Chapter 2
As Danielle walked through the chateau doors, she marveled at the rich wood paneling in the foyer. The floor was bare and a crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling.
There were two staircases, one on either end of the room leading to the second floor. Antoinette motioned for Danielle to follow her toward a door situated in the center of the room.
"I don't think you will remember her Danielle, you were just a baby. But, she certainly has kept track of you."
Danielle stared at Antoinette's smiling face for a moment. Where was she? Who was this woman that this person was taking her to see?
She followed Antoinette into a large room with more books than she could count. She always felt very much at home with books and her father knew that when he brought back with him a copy of Thomas More's Utopia on the last night that he had been at the manor. She had never let it out of her sight since the day he died and carried it everywhere she went.
"Danielle, please, in here." Antoinette ushered her out of the library and into a small sitting room.
"Please sit, my lady. I'll take your bags up to your new room." Without another word, Antoinette disappeared out the door, taking Danielle's bags with her. She watched after her, remembering the words Antoinette had just uttered.
Danielle smiled. My lady, the servant had called her. No one had ever called her that, except her father. Antoinette said something about having her own room. Perhaps things would get better now that she was no longer there. Perhaps she was mistaken about.
"Hello Danielle," a woman's voice called in the distance. "How nice to see you again. And all grown up as well."
The voice walked out of the shadows to reveal a beautiful, white haired woman. She was of medium height and lightly built. She carried herself well.
Danielle curtsied as she approached. "I am only eight, my lady."
The woman smiled. "I think Antoinette asked you to sit, not curtsey." She looked into her brown eyes and smiled. "You look like your father, Danielle." She studied Danielle's face, and then shook her head.
"You do not remember me, do you?"
Danielle shook her head. "No my lady, I am sorry to say that I do not."
The woman smiled as she sat down behind her desk. "Well, I will just have to introduce myself again, Mademoiselle de Barbarac."
As Danielle walked through the chateau doors, she marveled at the rich wood paneling in the foyer. The floor was bare and a crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling.
There were two staircases, one on either end of the room leading to the second floor. Antoinette motioned for Danielle to follow her toward a door situated in the center of the room.
"I don't think you will remember her Danielle, you were just a baby. But, she certainly has kept track of you."
Danielle stared at Antoinette's smiling face for a moment. Where was she? Who was this woman that this person was taking her to see?
She followed Antoinette into a large room with more books than she could count. She always felt very much at home with books and her father knew that when he brought back with him a copy of Thomas More's Utopia on the last night that he had been at the manor. She had never let it out of her sight since the day he died and carried it everywhere she went.
"Danielle, please, in here." Antoinette ushered her out of the library and into a small sitting room.
"Please sit, my lady. I'll take your bags up to your new room." Without another word, Antoinette disappeared out the door, taking Danielle's bags with her. She watched after her, remembering the words Antoinette had just uttered.
Danielle smiled. My lady, the servant had called her. No one had ever called her that, except her father. Antoinette said something about having her own room. Perhaps things would get better now that she was no longer there. Perhaps she was mistaken about.
"Hello Danielle," a woman's voice called in the distance. "How nice to see you again. And all grown up as well."
The voice walked out of the shadows to reveal a beautiful, white haired woman. She was of medium height and lightly built. She carried herself well.
Danielle curtsied as she approached. "I am only eight, my lady."
The woman smiled. "I think Antoinette asked you to sit, not curtsey." She looked into her brown eyes and smiled. "You look like your father, Danielle." She studied Danielle's face, and then shook her head.
"You do not remember me, do you?"
Danielle shook her head. "No my lady, I am sorry to say that I do not."
The woman smiled as she sat down behind her desk. "Well, I will just have to introduce myself again, Mademoiselle de Barbarac."