La Marquise

Chapter 16

December 24th, 1780

I rocked Georges in my arms, bouncing him after his afternoon nap, which made him let out soft giggles. "It's your birthday today, Georges", I cooed, kissing him on the head. "Mama!", he cooed back, tugging on the bodice of my green robe a la polonaise, which I would wear to midnight mass. I smiled at his innocence, "Come on, Georges. We should see what your sister is up to!" I put him down, letting him lead the way to Anastasie's room, he was taking his time while he toddled over there. 

Anastasie was coloring with watercolor paints, laying on her stomach on the hardwood floor and humming a tune she once heard at the opera I took her to. "Dear, let us not make a mess." I sat down in front of her, paying attention to her excited hands. Georges sat on the rug, "Tasie!" I smiled lovingly at him, looking at her painting. Half of the paper were various shads of blue, and she was in the middle of stroking a brown blob with her tiny paintbrush. "What are you painting, my dear?"

"The ship that took papa to A-A-" she struggled to pronounce it. "America", I tenderly filled in the blank, smiling fondly at the painting. I saw it clearly now. She stroked the paint so it curved into a ship, and then started painting the flags. "Yeah", she confirmed. "Can you help send it to him?"

"Definitely, after it dries." I noticed a thin stroke of light blue at the top of the paper. "Don't you want to finish painting the sky, Anastasie?"

"The sky is up!", she insisted, pointing up. I tried not to laugh, "Very well, We shall put this on the table for it to dry." She stood up, toddling to the bedside table, gently placing it. "There we go", I whisked her into my arms, kissing her head. Georges crawled over to me, wanting attention, sitting up and pulling at my skirts. I laughed gently, picking him up, as well. "Mama, may we play in the snow?"

I looked outside through the frosted window at the fresh blanket of snow on the ground, and more snow continued to fall, making Versailles look like a magical winter wonderland. I smiled warmly at the sight, "Yes, we shall." 

"I can get my cloak all by myself!", Anastasie insisted, walking to her closet to get her beloved white velvet cloak. "Alright, my dear. Tell me if you need assistance. I will be bundling up Georges." 

Georges wiggled on my bed, causing me to laugh whilst bundling him up in his fur-lined coat. "Dear, try not to squirm!" He mischievously giggled, kicking his legs while I put his arms through the holes. "There we go, dear." I picked out a green velvet cloak, wrapping it around me, before picking him up and carrying him to Anastasie's room.

"Anastasie, You did a good job! I just need to tie this." I tied the ribbons around her neck, "There we go, all comfortable." I assisted her with her fur mittens, before she bolted out the door, with me following behind her.

"Are you playing in the snow?", Paule asked when I was about to open the front door, with Rosalie standing next to her. I nodded, "Indeed. Would you two like to join us?"

"Please!", Rosalie insisted. "We are extremely bored! Mother keeps claiming this is a 'day of rest'!" Shaking my head at their complaints, I complied anyway. "Alright, but only for a little while. I do not want mother to notice you two are gone, and then blame it on me. Get your cloaks." 

Stepping outside, I held Georges, while Anastasie ran into the snow, making a snow angel. It was his first time seeing snow before. He stuck out his tongue, trying to catch snowflakes, and I laughed. "Is this fun?", I cooed, bouncing him, making him laugh. 

Rosalie and Paule helped each other build a snowman, and Anastasie sat in my lap, getting cold quickly whilst Georges played with the snow. The cold numbed my face, and I was desperate for Gilbert's warmth, just wanting his arms to me wrapped around me. It broke my heart that he was not there, perhaps freezing in his tent, missing his family, with the only comfort he had being Washingtons aides-de-camp, and close friends.