RUBEN

The years began to drift by. Giselle Daubigny remained the village beauty; she continued to dance her way through life and enjoy every moment of it. One by one her admirers began to pair off with other young ladies. Her closest girlfriend, Marthe de la Rue, was wed to Simon-Alexandre Voland the summer the girls left their schooldays behind. Etiennette Pueyrredon became Madame Laferriere a few years later. When the babies began to appear, the companions Giselle enjoyed partying with began to disappear; they had new responsibilities. A younger crowd began to emerge in the dancehall. At first our Mademoiselle continued to claim the admiration of the new boys who were just coming up but soon she found herself in the corner. Another young lady of astounding beauty--Monique LeGrand--had taken her place.

All the fuming and fussing Giselle mustered couldn't change the fact that she was no longer the center of attention. Life had left her behind. All the companions of her youth were paired off and raising families of their own. In an act that surprised the entire village, her widower father came home from a trip to Paris with a new bride and a stepsister for a girl who had always been an only child. In the beginning, Celestine and Euphraise Archambeau had been genteel and charming additions to the little family. It seemed as though everyone was going to settle into the new arrangement peacefully but, as time moves forward, the true nature of people slowly emerges. As is well-known from fairy tale lore: stepmothers and sisters are rarely delightful creatures. They are mean, spiteful disasters who stomp off old traditions and cause misery for all and sundry. The same can be said for Celestine and Euphraise.

It started with small statements about Giselle's inability to capture a man. Day by day, the torment increased until our beauty was beatdown to a deep dark depression. No one mentioned that Euphraise was also a single girl with no beaux falling at her feet. She was, in fact, no beauty herself. The roaming eyes of men passed her by. Still the jealousy in her heart against the fair stepsister caused the new girl to double down on the infliction of misery. Her mother, Celestine, encouraged the torture in secret while suggesting to the father that his daughter was the cause of the trouble.

Before long, Giselle was reduced to a shadow of her former self. "It is a problem of the girl's own making," Celestine explained to a distressed Michel Daubigny. "It is a lesson all flirts must learn. Your girl must settle down and stop being so picky." It wasn't long before the father was convinced the situation was his daughter's fault.

And so life went on in the Daubigny household...until Ruben Tardeau entered the scene.

Swooping into town behind the wheel of a jazzed-up Jaguar, Ruben Tardeau was the new owner of Tardeau Emporium, Incorporated. Since the passing of his father, he had grand ideas for the business created by his great-grandfather. With plans to expand all over France, his first stopping place was the small village where Giselle Daubigny had lived all her life. Coming to a halt outside the corner shop, he was just stepping onto the sidewalk as our heroine was stepping out of the store.

"Mademoiselle," Ruben stated as he stepped to one side to allow the young lady to pass.

"Merci bien," the young lady muttered as she moved past the newcomer. Just as she was about to step away, she happened to look up and meet his eyes. As soon as vibrant blue orbs met solemn golden ones, the connection was made. Both hesitated as though stunned by the suddenness of their attraction for each other.

"A cup of coffee, perhaps, Mademoiselle?" Ruben invited.

"Oui, Monsieur," she replied, eager to spend a half hour or so with the young man.

And so the village stared in awe to find the beautiful yet remote Giselle Daubigny entertaining a new arrival at a sidewalk table of the local Patisserie. How tongues wagged as the beauty leaned across the table in animated discussion with a man no one had ever seen before. Some thought she was audacious while others thought it a sweet scene. Euphraise Archambeau was outraged! Cheeks flaming in anger, the jealous stepsister flew to her mother in a frenzy.

"Giselle...with a man..." the young horror exclaimed to her mama as the older woman exited the beauty parlor. Calming her distraught daughter with a staying hand, Celestine guided the girl away from the scene with the air of calmness. She knew better than to cause a ruckus on the street. There were other ways of dealing with the situation...at home and in private.

Blissfully unaware of the storm clouds that were brewing around her, Giselle entered into the happiest time of her life. She had fallen in love with Ruben Tardeau at first sight. The thought knocked her over completely. Never in her life did she think love could be like this! Although she had always danced through life, now her dance was different. It was full of glee, filled with joy. Oh, she knew Ruben wasn't perfect. He was not big and brawny like the village boys; he was smart and studious—after all, he had to be, he was running a big business. He was handsome but his smile was a little crooked and his left eye had a slight squint to it. Sometimes he pronounced words wrong or mixed up little statements. All and all, these little peccadilloes added to his charm. Giselle realized she had never sought perfection; she only sought the right companion for her.

It wasn't long before she had stationed herself behind the counter of the Emporium. Running the business side by side with Ruben was exciting. Knowing the likes and dislikes of the village people, she held back little items of interest to show them when they entered the shop. Sales increased dramatically under Giselle's intimate selection of goods and Ruben's careful bookkeeping. They considered themselves a dynamic duo.

During a buying trip in Paris, Ruben popped the question. The River Seine was their backdrop. It was a cool autumn evening, but their hearts were filled with the warm and cozy little restaurant they had just departed. Placing his arms around her shoulder and drawing the young beauty close, our hero whispered into her long blond tresses, "Marry me."

"Yes, oh yes!" Giselle squealed with joy. Overcome by emotion, she flung her arms around Ruben's neck and kissed him as she had never kissed a man before. Her long-sought passion was so evident, it took the young man by surprise. Breathless from her fiery caresses, he could hardly believe her enthusiasm. The truth was: Ruben had little confidence in himself—it was his biggest flaw.

Radiating joy, the couple returned to the village with their jubilant announcement. Congratulations came from all around except from Celestine and Euphraise Archambeau. Seeped in anger, the stepmother and daughter redoubled their efforts against Giselle but, in view of the young ladies happiness, they were hard pressed to break into her happiness.