Philippa Carr - Zipporah's Daughter

‘Oh, Lisette. What does it mean? This rioting …’

Again that secret smile. ‘I think,’ she said slowly, ‘it means the revolution has begun.’

It seemed a long time before the morning came. I sat at the window waiting …waiting for what I did not know. The countryside looked the same as ever—quiet and peaceful. At daybreak the household was astir. I could hear the servants excitedly talking. They shouted and laughed and I knew that they were discussing what had happened in Paris.

All through the day we waited for news. People were different. They seemed to watch me furtively and they seemed vaguely amused and secretive.

I saw nothing amusing in fearful riots when people went mad with fury and others lost their lives. Dickon had said it would come. Could it be that it already had?

An uneasy day was followed by an uneasy night. I felt lonely without the children but what a relief it was that they were not here!

Something was about to break. I wondered what I should do. Should I go back to England? There was nothing to keep me here now that my father was dead.

The rioting will die down, I told myself. The military will suppress it. But the Bastille … to storm a prison! That was a very big riot indeed … very different from the looting of shops which had been going on in the little towns all over the country on and off over the last few years.

I was trying to behave as normal, but there was nothing normal about the château. How could there be when my father was no longer there?

When I arose next morning I rang as usual for hot water. I waited … and waited. No one came. I rang again and still I waited.

I put on a robe and went down to the kitchens. They were deserted.

‘Where is everyone?’ I called.

It was Tante Berthe who finally came to me. She said: ‘Most of the servants have gone and those who haven’t are getting ready to leave.’

‘Leaving! Why? Where have they gone?’

She lifted her shoulders. ‘They are saying they will never wait on anyone again. Others think they might be blamed for serving the aristocrats and get what is being planned for them.’

‘What is going on?’

‘I wish I knew, Madame. It’s confusion … everywhere. There are rumours going round that they will march on all the châteaux and kill everyone in them.’

‘It’s nonsense.’

‘You know what servants are … without education … ready to believe any tale.’

‘You will not go will you, Tante Berthe?’

‘This has been my home for years. Monsieur le Comte was very good to me and mine. He would not have expected me to run away. I’ll stay and face whatever it is.’

‘Where is Lisette?’

Again that shrug of the shoulders.

‘I have scarcely seen her since the day I arrived.’

‘She knows what she is doing, I’ll swear. What did you come down for?’

‘Hot water,’ I said.

‘I’ll get it for you.’

‘Who is left in the château?’ I asked.

‘There’s the two in the turret.’

‘Jeanne is still here then?’

‘You don’t think she would ever leave Mademoiselle Sophie?’

‘No, I did not think that she would. Jeanne is loyal and Sophie is the most important thing in her life. Who else … ?’

‘If any of the servants are here they are on the point of going, as I said. Some talk of going to Paris to join in what they call “the fun”. I don’t think there’ll be any need for them to go to Paris. They’ll find it nearer at hand.’

‘Is it really as bad as that?’

‘It’s been coming for a long time. I thank God that He took Monsieur le Comte before he was able to see it.’

‘Oh, Tante Berthe,’ I cried, ‘what is going to happen to us all?’

‘We’ll wait and see,’ she replied calmly.

She went away to get hot water. I stood waiting while the silence of the château closed in on me.

It was evening of the next day. Tante Berthe had been right. All the servants had left except Jeanne and herself. There were just the few of us left in that vast château with that terrible sense of foreboding hanging over us. I would not have been surprised at anything that happened.

During the day I went to the watch-tower and looked down. Nothing but the peace of the fields. It was difficult to believe that terrible things were happening not far away. I must go to England, to the children, to Dickon. I would take Lisette with me … and Tante Berthe; Sophie and Jeanne too if they would come. I should not delay. I was well aware of that. I must talk to Lisette. We must make plans.

The silence was broken by sounds in the courtyard. We had visitors. It was with a sense of relief that I ran down, not knowing what to expect. It could be those who had come to harm us; but at least the monotony was broken. Something was about to happen at last.

Lisette was just behind me.

Two men were there. They were both dirty and unkempt. One of them was supported by the other, for clearly he found it difficult to stand. They were both in a sorry state.

‘Who … ?’ I began.

Then one of them spoke. ‘Lottie … ’ he said.

I went to him and stared.

‘Lottie,’ he said again. ‘I … I have come home.’

The voice was recognizable, but not the man.

‘Armand?’ I cried. But no, this filthy creature could not be Armand.

‘It was a long way … ’ he murmured.

‘He needs rest … nursing,’ said his companion. ‘We … both do.’

Lisette said: ‘Did you break out of prison?’

‘We were let out … by the people. The prison was stormed.’

‘The Bastille … !’ I cried. ‘So … that is where you went!’

I saw at once that this was no time for explanations. Armand and his companion needed immediate attention. Armand’s feet were bleeding and he was in great pain when he stood on them; and in any case he was in no condition to stand.

Lisette and I tended them and the practical Tante Berthe came to our aid. We washed them, removed their clothes and got them to bed.

‘We’ll burn these things at once,’ said Tante Berthe, even at such a time determining that such garments should not sully the château.

We fed the men with food in small quantities, for we could see that they were nearly starving. Armand wanted to talk and, weak as he was, would do so.

‘I went off that day to a meeting,’ he said. ‘By the river I was met by a party of royal guards. Their captain handed me the lettre de cachet. I guessed it was due to the Orléans faction. I was working for the good of the country. I was no traitor. But they took me to the Bastille. The Bastille!’ He shivered and could not stop shaking.

I insisted that he did not talk. He could tell us everything later when he was in a better condition to do so. We badly needed help. We had two very sick men on our hands, and there were only three of us to look after them. But there were two others in the house, and I decided that they could no longer live apart in their secluded turret. I went up the spiral staircase to Sophie’s apartment.

I knocked and went in. Sophie and Jeanne were sitting at a table playing cards.

I cried out: ‘We need your help.’

Sophie looked at me coldly. ‘Go away,’ she said.

I cried: ‘Listen. Armand is here. He has escaped from the Bastille.’

‘Armand is dead,’ said Sophie. ‘Armand was murdered.’

‘Come and see for yourself,’ I replied. ‘Armand is here. He was not murdered. Some traitors betrayed him and he was given a lettre de cachet. He has been imprisoned in the Bastille.’

Sophie had turned white and the cards fell from her hands on to the table.

‘It’s not true,’ she said. ‘It can’t be true.’

‘Come and see for yourself. You’ve got to help. You can’t sit up here playing cards. Don’t you know what’s happening in the world? We need all the help we can get. The servants have gone. We have two men here who will die if they don’t get proper nursing. They have walked all the way from Paris. They have escaped from the Bastille.’