(It was 1885 and, as a nineteen year old boy, I was staying with family friends at their large house in the English Midlands. I was there to learn French conversation under the tutelage of Miss. Marie; the family had two 18 year old twins, Anna and Sarah who were also learning French with me, this is part three of my tale)
*
I did not see Charlotte for several days. She was busy at the other end of the house with the housekeeper clearing the West Room which was to be redecorated. I did see her once through an open window, and she smiled and curtsied at me in her full-Holland apron, and appeared both friendly and seductive.
Our French tutoring continued with Miss. Marie setting us more and more challenging conversations. We had finished with the 'present tense' by Thursday and we had moved on to the 'past tense'. Our conversations centred on what we had done the previous day and whom we had met, what the weather had been like and so on. We managed to keep each conversation going for several minutes despite stretching our joint vocabularies to their limits.
Miss Marie appeared pleased and overlooked our many mistakes, even our basic errors. Anna's vocabulary had increased rapidly and Sarah and I often looked to her to dig us out of trouble. To me, it seemed as if Miss. Marie's 'embarrassment' punishments had been forgotten and it had just been a ruse from the outset. I began to doubt the authenticity regarding her story about Carlo, the young Italian boy. I was proved to be completely wrong as I found out on Friday.
Our lesson had begun well but Sarah and Anna were behaving in a 'frisky' manner. They kept tickling each other, or jabbing one other in the ribs.
Miss. Marie was far from pleased and reprimanded them both for their childishness. I noticed that sometimes when they slid around on the sofa well-laundered petticoat lace would flash out into view under their dark pink 'Alice' dresses then disappear again just as quickly. Both wore white cotton petticoats over black stockings and pink shoes. Their blonde hair shone in the sunlight.
"We will start with what we had for breakfast Sarah, and you, David, can ask her if she enjoyed it and if it was pleasant to taste. You begin Sarah."
Sarah began her conversation but then had a fit of giggles. She started again but broke down in uncontrollable laughter to Miss. Marie's evident disgust.
"You begin instead David and ask her what she had for breakfast." In my worst French I asked Sarah if she had jelly for breakfast? and we both began laughing, tears running down our cheeks as it was so funny.
"Stop," shouted Miss. Marie. "You will behave sensibly in the schoolroom, and not like little nursery children,"
"David go and kneel on the floor immediately in front of Sarah." She snapped. The laughter stopped dead and Sarah and I stared at each other aghast.
I walked slowly over to her, kneeled in front, and shuffled forward so my knees touched her shoes.
"Now David put your hands behind your back and lean forward."
This I did, feeling undignified.
"Sarah you will lift up your dress and your petticoats to your waist, so David can see what you are wearing beneath your clothes." Sarah turned bright red, open mouthed in horror, holding her skirt firmly down.
"No Miss. Marie, you are horrid, I cannot, it's rude and unbecoming, I will not do it," pleaded the beautiful eighteen year old shaking her head, and stamping her foot, her blonde hair bouncing around her face.
"You will Sarah; you will do it now, or I shall tell your mother, so quickly lift up your clothes. Do it now if you please,"