Chapter 5 The Williams

Marianne is in a shambles again. Her built up positivity is crumbling down. 

“Co-could you say that again?” she stammered.

“Is it not your wish to go?” asked Francois.

“Do forgive me, I thought you would like to attend his funeral.” 

Francois thought about the books that he read before signing the marriage contract.

“Women are truly hard to understand,” he thought.

Francois, the perfectionist that he is, must know and learn how to be a good husband even though the relationship would be platonic.

He bought some books: To understand the rules of husband to his wife, How to be good to your wife, and, How to pick up the moods of women.

Also, before he agreed to be a member of Williams Family, his requests are for “no romantic involvement'' and “no heir”, which the other party had gladly accepted.

For a man who was rammed in to be a honourable and dignified person, Francois had already programmed into his mind to fulfill his wife's wishes as long as it is within his capability and also not against the law.

“Forgive?” Marianne noticed and frowned at Francois’ words.

 From what she had heard at the barracks, he doesn’t apologise to anyone. Not even to his uncle who was also in the army.

“I just didn’t expect…" she said, then stopped.

What would I say? That I didn’t expect him to tell me to see my old dead body? Or that I didn’t expect him to say the word “forgive”?

Francois, who had been observing Marianne since she had woken up, had been making a mental note of her actions. He came to a conclusion that her mind is stable.

He then decided to take his leave as he doesn’t see the importance of him to stay there any longer. He already wasted a lot of time staying in the hospital while the value of stocks are plummeting down. If Marianne hadn’t been alarmingly taken here, then his uncle wouldn’t have given him the command to see his wife too soon. Now that Marianne seems ok, his presence is in utmost need elsewhere. 

“You need a rest. I must go to the head office now,” said Francois.

He stood up and took his briefcase. 

Marianne is amazed at how tall he is, and in awe at the man’s physique.

“Goodness me! Have I just been staring at him!?” consciously shifting her gaze away from him, she felt embarrassed having caught herself gawking at him. 

She had heard of the rumour from those women in the barracks, most of them had attractions towards him, and some had even professed their feelings or even begged for just a “one night” with him. There was also that commotion among the girls that caught the attention of the higher ups, then later on, Francois declared the impossibility and his incompetence to have a relationship other than work.  After that, he went into special missions one after the other and his promotions just kept on arising. His nickname “Perfect Soldier” was known then.

Lost in her thoughts, Francois who was instructing Annie, turns towards her.

“I’ll be going now, if you need my help on anything, just give me a call. I’ve given Annie my number,” with that he moved towards the door then looked back. 

“The reason why I thought you might want to attend his funeral is to say your goodbyes and to have a closure,” he said and then left.

Marianne, who is sitting on the wheelchair, has a bewildered face after he left, then breaks out into a soft short laugh.

“Francois, you don’t fail to astound me!” she said softly.

“The Williams' businesses must be in great trouble for you to be rushing off like that.

I know how dedicated you are to help people, that although you cannot feel, you are moulded to uphold justice, with uprightness. I know how filial you are to your duties.  As your regarded wife, I bet you would have already considered me to be one of your priorities too. I can’t help to be feeling elated,” Marianne thought with a slight smile on her face.

Annie, who was also sorting out her emotions and on what to do next, has a seriousness on her face. She was stumped by what Francois had said.

He told her that her actions and judgement is unfitted for Marianne’s well-being, that she is not qualified to be Marianne’s attendant. 

“Annie, don’t you think that he should’ve given his wife his number and not for his wife to get it from her carer? And not to mention, that we are all in the same room in which he could have said it to me first,” said Marianne with a chuckle to Annie. But was shocked to see Annie’s nearly crying face!

Annie who felt aggrieved tries to hide her tears, she can’t tell if Marianne is being sarcastic towards her. Francois' words had caused turmoil inside her that she was pondering whether to stay.

“Oh Annie! What is the matter? Why are you in distress?” asked Marianne with a concern in her voice.

Annie looks at Marianne and realizes that her friend is truly concerned about her. She can’t hold her tears anymore, and so she poured out her heart to Marianne. She told her what Francois had said that made her want to leave, but she also realized and admitted her incompetences on her job. That she should control her emotions to be clear minded, so she can focus more on how to help Marianne. But she can’t promise and doesn’t have the confidence. She is not trained to be a carer! She only took this job to be with her friend. Not knowing the entails of it!

Marianne is amused after hearing what Annie had said.

“Ah dear Francois ... you do know how to look after your wife,” she thought.

“But Marianne ... about Francois’ number ... I didn’t ask for it. He just dictated it to me, so I can call him if there's a problem, regarding you,” she said, feeling wronged.

Marianne smiled, “I know, Annie, I’m sorry, that was careless of me saying that. And please, don’t be thinking about leaving. I’ve lost my memory and your guidance would be what I need. If it’ll be another person, I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t treat me well like you do. So, please Annie dear, stay,” begged Marianne.

Annie, who has always been soft-hearted and gets to cry easily, is deeply touched by Marianne’s words to which it made her eyes watery again. Never would she have thought that there would be a day for Marianne to say that she needs her. 

In one of the pubs in London, Dr John Reeds, who was still feeling stupefied with Francois’ bombshell about his marriages, had finally managed to contact Michael after many countless tries, and now he is sitting with a pint of lager while waiting for him.

Upon spotting his friend at the door, he ordered another lager, but then he saw Carl behind Michael, “Make that two, please,” he said to the barkeeper.

“How come I didn’t know about us meeting here!?” said Carl with a loud voice. He can tell that his friends have something on their mind and that John doesn’t seem to want him there.

“What are you on about?” said Michael.

“John said something about Frans, thought you might want to know,” he said with a grin on his face.

“Oh, Him! Everyone in the barracks had been asking me about him! I just had enough of him, that deserter bastard,” Carl said.

“Careful there Carl, anyone who would hear that would think he is "truly" a deserter,” John said.

“Like he would ever care!” Carl said with a lopsided silly grin while the two men join in.

“But seriously though, have you heard about Frans being married, Carl?” Michael said.

Carl chokingly coughs up his beer. “Who? What did you say!? Francois married!?" he shouted.

John is shaking his head while looking at Michael, who is currently enjoying Carl’s reaction, “Seriously this guy is an ass,” he thought.

“So you don’t know about it, then?" Michael asked Carl with an innocent face while his lips curled upwards.

Carl knew that Michael had just made him his entertainment, which makes him more annoyed. But he must know! He needs to know even if he has to put up with this sinister guy! 

In the end Carl simply said “No.”

John, who feels a bit uncomfortable for blabbering, explains what  Francois had said on the phone after leaving the Camp.

After hearing all of it, Carl said “He is definitely married if he said the words 'his wife', he is not one to say stuff just for fun.”

The three friends had been mulling on their own for a while after what Carl said.

“So, Francois is married ...” stated Carl, finally sinking into him.

“Yeah ...” coming from John and Michael.

Then they look at each other and burst out laughing. 

Among them four, it was expected that he would never be in a relationship let alone a marriage! 

The three friends carried on chatting and mockingly foretelling how Francois’ marriage is gonna be, which leads to laughter. It’s their way out to express their aggrieved feelings for being left out of one of the most important events in their friend's life. 

It’s like their punishment to him for not informing them about his marriage. 

Francois on the other hand, who had been very busy meeting up with some people, reading and signing documents, saw missed calls from his three friends but he ignored them, he knew from experience and the patterns of how they called him that they are probably in a bar somewhere having a drink.

Francois is appointed as the new head of the Williams’ empire whose income had been declining a few months later after the old man Williams’ passing away six months ago.

It’s only his first day but he has received several invitations from people that are connected to Williams’ company. 

Lana, his designated secretary, had already been briefed about him  and is doing her very best to keep up with him. She is amazed how he easily grasps things so quickly that he moves on to the next straight away.

Lana presented him an invitation which has a distinct seal on it. Although he instructed her to decline all the invitations, the seal on this one cannot be ignored. It would be too impolite to decline it.

Francois opened the letter, he knew where the letter had come from. The invitation requests the presence of “Mr. Francois Davidson and Mrs. Marianne Davidson.” 

He had expected this to come at some point but not at this time.

The main reason for their marriage is because of the Williams’ businesses. They trade nationally, in the UK, in many different areas and also own the majority of stocks in big companies. 

Their many enterprises also collaborate with other countries, it’s operations and management are mostly under them.

The Williams are old money.  Their fortunes that kept racking up had started more than a century ago. They have the knack in investing for greater fortunes. Their keen eyes in assessing a great deal, made them expand and explore in different areas of business.

The businesses that they had built and involved in made a mark in this world, but the Williams are not known to the public. They work behind the scenes. 

The death of the old man Williams six months ago had caused a lot of changes which stirred up chaos and profit losses to many companies.

His sole heir to the Williams’ empire, his granddaughter Marianne, is incapable of managing a business, and more so impossible for her to manage the Williams' empire.

The economists have been alarmed that the value of stocks has been continually going down. This caught the attention of those people at the top. They can’t just watch the nation’s economy fall down so dramatically.

It also came to their attention the important rule of the Williams Empire which can affect a lot of people. They also learnt that the Williams family nearly owns a third of the nation’s land, properties and businesses. No wonder why the nation is depending on them!

How they got away with it is something that the governtment are looking into. 

For now, the stocks and the nation’s economy is in Francois Davidson’s hands.

“Lana, can you call my wife and let her know about this,” Francois said, putting down the invitation on a side table.

Marianne, who just left the hospital, is in a daze admiring the architectural features of the house. It’s not a house it’s a castle! It’s not as big as the other castles that are being shown or displayed to the public, or like Buckingham Palace, but it’s beautifully built.

“Don’t tell me you’ve also forgotten about your house!” said Annie smiling. She started chatting and pointing at the areas which she remembers about their childhood. She became a chatterbox ever since Marianne convinced her not to leave.

Marianne’s phone rang, the first time for her to get a call which makes her a bit timid to answer.

“Hello, this is Marianne’s phone,” she said.

“Hello Mrs. Davidson, My name is Lana, Mr Davidson’s secretary. I was instructed by your husband to let you know that you will be attending a “tea with the Queen” at Buckingham Palace in a week's time.”

“Tea with the QUEEN!!!??” said Marianne with a loud voice.

“Blimey!!”