money,” Maurice answered. “What business could we do there?”
“The English, the Germans, and even the Scandinavians are going there for winter vacations. There are big hotels being built. It means big business,” Jacques said. “The cost of shipping our bottles of Plescassier water will be a quarter of what we have to pay to ship it to Paris. There are also local wines that are not all that bad. We can buy land very cheap now back from the coast a few miles; we could build a winery and have our own vineyards for one-tenth of what it cost us in Cabernet.”
“You are out of your mind!” barked Maurice sarcastically. “I am too old to build a project like that and you are planning on going into the army.”
“Not anymore,” Jacques replied. “Pétain did not get his promotion to general. He is still a colonel. Joseph Jaurès has been appointed commander-in-chief of all French forces and Haig has been appointed to the same position in the British forces in France.”
“Meanwhile, the Boche are making fools of all of us. They say that Italy will be joining us soon, but the Italians can’t fight anything. They will just be another problem for us,” Maurice said, turning to his son. “Now what are you planning to do with yourself?”
“I do not know General Jaurès, and Pétain has returned my letter of service, so I’m clear.” Jacques smiled. “I have decided to become a real businessman. I want to be a multimillionaire. Not only in France but in England and all of Europe.”
Maurice laughed. “And how do you plan to do this? You still have the little whore that is blackmailing you at the winery in Cabernet. The minute you do anything he’ll make sure that he becomes a part of your business. And then if you don’t include him, he will tell the world about your tastes.”
“He is the first plan I have developed,” Jacques stated. “I have made arrangements with two Corsicans—”
“I told you before, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know of any plans like that,” Maurice said.
Jacques looked at his father. “You’re getting soft, old man. I remember when you would have done far worse.”
“The world is changing,” Maurice said quietly as he stared out the window. “I don’t know if I can change along with it.”
Jacques had never seen his father like this before. He walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “You’re doing pretty good, Papa.” Jacques smiled.
Maurice sighed. “I worry,” he said. “A friend of mine who has a very important position with the German embassy has approached me with an interesting proposition. He says that it won’t be long until the Germans occupy most of western France. He has offered to pay us one million louis to allow Bayer, a German company, to distribute our Plescassier water to the officers’ clubs and restaurants here in France and also to distribute the water in Germany.”
“What are they really offering to us?” Jacques said. “Germany can easily use up all of our production and then what are we left with? A company that has no water to sell in France.” He lit a cigarette. “Then the Boche will own our company.”
“That is what I believe also,” Maurice said. “The world is changing and I am not fast enough to keep up. I worry. I don’t know what to do. If I don’t work with them, in time, they will take everything from us and we will get nothing.”
“There is a way,” Jacques said. “Let me meet with your friend. I’m sure we can develop a better agreement.”
Maurice looked at him. “But he’s not like us. He is married and has children.”
“That’s his problem, not ours.” Jacques laughed. “Just let us all meet together.”
“What will you be able to do?” Maurice asked curiously.
“I know a small water company, Campagne. They are almost bankrupt; they have asked me to assist them, even buy them out.” Jacques looked at his father. “I can buy the company for two hundred thousand
“The English, the Germans, and even the Scandinavians are going there for winter vacations. There are big hotels being built. It means big business,” Jacques said. “The cost of shipping our bottles of Plescassier water will be a quarter of what we have to pay to ship it to Paris. There are also local wines that are not all that bad. We can buy land very cheap now back from the coast a few miles; we could build a winery and have our own vineyards for one-tenth of what it cost us in Cabernet.”
“You are out of your mind!” barked Maurice sarcastically. “I am too old to build a project like that and you are planning on going into the army.”
“Not anymore,” Jacques replied. “Pétain did not get his promotion to general. He is still a colonel. Joseph Jaurès has been appointed commander-in-chief of all French forces and Haig has been appointed to the same position in the British forces in France.”
“Meanwhile, the Boche are making fools of all of us. They say that Italy will be joining us soon, but the Italians can’t fight anything. They will just be another problem for us,” Maurice said, turning to his son. “Now what are you planning to do with yourself?”
“I do not know General Jaurès, and Pétain has returned my letter of service, so I’m clear.” Jacques smiled. “I have decided to become a real businessman. I want to be a multimillionaire. Not only in France but in England and all of Europe.”
Maurice laughed. “And how do you plan to do this? You still have the little whore that is blackmailing you at the winery in Cabernet. The minute you do anything he’ll make sure that he becomes a part of your business. And then if you don’t include him, he will tell the world about your tastes.”
“He is the first plan I have developed,” Jacques stated. “I have made arrangements with two Corsicans—”
“I told you before, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know of any plans like that,” Maurice said.
Jacques looked at his father. “You’re getting soft, old man. I remember when you would have done far worse.”
“The world is changing,” Maurice said quietly as he stared out the window. “I don’t know if I can change along with it.”
Jacques had never seen his father like this before. He walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “You’re doing pretty good, Papa.” Jacques smiled.
Maurice sighed. “I worry,” he said. “A friend of mine who has a very important position with the German embassy has approached me with an interesting proposition. He says that it won’t be long until the Germans occupy most of western France. He has offered to pay us one million louis to allow Bayer, a German company, to distribute our Plescassier water to the officers’ clubs and restaurants here in France and also to distribute the water in Germany.”
“What are they really offering to us?” Jacques said. “Germany can easily use up all of our production and then what are we left with? A company that has no water to sell in France.” He lit a cigarette. “Then the Boche will own our company.”
“That is what I believe also,” Maurice said. “The world is changing and I am not fast enough to keep up. I worry. I don’t know what to do. If I don’t work with them, in time, they will take everything from us and we will get nothing.”
“There is a way,” Jacques said. “Let me meet with your friend. I’m sure we can develop a better agreement.”
Maurice looked at him. “But he’s not like us. He is married and has children.”
“That’s his problem, not ours.” Jacques laughed. “Just let us all meet together.”
“What will you be able to do?” Maurice asked curiously.
“I know a small water company, Campagne. They are almost bankrupt; they have asked me to assist them, even buy them out.” Jacques looked at his father. “I can buy the company for two hundred thousand
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