The Count of Caudebec

III.

After I fled from the room, I found Mrs. Leroux in the kitchen.

“Make sure there is plenty of meat in the soup this time, Marie, or I shall not be responsible! You know how the master complained the last time you forgot.”

Hm? What’s this about the master? And...meat? How odd.

“Oh, there you are, Marguerite, dear,” Mrs. Leroux greeted me cheerfully, as if she hadn’t been scolding the cook just a moment ago.

“Mrs. Leroux, would you be kind enough to show me to the study? I believe that is where my lessons will be taking place.”

Mrs. Leroux’s eyes widened as her brows shot up into her starched kerchief, as if what I had said was extraordinary.

“Lessons?”

Has she forgotten?

Recognition dawned on her old, crinkled face as she exclaimed,

“Ah, yes! Right this way,” she motioned for me to follow as she bustled out of the kitchen.

Strange, I thought, we had just discussed my pupil this morning…

Following her lead, I prayed that I would learn how to navigate my way through all the winding passageways that felt more like a maze than a house. The sooner, the better. At last we came to the study, which was an impressively large room. Lined with bookshelves around most of the perimeter, a display of different maps hung from one of the walls, drawing me towards it.

“Madame?”

A soft, girlish voice startled me out of my awe of the room as I turned to see her; Evangeline. She was slightly shorter than myself, with a slender, delicate frame. Her hair was unbound in loose waves of pure ivory. She was quite a rarity. I smiled as I stepped closer and introduced myself.

“Mademoiselle, actually. Mademoiselle Dante.”

She nodded blithely and gave a small curtsy.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle Dante,” she greeted, her timbre warm and friendly.

But there was something distinctly off about the girl that I could not put my finger on. It was just a feeling that there was much more to her than meets the eye.

“And for me, as well,” I responded, hoping to put her at ease, “Shall we begin?”

She followed obediently to sit at the large table by the windows, supplies already laid out at the ready to be put to use. As we settled into the lesson – I decided to begin with Arithmetic – it seemed she was well versed in the subject. It was a bit of a surprise as we moved from one discipline to the next; all of which she navigated with ease. It was astounding, if not a little intimidating. Evidently, the master had previously invested in his ward’s education. If that was so, then, what happened to her previous instructor?

By lunch time, Evangeline had shown that she was very bright, a quick study and had an intense focus throughout the morning. Happy to oblige her curiosity in Mythology, I lent her The Odyssey, my favorite among the classics. As we headed down to luncheon, with her leading the way of course, I noticed that she grew quiet the close we came to the dining hall. There we were met with a full course meal that stretched nearly two-thirds of the long table. As we both sat down on either side of the master’s seat at the head of the table, we were met with the abrupt entrance of the Count.

He strode in, as brusque and as cold as ever, seating himself at the place laid out for him, only briefly acknowledging out presence with a curt nod. Thankfully we could eat after he’d mumbled a hurried grace – something which I somehow found amusing – and the three of us tucked into the appetizing spread. Savoring the taste of the richly hearty beef stew, warm baked bread and a hot cup of tea, I lost myself in the simple pleasure of the repast, ignoring the overwhelming aura of the man sitting adjacent to me.

“Mademoiselle Dante,” his tone cut through the peaceful silence, jarring me from my thoughts, “I expect your morning lessons went accordingly?”

“Yes,” the answer slipped out naturally enough, or so I hoped, “Evangeline is a brilliant and promising pupil,” she and I shared a smile, “I look forward to seeing her reach her full potential.”

The master grunted. Was this somehow funny? Affronted at his reaction to my praise, I waited for him to justify his behavior.

“And how, pray tell, will she reach this...full potential, as you so aptly put it?”

His tone was acidic and bitter to swallow. Confused and a little insulted, my mind reeling with all the unprofessional things I could say. I said none of them. After all, I was a role model, first and foremost, and I would show Evangeline that one did not have to stoop to another’s level just to prove a point.

“Evangeline is one of the most educated, intelligent, diligent girl I’ve ever met, Monsieur, and she will go very, very far in life. In fact, she will be able to do whatever she chooses when she comes of age.”

There, I thought, that should do it!

His impertinence knew no bounds as he gave several lound, painfully measured claps after my short speech. What was supposed to have been an assured victory was evidently going to be just the start of a match of verbal sparring.

“Well said, Mademoiselle! Well said,” he sneered, “So you have plans to put silly things in my ward’s head, do you? You plan to build up ridiculous expectations of the world only for her to be brought down? Why,” he chuckled mirthlessly, “you are very cruel, Mademoiselle.”

Cruel? I’m cruel?! He is out of his head! Talking like that in front of a girl at such a tender age, blasting away all hopes and dreams. What did he expect; that she should live and die within these walls?

“I apologize, sir, if you misinterpreted what I said. I only meant-”

“Oh, bollocks,” he waved, dismissing my attempt to redeem myself in front of my pupil, “I do not misinterpret anything.”

His glare was as intimidating as it was exasperating.

“Mademoiselle,” came the faint protest from across the table, “Master Roche is only looking out for my welfare. I cannot venture out into the world, you see, because I have a weak disposition and people do not associate with my kind. They are not tolerant, like you are.”

Kind? What kind? Neither of them were making any sense!

“You’ve never seen anyone like her before, have you, Mademoiselle?”

His snarky tone was getting on my nerves, but I held back a biting retort.

“Like her? What do you mean, monsieur?”

At that, I saw him smirk, the devil.

“I’m albino,” Evangeline stated simply; straight and to the point.

I had no idea what on earth she meant, never having heard of an ‘albino’ in all my life.

“My white skin and hair unsettles people, I’m intolerant to prolonged exposure to sunlight, my constitution is weak and I am more susceptible to illness than others, and I have poor eyesight.”

She rattled off the list as if it would help to explain her guardian’s abhorrent treatment of her not just five minutes ago. No matter what her health condition was, she should be able to go out and see the world; fulfill her passions, her dreams. Admittedly, I saw some of myself in her. Trapped indefinitely in a big, empty house, with nothing to do and thing to live for. It was like a well-dressed tomb that had made me nearly drowning in a maddening state of boredom.

No matter, I must begin to separate myself from her, or else risk unemployment. Oh, the injustice of it all!

“I think I understand better now. Thank you, Evangeline. I hope I did not cause you any discomfort with my ignorance. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course, Mademoiselle! Think nothing of it!”

A pretty shade of pink had lit up her pallid cheeks, and it was then that I finally saw just how unusual the girl looked. It shamed me to think that there would be those in the world who would do her harm because of it.