The Nymph of Versailles

Chapter 26

1675

One of the things she loved most about Easter was that it meant spring had arrived. And best of all, Lent would soon end and her fasting with it. Scarron could attack her all she wanted like Louise once did, but one sin didn't mean she couldn't show her devotion in other ways. She'd been careful to abide by her Lent fasting.

During Lent the parties of Versailles died down. The courtiers she passed in the hallways looked pinched and grumpy. The court was always at its happiest when alcohol and parties flowed freely. Unlike the other courtiers, the break hadn't bothered her. She used the time to rest and entertain the king. Less parties meant more time at his side, but she hadn't seen him the past two days, leaving a constant nagging worry in the back of her mind.

When she entered the chapel she found it almost empty. Two ladies sat and prayed in the pews, their mumbled prayers sounding like chanting. She could almost understand why the queen spent so much time here. The quiet mixed with the beauty of the decorations and architecture gave the room a peaceful air that beckoned her toward the confessional. Worry swam thick through her head. The priests had spent Lent delivering sermons condemning adultery and even called on the king to set an example for his country. It was enough for her to wonder if Maintenon was working against her by encouraging the priest.

A man popped out of the confessional and walked away with hurried steps, his eyes cast down. She stepped into the tight space, squeezing her skirts through the doorway. Her dress bunched around her as she took the seat. Like every other time, she would confess her adultery. She'd gotten so used to the confession it no longer made her stomach flutter. They were just meaningless words she no longer put any thought to. She opened her mouth and repeated them once again to the confessional grille. "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I committed adultery with a married man." Her droning sounded flat and bored.

The priest shifted on the other side. "Madame Montespan? Is that you?" Father Lécuyer said. Venom laced his words. "The Madame Montespan scandalizing France? I've been waiting for you."

She opened her mouth in shock, but no sound came out. Finally she managed a simple "What?"

"You must cease your scandals and throw yourself at the feet of Jesus Christ!" He yelled loud enough she was certain anyone waiting their turn would hear. The thought of this private moment becoming court gossip made her cheeks burn. "Until you stop scandalizing your country, expect no forgiveness."

Dread tickled her insides and she steeled herself. "But then I won't be able to take Easter Communion." She never missed communion. She abided by as many of the Church rules as she could. And if adultery really was a grave sin, she had every reason to need forgiveness. She was willing to make sacrifices for the king, but her soul wasn't one of them. "I can here for forgiveness, not a lecture."

"Repent and give up your adultery and then I will grant you forgiveness."

"That doesn't seem fair. I bet you don't demand the same of anyone else." Her words came out thick through her dry mouth.

"Come back when you give up your life of sin."

Anger roared through her veins. "The king will hear of this," she promised as she burst out of the confessional. A man sitting nearby stared at her with his head tilted in curiosity. She kept her gaze forward and her heavy steps even as she made her way up the chapel aisle, refusing to give in to the frantic pounding of her heart. She couldn't tell if the feeling of eyes watching her was real or all in her head. It was a feeling she should be used to, but after the priest's declaration the feeling of being watched made the skin on her arms stand on end. The click of her heels against the floor struck her as too loud.