Jules Quatrenoix’s extraordinary adventures - Book 1

CHAPTER 1 Arrival at Howlingdeadman – How everything began‘Howlingdeadman’ read Jules on the sign when they reached the town, resting his brow against the window of the motor-car taking him and his mother to their new home. He was in a bad mood and the name of that town lost in the middle of nowhere only added to his irritation. They had left everything behind, their large flat in Paris, his friends and their old life, to come and bury themselves here. The car drove through Howlingdeadman. It was getting late and the streets were already empty despite the mildness of the air on that Sunday evening, July 7th,1912. Once outside the town they reached a thick forest. As the car was driving past a huge rusty gate hanging on two stone pillars, the chauffeur said to Jules: ‘This is the road to Our Lady of Desolation, the school you’ll be attending, my boy.’ Jules rolled his eyes. People had a lot of imagination for finding unusual names for places here. And on top of that, everybody seemed to be well informed about their coming! When he looked at the gate he caught sight of a path sinking deep into the darkness. For the first time in his life he was in no hurry to go back to school – being a new pupil was the worst of nightmares, all the more so when you came from Paris! He glanced at his mother sitting next to him. She was sitting very straight, with her hands on her lap. She had chosen one of her most beautiful dresses for the trip. She meant to impress her future employers, she had told Jules, a flicker of a smile on her face. She was a beautiful woman with a natural elegance and sweetness. She wore her long curly brown hair in a heavy bun on her head. She had long fingers and Jules remembered them running up and down the keyboard of the piano, filling all the rooms of their former flat with music. Her face was as sweet as a Madonna’s but the twinkle in her eyes had vanished ever since they had received that terrible telegram. They had kept hoping against all hope, in spite of the announcements in the newspapers. Their hopes had been shattered when they received that tiny piece of paper. Jules could not forget that terrible morning when a uniformed man had knocked on their door. It was branded on his memory forever. He and his mother had looked at each other and had known that the man was the bearer of bad news. The man had gravely asked: ‘Are you Madame Ernestine Quatrenoix?’ She had nodded and he had handed her the telegram. ‘I am very sorry for your loss, Ma’am.’ Jules repeated the sentence to himself. His mother took the paper, read it then sat down heavily. The letter dropped from her limp hand. Jules picked it up and read it too. “Dear Madam, we regret to inform you that your husband Mr Joseph Quatrenoix, junior officer on board RMS Titanic passed away when the liner sank in the early morning of 15 April, 1912. He was not amongst the survivors and his body could not be found among the casualties. Following the loss of your husband you will be granted an allowance. An insurance agent linked to the firm Willis Faber & Company will contact you. Please accept our deepest condolences for your loss.” His mother had wept a lot that evening. Joseph Quatrenoix had not left his family resourceless and they would soon receive compensation. However she now had to find work. One morning she saw an advertisement in a newspaper: “Looking for a housekeeper in Howlingdeadman. References required. Board and lodging provided. One child will be accepted”. Ernestine had never had to work because her husband made a comfortable living but she knew how to run a household and the money left by her late husband would pay for their son’s secondary education. His thoughts were interrupted by the driver. ‘Here we are!’ The car had stopped outside another iron gate as rusty and rundown as the previous one. The driver helped his mother get out, then he took their luggage out of the boot. ‘You’ll see, they are a lovely family!’ he told them as he was getting back into the car. Jules watched him drive away, the man waved at them and the car vanished into the darkness. They stood there for a few minutes, with their luggage around their feet, outside the large gate, which opened onto a driveway lined with huge trees. A dim light could be seen in the distance. He turned to Ernestine, she looked uneasy and her face was tense. She took her son’s hand and squeezed it. Then she said as if to give herself some courage: ‘Come on, sweetheart, let’s go!’ They each grabbed a suitcase and started along the driveway. Only their footsteps could be heard on the gravel, the trees looking even taller in the twilight. They heard an owl hooting in the distance. As they moved forward Ernestine squeezed her son’s hand harder and harder. At the end of the driveway they saw the house. It was a large building with a square tower on the left-hand side and only the tall windows downstairs were lit up. They were expected, the lamp above the imposing wooden front door was on. They climbed the steps to the front porch. Jules’ mother nervously pulled the rope to the left of the door. A bell rang in the hall. Hurried footsteps were heard. The key turned in the lock and a fair-haired woman wearing a beautiful dark blue dress greeted them warmly. ‘We were getting worried! My husband was just going out to look for you. We are so delighted to meet you! Do come in!’ She moved aside to let them in. Ernestine relaxed and let go of Jules’ hand. ‘Just leave your suitcases here,’ she said, pointing to a corner in the hall next to the staircase. ‘Come along! I’ll introduce you to the rest of the family, they are dying to meet you.’ Jules looked around. The soft light of the chandeliers in the hall and the sitting room made him feel better.Carved wood paneling ran halfway up the walls of the rooms. The coat hanger on the wall was loaded with clothes and numerous pairs of shoes were lined underneath. The floor in the hall was like a giant chessboard with its black and white tiles. As they made their way to the sitting room on the right, they passed by the staircase which led to the upper floors. The other members of the family, gathered in front of the fireplace, got up to welcome them, smiling broadly. The lady of the house introduced her family. ‘This is the whole de Chaussecourte family! My husband, Aimé, our four children, Blanche, Victoire, Abel and Léopold. I am Adélaïde. I mustn’t forget our dear cook, Madame Eglantine Guillandou, who waits on us hand and foot.’ Ernestine introduced herself and her son as well. ‘May we offer you some refreshment? Have you had your dinner yet?’ asked Madame de Chaussecourte. ‘Yes, please, we would love a glass of water. We had something to eat on the train,’ Ernestine answered. The cook went to the kitchen and came back a few minutes later, carrying a loaded tray. ‘Do sit down. Then we’ll show you to your rooms. You must be exhausted after such a long trip. We’ll discuss the formalities tomorrow,’ Adélaïde said cheerfully. Ernestine stared around the room and when she saw the piano by the window, a veil of sadness clouded her eyes. She pulled herself together when she noticed that Jules was watching her. ‘Your house is absolutely beautiful!’ she said. The small talk continued until bedtime was finally announced. ‘Come with me! I’ll show you to your rooms,’ Adélaïde said as she got up from her chair. They went back into the hall to collect their suitcases. They climbed up the seemingly endless stairs. Their rooms were on the second floor in the attic. Ernestine’s was on the right of the staircase and Jules’s at the end of the corridor. He stared at the wooden door of his new room. As the light from the corridor did not reach it, it was half hidden in the darkness. Jules felt slightly uneasy. Madame de Chaussecourte bade them good night. ‘I do hope you’ll have a restful night.We’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast.’ They heard her going back downstairs. Ernestine kissed his brow. ‘I’m exhausted, sweetheart. I’m going to bed. We’ll have plenty of time to unpack tomorrow.’ She opened her bedroom door, smiled at him, and closed the door behind her. Jules knew that his mother needed to be on her own lately so he would not see her cry. Most nights he could hear the sobs that Ernestine tried to stifle in her pillow. During the day she endeavoured to show nothing. Jules was left alone in the corridor. The house was quiet, the only noises rose from the kitchen where Madame Guillandou was still busy finishing her day’s work. He walked slowly to his room which looked quite grim at that time of night. The wooden floor creaked under his shoes. He put his hand on the white ceramic door knob and scraped his finger against the tiny nail holding the knob when he turned it. It was pitch dark inside his room. He groped for the switch on either side of the door. His fingers met something at last and the room lit slowly. He came in and closed the door behind him. He looked around the room. It was plain but cosy with all the necessary amenities – a tall wooden wardrobe against the wall on the left, a large window framed with heavy curtains of dark green velvet, a single bed in front of him with a bedside table and a lamp, a beautiful wooden desk with a green leather writing pad and a chair, a small dressing table with a towel holder and a mirror, on which stood an earthenware washbasin and a jug decorated with garlands and flower baskets, and next to it, a wooden clothes valet. Jules put his case down next to the wardrobe. He sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. Then he took off his shoes, undressed and hung his clothes on the clothes valet. He put on his nightshirt and lay down on the bed. There was a lovely smell of clean sheets. He remained motionless for a moment staring at the ceiling, with his arms by his side. Feeling overcome with tiredness, he got up to draw the curtains and switch off the light, then blissfully slipped in between the sheets. It had been a long and eventful day. He sank into a deep sleep in the comforting smell of clean linen. The following two weeks enabled Ernestine and Jules to adjust to their new surroundings. It was no easy thing but the de Chaussecourte family went out of their way to be nice to them. The children and especially the boys were excited to have a new older friend and showed Jules all the nooks and crannies of the house! They also took him around the estate. During one of their walks Jules said that he wanted to explore the bottom of the park behind the house. ‘You can’t! Daddy says it’s forbidden!’ scolded Léopold, the youngest of the family. ‘Really?!!’ Jules said, surprised. ‘Why?’ ‘Eglantine told our parents we mustn’t go there because it’s dangerous. Something to do with a pool in which you can drown, his big brother Abel explained. And anyway the shrubs are too thick and it’s difficult to get through.’ They turned around and walked back to the house. ‘Can you play wiv us, Zules?’ Léo asked. Right from the start the little boy adored Jules and followed him everywhere. Jules didn’t mind, quite the opposite. He did not feel excluded and it helped him avoid thinking about his old life. The chauffeur was right, they were a lovely family! For her part, Adélaïde could not do without Ernestine. Of course she wanted to discuss the running of the household and its chores with her, but she was far more interested in her life in Paris. She had lived there with her husband and children for a few years but they had eventually decided to move to the countryside, far from the hustle and bustle of the capital. ‘We so love it here, my dear, but I do miss Le Bon Marché1! You won’t find the latest trends in fashion in Howlingdeadman! Do tell me everything!’ Ernestine was flattered and it was also a way for her to move on. Every afternoon they would chat over a cup of tea. And even Madame Guillandou would not miss a single bit of their conversations. She would stand with the tray in her hands, captivated by the town life she knew nothing of. As a result, Adélaïde asked her to sit with them one day to hear about the latest gossip from Paris. ‘Come on, Eglantine! You can’t just remain standing, can you! Do have a cup of tea with us!’ ‘Very well, Madame,’ the latter answered willingly. She was delighted to join in the ladies’ important conversation. Then it was time to start planning the holidays. The de Chaussecourte family were going away for a month, which was no small matter and trunks were piling up in the hall. Léopold had to be talked out of packing all of his toys, and no, Jules would not play with them while he was away. The same arguments arose with the eldest daughters, however on a more sensitive subject: their clothes! Their father had been adamant – they were to take only a few, and not all of their dresses. Their mother was given the same instructions. ‘But my dear, we must take at least three decent outfits, just in case!’ Confronted with three members of the fair s*x, he had had to give in with a heavy heart. Léo was also allowed one more toy. The motor-car was bursting at the seams! On Sunday night Adélaïde decided to organize a farewell dinner. It was a lively evening what with the children already fussing about which room they would sleep in. It was a small villa in Vaucottes-sur-mer that Aimé had bought when they got married and where they went every summer. He showed them photos of the children in bathing suits with the house in the background. ‘What a charming little house!’ exclaimed Ernestine. It was a quaint villa with several sloping and overlapping slate roofs. On the top floor there was a wooden balcony offering a breathtaking view of the sea. The woodwork and the Italian style white painted shutters stood out against the red brick walls. The building was surrounded by abundant vegetation and a few apple trees, the one closest to the house providing shelter for a garden swing. Like every year they drew lots for the bedrooms to avoid endless arguments. Adélaïde and Ernestine talked about the final preparations and checked that no one was forgetting anything. The girls giggled to themselves – they would meet up with friends, some of whom flirted with them, or so it seemed! Abel and Léo showed Jules their brand new nets to catch crabs and small fish. ‘We don’t kill’em! We put’em back in ve water!’ Léopold specified. It was very late when they all went up to bed with a full belly and quieted minds. Jules quickly fell asleep thinking about the villa by the sea. However a few hours later he woke with a start. It was still late at night and everything was dark. He switched on his bedside lamp. Whispers! He thought he had heard whispers! But there was no noise in the house, it must have been in his dream. He switched off the light and waited. He was drifting back to sleep at last when he heard them again. Noises and creaking sounds! It came from the room below! He panicked at first, then he tried to reason with himself. It had to be the children sleeping fitfully on the floor below him. He waited again. Everything was quiet. He did not dare switch off the light this time. He waited for a long time, sitting up in his bed with weary eyelids. He was so sleepy that he could not hold his head straight. As he was exhausted and could no longer hear anything, he slid back in between the sheets and slept until morning with the bedside lamp on. 1 Le Bon Marché is a department store in Paris. It was founded in 1838 and was the first ever modern department store.