Free Désirée by Annemarie Selinko

have been guillotined, many have fled to England, but most have gone "underground"—that means they are living under false names in some place where they are not known. Etienne often says that it is greatly to the disadvantage of all merchants that the Republic does not arrange balls or receptions. For that, the dreadfully stingy Robespierre is to blame.
    I busied myself in the shop for a while, helping the customers feel the different materials and persuading them to buy harsh green silk ribbons, because I felt that Etienne would like to get rid of them. Finally I went home, thinking as always of Napoleone and wondering whether he would wear a gala uniform when we celebrated Julie's betrothal.
    At home I found Mama in an awful state. Julie had announced that Joseph was coming that afternoon to speak to her, and she just didn't feel up to it. At last, in spite of the heat, she went into the town to consult Etienne. When she came back she had a headache, lay on her sofa, and asked to be called as soon as Citizen Joseph Buonaparte arrived.
    Julie, however, really acted crazy. She stalked around the parlour and groaned. Her face, too, was quite green and I knew she was ill. Julie always suffers from stomach-ache whe n she gets excited. In the end I took the distracted girl into the garden with me and sat with her in the summer house. The bees hummed in the rambler roses and I felt sleepy and very contented. Life is so simple, I thought, when you really love a man. Then you belong only to him. If I were forbidden to marry Napoleone, I should just run away with him.
    At five o'clock there arrived a gigantic bouquet, with Joseph hidden behind it. The bouquet and Joseph were escorted to the parlour by Marie; then Mama was informed and the door of the parlour closed behind them both. I pressed my ear to the keyhole to find out what Joseph and Mama were murmuring, but I couldn't hear a single word.
    "A hundred and fifty thousand francs in gold," I said to Julie, who was leaning against the door with me. She pulled herself together.
    "What? What are you talking about?"
    "Papa left a hundred and fifty thousand francs in gold for your dowry, and a hundred and fifty thousand for mine. Don't you remember that the lawyer read.that when Papa´s will was opened?"
    "That's not at all important," said Julie, peevishly, pulling out her handkerchief and wiping her forehead. A bride-to-be can certainly be funny.
    "Well, are we to congratulate you?" laughed some behind us. Napoleone! He'd just arrived and he leaned against the door with us. "May I, as a future brother-in-law, share the intolerable suspense?"
    Julie's patience collapsed. "Do what you like, but leave me in peace!" she sobbed. At that Napoleone and I went on tip-toe to the sofa and sat down silently. I was fighting against hysterics; the whole situation was absurdly idiotic. Napoleone poked me gently in the side, "A little more dignity, if I may say so, Eugénie.!" he whispered, and made a terrible, silly face.
    Suddenly Mama came to the door and said in a shaky voice, "Julie, please come in."
    Julie dashed into the parlour like a mad thing, the door closed behind her and Mama, and I—yes, I threw my arms around Napoleone's neck and laughed and laughed.
    "Stop kissing me," I protested, because Napoleone had immediately seized this opportunity. But in spite of that, I didn't let him go—until I thought of the gala uniform. I drew away a little and looked at him reproachfully. The same threadbare green uniform as always.
    "You might have worn your gala uniform, respected General," I said. I immediately regretted my words. His tanned face grew quite red.
    "I have none, Eugénie.," he confessed. "I have never had enough money to buy myself one and all we get from the State is a tunic—the field uniform I have on. We have to pay for the gala uniform with our own money, and you know—"
    I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, you are helping your mama and your brothers and sisters. And a