Let Them Have Cake (12 page)

             
“Your Majesty, are you certain that a play about your
family in
Austria
will make you happy? Sometimes you get lonely for them and I’m concerned it will cause you melancholy,” Genevieve ventured.

             
“Of course, my dear. You are right. Let us think of something else,” the Queen replied. “Anne-Marie. Do you have any thoughts? Something joyful.”

             
“Oh, my. I don’t know of any plays.”

             
“Come now, Anne-Marie. You are usually full of ideas.”

             
Anna realized she’d better come up with something fast or risk being discovered an imposter. “Well...let’s do a play about a beautiful Princess. She lives in a huge castle with her father, her wicked stepmother, and her two stepsisters. Her father loves her but the stepmother and the stepsisters are jealous of her because she is so beautiful.”

             
Queen Marie Antoinette was listening closely to Anna. “Go on, please, Anne-Marie. I, of course, must be the Princess.”

             
Anna was getting all the old fairy tales she’d heard as a child mixed up with Shakespeare, but continued with the proposal.

             
“But of course, Madame. Well, the wicked stepmother poisons an apple and feeds it to the Princess--we’ll name her Juliet--and Juliet falls into a deep sleep.”

             
Monique sits on the floor at Anna’s feet, listening intently.

             
Anna continued, “The wicked stepmother wants to get rid of Juliet so she calls upon eight small men that work around the castle and instructs them to take her out into the woods to a cabin she knows is there. They are to place her in the cabin and leave her.”

             
“Oh, what an evil stepmother!” said Monique.

             
“They do as they are told, but they take turns keeping watch over her so no harm comes to her as she sleeps.”

             
Anna looked around the room and saw that all eyes were upon her.

             
“Please go on, Anne-Marie,” Queen Marie Antoinette instructed.

             
“Then, one day, a handsome Prince rides into the kingdom upon a magnificent chestnut stallion. He approaches the castle and tells one of the stepsisters that he is looking for the beautiful Princess that is fabled to live there. The stepsister giggles and says that she is the Princess. The handsome Prince tells her she can’t possibly be the one. He is looking for the Princess with the high forehead, the alabaster skin, and the beautiful mouth with the lower lip that sticks out appealingly.”

             
“Oh! The handsome Prince is looking for me! What happens next,” the Queen asked.

             
“Fortunately, one of the workmen that had been watching over Juliet overheard the conversation and approaches the Prince
when the stepsister goes inside the castle to tell her mother. The workman leads the Prince to where Juliet sleeps. He wakes her with a kiss, sweeps her up in his arms, and lifts her onto his horse. Together they ride off to his kingdom and live happily ever after.”

             
Queen Marie Antoinette let out little yelps of glee and clapped her hands together delightedly.

             
“Anne-Marie. You’ve done it again. It is perfect and makes me very happy. Come, Monique, let us go to my room and search for the perfect Princess dress for me to wear in my role. Genevieve, you assign the others to their parts. Make certain that you assign one of the stepsisters to wear the ‘pelican’ on her teeth, just like the dentist used to put on mine to make them straighter.”

Chapter Twelve

             
“I don’t want to be one of the stepsisters, Anne-Marie.” Monique whined. “Is there not some other part? Why do you have so few women in the play? I don’t want to be the wicked stepmother, either.”

             
“Well, someone has to play the sisters and the mother. Genevieve doesn’t want to, either. You know that the Queen must be the beautiful Princess and there isn’t a story if there aren’t stepsisters. Please?” Anna begged.

             
“I suppose you are right. We’ll play the stepsisters. But, we don’t have to be ugly, do we? Can’t we be pretty but not as pretty as the Princess?” Genevieve asked.

             
“Of course. You could never be ugly, anyway.”

             
“Who is going to be the mother?” Monique looked at Genevieve and they both began to giggle. “I know. It should be Monsieur Roleau.”

             
“Why do you say that?” asked Anna.

             
“Oh, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how like a woman he
is at times.”

             
“Do you mean because he is so gentle and artistic? Shh... Here he comes.”

             
Jacques stepped reluctantly into the kitchen where the women were gathered. He hung his head and blushed bright red.

             
“Madame Toussaint. I mean, Anne-Marie. Are you ready to go for a horseback ride? I have the horses outside.”

             
“Oh. Monsieur Roleau. I had forgotten,” Anna replied.

             
He looked stricken, bowed and turned to leave.

             
“Wait. Yes, I can go for a little ride. Monique, Genevieve, will you continue gathering the things that we need for the play? Please talk with the men that work the grounds and see if you can convince them to help us. Also, if you see Geoffroi, please ask him if he will be the Prince.”

             
“He doesn’t like to participate in our plays. He will say no,” offered Monique.

             
“I’ll ask him when I return then. If he won’t, then perhaps Monsieur Pelloutier will agree to play the Prince.”

             
Anna and Jacques walked to the stables, a short distance from the main house. The stables were close to the barn where the cows were kept. Anna spied two horses, saddled and tied to a fence. One was a beautiful black mare with a flowing mane and tail, and the other a bay stallion. Both stood quietly and watched the man and woman approach.

             
She was dismayed at finding the horse she was to ride had been saddled with a sidesaddle. She had no idea how to ride on a sidesaddle and was certain that Anne-Marie must have known how.

             
She thought back to the many summers she’d spent at Aunt Grace’s house. She and Uncle Thomas had lived on acreage in the country in
Northern California
. They had lots of animals for the children to play with and care for, and had several horses. Anna had ridden bareback and was used to straddling a horse and holding on with her legs. The sidesaddle was going to be a whole new experience.

             
“Madame, may I help you onto the horse?” Jacques asked.

             
“Yes, please.”

             
Anna was soon perched on the back of the gentle black mare. It didn’t feel as strange as she had thought it would. One foot fit in the stirrup and the other leg was hooked around what she took to be a saddle horn. Her petticoats and skirt covered her legs modestly.

             
Jacques climbed aboard his horse and they were on their way. They chose a slow and comfortable pace for which Anna was grateful. She was soon into the rhythm of riding sidesaddle and began to enjoy herself. The countryside was hilly and heavily forested in spots. Sheep dotted the hillsides where the forest had been cleared and pastureland now dominated. Occasional gunshots were heard in the distance.

             
“What is that, Jacques?”

             
“Just hunters, Madame. Nothing to be concerned about.”

             
They rode in silence for quite a long time. Finally, Jacques spoke.

             
“Madame. I asked you to ride with me today because you seem to be so understanding of others. You always care for the downtrodden and are the first to visit when someone is sick. I know you’ll treat me kindly.” Jacques paused and seemed to find it difficult to go on. “I have admired you for quite some time but am afraid I have missed my opportunity.”

             
“I’m not sure what you mean, Jacques.”

             
“This is terribly difficult. I mean, I am attracted to you and would like to pursue a romantic relationship with you. I’m afraid I’m too late, though. Monsieur Andreiux has seemed very possessive.”

             
“Jacques. You are truly a gentleman. And I mean that in the very best of terms. But, I am involved with Geoffroi. I believe we have an understanding.”

             
“That is what I was afraid of. But, I am glad I asked. I have resolved to live my life differently. I have been much too meek. I’ve vowed to change.”
             
“What about Monique or Genevieve? They are both lovely.”

             
“Yes, they are, but they aren’t as kind as you. They think I am not really a man. Little do they know the thoughts that are
in my mind.”

             
“You should prove them wrong. I have a marvelous idea. Why don’t you play the part of the Prince in the play we are going to do?”

             
“I will do it. You are right. I will show Monique the kind of man I really am.”

             
“Oh, so it is Monique you are really interested in?”

             
“Yes, Madame. It is. I knew, though, that you would give me wise direction. That is why I asked. Come. Let us go back to the hamlet. It is getting late.”

             
They rode back to the hamlet in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They returned their horses to the stables, turned them over to the stable hands, and parted ways. Jacques headed towards the main house to volunteer for the play, and Anna went to the barn.

             
“Hello, Bessie-Daisy. It’s me again. How has your day been? I’ve been having a lot of interesting encounters and am trying many new things. Where are those chickens that are hiding out here? Come on, give them up. I need those eggs.”

             
Anna heard noises in the hay. Certain that it was the chickens, she said, “Oh, there you are. Don’t try to hide from me. I’ll find you.”

             
She walked carefully towards the interior corner of the barn, and then stopped to listen.

             
“How did you get up there?”

             
She started up the ladder that led to the hayloft, and then heard a voice.

             
“Where have you been, Anne-Marie? Why were you out riding with Jacques?”

             
She looked down from the ladder to see Geoffroi standing at the base.

             
“I just went riding with him, that’s all.”

             
He was starting up the ladder after her, passion blazing from his eyes.

             
“But you are mine. I thought we had an understanding. Why would you go off with him? I know he lusts after you.”

             
“He doesn’t, Geoffroi. He doesn’t. He wants Monique.”

             
“Then why is he always following you around?”

             
Geoffroi was getting closer, so Anna scrabbled into the hayloft as swiftly as she could.

             
“He sees me as being wise. He asked for my guidance, that’s all.”

             
Anna crawled on all fours to a corner of the hayloft. She sank into the sweet smelling hay and felt it surround her protectively.

             
Geoffroi was soon upon her. Her turned her onto her back and laced his fingers through hers. He covered her and she felt his hot breath on her neck.

             
“I couldn’t find you today and I felt the same fears as when you left the other time. Please don’t frighten me again.”

             
His voice was husky, and he loosened his grasp of her wrists. His right hand was exploring underneath her petticoats. It found its mark, and soon his fingers were probing her mercilessly. He was loosening the ties around the top of her blouse with the other hand.