Having convinced Lavoisier, Joseph was ready to return to Touraine, but before that, he wanted to visit Amant's house. Amant was the only son in the family, and losing him must have been devastating. As Amant's good friend, Joseph felt that it was only right to pay a visit, especially since he was in Paris.
So, the day after signing the contract with Lavoisier, Joseph, accompanied by two attendants, made his way to Amant's neighborhood. It was an affluent area with good security, so taking two companions and a four-wheeled carriage made the journey quite safe.
The carriage came to a stop near Amant's house. Joseph got out and gestured for his attendants to stay in the carriage. He held a bouquet of white lilies and made his way towards Amant's home. He knocked on the door lightly, and after a while, he heard hurried footsteps approaching. The door opened slightly, revealing a green eye peering through the crack. Then, the door opened wider, revealing Fanny's face.
"Is it Mr. Bonaparte? Are you here..." Fanny began to say, and she noticed the bouquet in Joseph's hand.
"My parents don't know about my brother yet..." Fanny whispered.
"Oh," Joseph said, looking at the bouquet in his hand, unsure whether to place it on the ground or behind his back.
"Give it to me," Fanny whispered. She took the bouquet from Joseph and hid it behind a table with a broken leg in the hallway. Joseph noticed that Fanny had slimmed down since their last meeting, but it made her figure even more striking.
"Later, you can say you came to visit your brother, as if you didn't know what happened. Please," Fanny said, "My mother is not feeling well."
"I understand," Joseph quickly agreed.
At that moment, a middle-aged man's voice came from inside the house, "Fanny, is there a guest? Who is it?"
Fanny turned and called into the house, "Dad, there's a guest, it's Mr. Bonaparte, my brother's friend."
Then she turned back to Joseph and said, "Mr. Bonaparte, please come inside."
Joseph followed Fanny into the Rococo-style building. Perhaps due to neglect, the house appeared even more rundown than the last time Joseph had visited. With some renovations, it could easily be transformed into a haunted house in the future.
Inside the hall, Joseph was surprised to find it neat and spacious. The marble floor, though worn, was clean, and the curtains, although old and faded, had been meticulously cleaned. However, the space felt empty as many of the furnishings had been removed.
Fanny seemed to notice Joseph taking in the surroundings and explained, "These days, bread is too expensive, so we had to sell some things to make ends meet."
"Indeed," Joseph replied, "These are difficult times for everyone. After the revolution, even though I wasn't hungry, I couldn't sleep, fearing the guillotine."
"My father is in the small sitting room. His legs are not in good shape; he has severe rheumatism and can barely walk. So, he's waiting for you there. Please understand; it's not because we're being arrogant," Fanny explained as she led Joseph toward the small sitting room.
Joseph nodded and said, "I understand. My father also had health issues in the past."
At the same time, Joseph noticed that there seemed to be no servants in the entire house.
Fanny led Joseph into the small sitting room. Charles Lavoisier was sitting in an old elm rocking chair, looking much older than the last time Joseph had seen him. His hair had turned mostly white, and his beard was sparse. An old, moth-eaten blanket covered his knees, and over time, the wool had become sparse, with visible holes where insects had bitten through.
"Welcome, Mr. Bonaparte. Please forgive me for not being able to stand and greet you. You are the first friend to visit us in the past six months. Please have a seat," Viscount Charles greeted Joseph with a smile.
Joseph took a seat in a high-backed chair next to him.
"Mr. Bonaparte, I heard you now hold a high position in the War Department," Viscount Charles said, looking at Joseph.
"Yes, I work in the War Department," Joseph replied.
"Ah, that's good. That rascal Amant has gone to join the Northern Army, in the Fourth Corps, under General Joubert. They recently repelled the Austrians," Viscount Charles said, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Mr. Bonaparte, you're Amant's friend. When Amant first left for the North, I didn't oppose it. Men must make their own decisions. At that time, I thought that despite the dangers in the Northern front, there was no safer place in the world than Paris. Wouldn't you agree?"
To be honest, Viscount Charles's support for his son's decision wasn't entirely wrong. At that time, Paris was indeed very dangerous, especially for those with noble status deeply involved in politics.
"You're right," Joseph replied.
"Well, Paris is safe now. Robespierre has finally met his end. Speaking of which, Robespierre did do some good things. If it weren't for him getting rid of those Jews, I might not have a single piece of furniture left in this house. Now, my creditors are all gone, so I should cheer for Robespierre," Viscount Charles chuckled and then erupted into a fit of coughing. Fanny quickly went to fetch him a glass of water.
"Oh, Fanny, do you see? You are..." Viscount Charles started to say but was interrupted by Fanny.
"You're talking nonsense again! Aren't you afraid of people making fun of you?" Fanny scolded her father.
"Talking about dreams and all. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?" Fanny continued. "I told you before, dreams are all fake. Besides, a few days ago, didn't you receive a letter from your brother, along with the money he sent back? He's doing well in the North. Why do you want to bring him back?"
As Joseph took the teacup, he noticed calluses on Fanny's hands. Clearly, she was the one carrying the weight of the entire family on her shoulders.
"Sigh, I can't understand the thoughts of you young people," Viscount Charles sighed. "One is reckless and does whatever is dangerous, while the other is getting older but still acts like a maiden. They don't make it easy for me."
"Dad!" Fanny said, handing Joseph his tea. She stood upright and had a stern expression on her face.
"Alright, alright, my dear Fanny is upset. I'll stop," Viscount Charles shook his head. "Sigh, Mr. Bonaparte, forgive me for embarrassing you. Since the revolution, my house has been a mess. The only good thing is that we don't have to worry about nobility anymore. It's just... Well, Mr. Bonaparte, you're quite an important person now. Could you talk to Amant and convince him..."
"If I can, I will," Joseph said. "But you know, Amant can be quite stubborn at times. He's also very romantic, and I'm afraid my persuasion may not be effective. Even my own brother, who is a general, still likes to rush into battle. I can't control him either."
"Young people, they never listen," Viscount Charles lamented. "Amant is getting older too. When we were his age, he was already crawling around. But this rascal is still causing trouble. Because of him, some of our friends no longer associate with us. Many of my old friends no longer visit, and they can't visit anymore because they're no longer alive. If they were really here, even with my rheumatism, I could jump up and run quickly."
Viscount Charles suddenly laughed.
"Dad, you're becoming improper," Fanny said, raising her eyebrows.
"Fanny, my dear, it's been half a year since I've seen anyone other than you and your mother," Viscount Charles said. "I rarely get to be happy. More than a decade ago, when you couldn't walk, and Charles couldn't even count, our house was never this quiet. Back then, your mother's salon was the talk of all Paris..."
"Come on, Dad, no more bragging. If you keep going, you'll start saying it's Madame Dubarry's salon," Fanny teased.
"Alright, Fanny. I didn't mean that, but it was indeed a time worth remembering," Viscount Charles said. "Mr. Bonaparte, look at our home now; it's so empty, and our friends are gone. Amant's friends, except for you, don't visit anymore. You see, it's so lonely here that even my Fanny is becoming a spinster."
"Dad..."
"Fanny, let me speak. When your mother was your age, Charles already called her 'mama'..."
Viscount Charles rambled on for quite some time, and Joseph listened patiently. It was almost noon when Viscount Charles showed signs of fatigue. Joseph took this opportunity to bid farewell. Fanny walked him out, and as they left the small sitting room, they heard Viscount Charles's voice from behind, "Mr. Bonaparte, do you think Fanny is a good girl..."