Becoming Lisette: A Novel (The Queen's Painter an Historical Romance Book 1)

by Rebecca Glenn

  Lisette held out her hand to secure its return.

  “Monsieur Pierre, is there something else? I’ve already excused you,” the Queen said.

  He shook his head no, handed Lisette her sketchpad, bowed once again to the Queen and promptly left the room.

  Lisette was glad to see him leave. She didn’t understand his conflicting opinion of her work or the disdain he seemed to have for her.

  Beaming, the Queen held up her sketch proudly.

  The Queen’s opinion is much more important, she thought. Lisette couldn’t help but smile as the Queen regarded the completed sketch.

  “Madame, we must be leaving. The King is waiting.” Madame de Noailles stood next to the Queen, looming over her like a hawk about to swoop down on a mouse. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I must insist.”

  The Queen looked at Lisette apologetically. “My enchanting new friend, Lisette, I must go.” She reached out her hand to take the sketch. “May I?”

  Lisette wanted to keep the drawing to remember her time with Antoinette, but she couldn’t refuse a Queen. “Yes, of course, your Majesty.”

  “I can’t wait to show Louis.” Antoinette appeared hopeful. “It will be a clever way to win his attention.”

  “Yes,” Lisette agreed.

  “I look forward to sitting for you again soon. I will send word.” The Queen glanced over at her lady-in-waiting as if to show her that she fully intended on having Lisette return.

  Madame de Noailles responded immediately, “Madame, we will consult with the Royal Secretary, but I don’t foresee any time for another sitting…not soon.”

  Lisette saw that Madame de Noailles knew just the words that would rattle the Queen and that Antoinette was trying to suppress the girl inside of her who was easily upset.

  “You will return soon to paint my portrait. I will see to it,” Antoinette said. There was a tone of finality in her voice. The Queen glared at Madame de Noailles.

  Lisette clearly saw a look of defiance in the Queen’s eyes.

  I am to paint the Queen! Lisette thought. She was not excited about portraits, but for the Queen of France, she could make an exception.

  “Madame, we will discuss this with the Royal Secretary, but for now the King is expecting us in your Majesty’s chambers for the Grand Couvert. Mass ended nearly an hour ago.”

  An hour has passed? she thought. Le Sèvre would be livid, she was sure. Lisette hoped that since the Queen was involved in her disobedience, he would be merciful.

  Lisette curtsied.

  The Queen smiled at Lisette as Madame de Noailles ushered her out of the chamber.

  When they had left the room, Lisette sat and executed a quick copy of her sketch of the Queen. Still fresh in her mind, Lisette could swiftly capture Antoinette’s likeness before she returned to her mother and Le Sèvre. I’m already so late, another few minutes won’t matter, she thought. Lisette wanted a memento of her visit with the Queen of France. As soon as she had finished her copy, Lisette left the room.

  She walked as quickly as she could through the vast network of halls without drawing unnecessary attention to herself. Lisette couldn’t recall the exact path back to the chapel. She should have paid better attention earlier.

  Lisette saw a staircase at the end of the hall that she could use to return to the ground floor. As she reached the lower floor, she peeked in the rooms with open doors. Lisette briefly ducked in each one to make sure she was going in the right direction. The first one had violet damask-covered walls and armchairs, while the next one had forest green drapes covering the windows. She had remembered the distinctive decorative features of each room she had passed. Good. I’m not lost, Lisette realized.

  She slowed down as she approached the intersection of two corridors. Does this one lead to the chapel? she wondered. She turned to the left and followed the corridor all the way down until she heard a man’s thundering voice. It belonged to Le Sèvre. His voice was not only loud, but also distinctive. Then she saw him. He was standing outside the chapel entrance talking with a noble couple. The nobleman’s embroidered silk coat and the woman’s robe à la française easily identified them as courtiers. Lisette slowed her pace to a saunter.

  Le Sèvre’s captive audience included her mother. He gestured toward Jeanne's necklace. Lisette glanced down at herself. She had to be careful to make sure she was presentable. Lisette checked the front of her dress and then her hands for obvious graphite smudges. Le Sèvre would not be happy with any sign of art-making that he had not approved beforehand. Lisette wanted the chance to explain herself first.

  “Lisette! There you are!” Her mother rushed over to her and whispered in her ear. “We are not happy with your disappearance, but right now Le Sèvre is finishing an important sale. Come with me and show them your necklace. Behave yourself until we are finished with this couple. Then we will discuss your atrocious behavior.” Her mother pulled her over to where Le Sèvre stood.

  “Vicomte and Vicomtesse, you may also be interested in this necklace.” Le Sèvre glared at Lisette briefly and then pointed to the emeralds and diamonds around her neck. “Lisette, come closer so they can inspect the piece.”

  The Vicomtesse hesitated and then said, “But I own plenty of emeralds and diamonds.” She waved her jewel encrusted fan in front of her face.

  Lisette saw several large emeralds and diamonds on it.

  “Not in this configuration. Please take a look.” Le Sèvre pointed to Lisette’s neck again.

  The Vicomtesse came up to Lisette and fingered the necklace. Only looking at the necklace, she said nothing to Lisette. It was as if Lisette wasn’t a person standing before her.

  “Exquisite. I want that one,” the Vicomtesse said to Le Sèvre.

  “Marvelous.” Le Sèvre then went up to Lisette to remove the necklace.

  Lisette blocked his access to the necklace and said, “I can do it.” Lisette did not want Le Sèvre’s hands on her.

  “No, it is mine. I will be the one to give it to the Vicomtesse.” Le Sèvre pushed her hands away and began fiddling with the clasp.

  Lisette moved away from him so that he couldn’t touch the necklace.

  He followed her and continued to reach for the clasp.

  “Stop. I will remove it,” Lisette repeated herself.

  He ignored her and kept tugging at the necklace.

  Lisette jerked away from Le Sèvre. As she took a giant step backward, she felt the necklace come off of her neck…in little pieces.

  “You broke it! You stupid girl!” Le Sèvre immediately bent down and began picking up the individual jewels that had scattered everywhere.

  The Vicomte took his wife’s arm. “Come, let’s go. Good day, Monsieur Le Sèvre.”

  Lisette watched the couple walk away.

  Le Sèvre rose and came up close to Lisette. Only the beet red color of his face betrayed his anger. His voice was calm. “I have had enough of your insolence. Sneaking behind my back with Le Brun and Briard was intolerable, but interfering with my business is completely unacceptable. I am finished with you. When we return home, I am sending you to the Saint Ignatius Convent where you will remain for the rest of your days.”

  The room spun and Lisette could no longer breathe normally. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

  Lisette’s mother, who had been silent until then, fell to her knees in front of Le Sèvre. “No, please, you cannot send her away. Lisette must be allowed to marry and have her own family…not be locked in a convent. Couldn’t you dole out some other punishment? Like you do for the servants who misbehave?”

  Lisette thought about Henri’s bleeding hands. She clasped her own hands tightly together. Lisette regarded her mother. Even groveling, Jeanne was beautiful. Her mother was stunning, with her creamy white skin, sparkling blue eyes and dark hair swept off her face.

  Le Sèvre looked down at Jeanne. His face softened. Then he beheld Lisette. He was silent for several moments before he spoke
. “Lashes on her hands it is. But if she misbehaves like this again, I will have no choice but to send her away. Now pick up the jewels, quickly, I hear people coming. I cannot bear further embarrassment. I have had enough of Versailles for one day.” Le Sèvre abruptly turned and strode down the corridor.

  Le Sèvre disappeared down the hall, but Lisette stood in place until the clicking of his heels on the marble floor had faded. Lisette could breathe a little easier, but she still felt an enormous pit deep in her stomach. When would Le Sèvre lash her? Would it be as soon as they returned to Paris? How many lashes would he give her?

  “Lisette! Help me.” Jeanne had already started collecting the gemstones that were all over the floor.

  Lisette crouched down and helped her mother finish gathering the loose jewels. Lisette wanted to tell her mother how she had just met the Queen, but she suspected that her mother didn’t want to discuss anything that had happened today at Versailles. Lisette knew the only thing that mattered was that she had yet again disobeyed Le Sèvre. She tried to get her mother’s attention, but Jeanne would not look at her.

  The booming voices of two palace guards broke the quiet. “Clear this space. Move on. The King is expected shortly.”

  They picked up the last of the scattered stones and left the corridor, making their way back toward the front gate of the palace.

  In silence, they reached the gate where Le Sèvre was in the carriage waiting for them. Before stepping into the carriage, Lisette tried once again to catch her mother’s eye. This time Jeanne looked back at her sympathetically.

  “Can you forgive me, Mother?” Lisette asked.

  With almost undetectable movement, Jeanne shook her head yes.

  Lisette felt some relief, but her insides were still twisted in painful knots.

  Then her mother whispered, “But Le Sèvre won’t.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  September 27, 1774

  Lisette sat at her window looking out at the bright autumn day. The leaves of the trees had begun to change color. Their bursts of brilliant oranges and reds contrasted sharply with the deep blue of the sky. Lisette looked over to her easel. She hadn’t painted in several months, since before they had returned from Versailles. The last time she had gone months without painting had been after her papa died.

  After the incident at Versailles, Le Sèvre had said that he was no longer interested in having Lisette paint portraits for his clients. He had told her that she would have to earn his trust again and accept her punishment, but he had not yet followed through. It had been an agonizing summer, not knowing when he was going to lash her. Each time she heard footsteps outside her door, she cringed. She glanced down at her hands. Will it be today? she wondered.

  Without any notice, her bedroom door opened.

  “Good morning, Lisette,” Le Sèvre said to her, as if it was an uneventful visit on a routine day.

  She said nothing and continued staring out of the window. She saw below that the Marquise de Benseval’s fiacre had just pulled up in front of the house. Lisette watched her exit the carriage. I am not scheduled to paint her portrait. What is she doing here? Lisette wondered. Then she remembered hearing Le Sèvre and her mother discussing the Marquise a few days earlier. Apparently, the Marquise was a disgruntled customer who was asking to return jewels that she had bought from Le Sèvre. Lisette had never seen Le Sèvre return anyone’s money. She doubted he was going to begin with the Marquise.

  “Look at me, Lisette,” Le Sèvre said.

  She needed Henri. Lisette looked past Le Sèvre and toward the open door. She could hear commotion down in the front foyer. It sounded like the Marquise was reprimanding the servants.

  “If you don’t look at me, I will not stop at five lashes. And I will not confine them to your hands…and don’t bother calling for Henri. He is not here this morning. I have sent him out on errands. He cannot help you. Now stand up.” His voice was low and calm.

  Lisette slowly turned her head to look at him. He held a switch. She felt tears forming behind her eyes. Her mind instantly returned to the Convent of the Trinité where she had been punished with lashes for drawing during her lessons. She already felt her hands stinging. Lisette fought back the tears. She didn’t want to give Le Sèvre the satisfaction of witnessing her fear. She rose from her stool.

  “Have you thought about your disobedience? Are you ready to accept your punishment?”

  Lisette nodded and faced him.

  “Put out your hands, palms up.”

  Lisette realized that he was going to cut the insides of her hands. It would hurt far worse than on the tops of her hands, where her scarred skin had hardened them. Lisette did exactly as he said. She found it difficult to breathe. Lisette had to remind herself not to hold her breath. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the razor sharp cuts of the switch.

  “Monsieur! The Marquise de Benseval is here to see you. You must come now.” Lisette opened her eyes and saw Camille, the chambermaid. She had run abruptly into the room from downstairs and was winded as she spoke to Le Sèvre.

  Lisette had never been so glad to see Camille. Was this a reprieve from her punishment? Lisette carefully watched Le Sèvre. The switch was still in his hand, but his attention was now on Camille.

  “Not now, Camille, I am busy. Tell the Marquise to wait. I will see her shortly,” Le Sèvre said to her curtly.

  “But Monsieur, she is threatening to destroy the Sèvres plates in the drawing room if you don’t come down,” Camille said, still standing in the doorway. She was more agitated than Lisette had ever seen her. She fidgeted with her apron and readjusted her cap as she waited. Lisette had seen Le Sèvre punish the servants whenever anything was broken or went missing, even if they had not been responsible.

  Le Sèvre had not yet turned away from Camille. The nervous chambermaid had won his attention with the words Sèvres plates. Lisette knew how much his collection meant to him. Her mother had mentioned that Le Sèvre’s collection of Sèvres porcelain was worth a small fortune. Always wanting the fine porcelain plates and service pieces, but never able to afford them before her marriage to Le Sèvre, her mother had been overjoyed with Le Sèvre’s collection. Jeanne proudly displayed them in their drawing room.

  “The Marquise specifically said the Sèvres plates?” Le Sèvre asked Camille.

  Lisette hoped that Le Sèvre would be distracted enough to leave and not lash her.

  Camille nodded her head, “Yes, Monsieur.”

  Lisette knew that French Sèvres porcelain was in great demand all over Europe and was exported as far as Russia. In one of her portrait sittings, the Duchesse de Chartres had told Lisette that Catherine the Great of Russia was fond of collecting the fine French porcelain. Since living with him, Lisette had seen that Le Sèvre had a keen eye for expensive items. Her mother had proudly explained that Le Sèvre’s instincts for the luxury goods market had led to his success as a jeweler. Lisette thought that it was due more to his ruthlessness and dictatorial need to control.

  Camille had one foot out of the door, ready to go back downstairs with Le Sèvre, but he wasn’t moving. He focused on Lisette.

  “I said tell her to wait for me. Now leave us,” Le Sèvre said, without looking at Camille.

  Before Camille could say anything else, there was another disturbance downstairs.

  “Le Sèvre, you better come here now. If you don’t, I will have your business shut down. Don’t forget who my husband is!” the Marquise screamed from the first floor.

  Lisette watched Le Sèvre as he considered his next actions. He appeared to be torn and unable to make a decision.

  “Monsieur! You must go downstairs,” Camille pleaded.

  Le Sèvre looked resigned. “You have been spared by the Marquise. I must go see her.” He hesitated before saying, “I need you to paint for me again. The Baron and Baronne de Michaud have asked for you specifically to paint their portraits. They refuse to buy any more jewels from me until their portraits are c
ompleted.” Then he added, “I will not hesitate to lash you if you interfere in my business again.”

  Lisette found it difficult to say anything in response. She had narrowly escaped being lashed…at least for now…and she was being allowed to paint again.

  “Do you understand?” he asked her.

  “Yes.” Lisette nodded.

  “If you disobey me again, if you miss any sittings…and if you do not finish these portraits, I will not only lash you, but I will send you away to the Saint Ignatius Convent. No amount of your mother’s begging will stop it.”

  Lisette couldn’t look at him. She nodded again.

  “I will bring you the canvases and supplies as they become needed. Camille will deliver pigments for the Baron and Baronne de Michaud’s sittings later in the week. Don’t forget, you must do exactly as I say, Lisette.” He bent down so that he was very close to her. “If you obey me, we will get along magnificently.”

  Then Lisette heard something break.

  “Monsieur! I think she is destroying the Sèvres plates. You must help me stop her,” Camille said as she rushed out and back down the stairs.

  Le Sèvre turned and hurriedly left the room too, following closely behind Camille.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  September 29, 1774

  True to his word, a few days later, Le Sèvre had Camille bring Lisette pigments. After the Baron and Baronne de Michaud’s sittings, he had also had Camille take them away. Even with Le Sèvre’s strict rules, Lisette felt a newfound sense of determination. She had evaded lashes and had resumed painting. Full of fresh hope, she had begun formulating a plan to escape Le Sèvre’s control, but she knew she couldn’t accomplish it by herself. Lisette needed Le Brun’s help.

  Lisette had to wait until Le Sèvre and her mother left for the evening before she could see Le Brun. From behind a column at the top of the front stairs, Lisette listened to her mother and Le Sèvre discussing their evening plans.