To all my reviewers, thank you for the excellent reviews!
And without further delay, here is chapter six
Chapter Six
Henry and the royal guard spent half the day, searching the countryside for where Danielle could be before they arrived at the Manoir de la Fere. Lunch was just being prepared as they entered the estate. Emilie, the head of the kitchen staff, noticed them and ran for her master and mistress.
She found Nicole in the study with Michael. "Duchess, his highness Prince Henry and the royal guard just entered the estate!"
"Then prepare extra for the midday meal, Emilie, so we can have our first meal with our future son-in-law," Nicole commanded.
Emilie bowed and rushed from the room as Michael rose from his chair. "I shall get Anthony so we may give his majesty a proper greeting."
"I am already here. Now, let us greet him properly. Danielle will remain in the gardens with Ariella until we explain everything to him," Anthony said from the doorway.
Nicole rose from her chair and the three of them walked through the house to the front entryway.
The three of them walked outside and bowed before Henry. "Your highness, you grace our home with your presence. To what do we owe this great honor?" Nicole asked in greeting.
"Duke, Duchess, Michael, I am searching for a young woman named Danielle. I was told that she was with her true family by Le Pieu's wife," Henry informed them.
"Then you have come to the right estate, your highness. Le Pieu's wife was once our servant Jenna and that is what we told her to tell you. You have proved your love for my stepdaughter," Anthony said with a smile.
"We will explain everything to you inside, your majesty," Michael said. He and Henry had been friends for years, but he knew to be respectful to his friend in this context.
Henry nodded as several servants came and took his horse and the horses of the guard to the stables. Henry followed Nicole, Michael, and Anthony into the manor and into the parlor and a servant directed him to an ornate chair. Nicole sat on a sofa across from him with Anthony, while Michael sat near a window on another chair.
"Your majesty, I know you must have a great many questions for us, but we will try to answer all of them," Anthony said.
"Yes, Anthony, I do. My first question is how can Danielle be your stepdaughter?"
"I can answer that, Henry. Danielle is my daughter. I am the mother that Danielle believed was dead," Nicole said.
"Why didn't she realize that you were here all this time? Why were you not with her?"
"It was beyond my control, Henry. I would've had her with me if August hadn't been so stubborn and allowed me to take Danielle with me when our marriage was annulled. And she would've been with me sooner if Rodmilla hadn't turned her into a servant in her own home. That took her away from my sight for ten years," Nicole said.
"Why did you have your marriage annulled?" Henry asked.
"August committed adultery against me with two young women in Calais and I found out about it. I was just a few months away from giving birth to Danielle when I found out. I told him to end his relationships with them and he refused. The annulment was granted when Danielle was two months old. I was told to take all my children with me, but August refused to allow me to take Danielle, so I just waited for a time to claim her," Nicole explained to him.
"Once Nicole and I married, we watched and waited for the right time to claim her, but August stood in our way every time," Anthony said.
"Anything else I need to know?" Henry asked.
"By family tradition of the du Loncret family, the titles of the women before them are handed down to them. Danielle's title is Marquise, which was her grandmother's title," Nicole said.
Henry smiled. His beautiful Danielle was a Marquise, even that was someone his father would approve of. She was a noblewoman of a much higher rank than Rodmilla and Marguerite would ever be. He also smiled as he envisioned how he would punish those witches that mistreated his beloved.
"Where is Danielle right now?" Henry asked.
"She is in the gardens with Ariella," Anthony informed him.
