Madame Lepoire is going to kill Ann Marie if she isn't here when she rings the devotion bell for morning prayer. Where the devil is that girl!
Growling to no one in particular, I made the sign of the cross and asked for forgiveness at my foul language—if only in thought to begin with, as well as the strength to endure this blasted day, early as it was.
I sighed the sigh of one laden with heavy responsibilities. Damn that girl- oh no, I'd done it again. Making the sign of the cross for perhaps the fifth time that morning—an academy record of my own—I summoned Clara Berchendie to my side, the school snitch.
Reluctantly approaching me in the near dark room, she cleared her throat to signal her appearance. "Clara, I find I have need for your services this morning. Ann Marie has not returned from the city yet. I need a diversion for Madame Lepoire before devotions, see what you can do would you, there's a dear." I sent her off with a flick of my wrist towards the lower half of the dorm rooms for the girls.
Getting to my feet, and stretching a little, an idea struck me.
Another signal and I had Sarah Jaime at my side. "Sarah, go and find Clara Berchendie, I have sent her to find the usual group, I'm afraid Ann Marie has forgotten the time yet again, see if you can fetch Lauren as well?" A solemn nod of understanding and I was left to my thoughts again. Truthfully, I knew, Ann Marie was going to be caught one day, and I would be powerless to stop it. She really had to stop sneaking around at night, especially on Saturdays. How could she forget the four am morning devotions our French Headmistress forbade us to omit?
It was but three thirty a.m. but I knew that Madame Lepoire was one for punctuality, and roused us girls promptly at three forty five. I gave another silent prayer to my Lord that Ann Marie would have sense enough to stumble through the window before Madame found her bed empty of naught but pillows.
Too many a night had Ann Marie left the dorm with nothing but the clothes on her back and a scarf around her neck. No one had any idea where she was off, but she would come back late in the night or early in the morning, cheeks flushed pink from the elements and eyes as disgustingly cheery as one could have in a boarding school such as this.
Delving my mind in the past events of the last few weeks, I remembered the many diversions I had immersed my schoolmates in to keep Ann Marie's nightly outings a secret. Heaven and Earth knew I would be lost without her, she would be sent away if she was found to be sneaking about at unholy hours of the night. Every morning that she failed to come in at the proper time, I would summon the help of the usual cast; Clara, Sarah, Lauren, and of course—me.
Clara was the gossiper of the school, if you sought information, you sought Clara. If you wanted a nasty little rumor to pop up about one of your enemy's all you had to do was call on a favor, for a price that is. For me however it was free, anything I wanted was free. I suppose I virtually owned Madame Lepoire's Secondary Academy Boarding School.
The reason you might ponder? Well that's simple, I had connections. I was raised with higher society, and most of the children situated here were created by the dregs of society sent on scholarships from the local churches surrounding this area of the city.
They were sent here on a scholarship and a promise to become more than a peasant shop owner. My papa, God rest his soul, wished me to be raised 'among the people' as he put it gently. He had large dreams for his little Jeanette. He had wanted me to be a politicians' wife, someone who knew the problems and was willing to help fix them.
So, I took my father's dream, and created my empire young. I was commander of the girls in Madame's Academy. Undoubtedly, I was not the only rich girl here, but I certainly was one of the smartest. You would not find me consorting with the riff-raff some of the—Lord forbid my tone—slower ones spoke of.
Sarah was from the higher society as well, but she lacked the intelligence needed to lead others as a whole; to be able to concoct a plan and execute it with perfect precision, something she would never be capable of. Her small, subtle, yet highly annoying habits such as twirling her hair, and nibbling on her finger nails assured me that she would never be as revered as I was in the Academy.
She was one of those girls who spoke of reform within the city's economy, do not be fooled, they did not come up with this idea themselves. Why, it was I who introduced them to the liberal politicians insane ideas.
Lauren was from the poorer side of town. I pitied her. When she came to the Academy, with what one could hardly call a shawl on her shoulders, and a beat up suitcase, my heart wrenched within my chest, and I knew I could not shun her. Her pitiful brown eyes were filled with such a child-like innocence, I dare say- purity that I could not help but draw her under my wing for instruction of survival in higher society.
My instruction had done her well, as now she was a young, yet exceedingly well cultured young lady with aspirations to be the owner of her own estate. This idea was my own again, but I could not help but shine with pride as she exclaimed her desire for such on her own!
I admit I am a selfish girl, spoiled as well as arrogant. I will deny nothing to you. I was raised to be this way, and I find that I have no way to reverse my behavior. Perhaps it is better this way. If I had not been brought up the way I had been, I might not have survived the first month here.
Shaking my head back into the present, I quickly dressed—or as quickly as one could when so many undergarments were required. I walked swiftly towards the main door of the large bedroom to meet the crew. Small nervous smiles greeted me at the doorway. I could see Lauren was still drowsy from sleep, but she would be needed if this was to run as smoothly as usual.
"Lauren, I need you to fetch Madame Lepoire on my signal. Clara, I want a rumor immediately run that Sarah has been up near half the night with a fever, meet me here when the Sliner's all know. Sarah, go and lie in your bed, I will return to you shortly, I have a few loose ends to tie up before Madame Lepoire rings the bell for devotion."
A silent nod from Clara and she was off in search of the Sliner's, one of the middle class families who believed themselves to be the information hot spots. It was a simple enough job, if you wanted an idea run through the rumor mill quickly, you told the four sisters and in ten minutes time most of the Academy would know. The fact that it came from Clara the snitch was reason enough to believe anything they were told.
Lauren shook her head curtly, "I don't know what the signal is!" A small smirk formed on my lips, "Oh Lauren, don't you know by now? The signal is the small scream I will create to show that I have found Sarah in a dire condition. That should give Madame some fuel to her over curious tendencies. Now, I want you to wait outside her hallway and run to her as soon as you hear me cry, understood? Good. I must go tend to Sarah."
Walking over to the wash room, I grabbed a tea pot on my way and filled it with the ice cold water from the spout. On my way back to the bed rooms, I glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway, three forty, I needed to be swift if I was to create a fever. Setting the tea pot on the dying embers of the fire place, I walked over to Sarah, who was trying her best to look disgruntled. I took the washcloth I had taken with me and walked back to the fire place. The water was now near scalding and would be perfect to create the idea of a fever. Carefully, I dipped in the washcloth and grimaced as the hot water spilt on my hand while I handed it to Sarah. She too winced when she rubbed it over her arms, neck, and head. Just as I was about to scream in mock terror, a sharp click signaled the window opening.
Lord Almighty, the girl will be the death of me. Growling silent curses, and neglecting to repent them, I turned my head slowly towards the window where Ann Marie stood, her wavy brown hair swirling around her flushed face, hints of exhaustion resided her eyes, and apparently, it had been a long night.
"Took you long enough don't you think?" I said lightly to my friend, who, oddly enough had tears in her eyes.
A muffled cry came from her lips, and she practically threw herself into my embrace lamenting. Patting Ann Marie softly on her puffy curls, I mouthed to Sara to continue with her ministrations.
Sarah nodded her head in understanding, once the rumor had begun, the plan couldn't be altered, Madame would expect Sarah or someone to be with a near death of a fever, and I was not one to disappoint Madame.
Taking hold of Ann Marie's arms, I pulled her back gently and softly explained the situation to the girl quite literally breaking down in my arms. She nodded her head slowly, so as not to bring on a headache, to show she understood as well.
"Come now Marie, calm yourself, and remember when I taught you the frosty disposition you should use when in times of turmoil? You do? Good girl, that's it, now try sneering, oh, not too much lovely—you aren't a brat. Ah, that's it darling—perfect," I said as she sniffled loudly, but opened her eyes wider, and raised an elegant eyebrow in seemingly graceful authority.
While her poise was in better condition, occasionally her eyes watered and she lost her composure with a large fit of very unladylike sobbing.
"Ann Marie Shenaire Gladdenfield! You stop that sniveling temperament breakdown this moment, or I will tell Madame Lepoire you were out for the last week at night after curfew!"
Ann Marie's head snapped up, and her eyes burned with something much worse than self-pity, anger. Oh no, if she throws another fit like last month, she wont have lunch for a week!
"Jeanette, how dare you even think you know what happened! You have no right to tell Madame! If you even think of telling her, perhaps I should not fail to mention your own trips at night, though not into the city, are certainly not allowed either!"
Oh Holy Queen Mother of our Lord and God, she knew, that's it, desperate measures!
"Marie calm yourself! What brought on these horrid emotions you feel you need to show? There is no possible way anything happened last night that is cause enough for this blatant display of discomposure! You can tell me, I promise, you can trust me."
Lowering my voice to a whisper, I leaned in and spoke to her in a calm and gentle tone, "There is nothing between us, you know that."
"Yea," she said back softly. "Listen, there is time later for this little chat, right now, we need to get you in bed, Madame wont let you out of her sight with those horrid red rimmed eyes you have!"
Ann Marie let a small chuckle out, apparently, she found superficial thoughts as these of little importance, but she headed my advice nevertheless, and climbed into the bed next to Sarah.
"I'm ready when you are Jeana," Sarah said from behind me. I turned around and clearing my throat, used my wonderfully trained soprano I voice to let out a high pitched, yet terrified scream. I started to breathe very quickly, trying to create the look of hyperventilation, as was common amongst tense situations of the time and appropriate to my gender.
Running footsteps sounded, and I prepared to faint, just to add mayhem, besides—if I pretended I was ill, they would know it was a rouse. Therefore, the next best thing, that would not land you in the infirmary mind—was fainting and claiming a 'dizzy spell' had overcome you with an awful vengeance. This, to Ann Marie's enjoyment, is exactly how I phrased it when asked what was the disturbance.
Madame Lepoire came rushing into the room like some sort of large peacock. Her large feather hat sailed into the room behind her head, like a flaring tail of fabric. She had large brown eyes that could make you want to dissolve into the ground if she caught you doing something out of bounds, as for me; she never had, and for that matter, never would.
"My dear Jeanette! What is all the ruckus about?" a pause before another exclamation came, "Sarah! Ann Marie! Girls! Jeanette, explain!" she screeched each word, and I allowed myself a grimace to add to the performance. I gave my eyes plenty of time to roam upward to look at Madame; I swayed on my feet and took a shaky breath.
"Madame, I am afraid I have to affirm the horrible notion that Sarah and Ann Marie have taken ill. I came into the room to see if they were ready for morning devotion, and there she was. She was, dare I say it, cataleptic. But then, I… neither she… nor breathing," and giving a final exhalation of feigned exhaustion, rolling my eyes into the back of my head, I collapsed onto floor with a soft 'thump'.
I heard a strangled cry come from the other side of the room, and forced myself to act groggy when I was forced roughly into a sitting position, and thrust upon the bed behind me—the bed in which Sarah happened to have a fever.
I groaned loudly, slumped down into a heap, and had to concentrate a good deal on not laughing at the mere absurdity of it all. Madame Lepoire during the meantime took great care to feel my forehead, which was- needless to say, not burning with fever. Finding nothing particularly wrong with me, despite my grandeur performance she preformed the same action towards Sarah and Ann Marie.
To my satisfaction, she gave small gasps of extreme anxiety when she found both of their temperatures well beyond the typical, to the touch at least. I could not resist letting out a small smirk of satisfaction break out on my face while I witnessed her complete trance tending to my darling friends, remarkable actresses it would seem.
Oh but how I did love deceiving the idiotic of society, especially when they were in authorities spots above my stature. Oh, I sighed in contentment as I heard Madame Lepoire excuse all four of us from morning devotions as well as giving us permission for extra servings at lunch, the simple pleasures in life.
Hm, so yea, its new. What do you think?
Jadeous