Marie looked upon the two and caught Henri’s eye and both smiled at each other. After a bit, Louis had joined everyone and Henri said “I have something to say to everyone here. I have been conferring with other colleagues including Karl, Robert, and Willy. We’ve concluded that France is approaching a political and economic tipping point. The excesses of the crown and their foolish wars have bankrupted France. A violent change will come to France. It may not be until around the end of this century, but we believe it will come.”
“Will there be a revolt against the King then?” asked Louis.
“We think so. France lost all possessions east of the Mississippi River in North America to Britain and Spain after signing a treaty in Paris in 1763 as we all know. The monarchy has continued to borrow from the human banking cartel and has accumulated enormous debt, far more than can be serviced with a sane tax rate. This is happening in Britain, Spain, and Prussia too. It has started in Italy more recently, but is worse here. We believe that a revolt could happen and we think that afterward there may be a dictator put in place by the cartel to rule France.”
Li asked “Is there no way to be able to tell when this will happen?”
“No, but we think it is years away, even a decade or more. We will take the name of Laforge for our next move and we’ll relocate to Zurich in the Swiss Confederation. Steps are now being taken for the Laforges to appear to be buying some Lafayette enterprises. This will be ongoing over several years. It will sometimes be done through proxies so as to appear to be only a string of unrelated events.”
Li asked “Should we look to leave Europe then?
“Ian, Marie, and I all think that America is where our future lies; but there is a lot of unrest there now and a lot of growing resentment.”
Alandra asked “Will they revolt against the British Crown? My father tells me of a lot of trouble over there.”
“We think so, and we think it will happen soon. Britain could head that off by simply allowing the colonies to have representatives in their house of commons. We think that they won’t do so.”
Li said “Why is that? It seems sensible to allow their colonies to have some representatives in the parliament. It would surely be a lot less expensive than billeting large masses of British troops over there and supplying them.”
“My sources say that bad advice is being given to King George now, coupled with enough cartel credit to run the government from day to day. The Crown wants to squeeze as much revenue from their colonies in a short time as possible to offset their expensive past wars with Spain and more recently, France and India. It has been costly for them to both defend their colonies and to drive France out of North America. Regarding their tax policies and the way they treat their colonies, they are as short-sighted as the French aristocracy is.”
Louis said “Do the colonists have a chance at succeeding?”
“Likely not without some help. We think that opportunities will present themselves along the way when that time comes.”
“So we’re going to stay out of that until it is underway then?” asked Mustafa.
“Yes. We think that Europe will be torn by wars for decades to come given patterns that are emerging. America can be isolated from that by her great distance from Europe. It’s in our long term best interests to go to America.”
“Will we go after it’s time to leave Zurich then?” asked Sophia.
“That could be about right. We’ll know more as the time approaches. We’ll leave this chateau in a few more years and can’t return to it for around forty years if ever. I hate that because I love it here as all of you do, but it must be done. In the long term Ian will be asked to start two or three banks in America. Louis and Mustafa will take over what he does here in Europe.”
Turning to Louis and Mustafa he said “Unless you oppose it, you two may be brought over any time from now to maybe one to two years from now. Alandra has the option of remaining human or of being brought over when she wants to. It is to be her choice as Ian’s wife. We all support that.”
Ian said “I’ll remain in Spain with Alandra. We won’t move but we’ll come and stay with you all every year. We’ll keep our house here on our place east of the chateau for a while. I’ll take Alandra with me when I go to America to start the banks, but she and I will live in Spain when we’re not with all of you. We have a vested interest in the Barcelona House facility and will be always expanding it.” He turned to her and took her face between his hands and said “My life is where her life is, forever.” He saw her eyes looking adoringly at him as he bent to kiss her.
Marie said “I speak for all of us in saying that we support that decision, Ian.”
Henri continued “Louis and Mustafa will now begin to accompany Ian on most banking business to learn it firsthand.” Turning to them Henri said “Mustafa, you’ll be given a new name. It is Maurice Garnier. Louis will remain Louis as Louis Laforge. You two will be going to Liechtenstein for the purpose of meeting Uncle Karl and learning about private interlocking trusts. Li and Sophia will remain more close to Marie and me, but Li will be doing some banking business around Europe as well and will be seen representing the Laforge interests as the Laforge name becomes well known by humans. Li, you’ll become the top property manager of the Laforges and Sophia will help you. You’ll need a new name as well. What do you say to Leopold Durand or Leo for short?”
“From Li to Leo; is it that easy?” Everyone laughed then.
“Are we going to see the new place this year?” asked Louis.
“We can all go soon since we’re all here together now.”
“So we have a little time remaining here, but are doing a transition to Zurich.” said Sophia.
“Yes, and an added benefit for us vampires is that it’s more often cloudy there than here. That is an outline of where we’re going and why. It will be ongoing over the next three years or so. Marie and I have also bought property with homes in Turin in Italy, Luxembourg, and Chamonix in France. Any of them can be a place we can go to regroup if a calamity should happen such as a large-scale war. They’re leased now in order that they not fall into disrepair and they’re not too near any large cities. Li and Sophia will handle their upkeep and the rental revenue from them. If any of you have any questions ask now or ask any time. We are flexible on this and any part of it can change, but what I have outlined this evening is what Ian, Marie, and I see as a general direction to take.”
Afterward, Alandra spoke to Henri and Marie saying “I’m so happy that you support Ian making our home in Spain. It means a lot to me.”
Stepping closer to her, Marie hugged her and then said “We vampires take a long view of things. Besides, we want Ian and you to be happy no matter what.” Alandra recalled that statement about taking a ‘long view’ of things several times after that. The implication was clear to her in retrospect. She was human, a mortal with a limited life span. The fifty or sixty years remaining in her life were as nothing to vampires.
Chapter 81
In two more weeks the family was on their way to the Swiss Confederation
The day after they arrived in Zurich and got a suite of rooms, Henri leased two carriages and took everyone out to see the new place he and Marie had bought for all of them. There was a really large stone chalet house with two large barns and several other outbuildings
In two days Celeste arrived. There were warm greetings all around then. Alandra and Marie both noticed that she was a bit different when hugging Louis and he held her an especially long time. Marie and Ian exchanged looks and caught Alandra looking at the two of them, smiling and nodding.
The entire group sat in the same box as before, the one that belonged to the family who was head of the Bern Canton. Celeste performed and completely took the hearts of the audience as always. Afterward Louis was first to go backstage and congratulate her. They left the next morning for Liechtenstein.
The opera house at
Liechtenstein was in Vaduz, the capitol. The scheduled performance was not for four days yet, so they all went to the home of Karl and Elsa Von Brandt near Schaan. The Von Brandts were very happy to see the entire group and had no trouble whatsoever putting them in rooms at their large estate.
After a sumptuous supper, Celeste got Ian to play the piano and she got to sing her four German songs for everyone.
Karl took time to sit and council Li, Sophia, Louis, and Mustafa about basic trust and estate law and procedures. Henri followed that with partnering document preparations, and property management and rentals. Ian sat in on it in case he had forgotten something about the subject from the time he had been schooled by these two experts. Henri had asked Ian to exclude Alandra from any information concerning the trusts and their construction. He feared that being human she could be kidnapped and made to talk. The operation of the interlocking trusts was central to the privacy and security of the staggering wealth held by numerous influential Adepts, including Henri.
They all sat in Karl’s box at the performance. As always, Celeste informed her audience that she didn’t perform for pay, but was supported totally by Banque de Lafayette. Due credit was given to her aunt Caryn and to Caryn’s Fashions for her gown. She told them that she had learned as much of the German tongue as possible in order to perform for them that night. The audience loved her and gave her a standing ovation as long as any she had gotten anywhere
After two more days at the estate of Karl and Elsa, the entire party departed to travel to Vienna. When they finally arrived they were surprised to see that word of Celeste’s performance at Vaduz had already made it to Vienna. There were notices to be seen heralding the coming of the European Nightingale.
Unlike the Swiss Confederation, Austria was still a firm part of the Holy Roman Empire and was ruled by a gaggle of princes, bishops, dukes and arch dukes. So it had wisely been decided by Henri to only seat his party in the personal box of his fellow judge of the Supreme Council, Wilhelm Hoffmeister. In this way, no one could be offended because the entourage of the European Nightingale had chosen to sit in the box of this or that duke or bishop. Willy had advised Henri on that point when he had been in Vienna to take care of the vampire problem there not that long ago. They’d discussed Celeste’s coming to Vienna at that time.
The performance was received by thunderous applause and before they had departed Austria, Celeste was known as the Austrian Nightingale.
They had stayed at Willy’s estate near Vienna for three days, and then departed. The entourage wouldn’t try to make it to Berlin because it now appeared as if weather would surely close the mountain passes. There was sporadic snowfall as the entourage made its way back to the Swiss Confederation. Alandra looked out of her window in wonder at the snow falling, having never seen it before.
***
Arnaud Moreau stood in the grand foyer of the Francoise castle in Lacoste’. The butler, a tall muscular vampire, had finally returned to show him in to see the Marquis. Moreau was unimpressed with Francoise, taking him for a wealthy perverted weakling. He did not mind that the man was a pervert, but looked down on his being a slender, intellectual type of weakling. He was known to be very wealthy and well-connected, in spite of being in prison sometimes and even in an asylum once. His outspoken perverted views concerning sex, and virulent criticism of both Catholicism and of the Bourbon family had earned the enmity of both the church and the Bourbons.
Moreau knew of the family name only because his deceased brother, Aldric had mentioned Marcel Francoise of Lyon as a customer who paid well for little girls. After traveling to Lyon he had seen the ruins of the mansion and inquired in town about that family. He had learned that a younger brother lived in Lacoste’ and that had brought him there for answers.
After introducing himself, he said that he might have information on the mysterious fire and disappearance of the Marquis’ brother. He was only groping in the dark, but played it as if he knew something. Donatien Francois became interested so Moreau told him that the only two names he knew were Henri and Ian, and that they knew Wilhelm Hoffmeister of Vienna.
The Marquis furrowed his brow, and then he said “I know of a wealthy banker named Henri Lafayette. He’s been successful in forming partnerships with banks around Europe and has been successful in developing a system of drafts which are honored across borders by participating banks. It’s a clever concept really. He’s known to be a friend of Hoffmeister whom I’ve only heard of. The only living friend of my… persuasion… who’s in banking is a man by the name of Clifford Edwards of London in Britain. His bank is known as Edwards and something or other. I forget who the junior partner is. Edwards rarely makes it to France, but loves to come for some of our …special activities… if he can. His younger brother Miles has been here for the same activities. Either of them might know more about Henri Lafayette being that Clifford is the senior partner. They might be able to connect him to what you’re talking about. I knew all of the six others who were missing after that fire. Two were bankers.”
“What about the other fellow, this Ian?”
Shrugging, Francoise said “Him I don’t know of. Sounds like a name from Britain, Scottish or Irish perhaps? Maybe Clifford or Miles would know.”
“Thank you sir; I’ll explore that information.”
“If you find that foul play was involved in the fire that took my brother’s life, I’ll be most appreciative and will pay you well for your information, but it must be accurate information. The Lafayettes are well-connected and well-liked in France. Tread lightly about them if you value your head.”
Moreau thanked the Marquis then and departed. He thought about this new information and resolved to make his way to London to see what he could learn about one Henri Lafayette and someone named Ian.
Chapter 82
By the time the family made it to Lausanne, all but Celeste and Louis had to go on the very next day or risk being trapped due to the mountain passes closing. Celeste was staying with Ian and Alandra so Louis was staying too. The view was stunning even in wintertime with the mountains on the far side of the large lake visible whenever it wasn’t snowing.
Alandra was absolutely in love with the beauty of the place and was outside as much as was possible. Ian had gone to the blacksmith and had picked up the two pairs of skates that he had ordered back in the summertime. It was only two more weeks when the cove froze over thick enough for skating. They all passed many enjoyable hours doing that when there was not too much wind.
Ian went to Lausanne and after talking to the blacksmith, he was able to find a sleigh and a dual matched team of horses to pull it. He arranged to lease the whole outfit for the entire winter. They enjoyed riding about in the sleigh, going to Lausanne and all about the area anytime the weather wasn’t severe. All of them were in love with sleigh-riding. Alandra and Louis had never seen snow before taking this trip so it was especially enchanting to them.
Ian took Louis to a boot maker and ordered a pair of boots for him. Three days later he delivered them to the blacksmith and ordered a pair of skates. Within ten days everyone had their own skates. Alandra picked it up fastest and best, seeming to have more natural balance than the other two. In a month they all looked to be at home on the ice. Ian harnessed the sleigh one day and took them all to Lausanne with their skates. There they all skated and drew quite a crowd. Ian even did some barrel-jumping, clearing up to eight of them laid together. He faked three falls that day as well, so as to appear to be human.
The winter passed all too quickly. Celeste sang locally several times and it became known that the Swiss Nightingale herself was staying in Lausanne and was a skating prodigy as well as a singing prodigy. Ian was amused at the local newspaper’s reference to the entire party accompanying the ‘Swiss Nightingale’ as ‘ice skating experts’ that used “experimental skates made of iron.”
He’d seen Anna one day while they were skating in the
city where everyone skated. She was with a nice-looking man who looked to be a little younger than she, and they were driving Anna’s sleigh. Right before they left Lausanne for Paris, Ian saw the Lausanne newspaper pinned up in the town square according to the custom of the time. An article said that prominent banker Annaliese Fellman had been married to Lukas Eschmann, a prominent entrepreneur who owned a clock making facility in Lausanne. Ian thought Anna, I hope you’re finally happy.
The spring thaws cleared the mountain passes and they departed for France.
***
They had arrived in Paris after an uneventful trip, having stopped in Dijon to pick up some of the sun glasses. Taking Celeste and Louis to her Aunt Caryn’s home they had gone on to Henri and Marie’s apartment suite on the Champs Elysees. Everyone was glad to be away from the rigors and restrictions of travel. Alandra wanted a hot bath and Ian wanted to keep her company so their evening plans were settled.
She laid her head back against Ian’s chest as they lay in the oversized copper tub and relaxed in the deliciously hot water of their bath. “Mmmm; Ian, this is so nice.”
“I can’t imagine where else I’d want to be now and who else I’d want to be with. We didn’t get to be alone quite as often as I would have liked what with all of us being cooped up in the chalet all winter long. I did enjoy us having that fireplace all to ourselves the times that Louis and Celeste took the sleigh to the city though.” He said as he moved her hair to one side and kissed her neck and nuzzled her ear.
“Mmmm; I’m getting ideas love. Best take care now lest I have to show you what I mean.”
“But Alandra, I haven’t gotten to wash your back yet.” he murmured in a serious tone as he intimately caressed her, nuzzling her neck and nibbling about her earlobe. She squirmed and laughed a low and throaty sound. “The fireplace is calling us. The fire you started in it should be just about right now. The fire you started here in this tub can’t wait.”
He picked her up as he stood up in the tub and snagging two towels, he carried her out to the parlor where a fire was crackling softly. Drying them both he laid the towels on the floor next to the hearth, where they very slowly and deliciously made love.
Forever Young The Beginning Page 46