We spend the night at an inn halfway between our home and Torcy. The messenger, named Jaques, gets a separate room for me, while he and my father stay in the common sleeping area. I am restless all night, terrified by what I would find the next day in Torcy. In the morning we leave a dawn, trying to get to Torcy as early as possible.
We arrive in the late afternoon. The city walls are overbearing as we enter my new prison. Jaques weaves us through the bustling streets into the heart of the city. We stop in front of a fortress as Jaques announces, "We are here." I stare at the building. It is imposing, but lacks much intricacy or any form of art. It is cold with a dark color coating the stucco covering the stone.
"Whose house is this?"
"This chateau belongs to Baron Jean-Baptiste of Torcy." I am staying at the Baron's home? I think of what I know of the Baron and his household. There are many notable officials who reside in the Chateau. One of them could be my fiancé. Also, the Baron has three sons from his first marriage, and a daughter from his second. Maybe I am going to marry one of his sons. They would be able to use the city seal, as the sons of the Baron.
Étienne crosses my mind. What if he is a son the baron? I could be marrying him. My heart races at the thought, but I must dismiss my desire as fanciful thinking. The letter clearly said that the man had seen me weeks ago at the inn and had fallen for me then. Étienne and I only met yesterday. Besides, what are the chances of him being the Marquis of Montclar? He could be a lord or something else in the city. He never said his title. I refuse to have my hopes dashed yet again by him.
As we cross the threshold, we are greeted by the baying of hunting dogs. The entrance hall is full of a half dozen of them. A severe looking woman is waiting for us. She must be the Baroness.
"Hello miss Camille-Marie Ferré, my name is Julienne Auberget. I am the housekeeper." She curtsies to me. What am I thinking? Why would the Baroness come to meet us? "I wasn't anticipating any guest. Who is this with you?" She looks over at my father.
"This is my father, sir François Ferré. He felt uncomfortable sending me alone, so he accompanied us." I explain.
"Very well. I will have a chamber set up for him." I expect madame Auberget's face to pinch with disdain for the added work, but I am pleasantly surprised by a slight smile.
"That is not necessary Madame Auberget. I can find a hotel in the city." My father offers, not wanting to impose on others politeness.
"That will not be necessary Sir Ferré."
My father opens his mouth, but I cut him off. "That is very kind of you Madame Auberget. I hope it isn't an inconvenience."
"Miss Ferré, if you will follow me, I will bring you to your chamber. Sir Ferré, if you will wait in the parlor there, I will come find you when your chamber is prepared." She indicates with her hand a door to the right. My father enters without arguing.
"Thank you." I smile and follow her up the grand stairs. She leads me through a labyrinth of walls and doors, until she opens one of a chamber.
"This is yours. You can relax here. Roséline, your maid, will come shortly to tend to you, and your trunk is not far behind. Dinner will be brought in at 7. The wedding ceremony will be held tomorrow at noon, so try to rest. You will need to rise at 6 tomorrow in order to be ready by noon. Afterwards there will be feast all afternoon, and you will spend your wedding night here." She leaves before I can utter a word. The thought of the wedding night makes me shudder. I search for a distraction.
I look around the lavish room. There is a fourposter bed, but it is rather plain, with no carvings around it. The mattress is covered with a deep red blanket. There is a large fireplace with crackling flames fluttering inside. There is a small couch and a chair facing the fire. A small table with chairs for dinning at is tucked in a corner. There is an enormous tapestry hanging form one wall filled with flowers and a scene with a man saving a woman from a dragon. I look out the large widow over the garden. It is pretty but geometric, with no personality or creativity. I turn back to the room. This is a grand room. I must be marrying someone of high status.
Soon my chest arrives. I have no idea what to do with this leisure time, so I pull out my sewing supplies, and a dress that I need to finish stitching together and embroidering. I sit on the bench in the alcove for the window, soaking in the light. I love working where I can see things happening around me.
The door opens with a bang, and I jump with a start, turning to meet my guest. In the doorway stands a young girl. Her eyes are closed, and her nose is scrunched. Her shoulders are lifted, caving in on her chest. The embarrassment in her expression calms some of my anxiety.
"Sorry." She opens her eyes to look at me.
"No problem." I smile at her. She is dressed in a fine robe with beautifully done embroidery. She is definitely of a higher rank than me. I stand and give a deep curtsy. She returns my curtsy.
"I didn't mean to barge in. I was looking for Roséline. I didn't expect anyone else to be here." The girl says in a rush. She looks young, about sixteen.
"You can wait here with me for her. Madame Auberget said she would be here to soon." I gesture for her to take a seat on the cushioned bench across from mine. The girl looks at me bewildered but closes the door.
"Okay. I am Lady Charlotte-Anne, daughter of the Baron of Torcy." My eyes widen. How have I meet a member of nobility so soon into my stay?
"It is a pleasure to meet you my lady. My name is Camille-Marie Ferré." We sit down across from each other. I pick up my work to continue. There is an uncomfortable and uncertain silence between us. How am I to speak to a noble lady? I have met a few before at the inn, but our relationship was always easily defined. Here I don't know who I am.
"The embroidery on your dress is breathtaking." Flattery should be safe.
"Thank you. I did it myself." She beams with pride.
"The teals of the flowers compliment the peach of your gown perfectly. Do you mind if I take a closer look?" She shakes her head and holds out her arm so I can examine the work on the cuff of her sleeve.
"I have tried knitting and weaving, but I have found it all too dull. I much prefer to embroider."
"I agree it is the best skill, and you have an obvious talent for it." I admire, as I study every stitch. We soon find ourselves chatting like old friends, comparing threads, and techniques. We loose track of time, and an hour has slipped by.
"Can I see one of your pieces?"
"Of course." I stand and rummage though my chest for a dress I had embellished this last winter. I hand it to her, conscious of all the faults I see.
"I am not the only one with talent."
"That is very generous of you to say." I blush at her praise.
"You are going to be a wonderful wife. I can feel it." I stop. How does she know I am engaged? Does she know who my husband will be?
"Do you know who I am marrying?" I ask, hesitantly.
"Well of course…" She stops mid-thought scrutinizing me. "But you don't, do you?"
"No. All I got was a letter with the Torcy seal. Could you tell me?" I ask with hope.
"I wish I could, but if he hasn't said anything yet, I can't." She shakes her head, terror in her eyes. My heart sinks.
"I understand." I realize I don't want to marry whoever inspires such fear in this girl's eyes. At the same moment I realize I have sealed my fate. There is nowhere for me to run now.
"Well, tell me what you are working on now." She tries to distract me. We talk until Roséline finally arrives with dinner.
"I better go. I will see you tomorrow." She calls as she skips out of the room.
I am left to eat my dinner alone. I fill myself with expensive foods on delicate plates. Once I finish it, I quickly dress in a night gown and curl up under the covers. I haven't slept well the last couple of nights, and any extra sleep I can get will be welcome.