Grand Duke Goatbeard will tell of his second meeting with Delmore Boissonneau.

Two days after our first meeting, I received a message that Monsieur Boissonneau was ready to meet again at my convenience. I wasted no time and made my way to his office.

“Good day, Monsieur Boissonneau. I received your message and would like to schedule a time for our meeting.”

“Good day, Grand Duke. I am free now if it suits you.”

“It does indeed.”

“Very well. Please take a seat.”

I sat and waited for Monsieur Boissonneau to begin.

“I have taken all we discussed into consideration and have concluded that the business agreement Elise brokered is indeed worth pursuing. Although I am not pleased with the Baron’s association with pirates, I am willing to overlook it for our mutual benefit. And for Elise’s sake.

“I am not as confident as you are that she will respond favorably to the Baron’s desire for courtship. If it comes to pass, I will need to make accommodations concerning the Baron. She is my only child, and I would not see our relationship severed over her choice of suitor. For rest assured, it will be her choice, not the Baron’s.”

“Elise has the strong will of her mother. And her intelligence. Fortunately, she is less prone to tempter than I. The past two days have made me recognize that Elise no longer needs me. And that my role has changed. My concern for her remains as steadfast as ever, but I can no longer direct her life.

“I will sign the business agreement provided you give me your word that should Elise and Baron Blastfurnace marry, you will continue to mentor them and keep me informed on their welfare.”

“I have every intention of doing just that. And would be pleased to keep you updated on their welfare. You have my word.”

“Then we have paperwork to sign.”

“I welcome it.”

We spent the next half-hour reviewing the business proposal, and then both signed the agreement. I invited Monsieur Boissonneau to lunch at the Hôtel de Honneurto celebrate, which he gladly accepted.

I was relieved that the drama of the previous days was over. And that our business agreement was now in place. I hoped that my travel companions were enjoying their visit with the King. And wondered what adventures Britpop would get himself into this time.

An Audience With The King Of France

I shall resume the telling of our adventures at Versailles.

Our audience with the King was scheduled for 10:00am. We were all dressed in our finest clothes, waiting to go, when a guard arrived at our rooms to escort us to the meeting. We followed the guard into a modest-sized room. All the rooms in the palace are opulently decorated with the finest furniture and masterful artwork hanging on the walls. This room was no exception. There was a large table in the center surrounded by several chairs.

The guard said, “The King will be in presently,” and left.

“Should we sit down?” Elise asked.

“No. We must stand in the presence of royalty until told to do otherwise,” Maria said.

“My stomach is doing flip-flops,” Elise said.

Maria laughed. “It is just nerves. It is normal. But the King is a gracious host. Answer his questions politely, and you will be fine.”

As we waited, servants brought in fruit, cheese, and wine. They placed the food on the table and left without saying a word.

“Don’t even think about it,” Maria said to Andelbert as he eyed the cheese.

A moment later, the guard entered and said in a loud voice, “His majesty, the King.”

We all stood as straight as we could.

King Louis entered and smiled broadly. “My friends, please sit and enjoy some refreshments.”

There was a chorus of “Thank you, Your Majesty” from our group. Then we all sat.

“Baron, I am overjoyed to see you again. However, I didn’t expect it to be so soon. You were quite eager to return home last time we met,” the King said.

“I am delighted to be here, Your Highness. Indeed, I was desperate to return home at the time. But a business opportunity has brought me back to your beautiful country, and I seized the opportunity to visit Versailles once again, in hopes of an audience with you and the Queen.”

“I am eager to hear of this business opportunity, but first, Andelbert and Maria, it is a joy to see your faces once again. I dearly hope you have agreed to bake some of your bread, Andelbert.”

“I have done so already, Your Majesty.”

“Excellent. Maria, how are you finding life in Kapri?”

“It is charming, Your Highness. I have grown to love it.”

“I am pleased to hear it. Now, Baron, will you introduce me to the newest member of your entourage?”

“It would be my great honor, Your Majesty. May I present Elise Boissoneau of Bordeaux. It was her business proposal that spurred our trip to France.”

“I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mademoiselle Boissoneau.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I am honored to be here.”

“The Baron has piqued my interest. I must hear more of this tale, but I am not alone in wanting to see you all again.”

At that moment, The Queen stepped, unannounced, into the room. We all stood. Maria curtsied, and Elise did her best to follow suit while Andelbert and I bowed.

“Please sit, my friends. Forgive my breach of protocol, but I grow weary of formalities. News of your visit surprised me and brought me great joy.”

The Queen took a seat next to the King.

“How long do you plan to grace us with your presence?” The Queen asked.

“We were hoping to stay two weeks, Your Highness,” I replied.

“Wonderful. I invite you all to visit me at my château this afternoon. I am eager to hear more of your new life, Maria. And to get acquainted with Mademoiselle Boissoneau. Shall we say 4:00pm?”

“It would be our great pleasure, You Majesty,” I replied.

“Very well. Now, I must excuse myself. Good morning,” the Queen said, then rose. We all quickly took to our feet.

“I also have pressing engagements, “ the King said. “I cannot tell you how good it has done my spirits to see you all again. I wish you a good day.”

“Good day, Your Majesty,” we all replied.

The King and Queen left the room. A few moments later, the guard returned to escort us back to our rooms.

We all entered Maria and Elise’s room.

“I expected it to last longer,” Elise said.

“The King has a tight schedule, and I have little doubt he put off someone else to spend the time he did with us,” Maria said.

“I can’t believe we were invited to the Queen’s château. Do you think we will get to see the Queen’s Hamlet?” Elsie asked.

“It is quite possible,” I replied. “The Queen does enjoy spending time there. But it would not be proper to ask. She must invite us.”

“Obviously. I am not that naive,” Elise said sharply.

“I apologize,” I quickly replied. I was reminded that the Boissoneau temper can suddenly appear at any moment.

“It is a special honor. Very few guests are invited to the Queen’s estate. It is her sanctuary from the courtiers, who she has no love for,” Maria said.

“It still seems unreal that you are friends with the Queen and King of France. Even after seeing it with my own eyes,” Elise said.

“They are obviously good judges of character,” I said with a smirk.

“Perhaps they are charmed by your modesty,” Elise replied.

Andelbert and Maria laughed. I tried not to, couldn’t help it. Soon Eleise was also laughing.