Chapter Text
In vino veritas…in wine there is truth
Tristan Farnon took another long swig of Dobson’s dodgy homemade wine as he listened to Siegfried ramble on about the goat lady’s book. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his profile, when he heard him say, ‘I offered some constructive criticism’. He knew his brother well, knew he loved to be right and abhorred a dangling participle, but this seemed like more than Siegfried being his annoyingly fastidious self. This seemed like self-sabotage. Like the daft bugger was intent on driving away the goat lady by nitpicking the grammar in her book. He smiled to himself as Siegfried lamely finished with ‘we had a robust discussion, and we haven’t spoken since…’
Tristan let Siegfried’s excuses hang in the air for a few more unsteady paces, then took a deep breath and proclaimed, “Well, I’ll tell you what I think…”
“I think…” he paused to take another long draw on the sickly-sweet libation, “I think you purposely drove that goat lady away because….”
Siegfried was silent; he looked down at the rocky path, focused on putting one foot safely in front of the other, and waited for him to go on.
“I think…” Tristan confidently stated, then paused, he contemplated the wisdom of voicing his opinions and examined his brother’s profile once again. He smiled affectionately at the loose lock of hair bobbing on his forehead, and the scratches on his cheek, he concluded Siegfried was indeed as tipsy as he was, so Tristan bravely continued, “I think…”
Siegfried listened with rapt attention, but when Tristan hesitated for a fraction of a second too long, he spat, “Oh for heaven’s sake, OUT WITH IT, MAN”.
Tristan stopped walking and waited for Siegfried to turn and face him. He crossed his arms over his chest and met his glassy gaze, “I think you purposely drove that goat lady away because as much as you fancy yourself a Latin spewing academic, a worldly man of great intelligence and culture, you Siegfried Farnon, are a fraud.”
Siegfried balked, “now wait a blasted minute…”
Tristan drew himself up to his full height, which topped his older brother by several inches, and confidently stated, “you brother, are a simple man at heart, a homebody and a family man, and although you may enjoy reading tales about exotic locations, your heart belongs to Skeledale and furthermore, it belongs to the wonderful woman who runs it.”
Siegfried drew in a sharp breath and declared a bit too adamantly, “ridiculous, outrageous, preposterous!”
Tristan tilted his head and smirked knowingly, “is it though?”
Siegfried met his brother’s eye and crumbled like a house of sand, “alright, it’s true”.
Tristan pumped his fist in the air, “I knew it!”, he flung his arm around Siegfried’s shoulder pulling him into a manly half hug, “you are so transparent, you old bastard…”, but before he could get a response he pulled back abruptly and jabbed his finger into Siegfried’s chest, “if you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”
Siegfried’s eyes softened knowing that Tristan Farnon loved Audrey Hall nearly as much as he did. He smiled fondly, allowed his little brother to drag him along the rustic trail with his arm locked around his neck and conceded, “understood.”
Tristan tightened his embrace and slapped his brother’s chest, “then you have my wholehearted blessing.”
They weaved merrily down the valley for a few more moments, then Siegfried replied, “that’s very magnanimous of you brother, but unfortunately, there’s nothing to bless”.
Siegfried sipped his wine sadly and sighed, then pulled away from Tristan, picking up his pace till he was several yards ahead.
Puzzled, Tristan stopped and stared curiously at his brother’s back, then broke into a jog and caught up with him. They walked side by side for a few more paces before Tris cautiously implored, “Siegfried, correct me if I’m wrong…”
Siegfried shot him a warning look, then nodded slowly granting silent permission to proceed.
Tristan went on, “…but there could be something to bless if you and Mrs. H…umm Audrey were to get together. I mean she’s waaaay too good for you, but inexplicably she seems to still be putting up with you after all these years.”
Siegfried scoffed, “well, thanks for that ringing endorsement.”
Tristan tried another approach, “Siegfried, you know how I feel about her, she came into our lives and saved us from ourselves after Evelyn…”
Siegfried reached over to take Tristan’s hand silencing him, he squeezed it hard then dropped it, and whispered, “I know”.
Tris cleared his throat and went on, “the point is she’s an angel that’s has made our house a home, a wonderful home that I dreamt about every night as my head hit that sandy pillow, and anything that keeps her in our lives is what I want. When you wrote to me that she nearly left with Gerald I cursed your cowardice. I must have known on some level that you loved her, and I knew you would let her fly, try to find her own way. But we got lucky, didn’t we brother, because she stayed. I really can’t imagine how depressing it would have been coming home to Skeledale and having her gone. Gone from our lives forever…”
Siegfried fought the lump in his throat, he was so wrapped in his own emotions about that difficult time that he hadn’t even considered his brother’s tender feelings.
Tris went on, “I don’t really think you are a coward, Siegfried, but if you love her even half as much as I do, you should man up and tell her.”
Siegfried stopped, grabbed Tristan by the arm halting him, “but that’s just it, what if she doesn’t return my feelings? What if I ruin our friendship, or worse…what if I scare her away?”
Tristan broke into an enormous grin, “brother, I know you think my approach to women is frivolous, that I have no experience with real love and maybe that is true, but Siegfried…” he declared with hand on heart, “… I am a student of human nature, and I see the dreamy way she looks at you when you are holding wee Jimmy. I see the way her eyes soften, the way they shine brightly with adoration, her face takes on a luminous glow and I swear I can almost feel her yearning.”
Siegfried scolded, “now you’re getting carried away”.
Tristan drained his bottle, dug down into his pocket, fished out a pound coin and held it aloft. “A wager!” he proclaimed loudly, “Siegfried Farnon, I will bet you this hard-earned brass, that if you were to waltz into our kitchen, drop to your knee in front of that good woman and say, ‘Audrey Hall will you marry me and bear my child?’ She would not hesitate to respond”, he finished in his best Mrs. H impression, ‘aye, ya daft beggar, I thought you’d never ask.’
Siegfried tossed his head back and barked out a laugh, his eyes crinkled with mirth as he snatched the coin and pocketed it. He thrust his hand at his little brother pulling him into a firm handshake, and declared drunkenly, “little brother, I’ll take that foolish bet and pray that I lose!”