Calico Captive

Felicité has her maids do Miriam’s hair and then powder it. When Miriam finds Susanna, Susanna is startled at her transformation. Miriam attempts to get Susanna to get her hair done as well, but Susanna declines. Miriam is exasperated and tells her she cannot leave her hair as it is, because she will not look like everyone else. Susanna reminds her she is not like the others, she is English.

When Miriam and Susanna descend the stairs, Felicité is excited but Madame is not. She tells Felicité that she looks plain and can wear her grandmother’s necklace. Miriam and Susanna are flocked with admirers. Pierre asks Miriam to dance and she thinks he does not recognize her, but he does. He flirts with her, and then he tells her he will be a soldier for a year. Pierre baits Miriam about how easy it will be to destroy the English, and when she becomes angry, he laughs. He tells her, “Now you will have supper with me. Uniform or not, I am still a coureur, and I enjoy eating with savages” (155).

The next morning, Miriam visits Felicité who sends her away immediately. Hortense is leaving Madame’s room with a breakfast tray at the same time, and she tells Miriam how angry Madame was about the ball. Madame said that Miriam humiliated them by wearing such a beautiful dress, and she made eyes at all the men. Hortense notes that Madame is most angry about Pierre. He danced with Miriam many times and watched her the entire night. Miriam asks if she should apologize to Madame, but Hortense tells her to just stay out of Madame’s way.

Madame Du Quesne sends for Susanna, and when Susanna comes back, she tells Miriam that the Du Quesnes are turning them out, because they believe James has broken his bond. The men who escorted James came back. They had left him in Albany as he went to Boston, and they waited for him for seven weeks, but he never returned. Susanna says they will leave with nothing but what they entered the house with, and Miriam is horrified. She does not want to leave all her fine things. They go in search of work but are turned away at every shop because the French do not like the English.

When Susanna and Miriam go into an alley, because they are concerned soldiers are following them, Hortense finds them. She invites them to go to her family home. Miriam tries to protest that they need work, but Hortense tells her no one will hire them because of the war and it is not safe for them on the street.

Hortense leads Miriam and Susanna to a cottage outside the city. Hortense’s Maman has six children who she cares for alone, and she encourages Susanna to share about her own lost children. Susanna spots a loom, and she sets to work on it. Miriam still wants Felicité to come and find her, but when this does not happen, she begins sewing clothes. At first, working with the rough fabric is unpleasant, but then she finds comfort in it.

After three weeks, there were signs that their stay was no longer safe. Neighbors tell Hortense and her mother that they will not plow the field if the English are still in the cottage. Susanna also notices that the stores for the winter are dwindling quickly, and three more people will empty it even faster. Susanna decides to go to the Governor to plead their case. Peter Labaree appears, and he tells Susanna the new governor is unkind and it will not help to talk to him. Miriam asks Labaree if he has parchment and ink, and he gives her a coin to buy it.

Miriam goes to the market alone without telling Susanna what she’s doing. In the market, Miriam stays close to groups of women and listens to gossip. Then she buys a sheet of paper and ink. After she works on it, she goes to the Du Quesne mansion and asks to speak to Madame Du Quesne. Madame tells her that she should not have come, and that they will give her no more charity. Miriam tells her she is not looking for charity, she wants to make her and Felicité dresses. Madame says they have a dressmaker, but Miriam tells her the dressmaker has no imagination and her dresses all look alike. Miriam shows her the drawings of the dresses she would make them. Madame is clearly intrigued by the drawings, but skeptical of Miriam’s skill.

Finally, Madame agrees to Miriam making a dress for Felicité. Miriam asks for payment, half immediately, and Madame is angry and appalled. Miriam does not relent, and she bluffs that she will make a dress for someone else. Madame relents and, “with deliberate contempt, tossed it on the floor at Miriam’s feet” (181). Miriam almost loses her temper, but she takes the coin and leaves. Miriam is upset, but she goes to a tailor with a room to rent and secures it. When she finally returns to the cottage, she tells Susanna, “You and I are going to be dressmakers. The most fashionable dressmakers in Montreal” (183).