Chapter 10—Return to the Manoir de Barbarac
After the proceeding of the royal court had concluded, Rodmilla and Marguerite returned to the inn. It was mid-morning the next day before they checked out of the inn and returned to the Manoir de Barbarac.
When Rodmilla and Marguerite arrived at the Manoir de Barbarac, Danielle met them at the door.
"Madame, Marguerite, in consideration for your positions as my father's widow and stepdaughter, you are welcomed to live here as long as you wish. Of course, as my guests, you will be expected to observe a few reasonable rules," Danielle said.
"What rules?" an irritated Marguerite asked.
"Whatever I decide. You will be expected to do your share of the household duties, such as assisting with cooking and cleaning. I would hope that you would wish to do this anyway and that more definite and stringent rules will not be required."
"I am of noble blood; I don't do the work of servants," Rodmilla replied.
"Yes Madame, but I am certain that even you must eat. In any event, neither I nor the servants are going to gratify your every whim. Now I know you both have been through a trying experience and that you must tired, so you are not expected do anything for the rest of the day, but after that, I hope that you will wish to do your share.
"Marguerite, I thought it was appropriate that I should have my room back, the one I had before my father died, so your things have been moved to the first guest room. Now if you both will excuse me, I have work to do."
"What about our bags?" came Marguerite's whine as Danielle started walking away.
"You have my permission to take them to your rooms," Danielle replied from too far a distance to observe the seething expressions on both Rodmilla's and Marguerite's faces.
Rodmilla was looking over a copy of the appraisal list from the Merchant de Gaucourt that Danielle had left. She wanted to see if there were items she might wish to exchange. Rodmilla was still fuming over how much of her property had been taken when Marguerite entered.
"Jacqueline has all my jewelry, even my gold brooch, and she won't return any of it," Marguerite whined.
"We'll see about that," Rodmilla replied as she marched to Jacqueline's room.
"Jacqueline dear, what is this I hear about your not returning Marguerite's jewelry?"
"Mother, I can't do it unless I have Danielle's permission. Otherwise, Danielle will reclaim her share," Jacqueline replied.
It was too much. With Marguerite and Jacqueline a few steps behind, Rodmilla found Danielle and roughly grabbed her by the shoulder, turning her as she shrieked, "You stupid, dim-witted girl! Why, the whole thing makes me sick! It is mean-spirited, Danielle, and I will not have it in this house!"
Breaking Rodmilla's grip and pushing her back, Danielle composed herself and replied, "Madame, please calm down. Has something upset you?"
Danielle's calm response infuriated Rodmilla even more. She began to slap Danielle but thought better of it. Trying to hide her anger, Rodmilla said, "You cannot prevent Jacqueline from returning Marguerite's jewelry. It is not right!"
"Madam, it was not right that, for the last ten years, you favored Marguerite over Jacqueline and me. Nevertheless, Father Pasquerel said we should share equally. It was my wish that Jacqueline, not Marguerite, have my share. If Jacqueline wishes to share with that selfish girl, then my only stipulation is that she first returns my share to me. My decision is final. If you don't like it, I suggest you take the matter to the King."
Marguerite let out a gasp, "Why, you egotistical little leech!"
"Maybe you will feel better after you have eaten and had a rest. Lunch will be ready in a half-hour," Danielle replied as she walked through the kitchen door.
Rodmilla and Marguerite were so upset at their change in status that it was supper time before they decided to eat. Seeing Maurice, Louise and Paulette, Rodmilla complained, "What are they doing at the table? You can't expect me to eat with servants!"
"Madam, they are part of the household," Danielle replied, "Of course they eat with us. Now if you object, you are free to wait until we are finished and eat what is left over."
The pleased looks on the servants' faces irritated Rodmilla even more than eating with them. Nevertheless, she was very hungry, so both she and Marguerite sat down at the table.
The next morning Rodmilla ordered Maurice to prepare the carriage.
"Have you gotten Danielle's approval?" he asked.
"Would these insults never end?" Rodmilla wondered.
After ordering Maurice to come with her, she found Danielle. "I have some business to attend to and Maurice refuses to prepare the carriage for my transportation," Rodmilla said in a voice she was only barely able to keep civil.
"I'm sure Maurice will take you wherever you wish provided you pay his wages for the day," Danielle replied.
Ticked-off almost beyond her ability to control her temper, Rodmilla acceded. Rodmilla had prepared a petition to the King for redress of grievances to (1) restore her title; (2) grant a wife's right to at least one-half of the Manoir de Barbarac; and (3) reduce her debt to le Pieu from $250 to $145 gold francs—the amount she had originally received for the merchandise.
Her first stop was Isabelle. After telling the butler her reason for visiting, she was led to the parlor. "Wait here while I see if Isabelle is available," he said.
Isabelle made Rodmilla wait in the parlor for two hours. When she finally came down she said, "Rodmilla, what a surprise. How long have you been waiting?"
"Two hours."
"Why wasn't I informed?" She said, turning toward the butler and giving him a knowing look.
After listening to Rodmilla, she continued, "Yes it is just dreadful that you were treated in such a manner. Of course, I will speak to my husband about it. I am certain he will want to get other nobles to sign your petition."
Then hurrying her out the door she said, "Look at the time, I'm late for an important meeting. But please, do come again." (Isabelle was implying, but not stating, "If you want more of the same.")
When Rodmilla rang and asked for Celeste, she was told, "Madame isn't home, but if you will go to the back, I'm sure the cook can fix you a plate."
"How dare they treat me like a common beggar?" Rodmilla muttered to herself.
By nightfall, Rodmilla had only collected two signatures, and those were from untitled nobles. Most people were not available, and the few who were had all sorts of excuses such as, "I would be happy to sign it after you have it properly drawn-up."
That night, after being rebuffed in her efforts for signatures on her petition, Rodmilla wrote to relatives in Belgium asking for loans to pay her debt to le Pieu. However, her parents were deceased, and the rest of her family in Belgium was still offended by the way Rodmilla had treated them. While never doing anything truly outrageous, Rodmilla often treated family member with slights and failed to contribute her in family functions. Basically, she was always a taker and never a giver. Under these circumstances, 250 gold francs was such a large sum that Rodmilla's letters went unanswered.
Monday, two days later, Danielle went to see some bankers. With a clear title from King Francis to the Manoir de Barbarac, Danielle negotiated with the bankers for credit to draw up to 1,200 gold francs at 12 per annum for ten years. The bankers were willing to lend more, but only at a higher rate. Danielle understood that borrowing involved risks of foreclosure, and so she hoped to limit her borrowing to not more than 600 or 800 gold francs. Still, it was good to have the additional credit in case it was absolutely required.
The manoir had slightly over 800 acres with 500 acres of old-growth forest. However, during the last ten years, most of the land that had been cleared was now covered with small, young trees and heavy undergrowth. Less than 20 acres remained cleared for crops, grazing and orchards. Danielle's father had once told her that land cleared late in the year would be subject to much erosion. However, since the trees that needed to be uprooted were small, there was ample grass, weeds, and other underbrush that could be cut close to the ground to protect the soil.
It would cost three gold francs an acre to clear the land. A crew of four men with sickles and a team of horses could clear an acre in four or five days. With the harvest completed, many farmers from nearby villages were glad for the opportunity to earn extra money. Before long there were over 20 crews clearing the land. Danielle contracted to clear 150 acres of the flattest and best land for grazing and growing crops. It would take five to six weeks, and cost 450 gold francs before the 150 acres would be again suitable for grazing and planting crops. As the manoir became productive again, additional land would be cleared by the farmers that Danielle hired.
When the clearing of the land was well under way, Danielle began looking for permanent servants. Although one would ultimately have to be dismissed, Danielle proved to be a good judge of talent and an even better judge of character. A primary criterion for men and women was a love for children and a willingness to teach them their trade.
Danielle reasoned that some people would take in a child for a short time and use the child as slave labor to be mistreated and kicked out as soon as the child was not needed. It was no wonder that such a child would often steal and run away. Danielle realized that children cost less than adults, especially in pay and additional housing. Danielle was of the opinion that children should be loved, properly fed and clothed, taught valuable skills, and given responsibilities and reasonable duties. Danielle wanted to prove that under these conditions, children would acquire skills and become an asset more valuable than their upkeep. If so, Danielle hoped her example would inspire others to provide a proper home for many of the orphans.
Danielle explained to the prospective servants that the work would be hard and the pay low for the first year until the manoir could become productive again. In addition to wages, the farmers would receive a percentage of the crops they produced. Danielle ended up selecting a blacksmith, a seamstress, and five farmers. For temporary help, she hired two carpenters and a mason. Within a month, the blacksmith was earning income for the manoir by accepting outside work in addition to his duties at the manoir. Danielle allowed him to keep 25 of the profits in addition to his wages. The remaining 75, while not much, was a start toward making the manoir profitable.
Danielle also selected the Louis de Bourbon family of four. They were skilled in maintaining a vineyard and in winemaking. Louis told Danielle that the vineyard, although in bad shape due to years of neglect, could, with weeding, pruning and a lot of care, be as much as thirty percent productive by the next harvest. Danielle gave Louis and his family a nearby cabin that that would not require a lot of work to restore and told them to start work on the vineyard. Danielle decided to allow them to enlarge the vineyard and to retain a percentage of the production.
Other than the vineyard, Danielle decided the first order of business would be repairing and cleaning the cottages, and repairing and refurnishing the blacksmith shop. This would be followed by repair to the barns and the storage building. A couple of the cabins were in such bad shape that Danielle decided that only minimum repairs and cleaning would be done until they could be replaced. Future plans would require building six new cottages, and construction would start as soon as the manoir was profitable again. The new cottages would be needed for guests and additional servants who would be hired. The carpenters, mason and blacksmith would provide the skills and determine what material would need to be purchased. The farmers would work under their direction and provide most of the labor. Danielle and the other women would help with the cleaning, do the cooking, make and mend clothes, and feed the farm animals. After the clearing of the land, existing fences would be repaired and new fences built. Although they would be kept very busy, the farmers would have time for spring planting.
The servants were motivated to work hard when they saw that their mistress worked just as hard as they did instead of just being a pampered noble. They were inspired to even greater efforts when a servant fell from the roof of a cabin and Danielle, thinking he was dead, burst into tears. She was relieved when she discovered he was still alive. She then ordered all work stopped, sent for a physician and had the young man carried to her own bed. The physician said he had only suffered a mild concussion and a broken arm. However, Danielle stayed with him throughout the night and morning until he assured Danielle that he was fine. Nevertheless, she insisted that he not do any work until his arm mended and assured his that he would still receive full pay.
They all knew that Danielle was only recently given nobility by the king. However, they were still amazed that a noble would have such concern and love for her servants. Virtually all the servants decided that they would do all in their power to see that the manor was a success.
On Friday afternoons, Danielle would visit the Queen. Queen Marie wanted Danielle to continue studying Latin, so each afternoon, her Latin instructor would arrive at the manoir and tutor Danielle for a couple of hours. Fortunately, Maurice was well- qualified to supervise the outside work that Danielle delegated to him.
Danielle had just returned from her afternoon visit with the Queen. That morning she went to see the bankers. The day before, one of the bankers on an inspection trip to the manoir saw how much the manoir was improved and suggested that Danielle might wish to increase her line of credit. She had accepted their offer to increase her line of credit to 1,500 gold francs at the same 12 rate. The bankers provided a payment schedule and, of course, early payments were allowed. However, if necessary, payments would not be required during the first two years to allow time for the Manoir de Barbarac to become productive again. When productive, the manoir was expected to earn a profit of more than 500 gold francs annually, so repayment of the loan would not be a problem.
For three weeks, Rodmilla and Marguerite had refused to help with the manoir. However, except for some snide remarks, they hadn't caused additional problems and Danielle had had more pressing things to attend to. Rodmilla had already failed in her efforts to obtain adequate signature for her petition for redress of grievances. Further, it was becoming obvious that her family in Belgium was not going to lend her the money to pay her debts to le Pieu. Rodmilla knew that if she could not pay le Pieu 250 gold francs that she would lose her possessions and be his indentured servant. "I will not let that happen," she told herself. However, to avoid it, she would have to leave France.
So the following Wednesday, three days before she would be required to pay her debt to le Pieu, Rodmilla's possessions were loaded onto a carriage under the pretense of visiting a cousin in Agen. Danielle suspected that was not the truth. Nevertheless, her only concern was preventing Rodmilla from taking items that did not belong to her.
Danielle found the silver candlesticks that Rodmilla had hidden in her luggage.
"Oh! I thought they were my candlesticks," she exclaimed. Still, she managed to steal two pieces of Jacqueline's jewelry.
The next morning, when Jacqueline discovered her missing jewelry, Danielle was near certain that Rodmilla would not be returning to the Manoir, so she told Maurice and Louise that they could move into her room. Should, by chance, Rodmilla return, she would be given the room that Maurice and Louise had moved out of.
Friday morning Le Pieu came by to check on the payment of Rodmilla's debt.
"Mother is visiting a cousin in Agen," Marguerite replied.
Le Pieu suspected Rodmilla was trying to skip out, so he sent a couple oh his men to try and catch her. However, she had gone a different direction to the coast, and it would be almost two weeks before the carriage driver returned. After spending fifteen gold francs, le Pieu decided not to spend additional money on finding Rodmilla and trying to bring her back. Neither Danielle, nor anyone else, would be sympathetic to his loss.
The future would not be to Rodmilla's liking. After selling some of her belongings to pay for the trip, she would travel by boat to Belgium and visit a cousin. A month later, after more than wearing out her welcome, she would be asked to leave.
Moving into an inn, Rodmilla would pay her bills by selling off items of her remaining property. When no longer able to pay, the innkeeper would allow her to stay in exchange for cleaning and helping in the kitchen. Too old to attract a suitable well-to-do husband, Rodmilla would finally take the position as a governess to the children of an untitled noble. However, it paid little more than room and board, and she was still expected to help with the cleaning. Her few remaining years were that of a servant, embittered by life's turn of events.
The afternoon following le Pieu's visit, on the eve of the Feast of Epiphany (Friday, January 5), Danielle was on her way for her weekly trip to visit the Queen. Danielle had no idea that she would also be meeting with King Francis and how extraordinary the events following that meeting would be.