♡
Sara's POV
"Hey you."
I put the book down and peered up.
Michael leaned against the door frame to our bedroom, our German shepherd next to him, wagging his tail.
Our golden Labrador was next to me, head on my stomach and smiling away as I patted her head, which was her favourite spot.
It has been hours after Victor left, who had grinned and mentioned lunch with Marthe, hours after titles had been passed onto us. We both had to come to terms with them and split to distract ourselves - or to think about them.
For Michael, that meant a jog, do handyman work, respond to the never decreasing workload.
I took my mind off by cleaning. I unpacked the suitcase, gave the house a quick scrub and drew a book out the library Michael had made. I saw one book missing and knew he was somewhere in the house reading it. Most likely The Great Gatsby, as he always loved reading it when he pondered on things.
"Hey."
Michael strode closer and once he reached the bed, bent down to kiss me. I met him half-way. "You are awfully quiet."
"I'm just ...", I closed my eyes, sighing. "I'm letting this all go through my head. I still haven't come to terms with it. I'm still repeating the titles over and over again. Victor's visit caught me by surprise, honestly. I actually thought we would go to work tomorrow like nothing happened, and just work away until the next big thing."
"And the big thing was faster than we were", Michael sat down by my side, careful of Ellie who was now almost dozing off. Hunter was running around the bed, stopping to stare at us which a crooked head before he rushed from side to side again. Michael threw his toy anytime the dog brought it.
The dogs wouldn't leave our side ever since we had picked them up from Philipp.
"What does it all mean? I mean, I understand but I ... I just can't grasp it! Duchess and Duke like we are some British royals and have the Queen above us! Do I wave? Do I do charities? Do I drive somewhere to be seen? And how will the news reach us? By pigeon?"
Michael's hard mouth cracked into a smile. "Silly thing you. It will be either by email or a phone call, most likely. They aren't old fashioned in that regard." His hand patted my leg up and down. "I don't know myself fully, but I do know that it's all just a big 'smile fake, talk to people like you care, laugh because you are all rich' and that's it."
"Your voice says enough how you think about this whole ordeal", I put my hand on his arm. "I know you don't care about it, but I just couldn't let it evaporate into nothingness after what Victor said. It's a family's tradition - and both are something wonderful you can lean on in the time of need. They are important. They are not a given. We should be glad about this opportunity."
"I know, and I would have felt bad if I had denied it", Michael sighed and looked up to the ceiling. "But I fucking hate it so much. Mom dragged me along when I was small and it was just sit and do nothing. Converse. Eat finger food. Write letters."
"Well, sounds like things we can skip, except for the letters", I suggested.
Michael wriggled his finger before me with a stern expression. "I wasn't done. Garden parties, trips, foundations, charity, and much more - we all have to attend them religiously or else we'll have a problem."
Work, both in France and America. Travelling. Planning. Pushing appointments around. When would we have time for ourselves?
I bit my lips. "... We'll manage."
My husband just raised a brow.
"Somehow."
"We must", Michael ran a hand across his face. "Duchesse de Beaumont."
"Oh stop it - I've barely gotten used to Mrs. Beaumont", I slapped his arm. Ellie pressed her nose against the spot.
"You think I would have ever thought of getting used to Duke de Beaumont? I thought maybe Leon would accept it, but then I see how he behaves and I know the chateau would go up in flames before Leon would become prim and proper. I understand why it fell back to me."
"Don't be so mean!"
"I'm just honest - you've never seen him when he's stressed", Michael muttered dead-pan. "I hoped oncle would have found somebody suitable, but the people always eyed me like a goddamn price."
"You are the eldest, after all", I mused.
"And from the direct bloodline. This whole ordeal, flaunting your wealth and status, is much more mom's thing but she messed that one up."
"Royally."
"Not a good time to joke around", Michael mumbled and silenced me with his lips. Sighed heavily afterwards.
"Hey, it will be alright. We'll go to work tomorrow and wait until they reach out to us. Then we'll see how things will go."
"One day at a time, good idea", he stretched and nudged me to move over. "Sorry Ellie, daddy wants to lie down too." Michael whistled for Hector to come.
"So much to the dogs will never be in the bed with us."
"If I could ever deny those puppy eyes", he laughed and laid his head onto my chest. Hunter spread himself over our legs, resting next to Ellie. "Read to me. Distract me."
♡
"Well, aren't they fast", I mumbled as the email popped up. It wasn't even 8 am yet.
Michael stepped out the office, as always without his jacket, with his mug and a handful of files tucked underneath his arm. Today's choice was a deep blue suit with a waistcoat in the same colour - one thing that made me weak was when his sleeves were rolled up; then add a waistcoat to his amazing figure and you had me at my breaking point. He could make one cheeky suggestion and I would melt in his goddamn arms.
"Could you file these for me? Also, I need you to make an appointment with Mrs. Murray to discuss further details on the financial situation they are in. I don't know what on earth she wants to change, everything looks fine to me."
"I think that needs to wait", I drew out and got up. It was best to give him more work, because if he didn't have any, he pestered me. "I forwarded you an email." I took the mug and files from his hands and nudged him back to his office. I ran the coffee machine, placed the files into the cabin and counted the seconds.
By the last file, an impressive chin rested on my shoulder. "Goddammit."
"They are fast", I agreed, thinking 'as are you'. "Coffee's done."
"I don't care about caffeine right now", Michael grumbled. "They want us in Paris in two days."
"Already?", I asked surprised, swirling around. "Then I'll have to postpone the lunch on Wednesday, ask for the meeting tomorrow even if it's on short notice-"
Michael stifled back a laugh. "You are more worried about my timetable?"
"I'm your secretary", I reminded him, rolling my eyes. "Somebody has to be and somebody has to change it. Anyways. How long do they want us to stay?"
"A week the least."
A week.
I ran the whole schedule through and searched for a window of opportunity - not that there was any. Weighed the options with the best outcome.
"Then a week we'll stay", I decided on the spot. "Then I won't have to push back as much, but it won't be easy."
I wanted to leave, but Michael caught my wrist. Swirled me around. "Why in such a hurry?"
"Do I need to count out what I have to do? Book tickets, plan the transport, postpone the whole schedule, call up all the-"
Lips silenced me quickly. Passionately.
I sighed with a smile after the third kiss.
"Now you can go." Michael said with a glint in his blue eyes, letting me go.
"Would it kill you to pass by me normally?", I asked and laid a hand on his lean chin.
"On the spot", Michael responded seriously and kissed the palm of it.
♡
By the looks of it, Michael would kill everything on spot the moment we entered Normandie. The looks he gave the poor driver was one thing, but the murderous expression once we arrived was on a whole other level of mad.
From the dead eyes at the sight of the limousine, to the servants that awaited us at this gorgeous chateau once we arrived, I felt a bad feeling through my whole body.
I couldn't tear my eyes away, scanning every inch of the perfect facade, the perfectly cut grass, the clean driveway, the shining windows, the smell of freshly baked food, another smell I yet didn't know or could place, the modern security system, the gates that opened on their own, the pillars that were so white that it looked unreal, the perfect symmetric of the whole mansion-
"This all screams money", I whispered. And this whole thing was ours. I still couldn't believe it. I still waited for it to be some silly joke and not reality.
We were royalty goddammit - in the 21st century! How was that still even possible!?
Michael's hand landed on my lower back, pulling me down from the window. "It's about to be our world for the rest of our lives."
The limousine came to a halt - and the doors were opened for us by the same man that had awaited us at the airport. He bowed his head as we passed by him, something that just stuck out to me as bizarre.
"Madame et Sieur! Bienvenue à Normandie! Sieur it has been an awful long time since we last had the honor to see you." A stern looking and tall woman spoke.
They all bowed.
I stopped, surprised. Michael's hand was a lingering reminder that I wasn't alone and that he was here with me.
"And it is an honor to finally meet Madame" the bowed brown-haired woman spoke with a neutral expression. "Monsieur Victor spoke fondly of you, Madame de Beaumont."
I was left speechless.
"Well, talk is something we have to practice", the woman spoke, arose and descended the stairs. "I'm Anne-Marie, your head servant. The household will be introduced to you as we see it fit during your training. I am delighted to help you with your training, Madame. I hope the roads and skies were nice to you."
"Thank you." I extended my hand to greet her properly - she stared at me shocked.
"Royals don't touch commoners here", Michael rolled his eyes and took it instead. "Come, I'll show you around."
"Sieur."
"It's fine." Michael grimly spoke.
The people moved out the way as he glared at them.
"Michael", I chided.
The servants wore the attire you usually see in movies - never had I thought I would see something like that in real life.
"I'm sorry", I whispered to them once we passed them.
The door was opened for us by two men, who bowed their heads respectively as we passed.
Anne-Marie was behind us, following closely as Michael loosely showed me the mansion from top to bottom, his finger weakly and uninterested pointing at things. Anne-Marie was kind enough to explain things more thoroughly though. How many rooms there were, how big, what style they were kept in, how often they were cleaned, when the last renovations had been done, how much electricity, heating and other stuff like food usually cost.
"We combined your offices, per Monsieur Victor's wishes", Anne-Marie informed us. "We were informed of your situation in America, so we tried our best to make sure you could work from here as well as you see it fit, Madame et Sieur."
"Thank you", I spoke, while Michael kept quiet.
"Your bedroom is on the top floor. We chose bedding that is similar to what you have in New Canaan. The furnishing style can be changed any time according to your wishes, Madame et Sieur."
"Thank you", I repeated again.
Michael turned his head slightly. "When's the dinner?"
"It's expected to take place in April, the latest", Anne-Marie informed him.
"What training will Sara receive?"
"Speech, movement, acting, proper behavior, languages, French, Latin and Greek. Music. Geography."
The usual smile, crooked and accompanied by dimples, had been non-existent ever since we boarded that plane. Michael shot her a glance.
Anne-Marie wasn't fazed by his coldness. "I would like to commence with it as soon as Madame wishes to."
"Could we eat first? Afterwards we could start immediately", I quickly decided, ushering Michael to just stop frowning already!
"D'accord. I'll inform the cook. Are there any wishes for breakfast?"
"Stop it already", I bit. The poor girl hurried away after she served us. "You are scaring them and it's rude to frown at people."
"I'm sorry I'm not in the mood", Michael bit pissed.
"No reason to be pissy with me", I pointed my knife at him - to which Anne-Marie cleared her throat - and put it down again. "We accepted the titles and now have to come to terms with it, whether you like it or not. You do whatever you want to do in your office, and I'll have my lesson with Anne-Marie. The sooner we can hold this dinner and go back again, the better."
I gave him a look that said: We spoke about this.
Keep the visits to France a minimum. Do our best so we could leave quickly again. Only return here when it was really necessary.
I gave him another look that said: And your behaviour doesn't help with that.
He responded with a look that told me: I know that.
I hummed in a: then act like it! manner and we finished the silent conversation with that.
I heard a stifled giggle in the back. Had to smile.
Finally - my husband smiled too.
That was much, much better than his constant frown.
"Oh newlyweds", Anne-Marie cracked a smile that broke her stoic face. "I know you are not fond of Normandie Sieur, but we'll try our hardest to make it a second home to you."
"I take it oncle spoke to you already", Michael asked before he took a sip.
"Yes, in detail. We understand that it's not an easy job and that you two are very busy people, but the de Beaumont family needs you, Madame et Sieur."
"You know you can address us by name-"
The look she gave me made me retreat that idea. "Never mind then."
"I do not mean to stress you Madame but the training is waiting."
"I know", I shoved the piece of bread into my mouth and got up. "Let's start. I can rest later."
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Short chapter for now, will return with longer chapters in the future :))!!