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Authors: Laurel Corona
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right then,” Emilie said, handing him the épee. “Call it a draw.” The years of fencing lessons no one at court knew about, which her father had given her to help overcome her childhood clumsiness, had finally paid off.
Within a few days, her embarrassed parents brought her home from Versailles. Someone of high rank and considerable money, they agreed, must be looking for a chance to marry into a family with Louis-Nicholas’s close connections to the king. Emilie would marry the first wealthy nobleman willing to have a wife so willful and out of control. For the time being, let her savor her short-lived triumph alone in her room with her books. At least there, she could not humiliate her family any further.
1761
T HE SOUND of the key turning in the lock woke Lili as she lay on the cot in the penance room. “Is it morning?” she asked, seeing the weak light leaking again from the gap in the curtain.
“I am to bring you to the abbess,” Sister Jeanne-Bertrand said, ignoring the question.
“I haven’t memorized anything more,” Lili said, rolling over to turn her back to the nun. “And I’m not going to.”
“Get up,” the nun snarled so vehemently that Lili stumbled over her blanket as she got out of bed. With her hair disheveled and the laces of her dress untied, she followed the nun down the corridor. What now? she wondered.
Inside the office of the abbess, a woman in traveling clothes sat with her back to the door. At the sound of footsteps on the stone floor, she turned around. “Maman!” Lili cried out, rushing toward her.
Julie de Bercy leapt to her feet and held Lili in her arms before pulling back to look at her. “What did they do to you?” she asked, making a vain attempt to smooth Lili’s hair. Only then did she notice the bruise on Lili’s cheek. “What is this?” she asked, wheeling around to face the abbess.
“I disobeyed, Maman,” Lili murmured.
“We make no apologies for what we consider necessary to protect the young souls in our charge,” Abbess Marie-Catherine said.“Surely you don’t expect we would stand by when we saw the abbey befouled by the presence of a forbidden book.”
Her one eye narrowed. “Really, Madame de Bercy, I should be asking you why you permitted such a vile piece of writing in the home of impressionable girls. Stanislas-Adélaïde said guests leave things for you that you might not know are there, but if that is the case, you should be thanking us that it has been removed.”
“I feel no need to defend what I choose to have in my home.” Julie put her arm around Lili’s shoulder. “What are you so afraid of, that the mere presence of a book inside your walls makes you do this to a young girl?”
The abbess sat in pursed-lipped silence so long that Lili had to struggle not to squirm. “You know very well what true Christians are afraid of,” she said in a voice so low it was almost a snarl.
Maman took in a breath as if she were about to respond. Then, ignoring the abbess’s comment, she spoke. “I am withdrawing my two girls from the Abbaye de Panthémont as of today.”
Lili looked at Maman in disbelief and felt a cool, firm hand enclose her own. “Would you please ring for help emptying their room?” Julie said. “My carriage is waiting.” Without another word, she turned and strode toward the door, bringing a stunned Lili in her wake.
NEVER HAD A person recovered from a cold as quickly as Delphine did upon hearing that her days at the abbey were over. She danced around her bedroom, while a confused Tintin barked and pawed at her nightdress. “I want to hear everything,” she said, when she finally could be coaxed back into bed.
Maman laughed. “Since you’re well enough for me to cancel the order for your coffin, you’re well enough to put on a dress and brush your hair for supper. Lili and I will meet you downstairs.” Maman motioned Lili toward the door. “I have something to share with you,” she said.
The two of
Within a few days, her embarrassed parents brought her home from Versailles. Someone of high rank and considerable money, they agreed, must be looking for a chance to marry into a family with Louis-Nicholas’s close connections to the king. Emilie would marry the first wealthy nobleman willing to have a wife so willful and out of control. For the time being, let her savor her short-lived triumph alone in her room with her books. At least there, she could not humiliate her family any further.
1761
T HE SOUND of the key turning in the lock woke Lili as she lay on the cot in the penance room. “Is it morning?” she asked, seeing the weak light leaking again from the gap in the curtain.
“I am to bring you to the abbess,” Sister Jeanne-Bertrand said, ignoring the question.
“I haven’t memorized anything more,” Lili said, rolling over to turn her back to the nun. “And I’m not going to.”
“Get up,” the nun snarled so vehemently that Lili stumbled over her blanket as she got out of bed. With her hair disheveled and the laces of her dress untied, she followed the nun down the corridor. What now? she wondered.
Inside the office of the abbess, a woman in traveling clothes sat with her back to the door. At the sound of footsteps on the stone floor, she turned around. “Maman!” Lili cried out, rushing toward her.
Julie de Bercy leapt to her feet and held Lili in her arms before pulling back to look at her. “What did they do to you?” she asked, making a vain attempt to smooth Lili’s hair. Only then did she notice the bruise on Lili’s cheek. “What is this?” she asked, wheeling around to face the abbess.
“I disobeyed, Maman,” Lili murmured.
“We make no apologies for what we consider necessary to protect the young souls in our charge,” Abbess Marie-Catherine said.“Surely you don’t expect we would stand by when we saw the abbey befouled by the presence of a forbidden book.”
Her one eye narrowed. “Really, Madame de Bercy, I should be asking you why you permitted such a vile piece of writing in the home of impressionable girls. Stanislas-Adélaïde said guests leave things for you that you might not know are there, but if that is the case, you should be thanking us that it has been removed.”
“I feel no need to defend what I choose to have in my home.” Julie put her arm around Lili’s shoulder. “What are you so afraid of, that the mere presence of a book inside your walls makes you do this to a young girl?”
The abbess sat in pursed-lipped silence so long that Lili had to struggle not to squirm. “You know very well what true Christians are afraid of,” she said in a voice so low it was almost a snarl.
Maman took in a breath as if she were about to respond. Then, ignoring the abbess’s comment, she spoke. “I am withdrawing my two girls from the Abbaye de Panthémont as of today.”
Lili looked at Maman in disbelief and felt a cool, firm hand enclose her own. “Would you please ring for help emptying their room?” Julie said. “My carriage is waiting.” Without another word, she turned and strode toward the door, bringing a stunned Lili in her wake.
NEVER HAD A person recovered from a cold as quickly as Delphine did upon hearing that her days at the abbey were over. She danced around her bedroom, while a confused Tintin barked and pawed at her nightdress. “I want to hear everything,” she said, when she finally could be coaxed back into bed.
Maman laughed. “Since you’re well enough for me to cancel the order for your coffin, you’re well enough to put on a dress and brush your hair for supper. Lili and I will meet you downstairs.” Maman motioned Lili toward the door. “I have something to share with you,” she said.
The two of
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