Madame Bonnefamille

Rain softly kissed the window as I finished my embroidery. Setting it aside, I finished my cup of peppermint tea, which had nearly grown cold.

I enjoyed rainy afternoons in Madame Adelaide Bonnefamille's mansion. The two of us would sit and talk for hours. Sometimes we discussed Shakespeare or other great authors. Other times, we would talk about our families or even humorous matters. She was delightful company, and I knew she truly cared about me. I enjoyed sharing happy events with her, but I also knew I could trust her with any secret or tell her about my real feelings during unpleasant times in my life.

Madame was truly the gracious lady. She treated me more like her granddaughter than her housekeeper. I rarely had any chores or responsibilities other than keeping Madame company. I think perhaps she hired me because she was lonely, or maybe because she pitied me.

I first met Madame a year after my late husband had passed away, leaving me with our three children. Toulouse had been a child from my husband's previous marriage, and I had adopted Berlioz while I was still single. Marie was the child we had together.

Madame doted on my children, always giving them sweets or gifts. Even Edgar was kind to them.

As a tribute to my benefactor, I tried to learn the ways of a proper lady so I would be better suited for Madame's world. I must have learned well, for she gave me the affectionate nickname "Duchess."

She nicknamed many people she liked. For example, the lady who worked in Madame's stables was often called "Froufrou." The young man who ran errands for her was known as "Roquefort" due to his love of fine cheeses.

I had no enemies at the mansion, or so I believed. Although she was always fashionable, Froufrou was not at all vain or shallow. She allowed Marie to try on her pearl necklace, and she just laughed when Berlioz accidentally sat on one of her best hats, ruining it beyond repair.

Roquefort was a comical sight at times. He would have a wedge of cheddar in one hand and small cubes of gouda in the other as he sat at the table with a bowl of apples or a few grapes. In front of him would be an open book, often a crime novel but sometimes a book about pirates or soldiers or anyone else involved in a dangerous adventure. He loved the idea of finding buried treasure or outwitting a villain. Roquefort had once walked through the streets of Paris, looking for any "archaeological artifacts" that he could give to a museum. He hadn't found anything, but he was never one to be easily discouraged, and he still insisted that one day he'd have a chance to have his own adventure.

Edgar always acted the part of the faithful servant: loyal, trustworthy, and sycophantic. Madame always made sure he was paid well for his faithful service. He had no lack of the finer things of life, always receiving generous sums or being given several days to enjoy a vacation or whatever else he chose to do.

I tried not to trouble him, but he always made sure I was happy. When I accidentally allowed my tea to set too long and become cold, I always found a full cup of hot tea in its place. Although I was perfectly willing to keep my own room clean or cook my own meals, I never had the chance.

No matter how many times he spoke to me, I never could get used to Edgar's constant offers to help. "Could I get the door for you, ma'am? You really shouldn't have to release your children's hands for even the slightest moment." "Will you be needing a book to read when you finish your embroidery? It would be no trouble at all to fetch one for you."

Truly I wasn't as grand a lady as I seemed. I was no different than anyone else at Madame's mansion. I once asked Froufrou if Edgar catered to her as well, and she replied that he tried to do special favors for everyone except Roquefort.

"Why not Roquefort as well?" I queried.

Froufrou chuckled. "He's never still long enough for Edgar to ask him or find out what he needs."

It was true enough. Roquefort did have a habit of darting from room to room when he wasn't out doing errands for Madame.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed life at the Bonnefamille Mansion and considered everyone there to be a dear friend.

The trouble began the day Madame's attorney visited to help her write her will. To my surprise, she announced that she intended to leave her fortune to us since she had no relatives.

Although I was grateful to Madame, I hardly thought her legal affairs were any of my business, so I continued my day as usual, making sure my children had their daily art and music lessons. As always, I had to watch them carefully to make sure their lessons in self-improvement didn't give way to competition that turned into warfare.

Edgar brought us all glasses of milk later that afternoon, as was his habit. Roquefort joined us with a treat he favored when he wasn't eating cheeses, a huge chocolate chip cookie.

"The milk tastes a bit different tonight," he commented. "It's even better than usual."

For some reason I couldn't quite understand, I was beginning to feel a bit drowsy.