No trace: Part Two of The Accidental Trilogy

Chapter Five

Rosa leads me upstairs, where she calls a few servants to her.

'Is this your only dress?' She asks me, 'Louis said that you were a servant in England, not a street child.'

'It is the better of the two,' I admit.

'Well, we can soon put your wardrobe to rights.' She stares at me critically for a few moments, for what I am not sure. I am well aware I am not a great beauty.

'You have very delicate looks, I believe we should use some strong colours to accentuate that. First, a bath is in order.' She turns to speak to the servants gathered and instructs one to prepare a bath and the others to arrange some suitable clothes.

I am given a proper bath, with some very fragrant soap and hair treatments.

After the bath, I am dressed; a lengthy process, but once we are alone, Rosa does my hair and speaks of the group's activities.

'Louis advises noblemen, he has always been rather skilled in that area. Christophe acts as a middleman, an acceptable form of work in society. Andrea assists him in this.'

'What do you mean?'

'If a certain nobleman or wealthy businessman needed something, wanted a certain someone, the men here would ensure, for a price that it happened, or arrived.'

'What sort of price?' I looked questioningly at Rosa. I was not going to let up here and I could tell that she knew.

'If not money, then favours. It is an old system, but it works. Our little group is quite indispensable and therefore inconspicuous.'

'Oh,' I replied. I wasn't sure what else I could say.

She has by now gathered my hair and done something to make it look quite beautiful, in its own way.

'For creatures like us, being inconspicuous is an essential part of our lives. We live for longer and are invisible to disease and injury.'

She picks up a pink ribbon and wraps it around the small bun. She smiles and says, 'Now, you are presentable. Come, you have much to learn about living in Parisian society and you cannot stay hidden for long.'

'Hidden?'

'Indeed, Andrea and Christophe will create a cover identity, but the necessary connections take time. Time we will use to our advantage.'

Rosa is right, there is a lot to learn. Etiquette here is a multilayered, complicated procedure that has so many rules and the consequences of breaking even one, no matter how slight, can have massive repercussions.

Rosa is strict with her teachings as a result and after learning something, she tests me on it, and during that test, any wrong move sends me right back to the start.

Another part I needed to learn was the language. To Louis's mind, total immersion was key and Rosa, unfortunately, agreed with him.

It was a case of sink or swim, so I was all the more determined to tread water quickly and soon learned to float.

It was soon decided that I would be Rosa's cousin, since by facial structure at least, she was the one that more closely resembled me.

And after Rosa married, I would be able to accompany her, as part of her household.

Part of Andrea's and Christophe's duties have been to create a dowry for Rosa, as well as a trousseau.

Since I am now part of this arrangement, a trousseau is needed for me as well. Once my identity, Aimee la Roche had been firmly created and known by 'those that matter', as Rosa put it, I was allowed out in public and went on small promenades.

It was a bittersweet arrangement, I knew that it would all end, I would have to leave this life for another. I was also conscious of the fact that I wanted to have no ties, leave no trace for anyone to follow.

With the men, that part was easy; they were doing all of this, because it was what was part of them, of being in a clan.

For Rosa, even I could see that she wanted a friend. She hid it well.