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Face like a thundercloud, JL stirs sugar into his milky coffee. So much sugar that he makes a face when he tries to drink it. He throws down his napkin, ready to leave the table.
Angélique had started her car earlier, before Louisette convinced her to stay for dinner. “We should leave, Tante Louisette. But the car is making strange noises.”
“Leave it here and JL can try to get a mechanic over in the morning. Good thing the boys don’t have school tomorrow.”
Another obligation for the obliging son. JL looks at his mother sourly. “I have a friend who can figure out the problem, Angélique.”
“When you finish, drive Angélique and the boys home.” Louisette’s request brooks no refusal.
“Get your coats, everyone, and let’s get going.”
When I start toward the hall, Louisette stops me. “Michelle, you will stay here and help with the dishes, if you don’t mind.”
Schooling my face to hide the tide of anger that rolls over me, I say, “Of course not.” I pick up the dessert plates and saucers, piling the cups on top.
Angélique flounces out, quickly returning with her raincoat on and a large purse dangling from her shoulder. The boys are wearing jackets that aren’t quite heavy enough for the weather, and they drag their backpacks by the straps instead of wearing them. Angélique makes the boys walk out first and slips her arm through JL’s. “Ready…Beau.” Then she smirks as they walk out the door.
“Beau,” Louisette says, beaming. “You always called him that, Angélique. See how my JL blushes?”
I swivel my gaze away and carefully place the dishes next to the sink. Louisette washes, every peek from the corner of her eye a criticism of my incompetence. Too slow, too sloppy, the dishes aren’t sufficiently dry.
When I almost drop the pie plate, she shrieks as if there is a huge hairy spider hanging down in front of her face. “Be careful. That dish belonged to my great-grandmother, and I cannot replace it.”
JL isn’t back yet, his uncle hasn’t turned up, and I need to escape. Dishes done, I throw the towel over the back of chair. “Bonne nuit,” I tell Louisette and take myself off to bed, planning to fire up my laptop and put in a couple of hours of work, but I fall asleep almost immediately and never even hear JL get back.
Sun peeks through the thin linen curtains. The house is very quiet. I forgot to ask for the internet password, so I read for a while. When my stomach starts to growl, and the need for coffee becomes unbearable, I dress and quietly creep toward the kitchen. To my surprise, Louisette is already there, whisking a batter.
“JL loves crepes,” she says without turning around. “The coffee is made if you want some.”
I pour a cup, adding just a tiny bit of milk, then sit at the table, watching her strong biceps flex as she beats the batter.
“Now it needs to rest,” she says, placing a cloth over the bowl. Louisette fetches her own cup and sits across from me.
“You were asleep when JL got back?” she asks.
“I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow,” I tell her.
She sips, then leans forward, forearms flat against the table top. “Look, Michelle, I want to be honest with you.”
Honest. I know this is not going to be good.
“When JL returned home, last night, we had a long talk. I think he realizes he still has feelings for Angélique. That is why he was back so late.”
That can’t be right. I start to tell her she is a liar. But she forestalls me. “JL understands his obligations to his family. I am sure he will move back to Vancouver.”
I gulp to keep from shrieking. “Did he say so?”
“Not in so many words, but I can read his heart.”
With a shake of my head, I negate all she is telling me. Then she says, “Angélique called and will be over soon.”
“But she doesn’t have a car.”
“Her parents are picking up the boys for the day and will drop her off here. That way, when the car is fixed, she’ll have it.”
Makes a kind of sense, but my stomach starts to burn. Jealousy.
“I am sure he will ask for the family ring soon. It’s my mother’s ring.” She sits back and drinks more coffee. I never thought euphoria had a scent, but Louisette stinks of it.
