What are you talking about, madam. Yes, not at all. She answered good-naturedly and left the room.
Poitier stared at the cold outside the window again, her gaze fixed.
Cold, she thought.
God! So cold! She said barely audibly. Feeling cold inside with all my being.
IВ have aВ daughter. Even more quietly, she spoke her thoughts aloud. Not noticing that she is talking toВ herself.
But why is it so cold?! AВ thought flashed.
She saw her daughter aВ month later. They brought her aВ rosy-cheeked girl, already rounded inВ the milk ofВ aВ country woman. She looked at the child, but the cold did not disappear, only her heart pricked, as if it had been pierced with aВ thin needle. The girl smiled at her mother, the countess smiled back at her. The baby looked at her as if she knew that she was her mother. Looking at her with interest, and now and then, touching her with his little hands. After holding the baby inВ her arms for some time, Diana gave the baby toВ the nurse. Strange, but the girl suddenly burst into tears, finding herself inВ the arms ofВ the nurse, as if she knew exactly who her mother was. Diana felt the pain ofВ the needle inВ her heart again. And then, again, the cold filled her entire being. So the second meeting ofВ mother and daughter took place.
The count returned from Paris.
He was extremely annoyed and dissatisfied.
Why do IВ need girls?! He repeated.
They’re useless!
IВ need an heir!
Do you hear, Madam?!
As if she was the fault ofВ the daughter being born instead ofВ her son. Diana raised her eyes, cold and dark as night.
Well, pray toВ the Lord! Monsieur!
He might hear you! She rapped out coldly.
He looked at her and snorted inВ displeasure, continuing toВ mutter something, nervously left the room.
The girl was named Louise.
She was three years old when her sister, who was named Françoise, was born.
Like the eldest daughter, the Countess gave her toВ the nurse. The count was simply furious. He vomited and thrashed, telling Diana rather rudely.
You give birth toВ some girls!
You seem toВ do it for my evil! He blamedВ her.
IВ need an heir! He shouted.
No good fromВ you!
You are useless!
Poitiers turned pale, she was tormented byВ only one desire that he would finally shutВ up!
Be silent forever!
She wanted toВ killВ him!
OhВ yes!
She looked at him and thought how wonderful it would be toВ never hear him again!
She even imagined how best toВ doВ it.
Poison or knife?!
Which is better?
But, Poitiers was incredibly God-fearing and aВ believer and her thoughts were just thoughts, and perhaps this was the only thing that stopped her from taking such aВ step.
And she just answered coldly.
You seem toВ be praying badly for an heir, monsieur! She parried evil.
Their life flowed monotonously and monotonously, the count very often went to Paris. As he spoke on business. Poitiers, it was completely indifferent where he was. He was on the road more often than on his estate. Diana was only glad of this. Years passed. Winter changed imperceptibly to summer. Poitiers saw her grown-up daughters often. The eldest was nine, and the youngest was only six. Both girls were surprisingly very similar to their father. They weren’t very pretty. They had the same delicate features, the same colorless eyes and a thin nose. They took all the facial features from the count. They had almost nothing from Poitiers. They were surprisingly different from their mother, that those who stood next to them could be mistaken for strangers.
Summer shone with colors, the world passed its usual circle. The trees were blooming again, filling the world with the scent ofВ rain mixed with the scent ofВ flowers.
Once, one such beautiful morning, when the girls were walking with the nanny inВ the garden, and Diana was standing on the large front staircase ofВ the mansion. Her eldest daughter came up toВ her and asked.
Mom, she said.
Can IВ ask you something?
Yes, ofВ course, honey. Diana answered.
Mommy, don’t you love us at all? Me and Françoise? The Countess was taken aback by such a question.
The child’s question was incredibly simple. But, she shuddered and froze in place from the surprise of the question. She looked at this not very pretty girl, at her own daughter. And her heart sank so hard in her chest that it seemed to her that she would now cry out in pain. It was as if a cold, bony hand had grabbed him, and, closing his fingers, decided to crush him. Her breath caught and it became difficult for her to breathe, and her eyes were moist, filled with tears. But, they just froze in her eyes, leaving somewhere deep in her soul.
She knelt down next toВ the child, hugged and hugged her daughter toВ her, and answered quietly.
OfВ course, IВ love you! Her voice was trembling.
OfВ course IВ loveВ you!
How can IВ not love you?! My dear!
You are my children!
How can IВ not love you?!
How can this possibly be?! She spoke toВ the girl, stroking her hair.
It just can’t be!
Remember this honey, okay! She whispered softly, kissing the girl on the forehead.
The little arms ofВ the girl put their arms around her neck, and the child happily hugged her mother. Poitiers hugged her daughter tenderly.
Do you really love us, Mom? The girl said naively, hugging her mother.
OfВ course! OfВ course dear! Poitiers whispered, trying not toВ burst into tears and tenderly hugging her daughter.
Poitier got up from her knees and stroked the child’s hair.
Now go my dear.
Look, Françoise and the nanny are waiting for you. She said softly.
The girl smiled, the pure smile ofВ aВ child, and answered.
Okay,В Mom.
Françoise and I love you very much too!
Her little baby, as clean as an angel’s face, became serious.
We love you very much! She added and ran away toВ the nanny and sister.
Diana waved her hand and turned away, tears streaming down her cheeks, tearing her heart. She had cried for the first time in those years of her unhappy marriage. But, tears flowed from her eyes, not because her daughters might think that their own mother does not love them. She cried because she understood. That she didn’t love them all this time, didn’t love her own children! Like her heart was a piece of ice, nothing more. And only today she realized that this ice had collapsed, causing her incredible pain. She realized it was just now. She still loves them! She cried, realizing what a monster such a woman must be, who did not love her own children! She cried, because only now she realized that it was not so! She went inside the mansion. The realization of all this tore her apart from the inside. She ran so quickly up the steps to her bedroom, as if a pack of dogs from hell were chasing after her, and, collapsing on the bed, burst into sobs, choking with tears and trembling all over. From the very depths of her soul, a sound like a howl escaped. It burst from the very depths of her being, from the most hidden part of her soul.
Little prisoners
Paris, Paris!
How many minds and hearts are thrown at your feet!
How many hearts have you broken!
With its mysterious, heady beauty!
Like aВ fatal beauty, heady, dangerous, beautiful and mysterious. Calling like an oasis inВ the desert
Insidious and capricious, inВ its contradiction.
Calling and repulsive, like aВ temptress woman. Heart ofВ the world, with the soul ofВ aВ woman playing with the hearts and lives ofВ her admirers!
So close and earthly, but always so distant, like aВ star beckoning inВ theВ sky!
King ofВ France Francis 1В lost the war toВ the Spanish monarch. France lost toВ Spain. Francis, having experienced the bitterness ofВ defeat, being himself twice wounded, was captured. But, negotiations were underway toВ release the king. Francis signed the Madrid Treaty that dismembered France. But, the king was not going toВ fulfill his obligations. Except for one thing, toВ give your sons hostage. Dauphin Francis and his brother Henry the Duke ofВ Orleans. And so, on March 17, the French court, knightly at that time, did not lead the secular, riotous life adopted later. Quite modestly, he gathered inВ the castle, on the banks ofВ the Bidasson River, where the ceremony ofВ handing over the princes, hostages ofВ Spain, was toВ take place. They were toВ be exchanged for the monarch ofВ the state.
This morning the court gathered just toВ escort the princes into exile, into captivity. It was aВ foggy, gray morning and the de Brese couple were also present at this farewell departure ofВ the little princes. The entire courtyard gathered inВ the semi-dark hall ofВ the castle, awaiting the appearance ofВ the princes.
And so they arrived. Announced: В«His Highness Dauphin Francis Duke ofВ BretonВ»! В«His brother, Prince Heinrich, Duke ofВ OrleansВ»! The entire court fell silent, awaiting the arrival ofВ the princes. The door finally opened and two boys entered the hall. The princes were still quite children. The heir toВ the throne, Francis, was eight years old, and his brother Henry was barely seven years old. The heir toВ the throne was aВ blond child with beautiful white curls ofВ hair. The eyes, which, already now, were filled with their own significance. His chin was lifted up proudly.
The entire court bowed toВ the future king. He responded with aВ slight nod ofВ his head. His expensive robes with ruffles and bows sparkled with jewels. The feather on the hat bounced upward from his confident step. He paused importantly inВ the middle ofВ the room.
All the nobles began toВ approach the prince inВ turn, welcoming and wishing aВ successful sailing and aВ speedy return. The boy nodded back dryly and with dignity. His brother, little Heinrich, was still aВ child. The two brothers were incredibly even strikingly different from each other, like day and night. And this was undoubtedly the most correct comparison.
Heinrich was aВ swarthy, black-haired, thin boy with thin legs and protruding knees and large eyes, incredibly black, like aВ dark lake. He was dressed relatively simply inВ comparison with his brother. Poitiers greeted the heir toВ the French crown, like the others, and stepped aside toВ make way for the others. Her husband found aВ group ofВ men and talked about something with them, leaving Diana alone. She stood and looked at this blond child, but already almost the king and understood that these unfortunate children were going toВ distant Spain as captives and might not return. And suddenly she noticed little Heinrich. He stood aside quietly and alone. His face was frowned. He tried toВ be brave, but fear was clearly visible inВ his eyes. Her heart sank. She realized that Heinrich was simply forgotten. After all, he is only the second son ofВ the king. Nobody came up and greeted him. No one wished him aВ good sail. Nobody cheered, hoping for aВ quick return. She felt so sorry for the unfortunate child that inВ this outburst ofВ compassion she went toВ him through the crowd. She came up toВ him, squatting inВ aВ curtsy and greeted him. The child shuddered and looked at her inВ dismay. But, after aВ minute, he made aВ serious face and nodded importantly inВ response toВ her greeting. And suddenly she was seized with such compassion and pity for this abandoned, forgotten child that tears welled up inВ her eyes. And forgetting about all decency, she knelt down and hugged the boy toВ her, huggingВ him.
You’re scared, I know. She said softly to him, holding his shoulders. It seemed that the boy was about to cry. But, he held back his tears, and only slightly sobbed, looking at her. She continued.
Don’t be afraid! Nothing will happen to you! I promise you!
You must be strong! Do you hearВ me?
IВ will pray forВ you!
Know that there is aВ heart here inВ France that prays for you and your return.
The boy stopped sniffing and calmed down. Hope and faith in her words lit up in the children’s eyes. It seems that his fear has really disappeared. She got up from her knees and again crouched down in a curtsy away from him. The boy became serious again.
The princes were seated inВ the boat, and she slowly began toВ disappear into the fog, carrying them into the unknown. Diana and the entire courtyard stood on the shore. She raised her hand and waved goodbye toВ them.В Male
Freedom
Black clouds are hanging over the de Brese estate. A cold, gray morning slipped from the sky like a drizzling rain. Making the world around us dull gray. The priest continued to speak over the cold, black burial hole in the de Brese family crypt. Finally, he finished his speech. The black hole with the body of the count was covered with a gravestone with a grinding noise. As if it had been swallowed by the toothless mouth of a monster. Diana stood over her husband’s grave. She was dressed in black mourning clothes and from this her already white face seemed almost unnaturally white. She gazed silently at the grave. The smell of the damp earth of the crypt, mixed with the smell of musty and dead body, hit my nose. It was the smell of death. Her daughters stood by. People pushed the stone, hiding the body of the count forever. The farewell of the living to the dead was over. She and her daughters returned to her mansion. The count’s funeral was completely exhausted by her constant visits and condolences. She was so tired that she collapsed into a chair by the fireplace. Her gaze involuntarily settled on the door. And suddenly, she understood. He will never go through this door again! Her husband is dead! And now she is a widow. She thought.
And then another thought rushed into her head.
No! She is not aВ widow! She is free! Free! From eternal humiliation. From his presence. From the smell ofВ it inВ my bed. From his eternal discontent. She is free! The thought burned through the brain.
Free! As if reveling inВ the thought, she thought.
And the heart suddenly shuddered with joy for many years for the first time and unexpectedly for herself, revived. Her eyes suddenly flashed with fire, sparkled and lit up with life. As if she had been dead until that day. She abruptly got up from the chair inВ which she was sitting and almost ran toВ the window, throwing it wide open with aВ sharp movement. Fresh air burst into the room, outside the window was the same gloomy weather, it was damp, and it was drizzling with rain. She smelled the smell ofВ rain mixed with the smell ofВ wet earth and breathed inВ this life-giving scent deeply, closing her eyes inВ pleasure. She whispered delightedly, as if she had seen this world for the first time.
What aВ delightfulВ day!
