Monsieur Le Baron

Monsieur Le Baron slipped deeper into his seat… now and then his eyes strayed to the window… as if waiting for something…or someone…



The Coat hugged itself around her.... as she felt herself slipping back in time


Monsieur Le Baron

Opening her eyes she found herself seated at a table in a patisserie a large cake had just been placed before her…


I am a skinny knock kneed girl …of about 12 or 13 years ..
On my right is Sebastian, my brother , ( an odious child prone to carrying strange insects in his pocket.
I think.. ( know) I hate Sebastian…)


Monsieur Le Baron sits across the table and hands me a dainty napkin..

I watch in fascination as the long fingers smooth the napkin quite flat.. then taking a knife slices into the soft pastry with surgeon like precision……the cream oozes decadently onto the plate.. I reach my finger towards it and scooping a little onto its tip.. lift it to my mouth…its good….and I feel my stomach rumble in anticipation

I glance across the table.. at Monsieur Le Baron… who appears not to notice..

Ahhhh Monsieur Le Baron… our days of walking through the woods are coming to an end…..
I have heard whispering amongst the servants…that perhaps I am to be sent away… that the contact is not quite proper… for a girl of my age…and breeding…

As if hearing my thoughts Monsieur Le Baron slowly lifts his eyes and looks at me .. then smiles and continues eating.. with huge hungry bites…
( our walk had been a tiring one today..)


Monsieur Le Baron is our tutor.... governess’ tend not stay for long.. so for that reason papa decided to hire a man..
Monsieur Le Baron has an aristocratic bearing that was not from these parts.. which papa found particularly appealing..
(Papa was a snob..and loved the thoughts of been served by what were once the upper classes..)


That night as I lay in my bed I heard the words of Monsieur Le Baron running through my head..
“Ahhh mon petite … venez avec moi…” so clear in my mind.. it was as if he was in the room with me..
The night is warm and I fall into a restless sleep tossing and turning on my pillow.….. in my dreams I fly barefoot along… le corridor de la maison bleue…


One day while walking through the woods we had found a sparrow thrust from its next too soon
“Ah...pauvre petite’ ..said Monsieur le baron. as he gently lifted the tiny form and cradled it in his hands..

I shivered suddenly as in the broken body I saw myself forced to live without the Barons care …


Once when I was much younger.. he had tried to leave…. But I clung piteously to his bag.. and took to my bed so papa relented and decided to let him stay a little longer..
A week turned to month and then to a year…

Soon Monsieur Le Baron and I were taking walks in the moonlight.. still accompanied by my odious brother Sebastian…

Something nasty happened to Sebastian.. I have forgotten what.. maybe he finally net something bigger and nastier than he was..


Each night I hear the words of Monsieur Le Baron … and feel myself running along the corridor

But tonight something feels different... my night gown billowing like giant wings behind me.. lifts me higher and higher until at last my feet no longer touch the ground…and then noticing a window has been left ajar.. I fly out into the shadows of the night..
A harsh cry escaping my throat… as I feel my wings lifting me higher ….and then I am gone….

Time passes I no not how long but as my vision clears I see Monsieur Le Baron,, quietly waiting for my return.. he knows I will come…

The door of the carriage opens… no more ‘Monsieur’, I am no longer a child..
It is the Baron.. that now welcomes me inside and covers me with a coat of soft fur.. his long white fingers clear the shadows from my mind and I fall into a deep…deep….sleep.

The Coat...

'Darleeeeng'.... said Babette... ( hopefully eyeing his pockets...) , you remembered..

....

The day was crisp and bright… so beautiful in fact that the Baron for once had
chosen to wander out of doors while it was still light..
He stood peering into a dusty shop window..

It was a small old fashioned kind of shop…. It wasn’t there the day before and probably would be gone again tomorrow.. it came and went as it pleased.. So the fact that it was there at all meant there was probably
a reason.

The Baron was an old customer….

“Ahhh mon cher…said the Baron ,” addressing the fur coat on the other side of the glass…
“What aventures we ’ad together…”...


The coat on the tailors dummy wriggled impatiently.. and whispered
“Where is she..?’ and then as an afterthought asked…
“Am I still attractive?”

The coat did a twirl to show itself off..

“ My dear you are lovely as ever….”
Said the Baron soothingly…..

“Be calm …….the bride cometh.."
(If truth be told the coat had seen better days… but the Baron had no desire to be unkind by pointing out its lack of perfection….)

The coat took a static pose and held its breath.. then squeaked in a panicked tone..” I’m going to sneeze…!!!”

The Baron cleared his throat loudly.. to cover the situation.

Just .. as Babette trotted towards him carrying a few prized goodies..from the shoe shop a few doors down..

She joined him and looked in the window…

The coat smiled at her…( holding its breath..) Babette smiled back….her eyes like stars..

For a long time she stood looking at it saying nothing.. and pressed her hands on the glass that separated her from it…

The Baron secretly winked at the coat and gave a slight nod.... ( knowing she was hooked...)

“ Darleeeeng” said Babette , tearing herself away from it ….wrapping her arms coquettishly round his neck.. and looking up at him in what she hoped was an appealing manner…
“ voooooood you like to make me ‘appy….?”

The Baron gave the appearance of thinking about it but only for a second before letting her drag him into the shop…

The door had a bell that jingled as you went inside… a jolly old man stood behind the counter with a pencil stuck behind his ear..

The coat was so eager it almost jumped off the dummy by itself… without waiting to be asked…

Babette slipped easily into its warmth.. and the coat gave a happy sigh..


She absently extended her claws and carefully drew a line down her reflection in the mirror….then stood back..

The edges of the room began to blur and she felt herself slipping back in time.. the journey had begun…

Le Baron walked slowly across the floor.. and with his most charming smile.. handed her a blushing rose..