Читать книгу Piau - Bruce Monk Murray - Страница 16

The business of the oath began to heat up to such a degree at Annapolis that most of the men at René’s building site agreed it would be prudent to escape the flames flickering around them. Gaudet declared he was leaving Annapolis and was returning home to Gaudet Village.

“My friends, it is time to leave here before we are forced to do what we know we cannot possibly do. And you all know what that is. I was wondering, young Belliveau, whether we might impose on your brother Charles to transport us home in his chaloupe. We have no vessels, since ours returned home when our families sailed upriver after your grandmother’s birthday celebration. Perhaps you could stay on at my home as a guest. It is summer, and life in the upper river is especially pleasant at this time of year. And there are many amusements which you might find attractive.”

Gaudet was giving me his blessing to court his daughter Jeanne. It was an invitation I could not refuse.

A short time later the mood was altered by the sound of approaching soldiers. They appeared in the lower town, led by the lieutenant-governor himself, who was, in turn, accompanied by the royal favourite, Mangeant, and Major Cosby, chief officer of the military. They carried with them a sense of fear and intimidation as they made their way through the streets of Annapolis to the town square.

Everyone was ordered into the street to hear Armstrong’s proclamation. Mangeant acted as translator, which gave the order an even more sinister tone.

“Be advised that all adult inhabitants of the town and surrounding areas must gather at the church no later than tomorrow at noon to take the oath of allegiance to the newly crowned king of England. Those who fail to do so risk imprisonment in the garrison jail. Members of the Acadian Council are still in custody there as an example to the rest of the community.”

The tone in Mangeant’s voice matched the vehemence in Armstrong’s. The royal favourite appeared to enjoy his superior status in the square.

Soon after the regiment returned to the fort, I volunteered to go to Charles at the shipyard to arrange a hasty departure. Charles was already aware of the proclamation and quickly agreed to my request to leave for Gaudet Village. I believe he was as relieved as the rest of us to have an excuse to get as far away from Annapolis as possible, if only for a short time. We Acadians had cultivated a variety of escape routes to avoid the will of the lieutenant-governor.

Our exit went unnoticed. Although we evacuated the building site with great speed, no one in the fort could have suspected our destination. Charles carried passengers to and from Melanson Village daily, so our departure caused no suspicion. We were fortunate in our timing. The direction of the tide was in our favour. Not only did we have the advantage of a southwest wind, but the river was approaching its high tide. Charles would be able to drift downstream with the tide when he sailed home.

Our journey up the Annapolis River was a revelation to me. Along the way the rich grain fields danced in the breezes and filled our sails with the warmth and energy of late summer. The river meandered through the verdant valley protected by the North Mountain on its left side and the South Mountain on its right. This protection created a natural haven for growing and grazing. We sailed by Belle Isle and Paradise, apt names for both communities. The further we floated upstream, the freer I felt. Nearing Gaudet Village I was seized by a sense of peace I had not experienced since my winters at Grand Pré with Uncle Pierre and Isabelle — and by a new awareness of the path I was to take on my life’s journey.

As Charles’s chaloupe approached the shore at Gaudet Village, I felt like Moses being greeted by the daughters of Midian. Every woman and child of the colony came out to meet us. I presumed it was because of the unexpected return of their patriarch, Bernard.

It was a unique experience for me to witness so many unfamiliar faces. Arriving at such an isolated community was not something that many experienced in their lifetime. For an unmarried young Acadian man it was particularly poignant. I searched the faces of the young women, hoping to spot Jeanne’s. Would I recognize her in the light of day? Would the memory of her profile lit by the light of a wood fire fail me? My self-doubt was interrupted by Bernard Gaudet’s hardy cry.

“Bonjour, my lovelies! I come bearing gifts. I bring two handsome young men to brighten your day and stimulate romance in our little village!” He broke into his familiar laughter while embracing his wife and daughters. Benjamin and I cautiously disembarked, leaving Charles at the helm of his boat.

“Join us, Charles Belliveau, and rest a while before returning downriver. Perhaps you can catch tomorrow’s tide or possibly the next day’s. Each day away will soften your arrival back at Annapolis.”

Charles understood that this was wise advice.

“If you have sufficient room for all three of us, Monsieur Gaudet, I will accept your kind invitation.”

“That is excellent, monsieur. It is the least I can do to repay you for transporting us home.”

Gaudet continued to shout. “Attention, everyone! Allow me to introduce our honoured guests, brothers Charles and Pierre Belliveau, grandsons of Madame Marie Melanson, and their handsome young cousin, Benjamin LeBlanc from Grand Pré, grandson of the venerable and now deceased Pierre Laverdure. I beg you to make them feel welcome.”

The growing crowd of villagers spontaneously began to applaud. This was an unusual way of welcoming visitors, and it caught us quite by surprise. Although I was aware of receiving considerable attention, once Benjamin was introduced all eyes were on him. I was, however, not slighted in the least. His beauty and presence demanded such attention, no matter where he went.

We followed the crowd along the road to Gaudet’s impressive timbered home. It stood as a model of the building construction he had perfected over the years. It was a more sophisticated and elaborate version of what I had seen at Annapolis — truly a monument to his life as a master builder.

As the crowd reached the threshold of the Gaudet home, the front door slowly opened and there appeared Jeanne. My heart skipped a beat as I stood there nervously gazing at her. Until this day, the image of her standing there remains vivid in my mind. Her bright eyes startled me. Her beautiful face was luminous in the evening sun. She was statuesque and dignified. I thought at that moment, How can I make myself deserving of such an angel?

Jeanne greeted her father with a warm embrace and a kiss on both cheeks. “Welcome home, Papa. We were not expecting you for at least another week.”

“My dear, Annapolis became far too hot for us so we decided to come home to the cool and peace of our little valley.”

He paused and smiled with an impish grin. “Daughter, I wish to introduce our guests, Monsieur Pierre Belliveau, his brother Charles, and their cousin Benjamin LeBlanc. They will be visiting with us for a time. The two young men are masons from Melanson Village and Grand Pré. Perhaps we will put them to work while they remain with us.”

Jeanne stood before us but did not appear surprised to be in the presence of strangers. Her look was of someone who regularly received visitors. With a polite curtsy, she gave us a smile that seemed to me to illuminate the entire village. Such was my feverish state of mind.

There was a certain expectation in the air. Time had suddenly stopped. The players were all present, but how things would work out was still a mystery to me. I was faced with a situation that I couldn’t control; nor was I assured of the outcome. Was my future here or would I be forced to float downriver to a different one? As always, I decided to jump into the deep water of uncertainty and swim relentlessly until I reached my goal.

Jeanne closed the door of the Gaudet home and joined the crowd gathered in the courtyard. She was accompanied by her sisters, Madeleine and Isabelle. They were as their father had described them. Madeleine sought out some of her cousins, but Isabelle was quite intent on investigating Benjamin and me.

Isabelle curtsied to us and was the first to speak. “I am Isabelle. Welcome to Gaudet Village.”

She demonstrated a self-assurance that was beyond her years. She and Benjamin bonded immediately. Sensing this was an opportunity for me to be alone with Jeanne, he asked Isabelle to show him about the village. She was overjoyed to comply.

Now face to face with Jeanne, I was unexpectedly aware that she appeared to know exactly what role she was to play in the scenario we were about to act out. She was the first to speak.

“Monsieur Belliveau, I remember you from your grandmother’s birthday celebration. The song you sang under the stars was beautiful. ‘À la claire fontaine’ is my favourite love song. I do not believe I have ever heard anyone sing it so magnificently.”

A sudden warm sensation overtook my body and I blushed.

“You are very kind to say so, mademoiselle. And please, call me Piau. Everyone does.”

“Then, Piau, you may call me Jeanne.”