understood that every person has a chance to live their life the way a person wants, and it would be a colossal mistake to deprive his daughter of such an opportunity. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on the door.
– Come in!
Louise came in and said:
– Dinner is ready, will you come to the table soon? Madame asks.
– Yes, we’ll be leaving soon. Five minutes.
“Okay,” and she left.
Louis stood up and went to the window.
“Okay,” he turned to his daughter, “I’ll buy you a chateau and give you money to open a business.” We will draw up a business plan together, and you will have a year to develop your business.
Hearing this, Olivia could hardly restrain herself from expressing wild joy. She knew that her father had never particularly liked displays of emotion. He was a reserved and cold person, stingy in showing any emotions, be it a joyful or sad event, his face remained invariably calm, and not a single muscle moved.
“Okay, dad,” Olivia calmly responded to her father’s proposal, “I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in your decision and in me.”
“God willing,” Louis answered, “and now we can go to the table.”
– Yes, you can.
They went into the dining room, but there was no one at the table.
– Louise! – Louis called loudly, the housekeeper came out of the kitchen.
– Did you call?
– Yes, where is Vanessa?
– Madame was waiting for you, and then she asked for a shawl and went out into the garden.
“At a time like this,” the owner of the house said thoughtfully.
Olivia looked at her father and politely suggested:
– Maybe you and I will go out into the garden and find mom? We need to tell her the news.
Louis glanced at her quickly and nodded. They left the house.
Vanessa hated waiting for something or someone for a long time. This depressed her, and she, left alone, often went to her favorite roses. When Louis flew away on his business, she died of melancholy and spent a lot of time in her room, sitting in a chair and looking out the window, no one knew what she saw there or wanted to see. At such moments, she did not even go out to eat and Louise brought food to her room, otherwise one day Louis would have risked finding his wife who had died of hunger. She loved to go out into the garden and sit in the gazebo, which was surrounded by bushes of antique Gerda roses Nissen, their color was carmine pink, and they smelled of a sweet fruity aroma. She saw these roses in an old garden when she flew on a trip to Germany. She was told that this variety was created during the time of Victor Hugo and she was very impressed. It was these roses that Vanessa planted herself, despite the fact that they had a gardener who kept order.
That evening she sat in the dining room and waited for her husband and daughter, when some time passed, tired of waiting, she decided to go to her favorite gazebo, to the roses.
“Louise,” she called her faithful maid in a velvety voice.
– Did you call Madam? – Louise smiled and approached the mistress of the house.
– You could go upstairs and bring me a shawl, I want to go to the garden.
“But dinner is coming soon,” the housekeeper noted.
– They are still in the office, I have time, and I’m not comfortable sitting at the table alone.
“Okay, I’ll bring it now,” – having said this, Louise left.
Vanessa threw the shawl over her shoulders and went out into the garden. By the time Louis and his daughter left the office, she was circumcising her favorites.
Olivia and Louis walked along the path paved with stones, birds chirped and dusk slowly descended. They heard the pruning shears working and realized Vanessa was busy. When she was busy with her roses, she became so lost in herself that the world around her ceased to exist, there were only roses and her. And time passed very unnoticed. This time she was again in her thoughts and did not hear her husband and daughter approach her.
“Mom,” she looked back at the call and met Louis’ gaze, and for the first time in many years of their married life she did not look away under the weight of her husband’s gaze. The strained relationship between the parents did not in any way affect their attitude towards their daughter.
“You were late in the office,” Vanessa said displeasedly to both of them. Louis could not stand it when she showed displeasure.
“We were discussing business, and Olivia has news that she wants to tell herself.”
The daughter stood impatiently and shifted from foot to foot. Louis, seeing this, said:
– Speak already.
– Mother! – Olivia’s tone was joyful, but Vanessa was not happy about it, “Dad decided to help me, I will have my own business and my own home, can you imagine?!
However, seeing her mother’s sad look, Olivia stopped her fiery speech. Vanessa’s look was a reproach for her husband, who made it clear that she was not enthusiastic about this idea. There was a silent question in her eyes: “How could you? How could you do this to me?”
“Vanessa,” Louis wanted to explain to her the reason for this decision.
He took her hand, which he rarely did in ordinary life and often at receptions and celebrations.
– Let’s go to the gazebo and talk there. Olivia go inside, we need to talk in private.
Olivia nodded obediently and walked down the path towards the house. Having reached the house, she wrapped herself in a blanket and climbed onto a chair with her feet up, looking at the fire blazing in the fireplace and reading a book. She knew that her parents’ conversation would be long.
Left alone, Louis and Vanessa went into the gazebo and sat on a bench. Olivia’s father understood the seriousness of the situation and nevertheless his face remained calm and impartial, but in his soul the devils lit a fire that blazed with emotions. They were silent for a long time, looking straight ahead, and no one dared to start speaking. Louis perfectly understood Vanessa’s condition; he himself was a little uncomfortable because he supported his daughter in such a bold desire to start her own independent life away from her parents. He knew that accepting their decision would be a difficult ordeal for Olivia’s mother. Although she was never particularly close to her daughter, she did not know her experiences and desires. The feeling of motherhood awakened in her only after the birth of the second child in their family. She didn’t know how to behave with her first child, didn’t understand what to do with him. She gave all her love to her second daughter. Olivia had a sister she preferred not to talk about. Even my sister’s name was similar to her mother’s name, Inessa.
Finally the wife spoke.
“Louis,” she began this difficult conversation in a trembling whisper, which made her husband sad, “you understand how hard it is for me to realize that our daughter decided to start an independent life, and you decided to help her in this desire.”
– Apparently I should have refused her? – Louis answered in a cold tone and looked at his wife with anger. Not understanding why she is so reluctant to let her eldest daughter live an independent life, while the youngest has been in another country for a long time.
– I understand her desire to live separately from us, but she is still a child.
– You know her character very well, she is stubborn beyond belief and if I refuse to help her, it will be a tragedy, and besides, Inessa has been living in England