A quoi tient l'amour?

In the gentle twilight of a small Picardy village, the air is scented with blooming lilacs and the soft murmur of the river. The story opens on a balmy July evening of 1870, where the tranquil countryside is painted in amber, violet and tender green, while the townsfolk enjoy simple pleasures under a luminous moon. Amid this pastoral harmony, François Rouillon, a sturdy middle‑aged man with a restless mind, wanders his garden, haunted by an inner fever that the beauty around him cannot soothe.

His thoughts are interrupted by the lively chorus of children singing an old mill song, a reminder of his own idle dreams and the pressing need for decisive action. Compelled by this moment, François heads into the town’s modest shop of curiosities, a place that promises new possibilities and hidden encounters. The narrative captures the tension between serene rural life and the stirring of personal desire, setting the stage for a tale of love, choice, and the quiet forces that shape a heart.