One day in late September he is visited by a lawyer who tell him that his estranged cousin Désiré Malzieu has died leaving the old family château of Maljovins to Fernand on condition that he lives there.
In a surprising turn of events, one day in late September, Fernand is approached by a lawyer who reveals that his long-lost cousin Désiré Malzieu has died, leaving him the family's historic château of Maljovins on the stipulation that he takes up residence there.