too soon.
The following day could not be anything else but an anticlimax. My father and I were to leave Centeville on the day after. My father would go home. The Baron had insisted that one of his men should accompany him. I was to be taken to the home of the Princesse where I should begin on my miniature. After that I could decide when I wished to execute the several commissions which had been offered to me, and I could plan my life from there.
I spent the morning packing and then took a walk round the grounds. I was joined by Bertrand who said that the Baron was out riding with Nicole and he thought he would be away until evening. On his return he wished to have an interview with Bertrand.
“It is coming now,” he said.
“I am to be given my orders. I think he probably waited until the miniature was completed before giving them to me.”
“Perhaps he merely wants to say goodbye. You will be leaving soon, won’t you?”
“I plan to travel to Paris with you and your father.”
“That will be very pleasant for us.”
“I understand someone will be accompanying your father to England.”
“That is that I have been told.”
“Then you will have nothing to worry about. How do you feel about going to the Princesse?”
“Do you mean, do I feel nervous? The answer is no… not after what happened. The Baron has really done a great deal for me.”
Bertrand nodded.
“We will meet when you are in Paris.”
“That will be very nice.”
“You didn’t think I would let you slip away, did you?” He looked at me earnestly.
“Kate, when you have finished this commission you must come and stay with my mother. She wants to meet you.”
“I should like that very much. I’ll look forward to it.”
“Kate …” He hesitated.
“Yes?”
“There is something I have to say to you.”
“Well, I’m listening.”
“I… er …” He paused.
“I think I hear sounds of arrival. It may be Rollo is coming back already. He’ll probably be wanting to see me.
He must have changed his plans . I wonder what my orders will be.
Perhaps we can talk it over later. “
“All right then … later.”
“Au revoir, Kate.”
He was smiling at me in a rather bemused way. I guessed what he had intended asking me. It must surely be that he wanted to marry me. I felt a certain pleasure at the prospect. I was not really sure. I had been living in circumstances alien to everything I had known before.
It was understandable that I should be affected by them and to such an extent as not to be able to make a sound judgement, I had known Bertrand such a short time, yet I should feel desolate if I
should have to say goodbye to him and never see him again. And yet. I was so uncertain. I was rather glad that the Baron had decided to return early and so had put off the moment of decision even for a little while.
It must have been an hour later when Bertrand came to my room. He seemed like a different man from the one I had known. His face was blotched and his eyes slightly bloodshot. His mouth twitched with uncontrollable rage.
“Bertrand,” I cried.
“What on earth has happened?”
He stepped into the room and shut the door.
“I am leaving the castle at once.”
When? Why? “
“Now. Immediately. I just came to tell you. I will not stay here a minute longer than I need.”
“You have quarrelled with the Baron?”
“Quarrelled?” he cried.
“I will never speak to him again. He’s a devil… He’s worse than I believed him to be… and God knows that was bad enough. He’s a demon. I hate him. And he hates me too. Can you guess what he wants me to do?”
“No!” I cried, bewildered.
He spat out: “Marry! Marry Nicole.”
“What?”
“He wants her settled comfortably … and he has ordered me to make an honest woman other.”
“No!”
“But yes. That is what he has just told me.”
“How could he suggest such a thing!”
“He just did.”
“And Nicole?”
“I doubt she knows anything
The following day could not be anything else but an anticlimax. My father and I were to leave Centeville on the day after. My father would go home. The Baron had insisted that one of his men should accompany him. I was to be taken to the home of the Princesse where I should begin on my miniature. After that I could decide when I wished to execute the several commissions which had been offered to me, and I could plan my life from there.
I spent the morning packing and then took a walk round the grounds. I was joined by Bertrand who said that the Baron was out riding with Nicole and he thought he would be away until evening. On his return he wished to have an interview with Bertrand.
“It is coming now,” he said.
“I am to be given my orders. I think he probably waited until the miniature was completed before giving them to me.”
“Perhaps he merely wants to say goodbye. You will be leaving soon, won’t you?”
“I plan to travel to Paris with you and your father.”
“That will be very pleasant for us.”
“I understand someone will be accompanying your father to England.”
“That is that I have been told.”
“Then you will have nothing to worry about. How do you feel about going to the Princesse?”
“Do you mean, do I feel nervous? The answer is no… not after what happened. The Baron has really done a great deal for me.”
Bertrand nodded.
“We will meet when you are in Paris.”
“That will be very nice.”
“You didn’t think I would let you slip away, did you?” He looked at me earnestly.
“Kate, when you have finished this commission you must come and stay with my mother. She wants to meet you.”
“I should like that very much. I’ll look forward to it.”
“Kate …” He hesitated.
“Yes?”
“There is something I have to say to you.”
“Well, I’m listening.”
“I… er …” He paused.
“I think I hear sounds of arrival. It may be Rollo is coming back already. He’ll probably be wanting to see me.
He must have changed his plans . I wonder what my orders will be.
Perhaps we can talk it over later. “
“All right then … later.”
“Au revoir, Kate.”
He was smiling at me in a rather bemused way. I guessed what he had intended asking me. It must surely be that he wanted to marry me. I felt a certain pleasure at the prospect. I was not really sure. I had been living in circumstances alien to everything I had known before.
It was understandable that I should be affected by them and to such an extent as not to be able to make a sound judgement, I had known Bertrand such a short time, yet I should feel desolate if I
should have to say goodbye to him and never see him again. And yet. I was so uncertain. I was rather glad that the Baron had decided to return early and so had put off the moment of decision even for a little while.
It must have been an hour later when Bertrand came to my room. He seemed like a different man from the one I had known. His face was blotched and his eyes slightly bloodshot. His mouth twitched with uncontrollable rage.
“Bertrand,” I cried.
“What on earth has happened?”
He stepped into the room and shut the door.
“I am leaving the castle at once.”
When? Why? “
“Now. Immediately. I just came to tell you. I will not stay here a minute longer than I need.”
“You have quarrelled with the Baron?”
“Quarrelled?” he cried.
“I will never speak to him again. He’s a devil… He’s worse than I believed him to be… and God knows that was bad enough. He’s a demon. I hate him. And he hates me too. Can you guess what he wants me to do?”
“No!” I cried, bewildered.
He spat out: “Marry! Marry Nicole.”
“What?”
“He wants her settled comfortably … and he has ordered me to make an honest woman other.”
“No!”
“But yes. That is what he has just told me.”
“How could he suggest such a thing!”
“He just did.”
“And Nicole?”
“I doubt she knows anything
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