Chapter 9 Rose Wood House (Palissandre Maison)

Gigi, Alice, and Marie stepped out onto the steps in front of the New Orleans jail . Waiting for them was a beautiful black and tan 1939 Cadillac Fleetwood Formal Sedan. It was the most beautiful car that Marie had ever seen. The tan leather top and white wall tires all sparkled in the morning sunshine. A chauffeur stood by the back door holding it open.

"Thank you, Mr. Mose." Gigi placed herself in the back seat.

Mr. Mose, a tall middle-aged muscular black man hurried to the other side of the car and motioned the girls to come and get in.

"Thank you Mr. Mose," replied Alice and Marie at the same time.

Marie was spellbound by the luxury of this car. Tan leather seats so soft and between the front and back seats a glass divider that could be raised and lowered.

"Madame Gigi, you must be very rich." The words just slipped out of Marie's mouth.

"Yes dear, I guess people would say that, but my dear I wasn't born rich. I have worked very hard to achieve my status and wealth. If you let me teach you; you will learn how to speak, walk, dress, and entertain like a lady, too" Madame Gigi smiled.

"Oh, dat sound wonderful." Marie sighed.

"First, I will teach you how to speak proper English. A person is known by how well they speak. Without proper English you will never get ahead. Don't worry, my dear, you are young, you will catch on fast."

"I will be a fast learner, you just wait and see, Madame Gigi." Marie replied.

"Marie, you will be living at 'Rosewood House' one of the finest bordellos in all of Louisiana. I expect all of my girls to act like ladies and all the gentlemen visitors to be gentlemen. You will be my maid until you are eighteen and then after that time you can choose your own destiny. Until that time, you will do as I say and I will pay you wages. Is that agreed?"

"Yes, Madame, it sound very bon, I mean good."

At that moment, the car pulled into a tree lined driveway to a huge elegant four story white brick home. The Live Oaks spread their limbs across the driveway as if reaching out to hold hands. Spanish moss draped every tree. The manicured lawns were green with flowers of all varieties planted in multiple beds everywhere on the enormous property. The rose colored shutters on the huge Tiffany stained windows were open to let sunshine into the home. A male peacock strolled across the lawn and fanned his plumage. Marie could barely see the back of the home but she did manage to catch a quick glance of the pond with Swans swimming on the surface.

"What do you think, Marie?" Alice giggled. "Serene and peaceful, ain't, I mean isn't it."

"Oh, oui elle est belle! Oh, I am sorry, Alice, my excitement...do yo speak da French?"

"No, I never learned it. I wasn't born in Louisiana. I was reared in Tennessee."

"I only said 'it is beautiful'. Da house is a dream place." Marie smiled.

"Girls, hurry along Mr. Mose is waiting on you to get out of the car," Madame Gigi motioned. "First Marie, I will get Miss Moselle to fix you something to eat and see that you get cleaned up and new clothes. Then I will introduce you to the other girls tomorrow morning. For tonight you get some rest."

The cavernous kitchen smelled of fresh bread, bell peppers, onions and spices. Standing at a wooden table in the middle of the kitchen a swarthy older woman with a red bandana wrapped like a turban around her graying black tight curls. She wore a black starched uniform with a huge white apron. Just barely poking out from under her skirt was the hint of a red petticoat. She had flour on both hands and a smidgen on her left cheek.

"Why, hello, Madame Gigi. I didn't know you would be coming by or I's would have cleaned myself up a bit." Miss Moselle grinned rubbing her hands on her starched apron.

"No bother Miss Moselle; I just brought you another mouth to feed. This is Marie; she will be my new maid from now on. Please give her something to eat, find her some clothes and show her a bedroom and bath."

"Yes mam' I wills do just dat. I'ms fixing biscuits to cook in the morning but I can gives her some leftovers from last night."

"That will be fine." Madame Gigi nodded her head and left Marie and Miss Moselle alone in the kitchen.

"You awful skinny, girl. I wills fatten you up in no time. I bet it didn't take your mama more than two flour sacks to make dat dress." Miss Moselle smiled again with a bright red lipstick painted mouth. "You can sits over dare where Mose and I eat ever day. Mose is my only son. He drives for Miss Gigi, does all her yard work and bodyguards her, too." Miss Moselle grinned. "He's a pretty good boy, well, I guess he be a man by now. Forty-four and he still not given me no grandchillen." Miss Moselle laughed out loud. "You'll be eating dare, too, since you be the new maid for Miss Gigi. We haves a housekeeper girl comes in the mornings and cleans up the house and does the washing." Miss Moselle handed Marie a hot bowl of jambalaya, "Here, you is girl, now eat dis and I'll show you your room." Miss Moselle sat down with Marie at the table and nibbled on a crust of French bread smeared with butter, garlic and parsley as she watched Marie devour her food.

"Dis is da best jambalaya I ever ette, thank you, Miss Moselle." Marie said between bites.

The next morning Marie woke up in the softest bed and most spacious room she had ever been in or seen. Lush forest green and pink floral rugs covered a pecan hardwood floor. The dark thick forest green drapes were held back by golden cords and through the shear curtains she could see hundred year old live oaks' branches just beyond her window. A fox squirrel chattered loudly from one of its limbs. She even had her own bathroom with running hot and cold water. She had been embarrassed the night before when Miss Moselle had to show her how to work the faucets and showed her the water closet. She had never known anyone with an indoor outhouse.

"Good morning Mr. Squirrel." Marie yawned and giggled.

On the wingback chair in the corner was draped a pale yellow skirt with a matching white blouse with tiny yellow flowers on the collar. The pale yellow sandals sat neatly below the chair on the rug. "Oh, I can't believe how fortunate I am." Marie said to herself in lilting French.

Downstairs after breakfast of grits, eggs, biscuits, and bacon, Madame Gigi appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"I see you have found the clothes I told Miss Moselle to put in your room. Lovely, just lovely. Now come with me, dear, I want to introduce you to my girls. On the way I'll tell you a little about the house."

Marie got up from the table placed her plate, cup, and glass into the sink and followed Madame Gigi.

"As you could see yesterday when you arrived we have a spectacular house here. It has four floors, five parlors, fifteen bedrooms each with its own bathroom, running hot and cold water and all the modern conveniences. I spared nothing in building this house. As I told you yesterday we call it Rosewood House. I patterned this house after a very famous bordello that used to be on Basin Street. It was called Mahogany Hall. You can see I have the most exquisite marble fireplaces and floors, chandeliers, potted ferns, expensive works of art, and Tiffany glass windows. My girls are the cleanest and most ladylike in all New Orleans. I expect nothing else."

"Yes, I can see, this is a palace." Marie replied.

"I expect my girls to work hard for me and in turn I take care of their needs. I pay them well, too. Rosewood House is a fifteen dollar house. The girls get four dollars and the house the rest. I won't bother you with any more of the money details. The men that visit our house expect only the finest. Some are politicians, Admirals, Generals and the wealthy upper class, but all are gentlemen. I won't go on anymore. You will have time to make your decision when you turn eighteen in a few months."

Madame Gigi and Marie crossed the spotless marble foyer and into the first parlor. "Oh, there's my girls now." Madame Gigi smiled. "Good morning, girls. I want to introduce you to Marie. She is my newest girl. She will be working as my personal maid until she turns eighteen in a few months. So, please treat her with respect and kindness."

Standing in the downstairs parlor were eleven spectacular young girls all dressed in stylish street clothes. Marie stood with Madame Gigi as each girl came by introduced themselves and gave Marie a kiss on the cheek and a hug. This amazed Marie since she had only known this to be a custom of her French/Cajun people. This gave her a very warm and welcome feeling.

"Howdy, my name is Nell or Nellie from Texas," a tall six foot natural red haired woman shook Marie's hand very firmly then laughed. "I know...I'm a big one...everything in Texas grows big." Nell laughed again.

"I'm Susanna from Georgia" a petite blonde blue eyed girl stepped up next with a faint look of disdain on her face.

"Oh, yes, our Georgia Peach." Alice leered. "You already know me...Alice, from jail." Alice laughed.

"I'm Florence or Flo from Mississippi."

"Georgia from Alabama."

"May, from Missouri."

"Ruthie from here in New Orleans."

Each girl continued down the line kissing and hugging Marie giving their names and places they were from until the eleventh girl had finished.

"Marie, if you join us you will make it an even dozen. Oh, I hope you do!" Georgia piped in smiling.

"Alright, girls, you all have things to do today. I expect you back to the house by noon." Madame Gigi shushed the girls out of the room. "Marie, I'll leave you to explore the property today. After your noon meal I will have a party dress laid out for you in your room. I will have Alice come and fix your hair and makeup and help you dress. We have a party everyday here from noon until whenever. All you will need to do is be nice to my gentlemen callers and serve them drinks when they ask. Nothing more, nothing less. I think my callers will find you quite enchanting with your blue eyes and dark hair and that melodious French accent . You may speak in English or French. Most of my friends speak French fluently. "Marie, I'll see you this afternoon."