Un
Reinette Beauvau really was a simple girl with a big imagination. She was polite and respectful. Ideal in every shape and form to her parents and friends. She was not the best in her class but not the worst either. She stood out enough for her teachers to recognize her. But not enough to be bragged about 24/7. She enjoyed reading and writing fictional stories of all sorts. Boy could she read. Reading gave her an escape. The sense of adventure that she craved so wistfully. The sense of hope. But she knew better than to daydream, her parents would deem it unacceptable. It not like her parents didn't love her, they were the best they could be and supported her studies. They wanted what was best for her, or what they at least thought was best. She took dancing lessons to please her mother and private fencing lessons for her father. And it was probably for one of those two reasons that the girl was running late home after a particularly long dance lesson.
"I'll see you tomorrow Cecilia!" She called out and waved frantically at her friend as the blonde girl walked away. Reinette sighed and looked up at the sky as rain drops began to fall. She bit her lip and thought for a minute.
Mama would have my head if I was late for our meeting.
A drop of rain hit her face causing her to look up at the sky.
I'm sure she'll understand….
Another drop fell on her.
Oh I'll just make a run for it and hope for the best, what do I have to lose?
Reinette pulled down her school skirt as she ran quickly passed the honking cars to reach the other side of the street. Rain pelted against her as she made her way for cover under a building. She was soaked. Her hands wrapped around her hair and twisted it to release water. It had rained for three straight days and Reinette just about had it with the weather. She hated the rain. It was too gloomy for her liking. When it rained she was usually stuck at home listening to her mother drone on and on about what it takes to be a proper lady or taking lessons for proper etiquette.
She climbed the small steps in front of the building and stood on top to look forward from where she was. She could see her the block of her neighborhood just a couple of feet away.
"Oh please just stop raining." She whined before jumping off from the steps and breaking into another run. As she reached her home, she felt her long hair stick to the back of her neck and slowly unwind itself from it's ribbon. The coat she wore to dance lessons was completely soaked and stuck to her school uniform underneath and body. If her mother didn't kill her for her state of being, she knew for sure her nanny would. She sighed in relief when she reached the steps to her house. She raced up the stairs and knocked on the door as the rain began to pick up even more than before causing her to shiver.
"Mon Dieu!" She cried out as she shielded herself as much as she could with her coat. This day couldn't get any worse!
The door swung open and the girl ran in bumping whoever it was that opened causing for them to fall backward. She looked back and cried out a sorry before running to help the woman up. Adele Guyon was a plump woman with blonde hair tied up into a low ponytail, with eyes green as grass. She was twice Reinette's size, but all the more lovable and caring. It was easy to say that when Reinette, still wet from outside, tried to lift her up, she slipped as well and both women fell down. When they both got over their initial shock they shared a laugh before helping on another up.
"You must be more careful Antoinette!" Adele chided teasingly as she removed the dark haired girl's coat and placed it on the hanger. Reinette stuck her tongue out at her full name. She despised it, it sounded too proper in her opinion. She shivered from the cold and her nanny tsked her.
"Come on dear, let me get you a towel."
She smiled sheepishly before thanking her and following her to the nearest closet. As Reinette wiped herself down and dried her hair, she spoke about her day to Adele. She talked about the girl who threw a tantrum at dance lesson because she was not going to be the star. She spoke about how proud her tutor was with her progress in fencing. About the girls at school who insisted that reading was for losers and she was too pretty to be reading.
"Oh Adele, it started off as such a good day and it turned awful due to that damn rain!" She exclaimed dramatically.
"Language young lady." Adele scolded before she chuckled softly at the young girl's face.
"Sorry," Reinette mumbled, "But anyway, how was your day?"
"Oh you know same old same old, your mother has had me running around all day packing, cleaning, she's driving me crazy!"
"Hold on packing?" Reinette raised an eyebrow as she looked at her nanny expectantly. Adele's eyes went wide at her slip of tongue.
"Oh that's right, your mother is expecting you upstairs Reinette." The girl nodded and began making her way upstairs before her nanny stopped her again, "Do change out of those wet clothes please, I don't want you catching a cold or worse, your mother having an attack." Her nanny smiled softly before walking to the kitchen to fetch her lunch. Reinette smiled faded as she walked away. She slowly made her way to her mother's study room trying to figure why exactly Adele was packing.
Mother wouldn't fire her would she? Oh god no! She would never! But why else is she packing? Oh I have to do something!
When she made to her the door of the room she knocked and waited for permission to come in. If there was one thing Marie-Irénée Beauvue would not tolerate is interruptions. Interruptions of all kind: speaking while she is speaking, bursting into rooms without permission, multitasking while she is speaking. Everyone's attention had to be on her. The last thing Reinette wanted was another lecture of how rude it was to interrupt her. When she heard a faint response of "open", Reinette slowly entered the room and curtsied just like she was taught to do as a child.
"What on god's earth happened to your clothes Antoinette?"
Said girl sighed as she looked at the blonde-haired woman sitting down drinking tea on the couch. Here we go…
"That is completely unsuitable and unladylike! No daughter of mine will be seen like that." Her mother screeched in disgust as Reinette sat down in front of her.
"I'm your only daughter Mama." She remarked cheekily but regretted it immediately once she saw her mother's face.
"Do not speak to me in that tone young lady."
Matching blue eyes stared her down until she apologized. Her mother was not one to joke with. Reinette's attention strayed towards her shoes as her mother continued listing the flaws within her appearance and how she was ruining their couches. When she finally heard a sigh she looked up to meet her eyes. "What is it you have called me for Mama?" She spoke softly not wanting to be reprimanded again.
"Your father is once again away as you know," The girl nodded, "So he insists on moving us to England to be closer to him." Reinette looked up immediately, eyes wide as saucers as she squeaked out the words move. It made sense now! Why Adele was packing up! Why she was cleaning the whole house! They were moving.
"B-but I thought father said it was safer here! He said we wouldn't have to move! He promised!" She protested angrily. Her mother narrowed her eyes at the out burst to which she quickly apologized for.
"Oh don't worry!" Her mother assured, "Your father will continue paying for those silly fencing lessons you enjoy so much and you'll be able to continue dance lessons as well!"
Reinette sat down to process the news of moving into her head. Her breathing came out slowly and unevenly as she looked back down at her feet. She balled her hands in fist to stop herself from crying. Her mother continued to list off the good things about the move. Something about how it'd be perfect to be able to speak her native language again, how Reinette would be able to speak English more, how she'd be able to catch up with old friends. She stopped listening after her mother mentioned the school she would be attending, Saint something, an all girls boarding school.
"What about my friends?" It was a simple question really. Reinette did not have many friends at her school. But she did have enough that she would miss them dearly. Her mother placed her cup down and raised an eyebrow at her daughter's foolish question.
"You'll make new ones." Her mother shrugged as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
"New ones? But I don't want to make new ones! And what if I can't make new ones! Oh mama I don't want to move!"
"Antoinette Solenne! I've had it with these rude interruptions! You know how much I loathed interruption." Her mother shrieked angrily. "You do not have a say in this! We are moving and that is final!"
Reinette blinked back the tears that threatened to spill as she apologized to her mother. Her mother huffed loudly before collecting herself. That was her final response and Reinette knew she couldn't fight her on it.
"May I excuse myself?" It come out as a whisper, her voice almost cracking. Her mother nodded and Reinette ran out the room, forgetting all about the manners a lady must uphold when leaving a room. She swung open the door to her room and slammed it before running to her bed. The tears that she had held back in her mother's study room finally made an appearance down her face as she buried herself in her pillows.
Moving? To England none the less!
The idea was absurd! She didn't want to move! She didn't want to make new friends! Worst of all she didn't want to have to stay at home with her mother after school due to not having friends to spend her afternoons with. She buried herself under her covers more and sighed deeply. The day could not get any worse than it has. She rubbed her eyes to remove any left over tears before closing them and drifting off. Her dreams sounded much more ideal than reality at the moment.
But what felt like only a few minutes of sleep must of been hours. A knock on her door signaled she had locked herself in her room for far too long. There was no longer light in her room and the rain had stopped. The moon could be seen shining brightly from her bedroom window. "Reinette, dinner is ready, your mother is waiting for you." Adele's voice called softly on the other side.
"I'll be right out." The girl called before she heard footsteps walking away. Reinette threw her covers off and swung her feet to the side. As she stood up, she stretched in a cat like manner before making her way towards to the door. The least she could do was not anger her mother even more. She had already caused enough trouble in the afternoon, she didn't need more. But what Reinette didn't know was that she would never make it to dinner when she opened her door.
AN: Your feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thoughts ideas! Anything really!
Oh gosh this is my first time actually putting in time and effort into a story, so i really hope you enjoy it! Also just because it was harder than expected... but i'd gladly take anyone who would be willing to be a beta reader for me for the rest of the story! i tried my best with the mistakes, but it'd be greatly appreciated