Family Reunion
Chapter TwoA
Confrontations
Danielle woke up late the next morning, looking around a room she didn't recognize. She jumped up from her bed and saw the door opening to reveal a young servant peeking her head into the room. Danielle then remembered where she was. She was at her new home, with her mother, sister and stepfather. She was free!
"Good morning, mistress Danielle," the young servant girl said.
"Good morning. And what is your name?" Danielle asked, looking the girl over. She was petite and very beautiful, even under the standard servant's dress.
"My name is Claire. The duchess hired me just this morning to be your personal servant," she said with a slight curtsy.
"And are you from another portion of the country? You do have a slight accent," Danielle commented to her.
"Yes, I am from Alsace. My father is a farmer and sent me off to find my own life when I turned 14. I am 16 now," Claire told her.
"I see. I assume my family is waiting for me downstairs, correct?" Danielle asked.
"Mistress Ariella is off on her morning ride with the Duke. The Duchess is preparing helping in the preparation of extra rooms for new servants. I didn't know that she was hiring more servants or else I would have sent word to my sister in Paris," Claire replied.
"She isn't. She's bringing the servants from the Manoir De Barbarac to live and work here, since I don't want them working for my stepmother after the way she treated me," Danielle said.
"Yes, the duchess told me everything about you. And I heard about last night throughout the town. Your stepmother was horrible and the prince is as well," Claire said with a frown on her face and conviction in her tone.
"I agree with that. He didn't even let me tell him the full truth! Well, mother plans on speaking with the Queen today, so we will see what happens from that," Danielle said as she rose fully from her bed.
Claire immediately went to work, helping Danielle dress for a day that she was sure was full of confrontations. One with Rodmilla and one possibly with Henry. And if she saw Le Pieu, she would give him one royal piece of her mind! Hitting on her all these years! She was way above him in station. He was just an armor bearer for the army, which was just above being a baron and she was a marquise! No man was allowed to marry a woman above his station and Le Pieu had dared to romance one! She would surely teach him a lesson!
Twenty minutes later, Danielle stepped down the grand staircase in a pale blue gown with white lace intertwined on the skirt. The dress, as well as the accompanying jewelry, transformed Danielle from the servant she was treated as by her stepmother into the Marquise she was! Her hair was pulled back by a blue ribbon as well as strands of white ribbon intertwined between sections of her hair.
Nicole greeted her daughter as she entered the dining room. "Good morning, my child. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, mother, I did, thanks to you. I'm so glad to be away from Rodmilla and Marguerite and their constant commands and everything else they have put me through," Danielle said with a smile.
"So am I. Ariella and Anthony should be back from their ride soon, so please take a seat, my child, and we shall wait for them," Nicole said with a smile for her youngest daughter. "After breakfast, we will be traveling to the Manoir De Barbarac and collecting your friends and servants from that house, including Jacqueline. I will not leave that poor girl at the mercy of her witch of a mother."
"Neither will I," came the voice of Ariella from the entrance of the room. "Rodmilla doesn't deserve to have a daughter like Jacqueline, I'm sure of that."
"She doesn't, that is for sure. Now, why don't you get ready for breakfast, my darling? The sooner we get breakfast over with, the sooner we can get going," Nicole said to her eldest.
Ariella nodded, then headed up the stairs to prepare for breakfast and for the upcoming confrontations.
An hour later, two carriages and a wagon traveled down the road toward the Manoir De Barbarac to retrieve Paulette, Maurice, and Louise from the service of the Baroness to work for them, or more importantly, their true mistress Danielle, as well as to retrieve Jacqueline and make her an adopted De la Fere. Anthony had already talked about officially adopting the young woman and was willing to accept her as his child. And they were also fetching the rest of Danielle's dowry and anything in the house that was hers.
As they pulled past the gate, Danielle could see a somewhat familiar carriage and wagon standing in the yard. That of Pierre Le Pieu. Apparently, she could see where all the missing items had gone. The Baroness had sold them to Le Pieu to keep them from going into debt. "That man has got a lot to learn," Danielle said to her mother.
"Who, my child?" Nicole asked.
"Pierre Le Pieu. He has been pursuing me for years and who knows what the Baroness had planned for this moment. He's here, with all of the things she probably sold to him, and figured she needed back since she thinks Henry is still going to choose Marguerite as his bride, and probably was going to give him me in exchange," Danielle told her mother.
"That's what she believes she can do, but she is wrong and it about to learn that," Nicole said in a harsh tone that both Ariella and Anthony knew was a tone that meant not to mess with her. Nicole was dangerous at times when she got angry, and now Danielle knew where she got it from.
The small caravan pulled up in front of the manor as shocked looks showed on the faces of Rodmilla, Marguerite, and Le Pieu. Maurice approached the one carriage and opened the door, and was shocked by the people inside. Two of them he hadn't seen in years and one was his young mistress!
He started helping the women out of the carriage first, Ariella coming first. She stepped out onto the yard area and glared immediately at Rodmilla, Marguerite and Le Pieu. Nicole came next and they all could hear the hitch in Rodmilla's throat at the sight of the duchess. They could tell that she looked just like Danielle, but older. Anthony came next and stood by his wife and stepdaughter, who were still glaring at the three figures before them.
Danielle came last as Maurice not only helped her out of the carriage, but embraced her. He spoke quietly into her ear. "I'm happy for you, child. You found your mother and sister. I am very proud of you."
"Thank you, Maurice," she said as they parted and she joined her family in glaring at the three others that stood before them.
"Hello stepmother," Danielle said in a regal tone. A tone that symbolized who she was and that she was speaking to someone who deserved nothing more than death for what she had done.
Rodmilla snapped out of her shock. "Where have you been all night? You should know better, after what happened the last time," she said menacingly.
"That is not your concern anymore, Baroness. I am no longer a servant for you and I should have never been. I am higher in station than you will ever be," Danielle said in the same regal tone.
"That is totally untrue, Danielle! You are no more than a baron's daughter and will never be more than that!" Rodmilla exclaimed.
"Wrong, Baroness! My daughter is a Marquise! She has always beared that title and always will!" Nicole yelled at the baroness, hardly believing what this woman believed was true.
Rodmilla was speechless at Nicole's words. "That's right, Baroness, I am Danielle's mother, Nicole Du Loncret. In fact, I am Duchess Nicole Du Loncret de la Fere! And by the traditions of the house of Loncret, my daughters Ariella and Danielle bear the stations of the women that came before them! Ariella bears my former station of Marquise and Danielle bears her great-grandmother's station of Marquise!"
Rodmilla still stared in shock at her stepdaughter and her mother. She was now just realizing what she had done. Danielle was above her in station. And for years she had treated her like a servant. The punishment for that, she knew, was shipment to the Americas and she could see that she was going to be made to pay.
"Charles!" Nicole commanded the driver of the wagon. "Please help Louise, Paulette, and Maurice gather their things. They will be working for us now!"
The wagoneer instantly nodded at Nicole as he stepped off his wagon seat and moved to help the Manor's servants pack their things.
"Andrew! I want you to find all items belonging to my stepdaughter throughout the manor and put them in the wagon!" Anthony commanded one coachman.
"Lawrence, find my stepsister Jacqueline and help her pack her things. She is coming to live with us and my stepfather will adopt her!" Danielle commanded the second coachman.
The two coachmen nodded at Danielle and Anthony and headed off with the two footmen to fulfill their orders. They entered the manor and headed up the stairs.
Outside, Danielle glared at Le Pieu. Hatred for the man shone in her eyes. She knew the laws of the land well and he had disobeyed them. And now, even he realized, would pay for it. The punishment was Danielle's choice, as it was her that he had pursued and the person who was being pursued would hand out the judgment.
Danielle began to speak solely to Le Pieu. "For pursuing a woman above your station, Monsiuer Le Pieu, your punishment is simple. You will die before the week is through at the hands of the provincial executioner. He is on his way now to collect you."
Le Pieu nodded his head, accepting his fate.
