Old Master de Lancret
1034 Words
"What are you doing here?" Jacob asked Julian as he approached. He and Charles sat on the pile of wood just outside the small cottage, weaving baskets they would use when they picked berries. "I thought you're with your brothers at the shooting range."
Julian shook his head. "Nah, I just let them be," he answered as he sat next to his best friend. "It would be embarrassing for Johann if I beat him too," he said and the two of them laughed.
"But Johann doesn't like guns," Charles stated, joining their conversation. "If he did, he would probably be very good at it too," he added and the two just had to roll their eyes heavenwards.
Charles was Johann's number one fan. Ever since the eldest de Lancret saved them nine years ago, he had always followed what Johann said and always believed in him.
"I'm bored," Julian sighed as he eyed the baskets. "What are those for?"
"This?" Jacob asked as he held the almost finished basket high. "Charles and I will pick up some berries later. Jessie will make pies for dinner and breakfast tomorrow."
"I see," Julian nodded. "I'll just come with you two," he added and grinned. "Maybe I can get Jessie to make chicken pie also," he added thoughtfully which made Charles shriek.
"No chicken pie for you Yanyan! Jessie’s been killing my chickens because of you," Charles told him irritably.
"Yah! I already told you not to call me Yanyan or Yanyanie— i***t! They're chickens so aren't they supposed to be eaten?"
"Yes but they're just babies. You can't eat them all the time stupid Yanyan!"
"I'm not Yanyan, and I'm not stupid, stupid," Julian snapped and Jacob had to sigh and cover his ears as the two lapsed into their old, old, argument.
"Tais-toi!" Jacob yelled, but the two ignored him and he sighed. "C'est des conneries…" This is bullshit, he muttered as he glanced at the window to see if Jessica was there. The two only ever shut up when it was their eldest who told them to.
Unluckily, Jessica wasn't there, so he was stuck in between the two idiots who continued on with their yelling. This is really bullshit. "C'est vraiment des conneries…"
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They all sat around the huge dining table sharing what could have been a very delicious meal if it weren't for the tense atmosphere. Among the four of them, only two were having a conversation, while the other two remained quiet, mechanically eating the sumptuous meal before them.
In the de Lancret household, this scene wasn't unusual. For years, whenever they dined together, the Master of the house would only talk to his eldest son, ignoring his other children.
Johann, on the other hand, would take great effort to include his brothers to the conversation, but his attempts were just futile since his brothers refused to speak either. For Jehan, it wasn't surprising. He was after all normally distant to their father.
Julian, who was usually cheerful, however, was unusually quiet in the presence of the old man. Because of this, Johann had no choice but to give up. He felt a bit irritated with their old man for his behavior towards his brothers but their father was oblivious about it.
Today, however, their father surprisingly addressed his younger offspring albeit indirectly.
"Johann, I heard that you three have been hanging out a lot recently," the old man commented and his eldest quickly smiled. Johann had thought that finally, their father had shown interest in his siblings.
"Yes, father. Jehan has been teaching me how to shoot," the eldest de Lancret brother supplied the information happily.
"Really," the old man commented again as he took a sip from his wine glass. "I didn't know you were interested in guns. If I had known I would have asked someone to teach you before," he added but Johann shook his head.
"Jehan's enough for me," Johann told the old man. "And I think he's much better than anyone here on the estate."
"Really?" the master paused and scrutinized his second son who remained unperturbed, yet, there was a telltale blush on his cheeks.
Jehan wasn't used to being praised, so when his brother did so, he felt embarrassed, but secretly, he was pleased. Julian, on the other hand, pretended to drink but he suddenly grinned behind his cup. The youngest was really happy that things were getting better and better between his two older brothers.
"Johann," their father called after a while, and the eldest turned his attention to him.
"Yes, father?"
"We will be having visitors next week," the old man said. "My friend from Bordeaux will be joining us for three months."
"Three months?" Johann asked with a frown. It was the first time they'd have visitors that long. "How come it's too long?"
"Actually, I was hoping their visit would be forever," their father stated which made all his sons freeze and look inquiringly at him.
The old man sighed.
"My friend will be visiting with his charming daughters, and it would please me if the both of you will entertain them— perhaps, even marry them," he added as he looked from Johann to Jehan.
Silence hung between the four of them as the boys absorbed what their father was saying.
"I don't want to get married," Jehan, who first recovered from shock, stated after a while which earned him a narrowed look from the old man.
“What are you saying?" the master asked sharply, and Johann immediately took his attention.
"What he meant, father, is that we're still both too young to think of marriage," Johann said, appeasing their father as he secretly signaled Jehan to stay quiet.
"Nonsense! When I was your age, I was already married to your mother, and the next year she had you," their father told Johann.
"And the next year, she died because she had been too young to give birth to me," Johann answered, reminding the master that his first wife died because she never recovered from childbirth.
For a while, their father didn't speak. "Let's see," he muttered as they continued on with their meal silently.
- Writer
