the enchanter

My Modern Western Civilization project! It's assignment #1, Margot's family, childhood, and present life.

My name is Margot-Camille Cotillon de Torcy Le Bos de Sainte Croix. I am two and a half months shy of eighteen, and I am the fourth of the seven children of the family.

I have one older sister, Emma, who is two years older than me and is now Comptess de Lamourex. It was sad when she had to marry the old Alençon, but it had to be done for the family and every time I see her she tells me she is quite happy.

My two older brothers, Guillaume and Jean-Phillip are twins, twenty three, serving in the army. Andrè, my younger brother, is studying at a monastery to become a priest; only at an age of fifteen, I still do not understand how he decided that he wanted to become a priest. He was sent to the monastery last year and I have been hearing from him regularly. He is my best friend really, we have always been close to each other since we were children. We would always play together and share things with each other like a twin brother and sister, although the real twin brothers (G and J.P.) were never that friendly with each other.

Finally, I have two younger sisters, Angélique and Françoise-Julie: they are only two little birds at the moment, always running through the gardens and playing jokes on their nurse – I envy their carelessness and freedom. My old days were filled with sunshine and spring breeze too, and I was just like my two little sisters, only a busier and more curious bird. I loved playing with soil, and I would spend most of my day in the gardens, asking Guy the gardener about flowers and herbs until I was banned to go play outside every day because I always got my clothes dirty. After I was forbidden to play in the gardens, I took an interest in reading; no one had ever taught me reading yet, but I had somehow taught myself to read at the age of 4, and I remember staying in the library next to my Father’s study, from morning until late afternoon every day. Those days were what I call “the Freedom days”, because after I became 8 I had to spend 4 hours a day with different tutors studying writing and grammar, Italian and German for singing. I enjoyed the experience of learning each day, though, if it had not been for the old German tutor who had a lot of water in her mouth all the time – to be showered with someone’s mouth water every Tuesday and Thursday for 5 years (she died of a sort of fever then, mon dieu, merci) is not a pleasant memory. I was good in all my subjects, and in addition to that I had dancing lessons, and music lessons, on which I had started by myself before any instruction. I am a proficient pianist and a good singer, but I believe I am best as a writer still.
I was introduced to the court for the first time on my 16th birthday, at the autumn costume ball with the King Louis and Queen present. It was an unnerving experience to bow and say polite things to a ballroom full of people, all very ready to turn others down and prove their wits. For that day my Mother made me wear a special corset she had ordered for me. It is very, very tight but it has got the most exquisite embroidery of clouds and birds, and trees; I wear it only on special occasions. There are few things memorable for me that I received from my mother, and this corset is one of them.
I often play on the piano and harp during the dinner at salons, and I sometimes sing when I feel like showing off – I have been told that I emit a special sort of charm when I sing, and I am not ashamed to share my voice with everyone, as I find it quite pleasant to hear myself. I have been shown to many young men from other noble families; my sister Emma married the old count who is much favoured in court, and my Mother does not want me to be married to an old man if I need not…I cannot tell you who I have been seeing secretly for the last three months, but I am so full of love for him that it is difficult for me to keep it all to myself. I get to spend less and less time reading or writing, and more and more time trying on dresses and taking baths. Thankfully my musical and dancing talents can be kept up at parties and banquets!