Epilogue
Madame Anna La Salle watched nervously as her toddler Xavier teetered unsteadily across the uneven flagstones of the champagne vineyard farmhouse. Freddie moved behind her, placing his huge warm hand possessively on her belly, restraining her instinct to rush across in case the boy fell.
“Freddie - he’ll fall!”
“And he’ll get up,” he chuckled warmly.
Inevitably he tumbled and rolled over with a giggle. Freddie went to him and picked him up and sat him high on his shoulders.
“Voila - ta mère needs to relax,” he confided to the boy.
“He needs to get cleaned up - your father is arriving,” Anna reminded him.
“And Mom too... this is sure some plan of yours.”
“They still love each other. He has dedicated his new collection of poems to her. He will be giving her the first copy to
