A crown of thorns........................

Friday morning is our weekly market day and I often stop off at the small cafe to watch the world go by. This morning I as I sat with my expresso I was joined by Veronique a young French girl that I have got to know very well over the years. She told me she has a huge dilemma and this is the reason.

Maxim is tall a man, bronzed with tousled hair and piercing blue eyes. He is a little arrogant but is still charming in his tailored 'haute couture' jeans and shirts with a cashmere sweater thrown casually over his shoulders. His Italian leather loafers are expensive, as is his gold watch that has a small engraved couronne that gives just a hint of his heritage. Maxim is the playboy eldest son of the local Count. He has no need to work as he receives a substantial allowance each month. He drives around the local village roads in his open-topped Mercedes sports - when not in Cannes or skiing in the alps! He is totally pampered by his mother the Countess and he has the same adoration for her.


Veronique is the daughter of a local farmer. She is slight in build, slim, and has natural brunette curls - and with her long, sweeping lashes she has a natural beauty with no need for make up or jewellery to embellish the package! She has that "je ne sais quoi" that makes the local monsieurs stop and stare, but she has no idea at all that she has it! She is simply adorable; very kind, thoughtful and used to a life of very hard work on the farm. Her biggest wish is to have her own home , a loving husband and children. More than anything, she desperately wants children.


I think, initially, Maxim made a play for her because she is the object of desire of most of the local men. He did it because he could and to show he could have what he wanted. When he is here they are together but, without fail, he always returns to the chateau each evening to be with his mother. When Veronique met the Countess for the first time she left with no illusions that the Countess considered her too lowly for her 'darling' son.


It has been almost seven years since Maxim and Veronique started 'dating', and Veronique has recently made it clear to Maxim that she is fed up with spending endless nights alone, and now wishes to settle down and start a family. So Maxim has came up with a plan. He will agree to marry her whereupon she will enter the entirely cossetted world of the aristocracy and she will want for nothing but it has to be on one condition: that they move in and live together at the chateau with his mother as he has no intention of leaving Maman. She can have a pampered life and they will have as many children as she wants but with "Maman" present .


Veronique has said 'no'... and who can blame her? Maxim says he will not live away from his mother and so.....is the relationship is over?






more tomorrow..................