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Date Posted: 09:47:14 08/07/08 Thu
Author: Hannah
Author Host/IP: port180.dialup.bfree.on.ca / 66.207.116.180
Subject: Northern Woods, Chapter 155
In reply to: Hannah 's message, "Northern Woods" on 09:32:57 08/07/08 Thu

Chapter 155

Chuck emerged from the shadows just then and having heard what the ‘pushy reporter’ had just said, nodded his agreement.

He had watched silently as Marie, Lakeisha, Nikita and Willie disappeared behind the closed doors of the elevator and then as Gabrielle began turning in his direction, he uttered one word in what he hoped was his most menacing tone.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Gabrielle asked, turning to face him. She was confused and startled by his sudden materialization.

“Why did you help her?” Chuck clarified.

“I didn’t really help her… I just talked to her.” Gabrielle replied truthfully. “It seemed to calm her down.”

“And why would you do that?” Chuck pressed.

“Why wouldn’t I?” a now glaring Gabrielle shot back defiantly. “I’m not a monster, you know.”

‘Well… maybe I was one before…’ Gabrielle thought sheepishly. ‘But no more…’

“Did you think by being ‘kind’ to her while she’s upset that you’ll be guaranteed an exclusive later?” Chuck said in a hushed, but disdainful voice as he stared at her in contempt. “Or were you hoping to gain information on her while she was upset?”

“You know,” Gabrielle replied honestly as she stared into his angry blue eyes, “about an hour ago I would have understood completely why you’d attribute that motivation to me. And you would have been right.”

“And what, pray tell is different now that wouldn’t have been the case earlier?” a narrow eyed Chuck demanded cynically. “You changed? Oh please; I’m not that naïve Mademoiselle Langlois.”

“No, of course you’re not.” Gabrielle said quietly. “I never said that. In fact, it never entered my mind.”

“Then why?” Chuck demanded, slightly taken aback by her quiet honesty.

“I’m sorry I was being pushy before, Monsieur Johnson. I’m normally not an aggressive person….and I know you won’t believe that either. I accept that. I deserve your suspicions too… I know that. I only acted the way I did earlier because I wanted to get a scoop on the lady to impress my boss. He’s been breathing down my neck lately.” Gabrielle admitted reluctantly. “My date made me realize that I was wrong and I’ve come to see that I wouldn’t want to be treated the way Madame Samuelle has been so far this evening.”

“So you felt pity for her?” Chuck said scornfully; ignoring her apology as inconsequential.

‘Is she being sincere, or is this another ploy of hers to get information? She’s not getting anything out of me, no matter what she says!’ he thought stubbornly.

“Yeah, I guess I did.” Gabrielle honestly conceded with a crooked grin. “It came to me that I’d feel scared if I were in her position and I didn’t like how she was treated.”

“How’s that?” Chuck asked, slightly disarmed by this woman’s sudden honesty and curious to hear her reasons in spite of his determination.

“Oh come on.” A scowling Gabrielle said somewhat heatedly and it was now she who glared at Chuck. “I wasn’t in the room, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that some spoiled society brat threw wine all over her dress. No one deserves that and especially not if you’re a stranger to a new place. That sort of behaviour makes all of us look like barbarians.”

“Why do you say that?” Chuck asked quietly.

“Gee.. I don’t know! Maybe because what was done to her is rude beyond belief? Maybe because it was childish in the extreme? Mon Dieu! Take your pick. Can you *imagine* what the English press would do with this little incident if they got wind of it?” an incredulous Gabrielle exclaimed sarcastically as she gesticulated dramatically in the air before her. “I can see the headlines now….. ‘Francophones *distinct* asses!’ Oh… wouldn’t that be a *wonderful* slur on us? The English would *love* that, wouldn’t they? They’re always looking for a way to belittle us… and then one of us just stupidly goes and *hands* them something to work with!”

Chuck just grinned. He was beginning to like this woman.

“It’s not funny! Don’t you *dare* smile about this! Monsieur Samuelle’s an important man. He’s the personnification of all our successes! You know that… better than anyone… you’re his friend!” Gabrielle scolded crossly. “Mon Dieu! If the English press got wind of this, it could make papers across the country and maybe even the national news! And they’d be right to do it! I mean… isn’t this just a *wonderful* introduction to our society for an obscure little English-speaking girl from Toronto?

“You have a valid point.” Chuck conceded soberly.

“Of course I do! It’s common sense! We’re supposed to be so cultured and elegant… and then *this* happens? The poor girl’s probably heard all her life that we French hate the English… and what does some little society witch go and do? She *proves* it to her!” Gabrielle ranted, warming to her topic. “Not all of us are as uncouth as the brat that did this! Some of us even have the good sense to act like decent human beings… even if we aren’t! But it’s too late, isn’t it? The *deed* is done… and having *done* it, she’s *painted* all of us! Incredible! That witch… whoever she is… has insulted not only to the Samuelles, but every decent francophone here… or out there! Personally, I’d like to ring her *patrician* neck!”

“As I’m sure Michel would.” Chuck said quietly; closing his eyes and shuddering anew as he remembered the fury he’d seen on Michael’s face a few minutes ago.

“And who could blame him?” Gabrielle asked rhetorically.

‘Not me… that’s for sure.’ Chuck thought. ‘If I could, I’d help him *get* Claire… and she’d deserve it. Mon Dieu, I hope he *does* have her arrested! That’s the *least* she deserves!’

“He must have *known* that something like this could happen, and yet he married her anyway.” Gabrielle continued heatedly. “Mon Dieu! He must love her a great deal. How embarrassed must he be to be one of us right now?”

Chuck nodded. He could totally understand what this woman was saying. How could he not? Her assessment was totally accurate.

“*I’m* mortified to be one of us right now too.” Gabrielle continued softly as she shook her head ruefully. “The poor girl must think we’re all like that witch! She told me that wasn’t true, but I have to wonder if she wasn’t just being polite! I know I’d feel that way about the English if one of them were to treat me that way!”

“And what will you write tomorrow?” Chuck inquired, surprised at this woman’s sudden honesty and reluctantly warming to her even though he still didn’t trust her.

“Just that.” Gabrielle said decisively as she looked directly into Chuck’s eyes. “The ‘upper class’ here thinks it’s so damned superior at times that it sickens me. Here’s this young woman who did nothing but marry the man she loves and because she’s a stranger this is how she’s treated? It’s shameful!”

Chuck nodded, silently agreeing with each word Gabrielle had said. The elegant horde in the ballroom sickened him at times as well. He’d experienced their arrogance on several occasions when he’d foolishly dated some of Michel’s former flames. As soon as he figured out that they’d been using him as a means to get back in Michel’s good graces, he’d dropped them in disgust. He couldn’t imagine how his friend had put up with their money oriented thinking either. Now that Nikita was in Michel’s life it was a relief to know that nonsense would stop.

“You really weren’t in the room when it happened?” Chuck asked quietly. He knew he shouldn’t prolong this discussion, but he was beginning to respect this reporter regardless of his previous misgivings.

“No. I wasn’t. I was just returning from the ladies’ room. So come on…. tell me… who did this to Madame Samuelle?” Gabrielle inquired.

“Claire Boulanger.” Chuck said, spitting out that woman’s name in disgust. This was something he had no qualms sharing as no doubt every reporter in the ballroom would print this piece of intel in tomorrow’s papers.

“That bitch!” Gabrielle snorted in disgust. “She’s as nasty and vindictive as they come! What in the world did Monsieur Samuelle ever see in her?”

“I have no idea.” Chuck admitted truthfully.

“No matter. That’s water under the bridge anyway.” Gabrielle muttered. “Tell me… how did her ‘peers’ react after she attacked Madame Samuelle?”

“They fussed and preened over her as if she had been the one who had been offended.” Chuck said, shaking his head in revulsion as he remembered the scene he just left in the ballroom.

“Unbelievable!” Gabrielle replied. “Did all of tonight’s guests act that way, or just a small clique?”

“Just her clique.” Chuck admitted. “It was sickening.”

“I’ll bet.” Gabrielle muttered. “Monsieur Samuelle must be livid!”

“He is.” Chuck replied. “His attorney’s trying to calm him down right now.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Gabrielle replied. “The man has every right to be upset. If I were him I’d want to strangle her.”

“I have no doubt that’s precisely how he’s feeling right now.” Chuck muttered more to himself than Gabrielle. “I don’t blame him one bit either.”

“What I’d like to know is how can that bunch in there call themselves ‘high-class’? What she did showed so little class and yet obviously some of them think it’s alright to treat a stranger among us in such a callous fashion!” Gabrielle continued in her passionate tirade. “Would any of them like to be treated the same if they were a stranger among the Anglais? I think not! We’d expect courtesy and respect to be shown to us if for no other reason than to demonstrate the evidence of *civilized* behaviour! The lack of that shown tonight is reprehensible!”

“You’re right.. it is.” Chuck agreed quietly.

“You’re damned right I’m right!” Gabrielle replied as she shook her head in dismay. “Whoever did this should be held to account! Ostracizing them is about all their ‘peers’ might do. That sickens me too, because it’s assault and if they’d attacked anyone else, any*where* else, the law would hold them accountable!”

“You’re right about that too.” Chuck conceded once more.

“Madame Samuelle was right about something too.” Gabrielle said after taking a deep breath and calming down considerably from her earlier angry outburst.

“About what?” Chuck asked curiously. ‘What had the two of them talked about in that room?’

“She said the woman who did this to her claims to be Monsieur Samuelle’s friend.” Gabrielle explained. “The poor girl had her dress ruined… she was insulted and attacked… and what does she say? Does she moan about it and say ‘poor me?’ No! All she’s worried about is how upset *he’ll* feel when he realizes what a *friend* of his did!”

Chuck’s brow rose in surprise. ‘She said that? Amazing!’

“She’s more ‘civilized’ than any person in there tonight if you ask me! She asked me what kind of a *friend* attacks someone you love! How do you reply to a question like that?” Gabrielle asked rhetorically; disgust written all over her classically lovely face. “Especially given how she was treated tonight? I had no reply… because there isn’t one that would suffice!”

“I agree.” Chuck replied.

“In my opinion,” Gabrielle continued sadly, “Claire’s sick! Madame Samuelle said the woman who did this was childish… and she’s right… it changes nothing. The Samuelle’s are still married… whether that bitch likes it or not.”

“That’s true.” Chuck replied with a small smile.

“The only thing that Claire accomplished tonight was to make Madame Samuelle think that all Francophones hate her… and all the Anglais!” Gabrielle said.

“That *is* a possibility.” Chuck admitted. “Hopefully Michel will able to convince her otherwise.”

“I hope so too. I like Madame Samuelle. She’s honest, not to mention beautiful.” Gabrielle commented. “I would hate to think Claire’s actions have made her dislike the rest of us.”

“Somehow,” Chuck replied, “I can’t see that happening.”

“I hope you’re right. All I do know right now is that Claire’s extremely stupid.” Gabrielle muttered. “This incident certainly isn’t going to help her get closer to Monsieur Samuelle! All she’s done is guarantee her own exclusion from his circle! I hope he has her arrested.”

“So do I.” Chuck murmured in agreement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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