The Perfumer's Secret by Fiona McIntosh

with a smile.’
    ‘I’m afraid your gallows humour is lost on me, brother,’ Henri said. ‘What is going to happen to our family business? We start jasmine harvest shortly. What shall happen to our fields?’ he wondered aloud, staring around our father’s room, now his own – but we all still thought of it as Father’s . . . even Henri.
    ‘Given that everyone is sharing the same trauma, you could say we maintain a status quo,’ I tried, not really believing it, feeling disturbed afresh that our flowers, watched over with such care, would wither on the stem this year . . . and possibly the next.
    ‘You’re probably right.’ Henri cheered somewhat. ‘If we all miss out this year, then there’s simply no new perfume circulating out of Grasse.’
    ‘Not necessarily,’ I murmured. When their gazes slid quickly to me, I shrugged. ‘I mean’ — and I wasn’t really sure what I meant — ‘Um, I mean, not everyone has someone in the family left behind who can manage or indeed run the business.’
    Felix snapped me an amused wink. Next to him Henri bristled.
    ‘Fleurette, we have a manager in place,’ he cautioned.
    ‘Yes, but you need someone above Monsieur Bouchard who can make decisions. It’s harvest, Henri! And how do you know Monsieur Bouchard hasn’t been called up?’
    ‘He’s past fifty,’ he snorted.
    I lifted a shoulder. ‘We don’t know what’s going to happen, so we shouldn’t speculate. But I am capable and if you forbid me, fine. I’ll just put my efforts into taking the De Lasset brand onwards.’ It was a cruel threat and I felt mean watching my elder brother blink in surprise. ‘Forget I said that. I’m nervous and frightened. You know I will do everything I can to protect the whole region’s business, not just ours.’
    Henri straightened. ‘The truth is, Fleurette, your role is now to consider De Lasset before Delacroix.’
    ‘Never,’ I said.
    Madame Girouard was back at the opened door but not crossing its threshold. We all looked at her, expecting the worst.
    ‘Yes, Madame?’
    I was impressed Henri’s voice sounded granite-steady.
    ‘The Senateur has returned, Monsieur Delacroix.’
    Henri glanced at Felix, who in turn cut me a look. This was it.
    ‘Until we see you, Fleurette,’ Felix said carefully, reaching for me. ‘You may need to send on some trunks for Henri. You know how he needs so many pomades and toiletries.’
    I chuckled. Felix was right. It did help to cut through the tension, even though the humour felt sad.
    ‘Oh, do be quiet, Felix,’ Henri growled with mock disgust but we all knew he was right to not allow us to become maudlin. ‘Fleurette, I’m sorry your day has been marked by . . .’
    ‘I know, Henri. But it doesn’t matter. What counts is that you and Felix stay safe and come home soon.’ I suppose I should have added Aimery’s name into that mix but I was too busy hugging my eldest brother fiercely so he knew I meant it, and all those dark words that had passed between us earlier today were forgiven, forgotten. I loved Henri . . . I just sometimes found it hard to admire him.
    Meanwhile, admiring Felix was easy. I moved my affection to him with a squeezing embrace. ‘I shall miss you every moment,’ I murmured. ‘Don’t die, Felix.’
    His eyes glittered at me when we pulled away. ‘I shall try not to. Besides, I’m an officer,’ he added, as though title alone would keep him from the bullets.
    ‘No heroics,’ I warned them both. ‘Just do your duty and come home.’
    And then they were gone, greeting the Senateur who stood inside our hallway, stiff and silent. He gave a small bow of respect as he spied my brothers. Perhaps the politician had called at the De Lasset villa too out of similar respect and discovered Aimery already departed. I wondered if he also would be clambering into uniform soon enough. I followed like a loyal pet, walking behind the men, hearing every squeak of their leather boots and