Delarioux

Chapter 1

Delarioux

-February 1872-

Charlotte sat pensively as she watched her husband read the headline of the day's paper. She had no idea what to expect from his rash and unpredictable behavior. One would think that she would have been used to his outbursts after 45 years of marriage, but alas, she still could not begin to fathom when they would strike. She could only hope to ward off his anger before his short fuse reached its end. Charlotte bat her eyes from behind the fan she gripped and pretended to be very interested in the tea a servant had just placed in front of her on the small table. She bit her lip as she looked at her pale reflection from the surface of the steaming liquid.

The servant, sensing the tension, hurried from the porch, out of mild weather and into the safety of their summer home. Henry's face was red as he lowered the paper to his lap. He grumbled about something or the other as he picked up his own cup. Charlotte hadn't noticed that she had been holding her breath until she gave a long and thankful sigh. No outburst today it would seem. She couldn't say that she wasn't surprised, however. Many of the upper class French had mixed emotions about all that had gone on at the opera this past year. There had been rumors about the new diva, as there are always rumors, and she had no quarrel with that. And she was not shocked that they had been all true, even if she wished they weren't. Now, not that she had anything against her, but she, along with many others, had thought it a horrible scandal, and she was loathe to think that her family name would be tied to it.

In a way, she was happy. It was over, her son would be around more often, lightening Henry's mood (not that it would be the same with her, as they fought often), and she no longer had to listen to his speeches on what he thought should've have been done.

One the other side of the house, a young woman by the name of Madeline sat by her window as she listened to chitter chatter of squirrels and the sweet song of the pretty blue birds in the trees. At least, she thought they were squirrels and blue birds. It wasn't as if she could get up and check. Over the past year, she had become very good and picking out the distinct sound of animals, since that was all she could rely on. Her sense of sight had been stolen from her only a year ago. She had come down with Scarlet Fever and lost her sight. It had been devastating, yes, but, being the girl she is, she slowly but surely adjusted. She didn't want to sit around and complain about being at a disadvantage, instead Madeline made the best of it. But there was still a part of her that resented her fate.

She heard a quiet knock on her door but she could easily tell who it was.

"Enter," her sweet voice replied. The door opened slowly as Margaret slipped in quietly. She hurriedly sat beside Madeline on the other side of the bed and cradled her hands.

Despite her being a servant, they were close friends. She was really the only friend she had kept since her illness. It seemed others thought you were useless when you were blind, even your parents.

"Dear Maddie have you heard the news?" she questioned.

"No, what news?"

"It is over!" she knew what that meant, her brother would be returning. Madeline turned her head towards her friends voice.

"Really?"

Although she couldn't see her, Margaret nodded vigorously.

"Oh, yes! You see, I was bringing your mother and father their tea on the porch outside, and your father was reading the headline," she stated.

Madeline sighed. It wasn't that she wasn't happy about the nightmare being over or Raoul returning, it was the matter of how they would welcome his engagement as there was no reason to hide it anymore. It would be some fancy party that she would loath, with snobbish women and men who wanted nothing to do with her. She would sit in a corner, like always, and try to hide her envious tears as she heard women being asked to dance over and over again. She would listen to women's not so subtle gossip about her.