Sitting across from Henry and placing her coffee and newspaper on the table, Marguerite laughed slightly at the reasoning on why she should go first. It was sweet, though she did wonder how they would manage all the lessons they had planned in under an hour. And she had to wonder just how to discuss the French Revolution in terms a ten year old would understand as she didn't see the extent of social injustice here as there had been in France, so how could he truly understand? She could give an overview, answer questions... that should work.
"That sounds fair. I can start."
Folding her hair behind her ear, Marguerite was thankful for the questions as they at least gave her a starting point. It was still going to be difficult to explain but she could try.
"I believe people lost sight of what the fighting was about as it went on, but when it started? It was about equality, allowing people to have citizenship and rights, regardless of if they were aristocrats or poor. It should not matter. People were starving, struggling to get by, to even survive while the aristocrats and monarchs dined richly and did nothing to help. It was unrest.... And while I stand by these ideals, that people should be treated the same, regardless of their wealth, I do not stand for what it became, when people were consumed by blood lust...."
After all, Marguerite had gone off and married a baronet. She hadn't judged him on his money, or the fact he was an Englishman. Just as she hadn't judged Chauvelin the day they stormed the Bastille. He was another man, someone with passion and fire, the things which consumed Marguerite.
"I did take part in some things, though none of the actual fighting. The day we stormed the Bastille... it was a sign that the injustice and financial crisis were going on too long with no relief. It showed the monarchy that the people were unhappy.." She hadn't been there for the killings, hadn't helped to put a head on a pike, and they had no political prisoners to save in that day, but the message was still given.
"That was in 1789, it was one of the first signs of the revolution from what I have seen. I also was involved in the march on Versailles as it seemed money and food was being wasted on the monarchy while people continued to starve... Nothing ever really came of it, and so people grew angrier. There was the Committee of Public Safety, aristocrats were denounced and sentenced to death, anyone against the new republic received the same treatment. As it went on, the ideals were lost and people were consumed by hatred for anyone who might look down on them. It was out of control..."
Because really, sitting around anxiously to watch a person be guillotined and then taking some of their hair? That was just... extremely unsettling and Marguerite had seen it more often than she liked.
"I ended up marrying my husband in 1792 and moved to England, while it hurt to leave my home, it was consumed by madness by that point."