To My reviewers: Amber Stag, Reven Eid, Heini, Silverian Rose, thank you! It's nice to know how much you are enjoying the story. And without further delay, here's chapter eight
Runaway
Chapter Eight
By Katrinachance
Weeks later
Henry did not return to Hautefort as Danielle had told him do to. Instead, he went to the family's winter home in Paris so he could be nearer to her. And so his mother wouldn't worry as much. His father wasn't too happy, but he didn't care. He was determined to win Danielle back. Jacqueline and Laurent were also staying at the winter home with Henry.
Danielle, on the other hand, seemed immune to Henry's attempts at getting her to come with him back to Hautefort and to forgive him. She was having too much fun with torturing Marguerite, who had been with them for several weeks now as a servant. Marguerite was beginning to mellow out, no longer the spoiled young woman she was when she first arrived at the chateau. She was beginning to realize all the things over the years that Danielle had done, and they were not always easy, but Marguerite was trying her best to acquiesce to the demands of her first, and she hoped last, employers.
Ariel was having fun torturing Marguerite as well. There were so many things the two sisters were making Marguerite do to get back at her for how she had treated Danielle.
Once a month Jacqueline and Laurent came from Paris to visit Danielle and Jacqueline took advantage of each trip to antagonize Marguerite as well, creating little situations that would put Marguerite to the test each time. Planning was underway for their wedding and Danielle and Ariel helped them out each time. And each time Jacqueline would bring a message from Henry and each time Danielle would read the message, laugh daintily, and throw the notes into the nearest fireplace. Jacqueline always commented that Danielle was playing hard to get and it was true. She wanted Henry to truly pay for how he had hurt her. But once that was accomplished, then and only then, would she forgive him.
On this day, Marguerite was in the upstairs hallway of the chateau, down on her knees, scrubbing the floor. Her hands quickly drew the scrub brush across the floor, cleaning the floor as fast as she could before Danielle or Ariel could come down the hall and insult her or create more work for her.
Marguerite knew she deserved it, but she still did not like it, at least not at the moment. She was growing used to her new life and she had humbled quite a bit in the past few weeks since her arrival at the Chateau. She had begun to work hard in the house after the first week and became very industrious. She cleaned, cooked, and tended to her new master and mistresses as quickly as she could.
As Marguerite reached the end of the hall, a shrill call came from downstairs. "Marguerite, to the study, now!" came the call of her master. She quickly dropped the scrub brush into the bucket of water, trying to be careful not to splash, and ran down the stairs. She arrived at the study and smoothed out her apron before entering.
Upon entering the room, Marguerite saw that the Earl was not alone. Another older man was sitting with him.
"Marguerite, have a seat please. We have a few things to discuss with you," Thomas said from his chair.
Marguerite nodded and sat down on a nearby ottoman, knowing that a chair like her master was sitting in was too good for her, a servant girl.
She raised her eyes to look at her master and wondered why she was called down here now. And she wondered who the man was sitting beside her master.
"Marguerite, we called you down here because we believed that even you were wronged by Rodmilla," Thomas said to her.
Marguerite was curious. How was she wronged? And where would they get that she had been wronged.
She looked at the elder gentleman closely from her chair. She could see the gentleness in the look on his face.
He turned to look at her and she looked closely at his eyes. His eyes were a bright green that caused her to shiver. She had seen eyes like that before, but she could not remember where she had seen them.