C'est La Vie

Chapter Two

C'est La Vie

Chapter Two

Jeanne had only heard stories about the city of Paris, even if she lived such a short distance from the city. She heard about the revolution that took the lives of many nobles, their fates being placed into the hands of Lady Guillotine. Even then, her mother refused to allow her to go into town. Esme wasn't an anti-revolutionist, but she didn't want her family becoming caught up in the activities. Not after what happened to her father, who perished in one of the battles between the royal army and members of the third estate. 

She couldn't help but be in awe of the city, though. It also intimidated her as well, knowing that the culture must have been different from the farm that she grew up in. It took her half a day to get to Paris, and a few hours to arrive at the Bertrand estate. She stepped out of a coach, handing the last of her money to the driver as she looked out at the grounds. The summer treated the estate well, the grass was very green, a number of trees surrounding the house. 

The house itself wasn't like anything she had ever seen, it looked much more ravish and fancy than the one floor house that she had back at the farm, the roof leaking a little bit every time it rained. A woman walked out of the house, her hands behind her back as she scanned the grounds. She was wearing a simple pale blue dress, it seemed practical and not too exuberant. It reminded Jeanne of the nicest dress she had back at home, and with her line of work and family, she never got many nice dresses. Mostly ones that she could work in, which lead her to believe that the woman was one of the house staff. 

Jeanne walked towards her carefully, trying not to let her shyness make her lower her head to the ground. 

"Jeanne Rousseau?" the woman called, her voice was questioning and had a business tone to it. 

"Oui," Jeanne replied, coming to a stop just in front of a seat of stairs that the woman was standing at the top of. 

"I am impressed," the woman said, "despite your appearance and lack of clean clothing, you managed to arrive on time."

Jeanne looked down at her clothing, her hand running down the tan dress that was slightly darker with dirt from both the travel to the estate and the farm. She frowned, looking back up at the woman. 

"I apologize," she said softly, "I should have taken into consideration about the state of my clothing."

"I am not the one upset with your state of clothing," the woman stated, "the Madam is the one who is worried about the appearance of her house staff. Now, please, do come up here. I can't teach you how to do your job while you stay down there."

Jeanne quickly climbed up the stairs, trying not to touch the white, clean railings as she did so. If her clothes were so dirty, her hands must be as well. 

Once she reached the landing on top of the stairs, she got a good look at the woman. She seemed to be older than she was, her face was weathered from age and probably her job. Yet, she still carried with her an air of authority. If her age was slowing her down any, she didn't let it show. She had curly brown hair that was a lot like her down, her mouth was set in what Jeanne assumed was a natural frown, yet her green eyes had a softness to them. 

"Do not worry about your clothing," she said, a small smile cross her face for the first time since Jeanne had seen her, "you will be given a uniform, much like my own. My name is Marie, I am the eldest of the chambermaids. I trust you know what your task will be, oui?" 

"I am not aware of that," Jeanne said, "I was only told that I will be working here."

"Very well," Marie said, turning and heading into the building, "you are the chambermaid to Anne, the daughter to Madam and Monsieur."