Brilliance (12 page)

‘She even found my beau’s letters hidden under my underclothes and read them!’ This was Elyanne, her face flushing resentfully. ‘I know, because the blue ribbon around them was tied differently.’

‘That’s right,’ Celestine, a redhead, endorsed bitterly. ‘The jealous old cow pokes about in the other girls’ rooms too. She gives us all the creeps.’

Lisette was thankful there was nothing among her possessions that would give away all that had happened to her. Daniel was now a secret memory that she had come to linger over more often than she had expected. Yet it was a closed period in her life that was entirely hers and always would be. Now she was about to begin a new existence.

It began at seven o’clock each morning when breakfast was served and presided over by Mademoiselle Valverde. There were two long tables full of chattering women, mostly in their twenties and thirties, but a few older ones of senior status sat at a smaller table on their own. When the meal was over all would line up two by two and, at a signal from Mademoiselle Valverde, they would set off through the double doors into the emporium where they would branch off at their individual counters. It reminded Lisette of her school days when she and all the rest of the pupils went to their classrooms after morning assembly. She had soon learned that here the others called it the Noah’s Ark parade.

As one week followed another Lisette became expert in her sales technique, for by now she could recognize instantly the indecisive customers as well as those who wanted the impossible or, not knowing what suited them, had to be steered in the right direction. There were also the dominating mothers with timid daughters longing to make their own choice, and it was a point of pride with Lisette that they rarely went away disappointed.

One Saturday evening she went with two of her room companions, Claudine and Elyanne, to a magic lantern show that had come to town. She had not known that they were meeting two of the young salesmen, who worked in gentlemen’s footwear, and that they had brought a third young man for her, who was a bank clerk.

‘I’m Henri Casson,’ he said, raising his straw boater and introducing himself. He was freckled with bright smiling eyes. As the evening progressed he proved to be good company, but she drew her hand away when he tried to hold it as soon as the gaslights were lowered at the magic lantern show. Although he and the others all enjoyed the show immensely, laughing their heads off at the comical slides, Lisette watched the whole performance with a critical eye. She soon realized that she had worked with a master of the craft, and this lanternist could not compete with Daniel in any way. It was no wonder that he had always had a packed house for his shows.

When they all said goodnight Henri wanted to see her again, but she made an excuse, careful not to hurt his feelings. She had no room in her life at present for any man, not even for occasional meetings, and certainly never again on a permanent basis.

It was not long afterwards that she awoke early one morning to a slight feeling of nausea. She dismissed it, but was thankful that it was not yet time to get up, and turned over to sleep again. A few minutes later the sensation of sickness overwhelmed her and she almost fell out of bed to grab her empty chamber pot and vomit into it as if she would never stop. In the neighbouring bed Claudine stirred, sat up and then sprang out of bed to kneel at her side.

‘Are you all right?’ she whispered anxiously, not wanting anyone else to wake.

Lisette nodded weakly, reaching for a handkerchief from the bedside chest of drawers to wipe her mouth. ‘I have felt a little sick for the past few mornings, but nothing came of it. I must have eaten something that has upset my stomach, but now I’ve vomited I should be better.’

Claudine looked dubious. ‘Are you sure there isn’t another more likely reason?’

Lisette looked puzzled. ‘What could there be?’

The reply came bluntly. ‘Are you in the family way?’

Slowly Lisette’s expression changed from incredulity to one of horrified doubt. ‘No! That’s impossible!’ she protested.

Claudine became practical. ‘Get back into bed and think about it,’ she urged, picking up the chamber pot. ‘I’ll empty this before anybody wakes.’

Lying back on her pillows, Lisette lay in fear of what might have befallen her. She was late in her cycle, but had given it no thought, for it had happened at rare intervals. No, it couldn’t be!

Claudine returned with the clean chamber pot and sat down on Lisette’s bed as she thrust it underneath. ‘Well?’ she whispered.

‘But it was only once,’ Lisette gulped. ‘It doesn’t happen as easily as that!’

‘I’m afraid it can, my poor innocent. Will he marry you, do you think?’

‘No! He’s completely against marriage for himself.’

Claudine smiled cynically. ‘Some men always are.’

‘In any case,’ Lisette continued, scarcely hearing what Claudine had said, ‘I don’t know where he is and if I did I’d never go to him. But I still can’t be sure that I am – pregnant.’ The enormity of this possibility seemed to have stunned her and her words stumbled from her. ‘Within a few days I’m sure I’ll know for certain that my nausea was only a bilious attack.’

Claudine looked unconvinced, but patted Lisette’s arm reassuringly. ‘Let’s hope so.’

Next morning the sickness came again. This time she was prepared and flew at once down the stairs to the second floor where she reached the lavatory just in time. It became a pattern that continued until eventually the vomiting began to wane. Her monthly cycle had not resumed and she faced a future even more unpredictable than it had been previously. Only Claudine knew about it and was kindly keeping it to herself.

‘Nobody is going to notice any change in you for quite a while yet,’ she said one day when she and Lisette were alone in one of the stockrooms. ‘But if you want to get rid of your present trouble there’s a woman in this town who would do it for you. I got her address from somebody else who works here and had the same problem.’

‘No, I could never do that!’ Lisette exclaimed almost before Claudine had finished speaking. ‘I’ve decided that I must leave here before my pregnancy is noticed and then Madame Fabignon should give me a good reference. Several times, because of the increase in my sales, I’ve had a nod and a smile from her whenever she has passed my counter.’

‘So what shall you do after you’ve left the emporium?’

‘I’ll move on to another town some distance from here and say that my husband is in the navy and at sea. Then there will be nothing against anyone employing me.’

Claudine frowned doubtfully. ‘Do you want to be saddled with a baby?’

Lisette’s eyes flashed. ‘Of course not! Not now or at any other time since I don’t intend to marry. But I wasn’t raped or seduced and the baby will be the result on my own actions. I have to bear that responsibility.’

‘You’re a strange girl, Lisette,’ Claudine said wonderingly with a shake of her head. ‘But good luck to you and don’t forget to buy yourself a wedding ring.’

‘I’ll do that,’ Lisette replied quietly.

It was another two weeks before Lisette was able to get to the marketplace on her own. So often one of the other girls would catch her up to walk and chat with her. This time she went straight to one of the jewellery and trinket stalls where she saw what she wanted. The plain rings were not gold and had a brassy gleam, but they were cheap and would pass for a marriage band.

Swiftly she glanced about to make sure nobody she knew was nearby and then tried on a few rings in quick succession until she found one that fitted her. The vendor put it into its own little box and handed it to her without a flicker of interest. Obviously she was far from the first single woman to have made the same purchase from him for a similar need. In her own mind she thought such deception was a sad business, but she had to keep her head and do whatever seemed best for herself and her child.

F
or the next few weeks Lisette’s pregnancy continued to go undetected. Madame Fabignon granted her a slight increase in her wages when her sales of shawls and capes continued to rise. Yet her savings were still piteously small and she found it hard to find further ways in which to economize.

She wished she did not have to leave the emporium soon, for she was enjoying the work, had a good friend in Claudine and liked most of the other employees with whom she came into contact. Since she never spent a sou without consideration she was grateful for the newspapers that Pierre passed on to her after he had studied the racing news. When she had glanced at the headlines she always turned to the ‘Situations Vacant’ page.

It was her intention to apply for the position of a housekeeper, having decided that if she made herself indispensable to her employer she might be able to stay on with her baby after the birth. In preparation she wrote some more references for herself as to her bookkeeping and other domestic capabilities, all of which she had been taught at school. She wrote these references on the same good writing paper that had done so well for her with Madame Fabignon and which she would have ready when needed.

When two seemingly suitable housekeeping posts were advertised she applied for both, one with a retired judge, who lived in a nearby town, and the other with the mistress of a château in the same area. She gave both prospective employers the date after which she would be available for interviews. Both her letters were answered, approving her application, although each warned that the situation might not still be vacant when she reapplied. It was what Lisette had expected, and even if these situations were lost to her, the response had shown her that she stood a good chance of getting the work she wanted.

Then, quite unexpectedly, everything went awry a month before the date that Lisette had decided should be the limit of her present employment. It was Madame Fabignon herself who inadvertently caused it. She had decided that since Lisette’s natural elegance could sell shawls so well, then how much more she could do for sales in parading the new gowns with the other mannequins in the dressmaking salon.

‘But I like selling shawls!’ Lisette protested.

‘Don’t be foolish,’ Madame Fabignon retorted. ‘Can’t you see that I’m promoting you to a higher position? There will also be commission on all that you sell.’

Knowing Madame Fabignon’s parsimonious ways Lisette did not expect the commission to amount to very much, but even a little more money would be a help to her before she left. She had not yet begun to make anything for her baby’s layette and as her pregnancy advanced she would soon need some new clothes when those she possessed no longer fitted her. So far the corset she wore had kept her secret very well.

‘Very well, madame,’ she said. ‘When should I start?’

‘Today. Celestine can be your replacement on the shawls and capes.’

Lisette went up the wide curving staircase to the salon, which was conducted like a haute couture salon in Paris. There a
vendeuse
, named Mademoiselle Boileau, sat at a Louis VI desk from which she would rise to greet the emporium’s richer customers who were able to afford the garments in her domain. She was writing at the desk, but looked up as Lisette approached.

‘You are the new mannequin?’ she stated sharply. ‘I was told to expect you. Go through that far door. One of the dressmakers will measure you.’

In the dressmakers’ room Lisette knew an anxious moment when a tape was whipped around her waist, the result checked, and then she was measured a second time.

The dressmaker frowned, looping the tape measure back over her neck. ‘You’ll have to lace yourself in a bit tighter, but otherwise you have a good figure, a straight back and a chic air about you. There’s a parade of gowns for a client later this afternoon, so I’ll get one of the other mannequins to show you how to walk and what to do.’

Lisette lasted only a week in the salon. During that time she received commission on three gowns and a coat, but the dressmaker had become increasingly suspicious about the new mannequin’s waistline and mentioned her concern to the
vendeuse
.

‘Thank you for bringing the matter to my attention,’ Mademoiselle Boileau replied, her gaze becoming fierce. ‘But not a word to anybody else.’

She chose her moment carefully, throwing open a door on Lisette when she was virtually naked while changing after the day’s work had ended. At the giveaway sight of her figure in loosened corset laces the
vendeuse
threw up her hands in outrage.

‘You sinful, deceitful creature! You’re with child! Finish dressing and then go at once to Madame Fabignon. I’m going downstairs this second to inform her that you are not fit to be with decent people in this salon!’

Lisette sighed as the woman left and continued dressing. Her chance of a good reference from Madame Fabignon was lost and it would have been very useful to have had it in hand.

When she faced Madame Fabignon in the office it was what she had expected. Instant dismissal for immorality as a single woman bearing a child. What was owed to her was thrown down on to the desk, some of the coins bouncing to the floor for her to gather up. To add to her humiliation Lisette was prevented from saying goodbye to anyone. Madame Fabignon marched her out of the office and through the emporium where all the sales assistants, even those serving customers at their counters, turned their heads to watch as the two of them went by. It was obvious to them all from Madame Fabignon’s furious expression that Lisette was in great trouble.

Only Claudine guessed the true reason, having known that it could only be a matter of time before her friend’s condition was discovered. Dismayed, she gave a sympathetic little wave of farewell, which was returned with a grateful smile from Lisette as she followed their employer through the double doors into the house of accommodation. There she was denounced to Mademoiselle Valverde.

‘This immoral creature is in the family way! Make sure she has her belongings packed and is off these premises within twenty minutes!’ Turning on her heel, Madame Fabignon stalked back into the emporium.

Mademoiselle Valverde glared at Lisette. ‘Get going!’ she snapped. ‘We don’t want your kind under this roof a moment longer than necessary!’