Thérèse is an elderly cook and maid at Le Coteau des Ombres, Émeric's family estate.
Overview
Thérèse is an elderly cook and maid at Le Coteau des Ombres, Émeric’s family estate. Mostly deaf and bent with age, she is nonetheless warm-hearted and observant in her quiet way. She has served the Puyrault family for decades and refuses to abandon her post despite the estate’s dark reputation.
Appearance & Demeanor
- Age: Elderly (70s+, assumed)
- Appearance: Bent with age, dressed in simple black dress and white apron. Her hands are perpetually stained with flour and herbs.
- Manner: Warm, motherly, but hard to understand due to her deafness. She communicates partly through sign language and partly through intuition.
- Voice: Thin, reedy, but kind
Personality
Thérèse is a woman of simple faith and direct observation. She does not understand the supernatural, but she senses when something is wrong. She is superstitious but not unreasonably so. Her greatest concern is Émeric’s well-being, which she expresses through cooking and fussing.
She will never abandon the estate or Émeric, and she is immune to bribery or intimidation on that point.
Role in Chapter 2
Connections to Other Files
- Emeric de Puyrault — Her charge
- Le Coteau des Ombres — The estate she serves