Marilyn Of Ville

Chapter 8 - Heiress?

"My Grandma Julia was married to Grandpa Edward! Please tell me there is another ‘Edouard’ and that all this is just a peculiar coincidence! How can we be related, you a great granddaughter of my grandfather if, when World War Two ended, he married my Grandma Julia in the United States, clear across an immense ocean and a huge continent from here."

“I realize it sounds impossible, Lucy, but it is no coincidence! See Edouard's last name and yours? Andrews! They are one and the same man! While Edouard was away on the battlefields in Italy, he was unaware that his sixteen year old French war bride, my great grandmother Cecelia, bore him a daughter. Baby Cece survived, but her mother died in child birth. After the war when Edouard discovered the tragedy, he left France and never returned! The bottom line is, we are identical half cousins! You will become an heiress to Grandmama Cece's old family fortune when you turn twenty-one! In the meantime, you will receive a monthly allotment and a tidy lump sum in arrears for every month since you turned eighteen. And there is a trust fund for each of us! Cece holds the family purse strings. To look at her, you would never guess she is worth a fortune, would you? The wealth began with great, great, great grandmama, Yvette Bouchard, who was born into aristocracy. Cece has been waiting for just the right time to tell you about your inheritance, with the book the only way to break it to you gently. Now that Edouard and Julia and your father have all passed away, and I am so very sorry, the story can be told to you.

Cece will hand-deliver a large check to you tomorrow, equivalent to thousands of U.S. dollars, and we will go to the bank. Lucy, you will never want for money, and you will never need to marry for money. You must keep all this confidential. You will never have to feel beholden to any man. You do not want any man marrying you for your money rather than for yourself. I do not want a fortune hunter either. Always keep your money secret and be inconspicuous like Cece. Lucy, didn’t you say you have some valuables you want to deposit in a safe deposit box in the bank vault?"  

“Yes, in my room. I will just gather the rings Pierre has given me. I keep them in my dresser drawer with my unmentionables." Lucy slid her hands through her lingerie, but came up empty handed. She pulled the drawer all the way out of its sliders and turned it upside down, but found no jewels among the satiny undies that drifted to the floor. “Aimee, where could the gems be? There has been no break in here, no theft, and Marie and Franc have no hired help. I do not recall any repair people. The only people who have been in my room are Danielle and Diane.” 

Aimee and Lucy ransacked the entire room, pulling all the books from their shelves, emptying the closet and, in the process, knocking over the umbrella. They came up empty handed and decided to keep the matter under wraps until they were sure the jewels were missing, not just misplaced. "Do not worry, Lucy. Look at the time! It is time to turn in. It is tomorrow already! I will put the umbrella in the corner. You may find it difficult to get to sleep after all this excitement! This might be a good time for you to read a chapter I have dog-eared for you. Maybe it will put you to sleep. Good night, sleep tight, Lucy.” Aimee fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow. 

The next day, upon their return from the bank, Aimee was collecting her belongings and preparing to return home to Rouen. “Eventually, Lucy, you and I will be the only heiresses of the entire family trust. We will work together to run the family designer clothing business. In the meantime, we can have light hearted fun for years before being saddled with such awesome responsibility someday. I must leave now. Adieu!" With Lucy’s new financial secrets filling the black satin interior of her purse, she threw it into her lingerie drawer and prepared for Danielle's arrival. 

When Danielle showed up, she informed Lucy, “While you are considering your princess option, you need to know all about the Royals. Marcel died from a massive heart attack as did his Grandfather Louis. But Louis was in his mid nineties! Marcel was barely sixty! Marcel’s father, Prince Hercule, was in his early eighties when he died. There is no mistaking Gabrielle's father-daughter resemblance to Pierre. I have always loved that about her, just as I have always loved Pierre. Gabrielle, Pierre, both his sisters, and one of his brothers all bear the same family features, tall with dark hair. But not Pierre's twin brother, the shortest of them all. Pierre’s parents are alive and still married. They were seated close to Marcel’s casket. Pierre’s mother Arielle, sister of Prince Hercule, was an actress, petite with light skin and light hair. Gabby’s great uncle Hercule and her second cousin Marcel were very fond of Gabby!”  

“Danielle, what have you heard about the DNA tests with regard to the twins? I am desperate! Spill it!"