bonbons • roux

•Chapter Seven•

Madeleine marches down the street, her long, dark hair swinging behind her. She pulls open the door and strides straight into the Compte's study.

"Are we breaking any laws?! Tell me! Are we hurting anyone?!" Madeleine shouts angrily.

"You're asking my opinion?" Reynaud asks, raising an eyebrow.

"What exactly have you been telling people about us?!"

"Only the truth Mademoiselle."

"Well...if you're expecting us to just...shrivel up and blow away...you're going to be highly dissappointed!" Angrily, Madeleine knocks over the photo of Reynaud's wife. Unfazed, Reynaud re-positions the photo and clasps his hands together.

"Let me try and put this into perspective for you. The first Compte de Reynaud expelled all the radical Hugenots from this village. You and your truffles present a far lesser challenge. You'll be out of business by Easter, I promise you that." Madeleine scowls at him before wrapping he shawl tighter around her shoulders.
"Mark me when I say that you'll regret this" she spits through bitter teeth before marching out of the door.

In a fit of rage, Madeleine kicks the statue of the first Compte de Reynaud that sits in the village square. She screams and rips off her shawl, hitting the metal statue with it. It may not harm the statue but it definitely makes her feel better. With that she strides to the shop and yanks open the door to see Josephine and Vianne talking.

"I heard you don't go to Church" Josephine begins before she's interrupted by Madeleine. She mumbles an apology to the both before quickly rushing up the stairs. Vianne watches her worriedly but stays seated, knowing that she can ask her what happened later.

"That's right" Vianne responds and looks back to Josephine.

"You won't last long here. People talk" Josephine goes to put her mug of hot chocolate back onto the table but her shaky hands cause her to spill it. "Oh, sorry. I'm behaving badly, aren't I?"

"No, it's okay."

"You don't misbehave here. It's just not done, did you know that? If you don't go to Confession...or if you don't dig your flower beds...or if you don't pretend...that you want nothing more in your life...that to serve your husband three meals a day...and give him children and vacuum under his ass then...then you're crazy...You must think I'm stupid to stay with him."

"No, I don't think you're stupid."

"Well, I am. I'm weak. I don't love my husband, and I lie."

"Things could be different for you Josephine" Vianne reassures. "Serge doesn't run the world."

"He might as well."

"Is that what you believe?"

"I know it."

"Then it must be true. My mistake."

"You make the most wonderful chocolate."

~☆~

The second Josephine leaves, Vianne rushes up the stairs to see her sister sitting on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. Hearing her sister's footsteps, Madeleine looks up and quickly wipes her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Vianne asks, walking to the bed and sitting down next to the distraught girl.

"Reynaud...he's spreading rumours...spreading rumours about...us...we'll get no customers...which means no money, no money means no more Chocolaterie, no more home...then we'll have to move again! I hate it! All the moving around...I still don't understand why we have to keep moving all the time." Vianne thinks for a few moments.

"I think that tonight will be the night where Anouk hears about her grandmere and grandpere again."

~☆~

"Pantoufle wants to hear the story of grandmere and grandpere. Don't say 'not tonight'. You always say 'not tonight'." Anouk begs her mother. Vianne quickly looks to Madeleine, who gives her a minute nod.

"All right, all right." Vianne rolls over to face Anouk and begins the story. "George Rocher...was the young apothecary of the town of Aulus-Les-Bains. George was honest, prosperous and trusted by his customers. But George was not content. He felt there should be more to life than dispensing liver oil. In the spring of 1927, the Societe Pharmeceutique formed an expedition to Central America to study the medicinal properties of certain natural compounds. George was the expedition's most eager volunteer. But his adventure took a turn he did not expect. One night, he was invited to drink unrefined cacao with a pinch of chilli. The very same drink the ancient Maya used in their sacred ceremonies. The Maya believed cacao held the power to unlock hidden yearnings and reveal destinies. And so it was that George first saw Chitza. Now, George had been raised a good Catholic but in his romance with Chitza he was willing to slightly bend the rules of Christian courtship. The tribal elders tried to warn George about her. She was one of the wanderers. Her people moved with the North Wind from village to village dispensing ancient remedies never settling down. Not a good choice for a bride. George did not heed their warning and for a while, it seemed that he and Chitza might lead a happy life together in France. Alas, the clever North Wind had other plans. One morning, George awoke to discover that Chitza and the little girls Vianne and Madeleine had gone away. Mother and daughters were fated to wander from village to village dispensing ancient cacao remedies travelling with the wind. Just as Chitza's people had done for generations."

"Will it just go on forever?" Anouk asks groggily, falling asleep before heading her answer. Vianne looks to the china out that holds her mothers ashes. "Night, Mama."

And that is another chapter COMPLETE! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've just been so busy lately♡
Thanks for reading!
~DoD♡