Chapter 10: Felimare

The last kitten from the second litter was Ludwig, and he definitely took after his mother, Ludoviska. They had the same orange pelt and green eyes. Ludwig had also picked up one of his mother's habits. When Ludoviska walked across the keys of the harpsichord, Ludwig had taken to following her, thus doubling the sounds of questionable "music."

Marie Madeleine would sometimes hold salons for her friends. Sometimes during a salon, she would bring out the cats and kittens to show off to her visitors. She liked to make sure they were well brushed before displaying them. Hoping this might be an opportunity to get the kittens adopted, she made sure to mention that her uncle was looking for homes for them. The cats were duly patted and admired, but for a while there were no volunteers to adopt them. Then one day, while Marie was having a salon with several ladies, Ludoviska walked right across the keys of the harpsichord. Then Ludwig got up and followed his mother across the keys, playing quite as many discordant notes as she did. Ludoviska soon grew tired of "playing" the instrument and jumped down to the floor. Ludwig, however, continued to "play" for some time, walking up and down the keys. The noise he produced was not exactly melodic, but it was certainly interesting. Some of the ladies gasped and frowned in disapproval. But one elderly widow named Adelaide found the whole display amusing and laughed uproariously. She then declared she would be happy to adopt Ludwig.

When he heard about this, Richelieu grumbled that this arrangement had been made without consulting him. Marie Madeleine retorted that the kittens needed to be adopted and he'd been procrastinating about the matter. She'd already had Milady de Winter to do some digging and she reported that Madame Adelaide was a wealthy, virtuous lady with no history of abusing animals. So, the cardinal allowed the lady to take Ludwig home, along with a light blue pillow, trimmed with blue ribbon, which Marie had made.

Now Richelieu only had nine cats. And Marie told him he should be content with that.

Richelieu had been traveling in his carriage with Rochefort, conducting various business arrangements. It was an ordinary enough day. They went into one building, conducted their business, and were just coming outside when it happened.

"Your Eminence, may I speak to you, please?"

It was Matilda, a young woman who was friends with Richelieu's maid Eponine. She looked nervous. She was carrying a large basket, possibly for shopping. She managed to curtsy without dropping the basket, leaving Richelieu almost impressed. "Your Eminence, I've heard that you are fond of cats."

Now Richelieu was interested.

Rochefort was not interested. He was not fond of cats. He resented the times when Richelieu sent him to look for a lost cat. He did not think it was good for the cardinal's reputation to have so many of them. He could not believe that gossip about this cat obsession had spread far enough that random people they met in the street knew about it! "His Eminence has more important matters to handle than talking to you about cats."

Richelieu held up a hand. "Let her speak."

Matilda looked surprised and relieved at the encouragement. "My cat recently had kittens. I don't have room to keep all of them and I've been trying to find homes for them. I've heard that you like cats and I wondered if you would like the smallest one."

She held up her basket. From the depths of the basket, a tiny, furry, tiger-striped face stared up at the cardinal. It placed one tiny white paw on the rim of the basket. It let out a small "Mew!"

The minute he heard that mew, Richelieu was hooked. "Of course!" Then he frowned into the basket. "But where are the others? You said your cat had a litter."

"There were three more in the litter, but I've already found homes for them."

"Oh." Richelieu looked disappointed, as if he'd hoped to adopt all the kittens in the litter.

Rochefort tried to interject. "His Eminence does not need your-"

"Quiet Rochefort!" Richelieu scowled at him, then smiled at Matilda. "I will be delighted to adopt this little-is it a boy or a girl?"

"Boy, your Eminence."

"Of course," Richelieu fished in his purse and pulled out several gold coins. "Will this be enough?"

Matilda looked slightly stunned at the amount. "Um, quite enough, your Eminence."

Rochefort desperately tried again. "Eminence, don't you already have enough cats?"

"Rochefort, if I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it." The woman took the money and the cardinal took the kitten. He then kissed Matilda's hand, making her blush, and thanked her so profusely one would have thought she had done a service for the good of France. He then got into his carriage, taking the kitten with him, with Rochefort following dejectedly.

Richelieu named the kitten Felimare. He was tiny, but still old enough that his eyes had turned green. His fur was light brown with darker stripes, though his feet were white, as if he were wearing little white boots.

"He looks like a little tiger, doesn't he?" Richelieu commented to Marie Madeleine.

Marie, however, was not impressed with the kitten's tiger like appearance. "Uncle Armand, we've talked about this-this-this addiction you seem to have. Whatever possessed you to get another cat when you already have too many of them?"

"Matilda needed to find a home for him. What was I supposed to say to her?"

"You were supposed to say 'I'm very sorry, but I already have enough cats, and I don't have room for anymore.' The words are not that difficult!"

"But she couldn't keep him! She was at least trying to find a home for him, which makes her a better person than the many people who abandon cats. You can't blame her for that!"

"I don't blame her at all! I put all the blame on you for not resisting temptation!"

"It won't be as bad as you think. Now that I live in the Petite Luxembourg, there's more room for the cats."

Marie Madeleine sighed. "I remember when the queen mother gave you the Petite Luxembourg. At the time, I thought you accepted it because it was such a fine mansion. Now I think you accepted it because it was big enough that you could justify getting more cats!"

Richelieu looked sheepish. "Both, actually."

"Uncle Armand, you are impossible!"

Just then Felimare spat up a hairball on the floor. Marie sighed. She just knew this new kitten was going to be trouble for all of them!

Marie Madeline still had not forgiven her uncle for bringing Felimare home, when he already had too many cats. She knew it was not the kitten's fault, so she tolerated him and was careful to be kind to him. But she still wished he was not there.

One day there was a party in the Louvre gardens. It was being held in honor of the queen mother, Marie de Medici, who had come to the Louvre to visit her son, the king. There were many flowers in bloom. There were drinks, fruits, pastries, and desserts. There was a group of musicians serenading the partygoers. As she was one of the queen mother's ladies in waiting, Marie Madeleine was one the many courtiers attending the garden party.

Her uncle was also attending. He had been staying at the Louvre for a couple of weeks at the king's request. As was his custom, he had brought the cats with him. They were supposedly being kept safely in his chamber, but, given past experience, Marie Madeline had no doubt at least one or two of them would get out sooner or later. However, she was less worried about this than she would have been in the past. After the incidents with Rubis sur l'Ongle, Gazette, and Ludo, King Louis and Queen Anne had become fond of the cardinal's cats. Marie actually thought she had glimpsed King Louis playing with Gazette!

Marie was standing under an oak tree, chatting with Claudette, another one of the queen mother's ladies in waiting, while they sipped cherry flavored fruit punch. Suddenly, they were approached by a person in bright orange.

Claudette smiled and greeted the woman. "Ah, Aimee! How are you? Have you met Marie Madeleine de Combalet? Marie, this is Aimee de Lambert. She and her husband have recently arrived at court."

"We've met before." Aimee smiled at Marie.

Marie's heart almost stopped. It was true. They had met before. Marie was not likely to forget the person who had caused her to trip and fall on a flight of stone steps, resulting in one of her teeth being knocked out!

Fortunately, it had been one of her baby teeth, and her adult tooth had grown in soon enough, replacing it. But the lost tooth was not the only incident. Marie and Aimee's families had moved in the same circles, and Marie had ended up spending more time with her than she would have liked. Aimee had bullied her during her childhood and her teen years. She had not seen Aimee for some time, but she was still able to recognize her. She didn't blame Claudette, who knew nothing about this history of bullying. She supposed she would have to be polite for Claudette's sake.

Aimee looked stunning. She was wearing an orange satin gown, trimmed with gold braid, with a very full skirt and a square neckline. She wore a full face of makeup, expertly applied in a way that emphasized her high cheekbones. Her dark brown hair was arranged in a fashionable hairstyle. Perhaps it was Marie's imagination, but the woman's brown hair seemed thicker and glossier than she remembered. During their girlhood, Aimee had had thin, wispy hair. But, after all, it had been years ago. People changed. Marie had heard that Aimee had married and had two children, and she'd heard that pregnancy sometimes gave a woman healthier hair. Perhaps Aimee's changes are not just physical. We were both young girls when I last saw her. Many people have bad habits in their youth that they grow out of in time. Perhaps she has become a nicer person, and I ought to give her a chance.

"Aimee," Marie forced herself to smile. "You look lovely." I don't actually think that much blanc de ceruse is lovely but I'm going to try to be nice.

"As do you." Aimee smiled back. "What a charming gown! I remember sleeves like that were very popular last summer."

This sounded a bit like a backhanded compliment. It sounded like Aimee was trying to draw attention to the fact that Marie's gown was not the latest fashion. But Marie had wanted to wear this gown. It was a very comfortable gown of dark blue silk, trimmed with Alencon lace. It was one of her favorite gowns and she did not get the chance to wear it very often. Uncle Armand had offered to pay for a new gown for her, but Marie did not see the point in spending extra money when she was already looking forward to wearing this one. Why should she have to change what she liked, wasting money and material, just because fashion changed like the weather?

Claudette changed the subject. "Marie, how is Felimare settling in?"

"He's fine. He was shy at first, but he's becoming bolder."

"I have to ask," Aimee's eyes sparkled. "Is it true your uncle now has twenty cats?"

It was just like Aimee to exaggerate. "He only has ten cats at the moment."

"Still, that is a lot of cats! It does seem odd that a clergyman would want so many cats when they are the familiars of witches."

Alright, subtly insulting Marie's dress was one thing. Insulting the innocent cats was quite another. Even though Marie herself thought her uncle had too many cats, she now felt the urge to defend both him and the animals. Forcing herself to keep her tone polite, she said, "Just because some cats can be the familiars of witches, doesn't mean they all are. I might also remind you that my uncle is a churchman. Do you really think a witch's familiar would be able to have the power to do much harm in his Christian household? Besides, they have done an excellent job dealing with the mice and rats."

"Ah," Claudette was interested. "I do so hate rats! Perhaps I should get a cat?"

This was a good opportunity. "If Uncle Armand's cats have any more kittens-which they probably will-I will let you know and you can have one."

"Would you? That would be splendid." Claudette beamed.

Aimee looked displeased that the cats were now being spoken of in positive terms. She changed the subject. "Marie, I was so sorry to hear about the death of your husband, Antoine. And after only two years of marriage. Such a tragedy."

"Thank you for your condolences." Perhaps Aimee was trying to be nice now?

Aimee went on, "I, myself, am so grateful to have married my dear husband, Constantin, the Comte de Lambert. We've had two sons already, and I had no difficulty conceiving."

"I'm very happy for you." And Marie was happy for her. But are you reproaching me for not having children?

Felimare had escaped the room in the Louvre where he was supposed to stay. Why were the humans so naïve that they thought they could keep him in one place? He found his way into the palace gardens. He saw the humans in the midst of the garden party and was curious. He climbed an oak tree, settling on a branch where he could see what happened without being seen.

He saw Marie Madeleine talking to a couple of other human females. He heard them speak about him and the other cats. He heard the human in orange talk about witches. His fur bristled. He was not quite sure what a witch was, but he gathered that the humans thought it was something bad. He then heard Marie speak in defense on behalf of him and the other cats, and felt a rush of affection for her (even if he still didn't understand what this witch business was about). He decided he would ask Lucifer later.

The humans continued talking. Felimare noticed Marie's body language and saw that she seemed to be getting increasingly uncomfortable. He did not like that. Marie was Richelieu's niece, and Richelieu was his human. In Felimare's opinion, this made her part of Felimare's own family. That put her under his protection. He observed that the female in orange seemed to be causing her discomfort. He continued to watch them carefully.

Eventually Claudette wandered off to speak to another friend, comfortably oblivious to the fact that leaving Marie Madeleine alone with Aimee was not a good idea.

With Claudette no longer there as a witness, Aimee's intrusive remarks seemed to become sharper. She commented on Marie's wardrobe, her hair, her lack of children, her family, her uncle's policies as First Minister, his influence over the king, his cats, and how Aimee thought having so many cats made a man seem eccentric. Now she was talking about Marie's widowhood. "It's been six years since Antoine died, hasn't it? Why haven't you remarried?"

Marie told the truth. "Because I have no desire to do so."

Aimee went on as if she hadn't spoken. "Is it hard to find someone? Your husband died after only two years; are men afraid that's an unlucky sign? Or is it just harder to find someone now? Your age is beginning to show in your face, you know. You're what, twenty-four now?"

"Yes, I'm twenty-four, the same age as you."

"Yes, but I'm married and I've already had two children. It's so good to get married and have children when you're young; it gets more difficult the older you get." She gave Marie a pointed look.

There were a lot of things Marie wanted to say to Aimee. Uncle Armand has wanted to arrange a second marriage for me. He's had a few candidates in mind. He would have arranged it if I agreed. I told him no. I was married once, I was happy enough, and I don't want to do it again. I'll see Antoine again in heaven, but I while I'm on earth I prefer to remain single. I do think it is possible for women to be happy whether they are married or not. I've found I'm actually very comfortable being single. I have family, friends, and hobbies. I like children, but I don't need to give birth to them to be fulfilled. If marriage and motherhood bring you such happiness, that is good, but why must you look down on me for living my life differently?

All of this was true, but she felt frozen and unable to say these things. She felt like a child again, unable to stand up to Aimee. She had been wrong to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. Aimee had not matured; she had merely changed her tactics. Whereas before she would make Marie trip and fall, she now used hurtful words. When they were children, Aimee had made her feel pathetic, and she was doing it all over again now.

"You might want to-AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Aimee shrieked like a child. Something dropped down from above and landed on her head. Something was moving on top of her head, making hissing, spitting noises. Aimee was trying to grab at the thing. As she grabbed for it, her body swayed, and she began to totter on her high heeled shoes. She fell on the ground, landing on her backside. The moving thing fell off her head and landed on the ground beside her.

Marie looked down. It was Felimare. His teeth were clamped onto a wig of thick, luxuriant, brown tresses.

Marie looked up. Aimee was gasping and clutching at her head, where her thin, wispy brown hair was now on display. So that's why her hair looked so much thicker and more luxuriant than I remembered. It was just a wig!

Several people were now staring at Aimee. A few people were whispering. A few more were snickering.

Marie managed not to laugh, but it was difficult. She bent down, took the wig from Felimare, and held it out to Aimee. Aimee snatched it and jammed it back on her head. This did not stop the snickering. Aimee got up off the ground, her orange skirt sporting a few grass stains, and stormed off.

Marie picked up Felimare. Holding the cat to her chest, she whispered, "Thank you." Then she walked off with the kitten in her arms.

Eventually she made her way to a garden bench, where she sat down, and settled the kitten on her lap. "If I were a better, more respectable person, I'd probably scold you for what you did to Aimee, but the truth is that I am grateful. You really are like a little tiger. In both appearance and personality." Felimare seemed to take this as a compliment, and snuggled up against Marie's chest. She began to pat him.

She was still feeling the sting of Aimee's words. Marie really was happy with her life and did not want to remarry. She wished that other people would not make assumptions and judge her for it. She found herself telling Felimare all of her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. The kitten listened patiently. He did not interrupt, the way a human would, but merely let out comforting, rumbly purrs. For such a small kitten, he had a surprisingly loud purr. Marie continued to pat him, and he purred even more loudly. Marie scratched Felimare under his chin. "I'm glad Uncle Armand brought you home."

Marie Madeleine ended up sewing a cushion for Felimare made of sea green velvet, to match his eyes, and trimmed it with gold braid.

Notes:

The kitten Ludwig, who is mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, walking on the harpsichord keys, is a nod to both Ludwig Van Beethoven, and the film Aristocats.

Marie Madeleine did hold salons (that was what they called social gatherings of the time). I admit, the part about her arranging a kitten's adoption during a salon is my own invention.

If my research is correct, Cardinal Richelieu did have a tiger stripped cat named Felimare.

Regarding Aimee's remarks about Marie's age, twenty-four is not old and it is certainly not too old to get married or have children. However, in the seventeenth century, women tended to get married and have children at younger ages than they would today. Lifespans in general tended to be shorter, and people had a different view of what counted as "old," particularly regarding the marriageable age of women. Furthermore, I imagine Aimee to have the personality of a stereotypical mean girl from high school, even though she is technically an adult who should know better.

Historically, Marie Madeleine de Vignerot was sixteen when she married Antoine de Beauvoir du Roure, Marquis de Combalet. Two years later, he was killed during the French Wars of Religion. Marie was left a widow at eighteen, and she initially wanted to become a nun. However, he uncle, Cardinal Richelieu, put a stop to these plans and arranged for her to become a lady in waiting to Marie de Medici. It seems a bit ironic that he did not want her to enter religious life, even though he himself was a churchman. He also wanted to arrange an advantageous second marriage for her, but Marie refused to marry again. She kept busy and found happiness in other ways. If my research is correct, her activities included, but were not limited to the following. She was devoted to charity. She worked with Saint Vincent de Paul and helped him establish the Bicetre Hospital for foundlings. She provided patronage to artists and mathematicians, including another Marie, Marie Crous. When Richelieu died, he arranged for Marie Madeleine to act on behalf of his grandnephew, the new Duc de Richelieu, who was still too young to fulfill his duties. At one point, she acted as governor of the port of Le Havre.

Matilda, Claudette, and Aimee are all OCs.