A Busy Day In Paris
Captain Peanut Butter • Chapter 22
New to Baron Britpop Blastfurnace? You can read Books 1 & 2 starting here:
In the previous chapter, Captain Peanut Butter, Lafayette, and Ben Franklin met with the Continental Congress.
Meanwhile, Britpop, Andelbert, and Maria arrived at the Palace of Versailles and met with the King and Queen of France. Their story continues in this chapter.
I shall take the telling of our day in Paris.
As planned, Andelbert rose early and prepared loaves of bread for baking. Once that work was complete, we embarked on our trip to Paris. Before we could make it out of the Palace, we encountered the Comtesse de Genlis.
“What a joy it is to see you again, Baron. I dared not hope to. I must hear the full story of your escape,” said the Comtesse.
“It would be my pleasure to share it with you.”
“Tell me, where is that captivating flame-haired beauty who accompanied you last time?”
“She is now my betrothed.”
“Oh, well done, Baron. But why is she not with you?”
“She has accepted the position of Captain of a new merchant vessel and is currently selecting a crew.”
“My stars. Will wonders never cease with you, Baron?”
“It appears not.”
The Comtesse laughed. “And I am grateful for it. I have grown so tired of palace gossip, and then you arrive to entertain me with fascinating tales of real life. How divine. The three of you must join me for lunch.”
“Nothing would delight us more, Comtesse. Unfortunately, we are going to Paris to visit the Montgolfier brothers.”
“The balloon makers?”
“The very ones.”
“I envy the variety of your daily endeavors, Baron. Perhaps a visit can be arranged on your return.”
“I hope so.”
“Well, I shall not delay you any further. Enjoy your time in Paris, but avoid the city center. It is not safe. Good day.”
“Good day, Comtesse.”
Upon arriving in Paris, we made our way to the Montgolfier brothers’ balloon workshop. It was a rustic barn-like structure located on the outskirts of the city. Inside, there were various baskets, from small to large, and several colorful balloons hanging uninflated from the ceiling of the building. Joseph and Jacques met us with clasped arms and big smiles.
“Britpop and Andelbert, my friends, welcome, welcome! And Maria, was it?” Joseph asked.
“That is correct. It is a pleasure to see you under more pleasant circumstances,” Maria replied.
“Indeed. I did not expect to see any of you in Paris again. How is it you are here?”
“The Emperor granted us a pardon,” I replied.
“Truly? What a wonder. Come, sit. You must tell us the whole tale.”
We sat and ate cheese and bread, and I told them about our adventures after leaving them the night we escaped the jail at Versailles. I told them how we ended up in Spain and eventually back in Kapri and how Elise agreed to be my wife.
“Some say we are adventurers because of our balloons, but you, sir, are a true adventurer,” Joseph stated.
“Whether I like it or not,” I replied.
Everyone laughed.
“May I ask a favor of you, my friends?” I said.
“But of course, name it,” Joseph replied.
“I would like to arrange a balloon ride for myself and Elise. I want her to experience what I have.”
“It would be our great joy. Any time. It will be our wedding gift to you.”
“Thank you, my friends.”
“It is our honor. And why not have Andelbert and Maria join you? We have baskets big enough to accommodate all of you.”
“That is a marvelous idea. What say you?” I asked Andelbert and Maria.
“I am always ready for another balloon trip. What do you think, my love?” Andelbert said.
“I admit, I was mainly praying the balloon wouldn’t crash during our night fight. I couldn’t see much. I think I would enjoy a ride during the daytime.”
“Then it is settled,” Joseph said. “You name the date, and we will go up. Weather permitting, of course.”
“Perfect. Merci, my friends.”
After some more food and friendly conversation, we left and went to the heart of the city to see some of the sights. We visited the Palais-Royal, a pleasure garden surrounded by covered arcades and paved walkways. The arcades were filled with shops and art galleries, and the basements were filled with cafes with musical entertainment. The upper floors contained gambling rooms. We did not partake in any gambling but rode horses around the gardens.
Andelbert insisted that we revisit The Lourve. His inquisitive mind delighted in the scientific experiments on display. I do not believe Maria was as fascinated as Andelbert, but she did seem to appreciate the artists and their art. We lunched at one of the cafes that seemed to occupy every street corner of Paris.
As we ate, I noticed that many of the women walking by were carrying what appeared to be a cane covered in fabric, but they were too short to be used as a cane. I asked Maria about them.
“Those are umbrellas. When you push a button on the handle, it opens into a covering that will keep the rain or sun off you. A portable awning, in a way. Princess Palatine started carrying one and made it into a fashion accessory in France.”
“How ingenious. We must buy one,” Andelbert said.
“Elise is not much for fashion, but I am sure she would appreciate its practical use,” I said.
We started visiting shops until we found one selling umbrellas and purchased two. Then I suggested we visit Lafayette’s wife, Marie, to see if she had any news of Lafayette.
“My friends, I am so pleased to see you,” Marie said as we arrived.
“I hope we are not intruding,” I said.
“Not at all. I welcome the distraction and the company. Please come in and sit, and I will get us some tea.”
“I will help,” Maria said.
Once the tea was prepared, we sat down to chat.
“Have you any news from Lafayette?” I asked.
“I am afraid not. As you know, my husband is a man of strong convictions and impetuous action. I understand a soldier leaving his wife and small children to fight for his country, but to fight in another country’s war is beyond my grasp. I am not ashamed to say I fear I will never see him again.”
“It is a hard thing to understand. But I know Lafayette is an excellent soldier with a gift for persuasive words. I would not be surprised if he was made a general in the Continental Army and swiftly ended the war in the Americas.”
“I care not about the American war, only his safe return.”
“As it should be,” I replied.
“But enough of my worries. Tell me why you are here in Paris and what you have been doing since our last meeting.”
We spent the afternoon in pleasant conversation. Afterward, we returned to the Seine for our return trip to Versailles.
Upon reaching the Palace, we quickly changed into our dinner clothes and hurried to the dining room. During dinner, the King complimented Andelbert on his bread, and he beamed with pride. Afterward, a footman informed us that the King and Queen requested our presence. We were escorted to a room where both the King and Queen waited.
“I trust you had a pleasant visit to Paris today,” the King said.
“We did, Your Highness,” I replied.
“Andelbert, your bread was a rare treat. Thank you for baking it.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Maria, it is a pleasure to see you again,” the Queen said.
“The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty.”
“Let us get right to the matter at hand. The Queen and I desire to host your wedding here at the Palace,” the King stated. “If you approve.”
Stunned, I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
“I am deeply honored and gladly accept. However, I fear I cannot give you a date at this time as Elise’s position is new, and I do not yet know when she will be available.”
“Whenever it is convenient, we shall arrange it,” the King replied.
“Thank you, Your Majesties.”
“It will be our great joy to see you married, Baron. We await your response.”
“You shall have it soon, Your Highness.”
“Excellent. You are dismissed,” the King stated.
We bowed and left the room.
In the hall, Maria asked, “Do you think it was wise to accept without asking Elise?”
“She wouldn’t say no. Would she?” I replied.
Andelbert and Maria both looked at me, and my heart sank.
Note:
I decided to change the ending slightly. It was out of character for Britpop to ask Elise before accepting the offer of a Palace wedding. So I had him accept. I think it made for a better ending to the chapter.
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I welcome your thoughts, questions, suggestions, corrections, etc. Thank you.
Mark
"Will wonders never cease with you, Baron?” “It appears not.”
Isn't THAT the truth! Always lots of fun, Mark!
PS I wonder if expressions like "catching up", "making it happen" and "small talk" might be anachronistic? Is that intentional?