Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

A Hart to Remember--Part Three

 

"Have you tracked them down?" asked Madam Chappelle annoyed at Luc's incompetence.

"Mr. Hart took her out of town somewhere."

"I can't believe you had her right there and you still failed... again." Her mood veered sharply to anger.

"I am sorry Madam, apparently she is much stronger than she looks. She will be coming back to town for treatment. I will arrange to finish it then."

"Luc, make sure that you do," Madam Chappelle warned.

 

 

When Jennifer awoke, Jonathan was already up and going through her notes on the Chappelle story.

"Good morning," Jonathan greeted.

"Good morning," Jennifer said getting out of bed. She was feeling more energetic and refreshed than she had yet.

"Any more dreams?" he asked.

Jennifer came and sat on the desk where Jonathan was working. Jonathan took note of her curvaceous calves.

"No, I was exhausted." They looked at each other. Both wanted to make a statement about what happened the night before but were afraid of the other's reaction.

"I was just going over your notes here trying to decide where we should start to look for your memory."

"What notes?" Jennifer asked.

"I guess I am just going to have to tell you this one. I don't know any other way around it."

"Tell me what?" Jennifer said eager to hear some tidbit about her past.

"You were here to do an article on the Chappelle winery..."

"Article? Am I a writer?"

"Yes. Your accident occurred on the road you would have taken to and from the winery. At this point, the winery is our only connection. I think that while you are getting your check-up at the hospital, I will visit with Inspector Marché to see if will share what information they do have. After that, we can visit Jacques Chappelle. You were scheduled to interview him but never made it there. So what do you think? Are you feeling up to it?"

Jennifer was only half listening to Jonathan. She was digesting the information about her being a writer.

"Am I a good writer?"

Jonathan looked at her, amused. "Better than you are a listener."

"Oh, I am sorry," Jennifer said placing her hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "What ever you think. I will go along."

"You think you will be alright with that Dr. Suché?"

Jennifer cocked her head, "Why wouldn't I?"

"No reason. I just don't trust him."

"You are jealous," Jennifer chided.

"Me? Jealous?" Jonathan shook his head.

"Yes, you are jealous," Jennifer repeated this time laughing.

"Well, maybe a little," he admitted sheepishly.

"A little?" she challenged.

"I refuse to admit to more," Jonathan grinned.

"Well, I don't think you need to worry. He's not my type."

"And what is your type?"

"Well, I don't remember but I am certain he's not it." Jennifer winked and jumped off the desk. "I am going to get dressed. I want to look my best for Dr. Suché." Jonathan smiled as he watched her head to the bathroom.

 

 

On the trip back to the little village, Jonathan allowed Jennifer to read the notes she had made during her interview and research.

"You must promise not to tell Dr. Suché or Mr. Dubois that I let you do this though, ok?"

"Promise."

As they drove through the small cobblestone streets, Jennifer admired the quaint town.

"Wait! Stop!" she called while passing a row of parked cars.

"What is it?"

"That car! That is the car in my dream." Jonathan pulled over in the first available space.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am sure." They got out and walked to the car. Jennifer stayed on the sidewalk while Jonathan looked around the car.

"It doesn't seem to have any damage," he said.

"Well, they could have fixed it couldn't they? I mean if I tried to kill someone with my car I wouldn't leave the dents for people to find," Jennifer said annoyed that Jonathan didn't seem to believe her. Jonathan looked closely at the front and sides of the car.

"Yes, yes they could have. It does look like a nice paint job for such an old car."

"Well, there you go."

Jonathan stood up and went to Jennifer, "Don't worry darling, I believe you."

"What did you call me?"

"Ah... darling. You know a common term of endearment. People use it all the time," Jonathan stammered.

Jennifer raised her eyebrows. "I am going to be late for my appointment with Dr. Suché. We'd better go."

"Let me just write down the information about this car."

"Do you think the police will do anything?"

"I believe you. But I think the police will be skeptical. There just isn't enough to go on. I do know some people who can help us though."

 

 

"Bonjour Mademoiselle Jennifer," Mr. Dubois said when Jennifer entered his office. "You are looking lovely today. The real world is doing wonders for you."

"Yes, thank you."

"Your visit with Dr. Suché? Did it go well?"

"Everything seems to be healing."

"So tell me," Mr. Dubois said showing Jennifer to a seat, "How was it your first night out?"

"It was wonderful. Jonathan showed me so much. I felt like I experienced a million sensations in just one evening."

"Very good."

"You think so?"

"Of course it is good for you have a good time. Happiness is good for the health."

Jennifer nodded, "I did have a dream and when I told Jonathan about it, he said that he knew one part was true so the other part must be too."

"Tell me about the dream."

Jennifer told him about the dream with the cars. And how she was certain she had seen the car from the dream parked on another side of town.

"That is a good sign. Is that the only memory?"

"Yes," Jennifer said disappointedly.

"We may want to consider hypnosis as a way to trigger your memory."

"Hypnosis?"

"Yes, we have a specialist here at the hospital. He puts you in a special state of sleep where we can access your subconscience. And, then we can wake you up and your memories should be there."

"It's that easy?"

"Well, it's not fool-proof but, I think it is worth considering."

"What do I need to do?"

"Why don't you think about it. Call me in the morning and I can set it up."

"Why wouldn't I want to do it?"

"It may not work. And, the subconscience is a very delicate place. Perhaps you should discuss it with Jonathan."

Jennifer began to wonder what would happen with Jonathan if she did remember. What was her place in his life? Did her life before include Jonathan? It surely did to a certain extent but to what extent? Jennifer enjoyed where things were going with Jonathan. What if they were only friends before?

 

"How did it go?" Jonathan asked as Jennifer came out of Mr. Dubois office.

"Very well." Jennifer grinned.

"Ah, Mr. Hart," Dr. Suché said as he approached the group. "Jennifer tells me you are taking good care of her."

"That's right." Jonathan said. He wanted to put his arm around her in a masculine territorial kind of way.

"Jonathan has been wonderful." Jennifer beamed taking Jonathan's hand into hers. Jonathan responded with a squeeze of her hand.

"That's great. I am happy for you both," he said. "You should continue to come the next couple of days but I think it won't be long before you are ready to return home."

Jennifer's face dropped, "Home? I don't know where that is?"

Jonathan shot Dr. Suché a scorned look.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Jennifer. Don't you worry about that right now. You still have several days and options to jog your memory," said Mr. Dubois giving the doctor a similar look.

"We need to get going if we are going to make our other appointments," Jonathan said.

"Okay," Jennifer agreed.

 

 

"Are you okay?" Jonathan asked while they were in the car.

"Yes, I just get a little out of sorts when I am confronted with the fact that I have no sense of me or where I am from...."

"You know why he did that don't you?" Jonathan said referring to Dr. Suché.

"Who, Dr. Suché?"

"Yes. He is jealous of me!" Jonathan grinned.

Jennifer smiled back; "Yes I guess he is."

"And, Mr. Dubois is right. You need to focus on getting better and restoring your memory. I will be here for you no matter what so don't worry about all that other stuff."

Jennifer took his hand again.

"So what did you learn at the police?"

"I think they know less than you do."

"That's not reassuring."

"They talked to Madam Chappelle. She runs the winery now. She said you cut the interview short and seemed agitated when you left."

"I wonder why?"

"Why indeed. I also asked about the dispute between her and Jacques Chappelle over the rightful heir to the winery."

"Oh, yes. He thinks it should go to him," Jennifer said recalling her notes.

"Yes. Although your notes don't make anything of it, I find it curious that Madam Chappelle was married to Lawrence for a brief time when he had his unusual accident."

"How did he die?" Jennifer asked going through the notes again.

"Apparently, several of the big wine barrels that are used to age wine, fell and crushed him."

Jennifer made a face at the thought of it.

"And, no one seems to know much about Madam Chappelle before she met and married Lawrence. So I put a call into some people I know to check the car and Madam Chappelle."

"How do you know people who can find such stuff."

Jonathan smiled and winked. "Magic."

 

 

"Monsieur Chappelle, s'il vous plait," Jonathan said in his best French.

"Not bad," Jennifer complimented as they waited.

"I just hope he speaks English."

"I do speak English. How can I help you?"

"I am Jonathan Hart and this is Jennifer..."

"Oh, yes. You were to come last week but you had an accident?"

"Yes."

"I am very glad to see you are well. Not many survive trips to Chappelle Winery anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Jonathan asked.

"Please come in and sit down," Jacques said leading them to a sitting room. "Well, my cousin you know recently died. That is how Isabel got the winery."

"I take it you suspect foul play?"

"Oui Monsieur, wine barrels don't just come crashing down."

"According to the police, the mechanisms holding the barrels were pretty old and not well maintained," Jonathan reported

"Mr. Hart, you are a business man and I hear owner of a winery yourself. You know that in business you take the utmost care of your major commodity. The care and storage of wine can make or break a winery. There is no way Lawrence had unstable equipment."

"Why would Madam Chappelle do this?"

"For the winery. There is a lot of money and status that goes with the Chappelle winery. It is one of the oldest in the area. It has been in the family for hundreds of years."

"It's no secret that you are not happy that Madam Chappelle has been able to successfully inherit the winery. How do we know this isn't sour grapes...so to speak?" Jennifer asked. Jonathan looked at his wife in admiration. Her memory was gone but her spiritedness and candor where intact.

"The winery has always passed to male heirs even if there is a wife or eldest daughter. There was only one time in history a female ran the winery and that was only until her son got old enough to take it over."

"But we are almost to the 21st century, Monsieur, surely progress could make room for women in the wine business. Don't you think a woman can be a good business person?" Jennifer challenged again.

"This has nothing to do with women's abilities. My wife could certainly run the winery. This is about history and tradition, something we hold dear in France."

"What can you tell us about Madam's Chappelle's history?" Jonathan asked.

"Nothing. Lawrence met her on Cote D'Azur. We knew it wouldn't last. Whirlwind romances and marriages never do."

Jonathan cleared his throat. He really wanted to challenge that remark.

"Do you know anything about a mid-sized white Citroen?"

"Monsieur, that's like asking me about a blue Ford in your country."

"Jennifer thinks the car that ran her off the road was a white Citroen. I am having the license checked now. I just thought you might know of someone."

"I don't know if the Chappelle winery has one. But they do have huge garage on the left-hand side of the property before you get to the main house. Perhaps you should check there."

 

"You were terrific," Jonathan told Jennifer when they got to the car.

"You think so?"

"It's all still in there, just waiting to come out!" Jonathan said referring to her memory.

"Jonathan, Mr. Dubois suggested I might try hypnosis to recover my memory. I am all for it but, he seemed to think that there might be some risks and I should talk to you."

"Hmmm, hypnosis." Jonathan mulled over the idea in his mind. He could remember the two previous times Jennifer was hypnotized with almost deadly consequences to both of them. "I don't know. So much can go wrong."

"Don't you want me to remember?" she asked wondering if maybe he didn't want to go back to the way things were before.

"More than anything I do. It seems like you have had some .... well one memory. But, your personality is the same. I think it is going to come. May be you haven't given it enough time."

"Well, I would like to consider it."

"When do you have to let him know?"

"He told me to call tomorrow."

"Let's see what we can dig up today and consider it again tomorrow."

 

Jonathan and Jennifer drove back into town and had a late lunch. They had decided to visit the Chappelle winery garage once it got dark. To kill time, they shopped and toured the area.

That evening, they drove out to the Chappelle winery. Parking in the trees outside the winery they walked through the woods to the garage building.

"That's a garage?" Jennifer asked. "You could fit an airplane in there."

They checked the doors but all were locked.

"There is a window lets see what we can see from it," Jonathan said. As he looked in he saw dozens of cars.

"Some women collect shoes, she collects cars," Jonathan said. "But I don't see yours."

"While we are here maybe we could look at the winery, check those barrels Jacques was talking about." Jennifer suggested.

"Couldn't hurt."

The two snuck around the garage and house, sticking close to the woods. The door to the winery was locked too. They looked into the window but, weren't able to discern anything unusual about the set up.

"Well, if she did kill Lawrence, she isn't going to leave evidence around for us to find. We should probably get back. It has been a long day and you need your rest."

"I am a bit tired," Jennifer agreed. The two went back to their car and headed to Paris.

 

 

"So what did our visitor's want?" Madam Chappelle asked.

"I am not certain. They spent some time looking in the garage and then at the winery. They didn't come near the house."

"I imagine they have talked to Jacques," Madam Chappelle said thinking about what the Harts may have been looking for.

"I could have done it now," Luc said disappointed that he wasn't able to right his wrong.

"No, that would have been too coincidental for the police. First Lawrence then Mrs. Hart and then both Harts killed on or near Chappelle winery. No, we need to find another way. See what you can find out about her treatment. I imagine we don't have much time."

"Yes, Madam."

 

 

Back at the hotel in Paris, Jonathan picked up a paper. He read it as Jennifer got ready for bed. She emerged from the bathroom in a dark green satin robe. Looking up as she approached, he openly admired her beauty.

He smiled, "That is a great color on you."

"Thank you." She smiled back, pleased that he noticed.

Still in his suit, Jonathan went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up.

Jennifer sat on the bed and began to skip through the paper. She got to the business section when something caught her eye.

 

Jonathan Hart Concludes Deal with Tasker Electronics: In a long drawn out deal that left stockholders in a state of confused limbo, Jonathan Hart of Hart Industries convinced Tasker Electronics to accept the former's offer to buy. The undisclosed sum paid by Hart Industries is apparently much more than Mr. Jonathan Hart originally wanted to pay. When asked why he decided to give in instead of using hostile take-over tactics Mr. Hart responded, "First of all, I am not a hostile man. Second, I really would like to see my wife again."

 

"You're married!" Jennifer accused as Jonathan emerged from the bathroom.

"Yes, I am," he said pleased that she remembered.

"You aren't even going to deny it?"

"Why should I?"

Jennifer shook her head in confusion. "I guess I was all wrong about you. So what am I, your mistress? ... a little something on the side? "

"What a minute," Jonathan interjected. "Yes I am married. I am married to you!"

Jennifer looked at Jonathan wide-eyed. "That's even worse."

"Worse? How could us being married be worse?"

"Because you really do know everything about me, every intimate detail. I know nothing. I feel.... so exposed. I mean, you have seen me naked," she said pulling her robe tightly around her.

"Would it help even the playing field if I took my clothes off?" Jonathan asked annoyed at Jennifer's insecurity.

"It might!" she responded irritated at his insensitivity.

"Fine," he said starting to undo his tie.

"Fine," she said settling on the edge of the bed to watch.

"Let me ask you something," he said pulling his tie from around his neck. "Do you think it will be better or more frustrating to have information about your history but, not remember it?"

"What?"

"Well, now you know we are married but do you remember when I proposed or how I proposed? How about the honeymoon? Do you remember that our honeymoon bed is sitting in Versailles?"

"No," Jennifer said sadly.

"So, it is better to not know what you don't remember or to know it but not be able to remember it?" he said.

"I don't like either," she said softly.

By now Jonathan had stripped all clothing except his silk boxers. He looked down at his beautiful wife and felt bad at his insensitivity.

He picked up his pants searching through the pockets.

"Are you stalling?" Jennifer asked.

"No," he said getting down on one knee in front of her. He took her hand in his, "Jennifer, I love you more than words can say. You don't know how agonizing it has been to not be able to show you or tell you how much I love you. Things have changed and they may not change back. But one thing that will never change is my total love and devotion to you. Would you marry me again?" He held up her engagement and wedding rings the doctors had given him at the hospital.

"I... I have only known you three days," Jennifer replied thinking that was a dumb response since they were already married.

"That's all it took the first time," he smiled.

"But, we are already married."

"But, you don't remember it. In the hospital we agreed to focus on the present and the future. I love you and I want a future with you. Let's make new memories together... if you think you love me too."

"What if you don't like the new me?"

"The only thing different about you is that you don't remember your past. You are the same wonderful, kind, smart, feisty, gorgeous woman I fell in love with. Over the last couple of days, I feel like I have fallen in love all over again. So, will you marry me?"

Jennifer's heart skipped a beat at what she was hearing.

"There is so much I don't know," Jennifer started. "I don't know if it is just the last few days or maybe somewhere in my soul I do remember, but I do know that I am in love with you."

Jonathan slipped the rings on her fingers and kissed her hand.

"This doesn't get you off the hook though," she informed him.

Jonathan stood up and took a hold of the waistband of his boxers.

"Wait," Jennifer stopped him. She stood up and approached him, removing her robe. Fire ignited throughout Jonathan's body at the sight of his beautiful wife in her green negligée. Jennifer reached out and touched Jonathan's chest. The heat from his body radiated up her arm and into the soul of her. She took his hand in hers. Kissing it, she placed it over her breast. He looked deeply in her eyes for confirmation of what she seemed to be saying.

"Please touch me," she said softly.

"Are you sure?" Jonathan asked feeling a little like he might be taking advantage.

"No past remember? Only new memories; the present and the future."

Jonathan bent forward, placing his mouth on hers he devoured its softness. Jennifer eagerly accepted his tongue, encouraging him to probe deeper. His kisses continued to explore the soft ivory flesh of her shoulders and neck. Taking one breast in his hand, he took the other in his mouth sending spirals of ecstasy through her. Jennifer gasped, grabbing his head. Jonathan placed both hands on her back to support her as he gently sucked and kissed her breasts.

He swept her into his arms, carrying her to the bed. Jennifer trembled at the tenderness of his kisses covering her body.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, "We don't have to do this."

"No, please, make love to me," she said reaching down to remove his shorts.

Jonathan slid his hand between Jennifer's thighs, preparing her for his entrance. Jennifer moaned, desperate to have him penetrate her. Maneuvering himself into the right position, Jonathan slowly pushed himself into her. Her body arch instinctively to meet his and he moved in rhythm set by Jennifer's rocking hips. Jennifer cried out as her body was inundated with waves of pleasure. Jonathan lifted himself up on his hands and began to pump harder and faster to satisfy his own urges. Jennifer held on to his buttocks as she felt the fires rise in her again. Jonathan felt a surge of energy as Jennifer reached between them and fondled him between strokes. Jonathan's release was powerful sending Jennifer into her own second climax.

 

 

The warmth of the sun permeated through the window. The feel of it on his face, reminded Jonathan of Jennifer's warmth. He rolled over reaching out for her. He bolted up as his arm failed to find her.

"Jennifer?" He leapt out of bed, heading to the bathroom.

"Jennifer?" Jonathan could feel panic shooting through his veins.

Continue on to Part Four

E-mail the author at itsmecici@email.msn.com

Back to Main Fan Fiction Page