Another winner from the collection Dimanche and Other Stories! I usually enjoy epistolary works and Wife to Don Juan which takes the form of one lengthy letter written by Clémence on her deathbed is to be sent to “Mademoiselle” Monique. Clémence was once a chambermaid to Monique’s parents, but it has been years since Clémence left the service at Monique’s parents’ household. So what could be so important that Clémence had to tell it to Monique in order to clear her conscience?
It turns out Monique’s handsome father was a notorious philanderer. That is not to say he was a wicked man – Clémence insists he respected his wife and loved their children. Maybe he couldn’t stay faithful to his wife because she was two years older than him and his first cousin. Or maybe it was because she was plain and less striking than him when he was radiant “like the sun.” Anyway it felt like her money was a big motive for him to have married her.
It’s not like his wife didn’t know about his escapades. As many women used to do in those days, she behaved as if she saw nothing, but that’s not to say it didn’t hurt her. So one day when she shot and killed her husband, she’s viewed as a Martyr by the public. Her husband was falling in love with a Baroness, so surely it was a crime of passion for the poor woman couldn’t take it anymore? But only Clémence knows the real reason why her ex-mistress killed her husband.
Wife to Don Juan resonates with the servant-master relationship I’ve seen being portrayed on TV shows like Downton Abbey. Clémence is fiercely loyal to Monique and her mother (although I felt Clémence was protecting Monique’s mother mostly out of love towards the children). She demonstrates a profound understanding of the family members, so Clémence’s letter serves as an extraordinarily perceptive account of the events that took place, which made this story a satisfying read.
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