“I’m sorry you think it absurd, that a mere woman dare approach a man of —”
“I don’t think it absurd at all.” He shook his head. “If your brother’s reaction to an admirer concerns you, you’d not wish to witness His Majesty’s reaction to an English correspondent. No matter how learned.”
“It’s only a letter about a curious mathematical problem.”
“Mlle de la Croix. By writing to M. Newton, you’d put yourself in danger. I have no doubt you’d put M. Newton in danger as well. We are at war with England. Do you trust a censor to understand your curious mathematical problem? More likely, he’d judge your letter to be in cipher, and your M. Newton to be a spy.”
“As the nuns judged me to be writing spells,” she said.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing. I’d never wish to put M. Newton in danger. I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize...”
“You should never have to,” he said, with sympathy. “It would be better if we weren’t at war, if you could carry on your correspondence without concern. I regret to tell you, it isn’t possible.”
“Thank you for your good advice,” she said, downcast.
“Pardon me, I must take my leave.”
“Count Lucien...”
He glanced back.
“Will my letter to Mynheer van Leeuwenhoek cause any difficulty for him?”
Count Lucien gave her a long look of disbelief, listened to her explanation of dashing off her request and entrusting it to an officer of the ship from Martinique, told her that he hoped the letter might have been lost, and said he would see if anything could be done.
In response to her thanks, Count Lucien bowed and left the makeshift room.
Marie-Josèphe stared at the laboratory table, distressed, grateful to Count Lucien for saving her from another misstep, angry that an innocent exchange of knowledge might be considered treason.
A cheer rose outside. Marie-Josèphe peeked out, expecting to see the visitors salute Count Lucien, who so often dispensed the King’s alms. But the count had already ridden away. Instead, the visitors crowded around the sea monster’s cage, cheering again in response to a splash and a trill of song.
The sea monster’s song, such a constant sound that she hardly noticed it while she was working, had been going on for some time. So had the applause.
The sea monster is showing herself to the visitors! Marie-Josèphe thought, delight overshadowing her distress. I’ve succeeded in gentling her, she’s no longer frightened of people.
She wanted to show off the sea monster’s trick of coming when she was called, but she could not delay telling her brother Count Lucien’s good news. She stepped out of the laboratory tent.
The sun had reached its zenith. If she did not hurry, she would be late to help Mademoiselle dress for His Majesty’s picnic at the Menagerie. She ran out of the tent and hurried up the Green Carpet, passing groups of people strolling down the slope toward the Fountain of Apollo and the sea monster.
12
By the time Marie-Josèphe reached Mademoiselle’s apartments, she was out of breath and damp with sweat. She hesitated in the cold shadows of the corridor until her breathing eased, then indicated her presence by tapping her fingernails on the door.
“Marie-Josèphe!”
Lotte ducked from beneath Mlle d’Armagnac’s attempt to rearrange her hair and emerged from the bright crowd of ladies-in-waiting and friends. She raised Marie-Josèphe from her curtsy.
“You must help — My hair has driven Mlle d’Armagnac to tears. Where’s your girl? She’s such a wonder! Where have you been?”
“Tending to the sea monster, Mademoiselle.”
“Make a lackey throw it a fish. Send for little Odelette, will you? And — your dress! You can’t attend His Majesty’s luncheon in your riding habit!”
Lotte’s ladies-in-waiting, all beautifully gowned for His Majesty’s luncheon, arranged Mademoiselle’s grand habit and petticoats and polished her jewels with silk handkerchiefs.
“I’m responsible for the sea monster, Mademoiselle. My brother charged me with keeping it and studying it.”
“What good will studying it do? My dear silly thing, next you’ll be speaking Latin and reciting lectures on the planets like those boring old sticks from the Academy.”
I’d love to hear such a lecture, Marie-Josèphe thought — and to know I still remember my Latin!
“Odelette is ill, Mademoiselle. Your hair looks beautiful. I cannot do better than Mlle d’Armagnac.”
“Shall I call the barber to see your girl? Perhaps she should be bled.”
“Perhaps she should be whipped,” said Mlle d’Armagnac, annoyed to have her talents at enhancing beauty compared unfavorably to those of a servant. “Isn’t that what you do to lazy slaves, in the wild colonies?”
“No!”
Marie-Josèphe told the lie without a second thought because Mlle d’Armagnac made her angry, because her own family’s slaves had never been whipped, and because Odelette would never be whipped if Marie-Josèphe had anything to say about it. Nor would she be bled.
“Please, no, Mademoiselle, this is —” Marie-Josèphe could not bring herself to tell the King’s niece that Odelette always bled too heavily for her health. “It’s an old complaint.”
“Ah,” said Lotte, “it’s like that, is it?”
“She’ll be better this evening or tomorrow. I’ll tend to her as soon as you’re dressed.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Lotte said, “you’ll attend me, and go to the picnic.”
“But —”
“Shh!” Lotte called for a servant to take broth and warm flannel to Odelette.
“And to remind my brother of the luncheon, if you please, Mademoiselle. His work engrosses him so.”
“If we cannot whip the slave for dereliction, perhaps we can whip the brother,” Mlle d’Armagnac said, and all the ladies giggled at her daring wit.
“Of course, fetch Father de la Croix.” To Marie-Josèphe she said, “You both must see the Menagerie.”
“Mademoiselle, I haven’t anything to wear.”
Lotte laughed, threw open her cupboard, pulled out dresses, and chose a beautiful brocade. Marie-Josèphe might have been in a whirlwind for all the power she had: Lotte’s other ladies stripped her to her shift and stays and dressed her in the new gown, leaving her only a moment to blush furiously, fearing they might notice the rolled-up towel. She wished she had risked taking it off, for as yet it had been of no use.