Siri Mitchell - Chateau of Echoes

I smiled to see it and found that when I looked at him, my lord smiled back.

He has also a cousin, Anne, who lives with him. She speaks also French.

There was a great feast after the noces. We had oysters, and partridge, and suckling pig. There were jongleurs who threw balls and blades. And always the musicians.

And after the food, the dance.

We started with the danse basse large which began when my lord bowed to me. This dance I prefer, for with the short gliding steps my lord does not dance far from me and with the music slow and dancing up on the toes I find it graceful, like the swimming of a swan. And for this the music of the vielle and the recorder.

And after the danse basse, the conjé which my lord calls the trihoris. This I like also. There are eight figures, the all more quickly made than the danse basse but of equal grace.

And after, a surprise. A branle danced with torches to fête our marriage. It is danced by the guests and all holding tapers of many colors. It was as beautiful as if the stars themselves were dancing.

And after, my lord extended his hand and I placed in it the palm of my own, for all the persons with joined hands danced. And after, the next couple led the branle double; and after, the next led the branle single; and the couple behind, the branle gai. And then we left the children to dance the branle de bourgogne and the music more fast until they fell, laughing.

And after, Agnès and the man of my lord danced the branle du haut barrais.

And there followed the cinq pas in which we leapt and skipped and danced in all directions and that very quickly.

And this after: I took rest.

It was late when Agnès and Anne came to take me to bed.

Agnès and Anne made much over my dressing for bed this night. They unmade my hair and combed it until it shined. Agnès rubbed perfumed rose oils into my skin and pinched my cheeks to make them red. They dressed me in a fine silk chemise with long hanging sleeves and a low neck which had broderie throughout in the shapes of curling vines. Then they made me drink cinnamon water to sweeten my breath. They told me my lord would come to me after they had left and they bid me do what he will demand of me. They left me smelling of rose and cinnamon, standing in front of the fire.

My lord came in, as they had said, after they had left.

I curtsied and greeted him.

He took my hand to aid me rise and then demanded what Agnès and Anne told me would happen tonight. I told him that they had not told me. They said only that I must do as he bid.

He looked very angry then.

It frightened me and I trembled.

He saw it and drew me to the fire and made me sit and covered me with a fur. He stood beside the fire and watched me for a long time before speaking.

He demanded of me if I should like to hear a story.

It was a rather stupid question. I always like to hear stories, but I was getting sleepy and tried not to yawn.

He began to tell me about a fée, a fairy, but then he saw me yawn and he stopped.

I apologized, but demanded of him if I could go to bed.

He was very nice to pull the duvet back for me. Then he kissed me on the cheek and demanded of me if he might stay until the fire burned down and I consented if he would not wake me. He blew the candle out and I heard him sit beside the fire, although my eyes were so tired I did not see him. But just before I slept, he told me I must tell them the next morning that I did as I was bid. And that he was very gentle. And that it did not hurt so very much.

At least I think that is what it was.

He was not there when I woke in the darkness of the night, so I could not demand it of him.

day of Saint Damase, pape

When Anne and Agnès came in this morning and looked so anxious, that I told them what I could remember of the words of my lord.

Agnès hugged me.

Anne was arranging the bed and must not have heard.

Agnès made me cover my hair this day. As I have wed, it is not right that my hair be loose any longer. She pulled it tightly from my head and fixed a henin on top. She says me that this tall pointed hat is of my mother. She draped it with a gauze. To balance it on my head all the long of the day has given me a pain in my neck that she has tried this evening to rub out.

My lord spoke to me this day in the hall where I was reading. He demanded of me if I had told Agnès and Anne what it was he had told me to speak to them.

I replied to him that I did not know if I had remembered correctly, but I repeated what I had told them.

He smiled and told me that I had remembered exactly.

So I began to tell him about the druids and how they had games for remembering everything, but I could tell he was not listening, just like I can tell when father does not listen. I demanded of him if he would mind if I returned to read.

Before excusing me, he told me he would come by times to tell me stories at night.

I suggested that he might come earlier so that I could better enjoy them. He made me a present of a brooch of pearls and told me that I must wear it and explain to Agnès that he gave it me this day.

one day after Sainte Damase, pape

Anne, the cousin of my lord, is from Beaune. Her family disappeared by the pox. He is her relative the most close, so she has come to stay with him. The mother and father of my lord have been long dead since his youth, and so she has served as the lady of my lord, as the chatelaine. Anne has twenty-two years. She is dark and gay, and laughs often. I know she will be my close friend.

Agnès does not like her, and I do not know why.

But I am a woman. I am thirteen. I can do as I please.

day of Saint Thomas, apostle

Agnès says me that I must take charge of the household: the servants, the tradesmen, the meals, and the accounts.

I demanded of her who these had done before.

She replied to me, Anne.

As I am now chatelaine, I must tell Anne she can do still these things. It is for me to make progress in my studies.

Agnès told me it is my duty as an honorable wife to manage the chateau. And she remembered to me that I ignore the duties of a wife. I know neither how to make broderie, nor how to make music, nor how to sing.

How to sing? Better to write the songs. Recite poetry? Better to write the poems.

Agnès recalled to me the example of Anne.

And I recalled to her that as much as I have seen, Anne does nothing. She plays at broderie. She plays at music, and at singing. But I have both seen and heard better. The thing Anne does most well is talk to her woman. Perhaps Anne has also been playing at chatelaine. But if it is so, then it cannot be such a difficult role to play. And as a complaint of my lord has not reached my ears, I must assume he is satisfied with her efforts. So Anne may play all that she wants. I shall study.

As a wise wife, I will let those duties to the one who has been properly managing them. And more since the feast of Noël is nearly upon us. I know that Anne has been always arranging this.

It is me the chatelaine. If I must be in this strange land, I will do as I please. And it pleases me to let Anne guard these duties.

day of Noël

After the work of yesterday, in cleaning, in giving the animals double their food for the day, when it seemed everyone of the house was distracted, we passed this day playing cards, in prayers, and by singing. They have found a log as big around as six persons and as tall as two persons and have lit it in the hall of dining, in the hearth; this is to last for the three days that come. And on it we throw salt and wine and bread in honor of the holy trinity.

And then the midnight mass. This mass is my preferred of the year. This night we had chants and offerings, and even a nativity theater. I made certain not to rise a moment early to leave the church, for I had no wish to see the dead march in procession through the village.