#Claire Ollagnier has a book about this

[motsimages]

I am reading a lot about the culture and socity of noblepeople in the 18th Century France because of Dangerous liaisons daily. I still haven't found the answer I want but today I can tell you a bit about "Petite maisons", on topic for it is to one of these Merteuil takes her chevalier.

So, at the very beginning of the 18th Century, noblepeople started to build and use petites maisons in Paris to have a private space for their lovers and for doing things they wouldn't dare doing at home. Both men and women, because they would go in unmarked carriages, with unmarked servants. This makes me think that each person would have family colours, heraldry, etc. in both the car and the clothes of the servants.

Now think of how does Merteuil organise her escape with her servant so as to surprise her lover. I can't quote because I'm on my phone, but she desguides herself as a worker, she says she is ill, she makes someone else write a letter for him... She takes all kinds of measures as to not leave a trace. Nobody could accuse her of doing what she is doing. And she does it for hours in her petite maison.

Some petite maisons, by the middle of the century, had luxury things like a bath with a view to the countryside or a bath by the entrance. In some cases, a bath that was clearly dessigned for several people.

But it wasn't always sex, or not only. They would also have a big living room for dinners, anddining exquisite foods. They would also hold philosophical gatherings (salons) or hire theatre companies to play full shows there. Sometimes, it would be a famous theatre play with little clothing, or it would be followed by an orgy (why the fuck not, making Laszlo and Nadja proud, I guess).

By the 1770s-1780s, many of these petite maisons were actually marked, with a known owner in a known place, by its willing owner. They would have scientific collections. Or they could be used to create gardens and study botany. Or to play the bucolic rural simple life with play pretend milk houses.

In any case, they were the sign of the libertin life, the sign of bored aristocrats looking for fun, entertainmemt a d agreeable moments.