Chapter 1: Golden Angel

1881 New Orleans

Claude

"Another boy?" Her voice sounded beautiful and melancholy. I couldn't take my eyes away from her, she's too beautiful like an oil painting.

Her skin looked pale and translucent, you can almost see her veins. Her eyes are the color of rubies shining and empty. Her lips curled slowly on the edges to form a smile. She wore her golden hair long, braided on both sides and tied on the back. Her hair is decorated with yellow magnolias on the edges of her braid. The beautiful lady is dressed in a white satin dress, long enough for the fabric to touch the floor.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand to make sure I wasn't looking at an angel, as I looked up she was in front of me. I jerked back quickly with surprise. How did she..?

"He's too skinny..." She said smiling down at me. "how old are you?" She asked me.

"Twelve.." I said quietly. Her eyes examined me from head to toe.

"He needs a bath and some medicine for his feet..." She said to Julius but her eyes never left mine.

"Yes, my lady" Julius replied with a low bow.

"Boy, what's your name?" She asked me as she tilts her head on the side.

"They... They.. never gave me...one" My voice shook as I speak.

"Hmm" She tilted her head to the other side and straightened up as an idea struck her, she clasped her hands together and exclaimed "From now on, your name will be Claude" She smiled at me but it didn't reach her eyes.

She turned and walked away as her golden hair swayed behind her back.

"The mistress likes you" The elderly woman smiled as she clasped her hands together.

"Perhaps" Julius interrupted.

The elderly woman named Evangeline took me by the hand and showed me to a room. The room was small but it was decorated beautifully. I looked at the bed and smiled.

"Do you like the room?" Evangeline asked me.

"Yes, I do" I replied.

"well, it is beautiful.."

"I .. I never had one before..." I said quietly.

"Never had a room?" She said curiously

"No.. A bed..."

Evangeline looked at me with pity, her eyes were filled with tears. She wiped them with her handkerchief and wrapped me around her arms.

"No one will hurt you here" she assured me. "But this isn't your room, it's mine. I will show you to your room later" She moved her hands to the end of my shirt. I lifted my hands up as she undressed me.

Evangeline washed my hair and body three times. She said I smelled like a rat down in the sewers. She cleaned and cut my nails and toenails, she even gave me a hair cut. When she finished, I took a quick look at myself in the mirror and smiled. I looked like a nobleman. My black hair looked shiny and soft.

"Well, now you look like a handsome boy!" She moved closer to me and said "Your eyes are as blue as the sky, they're very clear"

My clothes were new and clean. I was wearing a shirt made from good fabric, it was smooth. I trailed my hand up and down my arm. I looked up and saw Evangeline smiling down at me. "Do you like it?" She asks me.

I nodded and smiled. "You must be hungry! come with me to the kitchen!"

We walked outside the room into the great hall, I cannot help myself being amazed by the enormous chandelier, it looked like diamonds.

Evangeline lead me to the kitchen where I met two chefs wearing a long white cap and a white gown with a red apron across their waist. George is the head chef and Louis is his assistant. George is fat and had ginger hair, he also had big freckles on his cheeks, the size of a thumb. He smiled widely and shook my hand. Louis was tall and thin but he looked strong. He smiled at me but he didn't shake my hand because he was wearing gloves.

I also met three scurry maids who were brushing and wiping the tables and floor. When Evangeline clapped her hands together, all of them stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

"Oh Madam!" one of the scurry maids exclaimed.

"Judith!" Evangeline cried out "I need a piece of bread and a bowl of soup for this young boy"

Judith walked away to the corner and busily took a bowl from the cupboard. Evangeline ushered me inside and I sat on the wooden chair. The two chefs smiled and carried on to their work.

"Here you go lad" Judith handed me a bowl of hot soup, it smelled delicious. hmm.. mushroom soup. Evangeline gave me two pieces of bread "Eat" She ordered.

I took the bowl in my hands and lifted it to my lips when Evangeline slapped the back of my hand. "Now, now... you use the spoon" she pointed it to me.

I took it and plunged it into the soup. The soup was hot but I don't care I was too hungry!

"I need to teach you some table manners" Evangeline scowled at me.

When I finished eating, Evangeline took me by the hand and thanked the chefs for the food. She told me to say my thanks too.

Evangeline is a tall and slender lady, there was something about her smile that assured me that I can trust her. She wore her long brunette hair into a bun decorated with emerald laces. Her eyes were bright green. Evangeline was in her late thirties and she was pretty.

"You must be tired, come I'll lead you to your room" Evangeline lead the way back to the great hall but this time we walked up the staircase and stopped on the far right corner. She pointed at the golden door decorated with yellow roses. "It's the mistress' room, you are not allowed there"

She turned left and walked ahead, I followed her but I kept looking towards the golden door. It's where the angel sleeps I thought.

We stopped in front of a big bronze door and Evangeline opened it. "This will be your room"

I entered and saw an enormous bed. I ran to it and jumped! It was soft like feathers. I laid down and closed my eyes. I never thought I was dead tired because when I closed my eyes I fell into a deep slumber.

That night I dreamt about the angel but in my dream...she has fangs!