it close, but he calculated out the days for residency and determined that they could be married by the first of February. Luke told him to get the paperwork started for the marriage contract and to grease whatever palms were necessary to expedite the marriage license. He gave the attorney the name of his lawyer in LA so the two of them could work together to gather the required documentation. He ended the conversation by saying, "I don't need to say this but I'm going to spell it out anyway: this is top secret. I don't want anyone to know about what we're doing."
He and Marianne holed up in Gordes to establish the requisite 40 days residency. Marianne thought those were among the happiest weeks of her life. Their days were spent walking the paths that wound through the countryside, riding bikes, reading and talking for hours about nothing in particular.
Via many emails and one long final transatlantic conference call, the family decided that Luke and Marianne would marry in a private ceremony in France the first of February. The children would not attend the wedding so as not to attract attention. The entire clan would, however, gather in L. A. for the Academy Awards the week after the wedding. Christa and Richard wanted to demur on attending the awards program because they felt it was really an evening for Luke's own family. That statement was met by a torrent of protest from everyone else on the phone. The entire family, including Christa, Richard and Madeleine, would be expected to gather in L. A. to celebrate the marriage and to attend the Academy Awards. There were to be no excuses and no exceptions.
Luke announced that he would not tolerate any borrowed clothing or jewels among his family group. He put Christiane in charge of making the arrangements with a designer from Dior to provide clothing for each of the members of his family. Each of them knew it would be an important evening for Luke. He wanted his family to look the part of something like the royal family of Hollywood, if only for that one evening. There were a few protests about that but they were faint and perfunctory.
Paul asked, "Dad, do you think it would be okay for Lucas to come to the awards?"
Luke didn't answer until he managed to get the lump out of his throat at the thought that Paul wanted to bring his son. "If he wants to attend, I would love to have him there. He needs to understand that it will be a long time for him to sit still."
"He really wants to be there. He's already worked out that an Ipod and a video game ought to help." He chuckled, "The kid's only four but he can work all the angles. He's figured out a way to make you happy and get me to give him some cool electronic toys in one shot."
At the end of the call, Luke asked, "Does anyone mind not coming to the wedding?"
There was a long silence followed by a chorus of "nos". Christa spoke for the group, "Luke, you and mom shared Christmas with us. You're going to include all of us in the celebration of your amazing career award. We think it would be appropriate for the two of you to marry in the company of your friends and family in Gordes." The rest of them murmured their agreement.
Marianne suggested that Marie-Claire and Jean-Michel witness their wedding, since they witnessed the birth of their love so many years before. After they got off the phone with their children, they walked over to the inn and asked the Roberts to witness their wedding. Through tears, kisses and hugs, the Roberts agreed with pleasure.
Chantal came back from her vacation and immediately had a wedding to plan. She joked with Luke about expecting an even bigger bonus than usual that year. He responded by adding, "How about a raise now?"
She smiled and replied, "Whatever you say, boss."
The marriage took place at the town hall in Gordes at midmorning on the first Saturday in February. Virtually all of the permanent residents of Gordes, many of whom were distantly related to Luke and/or Chantal, turned out. A number of Marianne's relatives from St. Saturnin-les-Apts attended as well. Marie-Claire and Chantal supervised a buffet luncheon laid out on long tables in the town square. It was a private wedding that was a community event. The loyalty of their friends in Gordes was such that no one took any photos other than the official photographer Luke had hired and no one so much as mentioned the wedding to any outsiders, even their closest friends and family. If the news of the marriage leaked to the outside world, it would not come from their neighbors in Gordes.
Marianne had been concerned that the press would pick up on the story when the banns were published ten days before the wedding. She was delighted to learn that nobody in the press considered a marriage in such a remote village between Jean-Luc de la Peine and Marianne Delphine Corbett was noteworthy.
They spent the first few days of their marriage at home in Gordes, then they went to Paris for fittings of gowns Luke had ordered for Marianne from Dior. The trip to Paris was quick and clandestine; they hardly left their hotel suite other than for Marianne's visits to the designers at Dior. The designers made the necessary alterations, after which Luke and Marianne headed for LA. The dresses and suits were shipped to Luke's house in Malibu by overnight courier.
Luke did not want anyone to see them together. He went so far as to suggest they travel separately, but Marianne would have none of that. Instead, they traveled as a the de la Peines from Gordes. Luke spoke little, especially once they got on the Delta Jet bound for L. A. Their cover story was that he didn't speak any English. Marianne put on a heavy French accent when she spoke with the stewardesses. Luke whispered that she should have been an actress; she was that good.
When they arrived in LA, they went directly to a waiting limo where they were whisked off to Luke's house in Malibu. Diane arranged for someone else to pick up their bags and deliver them to the house. Chantal had returned directly from Gordes to open the beach house and prepare it for the festivities to come. She and Diane worked together as a team, as they had done for decades. They had a long-standing joke that it took both of them to keep Luke's life and career on track. Luke would have agreed with them had he ever heard them say it.
Luke wanted to have a huge party after the Academy Awards, which would be essentially a wedding reception and introduction of Marianne to his friends as well as an opportunity to celebrate his movie career. Instead of renting a ballroom, he instructed Diane to rent the two houses on either side of his home. That way the party could spill out onto the beach and guests could move from house to house.
Diane had said, "Luke you're one of the permanent residents of Malibu who bitches the loudest about the noisy corporate parties in the rental houses on Malibu Beach. Are you sure you want to do this?"
He said, "I hate those loud obnoxious corporate parties, but this won't be one of them. It will probably be a loud, obnoxious party, but it will be attended by the residents of Malibu and my friends in the business. I think that my marriage and my career deserve a party, don't you?"
Diane agreed, and added, "What, exactly, do you have up your sleeve, Luke?"
He hemmed and hawed a minute, and then said, "I think you and Chantal deserve to hear my plans from me directly. Plan to meet me at my house when we arrive home on Thursday. I want to talk to you and Chantal together. In private."
He ignored the choked gasp on the other end of the phone.
When the limo pulled up in front of the house, Chantal and Diane greeted them with hugs and kisses, and not a few tears from Diane. These women had each worked for Luke for most of his career. They had both seen many women come and go, yet they somehow accepted Marianne into Luke's life - and theirs - , and she deeply appreciated it.
After the initial round of greetings was done, Luke turned to Marianne and said, "As a caterer, I'm guessing you will probably manage to insert yourself into the preparations for the party. If Chantal is agreeable to that, you are welcome to contribute. Right now, however, I want to talk to Diane and Chantal alone, if you don't mind."
Marianne shrugged and smiled at the three of them, saying, "Not a problem. I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."
Chantal asked, "Do you want me to send up a plate later?"
Marianne looked at the clock. "No, t
hank you. I'm sure I'll sleep through. I'll eat a big breakfast."
Luke, Chantal and Diane went into his office and closed the door. They remained there for a long time. When they came out, all three of them were in tears. Chantal went to her apartment and a car picked Diane up to take her home. Luke poured a drink and called his lawyer, leaving a long, detailed voice message. Then he went up to bed.
He was very grateful Marianne was already asleep. He did not feel like talking.
5 - The Academy Awards
Christiane and Georges arrived on Friday night so as to get over their jet lag before the ceremony on Sunday. The rest of the family arrived on on Saturday morning. Luke didn't have room for the entire group at his beach house, so he rented a house a short distance up the beach from his place. Luke had ordered haute couture gowns from Dior for the women and had thrown in new tuxedos from Armani for the men, and even a miniature version for Lucas. Luke had been in the movie business a long time, and knew the critical importance of appearances at Hollywood events. In recent years, there were very few times when the Hollywood pantheon went on parade in gala attire. For the most part even movie premiers were no longer black tie events, which Luke thought was unfortunate.
The Academy Awards, however,