Loyal friend. Part three.

A tall, plump woman in a black dress left the house, and when her small but bright eyes saw Adelard, she immediately began to run towards him.

Black curly hair, together with strong shoulders, which carried the whole farm and the future of three children, it was all Madame Lucy. The woman who was able to build an entire empire. A woman who, despite her grief, could smile and even shine at the sight of Adelard.

Drowning in her arms, Adelard felt the aroma of strawberry pie, which Madame Lucy loved to bake so much.

"Adelard dear, how glad I am to see you. But what are you doing here?" Madame Lucy asked, with her slightly rough voice. A red face from the heat and small eyes, together with too thin eyebrows, created the image of a strong woman who looked at him with admiration and warmth.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry. I heard what happened. I'm really sorry."

"Why are you so sad? Adelard, dear, this is not your fault. You shouldn't worry so much. What to do now. I deserve it. Maybe once, I did something bad, and now this is my karma," Madame Lucy said, trying to look and sound like she wasn't hurt. "Why are we standing here? Let's go into the house! I just cooked something very tasty!"

Stepping forward under the heavy arm that wrapped around his shoulders, Adelard smiled, even though his smile was the result of his tears.

"Come in," Madame Lucy said, clearing the hallway from scattered toys.

It was cool and cozy inside the big house. After all, as soon as he went further, he saw many photographs on the walls. There were all sorts of people here, and each of these people smiled, without knowing what was happening now, in the very heart of this woman and those three children who looked at Adelard in surprise.

"You have never seen my children? Well, this is James, Juliet and Sebastian," she said, and a little boy in a red hat, looking like a cowboy, hid behind a tall boy with a very tired look.

Adelard stooped down and smiled and as soon as he showed the whole row of even teeth, all three children immediately smiled back. A little girl in a red dress and without any shoes approached him. Her small hands held out the book to him, and when Adelard took it, she abruptly ran away.

Now, there were two children in front of him, and a little boy named James continued to hide behind a tall boy who was old enough to understand the whole situation. His thick eyebrows were already covering his gaze, which had already become heavy, tired.

Realizing what was going on in the soul of this teenager, Adelard waited until their mother left and looking into those black eyes, full of anxiety and even fear, said, "Everything will be fine. I will do everything."

And a boy named Sebastian could hardly hold back his tears.

"What are you talking about there?"

"Mom!" a little boy named James shouted and ran away.

"It's very hard for my mom right now. You know about everything? All our cows, sheep, all of them are dead and we burned their bodies. We had to let go of all our workers. I don't know what will happen next," Sebastian said in a whisper.

"Adelard! Come on!"

“Don't worry,” Adelard said in response.

The two-storey house, built many years ago, nevertheless looked like new. Long corridors, spacious, almost empty rooms still echoed the happy days.

Adelard, walking slowly on the wooden floor, stopped in front of a large painting. It was the most common landscape, but Adelard was able to find a hidden meaning in this piece of art.

"This is my grandfather's painting," Madame Lucy said. "He painted this right before he died."

"I need to talk to you."

"What?!" Madame Lucy screamed loudly and covered her mouth with her hand.

"What?"

"Are you getting married?"

"No. Lucy, I have news for you."

Grabbing his hand, she quickly led him away.

"You have to tell me everything. You know me. I don’t like it when someone is hiding something from me. I just don’t like it. Speak Adelard!" Madame Lucy exclaimed and despite the fact that she went through grief and crisis, she could still smile and look as if nothing had happened. It was hard for Adelard to watch. He saw perfectly well that there was a whole ocean of tears hidden in her kind eyes.

"Lucy, I already know about everything. That's why I'm here," he said, taking her hands.

Next to the round table, Madame Lucy, holding back her tears, sat on a chair and Adelard sat on his knees, trying to tell her everything as soon as possible.

"Darling, I see you are in love," she said. "In that case, tell me who she is."

"Lucy, I'm really sorry about what happened at your farm. I'm really sorry about all your cows and sheep. I'm really sorry," Adelard said.

At that moment, a little girl named Juliet ran into the kitchen and grabbed an apple. "Mom! I'll play in the woods!"

"Be careful! Don't run so fast!"

"Lucy, don't say anything. Let me tell you."

And again, before Adelard had time to say, Sebastian came into the kitchen and idly reached for a bag of salt, which was too high on the shelf.

"Why do you need salt?" Lucy asked laughing, but she was just beaming with curiosity.

Sebastian said nothing. He just threw a strange glance at Adelard and left, closing the door behind him.

"Sometimes, I don't understand him at all. He's so weird. And I can't understand if he looks like his father or not. Although, his father was not weird, he was just terrible and that's it."

Plunging into silence, Madame Lucy began to think about past. But when she returned to the present, she grabbed Adelard by the face and said, "You wanted to tell me something."

But now, it was Adelard's turn to plunge into the past.

Madame Lucy was actually the daughter of Madame Ethel, who was his mother's best friend. Their families have always been friendly and Adelard wanted to do everything to make this friendship last even longer.

Straightening his shoulders, Adelard didn’t let go of both Madame Lucy’s hands. He smiled and then laughed out loud.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I will solve your problem. Lucy, your farm will continue to flourish as before. And you will continue to supply me with fat."

"What? But you know what happened. Adelard, I don't understand."

Walking back and forth in the overly cozy kitchen that held the aroma of pie, Adelard continued, "Tomorrow morning, be at home and expect a surprise."

Madame Lucy has always been an impatient woman. And she just hated surprises and Adelard's behavior caused her real anger.

Striking the table with her fist, she nervously said, "You know me. I don't like riddles. If you start talking, then speak."

Adelard felt funny just by looking at how this woman couldn't hide her emotions. And this time, too, bending over from soundless laughter, he waved his hand, unable to say anything.

Madame Lucy simply could no longer tolerate his impudent behavior and she abruptly hugged him so hard that it became hard for him to breathe. With all her weight, she wanted to climb onto his back.

Continuing to laugh and gasp, Adelard, like a small, fragile animal covered his face with his hands and kept repeating, "Stop it!"

“If you don’t tell me what you wanted to tell me about, then you will not leave this house,” Madame Lucy said and finally let him go.

Red with laugh, Adelard asked, "May I have a glass of water?"

“Talk first. Adelard, you know that I don’t like secrets or riddles. Besides, now I’m having a difficult period in my life. I don’t know what will happen next. I have three children and they only have me. I don’t know what I’ll feed them with now."

Remembering his sadness, Adelard changed his expression. Brushing a long strand off his face, he sat down on a chair and looked out the window at the green field, and said, "Everything with you and your children will be fine. Tomorrow morning, several hundred cows and sheep will be brought to your farm. Lucy, dear, I bought a whole farm for you. And I found all your workers too. They will come tomorrow and start working."

With all her weight falling on the chair, thereby making the thin wooden legs creak, Madame Lucy became pale. She was silent. She didn't look anywhere, she just sat with her eyes closed.

"Lucy? Are you okay?"

The silence was too strange. Adelard didn't know what else to say. But thinking that he needed to leave her alone, he quietly left the room and on the way to the exit, he bumped into Sebastian.

Sebastian, a boy of fifteen, was old enough to distinguish simple silence from gloomy silence. Tired, understanding life and people, this boy has already managed to earn dark circles under his eyes. His almost blonde hair was soaked in the scent of a farmhouse, and tanned skin accentuated his thin face.

Perhaps he heard their conversation, perhaps he guessed everything, but nevertheless, he did not say anything.

They were separated only by a leather sofa, which stood right in the middle of the corridor.

"Your mom needs to think. Shall we take a walk?" Adelard asked, pointing to the beautiful landscape that was open before their eyes.