“Did you dance much in England?”
“Not often. I rarely had the opportunity.”
“A pity. I was never much of a dancer myself but I
“You see,” he said, ‘even here, in all this splendour, I can still sing those words. This is a great occasion for us humble folk. It is not often that we have an opportunity of dancing in the chateau ballroom. “
“Is it any better than dancing in your own home? I did enjoy Christmas Day so much and so did Genevieve. In fact I am sure she preferred your celebrations to those of the chateau.”
“She is a strange girl, that one.”
“I loved to see her so happy.”
He smiled at me warmly and I kept thinking of Gabrielle coming in with the crown on the cushion and later when he had kissed us as a privilege due to the King for the day.
“She has been happier since you came here, perhaps,” he added.
“She is not the only one.”
“You flatter me.”
“Truth is not flattery, Dallas.”
“In that case I am pleased to know I am so popular.”
He pressed my hand lightly.
“Inevitably so,” he assured me.
“Ah, look . the great ones are with us. I do declare Monsieur Ie Comte has his eyes on us. Perhaps he is looking for you, as the one who not being as humble as his servants or those who work in his vineyards, as a most suitable partner.”
“I am sure he thinks no such thing.”
“You are hot in his defence.”
“I am quite cool and he has no need of my defence.”
“We shall see. Shall we have a little bet you and I? I will say that the first one he dances with will be you.”
“I never gamble.”
The music had stopped.
“As if by chance,” murmured Jean Pierre, “Monsieur Boulanger has given the discreet sign. Stop dancing! The great are among us.” He led me to a chair and I sat down. Philippe and Claude had separated from the Comte, who was coming in my direction.
The music struck up again. I turned my head towards the musicians, expecting every moment to see him standing there, for I, like Jean Pierre, had thought he would choose to dance with me.
I was astonished to see him dance past with Gabrielle.
I turned to Jean Pierre with a laugh.
“I rather regret I do not gamble.”
Jean Pierre was looking after the Comte and his sister with a puzzled look.
“And I regret,” he said, turning to me, ‘that you will have to be content with the master of the vineyard instead of the master of the castle. “
“I am delighted to do so,” I replied lightly.
As we danced I saw Claude with Boulanger and Philippe with Madame Duval, who was the head of the female staff. I supposed the Comte had chosen Gabrielle as the member of the Bastide family, who were the head of the vineyards.
When the dance was over Boulanger made his speech, and the health of Philippe and Claude was drunk by everyone present. After that the musicians played what I learned was the Marche pour Noce and this was led by Philippe and Claude.
It was then that the Comte approached me.
In spite of my determination to remain aloof I felt my cheeks flush slightly as he took my hand lightly and asked for the pleasure of the dance.
I said: “I am not sure that I know the dance. This seems to be something indigenous to France.”
“No more than the noce itself, and you cannot pretend, Mademoiselle Lawson, that we are the only nation who marry.”
“I had no intention of doing so. But this dance is unknown to me.”
“Did you dance much in England?”
“Not often. I rarely had the opportunity.”
“A pity. I was never much of a dancer myself but I
suspect you would dance as well as you do everything else, if you had the will to. You should seize every opportunity . even if you are not eager to mingle with the company. You did not accept my invitation to the ball. I wondered why. “
“I thought I explained that I had not come prepared to attend grand functions.”
“But I had hoped that as I expressed my special desire that you would be there, you would have come.”
“I did not think that my absence would have been noticed.”
“It was … and regretted.”
“Then I am sorry.”
“You do not appear to be.”
“I meant that I am sorry to have caused regret not to have missed the ball.”
“That is good of you, Mademoiselle Lawson. It shows a pleasant concern for the feelings of others which is always so comforting.”
Genevieve danced past with Jean Pierre. She was laughing up at him; I saw that the Comte had noticed this.
“My daughter is like you, Mademoiselle Lawson; she prefers certain entertainments to others.”
“No doubt this seems a trifle gayer than the more grand occasion.”
“How can you know that when you weren’t there?”
“It was a suggestion not a statement of fact.”
“I might have known. You are also so meticulous. You must give me another lesson in restoration. I was fascinated by the last. You will find me visiting you in the gallery one morning.”
“That will be a pleasure.”
“Will it?”
I looked into those strange hooded eyes and said: “Yes, it will be.”
The dance was over and he could not dance with me again; that would be to invite comment. Not more than once with each member of the household; and after six dances he would be free to go, so Jean Pierre told me. It was the custom. He, Philippe, Claude and Genevieve would perform their duty and one by one slip away-not all together; that would appear too formal and informality was the order of the day; but the Comte would go first and the others choose their time.
It was as he said. I noticed the Comte slip away quietly. After that I had no great wish to stay.
I was dancing with Monsieur Boulanger when I saw Gabrielle leave the ballroom. She gave a quick look round, pretended to examine the tapestry on the wall and then another quick look and she was out of the door.
For one second I had glimpsed her desperate expression and I was afraid of what she might be going to do.
I had to make sure; so as soon as the music stopped and I could escape from my partner I took an opportunity of slipping out too.
I had no idea where she had gone. I wondered what a desperate girl would do. Throw herself down from the top of the castle? Drown herself in the old well in the courtyard?
As I stood outside the ballroom I realized the unlikelihood of either.
If Gabrielle was going to commit suicide why should she choose the castle, unless of course there was some reason . I knew of one which I would not accept. But while my mind rejected it my footsteps by some instinct led me towards the library where I had had my interviews with the Comte.
I wanted very much to be able to laugh at the notion which had come into my head.
I reached the library. I could hear the sound of voices and I knew whose they were. Gabrielle’s breathless . rising to hysteria. The Comte’s low yet resonant.
I turned and went to my room. I had no desire to go back to the ballroom. No desire for anything but to be alone.
A few days later I went to call at Maison Bastide, where Madame Bastide received me with pleasure, and I could see that she was feeling much better than she had when I had last been in the house.
“The news is good. Gabrielle is going to be married.”
“Oh, I am so pleased.”
Madame Bastide smiled at me.
“I knew you would be,” she said.
“You have made our trouble yours.”
My relief was obvious. I was laughing at myself. (You fool, you suspicious fool, why do you always believe the worst of him! ) “Please tell me,” I begged.
“I am so happy about this and I can see you are.”
“Well,” said Madame Bastide, ‘in time people will know it was a hasty marriage . but these things happen. They have forestalled their marriage vows as so many young people do, but they will confess and be shriven. And they will not bring a bastard into the world. It is the children who suffer. “