Nicolas woke from a night of heated, unbridled love and passion and rolled over to snuggle Shantelle only to find the other side of the bed cold and his fiancée nowhere to be seen.
"But Nico's first full season starts in just two weeks, Shantelle!!" Came Victoria's disappointed whine.
"I know it does Victoria and I have two weeks to get this monument carved for a well-known family in Brisbane..." Shantelle said back.
"The season opens in Melbourne," Alain said, joining in the conversation.
"Yes, and Melbourne is in Victoria..."
The teenager's eyes lit up "There's a city called Victoria?!" She exclaimed excitedly.
Shantelle smiled and went over to the old-world globe Alain had in his study "look here" gently spun it til she found Australia "this is my country, this is Australia, we have six States and two Territories, Queensland, where I am from, and the capital is Brisbane where I live..."
Alain smiled and said "beautiful Warrawee House."
Shantelle smiled back at him.
"Ahem!" Victoria said clearing her throat "What about Victoria??"
Shantelle smiled and pointed to Victoria "this is another state, Melbourne is the capital of Victoria!"
"So it's a state, not a city or town?" Victoria asked
"Yes, that's right it's a state" Shantelle answered with a smile.
"What's that little blob down beneath the country Shantelle?" Victoria asked
Shantelle smiled and said "that 'blob' is a beautiful little state called Tasmania, it has the most stunning wines, cheeses, chocolates..."
Alain's ears had pricked up "Stunning wines?" he repeated, then before she could say anything he turned to his wife and said "My Anne Marie, how about after the race you and I go down and spend some time in Tasmania?"
She smiled and softly kissed him "I think it's a wonderful idea, my husband!"
Shantelle was busy booking her flights when Nicolas came to stand behind her "I want you there Mon Amour, can't this 'job' wait??" He asked, his tone disappointed.
"Nicolas, I love you and I would do anything for you... but I am not throwing away my dream of becoming one of the best Stonemasons in the world! How would you like it if I asked you to give up driving in Formula One?"
He screwed his nose up "Why would you? It is the wife's job to cook and clean and stay at home with the children..." at that moment he abruptly shut his mouth, but it was too late, his words had hurt her.
"Crétin!" Sacha snarled whacking the back of Nicolas's head roughly, seeing Shantelle's' tears.
"Is that all that you think of me, Nicolas Jean?" Shantelle growled, clicking the confirm button. "You KNOW how much my career means to me!!"
"Shantelle, no...I didn't mean it like that!" He said "and did you just book your flight to Brisbane?"
She eyed him with disgust in her brown eyes and as she grabbed her handbag and headed out the door she snarled "Oui! Good luck in the 'Land Down Under' Nico!"
"That's it! Run back to that pathetic Iceman!" Nicolas yelled back to Alain's disappointment.
*
Warrawee House, Early Morning
Shantelle wrapped her fluffy bathrobe around her and headed out of her bathroom, to be greeted by someone ringing her doorbell and Pharaoh not bothering to even lift an eyelid as he snoozed on his part of the comfy lounge.
"Nicolas..." She breathed seeing him standing on her front verandah peering into the house through the screen door, the biggest bouquet of red roses he could buy in his hands.
"Shantelle, je n'ai jamais senti aussi mal de toute ma vie! Je suis désolé pour toutes ces choses horribles que j'ai dit! Je ne vous demandera jamais de renoncer à votre rêve et ... et ... et je peux faire la cuisine quelques jours et je suis assez bon à la vaisselle! Et comme pour nos petits, je n'aurais jamais de vous les faire Rasie sur votre propre! Je sais que je vais voyager beaucoup, mais chaque fois que je suis chez moi, je prends vos mains et laissez-vous détendre et vous reposer! Nous sommes dans le même Shantelle Alissa, et je ne laisserons jamais vous pensez que vous êtes le seul dans ce mariage!"
"Nicolas, you are in Australia, please speak English!" She said unlocking the screen door and opening it for him, gesturing for him to come into her home.
"Sorry Shantelle, I was just saying this, I have never felt so bad in all my life! I am so sorry for all those horrible things I said! I would never ask you to give up your dream and I can do the cooking some days and I'm pretty good at washing up! And as for our little ones, I would never make you raise them on your own! I know I will be travelling a lot but whenever I am home I will take them off your hands and let you relax and unwind! We are in this together Shantelle Alissa, and I will never let you believe you are alone in this marriage!"
"Marriage? Little Ones?" She stammered "oh Nicolas! You are moving too fast!!"
He opened his mouth to speak but shut it again.
Finally, he found his voice "Please, don't leave me Shantelle..." He begged, beginning to cry "I don't know what else to say! I just feel as if everything I say I am scaring you away from marrying me!"
"I have to get to my workshop, Nicolas" Shantelle told him "But please, stay here at Warrawee and make yourself at home, the only thing I ask is if a door is locked it is locked for a good reason! So no peeking! I will be home late..."
"Can I take your dog for a walk to your favourite place, the cemetery you love so much?" He asked
"Pharaoh will not let anyone walk him that he doesn't know, in fact, I'll put him in the backyard, he may even bite you..." Shantelle said leading her best friend outside.
When she came back she said to him, "Stay here please?"
He watched her go and sighed when he saw her drive away.
*
By mid-morning he had explored her beautiful home, as he was making himself a sandwich in the kitchen he heard someone call out for Shantelle from the front screen door.
"Shantelle, Love? It's Bill and Elsa, we heard you're back to do a new piece for a client" Bill Mallory called.
"Shantelle is not home at the moment, she is actually at her workshop," Nicolas said finding his voice.
"And who might you be? You're French aren't you?" Bill asked.
Elsa realised who it was "it's Nicolas Prost, Bill! Oh isn't his voice so romantic!?"
Nicolas unlocked the screen door and instantly Bill stormed in "I tell you Frenchy! You break her heart and force her to give up her dream and you'll wish you'd never met her!" He threatened "I love that girl like she was my daughter!"
"BILL!" Elsa scolded, pulling him out of Shantelle's front entry "I apologise Nicolas..."
As soon as they were gone he set to work to cook her the most amazing, romantic dinner and dessert she had ever had.
He ended up making a creamy pasta dish for them with herb bread and a delicious cheese platter afterwards, he found a bottle of white wine in her wine rack, put it in the fridge to cool and set the table.
Checking his watch, it was five forty-five in the afternoon so he went for a shower and got ready.
Then he waited, six o'clock turned into seven o'clock, and seven o'clock turned into eight o'clock.
How late was late?
He blew the candles out that had been burning for the last two hours when her grandfather clock struck nine o'clock.
By ten o'clock he was out on her front verandah, watching the street, waiting for her to come home.
By eleven o'clock he gulped down the rest of the wine in his glass and left the dining room, the food had long gone cold and the dinner he had cooked was ruined.
Locking the house, and switching the lights out he headed back into the lounge room and settled down on her lounge and fell asleep.
*
She was just locking up her workshop when someone grabbed her, instantly she put up a struggle but he was too strong for her.
"You think you can survive in a man's world Shantelle?" He said, feeling her breasts, as his hand clamped over her mouth, preventing her from screaming.
"Well let me tell you sweet cheeks...you either give up stonemasonry or me and my mates will have you every way a woman is meant to be had by a man! It's up to you Shantelle!" Then he let her go and taunted her as she ran to her car "Hope you don't have nightmares tonight!"
She shook uncontrollably as she drove home, more than terrified.
Fumbling to get her keys in the front door as she glanced around nervously, Nicolas opened the door and felt his heart stop as he saw his beautiful fiancée crying and shaking.
He tended to her bruises, made her a cup of tea, and soothed her, getting her to sleep finally in the early hours of the morning.
He sat in a chair by her bedside and watched her sleep; ready to get her anything or hold her if she woke up screaming from a nightmare.
It had been the worst night of his life.
The children were speechless and horrified as they gazed at Shantelle.
"He really loved you didn't he Isoäiti?" Lucas asked, "Cooking that meal, taking care of you after you were attacked! Did you continue being a Stonemason in Brisbane after that horrible night?"
Shantelle looked at her grandson and said "No, Nicolas and I went to Melbourne, and then I went back to Paris with him, where we quickly arranged our engagement party and our wedding!"
"But who attacked you Isoäiti?" Elysia asked.
"I never found out because I went back to Paris to settle down, plus Nico found me a beautiful old workshop where I could continue being a stonemason in Paris, I just never went back to doing it in Australia!"
"Well, at least you didn't give it up Kulta!" Kimi said, kissing her.