The injustice was frustrating, and there were bound to be even more people at court who thought I should not be so familiar with servants. Would Papa listen to them? Would Lady Françoise? While kind and gentle, she was a still a noblewoman, and I couldn’t be sure that she would understand.
Instead of telling the truth, I chose a safer question. “Do you really think I’ll do well at court?”
“You’ll be wonderful. I’ll be there to help you, and so will your father.”
It was amazing how much better Lady Françoise could make me feel in the span of a few minutes. Whether I was fighting with Elodie, having trouble with one of my lessons, or missing Maman, I could always write to her with my troubles and she would come for a visit and try to help. Sometimes that help took the form of recommendations for a new tutor and sometimes it was a strawberry tart and a shoulder to cry on, sprinkled with a touch of advice. She had never let me down before, so I couldn’t imagine that she would now.
“Do you live near court as well?” I asked.
“Yes, of course,” she said as Papa entered the room.
“Ah, Michel,” she said. “I was just telling Cendrillon to come to me with whatever she needs while adjusting to life at Versailles.” She squeezed my hand again.
“Well, that’s good. I’m afraid I won’t be much help when it comes to dealing with courtiers and the like. Give me a private audience with the king any day and I’m fine, but balls and public suppers are things I’m still not comfortable with.”
“Quite right. Do you remember when you made that comment about Duchesse d’Orléans hair at last year’s state dinner?” Lady Françoise said, smirking mischievously.
Papa turned about as red as an overripe tomato. “Bird nests are . . . are wondrous creations. I thought it was a compliment.”
“Papa, you didn’t,” I said.
Lady Françoise giggled. The giggle turned into a full-blown laugh that soon had her doubled over, clutching her stomach.
Papa’s face was still aflame, but he laughed as well as he dragged my one remaining armchair across the room to sit with us.
When she managed to get herself under control, she said, “Madame didn’t get over that comment for at least six months. She still mentions it occasionally and says that she won’t appear at any more dinners with the incomparably rude Monsieur le Marquis de Louvois.”
“Oh, dear,” Papa said, scrubbing at his face with his hands. “I hope the king hasn’t heard about this.” Madame is his sister-in-law and a favorite at court.
“He would probably think it funny.”
“Yes, he just might. You clearly do,” he said with a mock glare in Lady Françoise’s direction. “Laughing at my embarrassment.”
“Your embarrassment is a primary source of amusement for me, as you’re mired in it so often.”
I looked between them with a smile. There was so much affection and intimacy between them. They were meant for each other, I was certain. Maybe they would even wed before the year was out. That happy thought stayed with me as I finally finished packing.
Chapter Three
“Go explore the gardens. Have fun,” Papa said, his words rushed as he helped me down from the carriage. “Stay out of trouble.” Elodie and Marius hopped off from the platform in the back, where they had been riding. The three of us squeezed hands and grinned, thrilled to finally see the famous palace and its grounds.
The château the king had assigned to us was tucked away in a secluded forested area of the countryside just outside the town of Versailles. It was three stories tall, with a blue-slate roof and walls of bright white stone that were similar in style to the palace—a fact Papa bragged about to anyone who would listen. From the moment I’d seen it, I was struck by its simple, stately beauty and leaned my head out the carriage window so I could stare at it during the entire drive up the road.
Our household was mostly settled in the new estate. But we had only been there two days, and things were still somewhat chaotic as everyone continued to get comfortable.
Though the château and grounds would be considered small by Lady Françoise’s standards, and probably the rest of the court’s as well, I didn’t mind the size, and neither did Papa. Smaller houses were cozier, anyway.
At last, today was our introduction to the grandest palace in all of Europe. My godmother was supposed to give us a tour of the grounds, but she wasn’t feeling well. And since Papa had been away from court for a while already, the king had requested his presence soon after we arrived. Papa wanted to bring me with him to Versailles so I could become acquainted with the palace and the many courtiers who lived there. I insisted that Elodie and Marius come along. They would never forgive me if I left them behind.
I hugged Papa goodbye.
“And stay out of the palace proper, please,” said Papa.
Without another word, he hurried off, his black clothing a stark contrast to the brilliant colors worn by the other visitors to the sunny gardens.
Anyone could visit the palace if they followed the dress code, which meant wearing your best clothes. There were noble ladies in ornate satins and high heels, dukes with swords of gold hanging at their sides, also wearing high heels, and foreign royalty in fabulous finery. Even wealthy Parisians wearing the height of fashion stared enviously at the courtiers, for they had the ear of the king. Visitors from surrounding villages wore modest gowns of wool with only two or three petticoats.
As we watched these visions walk by, the din of different conversations going on at once made my head spin. I heard snippets of what sounded like German and Spanish and English and some languages I didn’t recognize. Like every noblewoman of the day, I was educated in all the continental languages, but it was overwhelming to hear them all at once. I felt deluged by the many people wandering about the gardens, and I could tell that Elodie felt the same way. Her eyes were darting around to all the different people, and we not so subtly slid over to each other until our shoulders were pressed together.
Marius, however, was bouncing on the balls of his feet. I don’t know if I’d ever seen him so excited before.
“Can we get going? I don’t want to waste our two hours just standing here. I want to see the Latona fountain; it’s supposed to be incredible,” he said with a huff as he walked quickly away from us.
“Hold your horses,” said Elodie. “There’s no rush.” To me she whispered, “He probably wants to see as many naked lady statues as he can!”
Marius grunted, but he slowed down.
The palace of Versailles was located on a hill above gardens that led to the Grand Canal. We walked through the geometric lawns and past many fountains that featured many naked women and men to a terrace that overlooked the king’s famous Orangerie. Papa had told me that thousands of orange trees grew there, along with other imported trees and plants.