Colette and I got up from the table. We walked over to her, and she kissed us both on the cheeks. “Ah, it was a beautiful day until I showed up. Look at the clouds across the sky!”
I smiled, laughing lightly. Colette pointed out toward the dining room, where Rose just came from. “Shall we go up to the parlor?”
“Oh, yes. That would be lovely,” she said, taking off her little green hat.
We sat in the parlor, all three of us, on the sofa with a cup of tea in our hands.
“Well,” Rose said, breaking the silence. “I suppose you have heard the ghastly rumors about me, and I assure you only about half of them are true.”
I smiled as Colette eyed her for a moment, Rose putting up her hands.
“All right, three quarters of them. You caught me!”
We all laughed as one of the maids brought in a plate of desserts, placing them down before us.
“So,” Rose said as she reached for a little, frosted blue cake. “What about the rumors circling you, Colette. How much of them are true?”
Colette rolled her eyes. “Probably none of them at all. Unless they pertain to the Chevalier Vachel Gautier. Then they are probably true.”
She nodded. “Yes, he is the one that I have been hearing about. Apparently, that news is nearly three weeks old, and it is still news. What about you, Madeleine. Any gentleman in your fancy?”
I shook my head. “No. I wouldn’t say so.”
Colette rolled her eyes, again. “Don’t mind her. She’s just upset, because the Comte did not come by yesterday.”
“A Comte?” Rose’s eyebrows raised. “Well, Maddy darling. Really? A Comte? Which one?”
“No one—” I started.
“Comte Lucien de Laurent. You know. The tall, dark, and handsome one. The one who broods in the corner,” Colette cut in.
“He does not brood!” I slapped her arm lightly.
“Oh, he does!” Colette called out, slapping my hand back.
“Oh, I have certainly heard of the Comte,” Rose said, placing her cup down.
I looked to her, almost scared to ask. “What have you heard?”
She sighed. “The usual. He despises court, but his family is so ‘in’ with the King that to snub him would have his family fall from grace. Armand is good friends with him. They love to tease each other and battle over who is more dashing. Lucien will win that battle every time.”
I smiled. Colette’s mouth scrunched to the side, obviously thinking the opposite.
Rose continued, “He is quite adorable with his grandmother. Though, she can be a bit critical if you ask me. She goes to the l’Opéra every week, sometimes twice a week. All those court performances. Lucien has not been to one in years. Unless, of course, the King wills it.”
“Why does he dislike it?” I asked, my eyes meeting with Colette’s. I knew she was thinking the same thing.
Rose took a little bite from the cake, shrugging her shoulders. “I suppose it is just because it’s court. A lot of rules, obligations, running about to please people who really do not give a fig about you. You would need to ask Lucien to know the answer for sure.”
“There has been a lot of talk of him coming out into society, again. Everyone is quite shocked,” Colette added.
Rose nodded. “Mmm…yes. They call him the ‘Recluse’. He has not been to parties in, oh, I don’t know how long. It varies on whom you talk to, really. Some say five years, some say a year. Again, ask Lucien. He knows for sure.”
If he ever speaks to me, again, I thought solemnly.
We all looked to the doorway. The Marquise stood there in her off-gray gown, her hands cupped in front of her.
“Colette, may I have a word?” she asked, not so much as giving us a smile.
Colette rolled her eyes, looking to Rose. “Excuse me.”
She got up and went after her mother, disappearing from the room.
Rose and I sat in silence for a moment before she scooted closer on the sofa toward me. “You are certainly love struck with the Comte, aren’t you?”
My eyes widened as my mouth fell open a little. “What?”
“I can see it in your eyes!” She laughed. “I did not want to say anything while Colette was here. She surely thinks you just like the fellow, but I can tell he has you right by the heart strings.”
I shook my head, stuttering over my own words. “I just..I don’t…I couldn’t. I barely know him!”
“Sometimes, it doesn’t take much ,Maddy darling,” she said, taking another little bite out of her cake. “With a man like Lucien, I cannot blame you.”
“I have never been in love before. I don’t think…it couldn’t be. I just, I barely—”
“Barely know him. Yes, you said that,” she laughed, again. “I will tell you a secret. Albert, my husband, I was never in love with him. I put on a great façade about it, but I never truly loved him. In fact, I loved Armand Durand. That was nearly ten years ago, but it was exactly the same. I had only spent a few hours with him, but I knew it was love.”
“Did he love you?” I asked, looking to her sympathetically.
She shook her head. “No, I knew he didn’t. We were only sixteen, children really. I saw the way he looked at Colette, though. She definitely has him by the heels.”
“Yes,” I said, rolling my eyes. “They seem to be so caught up in each other. You should hear the bickering they do.”
“I saw it last night!” She laughed. “I wonder why she is mad enough to refuse him.”
I shrugged. “Probably to do with the Chevalier. For the past two weeks, she has just pretended he doesn’t exist. I do not know how long she will be able to put that off.”
“Hmmm.” She took another bite of her cake, the last bite. “Well, I wouldn’t worry yourself with that. I would concentrate on the Comte.”
“It’s not like I can concentrate on much of anywhere else,” I sighed, picking up my cup and taking a long sip.
Chapter Nine
I sat in the parlor, the night air swirling in from the open balcony doors. The soft candlelight from the hundreds of lit candles in the room mixed among it as I read from my book, relaxing after the dinner with Étienne and Colette.
Of course, I really couldn’t go more than a sentence in my book without my mind slipping off to Lucien and his little note he had sent me a day before. Of course, once I thought about his note, I thought about Lucien. When I thought about Lucien, I thought about Rose and her comments on being in love with Lucien. Would that not be going back to Colette’s observation of me being stuck in a novel all the time? Was there such a thing as love at first sight?
I looked around the room, and all the blue furniture dampened my mood. It didn’t make sense. Lucien was not special. He was just like any other aristocrat out there. What was special about him?
His eyes…his voice…his smile.
I shook my head. A warm shiver rushed over me. I took a large breath and let it out slowly as my eyes widened.
“Head stuck in that book, again?”
I looked over to see Colette standing in the doorway, her hands behind her back.
“Because there is something else that I should be doing?”
She sauntered over to me, her hands kept behind her back. “Does it help any?”
“Help what?” I asked, closing the book on my lap.
“Help you stop thinking about him.” Her green eyes looked into mine. That seduction she used on everyone captured me once again.
I took a moment before I shook my head. “No.”
“Then, why bother?” She shrugged, walked around the sofa, and looking about the room distractedly. Her hands went from behind her back to in front of her as she did so.
I sighed. “I don’t know. Clinging to the hope that it will distract me, I suppose.” I looked at her and she looked back to me.
“Well,” she said, turning to me with a letter in her hand, “distractions will only be hindrances, now.” She handed the letter to me, cros
sing her arms daintily before me.
I looked over the letter, and Lucien’s seal stared me in the face.
“Well?” Her eyes widened. “Aren’t you going to open it?”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to. I am afraid of what it will say.”
“You won’t know what it says until you read it.” She looked me over before grabbing the letter back. “Fine, I will read it.” She broke the seal and started to read it to herself.
“What does it say?” I asked, placing my book down beside me.
She stopped and looked up at me, her expression unchanging.
“What? Is it bad?” I panicked, looking at the letter in her hands before I looked back up to her.
She smiled slyly, tossing the letter to me. “He invited us to his grandmother’s birthday party tomorrow evening.”
Lucien’s grandmother’s estate was much larger than the Du Lorme’s, though it was quite the same in looks. It had a large courtyard with an English-style garden filling it out. The home itself was a three-story rectangular mansion with a large, stone balcony in the center of it.
I did not have another ball gown for the event, so I wore one of Colette’s. It was a rosy pink charmeuse robe à l’Anglaise, a single layer of frayed and bunched up pink muslin along the neckline, and three little silk roses in the middle. The same muslin was layered about half a dozen times on each shoulder, and a pretty pink bow with its long tails hung down. The sleeves matched, layers of the pink muslin covered the top of the charmeuse bell shape, with white lace underneath, and the pink bow over top.
The bodice shone from the light. There was nothing on it. Just the plain, rosy pink charmeuse, which matched the petticoat and open robe.
I had my hair pulled up and powdered, as usual, and three pink lilies pinned amongst the powdered, snowy curls on top. Colette insisted I wear her pink diamond necklace, which was set in gold. A little link at the center held one pink gem that dangled only slightly. Of course, I wore the matching earrings as well—little pink gems dangling down from a brassy setting.
Colette was in a light blue, almost turquoise, ensemble. The color made her eyes striking, deepening the color of her hair and causing the violet of it to darken.
She wore a robe à l’Anglaise as well. Black ruffles set over top of white lace along the neckline. A little blue flower in the middle with little black buds fell down the center. Black stitching stood out along the seam of the sleeves and white lace exploded from under the bell shape.
The petticoat was plain and the edging of the open robe decorated with black passementerie, which was Colette’s favorite. I have to admit, I loved her gown. I couldn’t wait until she tired of it and handed it off to me. It was so gorgeous.
Sapphire earrings were on her ears, a matching necklace—much the same as my own—and a bracelet on her right wrist, since she was left handed.
We arrived late to the party, close to ten. It was the Marquise’s fault, as she didn’t want either of us going out. We had been out several times during the week, and we didn’t need to go out, again. Of course, Colette won. She prevailed over the old woman, who turned in anger away from us and told us to do what we wished, which we did.
We walked into the spacious foyer. A large, crescent-shaped staircase rose up in front of us. Guests stood everywhere while chatting, laughing, and looking at the other guests in their finery.
I felt my heart suddenly speed up, looking around for Lucien. He said he would be informed when we arrived so that he could escort us himself to the ballroom.
Colette elbowed me, pointing over to Armand. He followed Rose, who was rushing over to us.
“Hello girls! Isn’t this lovely?” She quickly held each of us, patting my face lightly. “Ah, Maddy darling. You look beautiful. Both of you do! Have you seen all of these ones walking about in their horrid frocks? At least someone knows style.”
Armand looked over at Colette, glancing at her gown and then down at his own turquoise suit. He not only matched Colette but Rose as well. Though, Rose’s gown had intricate embroidery on the petticoat and black lace edging the open robe.
“It seems that Madeleine is the odd one out.”
I smiled. “I would not have it any other way.”
He looked at me, smiling back. “Lucien is looking for you, awaiting your arrival. I believe he was tending to some guests, but he will be over shortly.”
“Yes, guests,” Rose rolled her eyes, and a servant handed her a glass of champagne.
“Guests? How do you mean?” I asked.
“Oh. Don’t worry, Maddy darling. It’s nothing,” Rose patted my hand.
Armand cleared his throat. “A Spanish aristocrat is here with his wife and daughter. They have been occupying most of Lucien’s time.”
I nodded lightly. “Oh. I see.”
Colette grabbed my hand, squeezing it lightly. “What about these people? Why are they so interested in the Comte?”
“The answer lies in your question,” Armand said blatantly. “He is a Comte. Their daughter is of age to marry, only just fifteen.”
I felt my heart drop in my chest, and it felt as if someone knocked the wind out of me. I looked up to see Lucien pushing his way through people as he walked over to us.
He looked dashing in his red suit and a creamy waistcoat beneath his justaucorps, having little red buds and green vines all over it. The justaucorps had silver embroidery in the shape of peacock feathers and diamonds set in the middle of them. His collar lay flat. His breeches were a matching silk to his justaucorps and his stockings were a shocking white to the ruby buckles on his square-toed shoes.
“Ah, I apologize. I wanted to meet you as you came in,” he said, nodding to a man as he passed our little group. His eyes came to me. His expression seeming to freeze, and his bewilderingly beautiful eyes concentrating on me. “Madeleine, you look…I am glad you could make it,” he looked to Colette, “Mademoiselle.”
Colette looked to Rose, almost as if she disapproved of her presence. “How do you know the Duchesse, Comte?”
Lucien’s eyes went to Rose, who smiled to him. “Oh, we met this evening. Armand brought her as his guest.”
Armand looked to Colette, who glared at him, and a little smirk crossed his face.
“Why don’t we all go to the ballroom. I am afraid the guest of honor had to retire early. She is feeling ill from all the excitement.” Lucien put out his arm for me, leading everyone through the crowd and up the staircase. We made our way toward the ballroom, through dizzying passages and large crowds.
“All of Paris has to be here,” Colette called out from behind us.
Lucien laughed. “Well, Grandma-ma knows many people, has many friends.”
“I am surprised the Royal Family themselves couldn’t be here,” Rose chimed in, laughing lightly.
“Hmmm,” Lucien said, not finding the comment funny at all. “Here we are.”
We walked into the large, sparkling ballroom. The iridescent room swirled before me as guests twirled around to the large orchestra. Clanging jewelry and silverware filled my ears as the music played loud but beautifully.
Lucien turned to me and everyone else, pointing around. “There is champagne at the ready for all those interested, the table over there for whenever you chose to dine, and of course, music for dancing.” He looked to me. “I am sorry. I have to greet a few more people before I can…I will be back, all right?”
I nodded, Colette coming up behind me and holding onto my elbow.
“Where is he going?”
I turned to her. “He needs to greet more guests.”
“Oh no,” she replied, her voice dropping.
“What?” I turned around, looking after Lucien, who stopped and was speaking to Constanze and Yolande, both wearing green gowns. I swallowed hard. Lucien nodded to them and smiled before he bowed and rushed off.
“What are they doing here?” Colette asked, obviously annoyed.
Armand scoffed. “One does not snub t
he Vicomtesse Constanze.”
Colette grabbed my elbow once again, pulling me with her and the rest of the group. “Come on, Maddy.”
We found a quiet little corner in which to stand and mingle, and Rose bustled off once she saw someone who looked familiar. I surveyed the room, really feeling like the odd one out as Colette and Armand argued flirtatiously.
I saw Lucien standing with a group of three men and two women, one of which was only perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age.
Armand and Colette stopped their arguing to look in the same direction I was, and Armand’s voice broke through the crowd. “That is the Spanish aristocrat.”
“Who are they?” I asked, watching as the fat, older man with a pointed beard and mustache turned to the young girl and then the older woman, who I could only assume was his wife. They were all dressed in darker clothes—the man in black, and the older woman and her daughter in red.
Armand sighed. “I believe he is a Baron—the La Cienega’s. That is their daughter, Catalina.”
I inspected Catalina, with her unkempt hair and large curls pulled very low on her head. “I want to meet her,” I said, pulling up the skirt on my gown as Colette tried to stop me.
“Madeleine!”
I walked over, and Armand quickly caught up to me with Colette in tow.
Lucien looked to us and smiled, almost relieved. “Ah, Armand. Have you met the Baron La Cienega?”
Armand bowed with his hand extended down, which was proper for greeting a lady.
“Baron, this is the Vicomte Armand Durand,” Lucien looked to me and Colette, “and the Marquis du Lorme’s daughter Colette, and her friend Madeleine Dumont.”
The Baron looked us over as Colette and I curtsied low, his chin raising as he turned back to Lucien, barely even recognizing we were there.
I looked Catalina over. The young, fresh girl was probably a convent-educated virgin. Her skin was golden, and her large, eyes glassy were brown like her hair.
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