SCENE TWENTY SIX Isle d' Tresor –

"Madame? Madame Ani?" Mariamne and Zuleika, Antoinette's companions since her childhood at her stepfather's mansion in Marseilles called out, one after the other, from the doorway of the nursery Ani was just beginning to decorate.

"Bon jour, mes chers? Se que est-ce que c'est vous souhaiter? What is it you wish?"Ani asked them.

" Bon jour, Madame Ani. Madame, a delegation of ladies from this …comment t'on dit? Ah oui, from this neighboring district, has arrived to discuss with you the Ball to be held here next month." Zuleika answered.

"Mais, madame, we can send them away for now, since you are quite involved with things far more important." Mariamne suggested.

" Non, non c'est bon, ma cher. I was expecting such a visit." Ani nodded. "But not necessarily today. Ah, well. My purpose in part regarding the ball is to return the many gestures of friendship Miguel and I have received since we relocated to this graceful old town. Mari, please ask Cook to send tea and cakes up to my drawing room. And Zulei, please ask this delegation of ladies to wait for me there. I've been rushing around so this morning. And I want to make a good impression on them."

"Oui, madame." both young women answered and left on their separate errands.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Antoinette greeted a dozen of her neighbors, some of whom had come to Miguel's clinic with one minor ailment or another, the rest having met Ani at their local markets, soirees and festivals. All were elegantly fashionable, their families or husbands well off enough with the rebuilding boom in the region to enjoy all the latest styles from Godey's, Paris Mode and other sources of haut coutre. All were cultured, if not highly educated women, very much involved with and interested in the ways their town, their state, their region, and the whole South was still changing, almost eight years after the War's end. And all of them were brought up much as Antoinette had been, in a culture that did not allow such refined ladies to leave their homes without their 'lady's companions. But where Zuleika and Mariamne were free-born granddaughters of freedwomen in Europe, the lovely 'negresses' who accompanied her neighbors were less than a decade away from slavery.

"Signora de Cervantes, I'm so glad to meet you at last. I'm Alexandra Tobias, and I've been away from Richmond, traveling with my husband this winter. But our friends and neighbors have told me so much about you I feel that we're also friends." A tall, slender bright auburn haired woman said, standing up as Antoinette entered her drawing room.

"Enchantez, Madame Tobias." Ani said, taking the redhead's hand.

"Signora, please, call me Alex, all our friends do so."

"Gracias, Alex, in that case, please call me Ani. Now, mes amis, what did you wish to know about the Grand Balle I have I mind?" Antoinette asked.

"We're so excited about it, Ani." The next woman in the group, a willowy blonde named Jessamyn Buchanan smiled. "Are you still planning it as a masked, costume ball?"

"Vraiment. They're more elaborate, but in a way, more relaxing. One can be so pleasantly …anonymous, in one sense. One can be another person entirely for one evening, like the story of Cinder-Ella I loved as a girl. Now, my main theme when I've held such affairs in the past has been The Court at Versailles, the Courts of Louis XIII and Louis Quatorze as in the stories of Messrs. Dumas pere et fils. But you need not limit yourselves to that era, of course." Ani explained.

"Oh, but that era is so romantic!" Another visitor exclaimed, a dark haired younger woman, Alexis Edmonson, who'd become Ani's friend along with her mother, Rebecca. "All the silks and satins and fans… all the rapiers and duels and … Oh, how silly I must sound! We … we just haven't had a party like this in some time."

"Well, rapiers were more used in later times, Ally." her aunt, Althea Chamberlain, a fair haired, bright eyed older woman noted. "You may be thinking of the court of Louis Sixteenth, my girl. Ani's suggesting the time of the Sun King and before him, the period of the Four Musketeers, I believe."

"That's so." Ani nodded. "But as I said, you're free to dress according to your favorite period or story, mes chers. I know that Zara, and Eleanor, Alys, Eleora and Leah, par example, most favor the time of Elizabeth I and Mister Shakespeare."

"You're right about that, Ani. The costumes from Elizabethan times are either much fancier or a whole lot simpler to design." Leah Cooper, a tall honey haired widow, still in late mourning clothes answered. "And as much as I still cherish my dear heart's memory, and always shall, I will be glad to dress up for an evening, very glad. And so will my cousins, won't you, ladies?"

"Oh, we surely will!" Zara Fairholm, Leah's cousin, Eleanor Cooper, Leah's sister in law, Alys Bromley and Eleora Burnham chorused, laughing.

"Ani, we also noted you're holding an auction for the benefit of our Richmond veterans, their families and the work needed on the Hollywood Cemetary, where so many of our lost beloved boys are laid to rest, now." Thea Woodson, a slight, soft spoken fair haired woman, and Ani's first friend in Richmond added. "Well, Rowena and I are going to suggest something that will be somewhat more controversial, but may very well raise more funds. Rowena, love, why don't you tell Ani our idea?"

"Thanks, dearest, I will." Rowena Fairholm, another slender blonde and the acknowledged leader of this informal Ladies Society agreed. "Ani, we actually know of something like this being done more than once during the Conflict. And as much as it raised some eyebrows, it worked very well at raising much needed funds. The idea then was to allow the gentlemen present at a party or a dance to bid for a dance with one of the women in attendance. But our idea is to reverse that, which I know some of you will find even more shocking. Our idea is to let the ladies at Ani's Grande Balle Royale bid to dance or to have supper with one of the fine gentlemen attending."

The whole group broke into nervous giggles, and then hushed at one glance from Rowena. "Well, I can see all y'all like the idea. Ani, do you agree that it might help the cause even more than auctioning off our plain old supper baskets or jewelry or other, less interesting items?"

Antoinette glanced sharply at Rowena for a moment, wondering if somehow the story about her first 'Balle Royale' had made its way to the gossip circles of Richmond. But the widow Fairholm had no reputation as a gossip, and in fact often declared she abhorred that ' loathsome activity of bored, generally useless and envious people'.

"Rowena, ma cher ami, I believe you have hit on an excellent notion." Ani agreed, looking directly at the older woman. "Of course it would never have occurred to me to ask my friends and neighbors to auction their gems, even for the best Cause. After all, some unscrupulous person might try to abscond with items of jewelry they foolishly believe have more than sentimental value in this sad, modern age."

"Yes, of course you're right, Antoinette dear." Rowena nodded, smiling tautly. "It's so incredibly difficult these days when one is forced to actually hire additional help for a party or ball. Haven't you found it trying, seeking for trustworthy persons willing to take on temporary service? One almost gives up the idea of having parties under such conditions. Did you have similar problems out in the western territories, before you came here?"

"Non, non, not at all, Rowena. But then, we lived most often at Los Miraboles, mon mari's grandmere's estate near Santa Barbara. And there the staff were descendants of the servants who came with that grand old lady when she came from Spain to married in old Mexico. So theirs were the families, along with our own, who had been part of that beautiful old estate for close to four generations." Ani answered, hiding a frown. If her most influential neighbor was in the act of proving herself to be a terrible snob, it was best she find it out now.

"And to be honest, I've had no trouble whatever in finding additional staff here in Richmond whenever I had need, either for my lab or Miguel's clinic or our home. Indeed, while I was hiring additional household staff to help our guests, to get us through the holidays, and in preparation for the ball, I was shocked to hear some of them had actually been turned away. They'd sought honest employment with numerous households in this old city, only to be turned away because of some entirely unfathomable bias against mulattoes, Creoles and quadroons."

The group of ladies gasped, except for Rowena Fairholm and Eleanora Cooper, and Antoinette nodded to herself. Then she had to work to keep from giggling outloud, when Eleanora's cousin Leah blushed bright red and tried to explain their reaction.

"Ani dearest, I'm afraid we've given you exactly the wrongest impression you could have. But I'm afraid you might not understand the connotations carried by certain … ways of referring to … well, certain groups of … of persons. You weren't raised in the Lower South, after all and in that region, especially on the Delta and in N'Orleans one particular … umm… social grouping … well, they have always lived rather a sub rosa existence. So it can be a matter of no little controversy… "

"Because in New Orleans and most of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama," Ani interjected, a bit coldly. "Quadroon is a term used in particular to describe and demarcate persons with a …multi-racial heritage, non? And similar abritrary, but codified social divisions have existed for more than one hundred and fifty years regarding mulattoes, octoroons and even persons of French and Spanish Creole lineage. Unfortunately, I'm all too well aware of such conditions in this country, as my own maman would have been considered French Creole by those who insist on denigrating persons of multi-national descent.

And she would have easily accepted that Creole label. Because in her time, it merely meant a person with native born French parents, who was born in one of the French Empire's many colonies, including those in the West Indies, and maman was born in Haiti. Indeed, at that time, the term Creole as used in Louisianna purposefully excluded persons of color. And I'm sure you're all aware that more recently the term creole has been extended to describe almost anything having to do with N'Orleans. But I beg your pardon, mesdames. I did not intend to deliver a sociological or historical lecture this afternoon."

"No, that's alright, Ani." Jessamyn Buchanan insisted. "But you were saying Miguel's family was in California for four generations, really? Why how fascinating. That would mean … I gather, a household, and a family going back to the Spanish … explorers. Oh, hello, how are you today, Doctor de Cervantes?"

" Muy bueno, gracias, Senora Buchanan. And my family does go back to Los Conquistadores, you're quite correct." Miguel said, walking into the room. "Pardon the interruption, dear ladies. I find I'm in grave need of ma cher femme's sage advice."

Ani glanced at her husband, who wore one of his most best 'entirely innocent' expressions, which told her he was up to all sorts of mischief. "Please excuse me, my dear friends. This should only take a moment or two." Antoinette said and followed Miguel into his study, conveniently next door.

"Mon vrai coeur, what is the matter? I thought you abhorred the gatherings I hold with my new friends here in Richmond, especially those like today where no gentlemen are invited." Ani asked, when her husband took the unusual measure of closing the door behind them, thinking Miguel suddenly looked far too serious to be playing one of his pranks.

"I do, ma vrai coeur, and I hate people who interrupt social gatherings the way I just interrupted yours." Miguel nodded, frowning. "However, there are several matters I've become increasinly concerned with in the few weeks since James Randolph visited with us and Torry. And yet, you've shown no comparable concern, so I'm forced to ask myself, and ask you if I'm worrying about nothing at all."

"Very well, Miguel. What troubles you?"Antoinette probed, hiding a smile because she knew what at least one of his concerns was.

'my dearest, my first concern is that in the time period under discussion, you've started to avoid eating almost all your favorite meals. Cook was the one who brought this to my attention, fact. And she's understandably bewildered, as you've always loved her quiche Lorraine, her arroz con pollo, her eclairs, her crème brulee, her porridges and her boullebaise. Yet as I noted myself once Cook spoke to me, nowadays you turn away all of those dishes and many more when they're presented in her best style and finest execution. That then is my first concern, ma plus cher femme. Can you alievate it somehow?" Miguel demanded.

"Bien sur, mon plus cher mari, but let me know all of your concerns, s'il tu plait, so I can rid you of them all at one stroke." Ani suggested.

"Oh, very well. My second concern dearest wife is that you have more and more often in the past few weeks closeted yourself in one of the guest rooms down the hall from our … boudoir. It is no more than five yards down that hallway on the right. I see Mariamne, Zuleika, Mered and sometimes Persis as well as the newest members of the household… Marisol, Teleri and … young… Jessy I believe is that youngster's name… the one with bright blue eyes…" Miguel hesitated, uncomfortable at the prospect of getting household staffer's names mixed up.

"Vraiment. Well, mon mari, you see these members of our household, what do you find unusual in that regard?" Ani asked.

"As I was just about to tell you, Antoinette, ma cher." Miguel protested.
" I see these young women trudging in and out of that small room, which I have always thought was far too small for a guest room, anyway. I see them carrying baskets, basins, and buckets of almost every description, as well as what look to me like rolls of paper or fabric, and numerous large crates as well. But I see nothing coming out again when any of those women leave! And I begin to think you've made some bizarre new addition to what Mr. Gordon wrongly labeled our 'zoo'. I begin to wonder if you've brought into our house, this house we share with our only son, some creature that subsists on fabric, wallpaper, cans of glue, willow baskets and slats of wood!"

Antoinette couldn't help giggling now. Miguel's wide grey-blue eyes were as wide as demi-tasse saucers, and his voice was at its highest pitch. 'mon mari, mon vrai coeur, non, non. N't' disquiet pas, mon cher! The small room you mention, my ladies and I are preparing for an equally small personne, Miguel. And now I see that I must relieve your mind on these two questions before I ask what more has you worried. Come, mon cher, and sit with me un moment, s'il tu plait."

Miguel frowned and looked to his spouse as if he was about to refuse her invitation. He peered at Ani as if he had her under his microscope for a long moment and then sat down as abruptly as if the carpet had been pulled out under his feet. But then he grinned and whooped like a schoolboy granted an unexpected recess. "Antoinette! Ma plus cher, et plus belle … ma vrai coeur! Est ce que tu c'est enciente, encore?"

"Oui." Ani nodded, grinning back. "We shall have another child, my dearest heart, most likely from my own calculations, this coming September And if you do not mind too much, Miguel, I am very much hoping for a daughter, this time. Well, have you nothing more to say, nothing more to ask me, my loyal heart?'

"September? This coming September?" Miguel echoed. "A daughter, Ani? A little girl?"

"I am sure of the month, my dearest. I can only wish for a daughter and pray for either our new daughter or son to be whole, sound and just as healthy as Micah Diego has been, since his birth." Antoinette said, and kissed her husband happily. 'mais, was there some other concern you wished to discuss with me this afternoon, Miguel?"

"No, no. Nothing whatever, dearest one. I am only concerned now for your health and that of l' enfant. You must cease a good half of the work you've been doing, Ani. You must rest and take your ease with only such things and people that please you and wish you entirely well, my love." Miguel insisted, shaking his head,and kissing her back warmly.

"Mon cher, I am not made of porcelain. Nor do I wish to have your worries kept from me, mon cher mari. We are still a well working team, are we not? We still do far better when we put our heads together, non? Also, I do not need to become bed-ridden. Indeed, I believe we learned from the time of waiting for Micah Diego, that the less I do, the less content and healthy I and therefore the baby will be, est ce que t' n' comprends pas ceci?" Ani demanded.

"Oui, ma vrai coeur, j'l' comprend bien, tres bien." Miguel sighed. Never once had he been able to deny her, much less keep any secret from her more significant than a birthday present.

"Then sit back down with me and tell me the rest of your worries, or I shall be quite annoyed and spend the rest of the day with those chattering, gossiping, medieval minded snobs in the next room!" Ani told him, laughing.

"I thought those snobs with the medieval mind set were your cherished new friends here in Richmond." Miguel offered.

"So did I. Now I am not sure, well, not sure of some of them. No doubt Le Grande Balle Royale will help to sort them out. Yes, I believe we will learn a great deal about our neighbors and the rest of our friends on that evening." Antoinette predicted. "Now, Miguel, cheri, what worries you so much about our friends that you don't wish to tell me about it?"

Miguel sighed again. "You can read my mind, after all, can't you, my love?"

"Non, non. I can read your eyes after all this time, and quite well. But they are, and always have been so eloquent, mon cher. So which of our friends who used to be our adversaries … Miguel! It is Torry, is it not?"Ani exclaimed.

"Yes." Miguel sighed. 'torry's having so much trouble sleeping since his uncle's visit he even admitted as much to Jacques and myself. He'll give us no specifics, no matter how we pressed the issue. But he is suffering a new siege of frightening dreams, to the extent that he doesn't sleep at all, some nights. And I'm afraid Torry would sleep even less, if he knew what the rest of his friends have planned for the week of your Grande Balle."

"Bien sur. They mean to bring M'sieur Grant to see Torry, non? They mean for L' President to encourage his protégé regarding the surgery Torry is still refusing." Ani nodded, surprising her husband yet again.

"This new house of ours seems to be filled with the same old gossips, ma cher." Miguel complained. "But you are right. President Grant fully intends to make an appearance before, during or soon after your costume ball. And that is why Thomas, Jeremy and Artemus have been so insistent that one of them sit in on the hiring of new staff for Isle d' Tresor, and for the ball, especially. "

Someone knocked on the other door to the study, and Ani went to answer it, while she wondered what her neighbors and friends were discussing in her absence.

"Bon jour, mes amis." Ani smiled as Jacques and Artie appeared in the back hallway. "You wished to speak with us about more …comment t'on dit?… security issues regarding L' President's visit to Isle d' Tresor, non?"

"Bien sur." Artie answered looking somewhat bemused. 'thomas asked us to 'brief' you two, but it's just a formality, really. You already know what our concerns are. So we're just here to tell you how we'd usually handle social events like this masked ball that the Man means to attend if at all possible. In fact he's already clearing his schedule, as he told Frank and Colonel Richmond. And when the President says he's clearing his schedule, that means he pushes anything and everything aside that falls short of a national disaster. So he will be here sometime that week, if not on the same night as your ball."

"Grant takes Richmond, encore." Miguel quipped. "But, why are you worried about the President finally visiting with Torry, Artemus? Surely you know we are no security threat to Mister Grant at this late stage in our truce?"

"Of course I know that, Doctor. We're not worried about you, or Ani, or the President. We're worried about our increasingly touchy,increasingly monosyllabic, not to say withdrawn young partner. Jim's stated numerous times that he still doesn't believe the President should meet with him, again, ever." Artie answered.

"Torry's saying that, even though he's constantly making strides away from the inhuman patterning Messrs. Boudin and Aynlsey gave him?" Antoinette took her turn to ask.

"Vraiment." Jacques nodded glumly. "James is not yet convinced and G-d alone knows when or if he ever will be convinced that he presents no danger to M'sieur l' President at this point."

"So you're not planning on telling Torry that Grant may call on him sometime soon, until and unless you feel required to do so?" Miguel guessed. "He won't much like that, my friends."

"Vraiment." Artie and Jacques answered, both frowning.

"That magnet for disaster I call my partner, Jim West doesn't have to like it. But I'm hoping to G-d he'll feel like he still has to take the President's direct orders on this." Artie added.

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