The Height Of Happiness

Chapter 10

            A car was waiting for her when Serena stepped off the plane and onto the provincial airport. She looked around at the warm sunshine and the grassy expanse. Serena expected a customs officer to be waiting for her, but the driver only came and took her bag to load it into the vehicle’s trunk. She turned to thank the captain, and asked him if she should go inside the small gray building to declare anything.

            Shaking his head and smiling, he told her, “Summerfields have some exceptions. It’s part of the experience on this flight.”

            Unable to simply look past it, Serena asked, “Does that seem fair?”

            He shrugged, “You get used to it, Miss Beauchene. I know that I have.”

            Shaking his hand and taking off, Serena put on her sunglasses and took off down the road. In truth, she only had a vague idea of where she was or where she was going. The European road curved and twisted in tight turns over little bridges and small villages. Signs she could hardly read spoke of kilometers and petroleum, and the country highway lead her further and further into uncharted territory.

Her driver did his best to pass the time by talking with Serena. As the car drove through the french countryside, the taxi driver told Serena about the place. He apparently knew it well. The main house was original to the property, and held one of the best restaurants in the area. They also had several cottages around the property that people rented out, and would take cooking classes in the afternoons or have wine tastings with dinner in the evening. It was a well-established place and brought a lot of tourism for the villages nearby. Serena had a feeling of why Teddy would be there. If she had to guess, he was visiting the French countryside for similar reasons that drew him to the North Carolina hills.

Finally, they arrived at the vineyard. It was everything Serena expected of the luxury in the French countryside. The rubble road took a long time to travel up, but they finally reached the renovated manor house that served as the central area to the estate. Guests wandered through manicured gardens as the early signs of spring came forth in blossoms of different colors. Pinks and yellows lined her path as she went to the front desk.

Inside, the marble floors and roman design looked like a piece of versailles had been cut up and placed all the way out here. Gilded mirrors reflected Serena’s disheveled state from her long trip. Her breton stripe dress and denim jacket looked just a bit rumpled, but the silk scarf in her hair made things look okay.

“Welcome!” said he very French assistant at a sixteenth century mahogany desk just by the red carpet stairs. “How may I help you? Are you here to check into one of the rooms or cottages?”

“Um, no,” Serena admitted. “I’m looking for Edward Summerfields.”

“Oh!” She looked stunned at the sound of his name. “Un moment, madame.”

On her red high heels, she clicked down a hall and peeked into a door. Serena heard some whispers in French, and then she came back. Her heart quickened with nervousness, but the young woman’s smile put her at ease.

“Do you want me to put your bag in his cottage, madame?”

****

Serena stopped in the lobby’s bathroom before traversing outside. The staff had told her that he was out touring the barns at the back of the property. They offered to drive her, but she refused. This was her curtain call, and now she was getting stage fright. Letting her muscles pull her forward, she used the exertion to calm her nerves.

The breeze moved through the tall grass as she reached the rows of champagne grapes that grew in this place. The blades of lush green life tapped and brushed against her ankles. The ancient trees lining the fields brought a gentle shade to her walk as she passed under their wide-stretching branches. It took her a while, but finally she found the old stone barn that the staff had spoken of. Serena had assumed she would have to wander inside and make up some weird to lie to the french workers, but instead she found her destination outside basking in the light of day.

Standing alone, he was examining the plants and the first signs of life on the vine. He let his fingers move through the entangled limbs just as she had once showed him. For a moment, Serena stayed silent to commit the moment to memory. She wanted to make sure her introduction was worth all the effort, and she took her time deciphering her words.

Trying to remember what Edward had said, Serena finally called out across the grassy plain, “It’s funny finding you here.”

He turned, his eyes wild. His curls blew in the spring breeze and his green eyes matched the lush plant life blooming around him. She was blinded by the light in his eyes. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and the soft brown shadow only accentuated his jaw stunningly. In his old jeans and peach chambray shirt, he looked so good Serena thought she might be dreaming again, but she ran to him anyway.

“Serena… how…?” Edward couldn’t find the words.

Happy to see him speechless, Serena didn’t know what to say either. There was only one thing she actually wanted to tell him, and so she took a page from her grandfather’s book and threw pretense to the wind.

“I love you, Edward Summerfields.”

His baffled look turned into a smile. He let his hand rest against the crook of her neck. The touch was warm against her cool skin. She could see his eyes were welling with tears, and she didn’t want to cry herself. Taking her hands, she embraced the soft little curls on his face, and pulled his face to hers. The kiss turned her life sideways. The world spun on a new axis as she held his face and tasted the champagne on his tongue. Serena felt alive.

Wind whipped around them, and Serena wondered if her happiness could make her take flight in such a breeze. When she finally let him go, Teddy looked at her with pure wonder.

“Are you an angel?” he whispered. “Did you use your starship to find me? This is unreal, Serena.”

She grinned, biting her lip as she admitted it was something much more simple than that, , “I called Patrick.”

Laughing, Edward kissed her again. Each ebb and flow made her happiness reach new heights. Serena had finally found her someone, and she’d chased him across the ocean to prove to herself that love really was worth it.

When they were both all out of kisses, they laced their fingers together and walked along the edge of the field in the shade of the gnarled oak trees. Edward talked for a while about coming across this place for sale, but the conversation went to the inevitable topic. As they walked along, they talked about their relationship and what had gone wrong in those last moments together. Serena felt like she had to apologize, but Teddy shook his head.

“You have no reason to be sorry. I should have stood up for you.”

“But would it have made anything better?”

He nodded, “You’re right. Maybe we can just forgive? I don’t expect you to forget, but I hope you can forgive me.”

“Oh Teddy, I already have.”

Nodding again, he blushed like a little boy. Serena found it all too endearing to see his bashful side. He scuffed his shoe in the dirt.