bonbons • roux

•Chapter Six•

Madeleine, Vianne and Anouk enter the pub. The stench of alcohol makes Madeleine gag. She's never been a fan of alcohol.

"Are you Serge Muscat?" Vianne asks the bar tender, who had just gotten up from a seat at the table.

"The one and only, what's your pleasure?" he drawls, looking Madeleine up and down, a smirk on his dirty face. Madeleine looks away, self-consciously crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is your wife here?" Vianne asks.

"Josephine?" he pauses. "Well, it depends on what you want with Josephine."

"Oh, she left this at our shop" Vianne replies, pulling out one of the boxes from the bowl that Josephine stole from, unbeknownst to the Rocher sisters. Both women know full well that the box doesn't belong to Josephine but Vianne wants to try and talk to her and, eventually, become her friend.

"Well, let me have it. I'll give it to her" Serge demands, holding out his hand to take it.

"Oh, no. I'll give it to her myself" Vianne then says, turning away from Serge, leaving him angry.

Vianne goes through a doorway with beads draped down over it. Madeleine is about to follow until she hears the conversation that some men are having on the table behind her.

"Got to go. I'm late for supper" one says, picking up his coat.

"But the games not over yet" another complains. Another man (who happens to be Alphonse) turns to Anouk.

"Do you want to play?" he asks. Anouk nods with a smile on her face. "You know Belote?"

"Of course I do" she tells him as if it's obvious. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Sit down."

"You'll be okay?" Madeleine mutters to her niece.

"Of course tata."

"Okay then. We'll be back in a minute" Madeleine says quietly to her, before following her sister through the beaded doorway.

"What do you want?" Madeleine hears Josephine ask.

"You forgot this" she hears her sister reply. Madeleine then enters the room and Josephine sends her a scared look.

"What do you want? What do you both want?"

"To be your friends" Vianne replies softly, stepping closer to her.

"I don't have friends. Does Serge know you're here?"

"Does it matter?" Vianne steps forward again. "Do me a favour, try one of these rose creams. Tell me if you think it's a little heavy on the Cointreau." Josephine gently takes the box and opens it, a small smile tugging at her lips. She takes a chocolate and smells it before putting it in her mouth and slowly chewing it.

"Josephine!" Serge's voice cut through the air. A look of terror creeps into Josephine's face. She quickly spits out the chocolate onto her hand and throws it away.

"I'm coming!" she replies in a panicky tone. She's terrified of him Madeleine thinks. Anyone could see that. "He talks about you, both of you. He says you're indecent. He says you're an, you're an influence. A bad influence for someone like me..." Vianne steps forward and gently placed her hands on Josephine's shoulders.

"I don't have to listen to a word your husband has to say-"

"No...not Serge. Not him. Reynaud, the mayor. He...he talks about you both."

Vianne and Madeleine leave the room and re-enter the pub, going over to the table where Anouk is sat.

"Time to go" Vianne says.

"Look what I won!" Anouk replies happily, holding up two dead ducks. The other men at the table look annoyed.

"That's good, come on" Vianne takes her daughter's hand and leads her out of the pub, Madeleine trailing behind. Madeleine turns and gives the horrible pub one last look before walking out of the doors. From the beaded doorway, Josephine watches them leaves. She lifts her hand to her mouth, sniffing the still chocolatey aroma that comes from it. As Anouk, Vianne and Madeleine walk home, Anouk proudly tells them how she won the ducks.

~☆~

Luc sits on the corner of the pavement, quietly sketching the pigeon that lies dead in front of him. Madeleine walks across the courtyard, a shawl wrapped around her. She notices the boy and wanders over to him.

"Luc" she says quietly. "Mind if I take a peek?"

"Oh, um...it's not really..." he stutters.

"Show me, oh."

"Well, I exaggerated the angle of the head..."

"You draw beautifully...What's your going rate?" Madeleine asks, an idea popping into her head.

"What?"

"To do a portrait. How much would you charge?"

"Oh I...I couldn't. I'm not really a..."

"Fifty francs? Sound reasonable?"

"It'd be great" Luc admits, finally giving in.

"When could you come by mine and my sisters shop?"

"I'm...I'm really sorry, but...The Compte forbids it. He spoke to Mama this morning...and a lot of others."

"Whatever you say" Madeleine says, disappointed.

"I wish I could. I really do."

"Thanks for showing me your drawing." Madeleine stands up straight and turns to walk away.

"Wait!" Luc's voice quickly stops her.
They agree a time and date and Madeleine leaves Luc, anger at the Compte filling her body. She must find him!

I guess you could call that a cliffhanger? I don't know😂 Anyway, another chapter complete, another step towards any form of 'excitement' in this book.
Thanks for reading
~DoD♡