More of You

Chapter 23

It had been a wonderful day. Harper had been welcomed by her family, and she had had the time to spend with everyone of them. There were lots of memories of her grandfather, Henri, that were shared with her, and some of the stories she had never heard before.

Luke had behaved himself and had been accepted by her family with open arms. She had tried to convince everyone that they were only friends, but no one seemed willing to believe it.

The vineyard hadn't changed that much, but she was taken around the entire property and shown all that was new. Luke was fascinated by the business, and he seemed to appreciate Harper's love for the subject as he asked questions and did his best to keep up with what was being discussed.

It was late, and they were all sitting outside on a large terrace that took up one entire side of the house. Her uncle had broken out his guitar and was playing a few songs for his latest girlfriend in the background as most of the family relaxed around the table, no one was in a hurry to leave, and the atmosphere was peaceful.

"It is so nice that you and Luke have found each other, your grandfather would have liked him I think," her Aunt Rita whispered in her ear. Her hair was grey and her face was lined with age, but otherwise her resemblance to Harper was noticeable.

"He was always partial to Luke," Harper agreed as she sipped her wine.

"So he was able to meet him before he passed, you two have known each other that long?" Aunt Rita looked at Luke once more. "Why haven't you brought him here to meet us before?"

"I grew up with Luke, our fathers run the construction business together, Grandpa and Grandma knew his Grandparents, and our fathers grew up together just like we did." Harper looked over at Luke who was talking softly with one of her young cousins. He had leaned back in his chair with his legs spread out before him as he laughed at something she was saying, and Harper couldn't contain the brief flash of jealousy that raced through her veins. Luke looked up at her and their eyes met and neither one was willing to look away.

"My dear, you do not look at each other like you are only friends," her aunt whispered in her ear.

Harper forced her gaze away from his as she tried to pick up the thread of the conversation that they had been having. If she didn't acknowledge it then she didn't have to deal with it.

He had said he loved her, why had he said it?

"It is sad when you are unable to be with the one you love, I have watched it happen, and it is a heartbreak that never heals." Rita thanked her husband who sat next to her as he poured her some more wine. Harper declined a refill.

"You have watched it happen? I take it that means you were one of the lucky ones and ended up with the man you love?" Harper teased.

"Yes," Rita looked over her shoulder at her husband and gave him a kiss.

"But you grandfather, he was not so lucky." Rita frowned as she thought back across the years.

"I thought he was always in love with Grandma," Harper said, surprised.

"He loved her yes, but she was not his first love. No, he fell hard for an American girl. She was studying art in Paris for a summer, and he had gone to spend a few weeks with some friends. That was how they met. We only saw him once that summer, when he brought her here to meet us. She was a charming creature, and we all liked her." She leaned over and whispered something to her husband and he left them.

"What happened?" Harper asked, transfixed by the story.

"He said something about her parents thinking he wasn't good enough for her and that she was supposed to marry someone else. He wanted to go to her right away, but our father was taken ill and our older brother was in the military so Henri had to stay and run things here until father was well again. When he was finally able to join her in America, over a year later, she had indeed married another man and was expecting a baby."

Rita's husband rejoined them, and he handed her an old photo album. "I think I have a photo of them here somewhere. He decided to stay in America and make his life there, we were sad that he decided not to return home, but it was his life and his choice. When he met your grandmother, we were all very happy for him.

Harper watched as she flipped through the pages stopping at one, reaching for her glasses that hung around her neck in order to look at it more closely. "Yes, this is her, it says' Emmeline and Henri, 1961." Harper froze at the sound of the name, her eyes finding Luke's in startled shock.

Luke picked up on her feelings and rose to join her as she finally looked down at the photo. Luke came up behind her and looked over her shoulder. "Am I missing something?"

"Do you recognize her?" Harper asked. Other than a quick glance, she was unable to look at the happy couple in the photo, they were sitting almost in the exact place Harper was sitting, Henri had his arm around Emmeline's shoulders, his head resting on top of hers, and they were both wearing gigantic smiles. She had never seen her grandfather smile in such away.

"That Gran!" he said in a shocked voice.

"Yes," Harper's voice was barely a whisper. "She and Grandpa were in love," Harper had to clear her throat to get the words out.

When she looked up at Luke he was frowning down at the photo. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Should she have told you?" Harper sat back in her chair, watching him nod.

"She came here to remember a lost love, she said they couldn't be together, and that she had had to marry someone else. She told me all of that but she never said it was Henri."

"You know Emmeline?" Rita asked as she looked between the two of them while trying to figure out what they were talking about.

"That's Luke's grandmother. She's here with us, staying in Paris." She looked at Rita. "Our fathers grew-up together. Emmeline is like another grandmother to me."

Rita's eyes widened. "Then that explains why he never came home. He wanted to be near her even if he couldn't have her, and she must have felt the same. Especially if they raised their sons together."

"It's weird!" Harper objected.

"Perhaps, but every one's love is different, and who are we to judge how others should live their lives. They found a way to be together even if it wasn't the way they wanted it to be. Perhaps they were never lovers, many young couples weren't back then. That would have made it a little easier, they wouldn't have completely known what they had lost. It would have allowed them to remain friends."

Rita's husband whispered something in her ear and she nodded.

"Are you both still planning on leaving this evening, or would you like me to make up the spare room?

Harper was too shocked by the news that had just been dropped on her to notice the single room reference.

"No, we want to get back tonight," Luke insisted.

"Then you will need to leave shortly to make the last train." Rita stood, placing her hand Harper's shoulder.

"It really is a beautiful story if you can get past the fact that it is your grandparents we are talking about. They were in love but it was denied, and now, two generations later, their grandchildren are in love. It shows that we carry a little bit of our parent's and grandparent's souls in ourselves."

Harper looked at Luke who looked less than happy.

"What are you thinking?" Harper asked him as she rose from the table.

"That I'll be damned if I'll let history repeat itself."

There was no time to discuss his comment as her uncle hustled them towards the car and by the time they were both on the train, they were both too lost in their own thoughts to carry on a conversation.

As they sat across from each other on the return journey, their eyes met, and Harper could no longer contain the tears. Luke moved to sit next to her and placed his arms around her shoulders, holding her close, but not daring to say a word for fear that it would be the wrong one.