There are three brothers in the Montailhac family.
Henri, the diplomat and Arnaut, the businessman, horse breeder and charming Rake have both experienced their own - very different - adventures. Their two sisters are happily settled.
That leaves Joachim, the youngest.
This year, both his brothers are away and so for the first time, he is solely responsible for managing the family estate and livestock. Athletic and hard-working, he is keen to prove himself worthy of the responsibility. Living in a remote and mountainous region, guarding the various flocks of sheep, cows and horses against attacks by bears, wolves and other predators is a part of the job.
Joachim is determined to prove he can do as well if not better than his brothers. But life throws up complications when his mother takes in two sisters with a troubled background.
The first problem is that they arrive very late in Toulouse. where Joachim is waiting to escort them back to the chateau. Losing a day from his work is bad enough but as for the girls.... after a couple of hours in their company, Joachim thinks : -
" Really, mother, inviting this pair was one big mistake. We aren’t home yet and already I can’t wait for them to leave. One is sullen and the other a desperate flirt. And as for the quarrelling...! "
Not a good start to their acquaintance, and there is a lot worse to follow.
At this point, Joachim would prefer to deal with the wolves and the bears.
But maybe matters will improve.
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| Lac de Campauleil, Vallée d'Orlu. |
