Heart Restoration Project

Chapter Thirty-Seven

While I was speaking with Monsieur Grenouille, the sky had turned dark and opened up to an unexpected steady roll of afternoon showers. I threw my cardigan up over my head to scurry across the street back to the inn. My mind was reeling over the information Monsieur Grenouille had revealed, and I wasn’t sure how many more surprises I could handle. I had so much to try to sort out and less than twenty-four hours to make a decision about airing the show.

Truth be told, I already knew what I was going to do. I had to walk away. It was my dignity on the line, my reputation. Not to mention, that leaked sex tape became such a rift between me and my family, I knew another embarrassment of that caliber would firmly cement in their minds that I was hopeless—bound forever to exist as the permanent blemish that tarnished the family name.

The rain was warm and fell in rhythmic patterns across the square, fat drops plopping into the fountain in the center. I lowered the cardigan down off my head and allowed myself to close my eyes, tilt my face up, and take it all in. Raindrops slid down my forehead, into the creases of my lids and lashes, and sloped down my cheeks and neck. My clothes soaked up the moisture, the layers growing heavier with the passing time. I inhaled a deep breath and looked out into the distance: the lush fields of green and violet, the cypress trees, and Saint Orens in the distance on the hill.

I’d learned so much since arriving in Provence—not all lessons I’d volunteered to learn, necessarily, but they came nonetheless. I learned about the Adéla?ses, and the Resistance, and the brave people who fought back in spite of the repercussions they knew they’d face if caught. I learned about the heartbreak of betrayal (intimately), a lesson it seemed the universe was insistent I hadn’t mastered quite yet.

I wiped my hand across my face, picked up my bag, and went inside to take a hot shower and give careful consideration to a decision I’d already subconsciously made.

The silver bell chimed above the inn door, a sound I’d miss once I was back at home, and I noticed Odette hustling around the dining room, moving small buckets around the floor and up onto tables to catch the drops of water leaking through the roof. As soon as she placed them, it seemed another leak opened somewhere else across the room. It was like watching a much less humorous game of Whac-A-Mole.

“Do you need some help?” I asked, instinctively grabbing a bucket and moving it to a stream of water that started to pour out harder than before.

Odette didn’t even lift her head to see who was speaking. She was too busy trying to balance three buckets in her arms to dump some of the caught water into the side sink. “Yeah, I do, actually. Any chance you have a new inn on you? In a pocket somewhere or in your luggage? Or a new roof at least?” she joked.

“Actually, funny you should ask ...,” I joked back.

Odette lifted her head at the response. “Oh, Plum, hello. Yes, I guess you do have a chateau ...” Odette laughed. “Sorry, that comment wasn’t meant for you, I was just making a general joke. But, as you can see, we need a bit of renovation work ourselves if we hope to stay open for much longer.” She repositioned the newly emptied buckets back under the leaks and grabbed a dish towel to mop up any puddles left behind. “It’s one of the many reasons why I cannot return to Paris. It feels so selfish. Clearly, my parents need me here. With the state of the inn as it is, it’s all too much.”

“I can understand that,” I said and nodded.

“And I couldn’t think to move them to Paris. This is their home—Maubec, our neighbors, every piece of this town. I could never do that to them, no matter how much my dreams and future may live outside Provence.” She took a deep breath and continued, “Actually, since it’s just the two of us down here, I do have something I wanted to broach with you.”

She used the dishcloth to wipe off the chairs once more to ensure no wetness was left and then gestured for me to take a seat. She plopped herself across from me and fidgeted with the rag in her hands. “I’ve been giving it some thought, and though I know I was initially upset that you wouldn’t be staying in Maubec, I’ve come to realize that maybe it is the opportunity we’ve all been waiting for.”

Her eyes burned with anticipation and optimism. “Not that I wouldn’t love for you to stay,” she clarified and continued, “it’s just that, if you’re not, then I have a proposition for you. I was wondering if you would consider selling the chateau to us once it’s finished. We never could afford the renovations that property needed, and the project, quite frankly, was just too big and overwhelming for my parents to take on before. I know you’ll probably have your share of offers for it, many of them way over asking, but I just would like to throw our hat in the ring, and though our offer may not be as tempting, I was hoping that now that you’ve gotten to know us and the town, you’d see it as a sound investment. You see, if my parents were able to run a property that didn’t need quite so much upkeep, then perhaps I might be able to return to Paris and finish my studies with greater peace of mind.”

The idea tumbled out of her mouth like she was afraid if she didn’t get it all out in one breath, she’d lose her nerve. Once finished, she drew in a long breath and set her hands on top of the table, wringing her fingers with anxiety. “What do you think?”

How was I supposed to answer Odette with the future of the property and the show so up in the air? Where did I even begin to explain?

“Odette, I love the idea of Chateau Mirabelle being run by your family, but ...” My chin began to quiver, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get the words out before completely breaking down. “The house. It’s not ... It won’t ... It’s just a mess.”

She reached across the table and squeezed my forearm jovially. “Oh, Plum, I know. It’s okay. I mean, once it’s finished,” she laughed, clearly misunderstanding.

“No, I mean, it won’t ever be finished. I’m leaving the show. It was all a setup, and the renovations were all staged, just a backdrop for a love-story gotcha moment they dreamed up to embarrass me on a national stage ... all for TV ratings.” Fresh tears sprang to my eyes, the hurt still a raw ache.

“Wait, what? No. That can’t be true. How cruel!” Odette swung her chair around the table to scoot closer to me and slung an arm around my sunken shoulders.

“It’s true. And I feel like such an idiot. Now even more so in learning the project had gotten your hopes up about a possible future for you and your family.” The tears started to spill in steady streams, and I hid my face in my hands in embarrassment.

Odette was maybe the last person I thought I’d be crying to, but alas, here we were, and I couldn’t keep the floodgates from opening again. “What’s worse is that the house,” I continued, “at least aesthetically, is in just as poor a condition as when it started. They fixed the foundation and the mold problem and the plumbing. But those things pushed the schedule so far off course it never found its way back. There are no floors or walls, no decor. No charm or flavor. It is a blank and chaotic canvas, and after everything they put me through, I may need to walk away from the project to preserve what little dignity I have left.”

“Oh my God, Plum. I had no idea. I am sorry to have even asked.” She lowered her head, unsure of what else to say and how to proceed. “Are ... are you okay?”

I looked up at her and into her brown eyes. Before I answered, I surveyed the dining room again. Amid the buckets rapidly filling with water from dozens of leaks actively pouring from the roof, Odette was asking about me. About my troubles. About my mental health. Her selflessness was jarring, yet incredibly appreciated, and I felt a hollowness of regret for not warming to her sooner. Perhaps it was jealousy in seeing how Elliott behaved around her? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I suddenly felt a deep remorse for the time we’d lost. It’d been a long time since I’d had a real and genuine friendship, and if I hadn’t been so caught up in myself, I could’ve been building one with Odette.

“Actually, I don’t know how I am, quite honestly. I feel pretty lost right now, and I’m trying not to act rashly and make a decision I may live to regret. But I feel like I’m hanging upside down. The world is present, as I’ve always known it, but it’s all wrong. It’s inverted and confusing and out of balance. I feel like I’m looking at a Jackson Pollock painting that someone is telling me is a Renoir.”

She squeezed my fingers supportively and did not let go. She stayed quiet, not trying to dispense advice or empty encouragement like so many would; she just stayed by my side and listened.

I continued, “So now I’m left at a crossroads. Do I allow Tributary to air this fabricated season, complete with the mortifying gotcha moment in Paris with Rhys they are sure to include, or do I back out of my contract, chalk it all up to a very arduous learning experience, return to LA, and never look back?”

“You know I can’t answer that for you,” she said, her eyebrows woven together in sympathy.

“You sure? At this point, I’m thinking of flipping a coin. At least you are a bit more qualified.” I cracked a smile. “Thank you, though. For listening. For understanding. And for giving me the benefit of the doubt.”

“I had a feeling that once Elliott and I started to become a little closer, you pulled away. But nothing is going on or has ever gone on with us. Actually, I think he is quite taken with someone else.” She lifted her eyebrows at me, an obvious hint at who she meant.

“No,” I said and shook my head. “I mean, maybe? But I can’t even think about all of that right now. I need to close this Bastien chapter first, figure out what I’m doing with Chateau Mirabelle, and then maybe I can sort out whatever is going on or not going on between me and Elliott.”

“Ouais, I understand, but don’t take too long. Don’t throw away this entire experience because it ended up not being what you expected. Sometimes life’s greatest treasures are the ones we don’t expect.”

I smiled and nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind. Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” she replied.

“Can you tell me more about Bastien? I just feel so blindsided, like I never knew him at all. You tried to warn me, didn’t you?”

An expression of guilt washed over her face. “Listen, Bastien and I have a long history—un peu compliqué. We grew up together. We were young and in love as high school sweethearts, but he had a difficult time growing up in this town, and it has haunted him, dictating his actions and forcing him to live in survival mode ever since he was a little boy with the last name Munier.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded in contemplation. “I’ve been trying to put this puzzle together, and Monsieur Grenouille just slid the proverbial last piece into place by telling me about Bastien’s grandfather. I can’t tell you how shocked I was to learn that he was the one who turned in the Adéla?ses and the rest of the townspeople involved in the Resistance.”

“Ouais,” Odette consented, “can you imagine living in the shadow of such a treacherous betrayal? Bastien had nothing to do with it but was forced to pay for the sins of his family’s past. It was one of the biggest wedges that existed in our relationship early on. He wanted to run away from Maubec and start a new life, somewhere the story couldn’t follow him. It had always been his dream to be a vintner like his grandfather, but no one would give him the chance to apprentice in this region, a necessary step.”

“It doesn’t excuse what Bastien did,” I responded coldly.

“Non, of course, it doesn’t. But perhaps it may justify it a little. He tried to hitch his wagon to your star, or maybe tried to right the wrongs of the past through rebuilding what his grandfather was responsible for destroying—which isn’t right, but is maybe at least a bit more understandable given the circumstances.”

“You are undeservingly gracious with him. He said it was you who wanted more, who needed to get out of Maubec, who left everyone behind—ruthlessly and selfishly. When given the chance, he threw you right under the bus. So, why, after all that happened, do you still defend him?”

“Because he is a genuinely good man. He is just a product of his family and his history. Like you. Like me. Like we all are. And he is a hell of a vintner to boot. It’s a shame no one ever gave him a real shot. He is actually quite talented.”

Odette stood from the table and pushed in the chair. “Whatever it is you decide, Plum, don’t let it be because of what Bastien or Rhys did or Kate ... or anyone else in your past. Let it be your decision, wholly and completely. It’s the only way it will ever be the right one.”