InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "ahhh! pants!"

Marie Chabert (boulanger) wrote in vie_en_guerre,
@ 2008-01-22 21:59:00

Current mood:

hopeful

Baked goodness
Who: Marie , Lucy, Marie-Pierre
When: December, on a windy mid afternoon
Where: la Boulangerie Chabert
Rating: PG
Complete
Summary: Bakery goodness and friendly talk

Happy to have received a fresh supply of flour and even some sugar, Marie had been busy all week catching up with orders. Today, she'd just about finished the backlog - and she even had time to make some rare treats - cakes, and pastries - enough to almost fill the front display case. She still wasn't sure that the money she'd taken from her savings in order to pay for the flour and sugar she'd found was worth it - but well, it was to keep the business going. What could be done in times like these?

And it was worth it to see the happy faces of those who were pleased to taste her famous sweets again. It had been too long since the last batch, really. Marie resolved to try and have more of the luxuries for sale, whenever possible. Only a few customers were left in the store once the earlier rush had faded, and Marie turned towards them with a bright smile. "May I help you?" she asked.

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paperlucy
2008-01-23 03:28 am UTC (link)

After posting a short letter to James, Lucy had left the post office. She didn't much feel like going back to her tiny room, and it was too early to go to Le Passant, her usual haunt, so she had taken to meandering the streets. The weather wasn't so bad -- if it hadn't been for the wind, it really would be a lovely walk. Lucy hunched her shoulders up in hopes of blocking some of the breeze, shoving her hands in her pockets as she sped up to a brisk walk. She took stock as she went along: one article sent to London (and already they were gagging for another); one "interview" with one Kohler, which she hoped to turn into something to send back to the Times; one frantic letter from her mum, wondering how she was; and still a decent amount of money left (which meant she hadn't spent too much on booze). All in all, pretty good.

As she continued along, Lucy saw some familiar sights and knew she was drawing close to the bakery where she had seen the baker giving away much needed to bread to a family who couldn't afford it. The display window had been full of loaves like those, but now as she came level with the front she noticed several things that weren't there before: cakes, pastries, cookies... luxuries in the occupied Paris. Seeing as Lucy had extra money, or at least more than she thought she had, and as the baker seemed to be such a kindly woman, it seemed a crime not to stop in and purchase a few pastries for herself.

Stepping inside was a nice respite from the biting wind, and the smell of the place was heavenly. There wasn't a very large crowd, so it wasn't long before it was her turn to order. "'Ello -- ah, bonjour," Lucy said, smiling. Her cheeks were raw from the wind and she knew they were probably redder than apples. "I saw the lovely pastries in the window." It took her a moment to recall the French word for pastries. "I'm interested in buying something, but I want to know what your suggestion would be. What's the one thing that everyone absolutely cannot live without?"

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	duclos 2008-01-23 03:35 am UTC (link)
	What's the one thing that everyone absolutely cannot live without, the girl in front of him had asked (in, he noted, a relatively atrocious English accent). Marie-Pierre couldn't help but snort. "Oxygen," he suggested, "and they haven't started rationing that yet." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	boulanger 2008-01-23 03:41 am UTC (link)
	Marie laughed, recognizing that sarcastic voice and turned to address the source. "Monsieur Duclos, if they could find a way, they would charge by the breath." She turned to assist the customer. "Would you like a nice croissant" she asked, in slow French, noticing that the girl had a bit of a thick accent. "They're baked fresh, and very delicious." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

paperlucy
2008-01-23 03:57 am UTC (link)

Lucy raised an eyebrow without bothering to turn around and answer the rude Frenchman behind her, fighting the urge to make a dozen inappropriate remarks that would probably have embarrassed her mother to bits. Lucy agreed to the croissant and bit into it hungrily. It was... she couldn't describe it. It was one of the most delicious things she had ever eaten.

"Mmm," she said, forgetting for a moment that she was in the middle of a public place. "I'll take a half dozen of those, as well as two of those raspberry tarts, please." She began reaching in her coat pocket for her small money purse. "How did you find the ingredients for these?" Realizing that her question probably sounded rude or suspicious, she quickly added, "I'm a British reporter for the Times of London doing special reports about Paris. I'm interested in getting a broad view of life from all different citizens here."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	duclos 2008-01-23 04:00 am UTC (link)
	Marie-Pierre cocked an eyebrow at the back of the girl's head. A reporter. Probably actually a reporter, too - far too easy to check up on that sort of thing, no? You would think the Times would find a correspondent who spoke better French, but, ah, c'est la guerre. Perhaps all of those were out doing useful things. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

boulanger
2008-01-23 04:10 am UTC (link)

"A reporter? How nice," Marie said, in a tone that implied it was perhaps a little-bit-less-than-nice, packing up the croissants and tarts into a paper sack.

After Lucy had paid for the baked goods, she handed them over and considered how to best answer the question.

"Well, let us just say that sometimes you get lucky. A good day at the market - and being willing to pay whatever high price they are asking these days - and you can still find some luxuries on occasion."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

paperlucy
2008-01-23 04:17 am UTC (link)

Lucy fought the urge to take out her notebook and write down everything the woman was saying. She could commit it well enough to memory to make notes as soon as she got outside. "I just wanted to say that I saw you giving away bread to someone the other day, a woman who couldn't afford it. That was the main reason I came in here today."

She turned to the man behind her, taking in his handsome face and thick, dark hair. "Anything you'd like to add, sir?" Rudeness was uncalled for... she should be dignified... her mother's voice ran through her head on a loop. It served only to stop her from calling him a wanker, which Lucy thought was a decent accomplishment.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	duclos 2008-01-23 04:22 am UTC (link)
	"Mmm, alors," said Marie-Pierre thoughtfully. He glanced at the proprietess. "I fear that is not the whole story - " He switched to English, clearly enunciated though rather heavily accented, in a conspiratorial tone. "Sometimes, I murder a rival baker in 'is sleep, an' steal ze flour for 'er. But - all is fair in love an' war, no?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

boulanger
2008-01-23 04:29 am UTC (link)

Marie, who didn't speak a word of English, had no idea what Marie-Pierre was saying, but from the tone she guessed that he might be being misbehaving. She thought that one of the most endearing traits about Duclos really- he was always up to something vaguely misbehaved but ultimately amusing.

She fished out one of the other tarts and offered over to him. "Here, if you are going to sweet-talk the English, you may as well have something sweet to work with."

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paperlucy
2008-01-23 02:23 pm UTC (link)

Lucy wanted to say something like, "So, you have the courage to kill bakers in their sleep, but when it comes to Germans you just lay down and let them use you as a floor mat." But she didn't. Not only would have that been incredibly rude, it would have been off-colour, and she really did feel for the Parisians.

"Oh-la-la," she replied, exaggerating. She leaned in a bit closer, her eyebrows raised, as if she was going to reveal a great secret. "Shall I put that in the article then? About your great bravery? It'd be a great interest piece." Lucy continued to speak in English.

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duclos
2008-01-23 03:48 pm UTC (link)

It's sort of too bad she hadn't said the first thing, because Marie-Pierre would have thought it was funny. Ah well. Commentary from semi-omniscient narrators aside, he raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, but zen ze rest of zem would know, no? Be on zeir guard. Besides, it takes no great courage to murder a baker in 'is sleep. It is ze butchers you need to watch out for. Knifes, you know."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	boulanger 2008-01-23 06:23 pm UTC (link)
	Marie still had no idea what either of them were saying, so she took the opportunity to tidy up a bit behind the counter. She still kept an eye on things while she did so, wondering what sort of conversation they were having, anyhow. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	paperlucy 2008-01-23 07:09 pm UTC (link)
	"Rolling pins can be very dangerous, you know," she replied. Lucy turned back to Marie the baker, smiling. "I hope it's alright if I mention your bakery in an article," she said, switching over to French again. Usually she didn't ask permission to write things about people, but this woman seemed so very nice. "And if there's anything else you'd like to add?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	duclos 2008-01-23 07:21 pm UTC (link)
	Marie-Pierre had no smart remark for that, and so he waited. Rather surprising that the girl asked permission - a rare trait in a journalist. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	boulanger 2008-01-23 07:26 pm UTC (link)
	"What sort of an article?" Marie asked warily. A nice write up might be good for business - but she didn't want to attract the wrong sort of attention. There'd been enough unwelcome visitors to the bakery lately. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

paperlucy
2008-01-23 07:35 pm UTC (link)

"It's for the Times of London. I'm here on special assignment to cover... the state of things," Lucy explained, not wanting to upset any of the customers or get anyone -- herself included -- in trouble. "Perhaps, for this one, just about the struggle that local business owners are facing in wartime? I could show you a write up before I wire it, if you'd like." She didn't usually do that, either, but since this wasn't a pressing story about any huge event that happened, she supposed it would be alright.

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	duclos 2008-01-23 08:47 pm UTC (link)
	"'The state of things' - what a charmingly discreet way of putting it," observed Marie-Pierre. "How very English. Which is, I suppose, the language you'd be writing it up in?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	boulanger 2008-01-23 09:05 pm UTC (link)
	"Perhaps monsieur Duclos would be so kind as to look it over?" Marie suggested, "As I don't speak English. These are time in which you can't be too careful. No offense intended to you, Mademoiselle. But I would like to know exactly what it says about the bakery, yes." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

paperlucy
2008-01-23 10:15 pm UTC (link)

Lucy glanced at the man, who didn't seem to be finished talking yet. She wasn't sure that she wanted Duclos to "approve" her article; after all, he probably would disapprove of anything. She regretted asking permission to mention the place. After all, she could have just written it up and sent it off and no one would have been the wiser. But she thought she could get some sort of quote from the woman if she gained her trust this way.

"If you'd like," Lucy replied. She would rather spend the time struggling through a translation that Marie could read herself, but it didn't really matter now she supposed. "Is there anything else you'd like to mention?" she asked again, hoping for something -- anything.

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boulanger
2008-01-24 12:24 am UTC (link)

"I suppose I would like to say that we have a long standing tradition of making quality baked goods," Marie said. "And we will continue to do so, so long as we have the supplies to do so. And those who cannot afford their bread, well - we will barter if we need to. I would especially appreciate some eggs at the moment, really..."

She didn't know what Lucy was hoping for, but that was really all she felt comfortable saying.

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paperlucy
2008-01-24 09:38 pm UTC (link)

"Lovely, lovely," Lucy muttered to herself in English as she pulled out her notebook and began scribbling. "Fantastic." After she finished writing Marie's quote, she looked up at her and smiled brightly.

"I'll type this up tonight and deliver a copy to Monsieur Duclos first thing in the morning. Maybe, if he's ever so nice, he can transcribe it to French for you." Lucy gave him a sweet smile before picking up her bag. "It was a pleasure to meet you, and I'm sure I'll be back for more of your delicious goodies."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	boulanger 2008-01-24 09:46 pm UTC (link)
	"Thank you - stop back in anytime," Marie said, smiling a friendly smile. She didn't want to give Lucy the impression that she had something personal against her - she was just guarding her business. In these times, it never hurt to be extra cautious. (Reply to this) (Parent)