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Blue Flowers Page: 1 / 177 Mars Blue Flowers René Jean-Paul Dewil Copyright © René Dewil Words: 112589 January – May 2012 Blue Flowers Page: 2 / 177 Copyright Clause Copyright © René Jean-Paul Dewil 2012 René Jean-Paul Dewil is identified as the sole author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be altered without the written permission of the author. The e-book may be copied in electronic or other forms for personal use only. It may not be printed, introduced in any retrieval system, electronic or otherwise, photocopied or otherwise recorded without the prior written permission of the author. The only system where the e-book may be retrieved from is the Internet website www.theartofpainting.be, which holds the only and original text acknowledged by the author. This publication remains under copyright. ‘Blue Flowers’ is a work of fiction. Therefore, all the names and the figures of the novel are purely the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, or to places of interest, is completely coincidental. The background of the novel, the story of what happened in the first days of the Second World War, remained as faithful to history as possible, but the characters and what happened to them, are fictional. Copyright © René Dewil Words: 112589 January – May 2012 Blue Flowers Page: 3 / 177 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 1. Christmas .................................................................................................................. 9 Trioteignes Castle ................................................................................................................... 9 The guests ............................................................................................................................. 13 Christmas Eve ....................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2. From Christmas to 13 January ................................................................................ 28 Arlette de Trahty ................................................................................................................... 28 Bastien de Trioteignes .......................................................................................................... 31 Library talk ........................................................................................................................... 35 Andreas von Reichenfeld ...................................................................................................... 40 Ideologies .............................................................................................................................. 42 Monster ................................................................................................................................. 46 Fearless and Assailer ............................................................................................................ 49 Georges de Trahty ................................................................................................................ 51 Irene Stratten ......................................................................................................................... 53 Explanations ......................................................................................................................... 57 The flight of the Assailer ...................................................................................................... 68 The Twilight War ................................................................................................................. 72 Chapter 3. From 13 January to 28 January ............................................................................... 80 Alert ...................................................................................................................................... 80 Bierset ................................................................................................................................... 81 Hannut .................................................................................................................................. 90 Return to Trioteignes ............................................................................................................ 91 Council .................................................................................................................................. 94 Chapter 4. From 28 January to 9 May ...................................................................................... 99 Peace ..................................................................................................................................... 99 The plot ............................................................................................................................... 100 Aftermath ............................................................................................................................ 109 The silent spring ................................................................................................................. 111 The Twilight War continued ............................................................................................... 115 Chapter 5. From 10 May 1940 to 28 May .............................................................................. 119 Alert .................................................................................................................................... 119 Fairey-Battle Bombers ........................................................................................................ 120 Copyright © René Dewil Words: 112589 January – May 2012 Blue Flowers Page: 4 / 177 Fiat Fighters ........................................................................................................................ 140 Renard Observation Aeroplanes ......................................................................................... 156 The war in the air ................................................................................................................ 170 Chapter 6. Epilogue ................................................................................................................ 173 Trioteignes .......................................................................................................................... 173 Historical Notes ...................................................................................................................... 176 Copyright © René Dewil Words: 112589 January – May 2012 Blue Flowers Page: 5 / 177 Introduction Un doux parfum qu'on respire C'est fleur bleue Un regard qui vous attire C'est fleur bleue Des mots difficiles à dire C'est fleur bleue C'est fleur bleue Une chanson qu'on fredonne C'est fleur bleue Un jeune amour qui se donne Deux grands yeux qui s'abandonnent C'est fleur bleue A sweet perfume inhaled That’s blue flower A glance drawing you in That’s blue flower Words difficult to say That’s blue flower That’s blue flower A song hummed That’s blue flower A young love offered Two large eyes that give in That’s blue flower Charles Trenet – Fleur bleue (refrain) – 1937 Mars: the Roman god of war Copyright © René Dewil Words: 112589 January – May 2012 Blue Flowers Page: 6 / 177 Cast of Characters The Trioteignes family: Claire de Trioteignes - de Danloy: mother of Charles de Trioteignes, her husband Paul de Trioteignes is deceased. She lives in the Trioteignes castle with her son and daughter-in-law. Age: 85. Charles de Trioteignes: head of the Trioteignes family, owner of the Trioteignes Castle, married in second wedding to Anne de Brioges. Father of Jean-André by his first, deceased wife, Marie Lesage. He is the father of Bastien and Rosine by his second wife, Anne de Brioges. Age: 60. Anne de Trioteignes - de Brioges: wife of Charles. Age: 56. Jean-André de Trioteignes: son of Charles from a first wedding. A banker, he works in Brussels, where he lives with his wife. His two children Paul and Virginie live with their grandfather. Age: 35. Amélie de Trioteignes - Bissen: wife of Jean-André de Trioteignes, mother of Paul and Virginie. Age: 33. Bastien de Trioteignes: son of Charles and Anne, younger half-brother of Jean-André. A Flight-Lieutenant fighter pilot in the Belgian Air Force. He flies on Fairey-Battle bomber aeroplanes. Age: 25. Rosine de Trioteignes: daughter of Charles and Anne. Age: 23. Violaine Vresele ter Hoven: a friend of Rosine de Trioteignes, invited by Rosine and betrothed to Georges Trahty. Age: 23. Paul and Virginie de Trioteignes: children of Jean-André de Trioteignes. Paul is 13 and Virginie is 12. Jean Wastier: the village priest and family friend. Age: 62. The Trahty family: Léon-Alexandre de Trahty: a Brussels banker and financier, friend of Charles de Trioteignes. He remains currently unmarried. Age: 58. Amandine de Brioges: sister of Anne de Trioteignes-de Brioges. A widow, she is the companion and lover of Léon-Alexandre de Trahty. Age: 54. Georges de Trahty: son of Léon-Alexandre de Trahty, Flight-Lieutenant on Fiat CR.42 fighter aeroplanes in the Belgian Air Force. Age: 25. Copyright © René Dewil Words: 112589 January – May 2012 Blue Flowers Page: 7 / 177 Arlette de Trahty: daughter of Léon-Alexandre de Trahty, sister to Georges de Trahty. She