Sophie’s parents, the former Duke and Duchess of Bourbon, were a little worried.

  Just, in general.

  Things were kinda rough in France at the moment!

  Their niece had become Queen at a rather young age, and almost immediately…

  She picked a fight with the bakers of Pahree!

  And before they could stop her, she issued an official decree…

  No more baking bread! Only bake cake!

  Although it was all over the newspapers, she hadn’t actually said the words, ‘let them eat cake.’

  This came after the party season, which had also included Queen Marie’s coronation parties and her birthday parties and Mimi’s birthday parties…

  The cake bakers were worn out!

  And yet there was plenty of bread…

  Marie had been really irritated!

  So she got really bossy…

  And upset all the bakers…

  Then the Marquis de Lafayette had started a Revolution…

  Not a great start to Queen Marie’s reign!

  And the harvest season was approaching, too.

  If the Revolution didn’t end before it was time to reap what had been sewn…

  Well, there was a lot to worry about.

  And then Marie had sent their daughter to Wisconsin!

  That was so far to send an eight-year-old girl on a diplomatic mission!

  Sure, it was the Friendly Commonwealth of Wisconsin…

  But it was a seven day trip by carriage!

  Thankfully, the Wisconsonites had sent her back by car, with a diplomat of their own…

  But the diplomat was also an eight-year-old girl!

  The night of Sophie’s return, they simply said their prayers of gratitude to the Gods and Goddesses that their precious daughter was safe and sound.

  But then…

  “My friend Lily said she was gonna end the Revolution in time so I could have a birthday party!”

  Sophie’s smile had been so bright!

  Her parents didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth!

  They couldn’t throw a party!

  Parties, especially for a Duchess, meant a ball, and cakes, and inviting all the nobles!

  And the Queen had to be invited.

  And without cake…

  The Queen wouldn’t permit it!

  So, late at night, they simply put her to bed, and decided they would explain things the next day.

  But, at mid-morning…

  Vroom vroom!

  They heard the sound of an automobile coming around the bend!

  It was the diplomat from Wisconsin!

  Sighing, the former Duke and Duchess prepared to welcome them in the drawing room, and sent word to Sophie’s maids to prepare her to receive a visitor.

  It was so early in the morning for nobles!

  It wasn’t even noon yet!

  Outside…

  Sally was in full Mama mode!

  Her daughter wanted to throw a birthday party for her friend…

  Finally! Something normal! Something Sally could do!

  She could do this!

  She refused to think about problems like nobility, or that they were in a foreign country, or that there was a Revolution going on…

  She felt like she needed a win!

  Her daughter had started a restaurant chain, and caught cattle rustlers, and solved a Dairy Cow Strike, and Sally hadn’t done much of anything…

  But now was her chance!

  She was fired up!

  “Mrow, your Mom’s really excited,” Mr. Cat said.

  Lily giggled. “Mama likes parties!” she whispered.

  She misunderstood!

  Well, but she wasn’t wrong…

  Sally blushed a little bit, but made sure to keep facing forward so her daughter couldn’t see.

  First, meeting her daughter’s friend’s parents!

  Inside…

  Sophie yawned!

  “Lily’s here? But it’s so early! Oh, I hope she has good news about the Revolution…”

  Sophie was an optimist!

  But it would still take time for her maids to dress her up…

  And so it was that at mid-morning, Lily, her Mama, Mr. Cat, Jacques, and Dale carrying a box of potatoes walked up to the door of Sophie’s manor in Versailles!

  And…

  A butler was already there!

  “Good morning, Mister Doorman!” Lily said brightly.

  And the butler recoiled in shock!

  “Sacre bleu!” he said, and then composed himself. “Ahem, how did you know my name was Doorman…?”

  Lily was shocked!

  “Oh no, it happened again!” she said.

  Up in heaven, the God of Golf was side-eyeing the God of Business!

  The God of Business was sweating!

  “Heheh…” he chuckled nervously, dabbing at his sweat with a handkerchief. “A bussineswoman needs to be good with names and faces, no?”

  “I think you blessed her a bit too much…” the God of Golf said, as if he hadn’t done the same!

  Back down in the mortal realm, Sally took control of the situation!

  “Good morning, we’re here to visit Lily’s friend Sophie. I’m Lily’s mother, and I’d also like to meet Sophie’s parents…”

  The butler was fully recovered by this point.

  “Of course, please, let me guide you inside.”

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  As they walked in, Lily’s ghosts comforted her invisibly.

  “Don’t worry about it too much, Lily!” Mac said.

  “Sure, it’s happening a lot, but sometimes people just make good guesses!” Rich added.

  “Well, maybe you should practice introducing yourself and asking people for their names…” Ray said, helpfully!

  “What kind of family name is Doorman?” grumbled Duke, the most reasonable of them all! “That’s horrible typecasting…”

  Well, he had his own point of view as an actor and director!

  Lily and her entourage entered the drawing room.

  It was super fancy!

  There was plush, brightly colored couches, and wood-paneled walls with fancy oil paintings on them, and little plinths with little statues on them!

  Standing inside, waiting for them, were Sophie’s parents!

  “Lily, make sure you introduce yourself, and wait for them to give their names!” Ghostly Ray whispered.

  “Okay!” Lily whispered, psyching herself up.

  She could do it!

  Sophie’s father bowed slightly, placing a hand on his chest. “Bonjour, diplomats from ze Friendly Commonwealth of Wisconsin. I am Duke Emeritus of Bourbon. Please, call me Francois.”

  Sophie’s mother did a little curtsy! She was wearing a frilly dress. “Bonjour, I am Duchess Emeritus, and Duchess Sophie’s mother. Please, call me Jeanine!”

  And, Sally…

  Stumbled!

  Metaphorically!

  She was wearing a diplomat suit from Wisconsin, and it had a pencil skirt!

  She couldn’t do a curtsy in that!

  Lily was wearing the dress Sally had made her back in Appalashia, but…

  Sally didn’t know what to do!

  While she panicked internally, Lily stepped forward, and…

  Hopped up and raised her hand, waiving it!

  This wasn’t a breach of protocol, it was throwing the whole rulebook out the window!

  “Hi! I’m Sophie’s friend, Lily! Nice to meet you, Francois, Jeanine!”

  “Mrow, you can call me Mr. Cat!” Mr. Cat introduced himself.

  “I’m Dale. I drive,” Dale introduced himself simply.

  “Bonjour, I’m Jacques. I’m a Revolutionary messenger!” Jacques said proudly.

  Sally, floundering, was saved by her daughter!

  “This is my Mama!” Lily said, pointing.

  “Ahem, please, call me Sally.”

  “Sally, nice to meet you,” Francois said.

  “Thank you for looking out for Sophie, and thank you, Dale, for driving her back.”

  Lily looked up into the empty air, where Ghostly Ray Croc floated invisibly.

  He gave her a double thumbs up!

  “Good job, Lily!”

  A maid waiting in the hallway announced Sophie’s arrival.

  “The Duchess of Bourbon has arrived.”

  “Sophie!”

  “Lily! Bonjour!”

  Sophie was wearing a fancy dress, and had her hair styled up, but the two little girls quickly started bouncing up and down, happy to see each other!

  After they had burned off some of their energy, Sophie looked around.

  “Oh, what does Dale have, there?” she said.

  He was still holding the box!

  “Heheh, Dale’s got potatoes!” Lily said proudly.

  “Potatoes…?” Francois muttered.

  Lumpy brown, starchy vegetables…

  Sure, good every now and then, but not really something one would bring to a diplomatic meeting…

  “Oh boy, potatoes!” Sophie exclaimed.

  Her eyes were sparkling!

  And her parents were taken aback!

  What was so great about potatoes…?

  And then, Sophie gasped!

  “Lily! Does this mean you ended the Revolution already?!”

  Sophie got her hopes up!

  But, Lily frowned sadly.

  “No…”

  “Aw…”

  Sophie’s shoulders slumped.

  Francois and Jeanine shared a sad look.

  “Sophie, you can’t have a birthday party during the Revolution…”

  “It just can’t be done…”

  So explained her parents.

  “No, it can be done!” Sally declared, getting her mojo back!

  “Le gasp!” someone said out loud, and everyone turned to look at Lily’s Mama.

  “Heheheh, meow,” Mr. Cat said and meowed. “I told you it was a good idea.”

  But Jeanine shook her head sadly.

  “I’m afraid it’s not possible, Sally. None of the bakers will bake cakes while the Revolution is on. That Head of Police, Max Robesy-P, won’t let them…”

  But Sally gave her a dauntless grin.

  “I’m actually something of a cake baker myself,” she said!

  “Le gasp!”

  “And we’re not French!” Lily added helpfully. “We have dipomatic imitity!”

  “Diplomatic immunity,” Jacques corrected her.

  “Yeah, that!”

  Francois raised a hand to his chin. “Maybe, just maybe…”

  “Perchance!” Jeanine’s eyes sparkled!

  Sophie was rather confused by the back and forth. But Lily took her hand and looked her right in the eye!

  “Sophie, I want to throw you a birthday party even with the Revolution going on! My Mama told me the important thing about birthday parties isn’t cakes or presents or anything like that, it’s celebrating it with people who care about you!”

  Sophie…

  Blushed!

  “Th-thanks, Lily…”

  Lily grinned.

  Sally cleared her throat.

  “Ahem, yes, so I’d like to make plans…”

  “Ah, of course. Miss Helper, the bells, if you would,” Francois said.

  A maid came in carrying a silver tray with dozens of bells of all different sizes on it!

  Ghostly Duke just shook his head and grumbled. “Helper…”

  Lily gulped.

  She might have guessed that name!

  “Sophie, have you learned all the bells, yet?” Jeanine asked.

  “Oh, right, Sophie, you’re the Duchess, so you need to be the one ringing the bells,” her father said.

  The maid named Helper brought the tray over to Sophie, who poked her tongue out between her teeth as she tried to remember which bell she needed…

  So cute!

  “This one!”

  She pulled out a medium-sized, brass bell with a green-painted wooden handle.

  “That’s right, good job Sophie!” her mother praised her.

  “Good job!” Lily added, not knowing what exactly was going on.

  “Alright, go ahead and summon the party planning staff,” Francois directed.

  Sophie rang the little bell, and it echoed throughout the manor!

  The acoustics were really good!

  Footsteps rang out in unison, like soldiers marching!

  Thump thump thump thump…

  They stopped outside the door, and another butler entered.

  “You rang, milady?”

  “Yes, monsieur Planner, my friend Lily is throwing me a birthday party!” Sophie declared.

  “Tomorrow!” Lily added with a smile.

  And then the butler’s name registered, and she shuddered.

  It was like she was surrounded by landmines!

  One wrong step, and she’d guess someone’s name again!

  Monsieur Planner frowned.

  “But, ze bakers will not bake any cakes…” he said.

  Sally raised her hand. “I’ll bake the cakes!”

  And…

  Monsieur Planner smiled!

  “Well, that settles that!”

  That was the only sticking point!

  Now, he was in his element!

  Though he was too professional to show it on his face…

  He was really happy for his little Duchess!

  She deserved to have a happy birthday, and a party…

  He was going to pull out all the stops, and forget about the dumb Revolution!

  His lady’s happiness was his highest priority…

  What a good butler!

  Outside, all the party planning maids silently pumped their fists into the air and smiled.

  “And what would you like to serve for the birthday meal?” Planner asked.

  Lily raised her hand. “I wanna make Lilyburgers and fries for everyone!”

  Sophie clapped her hands with delight. “Oh, that would be wonderful!”

  “Lilyburgers?” Francois said.

  “Fries?” said Jeanine.

  “They’re really yummy!” Sophie smiled.

  “But…” Lily trailed off dramatically.

  “But?” Sophie repeated.

  “But, for the buns…”

  “Oh, right, the buns…”

  The bakers weren’t baking because of the Revolution!

  “You probably can’t get the buns, huh…” Sophie slumped her shoulders.

  “Well, actually, there is a baker who can make the buns…” Lily said.

  “Your mother?”

  Sophie’s parents looked hopefully at Sally, who made an awkward expression.

  “Actually,” Lily said, “it’s Lionel, from the Revolutionary Council. He said he would make the buns, if he was invited to the party… He wants to see what Lilyburgers are.”

  “Le gasp!” Sophie said, out loud. Then she turned to her parents. “Is that okay? Queen Marie…”

  “The Queen?” Sally asked, tilting her head.

  “If it’s a birthday party, we simply have to invite the Queen,” Jeanine explained.

  “It’s actually the law, here in France,” Francois added.

  Lily tilted her head. “Can we really invite the Queen and a member of the Revolutionary Council to the same birthday party…?”