Chapter 37: The Many Complications Of Life

The Acquired Lands, Vermont, The New World (1762).....

  Construction of the estate commenced morning, noon, and night as Alfred oversaw the details and gave expressed instruction as to how he wished to see the vast estate come to life in the form of labor and love so to speak. Alain spent his time going back between Losiianna and Vermont passing the days and exploring new things while his father became more invested in his project. He'd finally gotten to set sail and see the new world but as with many places, it was vast becoming a fading novelty. Alain continued to train young Erwin and even managed to teach the lad to read and write. No more was he to be swindled out of his proper wage as he could count as well. The crew who had become accustomed to being on land at this point were impressed and treated the lad a bit better as it were.

Alain had been restless and in truth he had begun missing his love Noreen McCray far more than he wished to seek adventure and being surrounded by beautiful women and refined elegance only reminded him all the more of who had been awaiting him return from across the sea. Alain wrote to Noreen via his journals morning, noon, and night documenting almost everything he could think of to either impress or get her opinion on the things around him.

He'd begun painting again as a means of passing the time when attempting to steer clear of unwanted trouble as the new world seemed to beckon to the very base nature of all men amid savagery and sex for far too long. Drink didn't seem to help causing most of the downfalls of many a man or woman who had been in it's thrall.

After yet another month it became clear that Alfred was obsessed with his project and with the various complications not including the death of their vessel's captain due to a bout with consumption, it was looking as if their voyage home would take much longer than Alain anticipated as he dreamed day and night of reuniting with his lovely Noreen whom he'd been wondering if she'd been thinking of him as he'd been of her.

A week of harsh weather set them back some time with both the project and the traveling as spring gave way to winter and Alain found himself celebrating his seventeenth birthday far from home and in the company of his father and his very many workers.

While he'd been disappointed about the news that their return trip was once more put on hold, Alain seemed to settle into his new life aside from the adamant desire to see his love once more. He'd become something of a rubbish poet as the months passed and the foundation of what would later become Remington Manor was put down.

Being seventeen years of age had not been much of a significant change for Alaineven though he was now approaching having been in the new world for nearly a year while longing to return to the old one fearing that his love had forgotten him despite his inability to forget her and the fleeting moment's they'd sharer.

Sir Alfred frequently corresponded with his wife through letters and was informed that Casimir was engaged due to the discovery of an arranged marriage between himself and the daughter of a prominent merchant.

Alain had been amused by the aspect of his wayward brother being forced to settle down after years of skirt and trouser chasing. He had also been thinking of Noreen more often than not and his future possibly being that of becoming a husband in his own right. There was no way to correspond with Noreen from where he'd been in the world but he continued to keep his journals and communicated his thoughts to her even though it would be a while before she could read them or if she even would.

He had not told anyone about her let alone her name when they first began their sordid association for fear that he'd be judged or that she'd somehow be scared away from him due to his status as a noble. There were times when the endless silence when his young heart had a great many questions had gotten the better of him, but he remained dutiful and loyal despite the many aspects of temptation that surrounded him.

In Alana's note, she stated that Casimir was on his way to becoming a member of the political scene and had his sights set on becoming governor of the province as their late father Sebastian Duchene had before his untimely demise. She also included that it was Sebastian who had arranged Casimir's marriage before that time as well.

Alain couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Casimir, having to be wed to a woman he didn't know before even getting to choose to be a husband on his terms. He thought in his brother's place he'd be livid. As it turned out, Casimir had taken a liking to his new soon-to-be bride and they put off the wedding in favor of a long engagement due to Casimir wishing to focus on his studies for the time being.

Casimir was most likely about twenty-one and rightly on his way to making something of a career for himself. Alain thought it funny how serious his elder brother's life turned out to be as he set about finishing up his latest round of paintings. He'd done pretty good as far as the details and scenery had been concerned, but his most prized work consisted of a portrait in pieces of what remained of his memories of the lass Noreen McCray who had held his young heart despite the vast distance between them.

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The Remington Estate, Vermont, New World (1763)...

Alain Remington had been shocked when he awoke to find that the construction of the vast estate had been near completion as he marveled at the vast amount of work put into the project that his father didn't seem to let up on despite the distance from his wife and home taking a bit of an emotional toll on him and Alain both.

They had not spoken much during the construction of the estate and even less when time seemed to drag on when Alain became homesick and the thoughts of his lovely Noreen had kept him awake at night. Alfred had understood the perilous effects of young love, but he was determined to see his project completed. The Senior Remington had deduced that if this Lass had truly loved his son, then she would have no problem awaiting his return and if not, it was something the boy would have to figure out about love the hard way as every man who had ever set sail from their homeland and left behind a love had learned.

Talk of war began among the the English-speaking tourists who had arrived at the territory and hostilities between them and the Spanish that occupied Louisiana were getting to be at an all-time high, as Sir Alfred found himself putting his input on his project on hold and arranging for himself and his son to have a safe passage back to England to avoid further mixing into the conflict. His land had been his outright, but the hostilities were putting his son in danger and he couldn't have him fall victim to the strife.

Alain had been pleased with the news that they were returning to England at last, he had not seen the familiar shores of home since he'd been sixteen and it was also fortuitous that Casimir's engagement party was due to take place in the coming days.