Chapter 5
"So," Danielle said. "You are my godmother."
The older woman smiled. "Yes I am, Danielle. I was Nicole's best friend when we were children." She arose from her chair and walked around her desk. "I also know your stepmother."
Danielle smiled. "You know the Baroness?"
The woman nodded. "Of course I do, which is partly the reason I brought you here in the first place."
Danielle frowned. "What do you mean, godmother?"
The woman smiled at the word "godmother". "Please," she said, "I would prefer that you didn't call me that. From now on, you can call me Aunt Thérèse. That's what my nephew Henry calls me."
Danielle's eyes opened wide. "You mean that little boy who met me outside? The one who called me an angel?"
Thérèse laughed and shook her head. "Is that what he said? He should know better than that. She smiled. "Yes Danielle, that was Henry, the future King of France."
Danielle tried not to smile but the corners of her mouth curled up and Thérèse began to smile. They both giggled softly until Thérèse became serious again.
"Well," she said, "that was refreshing. I see that you have a sense of humor." She smiled. "We are going to get along famously, then." She thought for a minute. "Where was I?"
"The Baroness," Danielle reminded her.
Thérèse nodded and smiled. "Ah, yes, the Baroness."
She smiled and moved closer to Danielle, taking the matching chair next to hers.
"Your father realized a little too late that he had made a mistake in marrying that woman. So I was not at all surprised to see Auguste at my front door, practically begging for you to move in here with me. The manor, child, belongs to you, not Rodmilla, no matter what she thinks. Right now, we are watching and waiting for the right time to see what will happen. Rodmilla is a woman who is not to be trusted.
She smiled and put her hand on Danielle's knee. "But let us leave such matters aside and discuss the second reason why I brought you here."
Thérèse cleared her throat and continued. "I need a companion, Danielle. I am not yet old, but not as young as I used to be. I need someone to run errands for me, do some of the chores that Antoinette cannot do. And, as I promised your father, you will have the finest tutors for your lessons. You will be allowed time to play and study, but you will grow up to be a lady fit for royalty.
"In return for your services, you will receive kindness, love and happiness; something Rodmilla could not have given you. You will not be treated as a slave, or a servant, even though you may feel like one. "
She reached out and touched Danielle's cheek, a tear slid down her face. "I already know that we will get along, there is no doubt of that. You are you're your father in so many ways, but you resemble your mother."
Thérèse smiled at Danielle through her tears. She took her hand away from Danielle's cheek and brought it to her eyes to dry them.
"So, are we in agreement? Would you like to stay here with me and keep me company?"
Danielle looked at her godmother and smiled. "Of course I would, Aunt Thérèse. I wouldn't miss it for the world." She stood up from her chair, walked over to where Thérèse was sitting and embraced her.
"So," Danielle said. "You are my godmother."
The older woman smiled. "Yes I am, Danielle. I was Nicole's best friend when we were children." She arose from her chair and walked around her desk. "I also know your stepmother."
Danielle smiled. "You know the Baroness?"
The woman nodded. "Of course I do, which is partly the reason I brought you here in the first place."
Danielle frowned. "What do you mean, godmother?"
The woman smiled at the word "godmother". "Please," she said, "I would prefer that you didn't call me that. From now on, you can call me Aunt Thérèse. That's what my nephew Henry calls me."
Danielle's eyes opened wide. "You mean that little boy who met me outside? The one who called me an angel?"
Thérèse laughed and shook her head. "Is that what he said? He should know better than that. She smiled. "Yes Danielle, that was Henry, the future King of France."
Danielle tried not to smile but the corners of her mouth curled up and Thérèse began to smile. They both giggled softly until Thérèse became serious again.
"Well," she said, "that was refreshing. I see that you have a sense of humor." She smiled. "We are going to get along famously, then." She thought for a minute. "Where was I?"
"The Baroness," Danielle reminded her.
Thérèse nodded and smiled. "Ah, yes, the Baroness."
She smiled and moved closer to Danielle, taking the matching chair next to hers.
"Your father realized a little too late that he had made a mistake in marrying that woman. So I was not at all surprised to see Auguste at my front door, practically begging for you to move in here with me. The manor, child, belongs to you, not Rodmilla, no matter what she thinks. Right now, we are watching and waiting for the right time to see what will happen. Rodmilla is a woman who is not to be trusted.
She smiled and put her hand on Danielle's knee. "But let us leave such matters aside and discuss the second reason why I brought you here."
Thérèse cleared her throat and continued. "I need a companion, Danielle. I am not yet old, but not as young as I used to be. I need someone to run errands for me, do some of the chores that Antoinette cannot do. And, as I promised your father, you will have the finest tutors for your lessons. You will be allowed time to play and study, but you will grow up to be a lady fit for royalty.
"In return for your services, you will receive kindness, love and happiness; something Rodmilla could not have given you. You will not be treated as a slave, or a servant, even though you may feel like one. "
She reached out and touched Danielle's cheek, a tear slid down her face. "I already know that we will get along, there is no doubt of that. You are you're your father in so many ways, but you resemble your mother."
Thérèse smiled at Danielle through her tears. She took her hand away from Danielle's cheek and brought it to her eyes to dry them.
"So, are we in agreement? Would you like to stay here with me and keep me company?"
Danielle looked at her godmother and smiled. "Of course I would, Aunt Thérèse. I wouldn't miss it for the world." She stood up from her chair, walked over to where Thérèse was sitting and embraced her.