“Which you shall do in the morning,” her father assured her. “I myself will take you on a tour of inspection... and Lucie as well, of course.”
“I long to see it all,” enthused Belinda.
“For tonight you must content yourself with what my servants have prepared for you.
I will not have you see too much of my chateau for the first time in the dark.”
Belinda laughed with pleasure.
The meal seemed to go on for a long time. I felt a little better. I had just had an attack of nerves... something which I had thought could not happen to me. I was just tired and could not feel that exuberance that Belinda did. Jean Pascal was eager for us to taste the wine. It was one of the finest vintages, he told us, and he had ordered it to be served tonight because this was a special occasion.
“And this is your own wine?” cried Belinda.
“My dear child, did you think I would allow anything else to be served in my chateau?” Belinda laughed. I liked to see her happy. She had an effect on me, for she helped to lift my spirits.
When the meal was over Jean Pascal suggested we retire. “We are all feeling the effects of the long journey,” he said. “All those hours on the train... they are a trial of endurance.”
So we said good night and Jean Pascal summoned the servants to conduct us to our rooms. Therese took me to mine. I could see why this was necessary. I should not have been able to find mine by myself.
Candles throw shadows over a room and somehow they disturb the imagination. The drapes had been drawn across the windows. I undressed but before getting into bed I went to the window and drew back the curtains. I could just see a green expanse in the middle of which was a fountain. There was no moon, but the stars were bright; and I felt happier with the light from them in my room.
I wondered if Belinda’s room was close to mine. She seemed to have gone in another direction when we had been escorted up after dinner.
The place seemed very quiet.
I looked at my door which was heavy, with intricate carving. It seemed to me that some of the flowers seemed to have human faces. It was beautiful, I supposed, but in a way menacing-as I saw it that night.
That was the mood I was in.
Then I noticed the key in the lock. I turned it. Now I had locked myself in.
It was amazing how much better that made me feel.
I got into bed, but it was a long time before I slept.
When I awoke the sun was shining.
The room looked quite different. I unlocked my door and went back to bed. I saw that it was seven o’clock. I lay there wondering what life would be like here. I started thinking of how much everything had changed since my father’s death. I was longing for the old days... the familiar house, the conversations we had had. I wanted to wait up for him on his late nights at the House, to enjoy once more those evenings when I sat opposite him watching him eat while he told me about the day’s proceedings; I wanted to think of a settled future with Joel, marrying with the approval of both families... settling into a way of life which was already familiar to me.
I had believed it was there... waiting for me, but with two blows, fate had decided otherwise; and there I was in an ancient chateau which echoed with memories of the past; it seemed to me that there were ghosts here, ready to emerge. Many stirring events must have happened here... death... unhappiness... dark secrets. Pleasures too... joys... happiness. Why, in such places did one always think of the unpleasant things? Perhaps because they were more obtrusive. What was I expected to do? I presumed a maid would come in with hot water. In the last few days I had tried to improve the French I had learned with Miss Jarrett; speaking it ... particularly with the natives... was quite different from reading and speaking it with Miss Jarrett.
At about eight o’clock there was a tap at my door. I called for whoever was there to come in.
It was Therese with a tray on which was a brioche and pieces of hot crusty bread, a little pot of butter, a cup and saucer and two jugs, one containing coffee, the other hot milk, both covered with woolen cozies to keep them warm. “Petit dejeuner, Mademoiselle,” she told me.
With her was another maid who carried a big metal jug full of hot water which she placed in the ruelle.
I thanked them and, smiling, they departed.
The coffee was delicious, so were the hot bread and brioche. While we were at dinner on the previous night our luggage had been brought to our rooms. I had been too tired to unpack last night and had just taken out things I needed for my immediate use.
I put on a dark blue dress and hung up the rest of my clothes in the wardrobe. While I was doing this, there was a knock on my door and before I could answer Belinda walked in.
“Aren’t you ready yet?” she demanded. “Isn’t it fun? Do you like your room? It’s very like mine.”
“I suppose most of the rooms are rather alike.”
“I’m longing to explore. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
“It’s all so fascinating. You are very lucky, Lucie.”
“Am I?”
“Oh, poor Lucie.” She rushed at me and put her arms round me in a protective gesture. “I do put my foot in it, don’t I? But you’ve got to stop thinking of all that. Life goes on. Mon pere says we’ve got to make you see that. We’re going to make you happy here. He says so.”
“That’s very good of him.”
“He is good... really. Oh, I know he sounds a little cynical sometimes, but he has lived, Lucie, really lived. That doesn’t mean he isn’t kind. He talks a lot about you. He says you ought to be enjoying life because you’ve got so much to make you.”
“It is certainly good of him to give so much attention to my affairs.”
“He likes you. He wouldn’t have asked you to come here if he hadn’t.”
“Oh, that was to please you.”
“Oh no, it wasn’t... although it does please me. He was the first one to suggest it.”
“Oh well, here I am.”
“And we’re going to have a lovely time. I’m going to make you enjoy it.”
“Thank you, Belinda.”
“Well, hurry up and finish and we’ll go down. I wonder if mon pere is already up?”
“Where is your room, Belinda?”
“On the other side of the chateau.” She went to the window. “I’ve got a different view. I look out on the lake. Well, it’s like a lake. There’s a stream, too... part of the river, I think... and it flows into the lake. There are swans on the lake. Two black ones. I haven’t seen black ones before. It’s lovely.”
“So, we are quite away from each other.”
“Well, it is a big chateau.”
“Your father said it was of medium size.”
“He was comparing it with the royal ones... chateaux of the Loire... Blois and places like that. This is a nobleman’s chateau, not a king’s.”
“I see.”
“Well, hurry up. I’ll be down in the hall. You’ll find your way down.”
“I hope so.”
“And don’t be long.”
The morning was spent exploring the castle.
“It is essential that you do so, otherwise you will be hopelessly lost,” explained Jean Pascal. “I am going to take you outside and bring you in as though you are just arriving.”
“It was too dark for us to see properly last night,” said Belinda.
“I want you both to like the chateau. It’s very important to our family.”
“And yet,” I said, “you left it.”
“Ah, Lucie, it was a wrench. But our country was in turmoil. We did not know which way we were going. Memories are still with us of the great Revolution, which took place only about a hundred years ago. The Emperor and Empress went into exile. You cannot imagine what that did to our country. We thought it was coming again. Fortunately, tragic though this was ... it was not of the same magnitude as that which our country had suffered before.”