A Bordeaux Dynasty: A Novel by Françoise Bourdin

his daughter’s marriage. His pettiness shamed Antoine and poisoned his rapport with him. Aurélien cared greatly for his friends, but giving away his own name and one of his sons had been a lot to ask. The idea that Jules might follow a similar path as Alexandre by getting too close to Laurène was downright unpleasant. This was complicated even more by the unspeakable possessiveness he felt for the young woman.
    Antoine, for his part, loathed any comparison between the two families. Aurélien’s amazing success, his castle (both luxurious and austere), his prestigious family history, his four sons, his wines (particularly his Margaux) and the way he negotiated them (with authority all over the Médoc region), as well as his reputation as a ladies’ man (still intact at the age of sixty)—Antoine envied it all. Being in Aurélien’s presence made him morose, in spite of the genuine affection that the two men had for each other.
    Robert began telling funny anecdotes about his work at the hospital and Pauline laughed hysterically. Laurène was all ears, fascinated by the stories. Jules, across the table, watched her pensively.
    “You want to come with me tomorrow?” Alexandre asked him out of the blue.
    Surprised, Jules turned to his brother.
    “To Bordeaux? Why? You’re scared or do you think I’m upset?”
    Alexandre shrugged and Jules said, this time in a much kinder tone, “You’re going to be fine. Just don’t listen to what old Amel says and stick to your guns.”
    Not convinced, Alexandre grimaced.
    “Jules!” Pauline called out. “You promised to tell me all about wine-producing this year. When are you going to give me my first lesson? Robert can’t believe that it might interest me.”
    “Just at the moment …” Jules said, looking for a pretext. “The timing isn’t great. …”
    “I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Aurélien said. “For once a woman in this family wants to know what’s going on around here.”
    Aurélien and Jules looked at each other. Then Jules smiled.
    “Okay,” he said. “If you’re ready tomorrow morning at six-thirty, you can tag along with me.”
    “I’ll be up and ready,” Pauline said.
    “You just hit the jackpot,” Alexandre whispered to his brother. “The dumb blonde student. …”
    Jules burst out laughing and everyone at the table turned to him.
    “Are you going to tell us what’s so funny?” Louis-Marie asked.
    “Impossible,” Jules said, now serious.
    Antoine and Aurélien were talking about the upcoming harvest. Fernande was serving the dishes, keeping a close watch on the guests’ reactions. Jules, as always, was the first to congratulate her for a wonderful meal. Surreptitiously, the old lady put a hand on his shoulder, with infinite tenderness. The scene caught Aurélien’s eye. He felt a sudden rush of affection for Jules.
    What right do I have to get in his way ? he thought. I’m being ridiculous with this girl. Am I senile already ? I need to let the kid have his own life. … He’s no longer a kid. …
    “What type of mushrooms are these?”
    Antoine was looking at him, waiting for a response. Aurélien frowned.
    “You have a hard time hearing?” said Antoine. “Well, at our age …”
    Antoine’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
    “No,” Aurélien replied, “not yet. Actually, I wasn’t listening to you, my friend.”
    “Great. … We were talking about that leg of lamb. The recipe …”
    Aurélien stared at Antoine.
    “I have no opinion on the matter. I leave that kind of stuff to Fernande and Dominique. That’s why they’re here.”
    Antoine turned pale and slowly set down his knife on the table. Aurélien’s comment relegated Antoine’s daughter to the level of staff. Aurélien felt he’d gone too far and, with a smile, added, “Dominique is wonderful as the head of the household. She makes all the decisions when it comes to meals around here.”
    Disarmed, Antoine stared at Aurélien before returning his smile. On