“Will you be all right?” Elodie asked.
“I’ll be fine. I’m just a little gloomy today.”
Elodie squeezed my hand one last time before climbing to her feet and turning to Alexandre.
In a voice stronger than I expected after all the blushing, she said, “I would love to show you the grounds. Maybe we could start at the pond? There’s a lovely path that winds its way from the back of the house, through the trees, to a peaceful little pond that’s perfect for picnics.”
Alexandre’s responding smile was tentative but bright.
Before they left, Elodie ran back to give me a quick hug. “Why don’t you try to talk to your father about Severine and Lady Catherine?” she whispered in my ear. “I’m sure he’ll listen.”
She pulled away, gave me a reassuring smile, and walked out of the stables with Alexandre. Elodie was right. I hadn’t made my concerns clear to Papa. I just sat back and let Severine bully me and Lady Catherine send Claudine away without making any real objections. Papa would surely listen if I presented my issues calmly and clearly.
I pulled myself off the floor with some difficulty and made my way back to the château. If I was going to keep sequestering in the stables, I needed to bring a chair in with me. I was far too sore for this to be a feasible solution without having a seat. Hopefully, Papa would help me resolve the issues in our new family so that I wouldn’t have to hide in the stables just to get a little peace.
Unfortunately, the first person I encountered when I entered the sitting room looking for Papa was Severine, delicately perched on a chair, with needlework in hand. When she caught sight of me, she frowned. “Is that straw on your skirt?”
I looked down. My skirt was indeed covered in straw. I brushed at it vigorously, sending a flurry of straw onto the Persian rug the king gifted to Papa. That wasn’t going to be fun to clean up.
“And why do you smell of horse?” she asked, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Before I could reply, she continued. “You’ve clearly been cavorting about the grounds, probably with your little servant friends. They’re a terrible influence on you.” She pursed her pretty lips in condescension.
Sudden irritation flared in my stomach. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Severine smiled sweetly. “It means that, no matter how many etiquette lessons you take, if you keep associating with servants and running about like a child, you’ll never become a proper lady of the court. Your poor father, to have such a child. Thankfully, he has me and Alexandre now.”
Papa walked into the sitting room, preventing me from saying something I knew I would regret. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard, I tasted blood, but it was better than saying something that would make him angry or think that I was being disingenuous. But I so wanted to tell Severine off for insulting my friends.
“Hello, girls. How are you both this fine morning?”
“I’m wonderful, Papa,” said Severine. “How are you?”
I clenched my fists in my skirts to hear her call my father that.
Papa of course loved being called “Papa.” He beamed. “I’m well. A little tired, but it’s nothing a little fresh air won’t fix. I was hoping to take a walk with your mother. Have you seen her?”
“I think she’s resting in her room. I can fetch her, if you’d like.”
“That would be lovely, Severine, thank you.”
“Of course. I’m more than happy to help,” she said, practically preening.
Severine bustled out of the room with one last sly wink in my direction. Papa dropped heavily onto the sofa and sank back into the cushions. He really did look tired. His face was sallow and his eyes were bloodshot. Affairs at Versailles must be stressful, and I’m sure the changes to our family weren’t making things easier. I had to be gentle with him so as not to cause any more stress.
“And how are you, ma fille? Is that straw on your dress?”
“It is, but that isn’t important right now. Papa, can I talk to you? It’s urgent.”
“Of course. Sit here with me and tell me what’s wrong,” he said, patting the cushion beside him.
I sat down carefully, unsure how to proceed. If he really was sick, I didn’t want to burden him with my problems.
“Are you happy?” I asked him. “I mean, now that Lady Catherine, Severine, and Alexandre have moved in?”
“I haven’t been this happy in a long time. Meeting Catherine at my age and persuading her to marry me was a stroke of luck I didn’t think I would have again after your mother died. And that she has two daughters to become your sisters makes it even better.”
“Good. That’s good,” I said, unable to disguise my disappointment at his words.
Papa coughed a dry, heaving cough into his elbow a few times. “What would you like to talk about, Cendrillon? I understand that all the changes must be difficult for you. Tell me how I can help.”
“Have you been drinking your tea, Papa?” I asked, concerned about his persistent coughing. “The doctor won’t be happy if he finds out you haven’t been following his orders.”
Papa waved me off. “Yes. Yes. I’m drinking the tea. Catherine won’t let me skip even a night. But we’re not talking about me. What’s wrong?”
“It’s about Severine, first of all,” I said tentatively, deciding to go with the topic that might offend him the least. Lady Catherine could be saved until I was sure he was receptive.
“Are you two not getting along? She’s a lovely girl,” said Papa before coughing again. He leaned back farther into the new sofa in our redecorated sitting room.
“I’m sure she is lovely. To you. But not to me. Or to Elodie and Marius. With us, she is worse than unpleasant.”
Papa started coughing again, so fiercely his entire body shook. A horrible, gasping wheeze was emanating from his chest.
“Papa, what’s wrong?” I asked, fear causing the words to come out as more of a garbled cry than an actual sentence.
I grabbed his arm to steady him, my hands trembling so much, I could barely hold on to him. The coughing wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t lift his head to look at me. All he could do was cough so hard, he began to choke.
My entire body went numb. I didn’t know what to do. What was I supposed to do?
A particularly strong spasm wracked Papa’s body, sending him sliding off the sofa and onto the floor. I slid off with him as I tried to keep him upright, but his weight was too much for me to prevent him from falling.
“Lady Catherine! Severine! Help!” I screamed.