitchen it was on fire."
"Why were you on the phone when you were frying food?" demanded Gill. "Surely you have more sense than that, Genevieve?"
"You'd think so, wouldn't you," said Genevieve miserably.
"Accidents happen," said Alex consolingly, patting her shoulder. "Everyone's safe, that's the important thing."
Arminel appeared at that moment, carrying a big suitcase. "Hello," she said, putting it down and going over to hug her mother. "Are you all right?" she asked with concern.
"We should be asking you that," said Gill. "Where are the children, Arminel?"
"We dropped them off with Ilse, Mike's housekeeper," Arminel replied. "I've just collected some of their things and then we're going to stay at Freudesheim until we can come back here."
"No, we aren't," said Gill firmly. "We'll check into a hotel. Hopefully it won't be for long."
"Mike said we can have a wing of his house," said Arminel. "We went to look at it quickly, and there's a sitting room, a kitchen and several bedrooms. We'll be quite comfortable there and right out of his way."
"We aren't going to Freudesheim," Gill repeated. "There are several nice hotels here and we'll be fine in one of them. It's only for a while, then we'll be off to France."
Hoping that Mike would stay outside, Arminel said, "Why won't you make any effort with Mike? What has he done that makes you feel like this about him? I really like him, Mum, and I wish you'd give him a fair chance. The children and I will be staying at Freudesheim, and you are welcome to join us there. If you'd prefer a hotel, I understand, but I really wish you'd come with us. Perhaps you'd like Mike a bit more if you knew him better."
"He's unsuitable." Gill spoke with such finality that Arminel could see how firmly she believed this.
"He's really nice," Genevieve put in. "He's been very kind since this happened."
"Let's go and see our room," said Alex, taking Gill off upstairs. He had no desire for Arminel and Gill to begin a big argument with the builders busy in the kitchen and Dr. Maynard himself liable to walk in and hear whatever was being said. He led Gill across the landing and into their bedroom, which had been damaged by the smoke and was rather wet from the fire hoses, but structurally looked fine. "Perhaps we ought to go with Arminel and keep an eye on her," he suggested, as they began to pack up their most important possessions. "She can't get into much trouble if you are there with her."
"I'm not so sure about that," said Gill, but Alex had detected a slight change in her voice and knew that she was thinking about what he had said. She continued to pack up some of the documents she kept in the bedroom, along with her jewellery and sundry other things she valued. Finally she looked over at Alex, who was gazing sorrowfully at his new shoes, now filled with water. "Never mind," she said, going over to pat him on the shoulder. "They'll dry out. And I didn't much like those, anyhow."
Alex grinned at Gill. "Then why didn't you tell me that when I was buying them?" he inquired.
"You were so keen on them I didn't like to," she admitted. "All right, Alex, we'll go to Freudesheim with Arminel and the children. At least we can make sure she behaves herself there."
"And you'll try to be nicer to Dr. Maynard?" Alex asked.
"I might," said Gill with dignity. "We'll see."

Last edited by Fatima on Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:17 am; edited 53 times in total
#2:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:46 pm
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I'm glad Alex was able to talk Gill round. Hopefully once she spends some time with Mike, she realise just how lovely he is. I can't see that she can have any complaints about how nice he's being at the moment and fingers crossed she'll soon realise that for Arminel's sake.

Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#3:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:59 pm
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I was waiting for the drabbles to come back
#4:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:04 pm
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Thank you Becky.

I hope Gill will come round and see that Mike is good enough for Arminel after all.
#5:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:07 pm
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Thanks Becky, glad to have a new post.
#6:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 7:18 pm
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There must me more to Gill's attitude than pure prejudice, otherwise her attitude just doesn't make sense!

So glad to see more of this.
#7:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 8:18 pm
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Longing for more of this. I hope that all will be explained soon.
#8:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 10:34 pm
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Glad Gill seems to be coming round a bit where Mike's concerned.
#9:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 11:07 pm
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Thanks, Becky. It's great to have this back. I'm glad that Gill has agreed to stay at Mike's.
#10:  Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 4:33 am
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I like the 'he's unsuitable' line - it's not like Arminel doesn't have baggage of her own. Let's see, Mike is older, estranged from many years from his adulterous (now deceased) wife, not on good terms with his family and has a reputation for having a massive chip on his shoulder. Arminel is an unwed mother with two children by two different fathers, still lives in her mother's house and has a reputation for loose morals.

You'd think Gill would be more inclined to look past surface impressions.
#11:  Author: Lucy B, Location: NZ PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 6:13 am
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Thanks for the update. Gill'll come round to Mike (I hope...hint hint?)
#12:  Author: Mia, Location: London PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:47 am
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Thanks Becky! Very Happy
#13:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 1:49 pm
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I wonder if there is more than Gill has said to her dislike of Mike?

Thanks, Becky
#14:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 4:34 pm
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I just caught up on loads of this, and its a great first drabble to read on the new board!!! Very Happy
Thanks Fatima
#15:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 4:42 pm
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I don't think there's anything more to Mike than we already know; if there is, the bunnies aren't telling me! I think Gill just feels that he is not comparable with either Armand or Alex, her ultimate SLOCs and so is therefore unworthy of her daughter. Thanks for all your kind comments - it never ceases to amaze me that you all read this! Here's today's bit.

By that evening, Gill and Alex, Arminel and the children, and Genevieve were all installed in Freudesheim. Pressured by the influential head of the Gornetz Hospital, the builders had agreed to make the restoration of the chalet their priority, and were to begin work in earnest the next morning. The family had removed all their valuables from the house, and everything had been taken to Freudesheim by one of the vans from the hospital. They were staying in a wing of the house that had been closed up for some time, but Ilse kept the house aired and had only recently spring-cleaned, so several of the rooms were already habitable, and the others would be ready the next day. Arminel and the children were to occupy a big bedroom, whilst Genevieve had a little slip of a room next to them. Mike told the two girls that their coadjutor had occupied that room when he and his siblings had been tinies, and the bigger room had been the nursery. Gill and Alex were accommodated in a pleasant, south-facing room down the corridor, and another room near them was set aside for Heloise, ready for when school finished.
Ilse had prepared supper for them all, although Mike took Arminel to one side and explained that they should not feel under any obligation to eat with him at any other time. He was happy for them to prepare their own meals in the kitchen in their part of the house, and for them never to visit his rooms, if that was what they preferred.
"I'm sorry, Mike," said Arminel. "It's Mum. I don't know why she's being like this. She's usually very supportive."
"I'm not exactly the dream partner for a young girl like you," Mike said with a wry smile. "It's all right, Arminel, I can see why she's worried about you."
"I'd like to have supper with you," said Arminel, smiling up at him. "And I'm sure Philippe would like it, too. I'll ask the others and come and tell you what they say."
"Ilse said it'll be ready in about half an hour," said Mike. "I'll wait for you in the salon. Can you find your way back to your rooms?"
"Yes, I think so," she assured him with a chuckle. He had already told her how they had got lost all the time when they first moved into Freudesheim, and now that she had seen more of the large house, Arminel could quite understand how. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and dashed off, wanting to get back to him as soon as possible. Gill and Alex were in the kitchen in their wing, making tea and sandwiches when she found them, and Philippe and Lily were both already eating. Genevieve came in yawning, and said that she would be going straight to bed, something that Gill suggested might be a good idea for Arminel, too.
"It's been a long and difficult day," she said persuasively. "A good night's sleep will make us all feel better in the morning."
"Mike says the housekeeper has prepared dinner for us all," said Arminel, knowing that she would be going back to Mike on her own.
"We're fine with our sandwiches," said Gill firmly. "We made cheese and cucumber, especially for you."
Arminel helped Lily with the bread she was trying valiantly to eat and passed another sandwich to Philippe. "I've already told Mike I'll eat with him," she said, looking over at Gill. “I won’t be long. You won’t need to put Lily to bed.”
“I don’t mind putting her to bed,” said Gill, making an effort to be pleasant. She longed to tell Arminel that she ought to leave Mike Maynard well alone, but knew that her words would fall on deaf ears. All she could do was cling to the hope that Monique would find some wonderful alternatives for Arminel to consider and that over the summer, Arminel would fall in love with someone worthy of her.
“I know you don’t,” Arminel replied, guessing some of what her mother was thinking. “But I’ll be back.”
“Can I come?” asked Philippe, not wanting to be left out of any fun.
“You won’t be able to eat another meal,” said Gill, affectionately ruffling Philippe’s dark hair. Besides, she did not want him getting any friendlier with Mike. “We can have a quick bath and then read a story together while we wait for Mum to come back.”
Philippe, who would have liked to go off and spend some more time with Mike, reluctantly agreed to stay with Gill, and Arminel went off to inform Mike that she would be the only one joining him for dinner. Mike didn’t seem too surprised to hear that, and the two of them sat down together for a delicious salad with cold meat and new potatoes. They ate and talked, happy to take the opportunity of being alone together again, a novelty that never seemed to wear off. They had been seeing each other for almost six months, and still appreciated every moment that they spent together.
Ilse brought in some beautifully presented ice cream for their desert, and then coffee, which they took in the salon. Finally, though, Arminel knew that she should drag herself away, to attend to her children.
“I’ll walk you to work tomorrow,” said Mike as he escorted her to the corridor that led her back to their rooms.
“Oh, how nice!” she exclaimed. “I hadn’t thought of that. What time will we go?”
“We’ll leave here at eight thirty,” said Mike, smiling down at her.
“I’ll be ready,” she promised, winding her arms around his neck. “Goodbye, Mike.”
“Goodbye,” he repeated, bending to kiss her. “See you tomorrow.”
Arminel kissed him back and then he reluctantly released her, watching as she disappeared around the corner, still so close to him, and yet so inaccessible. Mike sighed, wondering if it had been such a good idea to ask her to come to stay after all.
#16:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 4:47 pm
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Thanks Becky Very Happy It must be odd for Mike to have them all there and yet not be able to (shock, horror!) spend the night with Arminel. I wish Gill would just stop being so darn stubborn!

Kathryn
#17:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 4:50 pm
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I suppose Gill's just being overprotective given that Mike has a reputation for not being a very nice guy and that Arminel has had a lot of bad luck with boyfriends in the past. Hopefully she'll change her mind about him though.
#18:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 5:11 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I'm sorry that Gill didn't want to eat with Mike.
#19:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 6:10 pm
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Just how long can Gill keep this up?
#20:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Tue May 02, 2006 6:42 pm
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I'm going off Gill. Thanks Becky.
#21:  Author: Identity Hunt, Location: UK PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 6:56 am
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Gill is being a specious pig at the moment.

Mike is doing his best, and Arminel is definitely bringing out the best in him Wink I think they will make a grand couple.
#22:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 3:17 pm
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And now to put you all off Arminel, too...

They settled in very quickly at Freudesheim, and Gill seemed resigned to staying under Mike’s roof for a couple of weeks. Work went on apace at their chalet, and every time they visited, Gill and Alex found it looking better and better. They chose new wallpaper for their bedroom, deciding that they might as well take the opportunity to do a little redecorating, and refitted the kitchen. In the end they admitted to Genevieve that a lot of good had come out of her attempts to burn their home to the ground; it would be far nicer once the renovation and redecoration had been completed.
Mike enjoyed having Arminel and her children so close at hand. He liked nothing more than finding that Philippe had slipped away from his mother or grandmother and come to visit him, sometimes playing with the meccano or reading a book that he brought with him, or sometimes just coming for a chat. Mike found that the more time he spent with Philippe the more he loved him. He was an intelligent, thoughtful boy, and some of the discussions that he had with Philippe astounded Mike. If he had been lucky enough to have had a son, he would have liked him to be just like Philippe. Arminel was a frequent visitor to his part of the house, too, often bringing Lily with her. When Arminel brought them both with her, Mike allowed himself to imagine that they were his children and that Arminel was his wife. It made a wonderful dream, and he began to wonder if he had any chance of making this dream come true.
Mike had been brought up in a strictly Catholic household, and although he seldom went to mass any more, he still found it difficult to shake off the values with which he had been raised. He did wonder if that was the reason for the failure of his first marriage – he had not been comfortable with the idea of living with his wife outside of marriage, and so had rushed her to the altar. Perhaps if he had not insisted on marrying her, they would have come to realize how ill matched they were and he would never have been so hurt when they finally split up. Despite this, however, he had not really considered suggesting to Arminel that she moved into his part of the house. Mike knew that he had a lot of thinking to do, for it seemed likely that he would need to make a big decision about the direction in which he wished his life to go. Would he continue to see Arminel and perhaps ask her to marry him, or would it be safer to stop seeing her, in case she did not feel the same way about him?
All too soon the time came for Mike’s guests to leave. They were to spend a couple of nights in their own chalet before heading off to France for their summer holiday. Arminel was to be away for a month, and Mike knew that it would be a terribly long month. She promised to write to him and call him, and he promised to do the same, but he knew that he would miss her while she was away. Once again his days would be long and lonely, and he would be condemned to spend the evenings enjoying his own company. He would not have the prospect of dinner with her to brighten his day, nor the chance of a visit from the children to cheer his weekends. In fact, he would be returning to the solitary existence he had known for so many years, yet for the first time he would not be happy with it. Now he had remembered how nice it was to have a companion, that one special person in the company of whom even the dullest activities seemed exciting, it would be very difficult to return to the unsatisfactory position of doing everything alone.
On the evening before they were due to leave, Mike had invited Arminel to Freudesheim for dinner, so that they could say goodbye to one another. She accepted, even though she knew she really ought to be packing, and as she walked to Freudesheim, she reached a decision about her time in France. She would meet all the eligible men that Monique and Gill lined up for her and would be pleasant to them, and then, at the end of the holiday, she would sit Gill down and explain that she had not enjoyed the company of any one of them as much as she liked being with Mike. She would tell Gill that she had done her best to get on with them, but that she knew Mike to be the one for her. Maybe if Gill realized that, she would then give in and agree that Arminel should be able to choose her own partner and would give Mike a fair chance. Not that Arminel planned on letting Mike know that she would meet up with the eligible men. It would be difficult enough for them to be separated for so long without making him wonder how seriously she would consider the attentions of Monique’s gang of eligible bachelors. Arminel knew that she would not be tempted by any of them; she could not remember having felt so strongly about anyone as she did about Mike. Even Matthieu, from his exalted position of being her first love, had not made her feel the way she felt about Mike. She had not yet told Mike, indeed, she had only just admitted it to herself, but she knew he was The One. However strange it might seem, she had fallen in love with him and wanted nothing more than to make him happy. He might never feel the same way about her, although she very much hoped that would not be the case, but she knew that she would love him, and him alone, until her dying day. Beside that grand passion, none of Monique’s discoveries would stand a chance.
#23:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 3:22 pm
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Sorry, hasn't put me off!

I think she is doing her best to juggle! And I want to know what is going to happen next!
#24:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 3:27 pm
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I can see where Arminel's coming from and why she thinks it'd be a good idea to pretend to be "considering" the other men, but unfortunately that sort of game playing has a nasty habit of backfiring.
#25:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 3:34 pm
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At some point Arminel has to say to Gill, "No, I'm not going to look at anyone else!" It is difficult for her to say that before Mike has told her how he feels (and he doesn't appear to have done that yet).

If she says anything to Gill before either Mike has said anything or she has seemed to at least consider the alternatives then what?

On the other hand, if Mike says something tonight over dinner, who is to say it won't change her proposed course of action anyway!
#26:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 4:06 pm
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She's going to look, and Gill's going to tell and Mike's going to get stroppy?

That would be the Becky we know and love - but this drabble is called "Happily Ever After" which does in fact give me some hope!
#27:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 4:14 pm
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What Fran said.

*not lazy at all, no* Laughing
#28:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 4:16 pm
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I'm sure you know better than I... Smile
#29:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 4:25 pm
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Thanks, Becky. This hasn't put me off Arminel, either.
#30:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 5:56 pm
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Thanks Becky, I still like Arminel a lot and can completely understand her reasoning. I'm not sure it's the world's most sensible course of action...

Kathryn
#31:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 7:02 pm
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I'm still not put off Arminel. I'm worried you're trying to put us off your characters to stop us asking for more Becky!
#32:  Author: Cathy, Location: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 8:10 pm
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I like Arminel, but I think she's making a mistake here. If she feels that strongly about Mike she shouldn't even consider meeting up with other men. She's a grown woman, for goodness sake -- she can just tell her mother and aunt the truth before other people get hurt. And I'm sure Monique wouldn't even consider introducing her to any nice men if she knew Arminel had formed an attachment. I suspect nothing good will come of this.

Really hope one of them will be sensible and make some kind of declaration before Arminel goes. Also suspect that isn't going to happen.

Pinning my faith on the story title ...
#33:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 8:44 pm
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Just like to say how much I'm enjoying this. And I'm banking on the title...
#34:  Author: Becky, Location: Newport, South Wales, UK PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 9:23 pm
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Hmm, Monique is generally quite sensible - maybe if Arminel confided in her, she could try to make Gill more receptive to the idea of Mike as a SLOC?

Just an idea, looking forward to finding out what happens!

Thanks Becky.
#35:  Author: dackel, Location: Wolfenbuettel, Germany/Cambridge, England PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2006 10:19 pm
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I do hope this doesn't result in untold confusion - Arminel, Mike and the kids make a lovely family...

I'm joining the group who are pinning their hopes on the title!
#36:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 12:31 pm
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Gill needs to butt out, it's Arminel's life.

Thanks, Fatima, enthralling as always.
#37:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 2:44 pm
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Thank you for all your lovely comments. Here's today's installment.

When she reached Freudesheim, Arminel rang the doorbell and waited impatiently for Mike to answer it. It did not take him long, and very soon he was ushering her into the salon. Ilse had prepared one of her splendid salads and left everything ready for them to help themselves, and Mike had a bottle of wine cooling in a bucket of ice. “How do you fancy a picnic?” he asked, as they stood and looked out over the garden. It looked so lovely outside that Arminel agreed straight away. “I hoped you would say that,” said Mike with a smile. “I’ve put a rug under the tree and I thought we could help ourselves in here and take the plates out. That’s much easier than carting all those dishes outside.”
“That will be lovely,” Arminel agreed. The garden at Freudesheim was delightful, with trees and flowers in abundance, and plenty of lawn for the children to run around on. It would be perfect to sit there with Mike, enjoying their last evening together, talking and watching the sun go down.
They filled their plates and Mike grabbed the wine and two tumblers and they set off down the garden to the place he had decided on. It was out of view of the house, so they did not need to worry about Ilse or her family observing them, and they could relax and enjoy one another’s company. It was a lovely evening, with no breeze, but as it was early enough in the year it was not too hot. They ate their food and then sat back to sip their wine and Mike looked at Arminel as she reclined at his side. She looked delightfully cool in her cotton shirt and jeans, her long hair knotted casually at the back of her head, and a dreamy look in her eyes. “I’m going to miss you,” he told her, reaching out to touch her cheek. “I’ll be lonely without you.”
“I’ll miss you, too,” she responded, giving him one of the smiles that made him feel so special.
“You will call, won’t you?” he asked, looking anxious.
“Yes, of course,” she promised, taking his hand between hers and kissing it. “And I’ll write and tell you about all the dull parties my mother and aunt arrange,” she said. “My aunt knows some of the dullest people in France. All they do is discuss the price of land and how much it costs to maintain the huge houses they all have.”
“That sounds fascinating,” said Mike dryly, wondering whether the dull people had managed to produce more exciting offspring, more particularly sons, who might think that Arminel was as charming and delightful as he did himself.
Arminel guessed what he was thinking and gently drew him down to her. She slid her arms around his neck and looked seriously at him. “Don’t be silly,” she chided gently. “They aren’t interested in someone like me. And I am definitely not interested in them. I like to work, whereas their wives sit around gossiping all day long. I’m not quiet and demure enough for them. And they are all far too dull and boring for me.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, smiling nonetheless.
“Positive,” she reassured him. “Mike, I ought to be off soon. I still have to finish off the packing.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the airport?”
“Louis and Kurt have already been roped in to do that,” replied Arminel regretfully. “Then they’ll come and join us in about ten days.”
Mike leaned closer and gently kissed her. “Then I shall just have to wait patiently for you to come back,” he said when he drew away. “You will come back, won’t you?”
“Yes, I’ll come back,” she assured him, pulling him closer to kiss him again. As he held her tightly, Arminel could not help but wonder how she would manage to spend a whole month without seeing him. She had got used to seeing him almost every day, and it would be strange to think of something she particularly wanted to tell him and then find that she could not. He had become such an important part of her life and she was almost tempted to cancel her plans and remain in Switzerland. Only the thought of how much Philippe was looking forward to his holiday, and how upset Monique would be if she did not go and stay, made Arminel stick to her travel plans.
“If you don’t I’ll come and find you and bring you back,” Mike promised with a grin.
“Okay,” Arminel agreed easily, laughing up at him.
Mike kissed her some more then reluctantly let her go. Together they cleared up the picnic and carried the empty plates back to the house. He forbade her to wash up, promising to do it himself once she had gone, and instead escorted her to the front door, where he kissed her again. She clung to him for a moment, and as he smiled down at her she wondered what he was going to say. He seemed to think better of whatever it was, though, for he kissed her one last time and then released her.
“Have a safe trip,” he said. “Call me to let me know you got there in one piece.”
“I’ll do that,” she promised. “Goodbye, Mike.”
“Goodbye.” Just for a moment he was tempted to ask her to marry him, but he realized that it was hardly an appropriate time for that. He would just have to wait until she got back again, and then, if he still felt brave enough, he would ask her. He watched as she walked away, turning to wave to him as she left the driveway and went into the street, then she was gone, taking a big part of his heart with her.
#38:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 2:48 pm
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That was a lovely evening ..... but so much was unsaid on both sides!
#39:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 2:48 pm
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Sad I have a horrible feeling everything is going to go oh-so-wrong. He should have asked her.

Thanks for the update.
#40:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 3:34 pm
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Oh dear, why don't people say what they mean?!
#41:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 5:07 pm
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Thanks, Arminel. I'm sorry that Mike didn't ask Arminel to marry him. I also wish that he was going to France as well.
#42:  Author: Ally, Location: John Bettany's Cabin! PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2006 6:12 pm
    —
Oh dear! *worries lots* I hope nothing goes too badly wrong, thanks Fatima Very Happy
#43:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 4:41 am
    —
A little update for this morning. How could you think that anything would go wrong with this? It really is going to live up to its name!

While Arminel was in France, Mike was conscious of how much he missed her and how worried he was about what she was doing while she was there. He wanted her to enjoy herself, of course, but half of him hoped that she would be as miserable without him as he was without her. All he could think about was the succession of parties that she said invariably occurred while they were staying with their Tante Monique, and how she would be meeting so many eligible men, all far better suited to her than he was. They would, no doubt, be charming and sophisticated and would meet with the approval of Arminel's mother. They would take Arminel out to Nice, or Monte Carlo, and treat her in the style in which she deserved to be treated. She would enjoy their company, be dazzled by their good looks and charm and forget all about dull, old Mike. They would, of course, be enthralled by her, captivated by her shining eyes and glorious hair, her brilliant intelligence and her compassion. How could they not fall in love with someone as lovely as she? He also missed the children, for he had grown used to spending lots of time with them, chatting to Philippe and playing with Lily. They were adorable, exactly what he would have hoped for if he had been lucky enough to have his own children.
Arminel did phone him a couple of times, and sent him some postcards, and although he could almost feel her affection for him from the words that she wrote, he felt more and more distant from her every time he spoke to her. She lived in such a different world from his, and was surely so much happier there than she had been with him. And as the weeks passed, Mike began to realize that he would have to end it all with Arminel. She was too beautiful and young and vital to spend her life with him. In fact, he had to face the fact that she was hardly likely to want to spend her days shackled to some boring old man when she could take her pick from the handsome young men who no doubt pursued her day and night while she was in France. They had so much more to offer her than he ever could; he was neither rich nor handsome and he certainly was not young. He would need to resign himself to letting her go, however hard it might be to do that, because it was better to let her go now than to try to hang onto her and lose her when he was even more in love with her than he was now.
#44:  Author: Identity Hunt, Location: UK PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 6:35 am
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Oh dear, poor Mike has really missed her.
Wink
**Just tell her how you feel, Mike !**
#45:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 6:59 am
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Mike, stop being such a prat and just tell her how you feel!

Thanks Becky Very Happy .
#46:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 7:09 am
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Grr.... treat her like an adult Mike, let her make the decision! Oh and please stop catastrophising....
#47:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 9:07 am
    —
*gives Mike a gentle prod in the right direction*

Thanks, Becky Smile
#48:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 11:03 am
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Silly Mike - just tell her!

Thank you Becky.
#49:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 1:33 pm
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Mike, just tell her. Pick up the phone and do it now!
#50:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 2:31 pm
    —
In France, Arminel was missing Mike as much as he missed her, but she did her best to hide the fact. She allowed Monique to host her dinner parties, and she obediently sat next to any eligible men she was expected to. None of them appealed to her in the slightest, however, and although they often asked if they could see her again she always refused. Arminel knew that Gill was disappointed, especially when Arminel turned down a dinner invitation from Jean-Claude, a particularly handsome young doctor, but she clung to the hope that one day Mike would realize what they could have together and then ask her to marry him. She knew that she could not be happy with anyone other than Mike, and so was completely uninterested in everyone else.
Heloise, in whom Arminel did confide, sympathized with her sister’s predicament. Although she had not spent a lot of time with Mike, Heloise did find him pleasant enough, and as his wife had died, could see no reason for Gill to carry on refusing to recognize him as a suitable partner for Arminel. He might have had a rather difficult past, but there was no bar to him marrying again. Heloise valiantly listened to Arminel’s complaints about the unsuitability of the men produced for her approval, at least until Kurt arrived on the scene, and did her best to console Arminel when Monique and Gill planned yet another beach party with more candidates for Arminel’s hand.
Once Kurt arrived, Heloise was busy introducing him to everyone and showing him all their favourite places in and around Nice and Arminel was left to seek out Genevieve’s company. As Genevieve was still very subdued after the fire and was missing Antoine as much as Arminel was missing Mike, she was not exactly the best company, but it was better than being obliged to listen to Gill and Monique scheming. They were having fun, though, planning an endless round of parties and meeting up with all their friends, and so Arminel let them get on with it. Alex and Monique’s husband André seemed to feel the same way, for they often absented themselves from the house, disappearing off for long walks to unknown destinations.
Louis, Chantal and Sabine arrived, too, and Arminel was pleased to spend lots of time with Chantal and the two babies. The more she saw of Sabine, the more delighted Arminel was, as her brother and his wife were obviously thrilled by their daughter and their happiness was complete. Arminel was happy for them, knowing how much they had wanted a baby, and now that the adoption had been finalized, all of Louis and Chantal’s dreams had come true. Chantal did admit to Arminel that she found it very tiring looking after Sabine, for she was a lively youngster, always on the go, and Chantal was glad of the opportunity to spend some time in France so that she would be given a little help looking after her daughter. Louis was absolutely wonderful with her, playing with her and helping bath her and put her to bed, so Chantal did not like to tell him that she was always feeling so tired, and she was pleased to be able to get some rest without drawing attention to herself. Arminel was of a completely opposite opinion, glad to spend time with Lily while they were on holiday, to make up for all the time she missed out on with her daughter when she was working. Despite this, the two girls got on very well together and managed to regain a lot of their former intimacy, much to their mutual delight.
Before Arminel knew it, they were packing their cases and preparing to return to Switzerland. She was very excited at the thought of getting home, for it meant that she could be reunited with Mike. She was also a little nervous about it, for she had been getting a feeling from speaking to him on the phone that he was not quite as interested in her as he had been when she had left the Platz. He chatted easily with her, telling her all that Jakub and Joachim had been up to, and what was going on at the hospital, and he always told her how much he missed her and the children, but somehow something had changed. His voice still sounded warm and comforting, and he said all the right things, but Arminel knew that he had been doing a lot of thinking about her and she had begun to worry that his thoughts might not be on the same wavelength as hers.
#51:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 2:42 pm
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Or maybe Arminel should just tell Mike how she feels...
#52:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 2:50 pm
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Indeed, Arminel is a fully fledged adult!
#53:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 3:06 pm
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I'm sure Gill has good intentions by finding all these eligible men for Arminel (could she send some of them my way, please?), but she really ought to let Arminel sort her own love life out!
#54:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 3:07 pm
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So now we get to the twist.....
#55:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 4:30 pm
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I wish those two would just hurry up and admit how they feel!

Thanks Becky
#56:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 4:35 pm
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I hope you're just playing with us Becky, please let Mike have changed his mind.
#57:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 4:37 pm
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Aaaah I catch up on loads, and now I end on this?! Shocked Arminel had better get in there first...
Thanks Fatima Very Happy
#58:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 5:03 pm
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Playing with you? Moi? Never!

They all took the flight together and Arminel found herself sitting next to Chantal, at the end of the row. They had the babies on their laps, and bottles of milk handy, in case they should be needed, and soon they were taking off and banking around before heading away from France, towards Switzerland. As they ascended, Chantal reached for the airsickness bag and was violently sick, causing any amount of worry for Louis, who had not seen her get airsick before. Finally, looking pale and wan, she accepted a cup of tea from the stewardess and Sabine was packed off onto Heloise’s lap, to give her mother a bit of a break.
By the time they landed, Chantal was looking better, but Louis was taking no chances. He made sure she had nothing to carry and nothing to worry about, and he bossed everyone around, making sure that Sabine was looked after and Chantal’s bags were put on a trolley for her. Chantal protested that she was feeling a lot better, but Louis was not to be convinced, as she still looked very white and shaky.
They drove back to the Gornetz Platz, stopping in Interlaken for a late lunch on their way, and then they were home again, back in the beautifully restored chalet and unpacking their bags. Arminel would have liked to call Mike, but somehow she found the thought of telling him that they were home made her feel nervous. What if she had not been imagining the distance that she had felt between them? What if he had found someone else while she had been away? She was longing to see him again, but just could not make herself call him in case he still sounded distant and made some feeble excuse as to why he could not see her.
In the end, she had offered to go to the local supermarket and buy the odds and ends they needed for their supper, and had put Lily into the pushchair and set off at the approximate time that would see Dr. Maynard walking home from the hospital. She wondered if she would stroll along the street past Freudesheim, but finally convinced herself that might not be the best idea. She went into the supermarket and bought milk and bread and sundry other items Gill had requested and then began the walk home.
As she reached the end of the road that led to the hospital, Arminel was rewarded for her scheming by finding Dr. Maynard just coming round the corner. The look of delight on his face as he saw her more than convinced her that she had been worrying unnecessarily about his feelings for her, and she felt her heart beating uncomfortably as he smiled at her.
“I didn’t realize you were back,” he said, gazing at her and trying to see how she felt about him.
“We got in a couple of hours ago,” she told him
“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked. “It’s lovely to see you again.”
“You too.”
“Where’s Philippe?” Mike bent down to smile at the occupant of the pushchair. “Hello Lily,” he said, reaching out to pull her hat straight.
“Dada,” said Lily clearly, beaming at Mike. “Dada.”
Arminel blushed, hoping that he would not think she had been teaching Lily to call him dada as a not so subtle hint. “He stayed at home to put his new books away,” she said.
Mike tickled Lily’s bare feet, blinking away the tears that had unexpectedly sprung into his eyes at her words. She obviously remembered him, despite having been away for a month, and he was shocked by how emotional that made him feel. “May I take you out for dinner tomorrow?” he asked, straightening again and looking over at Arminel.
“That would be lovely, thank you,” she said, her cheeks back to their normal colour now.
“And may I walk you home now?”
“You certainly may,” she agreed and he fell into step beside her.
They walked for a while without talking, then they both spoke together.
“How was your holiday?” Mike asked.
“Did you have a good day at work?” asked Arminel.
Mike grinned at Arminel. “Pretty normal,” he told her.
“We had a good holiday, but it’s nice to be home.”
They reached Arminel’s home and stopped by the gate. “I’d better get home,” said Mike, knowing how busy everyone would be unpacking and settling back into their home.
“See you tomorrow, then,” said Arminel.
Mike quickly kissed her cheek and waved to Lily, who chuckled and waved back, and then he was walking away, leaving Arminel staring after him and feeling vaguely uneasy. It had been so lovely to see him again, and yet there was definitely something wrong. He was obviously pleased to see her, but he had been reserved, somehow different with her. Sighing, she went into the house and put away the shopping, before beginning on the tea. As she buttered some bread she wondered if it was just because he was tired after a long week at work. Once they were going out for dinner in some quiet little restaurant, he would remember how wonderful everything had been between them before she left for France and all would be well again. Or at least she fervently hoped it would be.
#59:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 5:08 pm
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Awwww Lily called Mike "Dada"! That was so sweet.....

*gloats a little cos she guessed a secret*

I have permission, Becky said I might
#60:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 6:39 pm
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Lily is so sweet...I really hope Mike is not going to be as stupid as to break up with Arminel now. Will we have to ready the poking stick?!

*wonders if she's guessed what Fran's guessed too*

Thanks Becky Very Happy
#61:  Author: Identity Hunt, Location: UK PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 7:24 pm
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Airsickness ?
I don`t think so ! Wink
#62:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 7:34 pm
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I'm not sure, but I think I've guessed something too...

And as for Mike and Arminel; if she can't convince him then she isn't the woman I think she is!
#63:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 10:20 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I have a little inkling about the secret. I'm glad that Arminel is back. I hope she can sort things out with Mike. It was really sweet when Lily called Mike, 'Dada'!
#64:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 10:25 pm
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The secret isn't really very secret if we are all correct is it?
*echoes crows of delight over Lily!*
#65:  Author: Cathy, Location: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 10:50 pm
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Something occurred to me as well, but I might be making too much of one scene.

Lovely update, I do hope Arminel and Mike sort themselves out.
#66:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 5:05 am
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Thanks for all your comments! Fran wins the prize, however, having guessed before that last post! I'm obviously getting too predictable!

Mike took Arminel into Interlaken the next evening and wined and dined her in style. They ate in the nicest restaurant Mike knew, and as they sat opposite each other, he could hardly take his eyes off her. She was so beautiful, with her sparkling eyes and delicately pale skin, and her splendid auburn hair, and she looked especially stunning in her simply cut dress. His mind was made up, though; she deserved better than him and so it was time to let her go. It had not been an easy decision to reach. He loved her and he could not remember being as happy as she made him for an extremely long time. But it wasn’t right, wanting to be happy at her expense. She was young and beautiful and had so much to offer. She belonged with someone of her own age, someone who would be able to give her so much more than Mike ever could. And so he selfishly wanted to have one last evening to remember. He wanted to enjoy her company once more, listening to her talk, watching her, being proud to be seen with her, just one last time. After all, he deserved some happy memories, didn’t he?
He watched her as she ate her food; she had a good appetite and obviously enjoyed eating, unlike some women he had met, who were so obsessed with being skinny. She told him all about Lily and Philippe as she ate, and Mike suddenly realized that it would not only be Arminel that he missed, he would miss the children, too. Philippe, so grown up in many ways, and yet such a little boy in others, was a real credit to his mother and grandparents. He was polite and considerate, careful and thoughtful, and yet still enjoyed plenty of typically boyish activities. He was clever and Mike had enjoyed any number of fascinating conversations with him. And then there was Lily, the baby he had delivered, the apple of his eye. He knew it would be very difficult to see her in the future and know that he had lost the right to hold her and talk to her. She was such a precious child, and he wished that he could be involved in her upbringing. But there were so many men who could do more for her than Mike himself ever could. How could he take on a tiny tot like Lily when he was almost old enough to be her grandfather?
When they finished their meal, they walked hand in hand through the quiet streets and strolled along the river. Just for a moment Mike considered throwing himself into the murky depths and putting an end to the unhappy life he led, but even as the thought entered his head he realized that he was too much of a coward to take such a dramatic way out. He would just have to toil on, trying to forget all that he had so nearly had in his life; instead he would have to throw himself back into his work, as he had always done when he felt especially unhappy. And at least this time he could console himself with the knowledge that he was doing this for someone else; he was doing this for Arminel and her children, so that they could have a better life without him than they would have done if he had remained with them.
They returned to his car and he drove back up to the Platz, his spirits descending as rapidly as the car was ascending. He took her back to her home and accepted her invitation to come in, sitting at the table in the kitchen and watching her making the coffee as he had done so many times before. He accepted the cup she handed him and they went into the sitting room, putting their mugs on the coffee table and settling down on the settee together. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feeling of holding her close for the last time. She turned her face up towards his, but he resisted the temptation to kiss her. He had vowed not to do that, just in case it made him weaken his resolve to end it all with her. Reluctantly he released her and reached for his coffee. She was surprised by the way he pulled away from her, and he hated himself for what he was about to do to her. And yet it was the only thing he could do.
“What’s the matter?” she asked him, realizing that she had been quite correct in her suspicions that something was wrong.
“I’m too old for you, sweetheart,” he told her sadly.
“No you aren’t,” she protested. “You’re perfect for me.”
“You deserve better,” he said, wishing he could remember all the noble speeches he had practiced during the day. “You and the children need someone who can make you happy, someone who can be a real father to them and a proper husband to you.”
“The children really like you,” Arminel reminded him. “You are wonderful with them.”
“We have to end it, Arminel,” he told her, avoiding her gaze so that he would not have to see how much he was hurting her. “It’s not going to work out.”
Arminel gently put her hand to his face. “But I don’t want to end it,” she told him softly. “Mike, I love you.”
Mike stood up, turning away from her again. “I love you, too,” he told her, feeling completely wretched. “But it’s ridiculous. I’m almost old enough to be your father. How can you want to shackle yourself to me?”
“Because I love you,” she repeated patiently. “You are being ridiculous, Mike. Instead of being scared and running away, why don’t you ask me to marry you?”
#67:  Author: Identity Hunt, Location: UK PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:35 am
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That`s our girl ! Very Happy

Loving the updates, Becky !
#68:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 7:24 am
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Wonderful Armimel. Very pleased she's being sensible and realising he's just panicking.
#69:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 7:38 am
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Thank goodness Arminel has sense!
#70:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 7:55 am
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Well done Arminel!
#71:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 11:44 am
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Thanks, Arminel. I'm glad that Arminel has asked Mike to marry her. I hope that he will accept.
#72:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 12:01 pm
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That's more like it Arminel! Will Mike see sense now?
#73:  Author: Rosy, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 12:51 pm
    —
*hides behind her fingers*

What a cliff. Come back and tell us more!
#74:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 1:07 pm
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I'm just too kind for my own good; here's the answer to some of the questions!

Mike ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end. She seemed so serious about it that he began to wonder if he had made the wrong decision. Perhaps they could make a go of it together. She certainly seemed to think that they could. Mike felt her come up behind him and put a hand on his arm, turning him around so that she could look earnestly up at him. She looked so lovely, he realized, her face serious, her eyes looking directly into his. Just for a moment he allowed himself to think what it would be like to be married to her, waking up each morning beside her, helping her out with the housework, looking after the children, taking them to the zoo or out for a walk. He could tell her anything that was on his mind, knowing that she would not be anything other than supportive. She would never go behind his back and sleep with his best friend, she was just too honourable to do that sort of thing.
“I’m sorry,” she said, suddenly realizing that she had read more into his feelings for her than had actually been there. He had enjoyed spending time with her, but he was not interested in marrying her. She had been an entertaining way to pass the time, that was all. She was not the sort of woman he wished to marry, and so she had to give in gracefully, walk out of his life with dignity and never let him know how much he had hurt her. “That was such a bad idea. Thanks for a nice evening, Mike. I’ll see you around.”
As he saw the hope fade from her eyes, Mike realized that he was being every kind of fool. If she loved him and he loved her, nothing else mattered. “Arminel, do you mean it?” he asked, taking her hand and tipping her face up towards him. “Do you think we could get married?”
Arminel shrugged, unwilling to commit herself until she knew what he was thinking.
She did not have long to wait. Mike kept a hold of her hand and went down onto one knee before her, finally completely certain that he was doing what was best for both of them. “Arminel, will you marry me?” he asked seriously. “I know I’m ridiculous and old and dull, but I love you and I would really like to make you my wife and look after you and the children for the rest of my life.”
“You aren’t ridiculous,” she told him, smiling and crying at the same time. “Yes, Mike, I’ll marry you.”
Mike straightened up and took her in his arms, kissing away her tears and holding her tightly. “Are you sure?” unable to stop himself from finding out whether she really did want to marry him.
“Yes, I’m completely certain,” she replied, “If you are sure you want me.”
“Oh, I’m more than certain,” he reassured her. “I’ve missed you so much these last few weeks, and I can still hardly believe that you came back to me. I was worried that you’d find someone you liked better and not want to see me any more.”
“So you thought wrongly, then,” she said, her arms so tightly round him she wondered if he could actually still breathe. “They have spent the whole summer trying to find me a husband,” she admitted. “But everyone I met seemed so dull and foolish compared with you. Most of them were like kids, still. How anyone could think I’d be interested in them when I have you I really don’t know.”
“I had decided that there was no way you’d want to stay with me when you could have anyone you choose,” he said in his turn. “That was why I planned to stop seeing you tonight, so that you could find someone better.”
Arminel smiled up at him. “There isn’t anyone better,” she said softly. “Believe me, I’ve looked. You are the best I have ever found.”
“I don’t have a ring for you yet,” he said suddenly realizing what he had done. “Maybe we could go and choose one next week. I’ve made a bit of a mess of everything, haven’t I?”
“No, you were wonderful,” she assured him. She pulled him over to the settee again and they sat down, still clinging tightly to each other.
“I think we’d better not tell anyone for a while,” he said suddenly. “Am I asking too much of you if I say that?”
“No, that’s all right,” she assured him. “But why?”
“I think I need to sort out a few things first,” he told her. “My family, for example.”
“And my mother,” she added, half joking. “I don’t mind, Mike, as long as you don’t think you’ll get cold feet.”
“I won’t,” he promised seriously. “Now that you have said yes you are stuck with me.”
Arminel reached up and kissed him. “I’m happy to be stuck with you,” she assured him.
#75:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 1:11 pm
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Now that was more like it! But I wish they would just tell everyone and face the music together...
#76:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 3:25 pm
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Thank goodness they've come to their senses. I can put the poking stick away now.

Thanks, Becky.
#77:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 4:08 pm
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Ah, that's better!

BTW, are Jack and Joey still "with us"?
#78:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:01 pm
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Jack died before Armand; Len mentioned something about it when they went to collect Arminel from school that day. I'm still undecided about Joey.
#79:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:25 pm
    —
She'll be living with one of her daughters and matchmaking for all her grandchildren (however old they are). Actually, since Joey's grandchildren would legally be able to marry Madge or Dick's grandchildren (I think), do you think that's what she'd be planning?
#80:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:52 pm
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Hmmmmmm!!!
I do hope that what Fran got the prize for is what I think it is, and I do hope Gill will be able to accept Mike and be happy for him and Arminel!
#81:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:59 pm
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I was afraid it would not work out
#82:  Author: dackel, Location: Wolfenbuettel, Germany/Cambridge, England PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 10:55 pm
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Quote:
I'm happy to be stuck with you


Aww - finally! Even if she asked him more than he asked her...

And I now have Huey Lewis and the News in my head 'I am happy to be stuck with you' was the name, or at least the refrain, of one of their songs!
#83:  Author: tiffinata, Location: melbourne, australia PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 11:46 pm
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Hoping to add to my hat collection!
#84:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2006 11:55 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I'm really pleased that they have both come to their senses.
#85:  Author: Cathy, Location: Sydney, Australia PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 2:38 am
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That was a lovely scene -- thank you so much. I hope Mike and Arminel can sort everything out. Hope they don't waste too much time. Surely now Gill will understand the relationship is a lasting one.

Joins the group of people who are wondering about Jo though.
#86:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 1:59 pm
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Well I've just spent well over an hour catching up on all of this - it was one I was saving to read when I wanted a long comfort read and then we got hacked

Absolutely fabulous and I'm so pleased I got through all the will they/won't they without being left on any cliffs

Many many thanks and may there be much much more of it Very Happy
#87:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:38 pm
    —
Thanks for all your comments. I still haven't decided about Jo, though!

Arminel and the children went to Freudesheim for tea the next day, and had a lovely time. Philippe went off to play with Jakub and Joachim, while Mike and Arminel entertained Lily. The following day Arminel was to return to work, and Mike told her that she should join him for coffee in his office. It felt like so long since she had last sat there with him and he was glad to think that she was back again. He could hardly believe the way things had turned out. He had intended to stop seeing her, except on a professional level, and now she was to become his wife. He had imagined a long, lonely life stretching out ahead of him, and instead he was discovering that all his wildest dreams were going to come true. He was to have a beautiful wife and two delightful children and untold happiness now lay ahead of him.
The thing that worried Mike the most, however, he kept to himself. He was concerned about Gill’s reaction to the news that he and Arminel planned to get married, and was not happy with the idea of Arminel becoming estranged from her family as he had become from his. He therefore decided that the best idea was to go and talk to Gill himself, without telling Arminel what he planned on doing, to see if he could persuade her that he had her daughter’s best interests at heart. He left work on Tuesday morning, hoping that he would find Gill at home and that she would agree to talk to him. He did feel nervous as he walked briskly across the Platz to Gill’s house, but he knew that he had to try to see her and make her understand that he was as keen to ensure Arminel’s happiness as she was herself. He rang the doorbell and was happy to see Gill answer it.
“Good morning, Mrs. Fraser,” he said politely, only too conscious of the hard stare she gave him.
“Arminel’s at work,” Gill told him, and then suddenly wondering about the reason for his visit, “She is all right, isn’t she?”
“Yes,” he hastened to reassure her. “She’s fine. I actually came to talk to you. May I come in?”
“I’m not sure I want to speak to you,” she said, but she stood aside and let him in.
They went into the sitting room, where Lily was sitting in the middle of the floor, playing contentedly with a rattle and sundry other things. Alex was reading the newspaper and there was no sign of Philippe, for which Mike was grateful. Alex greeted Mike pleasantly enough, folding up the paper and looking expectantly at his surprise visitor. Mike sat down and cleared his throat nervously. Now that he was there, he was stricken with doubts. What if they refused to agree that he and Arminel should get married, and they ended up falling out with her family as he had done with his?
With Gill and Alex looking expectantly at him, Mike knew that he had to take the bull by the horns. “I came to tell you that I would like to marry Arminel,” he said, “And I wanted to reassure you that I will do everything I can to make her happy.” To his relief, they made no comment, and he could see that he had their full attention. “I know you have heard all sorts of stories about me,” he went on, warming to his subject now, “And that you don’t think that I’m a suitable husband for her. All I can say is that everything you heard about happened a long time ago. I was young and heedless and very upset, and although none of it’s any excuse, that was what happened. I don’t think I’m a violent man, and I’ve certainly never hurt anyone…”
“Thank you for coming to talk to us,” said Alex, as Mike’s explanation tailed off. “We are a bit surprised, but…”
“But we are very glad that you came,” Gill interrupted, giving Mike the first real smile she ever had. “It’s good that you did. If Arminel had just announced everything in her own inimitable way, I’d have told her that she shouldn’t marry you. But you are obviously keen to do everything properly and that’s good. Why don’t you come over to dinner tonight and let us get to know you better? I’m sorry that I have been unsupportive, but I have been worried that you’d turn on Arminel or the children. Let’s be honest, you haven’t exactly got a reputation for being an even tempered person.”
Mike smiled ruefully, more glad that he had come to see Arminel’s family than he could ever have thought. “No, I’ve not done myself any favours,” he admitted. “But I’m doing my best to change all that. Or at least Arminel is.”
As Gill chuckled at that, Lily put down her rattle and crawled over to Mike, patting his leg and babbling up at him. Without thinking, he bent down and lifted her onto his lap, and Gill and Alex could not have missed the happiness in her toothless smile or the contentment in her voice as she said, “Dada.” As Mike smiled back at her, Gill reached for Alex’s hand and squeezed it. “I’ve been wrong about you, Dr. Maynard,” she said, “And I’m very sorry.”
Mike looked at Gill and Alex over Lily’s head. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “I came here hoping that we could agree to start over, but I hardly dared hope that it would work.”
“Philippe talks about you all the time,” said Gill, “And it’s clear that Lily is happy with you, too. What more could we ask than for someone who loves the children as well as Arminel?” She stood up. “Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thank you,” he said. “I ought to be getting back to work. I’d very much like to come to dinner this evening, though, thank you.” He stood up and kissed Lily before putting her back on the play mat with her toys. “What time would you like me to come?”
“We usually eat when Arminel gets back from work,” said Gill, following Mike out into the hall, “So just come home with her.”
“I’ll do that,” he promised, offering Gill his hand. “Thank you, Mrs. Fraser.”
Gill shook his hand. “No, thank you, Dr. Maynard,” she said with a smile. “See you later.”
Mike opened the door and walked back to the Hospital with a spring in his step. He could scarcely believe how well it had gone, and how surprised Arminel would be when he told her that he had been invited to dinner at her home that evening. With a sudden grin, he decided that he might not mention it until later; then he would be able to walk her home and spring the surprise on her and enjoy her delighted reaction.
#88:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:58 pm
    —
Thank goodness things are improving. Thanks, Fatima.
#89:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 5:24 pm
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Now just so long as Arminel isn't cross for him going 'behind her back'... Holding my breath...
#90:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 5:34 pm
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It's very good of Gill to admit she was wrong, that must have been very hard. I hope everything goes well from now on.
#91:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 6:24 pm
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Glad that went well Very Happy .
#92:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 7:31 pm
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You should have seen the massive grin on my face as I read that!

Thank you, Becky. I'm glad it's all coming together.
#93:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 7:45 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. Hooray! Gill is warming to Mike!
#94:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2006 10:48 pm
    —
Awww, Yay!
Thanks Becky! I'm glad we know WHY Gill was so anti Mike, and that she was so promt to admit she'd made a mistake! I just hope Arminel will be as pleased about it as I am! Wink
#95:  Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 8:14 am
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Oh, that was so sweet!
#96:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 8:53 am
    —
Just caught up on loads - thanks Becky. It was lovely.
#97:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 9:16 am
    —
Awww, hurrah!

Thanks, Becky Very Happy
#98:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:51 pm
    —
Thank you for all your comments. Here's today's installment.

Arminel called on Mike just before they were due to leave work. He was in his office, finishing off the supply requests that had been submitted, and was almost ready to leave. Arminel appeared in the doorway, her white coat put away and her handbag over her shoulder, obviously about to go home. She came in and sat down opposite him, waiting quietly as he finished what he was doing. Finally he closed the file and smiled at her.
“Are you ready?” she asked him.
“Yes, I am,” he replied, standing up and taking his jacket from the back of his chair. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes, fine,” she answered, “But I came by to see you just before lunch and Birgit said you’d gone out.”
“Yes, I went for a little walk,” he said easily. “Come on, let’s go.” He drew her hand through his arm, knowing that now there was no reason to hide the fact that he cared for her, and together they left the hospital and strolled through the warm sunshine to her home. They no longer felt that they had been apart for a whole month, it was more as if they had always been together, and they chatted easily until they reached her front door.
“May I come in?” he asked as they arrived. “I’d like to see Lily.”
“Of course,” she agreed at once, not wanting to refuse him just because her mother did not approve. She unlocked the door and Philippe appeared, grinning happily as he saw that his mother was not alone.
“Hello, Dr. Mike,” he said cheerfully. “We didn’t expect to see you today.”
“Hello,” said Mike with a smile. “I just happened to be passing and I thought I should look in and see if you were behaving.”
“Of course I am,” said Philippe. “But Lily has been grumpy this afternoon.”
“Has she?” asked Arminel anxiously. “Let’s go in and see her.” They all went into the sitting room, where Lily was sleeping, her cheeks a little flushed. Arminel gently felt her forehead, but it was not hot, and the amount of dribbling that the baby had done gave away her secret. “No wonder she’s grumpy,” said Arminel, sounding relieved. “I think she’s teething.”
Gill came in from the kitchen in time to hear her last remark. “Yes, that’s what we decided,” she said. “Hello, Dr. Maynard, how nice to see you.”
Arminel shot her mother a look that blatantly accused her of being sarcastic, but nothing in Gill’s demeanour seemed to fit with that idea.
“Hello, Mrs. Fraser,” Mike was answering. “And please can we make it Mike? Dr. Maynard reminds me too much of my father.”
“Then Mike it is,” said Gill, as Arminel’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Dinner’s nearly ready. Would you like some sherry?”
“I’d love some,” he said then he finally managed to glance at Arminel and was rewarded by the look of utmost puzzlement on that young lady’s face.
As Gill disappeared in search of the sherry, Arminel turned to Mike. “I think you have some explaining to do,” she said in an undertone. “Better make it snappy.”
Mike slid an arm around Arminel’s shoulders. “I came to visit your mother this morning,” he explained, “And we had a bit of a talk. She’s agreed that you might be all right with me.”
“Really?” demanded Arminel, a look of hope shining from her eyes. “You mean she doesn’t mind?”
“She is willing to give me a chance.” Mike briefly kissed her and then released her and shed his jacket. “And she invited me to dinner.”
“And you didn’t tell me!” said Arminel, a smile taking the accusation from her words.
“No, I wanted to surprise you,” he admitted unashamedly. “Now, Philippe, do we have time to look at that book you were telling me about?”
“I think so,” said Philippe, happily pulling Mike over to the settee, and putting a large book about the human body onto his lap. “I know you’ll like this one, since you’re a doctor,” he went on, showing Mike the fascinating pictures of the internal structure of the human body.
Arminel disappeared upstairs to change her clothes and consider the change Mike had wrought in Gill’s attitude towards him. She could hardly believe that he had persuaded Gill that he deserved the chance to show her he was worthy to marry Arminel and that Gill had invited him to dinner that very evening. She slipped on an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt and then unpinned her hair and brushed it out, plaiting it loosely, wondering if it was time to get it cut shorter now that she was almost thirty and would be getting married. As she pondered the subject, an angry yell came from downstairs, and Arminel guessed that Lily had awoken. She ran lightly downstairs and was just in time to see Mike pick Lily up and put her expertly on his shoulder, rubbing her back with a practiced hand. As she watched him, she was startled by the wave of emotion that swept over her. Here he was, a respected member of the community, the Head of the Gornetz Hospital, and yet he was cuddling her baby and comforting her as if she were his own.
“She’s teething,” said Mike, noticing that Arminel had returned.
Arminel smiled as Lily chomped on Mike’s finger. “It’s about time, too,” she said. “Philippe had two or three teeth by this age. I didn’t think she’d ever get any.”
“Dinner’s ready,” called Gill, appearing in the doorway again. “Arminel, Alex is in the garden. Could you go and call him in, please?”
Arminel obligingly went off to find Alex, who was pottering in the garden, pulling up weeds and admiring some of the vegetables he had managed to grow. He willingly abandoned his work, though, in favour of dinner, and followed Arminel back into the house. Genevieve had appeared from the bedroom, but Heloise had already gone off with Kurt, so Mike was still able to face a good crowd at the table. Arminel was pleased to see that Gill was doing her best to be pleasant and friendly, and Alex was always affable, so the meal went very well. She could see Mike relaxing and beginning to enjoy himself, much as he had done when she first got to know him, and she was glad to think that he might actually become as much a part of their family as Alex, or Chantal. She had thought that they would have been consigned to the edge of the family, only invited to events at which their absence would be noticed, like weddings or funerals, but now it seemed that Gill was going to accept Mike as a prospective son-in-law and that all would be well once more.
#99:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:55 pm
    —
I hope it is all well now, but are we getting near the end? Sad

Thanks Becky
#100:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:55 pm
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Thanks Fatima. I hope Arminel's wishes come true.
#101:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:57 pm
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Hope it's not all too good to last - pinning my hopes on the drabble title!
#102:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:55 pm
    —
Thanks Becky, I've just caught up on the weekend's updates and I'm so glad that things seem to be working out so far. They make such a lovely family and I'm glad that Gill was able to see that.

Thank you Very Happy

Kathryn
#103:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 8:16 pm
    —
Awwww is Phillipe going to turn out to be a doctor? Mike is so good with him.

Thanks Becky
#104:  Author: dackel, Location: Wolfenbuettel, Germany/Cambridge, England PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 10:39 pm
    —
What a happy family scene!

*wanders off humming tunelessly in satisfaction*
#105:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 1:48 pm
    —
I'm hoping that we aren't too near the end - I'm sure there's a lot more happiness to write about! I'll feel bereft when I finally have to finish with Gill's family! Thank you for all your comments.

After the meal, Gill roped Genevieve into helping her with the clearing up and set Alex to making coffee and finding the after dinner mints she had bought especially for the occasion, leaving Arminel to take Mike through to the sitting room once more. Philippe went with them, and Arminel took Lily from her high chair, too. They sat down, while Philippe went off upstairs to get his homework for Arminel to check, and Mike looked questioningly at Arminel.
“Do you want to tell Philippe tonight?” he asked.
“May I?” she asked, looking thrilled by the idea.
“Yes, now that I have the necessary approval,” he said with a grin. “I thought it was better to smooth the way with your mother before announcing it everywhere.”
“Oh, I see,” said Arminel. “Will you be smoothing the way with your family, too?”
Mike looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure yet,” he admitted. “I have been thinking about it, though. I think it’s high time I stopped behaving like some idiotic schoolboy and spoke to them like a grown up.”
Arminel patted his knee. “Good for you,” she said approvingly. “And if you want moral support, then you can count on me. Not that you will, I imagine, after facing my mother alone.”
Philippe reappeared with his maths book, and the spellings he had to learn for the week, and sat down next to Arminel. “The maths was easy,” he told her. “It’s only multiplication.”
“Before I check it there’s something I want to tell you,” said Arminel, sliding her arm around Philippe’s shoulders.
“What’s that?” he asked, regarding her with his big dark eyes.
“Dr. Mike has asked me to marry him,” she told him, watching his reaction carefully. Although she was almost certain that he would be pleased, there was no telling what odd idea might hit him and make him think that his mother should not get married. “What do you think?”
“You’re going to marry Dr. Mike?” he asked, sounding as though he had never for a moment considered the idea. “Really?”
“Really,” answered Arminel with a smile.
Philippe looked past her, to Mike. “Does that mean I can call you Dad?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“Yes, of course,” answered Mike at once. “If you would like to.”
“I know it’s not quite the same as Papa,” Philippe explained, turning to Arminel once more. “But I haven’t had a father before and I really like the idea.”
Metaphorically heaving a sigh of relief, Arminel smiled at him. “I’m glad to hear it,” she told him.
“But you do realize that dads aren’t just for fun, don’t you?” said Mike gently. “They sometimes say things that their sons don’t want to hear. But it’s only because they love them and want them to grow up into good men.”
“Oh, I know,” Philippe assured him. “Joachim told me that his dad smacked him when he found he’d broken a vase. He’d been playing ball inside even though he was told not to. That’s what dads have to do, even though they don’t enjoy it. But I’m very good, Dr. Mike. You probably won’t have to smack me very often.”
Somehow managing to keep a straight face, Mike nodded. “Yes,” he agreed. “You are very good, Philippe. I’ve never been a dad before and I’m glad I’m going to be starting with you.”
“Can I go and tell Gran now?” asked Philippe eagerly, leaping to his feet.
“Yes, but be quick,” Arminel answered. “I need to check your homework.”
“Maybe Dr…Dad should do it,” said Philippe, turning back to Mike again. “Would you?”
Mike nodded. “I’d love to,” he admitted. “As long as it’s not too difficult for me.”
Philippe chuckled at that idea. “It won’t be,” he said, before dashing off into the kitchen to break the glad tidings to his grandmother.
#106:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 1:49 pm
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That was so moving
Phillipe is so sweet
#107:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 1:50 pm
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Thanks Becky! I do hope that we get to see a happy reunion with the Maynards Very Happy

Kathryn
#108:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 1:59 pm
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That was lovely; I want to see the Maynards too.
#109:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 2:04 pm
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Awwwwww *making (quiet) happy squeeing noises & echoing the calls for a happy reunion with the Maynards*
#110:  Author: Mia, Location: London PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 2:06 pm
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Awww luffly!
#111:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 2:06 pm
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Lovely.

Hope everything goes ok with the Maynards.
#112:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 2:07 pm
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That was lovely - thanks Very Happy .
#113:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 2:30 pm
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Wheeee! How exciting and Philippe is soo sweet!

Thank you!
#114:  Author: Ally, Location: John Bettany's Cabin! PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 3:38 pm
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Aww thats so luffly! *happy sighs* Thanks Very Happy
#115:  Author: Rosy, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 8:47 pm
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Awww.


Am also intrigued by the prospect of a meeting with the Maynards.
#116:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 9:33 pm
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They can't hate Arminel as she's a Chalet School girl!
#117:  Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 2:46 am
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I want to see the announcement to the San Very Happy Gruff Dr Maynard succumbs at last....
#118:  Author: Identity Hunt, Location: UK PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:19 am
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jennifer wrote:
I want to see the announcement to the San Very Happy Gruff Dr Maynard succumbs at last....


Oooh, and me !!!!! Laughing
Thanks Fatima, I have enjoyed this so much !
#119:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 12:59 pm
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My eyes are getting more teary as I read each post...
#120:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 1:31 pm
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Ahh! Isn't Philippe sweet?
#121:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:38 pm
    —
And here we have some more unadulterated happiness! Thanks for all your kind comments.

The following Saturday saw Mike collecting Arminel early in the morning and taking her to Interlaken for the express purpose of buying an engagement ring. Gill had taken Arminel to one side and offered her the ring that she had worn for her brief engagement to Arminel’s father, and Arminel had been sorely tempted to accept. However, she did not like to mention it to Mike until they had been and looked for their own ring. Only then, if they found nothing suitable, would she suggest that she used Gill’s ring.
They parked the car easily, thanks to their early arrival, and set off for the shops hand in hand. The previous few days had been exciting, as the news of their engagement spread and their colleagues at the Gornetz Hospital congratulated them and wished them every happiness together. Arminel was touched by the good wishes they received, for she had not expected anyone to be interested in doing anything more than gossiping about them behind their backs. Mike was frankly shocked, for he seldom had people come up to him even to make polite conversation, and yet they had shaken his hand and seemed genuinely happy for him.
It was a lovely sunny day, and promised to be very hot later, so Mike and Arminel hoped to be back in the relative coolness of the Platz by lunchtime. They wandered around, looking in the windows of the jewellers’ shops and gazing at the array of beautiful rings that were on sale. Arminel found many of them rather flashy, and was relieved that Mike agreed with her.
“I was only pointing them out because they are big and expensive,” he told her. “I don’t want you to think that I’m not prepared to do this properly.”
Arminel squeezed his hand. “I’m not interested in big and expensive,” she assured him. “I’m interested in something unusual and special.”
Mike smiled down at her, remembering his first wife’s insistence on a rather gaudy solitaire diamond, as some of her friends had told her that they were the best sort of engagement rings. He still remembered taking it to the pawn shop and then giving all of the money he received for it to charity. There was no way he wished to have that hanging around as a dreadful reminder of all that he had lost. “In that case, let’s go and look somewhere else,” he suggested, drawing her away from the window and turning down a much quieter side street. Around another corner he took her and finally they stopped outside a quaint little shop with a very different sort of jewellery inside. At once Arminel knew that they had come to the right place, for there in the corner of a cushion of fabulous antique rings she saw the very ring she wanted. It was of very old looking gold, and was set with small purple stones, and as soon as she saw it, Arminel knew that she would be satisfied with no other.
Mike, who had noticed her rapt expression, smiled tenderly at her. “Well?” he asked, knowing that she was thrilled by her find, but unsure yet which ring she wanted.
“That one,” she said, pointing at it. “The one with the little purple stones.”
“Come on, then, we’ll go in and try it for size.” Mike drew Arminel into the shop and soon the shopkeeper had put the tray onto the counter for them to study more closely. Mike picked up the ring and slid it onto Arminel’s finger, delighted to see that it fitted her perfectly.
“What do you think?” she asked him anxiously. If he did not like it, she knew that she would not be able to insist. Theirs was going to be a relationship built on mutual respect and consideration for each other’s feelings, and Arminel could not imagine getting a ring that Mike did not approve of.
“I think you’re beautiful,” he told her seriously.
Arminel blushed furiously as the man behind the counter smiled indulgently at the insanity of the English. “About the ring,” she told him.
“Lovely,” he said, grinning at her.
“You aren’t just saying that?”
“No,” he told her, finally managing to sound serious again. “It’s gorgeous.” He pulled out his wallet and looked expectantly at the shopkeeper. “We’ll take this one, please.” Once he had paid what he considered to be a ridiculously low price for the ring, Mike slipped his arm around Arminel’s shoulders and they walked out into the sunshine once more.
“Thank you,” she said softly, sliding her arm around his waist and looking up at him. “It’s perfect. And so are you.”
Mike leaned down and lightly kissed her and they almost walked into an old lady with a small dog going in the opposite direction. Mike stammered out an embarrassed apology, but the lady said something about the joys of being young and in love in a very thick local patois and winked at them, then headed off along the street again.
“Let’s go and have coffee,” Mike suggested, once he had recovered from the encounter. “I’ll treat you to a huge piece of chocolate cake, too.”
“Yes, that would be lovely,” agreed Arminel, in no hurry to get back to the Platz. She could imagine few things sweeter than spending time with Mike, behaving as if they were any ordinary newly-engaged couple, enjoying the prospect of spending their whole life together and yet still enjoying the happiness that characterised the start of a new relationship. They headed back to the main street, where they knew of a wonderful patisserie that sold the most amazing selection of delicious cream cakes, and strolled along, laughing about the old lady and the shopkeeper, and being completely absorbed in one another.
As they reached the patisserie, they paused to look in the window at the mouth-watering selection of cakes available, and then Mike heard his name being called. He turned and found himself looking at two stunningly handsome people, very fair, tall and slim and athletic-looking, guaranteed to turn heads wherever they went.
#122:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:43 pm
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Who? The "very fair" is making me think Felix and Felicity. (Although I may have Felix on the brain.)

Thanks Becky, that was lovely.
#123:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:45 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I wonder who the two people are.
#124:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:47 pm
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I hope this goes well; Mike is so happy!
#125:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:51 pm
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An antique ring and cake ...
#126:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:58 pm
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I just caught up on loads and now I am in the best mood possible, despite having exams all this week! It is hot and sunny and everyone in the drabble is happy!! Thanks so much Fatima! Very Happy
#127:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:11 pm
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Ooo how lovely and yes the two F's sprung to my mind too!

Thank you Fatima!
#128:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:04 pm
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I do hope it's the 2 Fs! And I hope they're nice...

Thanks Becky - its all so happy and wonderful.

You do realise that once you've 'done' Gill's family you can do Jacynth and Gay...
#129:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 12:30 pm
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Antique amethysts, drooly.
#130:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 2:09 pm
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I’m really not sure where this came from, but you wanted Maynards, so here they are! And as for the ice-skating bit, well, the bunnies insisted!

“Mike?” the lady asked again, seeming momentarily unsure of herself.
The man was not so uncertain, however. “Mike!” he exclaimed. “Of all the people to meet here!”
“As I live nearby it can hardly be that much of a surprise,” he said dryly, but he did shake the hand that the man offered him.
“You look so well,” the lady cried, giving Mike a hug and kissing him warmly. “It’s so good to see you again.”
Once she had released him, Mike drew Arminel forward. “Arminel, these are Felicity and Felix, my brother and sister. Felicity, Felix, this is Arminel Laroche, my fiancée.”
Two almost identical pairs of bright blue eyes turned upon Arminel, as if noticing her for the first time. “How nice to meet you,” said Felicity, extending a beautifully manicured hand to Arminel. “How on earth did my awful brother persuade you to take him on?”
Glad of the firm grip that Mike had around her, Arminel was able to smile back at the twins. “Hello,” she said. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
“We’re just going to have coffee,” said Mike, indicating the patisserie. “Would you like to join us?”
“Yes, that would be lovely, thank you,” said Felicity, taking Mike’s other arm, almost as if she was afraid that he would run away, Arminel thought.
Felix led the way into the patisserie and they found a table easily, as it was still reasonably early. Once they had ordered their coffee and cakes, there was an awkward silence. Arminel wondered how long it was since Mike had last seen Felix and Felicity and what he thought about the coincidence of meeting them in Interlaken. She sincerely hoped that he would be all right with the idea of spending some time with them, although his expression was currently rather blank and she was not sure how he felt. As if he sensed her worry, Mike reached for her hand and held it in his, his grip warm and comforting. Arminel smiled at him and he smiled back, his pleasure in her company obviously not diminished at all by the arrival of his siblings.
“How come you are in Interlaken?” Mike asked, turning to the silvery fair twins.
“We’re doing a show here,” explained Felicity.
“They are professional ice skaters,” said Mike, turning to Arminel. “Fliss originally wanted to be a ballerina, but she grew too tall, so she decided to move her career in a different direction.”
As Mike paused to draw breath, Arminel suddenly realized with whom they were sitting. “They won that gold medal in the Olympics a few years ago!” she said, and then she blushed, realizing how foolish she sounded.
Felix grinned at her, looking surprisingly like Mike as he did so. “That’s us,” he said cheerfully. “Fliss needed a partner and so I got roped in. The rest, as they say, is history.”
“You have enjoyed it just as much as me,” Felicity reminded him. “Yes, we’re appearing in an ice spectacular for ten days here in Interlaken,” she went on. “We arrived yesterday and we’ve taken the first opportunity to come out and revisit our old haunts. We wondered if we’d come up to the Platz after the show tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’m sure Len would be thrilled to see you,” said Mike dryly.
“We did plan on looking you up, too,” said Felix. “Why don’t you come to one of our shows and then we’ll take you both out to dinner afterwards? We’d love to see you again, Amanda.”
“Arminel,” Mike corrected him.
“It’s a very unusual name,” Felicity commented. “Where are you from, Arminel? That is, if you don’t mind us asking.”
Mike glanced at Arminel and saw that she seemed perfectly at ease with them asking. “She’s a Chaletian,” he informed them, grinning at her.
“Yes, I’ve lived on the Platz all my life,” she said, warming to the twins. They were so friendly and unaffected despite their status as world-famous ice-dance champions. “My mother was at the school, and my sisters and I went there, too.”
“You always said I should end up with a Chalet Girl,” said Mike, now seeming far more at ease with the twins.
“Our family always does,” said Felix. “All but me, that is!”
“We’ll reserve seats for you,” said Felicity. “Which night is best?”
“A matinee is best,” said Mike. “Our son is nine and he’d be thrilled to come and meet you.”
With merely the most fleeting look of surprise at Mike’s revelation, Felicity agreed that they should attend the matinee the following weekend. She promised to take them all out for a meal afterwards, and perhaps even try to make time to get up to the Platz during the week to meet Philippe and see Arminel again.
“But we really should be off,” Felicity wound up, having hardly touched her cake. “We are due for a rehearsal in an hour.” She stood up and offered Arminel her hand, and then patted Mike’s shoulder.
Felix followed her lead. “It’s great to see you both,” he said, his voice full of genuine warmth. “I’m looking forward to next weekend already. Don’t be a stranger, Mike.”
Mike shook hands with Felix, beginning to feel happier about the idea of getting in touch with his family once again. “I won’t,” he said, sounding confident of keeping that promise. “Break a leg, or whatever it is I have to say to you!”
“But not literally,” said Arminel with a smile. She shook hands with Felix, and then the twins were heading out of the patisserie, apparently oblivious to the admiring glances of most of the clientele. It was clear that they were either oblivious to their striking looks, or so used to being stared at that they no longer noticed it.
#131:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 2:18 pm
    —
Hmm ... well, Felicity wanted to be a ballet dancer so I suppose being an ice-skater's along the same kind of lines! Thanks Becky Very Happy !
#132:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 2:22 pm
    —
Just a minute; you mean Mike lives at Freudesheim and Len is at the school and they don't speak? Shocked
#133:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 2:36 pm
    —
All very interesting...

Thank you Fatima
#134:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 2:55 pm
    —
Thank you, Becky. Very interesting...
#135:  Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 2:59 pm
    —
Wow. Are we going to find out what is behind all this?

I had forgotten that Len was the headmistress now - why isn't she still friendly with Mike?
#136:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 3:01 pm
    —
Hmmm... Very curious about why Mike has such a difficult relationship with his family. Thanks Becky.
#137:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 3:31 pm
    —
Thanks Becky, I love the idea of Felix and Felicity being ice skaters - absolutely inspired!

So sweet that Mike refers to 'our son'...it's lovely to see them both so happy!

Kathryn
#138:  Author: Mrs Redboots, Location: London, UK PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 8:24 pm
    —
Thank you, Becky! Are they ice dancers or pairs skaters - professional pairs skating is utterly terrifying to watch!
#139:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 10:21 pm
    —
Ooooh is it me or was Felicity just a leetle bit off there?

Thanks Becky
#140:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 4:28 am
    —
Mrs Redboots wrote:
Thank you, Becky! Are they ice dancers or pairs skaters - professional pairs skating is utterly terrifying to watch!

Embarassed I have absolutely no idea! For some reason the bunnies often inspire me to write things that I have no idea about!
KathrynW wrote:
So sweet that Mike refers to 'our son'

He thought it would be a bit involved to go into Arminel's history at the first meeting!
francesn wrote:
Ooooh is it me or was Felicity just a leetle bit off there?

It was you! What made you think that? Thanks for all your comments, and here's some more.

“I’m going to call on my family,” said Mike as the door closed behind Felix and Felicity. “Maybe it won’t be too bad.”
“I don’t think it will be too bad,” said Arminel thoughtfully. “I think they’ll welcome you back with open arms.”
“And then I shall drag you along to meet them all,” he said with a grin. “They’ll be thrilled to see that I’ve found a Chaletian! My first brother, Steve, married a Chalet girl, as did my second brother, Charles. Felix has yet to be pinned down by anyone. And Geoff married one of Phil’s school friends. My mother will be glad to hear that I’ve finally weakened and found a Chaletian for myself.”
Arminel laughed at him. “You actually sound quite enthusiastic about meeting up with them all again,” she observed.
Mike nodded thoughtfully. “Some of them,” he admitted. “I’m not keen on seeing Len or my mother again. They had very much a ‘told you so’ attitude to my marriage break up, and I’m sure they were glad to be proved right. When my father died, Len refused to move into Freudesheim with Mother, and said Mother had to go and live with her and her family. Everyone moved out, except me, and then they stopped calling round, and I stopped calling them and we just drifted apart. It was as if we were so near that it wasn’t worth making the effort to see each other. Finally, one Christmas, when I did go and see them all at Len’s place, they were on at me for never troubling myself to find out how they were or anything and, after a couple of glasses of wine, everyone said a bit more than they ought to have done and I left. That was the last time I saw them, other than if we met by accident anywhere.”
“Oh, Mike, I’m sorry,” said Arminel, her voice full of compassion. “It’s so easy to let friendships slide – look at Chantal and me – and I can see how easy it would be for you to drift away from them all. I hope you do decide to go and see them. I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you.”
“You are so wonderfully optimistic,” said Mike appreciatively. “All I ever thought is that they would tell me how much better it was when I wasn’t around and make me wish I’d never bothered.”
“That’s because you are so wonderfully pessimistic,” she told him with a chuckle. “Would you be upset if I ate Felicity’s cake? She didn’t even touch it.”
“Go ahead,” said Mike, pushing the plate towards her. “It’s a shame to waste it.”
“Felix and Felicity were certainly happy to see you,” Arminel went on, between mouthfuls of the delicious éclair.
“Yes,” he agreed. “But the kids were never really part of the disagreement. I think they felt uncomfortable having to choose sides, and I wasn’t so cut off from them as I was from Mother and Len. Geoff does phone occasionally, and Phil writes lovely long letters telling me what she’s up to.” Mike sighed. “I am beginning to feel that I have wasted my life,” he admitted. “I’ve been alone for so long and have cut myself off from everyone. I’m such an idiot.”
Arminel patted his arm comfortingly. “But now you have realized it and plan to change all that,” she reminded him. “And you haven’t wasted your life. I’ve heard all that people have said about the hospital and how you have got it on its feet and brought it into the modern world. I’m sure it took a lot of your time and energy getting that done, so you had little time for yourself.”
“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he told her sincerely. “Come on, eat up the cake and then I’ll take you home and we can plan my next meeting with my family.”
#141:  Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 7:35 am
    —
Thank you for filling in the blanks!

It was really lovely to see how positive Arminel was and I am looking forward to seeing the family reunion.

Laughing
#142:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 7:43 am
    —
Laughing I love the way Steve, Charles and Geoff are all married to CS girls as well!
#143:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:04 am
    —
This is so nice. Thanks Becky.

Hope the meeting with Mike's family goes ok.
#144:  Author: Rosy, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:12 am
    —
Eilidh wrote:
Hope the meeting with Mike's family goes ok.


Why do I suspect the PBs aren't going to play nicely with this?

Thankyou!
#145:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:14 am
    —
Rosy wrote:
Eilidh wrote:
Hope the meeting with Mike's family goes ok.


Why do I suspect the PBs aren't going to play nicely with this?


*whistles tunelessly to block out Rosy's thoughts* It's all going to be fine, yes.

Thank you.
#146:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 12:17 pm
    —
Would Jo's sons dare marry outside the CS?

I'm glad that Felix and Felicity approve of Arminel.

I wish I dare eat two pieces of cake.
#147:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 12:37 pm
    —
Thanks, Arminel. I'm glad to find out what has happened to the rest of the Maynard family.
#148:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 1:04 pm
    —
It's going to live up to its title and I have the bunnies whipped into shape at last! And now, back to a previous theme...

After they had returned from their holiday in France, Chantal found that she still felt exhausted. She was completely happy with Sabine, and loved nothing more than taking her for a walk in the park, or playing with her on the living room floor, and she was starting to feel a failure as a mother because she always so tired and listless. Some afternoons, when she put Sabine down for her nap, Chantal then went off to bed herself and slept as deeply as her little daughter, although she did not admit that to Louis. Louis was still ecstatic about Sabine and never ceased to extol her virtues and go on about how much better their lives were since she had come to them. He would not think much of Chantal if she could not cope with Sabine, and she would feel even more of a failure than she already did.
Finally, when September came and she still felt no better, Chantal decided that she ought to visit the doctor. She made an appointment with a highly recommended lady doctor in Interlaken, and hid the appointment card in the bottom of her handbag so that Louis would not discover it. Once he had left for work, she dressed Sabine and put her in the pushchair and set off for the surgery. It was a beautiful morning, indicating that autumn was not yet on its way, and Chantal decided that she would stop off in the park on her way home so that Sabine could go on the swings. Having spent so much time in the park over the summer, Chantal had begun to wonder if they ought to move house, going to somewhere with a garden. It had been all very well living in a flat when it had just been Louis and herself, but now that they had Sabine to consider, Chantal thought that a little house with a small garden might be more suitable.
At the surgery, Chantal went straight in to see the doctor. She answered the doctor’s questions honestly and then lay out on the bed for a brief examination. When she was sitting down opposite the doctor once more, the doctor smiled at her.
“Congratulations,” she said. “It would appear that you are about three months pregnant.”
“What?” demanded Chantal, her eyes wide. “No, you must be mistaken. I can’t have children.” As she saw the doctor’s questioning glance at the occupant of the pushchair, Chantal explained, “Sabine is adopted.”
“Well, you most definitely can have children,” the doctor assured her with a smile. “And you most definitely will, in about six months. Let me refer you for a scan, Mrs. Laroche, and perhaps you’ll find it easier to believe when you can really see it.”
“Are you sure?” asked Chantal, suddenly realizing how likely it was that she was pregnant. She remembered feeling sick and recalled that she had suddenly begun to drink chocolate milkshake at very odd times of the day and night.
“Yes, I’m quite sure,” the doctor agreed with a smile. She did a few calculations and sat back in her chair again. “It will be due on 10th March. Make another appointment with the receptionist and come back and see me next month. Meanwhile, go and get a scan done.” She scribbled on a referral form and passed it across to Chantal. “Can you get up to the Gornetz Hospital? They have an excellent reputation for scans and prenatal care.”
With her mind spinning, Chantal took the paper and left the doctor’s office. She walked out into the sunshine and along the street without really noticing where she was going, and it wasn’t until she found herself heading in completely the wrong direction that she realized she should pull herself together. She turned the pushchair around and decided that she would call on Louis at the bank, as it was almost lunchtime. He could bring his sandwiches to the park and eat with them while she told him the news.
#149:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 1:05 pm
    —
Glad the bunnies are behaving!
#150:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 1:08 pm
    —
So pleased for them. Thank you.
#151:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 1:09 pm
    —
Thanks, Fatima. I'm sending some treats for the bunnies as they've given us so much today.
#152:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 3:30 pm
    —
Thanks Becky - it's wonderful to see everyone so happy!

Kathryn
#153:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 5:08 pm
    —
Bless Chantal, she can't believe it!
Thanks Fatima
#154:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 6:00 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. That is really great!
#155:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 12, 2006 7:41 pm
    —
Very nice... glad to hear why Mike doesn't get on with the family. It could be worse.
#156:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 5:20 am
    —
Chantal went up in the lift to Louis’ office, a poky little room with a lovely view of the park, and hoped she did not look too shocked as she knocked on the door and opened it when he bade her enter. She did her best to compose her features into a serene smile, determined to wait until they were comfortably ensconced on a park bench before breaking the news to him.
“Hello,” he said, sounding thrilled that they had come to visit him. “What brings you here?” He got up from behind the desk and came across to lift Sabine from the pushchair.
“We were in the vicinity and though we’d come and invite you to join us for lunch,” Chantal answered. “It’s just about time.”
“I’d love to,” said Louis with enthusiasm. “I’ll get my sandwiches.” He found the little packet of sandwiches that Chantal had prepared for him and put them in the tray beneath the pushchair and they set off for the park. Louis carried Sabine, enjoying the feel of her chubby arms around his neck and her delighted babble as he chatted to her. On the way to the park they bought some more sandwiches, so that Chantal and Sabine would have something to eat, and then they found a bench in a quiet part of the park, and settled down for their impromptu picnic.
As Sabine ran around on the grass, chasing a butterfly and picking daisies, Chantal looked at Louis from the corner of her eye. He was watching Sabine and munching contentedly on his sandwich and was absolutely oblivious to the wonderful news that Chantal was about to impart to him. She smiled to herself, enjoying the anticipation of surprising Louis so much. Louis called Sabine over for another mouthful of her sandwich, and watched proudly as she ran off again afterwards.
“Louis,” said Chantal, “We went to the doctor’s this morning.”
His attention fully on Chantal now, Louis looked surprised. “Why?” he demanded. “Is Sabine all right?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “She’s fine.”
“So why did you…are you sick, Chantal?” he asked with as much concern as he had showed when he thought that something might be wrong with Sabine.
“No,” she said, still smiling. “I’m not sick either.” Louis looked so puzzled that Chantal took pity on him. “I’ve been feeling so tired lately and I was getting worried,” she went on.
“You didn’t say anything,” he rebuked her.
“No, I didn’t want you to think I am a dreadful mother,” she said. “But I wondered if I’d got some virus or something, so I went to the doctor today.” She broke off as Sabine came over for a sip of her drink and another bite of sandwich, but Louis was not as willing to be distracted.
“So what’s wrong?” he demanded.
“I couldn’t believe it when she told me,” Chantal warned him. “It was rather a shock.”
“What is it?” he asked, looking worried to death now. “Chantal, tell me.”
“I’m pregnant,” said Chantal, abandoning her teasing. “We are going to have another baby, Louis.”
Louis was rendered temporarily speechless by her news. After so many years of hoping and praying and disappointment, they had finally abandoned any hope of ever having a baby of their own. He had been more than happy with the baby they had adopted, and knew that he would be content to raise her as their only child, but now everything had changed. Not only would they have Sabine, they would have a baby of their own, too. Louis reached out and took Chantal in his arms, holding her so carefully it was as if he was scared he could hurt her.
“Oh, Chantal,” he said at last, his voice full of awe. “That’s fabulous. I just can’t believe it. You are wonderful!”
Chantal chuckled. “It’s miraculous, isn’t it,” she said happily. “The doctor has referred me to the hospital for a scan. She thought we’d be better able to believe it if we saw it for ourselves.”
“Let’s go tomorrow,” said Louis enthusiastically. “We can leave Sabine with your mother and get the scan done with a little peace and quiet.”
“All right,” agreed Chantal, for she had hoped that Louis would want to go to the hospital at the first possible opportunity.
“And how are you feeling?” asked Louis anxiously.
“Wonderful at the moment,” she admitted with a smile. “But I feel tired all the time. Most days I sleep all afternoon.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” he asked.
“I didn’t think there was anything wrong and I didn’t want you to think that I was a bad mother, being tired out all the time.”
“I would never think that,” Louis reassured her. “I can’t get over how much you still manage to do, even with Sabine to run around after. Look, I’d better get back to work. I’ll arrange for the day off tomorrow, and we’ll go up to the Platz. Be careful, darling. Don’t walk too quickly and don’t carry Sabine around. She’s too heavy for you now.”
Chantal realized that Louis would probably drive her crazy with his excessive concern about her health, but decided against rebuking him for it yet. “I’ll be careful,” she promised. “See you later.”
Louis kissed her and caught Sabine for her. He put her safely in her pushchair and kissed her, too, then he was striding off across the park and back to his office, leaving Chantal to clear up the remains of their picnic and then to set off home.
#157:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 6:35 am
    —
Louis and Chantal are so lovely together.
#158:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 7:45 am
    —
Thanks Becky Very Happy .
#159:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 9:48 am
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So nice.

Thanks Becky.
#160:  Author: Rosy, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 11:35 am
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Aw. So nice, that was a lovely scene!
#161:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:51 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I'm glad that Louis is pleased about the news.
#162:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 1:06 pm
    —
I really hope everything works out okay for them.
#163:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 4:02 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky, I'm so glad that Louis took the news so well.
#164:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 4:29 pm
    —
Thanks for all your commenst.

Hélène, Chantal’s mother, was thrilled to hear that they wanted her to look after Sabine while they went off to the hospital for a scan. She readily abandoned the housework and dispatched Chantal’s father, Hans, to the loft to hunt out some of Chantal’s old toys that were stored up there. Louis and Chantal set off across the Platz together and were soon entering the large hospital, both doing their best to suppress feelings of excitement. They were directed to the ultrasound department, and were soon in the waiting room, where Chantal was obliged to consume as many glasses of water as she physically could. They were then called into one of the little rooms and a doctor performed the scan. To their astonishment, they could make out the baby very easily, and it was enough to convince them that their wildest dreams had come true and that they really were to have a baby. By the time that they left the doctor, they were both in tears and were clutching the first ‘photos’ of their baby. They had been assured that everything was well, but as they did not wish to know whether it was a boy or a girl, the doctor kept her own counsel on that score. It was enough to know that they were really going to have a baby of their own; the sex of the baby was unimportant beside that.
As they went through the hospital they encountered Arminel. She took one look at them and immediately jumped to the conclusion that something was badly wrong. “What’s happened?” She skipped all the polite greetings, her face white. “It’s not Sabine, is it?”
Louis smiled at her, realizing how they must look, both with tearstained cheeks. Before he could enlighten his sister, however, Chantal had thrown herself into Arminel’s arms and was tearfully explaining their presence at the hospital.
“We’ve been for a scan,” she said, “And I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby!”
“Thank goodness for that,” said Arminel, relieved beyond measure that no one was dead or dying. “And congratulations! I’ve heard that people who can’t have children and then adopt do often find that they have their own children after that. It’s as if all the pressure is gone and they fall pregnant because they are no longer worried about it all. I’m so pleased for you both.” She released Chantal and gave Louis a hug, too. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day.”
“We’ve left Sabine with Tante Hélène,” said Louis, “And we ought to be getting back to them. We’ll see you soon, Arminel.”
Arminel watched as they left the hospital, then she returned to her work, her mind only half on the happiness of Louis and Chantal, for that evening she was due to be having dinner with Mike’s formidable mother, Jo Maynard, and his equally formidable sister, Len. Although she was thrilled that Mike had made contact with them and was back on good terms with them once more, she was somewhat nervous of going to meet them herself. Mike had assured her that they were thrilled at the prospect of Mike marrying her. Len remembered Arminel from her schooldays, for she had been the Head Mistress of the Chalet School and Arminel one of the prefects. Arminel had also met Mrs. Maynard several times, but it was one thing to meet her when you were a member of the school in which she had been so interested, and quite another to meet her as the woman who wished to marry her errant son. In fact, nervous scarcely began to describe the way Arminel felt, and she could not give Chantal’s news the consideration it deserved until she had survived the ordeal ahead of her.
#165:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 4:39 pm
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Oh dear, I do hope Jo and Len have learned not to prate on about the CS.
#166:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 6:00 pm
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Poor Arminel - what an ordeal to have to face Laughing !
#167:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 6:51 pm
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No wonder Arminel is feeling nervous about supper - I wouldn't want to be in her shoes at all!

Thanks Becky!

Kathryn
#168:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 9:26 pm
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Awww! Yay for Louis and Chantelle!
And fingers crossed for Arminel's meeting with the inlaws! Wink
#169:  Author: Ally, Location: John Bettany's Cabin! PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 9:37 pm
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How wonderful for Louis and Chantel, and I can't wait for Arminel to meet Joey and Len. Thanks Becky.
#170:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 9:27 am
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Why didn't Hélène get Hans to get Chantal's old toys out for Sabine?
#171:  Author: Mia, Location: London PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 11:03 am
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*also looking forward to the meeting*

Thanks Becky Smile
#172:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 1:21 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. I hope that the meeting will go well.
#173:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:05 pm
    —
Mike picked Arminel up from her home at seven o’clock that evening and they walked across the Platz to the big chalet that was the home of Mrs. Maynard and Mrs. Entwhistle and to any of their children or grandchildren that happened to be in the area at the time. It was also the scene of many gatherings of the family, or friends from the Platz, and although the two ladies that lived there were both retired, it was definitely not a quiet house. Mike and Arminel walked up the path and Mike rang the doorbell. It was answered very quickly by a tall lady with snow white hair, wearing a lime green twinset and pearls, and Arminel knew that this was Jo, Mike’s mother.
“Hello,” she said, her voice still golden even though she was now in her seventies. “Come in! It’s lovely to see you both.” She stood aside and Arminel went into the chalet, which was clean and tidy, but very homely. “Sit down, won’t you?” she called as she locked the door. “Let’s have some sherry.”
Arminel and Mike sat together on the settee, and Arminel was pleased to see that Mike seemed quite relaxed. He had been very nervous the first time he had gone to see them, but they had been so welcoming that he had actually begun to enjoy himself, sitting in the comfortable lounge and exchanging news with them. Jo poured some sherry and handed them a glass each. She poured some for herself and for Len and then disappeared into the kitchen to check that Len had everything under control.
Arminel sipped her sherry and looked around the living room. There were lots of photos arranged on the piano and the mantelpiece and she longed to go over and examine them, searching for pictures of the young Mike Maynard – if they displayed any, that is.
“Are you all right now?” whispered Mike, sliding his arm around her.
Arminel nodded. “Just about,” she replied, smiling at him.
Jo came back just in time to catch the look that Arminel was giving her son and inwardly felt relieved. She had not suggested anything to Mike, but she had been worried that Arminel had got her claws into Mike because he would make a suitable father for her children and would also be able to advance her career should she wish to be promoted. However, it was quite clear from the way that she was smiling at Mike that she genuinely cared for him and that put his mother’s mind to rest a little. After Mike’s first unfortunate foray into marriage, she hoped that he would be able to find someone worthy of him and perhaps he had now done so.
“I remember meeting you years ago, when you were at school,” Jo said to Arminel. “And I remember your dear mother so well. She was one of our best Head Girls and then she came back to work at St. Mildred’s. Oh, she gave your father such a run around before they got married.”
Arminel smiled, having heard the story of how her parents met many times. She remembered how Jo Maynard could chatter on for ages, not needing more than the occasional word of encouragement, and decided that it was preferable to listen to her repeating all the old school stories and legends of her own exciting life than to be quizzed by that lady and for Arminel to be the one repeating her life story. Before Jo could say much more, though, Len Entwhistle appeared from the kitchen. She was also a tall woman, with a commanding presence. Arminel remembered her well from her school days, a very competent teacher and head mistress, understanding and yet a good disciplinarian. All the girls had admired her and she had always done her best for the girls in her care. In all her born days, though, Arminel had never imagined sitting in Mrs. Entwhistle’s house as a prospective sister-in-law.
“Oh, Mother, you aren’t back on the school’s colourful past are you?” Len demanded, collecting her sherry glass and sitting in a comfortable armchair. “We’re meant to be entertaining Arminel, not boring her to death.”
“I was just putting her at her ease,” said Jo, completely unabashed. “Is the food ready yet? I did say that I should have done the cooking.” She rolled her eyes and grimaced at Mike. “But oh, no, Len knows best. She’s never been a good cook, even after all these years of practice.”
“I take after you in that respect,” said Len. “So, Arminel, what did you think of the ice show? I hear that Felicity and Felix were absolutely marvellous.”
“Oh, they were,” agreed Arminel, and before long, she was chatting easily with Len and Jo and finding that it was not as difficult as she had feared it would be. They were both very easy to talk to, seeming to know instinctively what to say to draw her out and what topics were best avoided.
Len served dinner, which was actually far better than Jo’s comments had led Arminel to expect, and afterwards they sent Mike to do the washing up and took Arminel back to the sitting room for coffee. Guessing that they wished to speak to her while Mike was not there, Arminel was seized with anxiety. What if they were going to warn her off, to tell her that there was no way they were going to let her get married to Mike? What would she say to them? What if they wanted her to give up her children before she married him? What if they insisted that they both return to Freudesheim to live with Mike and Arminel once they were married? They seemed to be pleasant enough, but maybe they were just lulling her into a false sense of security.
Jo handed Arminel a cup of coffee and Len pressed some delicious Belgian chocolate mints on her. They both looked friendly, but Arminel knew that they were tough, determined women who did not let anything, or anyone, stand in their way.
“Arminel, there’s something we wanted to say to you,” said Jo, perching on the settee beside Arminel.
#174:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:08 pm
    —
Which is?
#175:  Author: Sarah_L, Location: Leeds PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:31 pm
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I know Mike was worried about being so much older than Arminel, but how old is he? And how old is Len? And where's Reg? Sorry, so many questions!
#176:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:36 pm
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I'm not sure of the ages - I did work it all out and now have lost the bit of paper I did it on! I think Mike's about 45, so Len's older. I think that Reg has died, although I've yet to decide when and how. Sorry I didn't make all that clearer!
#177:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 4:18 pm
    —
Oh well, that wasn't too bad, even if Joey did keep harping on about the past!
#178:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sun May 14, 2006 6:09 pm
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Ah yes, Joey sounds exactly like my great-aunt Very Happy

It was really nice how they tried to put her at ease, thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#179:  Author: Mia, Location: London PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 9:59 am
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Thanks Becky *waiting eagerly* Smile
#180:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 11:38 am
    —
Thanks for reading this Very Happy

Arminel took a deep breath and tried to look unconcerned. Len came to sit on her other side, and Arminel got the feeling that she was trapped. She could not escape, she had to sit and listen to whatever they wanted to say.
“We want to thank you,” said Jo, putting her hand on Arminel’s arm. “We know it was your influence that brought Mike back here and we’re really grateful to you.”
“He’s always been stubborn,” Len chipped in. “He’s dreadful at admitting he was wrong.”
“And we were thrilled when he came here and said how sorry he was that he’d cut himself off from us for so long,” said Jo. “Of course it was our fault as much as his, but he refused to listen to our apologies.”
“You are obviously very good for him,” Len added. “And we’re really glad that you are going to marry him.”
“We’d like to meet your children, too,” Jo went on. “How would you like to bring them round one day for tea? And perhaps you could bring your mother, too. It’s been far too long since we last saw her.”
They finally stopped talking and Arminel felt the relief sweep over her. They were actually pleased that she and Mike were engaged and they wanted to meet her children. She had wondered if they would be unimpressed with the children, but they were obviously as willing to welcome Philippe and Lily as they were to welcome Arminel herself. “It was Mike’s decision to come and see you,” she told them. “I just told him that I thought it was a good idea. I’d love to bring the children around to see you, and I’m sure Mum will come, too.”
“Good,” said Jo, as Mike came in from the kitchen. “Well done, Mike, you are improving with age,” she told him, pleased as he grinned at her.
“I hope you haven’t been bullying Arminel while I was chained to the kitchen sink,” he said, sitting in a chair opposite Arminel and winking at her. He was pleased to note that she did not look as though they had been mean to her, in fact she looked pleased and he felt that she had enjoyed their evening out. He accepted the coffee that Len passed him and sipped it contentedly, wishing that he had not waited so long to return to the fold. He smiled to himself as Arminel agreed to call Len with the best day for her to return with the children and Gill, knowing that everything would now be fine. If they were asking her to come back again, they obviously approved of her and that was all he wanted. He finished his coffee and set the cup on the coffee table before standing up. “Thank you for a lovely evening,” he said, smiling at the trio who were still ensconced in a line on the settee.
Taking her cue, Arminel stood up, too. “It’s been really nice to see you both,” she said sincerely.
“It’s been lovely to see you, too,” said Len. “And we’re very much looking forward to meeting Philippe and Lily.”
Len followed Mike and Arminel to the door and let them out. She and Jo stood on the doorstep and waved as their guests got to the corner and then disappeared from sight. Once they knew they could not be seen, Mike stopped and put his arms around Arminel and smiled down at her. “Well?” he demanded. “Did they give you a hard time?”
“No,” she hastened to reassure him. “They were fine. They thanked me for sending you back to them and they think I’m a very good influence on you!”
“That’s what I think, too,” Mike said seriously, looking down at the girl who had changed so much about his life so quickly and easily. He still lay awake at night and thought about her, hardly able to believe that she loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She was just so perfect and out of all the men in the world she had chosen him, perhaps one of the most imperfect men around. It was nothing short of a miracle, and he knew he was the luckiest man alive. “Shall we go for a walk?” he asked, for it was a beautiful evening and he could not bear to let her go just yet.
“That would be the perfect end to this evening,” she agreed at once.
#181:  Author: Mia, Location: London PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 11:41 am
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Awww thanks Becky, this is so lovely! Smile
#182:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 11:43 am
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This is so nice and happy. Thanks Becky.
#183:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 12:01 pm
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Sounds good thus far.
#184:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 12:06 pm
    —
Aahh! This is all sounding so good. I hope everything else runs smoothly.
#185:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 2:47 pm
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Thank you Becky, I'm so glad that Len and Joey are able to see what a good influence Arminel is on Mike Very Happy

Thank you!

Kathryn
#186:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:57 pm
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Glad Joey and Len approve Laughing !
#187:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:07 pm
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Yay! It's all so happy Very Happy

Thanks Fatima
#188:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:29 pm
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Happy happy happy!! Very Happy
#189:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2006 8:03 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. I'm glad that things went well with Len and Jo.
#190:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:09 pm
    —
They strolled along to the very edge of the Platz, where the views out across the valley were stupendous. It was a beautiful moonlit evening, and the valley seemed to be bathed in a soft silver light, making the whole place look magical. They found a bench set at one of the most scenic parts of the road and sat down, wanting to tarry and enjoy the view for a while.
Mike gently turned her to face him and then he leaned down and kissed her. “When do you want to get married?” he asked her. They had spent so much time worrying about meeting his mother that they had not discussed a wedding date at all.
“Soon,” she told him, softly tracing the line of his jaw with her fingertip.
“How soon?”
“As soon as we can.” She smiled, her face filled with an ethereal kind of beauty in the soft light of the moon.
“What about just before Christmas?” he suggested. “I think it would be lovely to go to the church in a sleigh and to go off to some remote cabin for our honeymoon.”
“Oh, yes,” she breathed, imagining a cosy living room and a blazing log fire.
“We’ll have to go and talk to the priest,” said Mike, trying to stop himself from imagining how beautiful she would look in the firelight. “And there’s something else,” he went on resolutely banishing pictures of them lying out on a rug in front of the fire, sipping champagne.
“What’s that?” she asked dreamily, her own thoughts filled with pictures of a gorgeously romantic wedding and a wonderful honeymoon.
“I’ve been thinking about the children,” said Mike.
“What about them?” she asked, the thought of them making her abandon her reverie.
“I’m not sure what you’ll think,” he said slowly, “But I’ve been wondering…”
“If we can have some children of our own?” she asked when he made no effort to continue. “Yes, of course. I’m hoping that we’ll have two or three of our own.”
“That would be wonderful,” he said, “But it wasn’t what I was thinking. Arminel, how would you feel if I said that I’d like to adopt Philippe and Lily?”
“Would you really? Yes, I’d like that very much, Mike. And I think Philippe would like it, too.”
“I feel so good about everything now,” he admitted. “I can’t wait to marry you. Both your mother and my mother approve and Philippe is happy about it. It’s almost too good to be true.”
“Oh, it’s definitely true,” she assured him, drawing him nearer so that she could kiss him again. “And to be honest, after all we’ve been through in our search for happiness, I think we deserve to get a fairytale ending, don’t you?”
Mike smiled. “We don’t want endings just yet,” he said. “Let’s concentrate on planning a fairytale beginning. We’ll set the date for mid December and get everyone working on the wedding. After that there will be plenty of time to worry about endings.”
Arminel wrapped her arms more closely around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. She began to imagine getting married in the winter, with snow on the ground, and how lovely everything would look on a crisp, clear morning. She wondered what she would wear, for white did not seem exactly appropriate, and she decided that she would call Héloïse and ask her if she would be willing to go to Interlaken one weekend to look at wedding dresses. Héloïse and Kurt still had not set a date for their wedding, but Arminel had her suspicions that Kurt would not want to wait for too long, so Héloïse ought to begin to think about her own dress.
“Arminel?”
Arminel suddenly realized that Mike had been speaking to her, but that she had been so lost in her own thoughts that she had not noticed. “Sorry,” she said, “I was thinking about a dress. What did you say?”
“I said it was time to go,” he told her apologetically. He tipped her face up towards his and kissed her once more, before drawing her to her feet and starting off along the road once more. All too soon they had arrived at her home, and he was saying goodbye to her again. He tried to tell himself that it was not long until Christmas, just a couple of months, but it still seemed too far away. He hated leaving her because he could not help worrying that she would suddenly realize what she was about to do and change her mind. Maybe she would see him for what he was - old, uninteresting, and undesirable - and would know that she was making a mistake. Mike knew that he would not survive if she left him; he had fallen so much in love with her that he could not envisage living without seeing her every day, telling her the things that worried or upset him and letting her comfort him and give him the strength to go on, sharing the joys of life with her and taking care of her and the children. “I love you,” he whispered as she clung to him. “Sleep well, darling, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Reluctantly Arminel allowed him to pull away, and even as she said goodnight, he was walking off up the path and onto the street. She sighed and unlocked the front door, unknowingly echoing his thoughts on the subject of the long wait they had before they got married, although she realized that the time would fly, what with work to do and the children to look after, and all the preparations for the wedding on top of it all. ‘And I’ve waited so long that it won’t hurt to wait a couple more months,’ she told herself bracingly. ‘Mike is worth waiting for, after all.”
#191:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:25 pm
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I take it this is Mike's catholic morality acting as a break.
#192:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:26 pm
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Thanks Fatima, Mike still has no confidence in himself, does he?
#193:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:39 pm
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Poor Mike. Don't have doubts! You're going to get married - you have to, cos I've already bought a hat.

Thanks Fatima
#194:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:44 pm
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Oh good, another new hat to buy!
#195:  Author: Mia, Location: London PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:46 pm
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*takes out second mortgage so can buy appropriate headgear* Very Happy Thanks Becky
#196:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 4:51 pm
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A winter wedding, how luscious!! I am looking foward to some girly shopping time between Arminel and Heloise! Very Happy Thanks Fatima
#197:  Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:03 pm
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Oh, these were a lovely couple of posts.

Smile
#198:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:55 pm
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Mmm...a winter wedding needs an entirely different kind of hat. In fact it needs an entirely different kind of outfit...

Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#199:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:09 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I'm glad that Mike wants to adopt Phillippe and Lily.
#200:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 7:58 pm
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I fancy a silk mix tweed suit and a small hat...
#201:  Author: tiffinata, Location: melbourne, australia PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 3:01 am
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Ahh, winter wedding!

Off to buy loads of thermal underwear and warm suits. D'you think they'd let me wear a beanie in the church? Wink
#202:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 1:11 pm
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I'm thinking velvet.....

Come on Becky! Please tell us more.
#203:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:08 pm
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Isn't all this excessive happiness cloying now? I am just so tempted to let disaster strike, as it's so hard to keep on writing in this happy vein!

Over the next few weeks, Mike and Arminel made lots of plans and by the end of November they felt that the wedding was going to run as smoothly as they possibly could make it. They had the little chapel on the Platz booked, along with a room at the classy Mirlhof Hotel for the reception. Mike had booked a honeymoon at an undisclosed location but he did promise the log fires of which they had been dreaming. For a while they had planned to take Philippe and Lily with them, but Gill had told them that she would be more than happy to look after the two children so that the newly weds could enjoy one another’s company without distraction. By then Lily would be a year old and would be able to survive for a week without Arminel, however reluctant Arminel might be to leave her.
Mike had also consulted his lawyer and begun to deal with the paperwork necessary for him to adopt Philippe and Lily. To their amazement it was remarkably easy and by the time that they were to get married, he was legally the father of Arminel’s children. Everyone had already got used to the idea by then, for Philippe always called Mike ‘dad’ and Lily stuck quite happily to ‘dada’. Even Gill had accepted it very easily; instead of advising Philippe that he should wait until his mother got home when he was naughty, she had started to tell him that he should wait until his father came round.
Spurred on by the planning done by Mike and Arminel, Kurt and Héloïse set a date for their wedding, and began the preparations for it, too. They decided that they would marry at the end of the school year, in the middle of July. They would then have the whole of the summer holiday to go off on a honeymoon and settle into the chalet that they were planning to buy on the Platz. Both Arminel and Héloïse asked Genevieve to be their bridesmaid, and Genevieve was thrilled to think that she would get to wear two beautiful dresses. She continued to talk endlessly about Antonio, and had promised that she would bring him to the Platz for Arminel’s wedding, so that everyone could meet him. She looked so much better than she had done for a couple of years, for she had continued to make an effort to eat properly and had put on enough weight to give her an excellent figure. She positively glowed with health and seemed to have calmed down no end and be taking her work seriously again, so her family had almost given up worrying about her.
Chantal had finally started to look pregnant; she had got over her feelings of nausea and fatigue and was able to rush around after Sabine again. Louis had tried being overprotective, but Chantal had put her foot down and told him that he was just being foolish. She still had things to do, she could not spend all day lying on the chaise lounge and resting, or they would not eat and she was quite certain that Louis did not want to take over the running of the house. She finally resorted to the advice of an experienced doctor and nurse, her father and mother, who assured Louis that Chantal really ought not to spend her entire pregnancy wrapped in cotton wool. They reminded him that they were as eager for the birth of a healthy baby as he was, and that they would never say anything that might jeopardise this outcome, and so Louis had to give in, and not complain when Chantal carried Sabine to bed, or dashed across the sitting room to lift her off of the back of the settee or the coffee table.
#204:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:20 pm
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Awww, everyone's so happy Very Happy !
#205:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:25 pm
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This is going so quickly; I don't want it to be over too soon...
#206:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:26 pm
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I like the happiness Very Happy

Thanks Becky!

Kathryn
#207:  Author: Rosy, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:30 pm
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The horizon was looking so pretty and clear, but I am getting just a hint of some clouds.

Thankyou Fatima.
#208:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 4:34 pm
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I am looking foward so much to all these weddings. Mmm disaster striking wouldn't be absolutely tragic Fatima, as long as it can be put right, well, almost straight away with no after effects!!!
Thanks Fatima Very Happy
#209:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:43 pm
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Thanks, Fatima. Please don't let disaster strike!
#210:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 17, 2006 7:01 pm
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The only question I can think of at this stage is, who is Antonio? Everything else looks safe short of a random accident. But what do I know? I'm beginning to realise you are a sneaky lot here!
#211:  Author: tiffinata, Location: melbourne, australia PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2006 2:08 am
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Antonio is Genevieve's love interest.

Becky, does this mean the saga continues in 'Jen and Tony'? Wink

(would your bunny like some carrots?) Twisted Evil
#212:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2006 8:46 am
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tiffinata wrote:
Becky, does this mean the saga continues in 'Jen and Tony'? Wink


That would be nice!

*sends chocolate and carrots for Becky and bunnies*
#213:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2006 12:25 pm
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Thanks, Fatima. Keeping my fingers crossed that nothing will go wron. And please, don't let Jo interfere too much.
#214:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 8:15 am
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I'm hoping to sort out Genevieve and everyone in this drabble. It's going to be the last one about Gill and her family (says she firmly!). I don't think it'll be over too soon, however, as there is a lot more to get through! Thanks for all your comments.

Just a few days before the wedding, Gill and Alex were sitting together in a quiet restaurant on the Platz, escaping from the pandemonium in their home, where Arminel and Héloïse were trying to wrap Christmas presents, Arminel was trying to pack her cases for the honeymoon, and Philippe was generally just so excited that he could scarcely contain himself. Fortunately, Lily was able to sleep through all the commotion, and Arminel was very glad she could, for Lily could now walk and would be fascinated by all the gifts being wrapped and all the clothes being packed neatly into the cases, and would probably insist on lending a hand with it all.
Gill and Alex had been thankful to take themselves out for the evening, for the next month would be hectic and it was nice to be able to enjoy a romantic dinner together before they had to survive the wedding and then take on responsibility for the children. On top of all that, they would be preparing for Christmas, although they would have Héloïse and Genevieve to help out, it was still a daunting task.
As she sat opposite Alex and watched him read through the dessert menu, Gill found herself thinking back to their wedding day. They had gone through a lot of heartache and soul-searching before finally getting married, but since then they had been almost ridiculously happy. He was not, and never would be, Armand, the love of Gill’s life, but he ran him a very close second and Gill knew that she was very lucky to have found him. She could only hope that Arminel would be as happy with Mike as she and Alex had been.
“What?” he asked, glancing up and seeing her looking intently at him.
“I was just hoping that Arminel would be as happy as we are,” she answered, for they were never anything other than truthful with one another.
“Surely you aren’t still worried about whether Mike is suitable for her?” Alex asked, surprised.
“Oh, no,” Gill assured him. “I think Mike will be good for her, because he can stand up to her. And there’s no doubt about how much the children love him.”
“I’m sure they’ll be very happy,” said Alex comfortably. “I’m going to have that huge ice-cream thing with the chocolate sauce. What would you like?”
“Apple pie,” she answered. “It’s just that Arminel has missed out on so much over the last ten years. I’d hate to see her miserable with Mike and still trying to find some nice man when she’s forty.”
Alex laughed. “She’s not going to be miserable with Mike,” he said with confidence. “They adore each other and they’ll be really happy together. Stop worrying about them, Gill, and concentrate on enjoying the days ahead. Genevieve will be back tomorrow and we’ll finally get to meet Antoine. I think that’s more worrying than thinking about Mike!”
“Yes, you’re right,” said Gill, sipping her wine. “I hope we like Antoine. Genevieve’s certainly very keen on him.”
“He’s been very good for her,” Alex reminded her. “Look how much more sensible she’s become since she started seeing him.”
“Yes, she’s much better,” said Gill, recalling the worries she had had over Genevieve. “So I suppose he must be nice.”
The waitress came across to them and they ordered their deserts, which arrived with a satisfying promptness. Alex began his ice-cream with evident enjoyment, and unobtrusively observed Gill as she started her apple pie. She looked less worried than she had for a while now, and he hoped that she would be able to relax and enjoy the wedding and then the Christmas festivities. He fervently hoped that Antoine would be every bit as nice as Genevieve claimed, for it would be lovely to see all of Gill’s children settled. Much as he loved the three girls, it would be nice to finally get Gill to himself and for them to be able to behave like the more traditional type of grandparents, who spent plenty of time with their grandchildren and still handed them back to the parents at the end of the day. It would be lovely to be able to relax with Gill in the evening, without feeding babies and changing nappies, or reading endless stories to enquiring minds.
“It’ll be odd when they go,” said Gill, echoing his thoughts. “But won’t it be nice when it’s just us? We haven’t been alone together since our honeymoon.”
Alex grinned at her. “What are you, a mind reader? That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Gill reached out to cover his hand with her own. “They do say that great minds think alike,” she reminded him with a smile. “You have been wonderful, Alex, taking on my family as you have done. Thank you for being so supportive.”
“I knew what I was getting myself into when I married you,” he reminded her, nonetheless pleased by her words. “And although it hasn’t exactly been plain sailing, I’ve been really happy. Having had no children of my own, it’s been great caring for yours and Arminel’s. I don’t regret a thing.”
“I’m glad,” she said, returning to her dessert. “Come on, let’s hurry up and get home. Maybe everyone will be in bed and we can watch some late night television together.”
Alex’s eyes twinkled as he smiled at her. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” he told her.
#215:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 8:56 am
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Alex is so nice! Hope Antoine is as well Very Happy .
#216:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 9:01 am
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Awwwwwwwww *mushy* Thank you Very Happy
#217:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 9:04 am
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Thank you Becky! So nice.
#218:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 9:34 am
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How nice to see Gill happy about things.
#219:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 11:47 am
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Thanks, Becky. I hope that they will get on ok with Antoine.
#220:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 1:01 pm
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Please Becky, where do you get a nice SLOC like Alex?
#221:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 2:40 pm
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Thank you Becky, it's lovely so see how well Gill and Alex have settled into married life together.

Kathryn
#222:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:06 pm
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Another bit, to make up for my laziness yesterday!

Genevieve and Antoine were to arrive by train in Interlaken and Alex was to go to the station to collect them. Their train was due in just before lunchtime, so Gill, Arminel and Héloïse had planned to cook a celebratory dinner in honour of Antoine’s first visit to the Platz. All three of them were very excited about meeting Antoine, and as they worked together in the kitchen they speculated about Genevieve’s young man.
“He’s going to be really dark and handsome,” said Héloïse with certainty. “I think he’ll be tall and slim, too.”
“No, he’ll be muscular,” said Arminel, “But I do agree with the dark and handsome bit.”
“I think he’ll be blond,” said Gill, stirring the gravy so that it was not lumpy. “And a man of personality,” she added. “He must be if he’s got Jen so well sorted out!”
Arminel laughed. “Yes, he certainly seems to have her eating out of his hand,” she agreed. “I really hope he’s nice. Imagine if we all hate him.”
“It won’t put her off,” said Gill, thinking of Arminel and Mike. “And we’ll all give him a fair chance, won’t we.”
“Yes, of course,” said Héloïse. “The vegetables are on now. I hope they aren’t late.”
“They’ll be here any minute,” said Arminel, glancing up at the clock. “The trains are seldom late.” She finished basting the chickens that they were roasting and closed the oven again. “Let’s pour some sherry,” she suggested.
“Just as long as you aren’t both tipsy when they get here,” Gill cautioned. “It's been a long time since you last drank much of anything strong, Arminel.”
“And we don’t want her saying anything too tactless,” agreed Mike, appearing in the kitchen in time to catch her last words.
“As if I would,” protested Arminel, but the smile he gave her meant that she could not even pretend to be annoyed with him.
Héloïse produced the glasses and Arminel returned with the bottle and they poured their sherry. Before they could do more than take their glasses, they heard a car outside and with one accord they put the glasses on the kitchen table and dashed into the sitting room. Héloïse peered out of the window and saw Alex’s car outside. “They’re here!” she said, straining to get the first glimpse of Genevieve and Antoine.
“What does he look like?” demanded Gill, all but pushing Héloïse out of the way.
“I can’t see him yet,” said Héloïse.
Arminel went into the hall and opened the front door, shivering slightly as the cold air rushed in. She was just in time to see the car door open and Genevieve climb out, followed by a nondescript young man well wrapped in a scarf and heavy coat. He helped Alex unload the cases from the boot while Genevieve ran up the path and flung herself on Arminel with a shriek of delight.
“Arminel!” she exclaimed, almost knocking her sister over. “I’m just so excited! This is going to be the best holiday ever!” Before Arminel could say anything, Gill appeared in the hall and Genevieve had released Arminel and was hugging her mother. For all her outward sophistication, Genevieve was still very much her mother’s girl and although she did not say very much, she missed Gill a lot during the time she spent in Milan. Gill kissed Genevieve warmly and returned the hug with interest then Genevieve was pulling away and turning to the door once more. Alex staggered in with Genevieve’s rather heavy case, followed by Antoine, carrying his own, much smaller suitcase.
“This is Antoine,” Genevieve declared, her voice full of pride. “Antoine, here’s my mother, and my sister Arminel.”
“Hello,” he said, his voice surprisingly deep and his English heavily accented. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Antoine put down his case and unwrapped the scarf from around himself, revealing that he was not as any of them had imagined. Alex closed the front door, ushering everyone into the living room, out of the cold, which was just as well, for Arminel could scarcely disguise her gasp of astonishment. Antoine was very plain, completely ordinary-looking, the sort of man one could pass in the street and not even notice. How he had snared Genevieve, with her darkly exotic beauty, Arminel could not even begin to imagine; she was surprised that Genevieve had looked twice at him, for she generally went for very good-looking men. She followed them into the sitting room, where Antoine was shaking hands with Héloïse and Philippe was watching the newcomer with interest.
Genevieve introduced Antoine to Mike, and then to Philippe and finally pointed out Lily, sleeping soundly in her playpen. She watched her family carefully, eager to see their reactions to Antoine, hoping that they would like him as much as they did Kurt or Chantal. Héloïse brought him a cup of tea, for he was feeling thirsty after the long train journey, and Gill went to check on the dinner. Genevieve soon gravitated into the kitchen in search of her mother, perching on the kitchen table and watching as Gill turned the roast potatoes over.
“What do you think of Antoine?” she asked eagerly.
“He looks very nice,” said Gill, smiling at Genevieve’s obvious enthusiasm. “I’m glad you persuaded him to join us for Christmas.” She put the potatoes back in the oven and turned, surprised to find that Genevieve had come up behind her. She found herself enveloped in another bear hug, and she hugged Genevieve back, more pleased to see her than she admitted.
“I’ve missed you, Mum,” said Genevieve, her face buried in Gill’s hair.
“I’ve missed you, too,” said Gill, happy to feel how Genevieve was now so much more than skin and bone. “You are looking wonderful, Jen.”
“I’m feeling wonderful,” she said, pulling back a little and smiling at Gill. “I’m so excited about Arminel getting married. Just wait ’til you see my dress!”
As Arminel had sent strict instructions to Genevieve regarding the colour and style of the dress, Gill already had a good idea as to what to expect. They had decided on a very deep, rich red, which would suit Genevieve’s dark hair and eyes to perfection, and Gill knew that her youngest daughter would look absolutely gorgeous. She could only hope that Arminel’s radiance would stop her from being overshadowed by her bridesmaid on her wedding day.
Arminel appeared in the kitchen next, also eager to talk to Gill about Antoine. Genevieve gave her mother a final kiss and released her, then she disappeared into the living room to make sure that Antonio was all right. Arminel checked on the vegetables and then turned to Gill. “I can’t believe it!” she exclaimed. “He’s not a bit like we guessed. He’s so ordinary!”
“The important thing is that Genevieve thinks he’s really nice,” scolded Gill. “It doesn’t matter what he looks like.”
“But I was expecting some handsome and fashionable and typically Italian man, just like Jen usually fancies,” said Arminel, not a bit put out by Gill’s scolding. “He’s not at all handsome.”
“Come on, let’s get the dinner served,” said Gill, guessing that their visitor would be hungry.
#223:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 4:30 pm
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Well, looks aren't everything - hopefully he's a really nice person.
#224:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 5:28 pm
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He sounds lovely, even if he's not quite what they were expecting and her certainly seems to make Jen happy Very Happy

Thanks Becky!

Kathryn
#225:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 6:21 pm
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Good for Jen!!!
Thanks Becky Very Happy
#226:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 8:10 pm
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I've finally caught up on this one. Well done on all the happiness, especially for Arminel & Mike! And nice to know there's more to come....
#227:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2006 10:12 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I think that personality counts more than looks.
#228:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 7:54 am
    —
Soon they were all sitting around the table, rather squashed together but no one was complaining. It was so good to be together that having little elbow room hardly seemed to matter. Dishes of vegetables were passed around, along with bread sauce and a jug of gravy and soon everyone had a plateful in front of them and they fell silent as they started on their meal. Arminel watched Antoine and Genevieve, who were sitting opposite her, and she could not help but notice the way that Antoine looked at her sister. He quite obviously adored her and sometimes Arminel could almost see him wondering how he had ended up with someone as beautiful and lively as Genevieve. He did his best to join in with the conversation, and despite his accent, his English was reasonably fluent, but he was not exactly an exciting conversationalist. Arminel hoped that was because he was nervous about being thrust into the middle of Genevieve’s family and not because he was generally boring.
After dinner, Mike co-opted Arminel into helping him clear up, while Héloïse made the coffee, leaving Genevieve and Antoine to go into the living room and sit with Gill and Alex.
Genevieve chattered away merrily, drawing some comments from Antoine, and Gill and Alex asked him about his university course and his family. They discovered that his father was a partner in a well known Milan law firm, and that Antoine was one of the top students in his year at the university. He hoped to join his father’s company on graduation, but knew that he would have to improve his marks in order to join such a prestigious firm. He was very serious about his studies, although he did smile when Genevieve assured them that she did occasionally manage to persuade him to leave his books behind for an evening and go out with her. As they talked, Gill found that she was growing to like Antoine. He was very solemn, and evidently a highly intelligent man, a deep thinker and the perfect contrast to Genevieve’s rather flighty nature.
Héloïse brought in the coffee, and Genevieve carefully made sure that Antoine had enough sugar in his, and passed it to him. The smile he gave her transformed his face, lighting it up and almost making him look handsome, and it suddenly became clearer as to why Genevieve was attracted to him. Watching them, Gill realized that she might be close to losing her third daughter, too, and she fervently hoped that she would find Antoine pleasant and caring and that she would be able to accept him more easily than she had accepted Mike. It would be difficult to see headstrong Genevieve throwing herself away on an unworthy partner when she was so young, and Gill did not feel that she could deal with that on top of all the other things she had on her plate at that moment.
After they had finished their coffee, Genevieve showed Antoine up to his room, and he helped her carry her case to her own room. Héloïse had turned out of her room for him, for she was to be heading to Zurich for Christmas with Kurt’s family, and could share with Genevieve she left.
Once the door was closed, Genevieve turned to Antoine with a big smile. “I can hardly believe you are here,” she said happily.
“I can hardly believe it, either,” he said, looking anxious. “I have been so dull that I know they all hate me already.”
“You haven’t been dull,” Genevieve assured him. “You have been charmingly polite and I’m sure they’ll all love you. You certainly can’t be duller than Mike, and they all like him now.”
“And I don’t think they understand half of what I say,” said Antoine, who was obviously quite determined to look on the negative side of things.
“You speak English so well,” said Genevieve reassuringly. “I’m sure they understood you. What do you want to do this afternoon? It’s a bit late to go skiing, but we could have a walk and I’ll show you some of the Platz.”
“Yes, that would be nice,” he agreed. “It all looks so lovely here that I’d like to have a look around.”
“It’s a bit different from Milan,” she agreed with a smile. “Do you want me to help you unpack?”
“No, I didn’t bring much with me,” he answered, pulling her closer. “I’m sorry, Jen. I will try harder to be nice, I promise.”
Genevieve reached up and kissed him. “You are already nice,” she told him firmly. “Just be yourself, Antoine, and it’ll be fine. I’ll go and change. Is there anything you want?”
“No, not at the moment, thank you.”
Genevieve released him and disappeared off to change into something more suitable for a tramp in the snow, leaving Antoine to sort himself out, hoping that he had not already spoilt his chances with Genevieve’s family. He was well aware of his own shortcomings, for his mother frequently accused his father of being dull and uninteresting, and then said that Antoine was just like him. His father was a hard-working lawyer, who had got to the top of his firm by dedication to his job and many hours of overtime each week. That was what it had taken for him to be successful, and to have a glamorous wife and a lovely home, and Antoine was sure that he would have to be the same in order to keep Genevieve. He still had moments when he looked at her and could hardly believe that she liked to spend her time with him, but they were happening more infrequently now. After all, she had returned to the Platz for the summer and still kept in touch with him and had been genuinely happy to see him when she got back to Milan. She was so beautiful and vivacious, yet she was happy to look after him and make sure he did not overwork himself. Antoine knew that he was very lucky to have found someone as lovely as Genevieve and if he had to exhaust himself trying to impress her family, then that was exactly what he would do. She was certainly worth it.
#229:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 8:35 am
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Oh dear, another one with no self-confidence! Hope he realises Gen does really like him for himself.
#230:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 9:13 am
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The Laroche women seem to attract them like that!

Thanks Fatima.
#231:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 10:34 am
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Thanks, Becky. I'm sorry that Antoine's mother said that he was dull and uninteresting like his father. I am liking Antoine already.
#232:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 12:31 pm
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They make such a lovely couple, I think he's exactly the right kind of person for Jen.

Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#233:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 1:51 pm
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He sounds really nice, and good for Genevieve.
#234:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 9:00 pm
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He sounds perfect for her, although he needs to learn to loosen up a bit!

Thanks Fatima
#235:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:00 pm
    —
Over the next few days Antoine settled down comfortably with Genevieve’s family and did his best to be pleasant even if he could not manage to be the life and soul of the party. He warmed to Alex, for he sensed that Alex was kindly and able to understand that a chap could not necessarily be outgoing, sophisticated, fascinating and scintillating at all times, and that even if he seemed to be rather ordinary, he might still be a suitable companion for one’s daughter. Arminel overawed him, for she had such a strong personality and was so much older than he, as did Mike, for much the same reasons. He liked Héloïse and Kurt, for they made more effort to talk to him than Arminel did, but out of the whole of Genevieve’s family, it was Gill who appealed to him the most. She was kind to him and very sweet, and Antoine found himself wishing that his own mother was more like Gill. Instead, she was always dashing out to charity dinners, or glamorous parties, meeting wealthy and yet shallow friends, and had little time for either Antoine or his father. In fact, knowing how much they both bored her, he was sure that was why she was always going out; she then avoided having to spend time with them.
Genevieve showed Antoine around the Platz and took him down to Interlaken to meet Louis and Chantal and look around that lovely city, and Antoine found himself enjoying the quiet life lived by Genevieve and his family more than the hectic life of Milan. He loved the scenery and took to skiing like a duck to water, despite his protests that he was not at all sporty and would probably be dreadful at it. He found that the bracing air gave him more colour than he usually had, and an embarrassingly healthy appetite, but just could not regret coming to Switzerland. Genevieve watched as Antoine settled in and was happy to see that he was enjoying his visit to her home. She was thrilled when Gill admitted that she really liked Antoine and hoped that they would see much more of him in the future.
“I knew you’d like him!” she exclaimed, hugging Gill delightedly. “He’s terribly shy, poor darling, and thinks that he’s as dull as his father because that’s what his mother always tells him, but it isn’t true. He’s fascinating when you get to know him. He’s so clever and knows so much about everything.”
“That’s what Philippe said,” agreed Gill, for Philippe had also taken a shine to Antoine.
“But Arminel doesn’t like him,” said Genevieve, her excitement fading almost perceptibly.
Gill, who had long ago realized how much Arminel’s opinions mattered to Genevieve, hugged her again. “Arminel is very busy getting ready for the weekend,” she reminded her. “I’m sure she does like him, but she doesn’t have a lot of time to spend with him.”
“I suppose so,” agreed Genevieve grudgingly. “But I really wish she would like him.” She kissed Gill’s cheek and drew away from her. “I’m going to take him skiing again today. He’s getting really good.”
“Just as long as you don’t break anything,” Gill cautioned, as she did every time Genevieve and Antoine went skiing. “I would hate to imagine what that dress of yours would look like with crutches.”
“I’ll be careful,” promised Genevieve with a laugh. “Don’t worry, Mum, I won’t do anything silly.”
“She certainly won’t,” Antoine put in, for he had just arrived downstairs. “I’ll look after her, Mrs. Fraser, don’t worry.”
Gill patted Antoine’s shoulder. “I know you will,” she assured him, “But sometimes Genevieve can be a dreadful show off, and she might get carried away.”
“I’m not!” said Genevieve, outraged by this remark. “I’m not a child any more.”
“I know you aren’t,” Gill relented. “Go on, and have fun. See you later.”
“Come on,” said Antoine, putting his arm around Genevieve’s shoulders and guiding her off to the small cloakroom by the back door, where their skiing things were stored. “She’s only teasing you. You’re not a show off at all.” He reached for her ski jacket and helped her to put it on, thinking how its vibrant colour suited her dark beauty. He pulled an old woolly hat down over her curls and grinned at her. “How come you look gorgeous in the most awful things?” he wondered.
Genevieve laughed, her good humour well and truly restored. “Because I’m with you,” she told him. “You see things in me that no one else can.”
Antoine hugged her. “I might say the same about you,” he said, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Come on, I’m eager to try that short slope again.” She kissed him then, and just for a moment he was tempted to tell her that they should cancel the skiing in favour of a quiet time together, but when he remembered how much fun they had on the slopes he knew that he had to enjoy it while he had the chance. “I’ll carry your skis,” he offered as she drew away. “Come on, let’s go.”
#236:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:09 pm
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Ski-ing and anyone CS-related never seem to be a good combination Laughing - hope the trip goes OK!
#237:  Author: kimothy, Location: Glasgow PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 4:14 pm
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wow!! i just did a mammoth read of this!! i never noticed this till today.. n once i starte it i just had to read the entire thing!!! but i am loving it so plse write lots and lots more!!! Very Happy
#238:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 7:47 pm
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Thanks Becky.
#239:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 9:29 pm
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I have to say that I immediately thought what Alison did...I hope they survive it in one piece!

Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#240:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 10:16 pm
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Thanks, Becky. Antoine and Genevieve make a wonderful couple. I hope that nothing goes wrong when they go skiing.

Last edited by Chair on Mon May 22, 2006 8:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
#241:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 6:52 am
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How nice to come back to so much lovely update!
#242:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 2:42 pm
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Surely you didn't think there'd be a skiing accident? Shocked We have a wedding to go to first!

Arminel’s wedding day dawned grey and cloudy and it looked as though there might be a blizzard on the way. Despite her hopes of a lovely crisp, clear day, Arminel was so thrilled to think that the great day had arrived that she did not worry at all about the weather. Her dress was hanging ready in the wardrobe, a horse-drawn sleigh had been ordered and the little chapel had been decorated with greenery and bows of the same colour as Genevieve’s dress. Many of the wedding guests had already arrived and were ensconced at one or other of the hotels on the Platz, and every detail had been carefully considered. All Arminel had to do was survive the morning, manage to eat a light lunch and get herself ready, before arriving at the church at just after two o’clock. She did not know how she would manage to keep herself busy all morning; at the time, it had seemed sensible to have the morning to get ready for the ceremony and to have the wedding in the afternoon, but now she wished that they had opted to have the wedding in the morning. At least they would not be hanging around all day.
By ten o’clock, Jo and Len had come over from their chalet to help Arminel get ready. She would have preferred it if they had not turned up, but both had been so excited to think that Mike was getting married and so eager to help in any way they could that Arminel had not had the heart to refuse them. Gill kept Héloïse busy making endless cups of tea and coffee, until Arminel was worried that she would be buzzing around the church like a mad wasp, so great was the amount of caffeine they were supplying her with. Genevieve had wanted to disappear for a morning’s skiing with Antoine, but somehow he had managed to persuade her that it would be better if she spent the time getting ready for the wedding. She had thus locked herself in the bathroom, where she could be heard singing merrily and Arminel was concerned lest she used up all the hot water.
In amongst all the pandemonium, Lily managed to escape from everyone who might be likely to keep an eye on her and had discovered the flowers that some of the guests planned to wear in their button holes. She spent a happy time pulling off all the petals of some of the prettier ones and several of the guests had to resign themselves to attending the ceremony without their corsages. As he tried to calm several female relatives who had either lost their shoes, or their hat or their handbag, Alex was heard to mutter that he would have had more fun if he had disappeared to the newly-opened wine bar on the Platz for the day, and thereby kept out of the way, and Antoine privately agreed with him.
Finally, though, the women got ready and went off to the chapel, leaving Arminel, Genevieve and Alex at home by themselves. Genevieve looked stunning in her simply-cut gown, her dark hair piled artistically on top of her head and her dark eyes alive with delight, knowing that she had seldom looked more beautiful and that the one person who mattered to her was there to see her in all her glory. Arminel appeared just before two o’clock, looking equally gorgeous, her dress the colour of old gold and her smile radiant. Alex, who had been privileged enough to see the dress when Arminel had brought it home, still gasped at the picture she presented, and felt proud that he would be the one to give her away. He knew that all the Laroches were quietly thinking of Armand, and how it should have been him walking Arminel down the aisle, but they would never say so to Alex. Alex helped them to put on the heavy capes they had to keep them warm on their journey to the church, and then they were setting off through the snow. As they arrived at the door of the church, the clouds parted and the sun came out, and Genevieve smiled at her sister, glad that the sun was shining on the bride.
#243:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 2:44 pm
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What do you mean, first? Does that mean there will be a ski-ing accident now?

Thanks for the update - glad Arminel is having a nice day.
#244:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 2:59 pm
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Poor Arminel, having Jo hanging around Laughing ! Glad it all went well - thanks Becky.
#245:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 3:00 pm
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Thanks Becky, that was really lovely. I actually had tears in my eyes Very Happy

Kathryn
#246:  Author: Tan, Location: London via Newcastle Australia PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 4:07 pm
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How sweet! Love the sound of Arminel's dress.

I have to ask - what colour is Joey wearing? Laughing
#247:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:19 pm
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Day-glo lime green?
#248:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:42 pm
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I love the old gold, I'm glad Arminel is the right colouring to wear it.... Lovely description.
#249:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:52 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I hope that the wedding goes well.
#250:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:10 pm
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Thanks very much Becky!!!!!!!!! Very Happy
#251:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 3:22 pm
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I'm not sure yet what Jo's wearing!

The organist began to play the triumphant fanfare that Arminel had chosen to walk down the aisle to, and all eyes turned to the back of the church to see the arrival of the bride. Arminel scarcely noticed how full the church was, for she had caught sight of her bridegroom, standing up at the front of the chapel. Mike looked as thrilled as she felt, and Arminel could not stop herself from smiling with pleasure at the sight of him. He was standing beside Felix, who had been persuaded to act as best man, and was grinning back at her, completely oblivious of everyone around him now that Arminel had arrived.
As they neared the front of the chapel, Arminel saw her mother and sisters. Gill was sitting next to Antoine, who had eyes only for Genevieve, and Kurt and Héloïse were holding hands, obviously thinking about the day when Héloïse would be walking down the aisle to marry Kurt. Louis and Chantal were standing just behind, with Sabine, and Hans and Hélène. On the groom’s side of the church sat the vast Maynard clan. Len Entwhistle and her children were sitting with Jo, and behind her sat Con and Roger Richardson and their family. Felicity was there, too, and Mike’s other brothers and sisters, to whom Arminel had yet to be properly introduced.
They reached the altar, and very soon Arminel and Mike were exchanging rings and being pronounced husband and wife. Mike kissed her in front of the whole congregation, and then they were walking back down the aisle. Noticing her mother for the first time, Lily let out a shriek of ‘Mama’, but Gill grabbed her quickly before she could escape and chase the newlyweds from the church. Arminel and Mike caught one another’s eye as Philippe loudly scolded his little sister, and left the church smiling so naturally that they photographer waiting outside managed to take some excellent photographs of them.
They did not tarry long in the snow, but the photographer insisted on taking a few pictures outside the chapel before they headed off in the carriage to the reception. Once they were sitting beneath the pile of rugs, Mike drew Arminel into his arms and kissed her again. “I can hardly believe it,” he said, smiling tenderly at her. “We are married.”
“And with two children,” she chuckled. “You certainly believe in doing things wholeheartedly. Do you like my dress?”
“Yes, you look marvellous,” said Mike, wishing he had made that his first comment to his new wife. “Genevieve looked lovely, too.”
“Yes, that colour suits her,” Arminel agreed. “Mike, I’m so happy.”
“So am I,” said Mike, kissing her again. “Have you enjoyed riding in the sleigh?”
Arminel laughed, for Mike had been the one who had been so keen to leave the chapel in the sleigh. “Yes, it’s fun,” she agreed, “But a bit chilly.”
“It just seemed appropriate,” he said, holding her closer to keep her warm. “Here’s the Mirlhof. Come on, let’s go in and warm up.” Mike helped her out of the sleigh and they went together into the hotel. Some of the guests had already arrived, and soon Jo had descended upon them, eager to congratulate them both.
“That was a beautiful service,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye as she recalled it. “Arminel, you look divine. And that sister of yours is a beauty, too. I shall have to warn your mother to watch out for her, she’ll get herself into all sorts of trouble.”
“Genevieve’s not like that,” protested Arminel, not liking to hear her sister criticised, even if she might think worse things herself.
Genevieve, who heard the conversation, came over and slipped her hand through Arminel’s arm. “Thank you,” she said with a smile. “Come on, they’re waiting for you to come in and start a receiving line.”
#252:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 3:28 pm
    —
Has Joey gone slightly deaf with age?
#253:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 3:38 pm
    —
*happy mushy*

*lalala-ing loudly to block out the sound of Jo*
#254:  Author: Ally, Location: John Bettany's Cabin! PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 3:50 pm
    —
Aww such a lovely wedding, huzzah for Arminel and Mike! Thanks Becky
#255:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 8:26 pm
    —
Yay they're married!!! And bless little Lily!! Very Happy
Thanks Becky Very Happy
#256:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 8:50 pm
    —
Thanks Becky Very Happy .
#257:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2006 2:35 pm
    —
Quote:
Noticing her mother for the first time, Lily let out a shriek of ‘Mama’, but Gill grabbed her quickly before she could escape and chase the newlyweds from the church.

We had our then 18 month old son sitting with us to sign the register becasue he wouldn't sit with my mum anymore Confused I even had to prise him from my husband's arms so Rik could sign!
#258:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2006 5:01 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. That was a really sweet thing that Lily did, even if it wasn't at the right time! I'm glad that the wedding went so well.
#259:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 4:10 pm
    —
Sorry, I've been out of inspiration and energy, not a good combination! Here's a little more, and I'm hoping that I shall write more as it's now the weekend here - hooray!

The meal was well up to the Mirlhof’s excellent standards of cuisine, and Arminel, watching the guests from the top table, saw that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. She wished that there had been space on their table for Héloïse and Kurt, but they seemed more than happy to be with Antoine, Louis and Chantal and Chantal’s parents. Arminel and Mike were sitting with Gill and Alex, Genevieve and Felix, and Jo and Len, as well as Philippe and Lily. Jo had enjoyed the meal enormously, and had eaten well, which had kept her from talking too much, and Len had obviously been on her best behaviour, not dominating the conversation, but putting in intelligent remarks when required. Felix had been having a wonderful time talking to the beautiful bridesmaid, and Arminel hoped that Antoine would not be too jealous. He had been gazing endlessly towards the top table, obviously hoping that Genevieve was just doing her bridesmaidly duty of entertaining the best man.
Alex made a sweet speech, and if Gill had to wipe a tear from her eyes as he spoke of the honour of having Arminel as a daughter then everyone pretended not to notice. Felix was witty and made everyone laugh and Mike kept his speech short and sincere. Finally the tables were cleared and Arminel and Mike stood up to begin the dancing. It felt a little early in the day to be dancing, but once Mike had taken her in his arms and was holding her close, Arminel relaxed and forgot that it was only just after five o’clock. She wound her arms around Mike’s neck, looking up into his eyes and seeing the reflection of her own feelings in them, making her completely happy.
Felix lost no time in taking Genevieve out onto the dance floor and Antoine was forced to sit and watch as the handsome blond man made Genevieve laugh as he whirled her around. They made a striking couple, she so dark and he so fair, and Antoine felt increasingly jealous as he watched them. Kurt led Héloïse out to dance and Chantal persuaded Louis that one dance would not harm her, and soon the dance floor was packed. Antoine lost sight of Genevieve and Felix and was left sitting with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had obviously lost her, and he was not quite sure what he ought to do. The idea of returning to Milan, to spend Christmas with his parents did not appeal to him nearly as much as Christmas with Genevieve’s lively family, but how could he stay there if she was no longer interested in him?
#260:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 4:12 pm
    —
They seem to have a penchant for insecure men!
#261:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 4:17 pm
    —
They do. Go and find him, Jen, and set him straight.

Thanks Becky.
#262:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 4:43 pm
    —
He's as bad as Mike!!
#263:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 5:21 pm
    —
Oh she does love you Antoine!! Really!

Thanks Becky - glad everything's gone so well for the wedding Very Happy
#264:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 5:34 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. I hope that things haven't been spoilt between Genevieve and Antoine.
#265:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 7:05 pm
    —
Kurt and Armand aren't insecure. Mike won't be any more, either. And I think Antoine has reason to be - Genevieve is vibrant, while his mother has always told him that he's dull and colourless. Here's a little more happiness, to make up for yesterday's negligence.

Antoine was just debating whether he should go and ask one of Jo Maynard’s numerous granddaughters to dance, when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned and found Genevieve standing behind him, and the smile she was giving him made him forget all the foolish thoughts he had had about Felix.
“Will you come and dance?” she asked, reaching for his hand.
“Yes, I’d love to,” he assured her, allowing her to draw him onto the dance floor. He held her closely, his cheek resting against her glossy hair, enjoying the delicate fragrance of her perfume and the way she moved so well in time with him.
“It’s been a lovely wedding, hasn’t it,” she said at last, falling easily into the Italian that they usually spoke together. “Doesn’t Arminel look gorgeous?”
“Didn’t the bridesmaid look absolutely wonderful?” said Antoine with a smile. “You look so beautiful, Genevieve. I hope you’ll bring the dress back to Milan – you can wear it to the spring ball.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Genevieve enthusiastically. “And I think I’ll wear it to the New Year Ball here, too. I really don’t care that everyone’s already seen it.”
“I’m sure we can all face seeing it a load more times,” said Antoine reassuringly. He pulled her nearer again, suddenly conscious of the way she had changed from the painfully thin creature he had found her to be when he first met her. He had been very annoyed with her when he found that she did not eat and smoked endlessly, and had done his best to persuade her that she was not making herself beautiful by losing so much weight, but was actually making herself ill. He was glad to think that she had listened to him and had turned herself around, and he felt proud of her for being able to do that. “Jen,” he went on, deciding that he needed to know what was in her mind, “Do you like that best man?”
“You are the best man here,” she said, leaning closer and kissing him lightly, “And I adore you, Antoine.”
“What about Mike’s brother?”
“What about him? He’s very funny, but so old. Don’t be silly, Antoine.” Genevieve snuggled closer into his arms, sighing contentedly. “Can we dance all evening?”
“If you like,” he promised with a laugh.
#266:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Thu May 25, 2006 7:08 pm
    —
How nice! Thank you for putting me (us?) out of my (our) misery.
#267:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 6:09 am
    —
Arminel and Mike enjoyed dancing until it was time for them to get ready to leave for their honeymoon. Arminel disappeared to change out of her wedding dress, ably assisted by Héloïse, and to say goodbye to Philippe and Lily. In the end, when it seemed unlikely that she would be able to tear herself away from them, Mike appeared, kissed them both and told them to be good, took Arminel firmly by the hand and led her from the room. They came downstairs to find the guests massed in the hall below, so Arminel paused to do the one thing she had been longing to do – she threw her bouquet over the banisters and into the throng. A squeal of delight rose up, as Antoine had found the beautiful flowers land right in his arms and could do nothing other than catch them.
“Come on,” Mike urged her. “I don’t want to be driving all night.”
They waved goodbye to the guests, hugged Gill and Jo and then hurried outside to Mike’s car. In their absence, Felix had arranged for some of his nephews to attach a whole string of empty tins to the back of the car and it made the most horrific noise as they left the Mirlhof car park. Once they had gone out of sight, Mike pulled off the road and got out, detaching the cans and leaving them in a nearby dustbin. He got back in and grinned at his new wife. “Now we can be on our way,” he said happily.
“On our way where?” she asked with interest.
“Not very far,” he assured her. “I’ve found a lovely little hotel in the Kander Valley and they have promised me a wonderful room with the log fire you have been fantasizing about.”
“You’ve been fantasizing about it, too,” she reminded him.
Mike did not deign to reply, as he was fully occupied in making sure that they were taking the right turning off of the Platz and heading through the mountains to the nearby valley. It did not take long to get there, even though it began to snow while they were driving through the mountain pass and before too long they were pulling up outside the Blausee Pension. They pulled on heavy coats before venturing out of the car and taking their cases from the boot to the hotel. The proprietor of the hotel welcomed them warmly and showed them up to their room with a promise of a simple meal if they wanted one.
Their room was everything they had dreamed about. It had a huge open fire, which was roaring in the grate, and in front of it there was a deep pile rug. The bed was huge and piled with pillows and a thick duvet. A door opened off the room into an en suite bathroom, and there they found the most enormous bath they had ever seen, the sight of which brought a wicked gleam to Mike’s eyes. They opened their cases and unpacked a few things that they would need for the night, and then Arminel went into the bathroom to change out of her travelling clothes. They had not eaten since the wedding reception, but she was not hungry. All she could think about was lying on the rug in front of the fire with Mike, trying to assuage some of the passion that had been burning in his eyes ever since he had first taken her in his arms to dance with her that afternoon. She washed off all the dirt from the journey, brushed her teeth, slipped on the short satin negligee that she had brought and brushed her hair until it shone, then she was ready to return to the bedroom. Mike was wearing a dark blue training suit, and he was just taking a tray from someone outside the room as Arminel came back in. He closed the door and turned to smile appreciatively at her, obviously liking what he saw.
“I thought we might like a light supper,” he told her, placing the tray on the table. He had been presented with a pot of tea, some champagne and sandwiches, all of which looked very tempting, but Arminel was not ready to be distracted by food.
“Later,” she said, moving into his arms.
#268:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 7:45 am
    —
Ah, so Antoine should be the next one to walk up the aisle ... I hope he realises that!!
#269:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 8:26 am
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And if Antoine doesn't, I'm sure Jen does!!
#270:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 9:10 am
    —
Coming in to 2 updates = wonderful!

Thank you!
#271:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 9:12 am
    —
*agreeing with Elidh*

Thank you Very Happy
#272:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 11:19 am
    —
Wonderful, Thanks.
#273:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 12:29 pm
    —
How lovely, thank you!
#274:  Author: kimothy, Location: Glasgow PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 1:22 pm
    —
this is great thanks!!! Very Happy
#275:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 1:42 pm
    —
Awwwwwwww - this is all so lovely. I'm glad it's living up to its title Very Happy

Thanks, Becky
#276:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 2:42 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. That was really lovely.
#277:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 3:18 pm
    —
Thanks Becky, this is perfect friday afternoon reading. Actually it's perfect anytime reading!

Kathryn
#278:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 5:10 am
    —
I think all this happiness is getting boring...

They had a wonderful honeymoon, with plenty of skiing and long walks and evenings spent relaxing in their comfortable room. It was with great reluctance that they left the pension the following weekend and headed back to the Platz, but as they neared home, both Mike and Arminel were excited at the thought of seeing the children again. They received a rapturous welcome from Philippe and Lily and discovered that everything had gone very well during their absence. They received plenty of help moving into Freudesheim, and were soon settled in quite happily. Philippe was in his element having Mike around all the time, and also having Jakub and Joachim to play with, and Lily soon became the darling of Ilse and her husband, as she was of everyone else. Mike and Arminel were especially happy, feeling that they had, at last, become a proper family.
Not long after the newlyweds returned home, Héloïse and Kurt went off to Zurich for their Christmas holiday. Gill and Alex, with only Genevieve and Antoine to keep an eye on, found the house pleasantly quiet and even began to look forward to seeing those two off to Milan again in early January, so that they could finally enjoy being together with only themselves to worry about. They were playing host to the family at Christmas, so they were busy getting the food ready, for there would be so many of them that year. They were looking forward to it, though, and Genevieve was very helpful, teaching Antoine how to make Christmas puddings and decorating the Christmas cake that Gill had made.
Christmas day itself was wonderful, with Arminel and Mike coming over from Freudesheim and Louis and Chantal from Interlaken. They all attended Church in the morning and then settled down to open their Christmas presents, and the children were all so excited by the piles of beautifully wrapped gifts waiting for them. At lunch time they ate the traditional turkey dinner and in the afternoon they celebrated Arminel and Louis’ birthday. Arminel was deeply contented to think that she had come so far from the worries she had had on her last birthday. She was now happily married and Mike was legally the father of her children. The only thing she wanted was one more child, a child that really belonged to her and Mike together, and then she thought her happiness would be completely perfect. It seemed odd not having Héloïse there, but she called them from Zurich and assured them that she was having a wonderful day with Kurt’s family. She would be returning to the Platz between Christmas and New Year, so that they could attend the ball at the hospital and welcome the New Year with her family.
By the evening, everyone was sitting quietly, and conversation languished. Genevieve passed around a box of chocolates and as she accepted one, Chantal gave a sudden cry. All eyes turned upon her immediately, watching with horror as she doubled up with pain. Louis, his face ashen, put all of their fears into words.
“What’s the matter?” he asked. “What’s happened?”
Chantal straightened up, her face white with pain, but before she could answer, she cried out again. Once that pain subsided, she leaned back weakly against the settee. “I thought I’d just had too much to eat,” she said, “But now I’m not so sure.”
Mike leaped to his feet. “I’ll drive you to the hospital,” he offered at once. “You don’t want to be taking any chances, Chantal.”
Louis looked gratefully at his brother-in-law. “Thanks, Mike,” he said, getting up and heading off to find Chantal’s coat.
Arminel helped Chantal to her feet and they dressed her warmly in her coat, hat and scarf, then Mike reappeared to tell them that he had started the car and they could be on their way. Louis put his arm protectively around Chantal and turned to Gill. “Could you keep Sabine for now?” he asked. “I don’t think she’ll wake, she doesn’t usually, but she’s had an exciting day and you never know.”
“Do you want me to call Tante Hélène?” asked Gill, for Hans had taken his wife home just a few hours earlier.
“Not yet,” said Chantal at once. “Let’s not spoil the day for them.”
As Chantal cried out again, Mike slid an arm around Arminel. “Wait here for me,” he told her. “I will come and collect you and take you home. Don’t go out by yourself. Just call Ilse and tell her we’ll be a bit late.”
Arminel nodded. “Take care of her, Mike,” she said quietly.
“We will.” Mike helped Louis take Chantal out to the car and then they were speeding off to the hospital as fast as the weather would allow them to go.
#279:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 8:00 am
    —
Poor Chantal... how far pregnant is she? I haven't been keeping count.
#280:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 8:18 am
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Chantal's due at the beginning of March (I had to go back and check!).
#281:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 8:21 am
    —
So she is 6.5 - 7 months... about 28 weeks... Poor Chantal...
#282:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 8:27 am
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Personally I wasn't finding all the happiness boring at all Very Happy !
#283:  Author: Rosy, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 9:32 am
    —
Fatima wrote:
I think all this happiness is getting boring


You and your bunnies. *wibbles*

This is as ever fabbity Fatima!
#284:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 10:08 am
    —
I knew there had to be a twist somewhere...sigh. Thanks Becky, at least she's in good hands!

Kathryn
#285:  Author: kimothy, Location: Glasgow PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 11:03 am
    —
no!! please please make it happy again!! happiness isnt boring! honest!!!
#286:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 1:48 pm
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If the baby is 28 weeks, it's viable, so let's not wibble too much. But I'm not sending any bunny treats for wicked Fernando.
#287:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 2:08 pm
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Viable yes, but only it the San has the best equipment...
#288:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 4:59 pm
    —
*ducks behind the sofa to wibble in private*

Thanks Becky!
#289:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2006 7:32 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. I am wibbling about Chantal and their baby.
#290:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 2:05 pm
    —
In the Gornetz Hospital, Mike soon had the duty staff jumping through hoops for them. They discovered that Chantal was going into premature labour and quickly administered the necessary drugs to her and took her up to one of the wards. By the time that Mike had finished consulting with the doctor he knew as much as they did, and he offered to go and share their news with Louis and Chantal. He headed up to the quiet ward and found Chantal lying in bed while Louis hovered anxiously around, obviously eager to do something yet knowing deep down inside that nothing he did could make any difference. Mike had reached the bed before Louis noticed him, and he took Louis’ elbow and put him into the comfortable chair beside the bed.
“What’s the news?” Chantal demanded.
“Well, that depends on which way you look at it,” said Mike slowly.
“Will the baby be all right?” Louis asked, looking nervous of the answer.
“Everything’s all right at the moment,” said Mike. “We got here in time and the drugs you received, Chantal, are excellent. However, the doctor advises that you remain here, possibly until the baby is due. You need to have complete bed rest.”
“But what about Sabine?” asked Chantal anxiously.
“I can look after her,” said Louis at once. “I’ve got a few days off now, and after that, I shall take some more leave from work.”
“Chantal might be here for the next two months,” Mike pointed out. “If there’s anything Arminel and I can do, please let me know.”
“And if I stay in bed, will everything be all right?” asked Chantal.
“Hopefully, yes,” said Mike. “It generally works, although not always. If you get up and walk around you are far more likely to have the baby early and that is something we prefer to avoid if possible.”
Louis took the hand that Chantal was holding out to him and squeezed it. “There’s no question of her getting up and walking around,” he promised. “She’ll do exactly as the doctors tell her and that’s that.”
Chantal nodded in agreement. “I will,” she said, knowing that she would do whatever it took to make sure that she carried the baby to term.
“The best thing for now is sleep,” said Mike, knowing that his next suggestion might not go down well with either Louis or Chantal. “I think we should go back to the children and leave Chantal to rest. Tomorrow they’ll let you come in and visit.”
Chantal realized that she did actually feel quite tired, so she looked across at Louis. “Perhaps you could bring me some of my things tomorrow,” she said hopefully. “Mike’s right, I do feel tired.”
Louis stood up reluctantly, knowing that they were both right, but not wanting to leave her side. “All right,” he agreed. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly. “Get some sleep, darling, and I’ll be back tomorrow. Have the nurse call me if there’s anything you need.”
As Mike had already briefed the nurse on duty that Chantal’s wishes were to be accommodated in every possible way, he knew that there would be no problem with that. He patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Just rest,” he advised, “And don’t worry. You are in the best place. They’ll do everything necessary to make sure you keep this baby.”
“Thanks, Mike,” she said gratefully, reassured by his calmness. If he did not see any reason for concern, then she would try not to panic. She would do her best to rest as he instructed and trust in the doctors he had told to care for her. “Don’t worry, Louis,” she added, turning to her husband again. “I’ll be fine tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Louis kissed her again, and then followed Mike from the ward, leaving Chantal lying quietly, tears sliding down her cheeks as she contemplated spending the next two months lying in a hospital bed.
#291:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 2:14 pm
    —
Thanks, Fatima. It's a problem, isn't it? Chantal will want to be with Louis and Sabine, yet she wants the baby as well.
#292:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 2:38 pm
    —
Poor Chantel, how terrible for her. I can see the definite advantage of having a doctor in the family now tho!

Thanks Becky, please let Chantel and the baby be okay!

Kathryn
#293:  Author: kimothy, Location: Glasgow PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 2:43 pm
    —
awww thats such a shame
#294:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 4:20 pm
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It's going to be difficult, but at least it's better than the baby having been born so prematurely when he/she might have struggled to survive.
#295:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 5:06 pm
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Thanks, Becky. I hope that things will go ok over the next 2 months.
#296:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 7:10 pm
    —
KathrynW wrote:
Poor Chantel, how terrible for her. I can see the definite advantage of having a doctor in the family now tho!

Thanks Becky, please let Chantel and the baby be okay!

Kathryn

there was one anyway, Arminel
#297:  Author: ali, Location: medway, kent PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2006 8:14 pm
    —
Do as you are told Chantal! hope things turn out well.
That just gave me scary flashbacks. I went into labour 7 weeks early on christmas night,I thought I'd jusy eaten too much turkey until my waters broke. Luckily medicine has changed a lot and 6 hours later I had my little girl, and after 2 weeks in special care she came home. Apart from being tiny for her age you wouldn't know it. Smile
#298:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2006 2:40 pm
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I'm so glad everything worked out for you, Ali. No more about Chantal now, she'll just have to be patient.

By the time of the New Year ball, it had been arranged that Louis would go back to work as he had originally intended and that Sabine would spend the week up at the Platz with Hans and Hélène. Louis would pop up to visit her whenever he went to see Chantal, and would then stay with either Gill and Alex or Hans and Hélène himself at the weekend, in order to be closer to the hospital. It was not exactly an ideal state of affairs, but it was the best arrangement that they could come up with, and would ensure that Sabine was well cared for and that Louis would be able to spend as much time as he could with his wife and daughter and still not miss any more work than was absolutely necessary. The doctor in charge of Chantal’s case assured Louis that they had managed to stop the contractions and that she was responding well to the treatment they were providing for her and that as long as she followed all their instructions to the letter there was no reason why Chantal should not give birth at the correct time and to a perfectly healthy baby.
Héloïse and Kurt had returned from Zurich and showered everyone with gifts, and Louis had promptly taken Héloïse off to tell her of his woes. He always found her to be a sympathetic listener and felt better after pouring his heart out to her. She even suggested that she would be happy to come and stay with him in Interlaken and help him look after Sabine, an offer he gratefully accepted for a few days, before school began. Arminel, who heard of their adjustment to the arrangements originally proposed, found that she did not feel at all jealous, and Mike congratulated her on finally growing up.
By New Year’s Eve, everyone was excited about the annual ball held at the Gornetz Hospital. Arminel and Mike reminisced about the previous year’s ball, when they had first got together, and reflected on how wonderful the year had been for them. Genevieve and Antoine were excited about the ball, for they enjoyed the opportunity of spending the evening dancing and revelling in the company of those they loved; Antoine was used to attending frivolous gatherings with his mother to welcome in the New Year, and knew that he would enjoy himself far more with Genevieve and her lively family. Louis had arranged to spend the evening with Chantal, while Hans and Hélène babysat, and Gill and Alex were heading to Freudesheim to do the same for Arminel’s children.
The ball went very well. Unlike the previous year, Mike found that some of the older female doctors were willing to dance with him, and although he would have preferred to spend the evening with Arminel, he was much in demand as a partner. As the director of the hospital, he felt that he should do his best to be sociable, and Arminel was obliged to step out with the dull husbands of these ladies. Genevieve and Antoine had a wonderful evening, spending the whole time completely wrapped up in each other and making Arminel wonder if Antoine would begin the New Year by proposing to Genevieve. She was obviously completely smitten with him, and had been for many months, while it was easy to see how he adored her. Despite Genevieve’s worries, Arminel had actually decided that she liked Antoine a lot; he was very sensible and down to earth, and served as an effective balance to Genevieve’s more flighty nature. Since meeting Antoine, Genevieve had become far more sensible and responsible herself, and Arminel was thrilled to see her youngest sister so happy.
By the time that midnight was approaching, Arminel was in Mike’s arms, snuggled closely against him, happy in the knowledge that she was back where she belonged. Everyone counted down the last few seconds of the year and a cheer went up as the New Year officially began. Mike smiled down at Arminel. “Happy New Year,” he said softly, leaning down and kissing her.
The party began to break up after that, and Mike dropped Genevieve and Antoine back at Gill’s chalet before taking Arminel home. Gill reported that the children had both been fine, and although he had been given permission to stay up and see the New Year in with his grandparents, Philippe had fallen asleep just after ten o’clock and they had slipped him into bed without waking him.
“He’ll be furious with himself in the morning,” said Arminel with a laugh. “He’s talked of nothing else ever since we said he could sit up until midnight.”
“I seem to remember someone else doing the same thing when they were young,” said Gill, smiling fondly at Arminel. Now that her eldest daughter had left home, Gill found she missed her enormously, not to mention missing the children, too.
“I outlasted the others, though,” Arminel reminded her with an answering smile, for she had finally fallen asleep at just about eleven o’clock, by which time Louis and Héloïse had been asleep for more than an hour.
Gill drew Arminel into her arms and hugged her. “Happy New Year, darling,” she said, kissing her warmly.
“Happy New Year, Mum,” answered Arminel. “Goodness knows, if anyone deserves a good year, it’s you.”
“Can I give you a lift home?” Mike asked. “Or you are more than welcome to stay the night if you want.”
“That’s all right, thanks,” said Alex as he pulled on his coat. “We’re happy to walk on a night like this.”
“There’s nothing like a romantic starry night,” agreed Gill, reaching up to kiss Mike’s cheek. “Happy New Year, Mike,” she said, glad that she had discovered how nice he was before she had ended up doing untold damage to her relationship with Arminel. “Come on, Alex, let’s be on our way.”
Alex followed Gill out into the hall and they were soon heading off into the beauty of the crisp, clear night. Once he had locked the front door behind them, Mike found Arminel just heading upstairs. “I’ll just lock up and then I’ll be with you,” he promised, winking at her.
“I’ll be waiting,” she assured him with a chuckle, watching as he went off to check the back door before she ran lightly upstairs to check on the children.
#299:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2006 3:05 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. It's lovely to see all the family enjoying spending time with each other.
#300:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2006 3:10 pm
    —
I wish they'd had all these parties in the books!
#301:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2006 3:23 pm
    —
Thanks Becky, what a lovely New Year's Eve for everyone Very Happy

Kathryn
#302:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:56 pm
    —
Proper parties, too, not jelly and blancmange.
#303:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2006 9:21 pm
    —
But what about Genevieve and Antoine?
#304:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:28 pm
    —
Ok, then, more about Genevieve and Antoine!

Genevieve and Antoine were due to head back to Milan for the beginning of the new term on the 6th January. They had their bags packed and were all ready to go, so they decided that they would spend their last day of freedom out on the ski slope. Gill waved them off early in the morning and they planned to spend the whole day skiing and to have lunch in the restaurant at the top of the ski slope. Once they got back to Milan they were unlikely to have the opportunity of skiing again that season, so they felt they should make the most of their last chance of some fun in the snow. Antoine had made excellent progress during his stay on the Platz, and during the afternoon he hoped to persuade Genevieve to take him on a higher run than he had previously tried.
They enjoyed their morning and had worked up healthy appetites for their dinner, so headed to the restaurant at the top of the ski run as soon as it opened. They found a table easily, although the restaurant was filling up quickly, and sat together beside a roaring fire to enjoy the simple fare provided by the establishment.
“I’m going to miss all this,” said Antoine wistfully as he sipped his steaming soup. “I’ve had a fabulous holiday, Jen.”
“So have I,” she agreed at once. “I’m so glad you came.”
“I really feel rested, instead of burnt out, as I usually do after a holiday spent with my mother.” Antoine sighed. “I wish she was more like your mother. Gill is so wonderful.”
“She’s an absolute gem,” said Genevieve happily. “I’m so glad you like her. Are you sure you want to try that other slope this afternoon?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Unless you think I shouldn’t,” he added.
“Oh, I think you can give it a go,” said Genevieve. “It’s not difficult so much as long, and you ought to be all right. We’ll do it last, as it comes out nearest home, and then we can just walk back. Is that ok?”
Antoine nodded. “You aren’t tired?” he asked.
“No, definitely not! We’ve skied so much that I’m feeling really fit now.”
Having noticed the admiring glances that Genevieve frequently received from the other skiers, Antoine knew that she spoke the truth. She looked healthy and fit and absolutely gorgeous, and he loved her more and more with each passing day. “I’ve finished,” he told her, “So shall we go?”
“Yes,” she said, putting her serviette on the table and standing up.
They paid the bill and collected their skis from just inside the door, then set off along the easiest route, enjoying the brilliant blue sky and beautiful scenery. It was a perfect day for winter sports, crisp and clear and very soon they were rosy cheeked and breathless. They rested for a while at the bottom of the slope, before queuing for the chairlift to take them back up the mountain once more. The view from the top was spectacular, out across the Platz and down to the two lakes between which sat Interlaken, so they stood for a while and Genevieve pointed out some places that they could visit if he would come back for another visit in the summer.
“I’d like that, it’s so lovely here,” said Antoine, gazing more at Genevieve than the beautiful scenery. “I can’t promise I’ll be able to come, because my father might want me to work with him again, but if it’s possible, I’ll be here like a shot.”
Genevieve reached out and squeezed his arm. “I really hope you can come,” she told him, “But I’ll understand if you can’t make it. Let’s go, we don’t want to be out on here too late.”
They set off along the path that was to take them down the mountain. It was very open at the top, but as they headed further downwards, it went through the trees. Even though the sun might be shining brightly on the highest part of the mountain, in the trees it could become very much darker. Genevieve had skied through them many times, and was not worried for herself, but she did not want Antoine’s view of the slope ahead of him to be impaired at all. They skimmed easily over the snow, Genevieve leading the way and checking every now and then that Antoine was keeping up with her. They headed into the trees and she slowed, so that he could get used to the sudden reduction of light. He gave her the thumbs up, obviously enjoying the longer run, so she turned again and headed onwards.
Genevieve shot around the corner, going a little faster than she intended, and discovered a branch that had obviously snapped under the weight of the snow. She swerved out of the way to avoid it and stopped, knowing that Antoine probably wasn’t up to such manoeuvres just yet. He came around the corner and she shouted to warn him about the branch, but it was too late. His ski caught on the branch and he went tumbling head over heels, landing with a dull thud against the trunk of the nearest tree.
With her heart in her mouth, Genevieve skied over to his inert form, too shocked even to call his name. She bent over him, horrified to see his eyes closed and a little trickle of blood seeping out from beneath his hat. He was lying awkwardly and from the angle of his limbs, she guessed that he must have broken his leg. Genevieve made no effort to move him, for she had often heard how much harm could be done to someone if they were moved wrongly; instead she moved the branch over which he had fallen and almost got run over by the next group of skiers coming down the slope.
As they noticed Genevieve’s wild waving, they slowed and stopped to find out what had happened. One look at the figure slumped against the tree trunk was enough to convince them that Genevieve needed help, so two of the party immediately set off down the mountain for help. The other two, who freely admitted that they had no idea about first aid at all, fell in with Genevieve’s desire to leave Antoine where he was, though one of them did remove his jacket and spread it over Antoine to keep him warm. They did not wait long, though, for they had to catch the last bus to Interlaken, and did not want to miss it. They told Genevieve where she could return the jacket to, wished her all the best, and skied off, leaving her alone again.
Genevieve crouched down beside Antoine, wondering what would be the best thing to do for him. She scooped up a little handful of snow and gently applied it to the rapidly swelling lump on his head, hoping that was the right thing to do. As she knelt beside him, she felt so alone, and wished that she had not let him try the longer run. After all, he had only had three weeks practice and she should have confined him to the nursery slopes until he had had more experience. She briefly considered taking his pulse, but as she had no idea what it should be, she would not know anything more if she did that. Feeling completely helpless, she tucked the coat more closely around him and settled down next to him to pray that help would come soon.
#305:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:33 pm
    —
I hope someone who knows what they are doing arrives soon.
#306:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:47 pm
    —
Meeeeeeeeep! *hiding under the desk*

*putting all faith in the title that it will all be okay*
#307:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:57 pm
    —
*crawling under desk with pim*

I knew something bad was going to happen when you said you were getting bored with happiness, Fatima! *pokes Fernando*
#308:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:07 pm
    —
It was all just going too well wasn't it?! Thanks Becky, I hope that Antoine is okay *crosses fingers*

Kathryn
#309:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 4:54 pm
    —
The ski slopes near the CS should've been closed down by Swiss Health & Safety, the number of accidents they had there Laughing !
#310:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 12:06 am
    —
AAAAAAAAARGH

I do a big catch-up and land up on a cliff!

*clinging to the title of the drabble*

*hides under the desk*

Thanks Becky (I think)
#311:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 10:57 am
    —
*also crawls under Pim's desk, meeping madly*
#312:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 1:33 pm
    —
Thanks, Eilidh. I hope that Antoine will be ok.

*Clare is joining everyone else under Pim's desk*.
#313:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 1:39 pm
    —
Please can a proper first aider turn up soon and can we be reassured that no-one is going to ski into them.

Please.....
#314:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 2:45 pm
    —
Genevieve felt that she had been waiting on the mountainside for hours by the time that she finally heard engines approaching. Antoine had not moved a muscle, but she knew he was still alive, for he was breathing. She stood up as the hardy vehicle came round the corner and waved so that they would see her in the gathering gloom. Four uniformed men had come to her aid, driving snowmobiles that were equipped to transport injured skiers down the mountain to the hospital, or to deal with minor injuries on the spot. Genevieve stood back as the men approached Antoine, and did her best to explain what had happened to him. One of them, seeing her distress, put a foil blanket around her shoulders and assured her that they were the best people to help Antoine.
One of the men conducted a very brief examination of their patient and then they brought a stretcher that they efficiently loaded Antoine onto. They put on a brace that held his head and neck immobile and then fixed the stretcher to the back of the largest of their vehicles. They worked with calm confidence, and by the time that one of them was helping Genevieve to sit up behind him on his snowmobile, she was feeling a little better. They told her that they would go to the Gornetz Hospital, as it was the closest place with the facilities for dealing with injuries sustained on the ski slopes, but they refused to comment on Antoine’s condition. All they would say was that they did not think he had broken either his back or his neck, but that he was unconscious and therefore should receive medical attention as soon as possible. With this, Genevieve had to be content.
She clung to the man driving the snowmobile, too worried about Antoine to enjoy the speedy ride through the snow, and thanks to their knowledge of the shortcuts out of the mountains, they were soon arriving at the Gornetz Hospital. Porters came rushing out, ready to transfer Antoine to a gurney and wheel him into the accident and emergency department for evaluation. Genevieve followed them, her only thought to stay with Antoine in case he suddenly woke up and found himself alone, surrounded by people speaking German, which he did not understand, or French, which he could speak, but not fluently. They rushed him into a small cubicle and a doctor dashed in, closely followed by a nurse. They exchanged an incomprehensible series of questions and answers and then Genevieve found herself being led out of the room by the nurse. She did her best to resist, but the nurse took her firmly into the waiting area.
“You must wait here,” she told Genevieve.
“But he’s Italian,” Genevieve protested. “He doesn’t speak German.”
“We’ll manage to speak to him,” the nurse promised sincerely. “And as soon as there’s any news, we’ll come and tell you. Are you his next of kin?”
“His parents are in Italy,” said Genevieve. “He’s been on holiday here with me. Yes, I am,” she added, deciding that it was better to be viewed as someone with a right to hear about Antoine, and not just some casual girlfriend.
“I have to get back to him now,” the nurse told her. “As soon as we know anything definite, I’ll come back and tell you.”
“But he’ll be all right, won’t he?” asked Genevieve anxiously.
“I’ll let you know how he’s doing,” said the nurse, and she turned and headed back to her patient before Genevieve could press her further.
#315:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 2:47 pm
    —
Poor old Antoine Rolling Eyes .
#316:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 2:51 pm
    —
*wibble*

She really does care about him, doesn't she? Please let him be okay!
#317:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 2:53 pm
    —
Where are Mike and Arminel when you need them? I take it they are the Drs Maynard now?
#318:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 2:59 pm
    —
More, more, more! We want to know he's ok!
#319:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 3:07 pm
    —
*still wibbling under the desk*

Meep.
#320:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 3:43 pm
    —
she should have told them she is Mike SIL
#321:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 5:02 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. I am still hoping that Antoine will be ok.
#322:  Author: Rosy, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 6:28 pm
    —
Golly. *joins Pim under the desk*
#323:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 7:10 pm
    —
Just caught up on pages of this!!! I hope Antoine is alright!!!
#324:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:03 am
    —
Thank you Becky, I'm sure Antoine is in good hands...


Kathryn
#325:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:27 am
    —
I think that all she can think about is Antoine, so it wouldn't have occurred to her to ask for her sister or Mike.
#326:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 2:11 pm
    —
Thanks for all your comments. Very Happy

Genevieve sat and waited patiently for some time, reading the posters around the waiting room walls with forced concentration, making sure that she did not think about what might be going on in the little cubicle in the emergency department. She then transferred her attention to the clock, watching as the hands crawled around with agonising slowness, and still no one came to tell her how Antoine was. Then she suddenly realized that Chantal was currently in a ward in this very hospital, and it was quite possible that Louis would be sitting with her. Maybe he would be willing to come and sit in the emergency department for a while, just to keep her company. And from thoughts of Louis, Genevieve found herself remembering Arminel. If anyone could understand what Genevieve was going through, it would surely be Arminel. And she might well still be at work. Genevieve leaped to her feet and hurried over to the reception desk, where a rather bored looking woman in a blue uniform was sitting chewing the end of her pen.
“Hello,” she said eagerly. “Is it possible to find out if Dr. Laroche is still here now? Can you call her to come down here?”
“Why would I do that?” the woman asked unhelpfully.
“Maybe Dr. Maynard is still here. He’s my brother-in-law. Perhaps it would be better to call him.” Genevieve watched as the receptionist looked uncomfortable. She could tell that she wanted to doubt Genevieve, but that she did not quite like to risk Dr. Maynard’s wrath if she really was a relative of his.
“I’ll call Dr. Laroche,” she finally said, and reluctantly picked up the phone and asked to be put through to Arminel’s office. Once she had got Arminel on the line, she passed the receiver to Genevieve with a very bad grace.
“Hello? Arminel?” asked Genevieve.
“Hello, Jen,” said Arminel, rather surprised to find that she was speaking to her sister on the hospital line. “Are you visiting Chantal?”
“No,” said Genevieve and then she realized that she did not need to carry on alone and she burst into tears. “Arminel, there’s been an accident,” she sobbed. “Please come.”
Unable to understand all of what Genevieve was saying, Arminel just caught the word ‘accident’. “Are you in the accident department?” she demanded.
“Yes,” cried Genevieve.
“Then wait there and I’ll come down,” said Arminel firmly.
Genevieve replaced the receiver and tried to stop the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, but the thought that Arminel was on her way and that she would soon have someone to help her shoulder the burden of responsibility for Antoine was not exactly conducive to helping her dry her eyes. She crossed the room to the window and stared unseeingly out across the snow-covered garden at the back of the San, across to the majestic mountains that rose all around. She did not notice their glory, though, for her eyes were too misted with tears for her to be able to see straight. She was only conscious of an urgent need to ask Arminel how she had coped when Philippe’s father had been killed and to ask for her help in dealing with the fear that she would lose Antoine. Although they were both still young, and neither of them had ever even hinted about the possibility of marriage, Genevieve knew that she would be inconsolable if Antoine died.
A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality, and she turned to find Arminel at her side, her expression one of anxiety. “Oh, Arminel, thank goodness you came,” said Genevieve and she burst into fresh floods of tears.
Arminel put her arms around her sister and managed not to bombard her with questions about the accident until she had calmed down somewhat. She slid a handkerchief into Genevieve’s hands and finally was able to understand what her sister was saying. “Have they told you anything?” she asked, having heard the full story of the afternoon’s skiing.
“No,” said Genevieve, her voice breaking again.
“Don’t cry any more,” said Arminel firmly, for it seemed likely that Genevieve would soon be sobbing again. “First of all, we’ll go and see what is happening. If needs be, I’ll have Mike called down. They all race around so much more for him than they will for me.” Arminel kept her arm around Genevieve’s shoulders and led her over to the line of small cubicles that were used for the initial examination of patients arriving in the emergency department.
“I can’t go in there,” Genevieve protested. “I can’t bear to see what they’re doing to him.”
“Then just wait here,” advised Arminel, pointing to an empty seat at the edge of the room. “I’ll only be a minute.”
#327:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 2:18 pm
    —
Everyone seems to be very nervous of Mike!
#328:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 2:31 pm
    —
Which can be a good thing when you're his sister-in-law!

Thank you Fatima - glad Jen remembered Arminel might be around.
#329:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:30 am
    —
Genevieve did as she was bidden. She watched as Arminel poked her head between the curtains of the cubicles and finally disappeared into the one in which Antoine was being cared for. Just for a moment she wished she could hear the discussion between Arminel and the doctor who was treating Antoine then she remembered how awful it would be to see him lying unconscious on the bed, and she was glad that she had left Arminel to go alone. Not that that made it any easier to wait, though. She could scarcely decide whether it was better to sit in blissful ignorance of Antoine’s true condition, or whether it was better to find out what was wrong with him and know the worst. She nibbled at her fingernails as she waited, a habit that she thought she had long since outgrown, and then Arminel was coming out again, her face grave.
Genevieve got to her feet and stood looking helplessly at her sister. She could see that the news was not good, she knew Arminel too well to be taken in by the professional mask that she was wearing. “What did they say?” she asked, even though she was not sure she wanted to hear the answer. “Is he dead?”
“No, Jen, he’s alive,” said Arminel, but somehow this did not sound comforting. “But he’s still unconscious. He has a broken leg, which they think they can set easily, and a fractured skull. He will be going into surgery in a few minutes, and once they’ve finished they’ll know more about his condition. He’s in the best hands, Jen, and we must try not to worry.”
“Can I see him before he goes?” asked Genevieve hesitantly. “I’d like to see him once more, just in case.”
Arminel nodded. “Just for a moment,” she said. She asked the doctor and nurse if they would allow Genevieve to have some time with Antoine, and they obligingly left the cubicle for a moment. “I’ll be right outside,” said Arminel, patting Genevieve’s shoulder.
Genevieve went uncertainly across to the bed on which Antoine was lying. He looked just as if he was asleep, his face peaceful and the wound on his head covered with a dressing. She leaned over him and gently kissed his cheek. “Antoine, I’m sure you can hear me,” she said, her voice shaking as she realized that this might be the last time she ever spoke to him. “Please get better. Please wake up. I love you and I couldn’t bear it if anything was to happen to you.” She watched him carefully for any reaction to her words, half hoping that he would open his eyes and smile at her, but he remained motionless, not showing any sign of awakening in response to what she had said. As her eyes filled with tears, she kissed him again and gently stroked his face before turning and stumbling out of the tiny cubicle and into Arminel’s arms.
#330:  Author: Ruth B, Location: Oxford, UK PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:38 am
    —
Poor Jen! Hope Antoine will be ok.
#331:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:48 am
    —
Poor Jen, I do hope he'll recover.

Thank you Fatima.
#332:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:51 am
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Fatima, aren't you off today as it is Friday? And therefore you can tell us soon what happens to Antoine? Please?
#333:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:55 am
    —
Hope he's OK Rolling Eyes .
#334:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 10:03 am
    —
Oh gosh, I'm going away at lunchtime for the weekend with limited or no access... what a nasty cliff to leave for the end of the week!
#335:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:22 pm
    —
Thanks, Fatima. Such a cliff.
#336:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:44 pm
    —
I'm going away for the weekend as well- please don't leave us all hanging here Fatima!! Shocked
#337:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:06 pm
    —
See how kindly I rush in to let you have the next part of the story?! Very Happy Thanks for your comments, everyone.

The porters that had been called wheeled Antoine away, off to the operating theatre, so that they could set his leg and check that he had suffered no serious damage to his brain. Genevieve wept in Arminel’s arms until Arminel bade her to stop.
“I think we’d better call Mum and let her know what’s happened,” she said sensibly. “She must be worried about you by now.”
“I never thought about that,” sniffed Genevieve.
“Come on, you can come up to my office and we’ll call her from there,” said Arminel. “She’ll understand that you were upset and didn’t think of calling.” Arminel slipped her hand through Genevieve’s arm and drew her out of the emergency department and off upstairs to her office. Kurt had already gone home, so they had the place to themselves. “Do you want me to call her?” asked Arminel.
“Would you mind?” said Genevieve gratefully.
“Not at all.”
Arminel picked up the phone and Genevieve went to stand by the window, gazing out into the gathering darkness. She felt so scared that she was almost shaking, wondering what the doctors would find wrong with Antoine. He had been unconscious for so long, and there had been no sign whatsoever that he was coming around. All Genevieve could think was that he was so badly hurt that he would never wake up, and she did not know how she could even begin to deal with losing him. He had been such a good friend for so long now, helping her through some difficult times while she had been in Milan, making her see what a mess she was making of her life and helping her to get herself sorted out. He had spent time with her at the weekends, taking her around the city and showing her all the places that were special to him, and had often had lunch with her, or made her go out in the evening for a good dinner when he felt that she was working too hard. And over the month he had spent with her on the Platz, Genevieve had come to take even more pleasure from his company. He had been able to make her laugh, or cheer her up when she was feeling down, and above all, they had shared some good times together, times which had been made even better just because Antoine was there with her.
“Are you ready to go home?” Mike Maynard arrived in search of his wife. “Hello, Genevieve. What brings you here?”
Arminel finished on the phone and saved Genevieve the necessity of answering. “Antoine’s had an accident,” she said succinctly. She filled Mike in on the details, and he set off at once to discover the latest news. “Mum said she’ll come if you need her, but I told her that I’d stay with you and bring you home once they’ve settled him for the night.”
“I can’t leave,” protested Genevieve, horrified by the idea. “I have to stay with him until he wakes.”
“You won’t be any use to him when he wakes if you sit up all night,” said Arminel practically. “Mike will find out what’s going on and perhaps they’ll let you look in on him later, then you certainly are going home. I know you’re worried,” she added more kindly, “But tonight he needs to rest. You can come back in the morning and sit with him then.”
“But what if he wakes and he’s alone?” asked Genevieve miserably. “How can I just leave him here?”
“I know it’s difficult,” agreed Arminel, “But he won’t be alone. There will be a nurse with him all the time. He’s going to be very well looked after.”
“I know he will be, but I want to be with him.”
“And you will be, once you have had a rest.” Arminel gently stroked Genevieve’s hair away from her pale face. “Let’s get a cup of tea and a sandwich and wait for Mike to come back, shall we?”
“No, I couldn’t eat a thing,” said Genevieve, “Although I’d like a cup of tea.”
“I’ll see what I can find. Will you be all right here?”
Genevieve nodded, returning to her contemplation of the moonlit grounds of the hospital once more.
#338:  Author: vicki_theterror, Location: london PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:39 pm
    —
yeah

another update, just when i was dreading going off to camp and not knowing, but i still don't
#339:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:42 pm
    —
But Fatima we still don't know....

Thank you though and Arminel is being lovely.
#340:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:38 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. I hope that we will find out soon how Antoine is.
#341:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:29 am
    —
A bit of a long one for this morning I'm afraid. Thanks for continuing to put up with this!

Arminel returned with tea and sandwiches which she bullied Genevieve into eating. Once she had finished the food, Genevieve found that she felt a little better, and when Mike returned with the doctor’s prognosis, she looked more like herself again. Mike told them that Antoine was still unconscious, but that they did not expect it to last for too long. He had been settled in a small ward where his condition could be constantly monitored, and a nurse would be with him all night, just in case he roused. Genevieve was permitted to go in and see him for a moment, then Mike and Arminel took her home. She was still not convinced that she was doing the right thing in leaving him, but they would not accept any of her objections and their combined determination got her out of the hospital and into Mike’s car.
Gill spent the evening cosseting and soothing Genevieve and finally she fell asleep. When she awoke the next day she was aware of a feeling of foreboding, and she bounded out of bed and ran downstairs to phone the hospital. The nurse on duty told her that Antoine had had a good night, resting quietly, but that there was still no sign that he was awakening. Genevieve dashed off to dress and was just unlocking the front door when Gill appeared, her hair dishevelled and still wearing her pyjamas, and told her that she was not to leave the house without having breakfast first. Although she grumbled, Genevieve knew that Antoine would have said the same thing, so she reluctantly accompanied her mother to the kitchen and made herself eat some toast.
Genevieve spent most of the day sitting with Antoine, quietly holding his hand and talking to him, recalling some of the good times they had shared and reminding him of how much she needed him to help her keep her life on track. He continued to breathe normally, as if he was fast asleep, but his eyes did not even flicker. Arminel arrived to take Genevieve to get some lunch, and Gill came in during the afternoon to sit with them for a while, but nothing seemed to make any difference to Antoine. The machines beeped and hummed around him and he did not stir. By the end of the day, when Alex came and told Genevieve that she had to return home, Genevieve was feeling completely miserable. She had done her best to chat lightly to Antoine, but by the time she left, she had fallen silent, just gazing at him and wondering how she would manage if he did not wake up.
At home, Gill had cooked a casserole, one of Genevieve’s favourite dinners, and as they ate, she brought up a topic that she knew would not go down well with her daughter. “When were you thinking you’d go back to Milan, Jen?” she asked.
“Oh, not until Antoine is better,” said Genevieve, for she had had plenty of time to decide that during the day.
“I think you will have to go back tomorrow,” said Gill. “You shouldn’t miss your lessons…”
“What do lessons matter beside Antoine?” Genevieve cut in angrily. “Don’t be ridiculous! I’m not going back now.”
“You need to go and talk to his parents, too,” said Gill quietly. “We still haven’t told them what’s happened.”
“Because we don’t know their number,” Genevieve reminded her.
“Don’t you think that they should know what’s happened to Antoine?”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Genevieve admitted. “I’ll go and tell them and then come back here. Maybe they’d like to come, too.”
“If they would like to come, they are welcome to stay here,” said Gill. “You can come back next weekend, or when Antoine regains consciousness, whichever is sooner. We’ll phone you every day and tell you how he’s doing. But Jen, you really need to go back to Milan.”
Genevieve stared miserably into her casserole. She could understand the need to tell Antoine’s parents what had happened, but could not imagine how she would be able to concentrate on her life there without him. Wherever she went, whatever she did, she would be reminded of Antoine. How could she give her attention to her studies if she was only able to think about him, lying still and quiet in a hospital bed? And yet she could see that Gill might think that it was better to think about her work, to give her something else to do other than just sit beside his bed and worry about the future. Genevieve sighed. “I don’t want to go,” she said stubbornly.
“What would Antoine tell you to do?” asked Alex, speaking for the first time.
“He’d tell me that I should go back to Milan and not waste my time sitting around moping,” said Genevieve eventually. “I can’t go back, though. I just can’t leave him.”
“He might stay like this for weeks,” said Gill gently. “Maybe even longer. You can’t put your life on hold, Jen. When he’s come round you can come and spend time with him, that’s when he’ll need you. Just until then you should go back and do some serious hard work.”
“I thought people in a coma were able to hear what was going on around them,” said Genevieve. “So he’ll know that I’ve abandoned him and maybe he won’t want to get better.”
“We’ll go and sit with him every day and tell him what you are doing,” said Gill. “We all go to see Chantal, so I’m sure everyone will find some extra time for Antoine. He won’t be alone. We’ll look after him for you.”
Genevieve knew that they would have their way; she would be banished to Milan and obliged to get on with her studies as best she could while they looked after Antoine. “And when he wakes you’ll call me straight away and I can come home?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.
“Yes, darling, we will and you may,” said Gill, wishing that she did not have to be so hard on her daughter, but knowing it would be for the best. For all they knew, he could be in a coma for weeks or months, and it would be very difficult for Genevieve to catch up on that much work for her course. She would obviously prefer to sit beside him, but if she had to spend week after week in the hospital, it would be very hard on her, and Gill was desperate to spare her that kind of pain. She was happy to sit with Antoine herself, for as long as it took, but it would not do Genevieve any good to be at his bedside for hour after hour. It would be very difficult for her to return to Milan and try to carry on with her studies, but it would definitely be better for her in the long run, Gill believed, and so she did not allow Genevieve’s tragic face to soften her resolve.
#342:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 7:54 am
    —
Poor Jen - they do have a lot of traumas in their family! Hope Antoine's OK.
#343:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 11:18 am
    —
Thanks, Becky. I didn't mind the long post at all! I hope that Antoine will wake up soon.
#344:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 1:25 pm
    —
Yes, that's tough love, but it's better for Gen to go back and do something than sit around waiting.

We'll find out now if Antoine's mother does love him.
#345:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2006 7:28 pm
    —
Thank you Becky, I feel really sorry for Jen but I do think Gill is being sensible and I'm sure that Antoine will approve of her advice.

Thanks Very Happy

Kathryn
#346:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:10 pm
    —
Jennie wrote:
We'll find out now if Antoine's mother does love him.

Yes, you will! Thanks for your comments.

Alex took Genevieve back to Milan the next morning, not wanting her to face such a long journey on her own. She had spent some time with Antoine before she left, assuring him that she was only going for a short time and that he was not to think that she had abandoned him. She was going to call upon his parents and tell them what had happened to him, and as soon as he woke up she would come back. Arminel had promised to spend some time with Antoine each day, and said that Mike would also be keeping a close eye on the young Italian, and they would call her each evening and tell her the latest news about his condition.
On arrival in Milan, Alex took Genevieve to her room in the flat she shared with some friends, and then they went across the city to the big house in which Antoine had grown up. They rang the doorbell and it was answered by a young girl in a maid’s uniform, and she ushered them into a very formal sitting room, where they were to wait until Antoine’s mother came to join them. Alex was rather taken aback by the grandeur of Antoine’s home, not having guessed how he had been brought up from his pleasant and rather diffident manner. When Antoine’s mother finally put in an appearance, Alex found that he did not take to her at all.
She was tall and slim and very chic, but there was no warmth to her greeting. “Hello, Genevieve,” she said, her voice chilly. “Antoine’s not here. He didn’t come back last night, and he didn’t even call to say he had been delayed.”
“No, I’m not here to see him,” said Genevieve.
“So you’ve seen sense at last, have you?” asked Isabella Moretti. “Given that dull boy the elbow and taken up with someone more interesting? I always knew you were too good to waste your time with him.”
“No, I haven’t,” said Genevieve. “There’s been an accident. Antoine is in the Gornetz Hospital, and he’s unconscious.”
“When you come and see him, you are more than welcome to stay with us,” said Alex, shocked to hear Antoine’s mother talk so disparagingly about her son.
“Oh, I don’t have time to go on holiday at the moment,” she said, with a brittle laugh. “I’ve got far too many dinners and lunches arranged for the next few weeks. He’s in the hospital, you said? Then he’s obviously being well looked after. Well, if that’s all you came for, I have to apologise and tell you that I was in the middle of an appointment with my dressmaker. Do come over again, Genevieve, and I’ll find you someone much more suitable. It was lovely to meet you, Mr. Fraser.” And before they could say anything else, she had left the room and they could hear her ordering the maid to show them out.
As they walked along the street together, Alex linked arms with Genevieve. “I can’t believe what just happened there,” he told her. “She is something else, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she’s dreadful. Antoine’s father is nicer, but he only cares about his work. Really it’s a wonder that Antoine is as lovely as he is. He certainly didn’t get it from them.”
“Let’s go and have dinner,” suggested Alex, “and then I’ll have to be leaving. Where do you think we should eat? I’ll treat you to a really good dinner because you deserve it after that.”
#347:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:31 pm
    —
Oh dear, is his mother really that horrible Rolling Eyes ?
#348:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:42 pm
    —
Not much of a mother is she?
#349:  Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:42 pm
    —
Thanks, Becky. I hope that they will be able to pass the same message on to Antoine's father. I'm sorry that Isabella was so unfriendly.
#350:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:14 pm
    —
(Antoine) What a horrible mum he's got!!!
Thanks Fatima Very Happy
#351:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 4:44 pm
    —
No wonder he preferred to spend the holidays with Gill and family! Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#352:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 12:55 am
    —
Just back and its late but I had to catch up! Thanks for such a bumper update over the weekend.

Poor Antoine; let's hope everything is going to get better for him.
#353:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:48 pm
    —
Alex was as good as his word. He took Genevieve to a lovely restaurant and they ate some wonderful spaghetti and washed it down with a fine local wine. Afterwards, he took her back to her flat and made sure that she had everything she could possibly want, and then he left, promising to call her every evening to tell her about Antoine. Genevieve clung to him for a moment, not wanting to be left on her own even though she knew that her friends would soon be returning from their evening out, and he almost considered telling Gill how wrong she was to make Genevieve return to Milan when she so desperately wanted to be on the Gornetz Platz. Knowing that Gill was only doing what she thought was best for Genevieve, he contented himself with hugging her tightly and then gently freeing himself from her arms. He kissed her warmly and repeated his promise to look after Antoine, and then he was gone, leaving Genevieve to go to her room and try to sleep.
Over the next couple of days, Genevieve did her best to concentrate on her lessons and do the necessary work, but she found it very difficult to stop thinking about Antoine. Her friends tried to include her in their plans to go out, but she was uninterested, preferring to sit by the telephone and wait for the daily bulletin from the Platz. The news was depressingly similar each day – Antoine remained unconscious, but the doctors found that his pupils reacted normally to light and had high hopes of him awakening soon. Gill assured Genevieve that Antoine was receiving plenty of visitors, and she herself spent at least an hour with him each day. She had been very upset to hear of Isabella Moretti’s lack of concern for Antoine’s welfare and had decided that she should provide any mothering necessary. Although it was difficult making endless conversation with someone unresponsive, she had stuck to her task and hoped that the young man would soon awaken. Mike and Arminel also visited him, as did Louis and Héloïse, and Gill had even met Kurt in Antoine’s room several times when she had arrived to sit with him, so Genevieve certainly should not think that her young man was forgotten.
Just a week after Genevieve had returned to Milan, she was awakened early by the incessant ringing of the telephone. Certain that the call was for her, from the Platz, Genevieve leaped out of bed and ran into the sitting room so that she could snatch the receiver from the cradle. “Hello?” she said breathlessly, suddenly wondering if the news would be good as she had initially thought. Perhaps they were calling to tell her that Antoine had passed away.
“Hello, Genevieve,” came Gill’s voice, sounding rather far away.
“Mum! What’s happened?” demanded Genevieve, then she heard the echo of her own voice on the line.
“This is a dreadful line,” said Gill, “I can hardly hear you.”
“What’s happened?” Genevieve was almost shouting now. “Is Antoine all right?”
#354:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:57 pm
    —
He has to be, he has to be, he does!
#355:  Author: Ruth B, Location: Oxford, UK PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:59 pm
    —
FATIMA!

Thats norty!

But thanks for the update! Wink
#356:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:59 pm
    —
Becky, what a cliff!!

As an aside, it's wonderful to see the place that Alex has in the children's lives.

Thank you Very Happy

Kathryn
#357:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:03 pm
    —
Such a cliff, Becky.
#358:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:08 pm
    —
The Frasers/Laroches are all being so kind about Antoine.
#359:  Author: pim, Location: Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:10 pm
    —
Ruth B wrote:
Thats norty!


*agrees*

*muttering to self* It was just Gill phoning to say it was all okay. Yes, yes it was...
#360:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:16 pm
    —
I'm sure you're right pim, yes of course you are...

Very norty!
#361:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:23 pm
    —
Well, at least we will keep reading....
#362:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:14 pm
    —
ibarhis wrote:
Well, at least we will keep reading....


Yes, please, I hope you will! However I was a bit mean, so here's the next part, too.

“Can you come home today?” asked Gill, hoping that Genevieve could hear her properly. “We’ve just had a call from the hospital. Antoine has woken and he’s been asking for you.”
Genevieve burst into tears of relief. “Oh, I’ll come now,” she cried happily. “Is he going to be all right?”
“Yes,” Gill was almost shouting, too. “We’ll pick you up from the station. I’d better go, Jen, this is such a dreadful line.”
Genevieve hung up and sank down onto the settee, sobbing. She could hardly believe that the news she had almost begun to despair of hearing had come and that she was to go back to the Platz and see Antoine for herself again. She had missed him that week, for they had often met up while between classes, or had studied together in the library, and it had been strange to walk home alone when he usually walked with her. Now, though, he had woken from his coma and was actually asking to see her. That was the best news she could hope for and perhaps soon he would be back in Milan with her again.
Finally pulling herself together, Genevieve went upstairs and dressed, and then she packed her small suitcase and left a hurried note for her flat-mates. It was the weekend, and none of them would be up and about early. She briefly wondered about calling on Isabella Moretti, but decided that Antoine’s mother had no interest in him and would not appreciate being dragged out of bed just to hear that he had finally regained consciousness. She headed for the railway station and found that she was just in time to catch the first train to Switzerland, so she bought her ticket and found herself a window seat from where she would be able to enjoy the stunning scenery of her journey through the Alps.
When she finally reached Interlaken, Alex was on the platform waiting for her. He enveloped her in a huge bear hug and Genevieve noticed that he could hardly stop smiling. “You look happy,” she said with an answering smile.
“I’m pleased to be bringing you home under such auspicious circumstances,” said Alex. “Antoine’s been sleeping a lot today, but in between times he’s been asking for you. He’s so happy to think that you are on your way.”
“And is he going to be completely well again?” demanded Genevieve.
“Yes, they think so,” said Alex, carrying her case out of the station and loading it into the back of the car. He held the door open for her and then climbed into the driver’s seat and they set off through Interlaken and up the steep road to the Platz.
Genevieve had managed to eat a good meal on the train and she persuaded Alex to take her straight to the hospital, and not home as Gill had told him to do. She sat impatiently as they negotiated the tight bends in the road, but finally they were pulling up in the big hospital car park. Genevieve had almost opened the door before Alex had parked the car, and he had to run to catch her up once he had locked the car, for she had dashed away into the hospital, all her thoughts on finding Antoine and seeing for herself that he really was all right.
#363:  Author: Ruth B, Location: Oxford, UK PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:18 pm
    —
Thank you Fatima! You're lovely!

Personally, no matter how early it was I would have phoned Isabella and said something along the lines of "I know you don't care, but I thought I'd let you know that your son is out of the coma he's been in for the last x number of weeks"
#364:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:45 pm
    —
Thank you for taking pity on us Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#365:  Author: Karry, Location: Stoke on Trent PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:53 pm
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Lovely! Pokes Antoine's parents HARD!
#366:  Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:13 pm
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Antoine's mother's dreadful. Would she even care if he had died?!

Thanks Becky - I'm so glad Antoine's going to be okay!!!
#367:  Author: Identity Hunt, Location: UK PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:50 pm
    —
It **has** to be Gill saying Antoine has woken up.......hasn`t it Becky dear ?
Please tell your mischievous plot bunny to behave himself Laughing
#368:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:26 pm
    —
Does Antoine's father actually know that his son has been in a coma?
#369:  Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:00 am
    —
Thank you for responding so quickly Smile

And such nice responses....
#370:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 2:07 pm
    —
Jennie wrote:
Does Antoine's father actually know that his son has been in a coma?

All will be revealed in the fullness of time! Thanks for continuing to read this and for all your comments.

As they reached the door of the ward where Antoine was, Genevieve found herself suddenly feeling nervous. What if he was angry with her for leaving him, or if he seemed different after being in a coma for almost a week? She had pinned all her hopes to him being exactly as he had always been, but after a head injury he could have changed a little.
“Go on in,” said Alex, opening the door for her.
“Are you sure he’s all right?” asked Genevieve anxiously.
“Quite sure,” said Alex reassuringly. “In you go.”
He gave her a gentle push and then she saw Antoine, lying in the same bed he had occupied before, his eyes closed and his face peaceful, but with much more colour in it than there had been. He was obviously asleep, and so Genevieve sat down quietly beside the bed. She was pleased to notice that he had some flowers on his bedside table and a line of cards above the bed, so her family had not forgotten him. They had cared for him exactly as they had promised to and she was grateful to her mother, knowing that Gill would have been the driving force behind their attentions. Genevieve pulled off her coat and hat, running a hand over her hair and wishing she had paused to bring her bag with her from the car so that she could have tidied herself a little. She looked around the ward, noticing that the previous occupant of the next bed had been replaced by another man, an older one who looked very grey in the face. She hoped that Antoine would not be staying in this ward for too long, for he might find it hard to feel optimistic when surrounded by people who were so ill.
Genevieve returned her gaze to Antoine’s face and found him looking up at her. “Oh, you’re awake!” she said happily. “How are you feeling?”
“Hello,” he said quietly, for too much noise made his head ache dreadfully, but the smile he gave her made her grin idiotically at him. “I’m glad you came.”
Genevieve took the hand that he held out to her and held it tightly, leaning down to kiss him, and then resting her cheek against his for a moment so that he would not see that she felt like crying. She felt Antoine’s other arm come around her shoulders and she could not stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she told him.
“You are crying in my ear,” he said gently, so she sat up and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.
“I’m sorry,” she said repentantly. “How are you feeling?” she asked again. “What do the doctors say?”
“I’ve got an awful headache,” he admitted, “But they say it will go in a few days. I’m just so pleased to see you again.”
“I’m sorry I left you,” she said. “They told me I should go back to Milan and study. I didn’t want to go, but they left me no choice.”
“Of course you had to go,” he assured her. “You could hardly waste your days sitting here, could you? I’m just glad you came back so quickly. It’s nice to see you.”
“When do you think they’ll let you come back to Milan?” asked Genevieve.
“Not for a long time,” he said quietly. “They think I shall go to an ordinary ward in a day or two, once they are sure I’m on the mend, but they haven’t said anything about releasing me.”
Genevieve gently stroked his cheek, hearing how tired he was already feeling. “Let’s not worry about all that now,” she advised. “I think you should have a sleep, you sound exhausted.”
“It’s hard work being unconscious,” he told her with a smile. “Will you still be here when I wake up?”
“Yes, of course. Now close your eyes, Antoine, and have a rest.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek tenderly, and he closed his eyes. Before long he was asleep again, and Genevieve went to see what had become of Alex.
#371:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 2:11 pm
    —
That sounds more hopeful.
#372:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:07 pm
    —
He sounds like he's getting back to normal but I'm looking forward to finding out more about his family!

Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#373:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:09 pm
    —
What a lovely reunion, I hope Antoine mends quickly!!
Thanks Fatima Very Happy
#374:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:32 pm
    —
Over the weekend, Genevieve spent as long in the hospital as they would allow her to. Gill had told her that she must return to Milan on Sunday evening, so that she could attend her classes on Monday, but that she would be welcome to return home the following weekend. Although Genevieve had argued and raged and wept, Gill had stood firm and when she tentatively broached the subject with Antoine, he had completely agreed with Gill, telling Genevieve that she really needed to keep up with her studies, and she could not do that if she sat around on the Platz. Just before Genevieve was due to leave so that Alex could take her back to the station in Interlaken, Antoine brought up the subject of his parents. Genevieve had neglected to mention them, and hoped that Alex had done the same; when Antoine asked her directly if she had spoken to them, though, she could not avoid the question.
“I went to see your mother when I got back to Milan,” she said, hoping that would be enough for him.
“What did she say when you told her I was unconscious?” asked Antoine, his eyes searching her face.
“She said she was very busy and she couldn’t come just now,” said Genevieve miserably.
Antoine sighed and closed his eyes. All he could think of was how kind Gill had been, how long she had spent sitting at his bedside, and how his own mother could not even leave her round of parties and dinner engagements for a couple of days to see how he was. He was not surprised to hear that she did not want to see him, for he was well aware of her view that he was nothing but an inconvenience to her, but he had secretly hoped that she would be upset by his accident and rush to his side.
“What about my father?” asked Antoine, his voice gruff as he tried not to show how upset he was.
“I didn’t see him. Wouldn’t your mother have told him?”
“Would you go and talk to him?” he asked at last, opening his eyes again and looking up at her. “Perhaps if you went to his office you could tell him and then let me know what he said. Is that too much to ask of you, Genevieve?”
“No, of course it’s not!” she said at once.
“It’s just that I need to know,” he told her. “I need to know whether he feels the same as she does.”
“She said she was busy,” Genevieve reminded him. “I’m sure she’d have come if she hadn’t been.”
“It’s all right, Jen,” he said, managing to smile at her. “We both know that she wouldn’t have come. It doesn’t matter. I still have you.”
Genevieve squeezed the hand she held. “I’ll go and talk to your father and I’ll be back next weekend to see you. I just wish I didn’t have to leave you.”
“You must keep up with your studies, Jen,” he reminded her. “And after you’ve been gone a week I’ll be even happier to see you than I am now.”
Genevieve glanced at her watch. “I’ll have to go now,” she said with regret. “I miss you so much in Milan, Antoine.” She leaned down and lightly brushed his lips with her own. “Take care,” she said, standing up. “See you next weekend.”
“Take care yourself,” he answered. “Work hard, won’t you?!”
“I’ll do my best,” she promised with a smile, then she was hurrying down the corridor to find Alex, knowing that he would be waiting impatiently to leave for Interlaken and that Gill would be angry if she missed the train.
#375:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:54 pm
    —
Maybe Antoine's father will be a lot nicer than his mother...one can but hope! Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
#376:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:36 pm
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Poor Antoine does seem to have a very troubled family life!
#377:  Author: La Petite Em, Location: Cheltenham PostPosted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:43 pm
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I hope his father rushes over to see him because he cares!
Thanks Fatima Very Happy
#378:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:58 pm
    —
Genevieve went to see Antoine’s father the next afternoon. She knew his office was in a big block in the centre of the city, and she decided that she would try to see him without an appointment. Antoine had told her that he was always very busy, but Genevieve was lucky as his client was just leaving as she arrived and when he saw her he came out into the main office to greet her.
Giovanni Moretti was a very distinguished looking man, tall and slim with greying hair and an air of quiet capability to him. Genevieve had met him several times and she was somewhat in awe of him, for he did not seem to be an approachable man.
“Hello, Mr. Moretti,” she said, trying not to wince as he shook her hand firmly.
“Hello, Genevieve,” he replied courteously. “What a pleasant surprise to find you here. How can I help you?”
“I wonder if I could have a word with you, please?” she asked.
Mr. Moretti looked rather surprised, but he held the door of his office open for her and waved her into the big chair opposite his desk. He closed the door and sat opposite her, surveying her across the desk. “What is it?” he asked.
“Antoine is going to be in hospital for a while,” Genevieve told him, “And I think he’d like it if you could come and visit him.” She realized that perhaps Antoine had not intended her to ask his father to visit in such a blunt way, but Genevieve hoped that a direct appeal would bring about a more positive result than her mere announcement of the news to Isabella Moretti had done.
“What’s happened to him?” demanded Mr. Moretti, obviously surprised by the news. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of it?”
“I called upon Mrs. Moretti last week and told her,” said Genevieve, managing not to say anything about how reprehensible Antoine’s mother’s conduct had been.
“What happened?” Mr. Moretti asked again, making Genevieve pity any witnesses he was cross-examining in a courtroom.
“He had a skiing accident,” she explained. “He crashed head first into a tree and was unconscious for the best part of a week. He’s conscious now, and I think he’s upset that no one has come to visit him.”
“And what have the doctors said?”
“That he will make a full recovery. They are keeping him in the hospital for a while, just to be sure that everything is all right.”
Giovanni Moretti opened the big diary on his desk and scanned the next few pages thoughtfully. “There’s nothing I have to do this week that I can’t delegate,” he said decisively. “I shall fly out tonight to see him. I don’t suppose you would like to accompany me?”
“My mother has only just sent me back here,” said Genevieve regretfully. “She and Antoine have ganged up and decided that my studies are more important than sitting at his bedside.”
“They are quite right about that,” said Giovanni with a sudden smile. “Perhaps you could give me the address of the hospital, then, so that I can try to find it on my own.”
“Of course,” Genevieve agreed. She explained about the Gornetz Platz and the big hospital there, and Mr. Moretti declared that he was sure he would be able to find it without any difficulty. “Thank you,” she said, standing up to leave.
“For what?” he asked curiously.
“For saying that you will visit Antoine,” said Genevieve. “I know it will mean a lot to him.”
“I am the one who should be thanking you,” Mr. Moretti said, standing up as well. “For taking the time to come and tell me what happened. And for liking Antoine enough to put up with his parents. You are exactly the kind of girl he needs, Genevieve, and I’m really glad he has you to care about him.”
Genevieve was surprised to hear such approval from Antoine’s father. “Thank you,” she said again.
“I shall only be there a day or two,” he told her, “But I’d very much like to see you again when I get back. Perhaps you would let me take you to dinner and I can tell you how Antoine is doing?”
Genevieve’s initial reaction was to say no thank you and run out of his office. It was not that she did not like him, but she did not think she could bear to spend a couple of hours sitting across the table from him, making polite conversation. “I’m not sure,” she finally managed to say. “I’m planning to go to the Platz at the weekend, and I have an awful lot of work to do before I go.”
“Perhaps you could give me your number and I could call you when I get back,” suggested Giovanni.
Genevieve reluctantly gave him her telephone number, and then she managed to leave the office before he could say anything else. She was not sure why she suddenly felt uncomfortable, but she definitely did. After all, he was Antoine’s father, and she needed to be pleasant to him; somehow though, she did not like the idea of having dinner with him at all. Genevieve sighed heavily, wondering why nothing in life ever seemed to go smoothly. Now that Antoine was getting better, she ought to be ecstatically happy, but instead she was worrying about the lack of interest Antoine’s parents had in him, and was developing a hearty dislike both of them.
#379:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:00 pm
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I'd be seriously worried by someone who asked their son's girlfriend out for dinner!
#380:  Author: Eilidh, Location: Macclesfield PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:03 pm
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Alison H wrote:
I'd be seriously worried by someone who asked their son's girlfriend out for dinner!


Just what I was thinking. He seems seriously wierd - but at least he's going to visit. Poor Antoine, with such horrible parents.
#381:  Author: Fatima, Location: Sunny Qatar PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:15 pm
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I thought he just meant it to be nice, to update Jen on Antoine's progress, but Jen certainly didn't like it! Odd how these things happen, without any warning!
#382:  Author: KathrynW, Location: London PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:19 pm
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It was all going so well but I understand why Jen felt slightly uneased by it all...

Thanks Becky Very Happy

Kathryn
The CBB -> Ste Therese's House


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