Born August 12th in Marseille, France in 1937, Francois is just old enough
to remember the occupation of France. This results in a rather cool demeanor
when dealing with Germans, even though he is too well-mannered to be downright
hostile.
His mother was Suzanne Lautrec, a woman of some means and standing in Marseille
and Paris. His father, Charly Lautrec, was killed fighting the Germans, and
is yet another reason why Francois doesn't like Germans very much.
Francois was from the very start quick on the uptake, and had a very strong
sense of fairness. This sense of fairness made Francois extremely bitter about
the German doings in Marseille during WW II, and got him from time to time
in trouble when he started asking German occupation forces smart-alecky questions.
Only his age kept him from serious injury - though sometimes he came home for
dinner, and ate standing up.
After the war, he decided to follow his apparent calling, and work in law and
order from then on. As a young man he was enrolled in the French Institute for
Law, and there he took his first doctorate. He took his second doctorate in Law
a few years later, this one in Court Law.
During his stint as a student, he first came in contact with Monsigneur Lavalle,
who were a student of medicine. They became fast friends when it was apparent
that they shared many of the same interests, and became fairly notorious as a
team of womanizers in Paris.
When Monsigneur Lavalle had graduated, he went back to Marseille to open his
own practice. Francois promised to stay in touch, and so he did - it wasn't
few bottles of wine who was consumed by the two friends during hot, summer
nights while they were solving world problems... and discussing the tantalizing
enigma of Woman.
It was during these years that Francois met his wife to be, Theresa. In the
beginning, she was wooed by both Francois and Monsigneur Lavalle, but in the
end she chose Francois. Monsigneur Lavalle took the defeat as a gentleman, and
was the best man when Theresa and Francois tied the knot, and became a very dear
friend to Theresa as he had been for Francois. About this time Monsigneur Lavalle
adopted a boy - Jaques Lavalle - and Theresa bore the first of her and Francois'
two children, Jean-Paul, who two years later was followed by Adrienne.
Theresa died while giving birth to Adrienne. Not even Monsigneur Lavalle (who
earlier had delivered Jean-Paul) could save her. This became a source of dissent
between Monsigneur Lavalle and Francois, as Francois put all the blame for Theresa's
death on Monsigneur Lavalle. Francois broke all contact with Monsigneur Lavalle.
It wasn't until the message about Monsigneur Lavalle's murder before Francois
understood the foolishness in what he had done. To try and make amends, he
took care of all the legal and technical matters in the estate of Monsigneur
Lavalle, and became the confidant of Jaques Lavalle, comforting the bereft
adopted son of Monsigneur Lavalle as best he could.
When Jaques Lavalle a couple of years later left for Los Angeles, Francois
decided he needed a change of climate. His health - always somewhat frail after
Theresa had left him - was acting up, and the climate of Los Angeles fit his
health better than Paris. Soon, Francois moved to the City of Angels. The
joy when Jaques and Francois met again was almost boundless.
Jean-Paul, who took over his father's law practice, still lives in France. Adrienne
is a teacher in a public school in Los Angeles - something which pleases her
father immensely, allowing him to have at least one of his children in the vicinity.
When Jaques Lavalle discussed the idea of Lavalle Enterprises, Inc. with Francois,
it was a joy for Francois to work with law again, something he hadn't done
since he had left France. His forced idleness had frankly been somewhat taxing
on Adrienne as well, as she sometimes became the lightning rod for his frustration
for not having something meaningful to do.
Francois arranged for the company to be properly instituted, and also hired a
Public Relations person, Kimberley Villiers. Francois hasn't felt this young
in years, and has taken to working with LEI as a fish takes to water.
Incidentally, it was Francois who persuaded many of the members of the board
to risk money in the venture - which, so far, has been an enormous success.
Francois can't help himself when it comes to his intense dislike of Emil -
the man is German, and even though he so far has been acting in an exemplary
manner, Francois can't shake the feeling that Emil von Drachenberg is more
than meets the eye.