Chapter Six

If either Lucien or Lumière ever saw another horse, carriage, or road again, it would be too soon. As glorious as the Grand Tour had been, in the end, their single desire was to return home as soon as possible. Familiar surroundings and cozier beds would certainly make the three long weeks of travel from Venice to Paris worth every minute.

At the final inn before arrival in Paris, Lucien ordered a carriage to arrive at the stroke of dawn, the very second when the sun peeked over the horizon. Thankfully, the driver was competent and reliable, and by mid-morning, the de Bontecou château was in full view. The young men smiled eagerly, at last seeing it only a mere short distance away. Visiting the finest cities in Europe were definitely experiences to be cherished, but no place is dearer to a man's heart than his home.

As the driver assisted them, Lucien and Lumière carried their baggage inside to the front hall, trying to be quiet should anyone still be asleep or attending breakfast. (Every meal was normally silent.) But despite their attempts, the sounds of the Comtesse's excited shrieks meant they had not been quiet enough. Quickly, Lucien paid the driver before his mother bounded hastily into her son's arms.

"My boy!" she cried so happily that Lucien could not resist a smile. His mother was as aristocratic as one could be, but nonetheless she was still just that, a mother. "My precious little boy, mon Dieu, how I missed you!"

Lucien laughed wholeheartedly. "As I missed you, but Mother please! Let go before you strangle me to death!"

The Comtesse conceded at his request, resorting to kissing his cheeks happily and gathering his face in her hands. "Well, I still recognize you at least! I was worried you would come back a completely different man!"

Lumière smirked. "Do not worry, Madame; I kept nothing but the closest watch over him to make certain that he remained your darling son."

"I am forever grateful," the Comtesse replied with a smile, once again unable to resist embracing Lucien tightly.

The Comte entered the hall, Chanlet not far behind, just in time to save Lucien from another possible murder by stranglehold.

"Bernadette, please!" he said, quite obviously in a jesting manner. "Both of them just returned safely, and now you are about to do in our son?"

As the Comtesse stepped aside, both fathers greeted their respective sons in the gentlemanly manner of a handshake.

"I must say," the Comte said with a grin. "The day has hardly begun and already it is a splendid one! Our sons have returned to us, Lucien and Nicolette's long awaited marriage is fast approaching, and Lumière has received the highest honor a young servant his age could have."

Lumière laughed, puzzled. "Monseigneur, as his valet, it is my duty to your son to accompany him wherever he goes. The Tour was indeed a high honor, but it was still only my orders to travel with him."

The Comte shared his expression of confusion. "What are you talking about, boy? I did not mean the Tour; I meant your promotion."

"Promotion, monseigneur?" Lumière asked, even more bewildered. "I'm afraid I do not understand."

"No one told you?" the Comte asked. Lumière shook his head, and the older man laughed gently. "Ah, no wonder you look like a lost sheep without its shepherd!"

Chanlet gazed at his son, his smile beaming with pride. "You must have made a lasting impression on one of those English gentlemen you both accompanied on the Tour. We received word that you completely amazed them with your intelligence; they did not expect a simple valet to know so much about serving etiquette, dining mannerisms, and wine knowledge."

Lumière tried to appear nonchalant, but failed miserably, grinning as proudly as his father. "It was nothing, really."

"It most certainly was something!" Chanlet assured him. "The gentleman's relative is the head of the household to the king! He had sent a recommendation early on during the Tour, referring you to fill the maitre d' position. We received word some time ago that you were expected to join the staff the moment you returned home!"

Lumière gawked at Chanlet as if the man had just told him he was born a royal instead of a servant. "You mean…I am to serve…at the palace of the king? The king himself?" Chanlet nodded happily. "Really? You mean it?" Another nod from the father was followed by the son's silence to allow every word to settle into his mind. "I…I do not know what to say…"

The Comte laughed, "Well obviously you will say yes, my boy! Do you realize what an opportunity this is? Your father has trained you well to follow in his footsteps, and not only will you do so, but for the king! You were taught to be the best, by the best, and now able serve the best!"

"Not to mention how much favor and honor you will bring to all of us by accepting the position!" the Comtesse added, excitedly.

Lumière still could not believe what he was hearing. Him, maitre d' as his father and those before him, and to the royal family no less! The first in his family line to have the privilege of being what the Comte had rightfully deemed the finest opportunity!

"Lumière? Well come now, son, say something!"

Lumière gave his head a quick shake, returning from deep within his thoughts. "What else is there to say?" he asked, grinning broadly. "I accept, absolument!"

"Of course you do!" the Comte laughed. "Then it is settled! I shall have a courier send word that you shall arrive tomorrow!"

Lumière's smile began to shrink in size. "T-t-tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? What do you mean tomorrow?" Lucien asked, interrupting any immediate reply his father had.

"The head of the household demanded that Lumière join them as soon as the Tour ended, as Chanlet explained," the Comte said. "Tomorrow is the soonest time that we could arrange the move." Turning to Lumière, he added, "Keep your bags packed; you leave first thing in the morning."

Lucien stood in place, stunned beyond belief, perhaps even more than Lumière had been. He scarcely heard his father conclude with orders to the valet to bring his master's bags upstairs to be unpacked and then for Lucien to join them for the remainder of breakfast.

"Lucien?" the Comte said. "Did you hear me? Come and have something to eat."

Lucien did not even glance at him as he instead followed Lumière to his room. "Merci, but I am not hungry."

Once upstairs, Lucien childishly flopped on his bed, watching Lumière separate his clean clothes from those that needed to be washed. Ever since he was little, the unbreakable habit was a telltale sign of disappointment, anger, and distress. With his wonderful news in mind, Lumière, his so-called friend, was obviously far too occupied to notice.

"How can you be so calm?" Lucien said after silence had lingered in the room longer than he was comfortable with.

Lumière looked at him. "Calm? Are you serious?"

"Well look at you!" Lucien argued. "Did you hear them downstairs? You are leaving your home, your family, and yet you say nothing! You do not show any emotion whatsoever!"

Lumière placed the clothes down. "You must be jesting. Have you still not learned that whenever I am silent that I am anything but calm? Despite how happy I am to accept the position, we are only here for a meager two seconds before I am told that this will not be my home come tomorrow morning! I have a day—one day—to get used to the idea of taking on the biggest responsibility I have ever been given! Believe me, I am far from calm."

"How are you not upset then?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I am a little upset!"

"I'm sure you are; your appearance gives you right away!" Lucien sneered sarcastically. "On top of that, forget about leaving your best friend behind since you are so worried about having a home!"

Lumière stared at him, clearly hurt. "You do not believe that, do you?"

"How can I not?" Lucien asked angrily. "I am being forced into a marriage that I do not want! I lost the woman that means the world to me; she detests me! And now…" His voice trailed off dejectedly. "My best friend is abandoning me."

"You act as though I planned this," Lumière said. "I did not ask to be sent away. If I could, I would stay longer, but I have no say in the matter. And…oh for heaven's sake, Lucien! I would never abandon a friend for just any reason; you know that!"

Lucien closed his eyes tightly, refusing to give into the sensation of tears. Grown men did not cry! "I know you are right, and I am sorry. It is just…when I need a friend the most, no one will be here."

"Nonsense!" Lumière said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I am serving a different household not too far from here, not moving to the ends of the earth! You have but to send the word, and I will be here as soon as I can."

Lucien nodded, smirking halfheartedly at his attempts at optimism. "Which will most likely be often," he said. "Come to think of it, no one could stand for your antics like we can. You will most likely give those poor souls nothing but grief."

"Exactement!" Lumière exclaimed. "Whenever you need me, I will cause such chaos, they will beg me to leave just for a bit of silence!" With a grin, he concluded, "Now, once again, I refuse to let moping take over our entire day, especially when it is the last we will have for a while! Breakfast is sounding more and more like a good idea because I am famished!"

Lucien laughed gently, nodding in agreement, and Lumière let out a small sigh of relief before joining in. Lucien may not have been completely at ease with his leaving, but genuine laughter, however small in amount, was a good sign that he accepted it. For the time being, it was the most Lumière could ask for.


Throwing his small sack of few belongings over his shoulder, Lumière silently took one last glance around his quarters. It did not matter how thrilled he was with his advancement in life; the château had always been his home, born and raised within its walls. What he would have given to stay there just a bit longer! But it was time to move on, and solemnly, he opened the door to make his way outside.

After bidding the Comte and Comtesse a respectful, fond farewell, Lumière found Lucien bringing his horse up the walk, followed by a relay from the castle close behind atop his own steed. If he had been in a better mood, Lumière would have teased his friend for their "sudden swap" in the positions of master and servant.

Chanlet waited patiently for his son at the bottom of the steps, holding something under his arm that Lumière could not identify, even as he stood directly before his father.

"Take this with you," Chanlet said, unfolding the blue bundle to present a handsome blue coat with gold trim. "Blue is said to soothe the nerves and open one's mind to learning everything it can. Therefore, every man in our family has worn this when he was accepted into our position. I have taught you all you need to know; the rest is up to you."

Lumière removed his own coat, folding it to place in his sack, and sliding into the new one. It fit like a glove, he discovered with a proud smile, smoothing any creases and straightening the lapels to look his best.

Chanlet nodded his approval. "Perfect," he said, hardly able to keep emotion from his voice. Pulling his son close, he embraced him quickly before pulling away with a simple warning. "Make me proud, and more importantly, behave yourself."

Lumière smirked his infamous grin of mischief. "Proud, without question; behave, I will try."

Moving to join Lucien and the relay, Lumière hastily wiped his own eyes free of possible tears. "Well, this is it."

Lucien nodded. "Au revoir," he murmured, holding out his hand.

"Never," Lumière said with promise, accepting it with his own. "A bientôt is more like it."

"Très bien," Lucien agreed. "Take care of yourself, and do not break too many hearts at once. Bad form, that is."

"But of course," Lumière responded with a smile. Mounting the horse, he added, "I will write as soon as I am settled."

With another nod as his only confirmation, Lumière gave the horse a swift kick, steering him in the gates' direction to follow the relay. Lucien, joined by Chanlet, watched him ride off. Even after Lumière was long gone, they stood there, staring into the distance before returning inside, unwillingly content to let life continue on its course for now.


Review Time...

TrudiRose: Hope this satisfied what has to be for them. :-) Thank you for sticking with me!

beautygirl: Late is better than never:-) Glad to have your good praises, and MORE glad that you're enjoying the story!

Knux: Met and know:-) If you want to see the original fan question that started it all, check out www'dot'peter-flynn'dot'com. Hope that comes out right! Just put in the dots where appropriate. (What I will do for a shameless plug:-))

letylyf: Thank you so much! For some reason, knowing I have a story that are better than the Harry Potter section somehow gives me a buzz. LOL. As for my French, oy, I know I am FAR from perfection! Four years of French in high school, and I don't remember a word of it. Really have to relearn; I miss it so much. Hence why I use it as sparsely as possible, sticking to names and some exclamations, stuff I know. :-) Thanks again!