Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long to write…I hope everyone is still enjoying this story and I promise, I am going somewhere fun with all of this! And please, tell me what you think! I love reviews!
Over the next week I saw much more of Henri than I had ever thought possible. He came out of his room once or twice every day, and on these occasions he was found one step behind my daughter, doing whatever she was doing. She taught him the magic tricks I had showed her, she played on the piano with him, and she even convinced him to go horseback riding now and then.
Christine could not stop thanking CJ and I, and whenever she was parted with Henri, Bernadette as well. She was so bubbling with praise I thought she was going to burst. She was also very thankful for the tutelage she was receiving form us, and she informed us that it was her turn for the book club to meet at her house that Thursday.
"You are invited to join us, or course, CJ," she smiled at CJ,
CJ sighed, "Alright, I'll join you," and she looked sidelong at me, and by her expression I could tell that she had no desire to sit in a room full of tea drinking aristocrats and hear their half wit analysis of her own novel. I hid my laughter slightly as I thought of seeing CJ along side a bunch of stuffy old nags.
When the day came, the ladies arrived promptly, and CJ and I watched them come in from the window in the foyer; CJ looked at me as though I had sold her to the enemy,
"It can't be that bad," I said to her, laughing,
"Oh what a marvelous vase! You have to tell me all about it!" a shrill voice said as the group of women entered, and CJ glared at me,
"Maybe it can be that bad," I said to her, still laughing,
She slapped my arm, "I blame you for this," she said, then she heaved a sigh, "Well, I have to go; if I don't come back in an hour, you have to come in and rescue me,"
I kissed her quickly goodbye and watched her walk over to Christine,
"Ladies," Christine beamed as CJ approached, "This is Candice Joselyn Phann; a very good friend of mine,"
"You can call me CJ," she said, addressing the ladies,
"What a peculiar name," said the eldest of the woman, and she did not bother to hide her apparent disgust for CJ's appearance in her tone of voice,
"I was going to say the same thing about that hat you are wearing; but I though as a lady it was better not to mention that it looks…hideous," CJ said mildly with out missing a beat. I laughed under my breath from the corner I had slunk into so as to spy on them. This was something I had not done intentionally in years, and I had planned on taking a walk that day, but I decided at this moment this was something I could not miss,
When Christine led the woman into the tea room, I followed at a safe distance and planted myself outside where I could hear them but they could not see me.
"Well, why don't you tell us more about yourself?" the same cruel woman with the ugly hat spoke to CJ as they all sat down, "what does your husband do?"
"How is telling you what my husband does telling you something about me?" CJ asked, "Wouldn't it be just telling you something about my husband?"
"It let's us know what kind of a life you lead," the woman responded coldly, "I have never heard of the name Phann before, what nationality is it?"
Ha, I laughed, my last name was made up by a slightly crazed police captain,
"I don't know what nationality it is," CJ said calmly,
"Really?" the woman feigned interest but could not disguise her cruel excitement as a situation which could be potentially humiliating for CJ, "And what does he do again?"
"He is a police lieutenant," CJ said proudly,
"Oh my! A working man? And only a lieutenant?" the woman laughed, "I admire you Madame Phann; if my husband had such a job, I would hardly be able to show my face in public!" she laughed, "Now Christine, how is that son of yours? Still locking himself in his room?"
"Well, he is still rather shy, but…" Christine responded but the woman interrupted her,
"Still shy? What a pity; you know what my son did last week? Oh it was marvelous! He won a fencing championship! Do you remember, Christine, when the boys were younger and your Raoul insisted that you enter your son in the fencing tournament along with mine? And then before his first match your son got sick all over one of the judges and had to leave? What a moment! I will never forget it!" she laughed wickedly,
"Oh, Madame DuPont," Christine interjected, "that is a lovely dress you are wearing," she was trying to turn the subject,
"Yes, it is lovely is it not?" Madame DuPont addressed CJ again, "It is the latest fashion from Paris; what do you think of it Madame Phann? Not that you will know much about fashion; I do not think such knowledge spreads to the…lower classed," there was a murmur of agreement from the aristocratic ladies around her,
"Oh I absolutely agree with you, I hardly know a thing about fashion," CJ said, and I recognized her tone from the interrogation room; it was the one she used right before she cracked the mind of whomever we were questioning right open,
"I am afraid that it takes much more to stimulate me than frills and bows, but I understand you ladies of the upper class have much less actual education and therefore have no idea what you are missing in the real world," CJ paused to let this sink in, "But I will say, since you asked Madame DuPont, I really do think that dress is stunning; the way the fabric is and the way the bodice is cut, I can hardly even tell that you are pregnant,"
"Father?" a whisper at my elbow made me jump,
"God, Bernadette,' I gasped, "You startled me,"
"What are you doing?" she asked me,
"Spying on your mother; she is in with Christine's book club," I responded in a whisper,
"Henri told me about them," Bernadette whispered back, "he said they were always very cruel to his mother; they call her stupid and they always brag about the things their children do, knowing that Henri does not compete with them,"
"Well now they have a new target," I said,
"How is Mother doing?" Bernadette asked,
"She just told one of them she looked pregnant,'
Bernadette stifled her laughter, "Can I listen with you?"
I nodded and motioned for her to stand next to me so she could hear,
"How did I get out of joining this book club?" Bernadette asked me suddenly,
"Your mother thought you were too young to die," I said sarcastically under my breath, and Bernadette gave another short laugh,
"Madame Phann, I am not pregnant," Madame DuPont said angrily, despite the attempts of several others to change the subject she would not let CJ's comment go,
"Really?" CJ said slyly, "Than perhaps you should think twice about that crumpet you are holding?" Bernadette and I both nearly died of silent laughter,
"You little pauper! How dare you speak to me like that! Do you have any idea who I am?" Madame DuPont yelled,
"Yes," CJ said calmly, "You are a cranky old self important nag, and you have no other form of validation in your life so you cling to trying to make others feel as low and unimportant as you do,"
"I will not be spoken to like that by a police man's wife," Madame DuPont shrieked, trying desperately to draw an insult from what she knew did not seem to phase CJ at all, "Christine, I demand that this woman leave our book club at once,"
There was a pause, "Christine," Madame DuPont said in an irritated voice, "She has to leave; I insist, and you do not want to upset me; you do not have enough friends for that,"
Christine did not say anything for a long moment and I was beginning to wonder if she had fainted or something when I finally heard her speak, "I will not," she said,
"Pardon me?" Madame DuPont sounded enraged,
"CJ and her family are good friends of mine and I will not make her leave," Christine's voice grew stronger as she spoke, "I do, however, think you should leave my house at once Madame DuPont,
"Well I never!" Madame DuPont sounded scandalized, "Christine, I always thought you were a daft girl, but I never suspected you were this moronic,"
"Moronic, a three syllable word, I did not think you knew any, Madame DuPont," Christine said, and I remembered going over how to count the syllables in a word with her, "Now please leave," she spoke firmly now,
"If you make me go, you can consider your social life dead; what will your husband say about that?" Madame DuPont threatened,
"At least I will not look pregnant in my dress," Christine shot back, and I have to admit I was impressed; I had not known she had had it in her
"I am leaving!" Madame DuPont yelled, "Come along girls," but by the fact that I did not hear the sounds of chairs moving backwards or springs being relieved of their weight, none of the other girls moved,
"So this is how it is?" Madame DuPont, "Well, if you would all rather stay with the poor girls, than fine! But you will regret this!" and she stormed off, walking through the doors and past Bernadette and I, who had quickly pretended as though we had not been listening to the whole affair,
When she was gone we listened again,
"She had quite a temper," Christine sighed,
"I do not think we should judge her too harshly," CJ said, catching everyone off guard, "I mean after all," she paused, "We all know that pregnancy can make you act strangely," there was a burst of laughter from the other room, which was good because it covered mine and Bernadette's which we could hold back no longer,