Chapter 1

"What a lovely weather" André though as he looked up in the sky. The day had started fine; he had had a good night sleep, the breakfast had been wonderful and Oscar had been in good mood. But wasn´t it always that he had slept well and the breakfast had been wonderful? Considering that his grandmother had made it? She was the best cook he ever knew. So, if it wasn´t for those, then it must have been that Oscar was in the good mood. Yes, that´s it. Lately Oscar had been both busy and tense. "She should relax sometimes" he thought. But this morning she seemed to be fine and when she was fine, he was fine.

He had escorted Oscar to the Palace, and then came to Paris to run some errands for her father. At the same trip he had popped into a bakery to buy some delicious bread. André had just stepped out of the bakery, when he heard someone calling his name. "André!" He turned to look and saw a strange noble couple.

"André! Don´t you recognize us?" the man asked.

"No, I´m afraid not, sir…" he hesitated. He was quite sure he had never met them.

"Sir?" the man laughed "now you´re mistaken! We´re not nobles!"

"It´s us!" said the woman "Julie and Jean Valmot"

André was stunned. He did know a couple by that name, but these two...were not them. It was impossible. He was certain of it. Besides, where would they have expensive clothes like that? "No" he though and shook his head.

But then, the man first took off his wig and then he grabbed his nose, when his face came off. It was a mask André had never seen before. It had looked so real…André´s eyes became wide open. He was stunned. The man had taken off his face!

The man laughed "so, we fooled you, André!" he was indeed Jean Valmot. "Why don´t you come to visit our home, we have something for you."

"I´d love to, but I´m rather busy. I was running some errands for the master and I should get back soon…She´s waiting for me." he explained.

"Still working for de Jarjayes family? "said Julie with a smile "you´re so devoted."

André didn´t know what to reply, so he changed the subject "What are you doing dressing up like that anyway? In masks…of some sort…"

"That´s what we want to tell you! I´m glad we pumped into you." Jean said "There´s something important, but I cannot tell you in public" he whispered.

"Well, I could spare a few moments…" André was rather curious. Couple of more minutes wouldn´t make any difference, anyway.

So the three walked towards a small, rather archaic house nearby. By first glance one could notice that it was a house of a poor family. And when they stepped inside, André noticed that everything was out of place and there was a mess everywhere. "Are you moving?" he asked.

"Yes" Jean answered "You know how difficult the life is in Paris, especially for the children…" he explained.

André then remembered their daughter, little Ann, who had been sick and weak but the couple had been unable to buy bread for the girl. It was how they have met. When André had seen their situation, he had gone into the bakery and bough bread for the family. They had been really grateful for him and promised to pay him back one day. He had just nodded. Of course he had known they couldn´t pay him back, and it was fine. He had been happy only to help them.

"How is little Ann?" he asked.

"She´s doing fine, but we have decided to move back into the countryside, where the air is fresher and environment saver for the children." Jean replied.

"He has got a job from there, and I´m sure I will get something, too" Julie said smiling. She was in a good mood.

André smiled "I´m happy for you" then he gave the bread to Julie "Here, take this."

"But André…" she started.

"No buts. You know you need it more than I do. There´s plenty of food for me back home. Besides, you have children…" André explained…"Take it as a farewell gift from me, eh?"

"Thank you, André!" she said and took the bread. Then she went into another room.

"You´re welcome" he smiled.

"André " said Jean and took something from his closet…"there. This is for you."

He held clothing in his arms, but not just any clothing: It was a fine clothing for a noble man. With accessories, masks, wigs and everything. André was surprised. How could a poor couple possibly afford that sort of things?

"As you already know…" Jean started to explain…"I´ve worked as a servant for awhile before marrying my Julie. Sometime ago my former master died and left me and my family a small fortune. A small house from the countryside, little bit of money…and these clothing and wigs…"

"Congratulations, then!" André said. He was really happy for them.

Jean was about to continue, when he was interrupted…"André! André!" they heard a little girl yelling. It was Ann, who was running from outside towards the house. She looked happy and healthy. She ran right into André´s arms. "André!" she said.

He hugged the girl."How´s my favorite girl?" he asked her.

"Fine!" she replied."We´re moving into our own home!" she explained.

"So I´ve heard" he replied.

"Will you come to visit us?" she asked.

"I´d love to, but I´m afraid it´s a bit too far…" he explained " I´ve got so much work to do here…"

Ann looked disappointed

"I´m sorry…"

"Then…" she started "then promise me, that you´ll wait for me when I grow old so that we can get married" she said. She had a crush on him ever since he gave her the bread. He was her angel. Of course, it was just a child´s dream.

André laughed "I think I will be a bit too old by then. Besides, I´m sure you´ll find some nice boy…"

"Ann!" her mother yelled "stop teasing André!" and then she took the girl away. "I´m sorry, André" she turned towards him.

"It´s alright." André replied.

"Come on, Ann. We need to pack" Julie said and escorted Ann into another room."Bye bye, André" the little girl waved at him.

"Bye bye, Ann" André said.

"You would be a wonderful father" said Jean after they were left alone in the room.

"I…" André started. He didn´t exactly know what to reply. Children? Yes, he did like children, but it was impossible for him to have his own children. How could he, when he couldn´t marry her.

"I know, André. You´re in love with the lady…" he said.

"What?!" André startled."I have no idea of what you´re talking about"

"You don´t have to pretend. Not among friends. Haven´t I seen to way you look at her when she´s not watching?" Jean told him smiling.

"…"

"Come on, André. What´s her name? Lady de Jarjayes?"

"It´s Oscar François…"

"That´s the one" Jean smiled.

Had he been so careless to show his feelings? He had done his best to keep his secret, but…"Is it so obvious?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, then you know I can never have children." André explained.

"Hmm…I wonder about that. " Jean said "She looks like ice, but even the strongest ice will melt."

It wasn´t exactly that that was bothering André. "But I´m a commoner and she´s a noble…" he explained. He knew that it was almost impossible for them to get married. There was a whole world against them. At least, that´s what it felt like. He never understood the stupid law that forbad a commoner for marrying a noble.

"That´s why I´m giving you these" Jean smiled mysteriously…"My old master had a strange hobby; he was obsessed with an idea to dress up the way no one would recognize him. Not only did he wear wigs that he normally wouldn´t wear, but also he had made some masks that looked like real faces, eyebrows, mustaches and all sorts of things. And he was quite good in that…" then he admitted "to tell you the truth; I never understood his passion…"

André laughed. The man had indeed been quite a character, but André didn´t understand what this all got to do with him. "And you are telling me, because…" he asked with curiosity.

"Haven´t you ever dreamed of flirting with her, with your lady I mean? Dancing with her? Kissing her?" Jean asked.

André was silent. There was no need to ask that. Of course he had, but it was all just the dream. Nothing else. It could never come through…He went deep into his thoughts as he thought of every little dream he had of her. But those were just dreams.

Only that one time he had really kissed her, but it was when she had been passed out, so she never knew. Luckily, for his sake. What if she had found out? The biggest fear he had that she would no longer need him; that she would throw him out. And then, what he would do? She was his life.

"I know that the possibility for you to marry her is very weak, but with these you can at least flirt with her." Jean suggested.

"What are you saying!" André blushed. He knew it was impossible. He could never…

"It´s all up to you..." he said and then gave the clothes to André "Do whatever you want with these. Those are yours anyway."

"Thank you, Jean" André replied "I really got to be going now" he covert the clothes within a sheet and left the house." Good luck with your new life!" he yelled. Then he started to run. He was late. He didn´t want to keep her waiting.

"Thank you! And good luck with your lady!" Jean replied.

André rushed to Oscar and they spend all day at the Palace, working. It was already late, when they got home, so Oscar just said good night and went to bed. André had been able to hide the clothes from her by placing those in the carriage. But as soon as Oscar had gone to bed, André returned to the carriage to collect the clothes. He then searched a safe place to hide those. No one could ever see those. After he had placed the clothes in a safe place, he returned to his room, changed into his nightgown, blew the candles and went to bed. As he lied on his bed, he thought of the conversation with the Valmot family "Haven´t you ever dreamed of flirting with her? …Dancing with her? Kissing her?" Jean´s words came back to his mind. He smiled when he remembered the time he had carried Oscar from the tavern to their home and kissed her. Her lips had been so warm and tasty. "If only I could do that" he thought "Just once more."

He turned around to get better position. But that didn´t help; he was unable to sleep because his mind still wandered into the day´s experiences. "I wonder if those clothes fit me" he thought. He could try those on, but he could never wear those. "It had been quite interesting, but…" he thought. He was quite sure he didn´t have any use of those. Until, something unexpected happened…