In the Name of the King Page 9

  Charlot said ‘That’s it, Madame’, and the Comtesse slipped from my side to stand behind the great bulk of her valet.

  I did not hear d’Arsy’s reply, but then M. de Roland spoke again, with his voice pitched louder. ‘Do you say I am lying?’

  Heads turned all over the enclosure, and Bouchard half rose from his seat.

  D’Arsy made a great effort to maintain his dignity. ‘Monsieur, these are the Royal Gardens of the Luxembourg, and this is not the place for such a discussion.’

  I heard the Chevalier’s smile in his voice. ‘So will you appoint one or will I?’

  A gasp sounded all round us, and Charlot said ‘Now.’ There was a faint movement behind him and the merest clink of the chain, but I dared not look, I must do as everyone else and keep my eyes on the Chevalier and the Guard.

  D’Arsy appeared suddenly to relax. ‘All right then, I’ll call on you tomorrow.’

  Someone at Bouchard’s table laughed, but I did not care, for I saw a little group on the other side of the chain standing to watch the fracas, and among them was now our own Comtesse, as dignified and elegant as if she had never scrambled under a chain like a little girl playing cache-cache. Jacques at once began to walk towards M. de Roland.

  The Chevalier began to say ‘I would rather discuss it now,’ but saw Jacques approaching and knew our business was done. He added ‘But noon tomorrow will be acceptable,’ then bowed and turned away. Beyond him I saw the Comtesse making herself known at the marquee, and a moment later a Guard came to escort her inside.

  M. de Roland walked back to us with Jacques, their heads together as if in conference. He smiled as he reached us and said only ‘Well, she’s in.’

  ‘And you have an engagement for the morning,’ said Charlot, with a hint of reproach.

  M. de Roland shrugged. ‘He took me by surprise there. I didn’t think he was that good, did you, Jacques?’

  ‘No,’ said Jacques bluntly. ‘I wonder what made him change his mind.’

  Oh, we should have seen it then, Monsieur, but M. de Roland had no interest in the question and I soon understood why. He announced casually he was off to keep an appointment, and there was not one of us but guessed with whom.

  Charlot said ‘Perhaps you might take M. Gilbert with you. There are people here who might be only too pleased to encounter you unprotected.’

  We looked towards the table where Bouchard sat with his friends. They appeared more relaxed now the Chevalier had been refused the enclosure, and were passing a bottle between them in high spirits. The others we had seen had all by now joined them, but the red-faced man was still not among them and I wondered if perhaps his wounded leg kept him home.

  ‘They’re safe enough there,’ said M. de Roland. ‘If they wander off then I’ve told Jacques where to find me. But I’m sorry, Charlot, I need to do this alone.’

  If he had in mind what I believed I could not but agree. Jacques merely said ‘I’ll watch them, André,’ and fixed his stare on Bouchard as a dog guards a bone.

  M. de Roland thanked him, bowed to us all, then set off among the crowds towards the distant hedges of the labyrinth.

  Beyond the marquee I saw movement in the dark, where men in green bustled almost invisibly among the towers and racks of rockets. There was a large shrouded mass at the front, and as the men hauled away its covering there was revealed a great stone lion with wide-open mouth. The crowd murmured with expectation, while within the enclosure servants emerged from the marquee and set up chairs on a square of gold cloth so their occupants might face the display. Somewhere out of sight a great gong was sounded, and the orchestra began a new and grander theme.

  The fireworks were about to start.

  Anne du Pré

  Extracts from her diary, dated 13 October 1640

  The hut is tucked away beyond the hedges of the dédalus, concealed within a bosquet of cypress. I have heard people wonder how the Luxembourg gardens are maintained when no gardeners are ever visible, and was amused to discover so ingenious a solution.

  Florian seemed uneasy. I thought perhaps he was concerned by the isolation, but he said King’s Musketeers were protecting the gardens and there would be no footpads or ruffians to worry about tonight. Still he hesitated, and as we reached the path through the cypress he stopped and said ‘I don’t know, perhaps I shouldn’t do this.’

  I said ‘Surely you know you can trust André? He would no more let harm come to me than you would yourself.’

  He explained quickly his concern was more for my reputation. ‘You mustn’t stay more than twenty minutes, that would be most improper. The first part of the firework display ends with the firing of a giant rocket, and when you hear that you must leave at once and alone. You can’t be seen with him, Anne, there must be at least ten minutes between you.’

  It seemed foolish to me, for I had been walking arm in arm with André all evening, but he said what was done in the company of my father and brother was different from what was done alone, so I gave him my word and he left me. I walked down the gravel path, pulled open the door of the hut, and went in.

  It was dark, but I had taken a candle from the rose garden as we came, and now planted it in the soil of an earthenware pot by the door. As the flame flickered and grew strong I saw more of my surroundings and wanted to laugh at their unromantic nature. The hut was large, but a table displaying a map of the labyrinth occupied most of the floor, while the walls were almost covered by the array of implements standing against them: spades and forks with their business ends caked in dry, grey earth, a red-handled axe propped in a corner, and a great pair of shears hanging from a rusty hook. In one corner lay discarded remnants of broken statuary, a lion with no head, and the grey stone arm of a lady all by itself, flung out eloquently with open palm and fingers that pointed at nothing.

  I heard footsteps outside.

  Almost I hoped it was Florian returning, but my mouth was dry and my heart seemed to kick inside my chest as if my body knew who was really there. I backed stupidly against the wall, and the handle of a spade dug into my back.

  The door juddered open, but no one came in. A voice said ‘Anne?’

  I came further into the candlelight, then a dark shape stepped forward, his arms went about me, my face was pressed against the soft, cold wool of his cloak, his hand was twining in my hair, his voice murmured ‘Anne, Anne,’ my hands met behind his neck to pull his head down, and then he kissed me.

  It was not like the kiss in the forest. There was a year of hunger behind it, mine as well as his, and I was standing on tiptoes to get as much as I could. And now I knew how, my mouth opened to his without even thought, then his tongue was inside and I gave him mine back, and there was nothing but the strength of his arms, the pressure against my back as he pulled me deeper into him, and my need to have him closer still. His hand slid down the line of my back to the curve of my buttocks, and then he was crushing me against him so that my body opened all by itself until I was trembling and my feet unsteady on the ground. I pulled back my mouth, and at once he lifted his head, pulled in a sharp breath, then curved his hand round my head to lay it against his chest. I felt the hammering of his heart slowly subside and his breathing grow soft. After a moment he said ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.’

  I butted my head lightly against his chest.

  He stroked my hair. ‘But I shouldn’t, my darling, there’s something I have to tell you, and you might hate me afterwards.’

  I tried to imagine hating André. ‘What is it?’

  He did not answer at once. I looked up and said ‘André, what?’

  He put me gently away from him. ‘Florian. And perhaps your father.’

  Fear licked me inside. ‘What?’

  He took a deep breath. ‘Your brother’s friends, Bouchard and some others, they’re involved in something dangerous. My grandmother has to speak to the Cardinal.’

  I had a sinking feeling as if this were something I had already known. �
�You think they’ve involved Florian?’

  He did not answer directly. ‘She won’t blame him, she’s promised me. I’ve said I’m sure he’s innocent.’

  The fear did not leave me. I groped blindly at his doublet, frantic to make him understand. ‘He’s not responsible, you know he’s not. Even my father would never do wrong deliberately. Please, we must keep them out of this.’

  He seemed almost as desperate as I. ‘I will, I’ll go to the Cardinal myself if I have to. Oh God, Anne, please don’t cry.’

  He held me again to his chest, and I leaned my head against him and closed my eyes. After a moment I felt brave enough to ask ‘Is it so very dangerous, what they’ve done?’

  He kissed the top of my head. ‘No one’s done anything yet, it’s only a conspiracy.’

  Relief rippled through me. I knew about conspiracies, Jeanette said they were everywhere you looked. ‘You mean it’s just politics?’

  ‘Just politics,’ he said. ‘Please, you mustn’t worry.’

  Politics could not worry me, Father speaks as if intrigue is natural since so many of the nobility do it. Everything felt peaceful again, and the soft explosion of distant fireworks seemed nothing to do with us.

  He said ‘I must let you go, your family will be concerned.’

  I laced my hands behind his back.

  He drew in his breath. ‘Be careful, Mademoiselle.’

  I did not want to be careful. I wanted to feel again that it was just the two of us together, and I strained upwards for his kiss.

  He did kiss me, but only lightly, then pressed his cheek against mine.

  I was confused. ‘You’ve told me, and you know I don’t hate you.’

  I felt his cheek move as he smiled. ‘No.’

  ‘Then why won’t you …?’

  He lifted his head. ‘Because if I kiss you again I might not be able to stop.’

  His eyes were intent on my face, and as I looked at him his breathing quickened.

  I tugged his head down towards me and said ‘I don’t care.’

  Jacques Gilbert

  It started soon after André left.

  We saw the Comtesse being escorted out of the marquee, but Richelieu obviously wasn’t finished talking to her yet, the footmen placed her right by the biggest chair where she stood looking sort of smug. I felt even smugger when I looked at d’Arsy standing forbiddingly at the entrance, with no idea André’s grandmother was just behind him.

  Then the Cardinal himself came out. I couldn’t see much of him, there was just a great lump of guards with this little streak of scarlet hiding in the middle. Charlot said it was always like that, he thought everyone was out to get him, but I looked over at Bouchard’s mob and thought he maybe had a point.

  Light flashed down towards the palace, then the sky split in a crash like twenty muskets firing together. For a second my knees quivered with the urge to drop, then I took in the white streaks whooshing up into the sky like lightning going backwards and saw them burst into sparks that fell gracefully to earth like flakes of snow. The fireworks had started.

  I’d never seen anything like it. It was like someone was scribbling light all over the sky, making clusters that burst like flowers opening and fountains that showered down like glittering rain. There was stuff on the ground too, they’d got wooden frames that suddenly broke into whirls of whizzing light, a castle burning, a volcano with fire coming out, something new every time. It was like magic.

  ‘They are good tonight,’ agreed Bernadette. ‘We have them every year on the Place de Grève, but these are quite good.’

  I felt like an ignorant peasant, but then she squeezed my arm and said ‘Tonight they are magical to me too.’ Her eyes glistened with the reflection of a thousand stars.

  The excitement was all about us. Every face was turned up in wonder, men with hardened faces and swords on their hips suddenly turned into children. I thought of Bouchard and felt a stab of panic as I remembered I was meant to be watching him. There was still a bunch of men at his table, but my eyes were half-dazzled, I was seeing white spots and couldn’t be sure. I said to Bernadette ‘Are they there? Has anyone gone, are they all there?’

  ‘All,’ she said. ‘There is still no Dubosc, but I do not think our Chevalier need fear one man.’

  My eyes began to adjust, and I saw Bouchard sitting safely in the middle. The relief was so huge it took a moment before the oddness struck me. He’d seen André try to get into the enclosure, he must know we were on to him, he ought to have been dashing home and trying to get a boat out of France, but he was just sitting there with the same complacent smile I’d noticed before.

  Something in my head felt suddenly cold. I thought of d’Arsy agreeing to meet André tomorrow, and that didn’t make sense either. Everyone knew André had beaten Bouchard, so what made d’Arsy confident enough to risk it? Nothing I could think of, unless tomorrow was never going to come.

  I still couldn’t see how, I mean they were right there in front of me. My brain whizzed round trying to find something I’d missed, then I looked down at Bernadette and it hit me.

  I said ‘That man last night, you’d never seen him before.’

  She shrugged. ‘He was a lackey, a hired assassin, Paris is full of such people.’

  I had a horrid feeling the Luxembourg might be too. I tried telling myself they’d never get past the gate, then remembered what the elegant lady beside me really was. Clothes, that’s all it came down to, bloody clothes.

  I turned to Charlot. ‘I’m going after the Chevalier.’

  His eyes moved to Bouchard’s table, then back to me.

  I said ‘I don’t care, I know something’s wrong.’

  He nodded. ‘Then you must not waste time talking. Go now. I will look after the ladies.’

  I heard Bernadette’s gasp but couldn’t afford to wait, I just plunged into the crowd without looking back. André had said beyond the labyrinth, I saw the tall green hedge in the distance and headed straight for it.

  As soon as I saw clear space in front of me I began walking faster and faster. Behind me I heard an almighty great bang, like the biggest firework we’d had yet, but I didn’t so much as turn round, I put down my head and just ran.

  Six

  Anne du Pré

  I guessed what the explosion meant but did not care. He was wrapping my body into him, his head stooped to kiss the back of my neck, my sleeves were sliding down and my feet unsteady, but he held me firm and I could not fall. His hand caressed my shoulder, then down to stroke the curves of my breasts, and I could not help but arch my back with wanting him to take them in his hands.

  His fingers slid at once to the top of my bodice, but the wretched splints would not admit them. He lifted his hand, but a second later I felt his touch on my back, a tightness then release of pressure, then cool air on my skin as the gown began to part. I felt his fingers on the next button and knew I should tell him to stop, but I loved the sensation of the dress brushing over my breasts, the warmth of his hands behind me, and the urgency of his breath on my neck.

  Something flickered on the edge of my awareness, a sound took shape in my mind, and I froze at the recognition.

  He stopped and looked at my face.

  I whispered ‘There’s someone outside.’

  It came again, the faint crunch of gravel, but the door was to his left side and he did not hear. Still he did not doubt me, although the flush of his cheek betrayed his disappointment. He began to refasten my gown at the back, but his breathing shook a little and his fingers trembled against my skin.

  I said ‘What if they come in?’

  ‘They won’t,’ he said. ‘We’re only making you respectable for when we leave.’

  I thought I heard the murmur of voices. ‘I must leave alone, I promised Florian.’

  His fingers stilled. ‘He knows we’re here?’

  I smiled. ‘It was his suggestion.’

  He hesitated, then slid my sleeves back into place. ‘Well the
n, I’ll go first and draw these men away, and when I’ve done that you can leave.’

  I said ‘Can’t we just wait till they go?’

  He smoothed my bodice. ‘No, my darling, because I think I know what they’re after and they may come in.’

  ‘But you said …’

  ‘I know.’

  Then I understood. ‘You cannot think that Florian –’

  ‘No, but others he might have told.’

  ‘He would never tell anybody, he worries about my reputation.’

  He gripped my shoulders. ‘I need you to do what I tell you now, Anne, will you do it?’

  I looked at him and said ‘Yes.’

  He kissed my forehead. ‘In a moment I’ll open that door, but I need you out of sight, I want you to hide. You must stay there no matter what, do you understand?’

  I said ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good,’ he said, and began to tidy my hair at the back. ‘Come out when it’s all quiet. If I’m there, we’ll do as your brother said and you’ll leave first. If I’m not, go at once to the enclosure by the lake and tell Jacques what’s happening. Can you do that?’

  His eyes flicked to the door, and I felt his urgency. I went to the corner behind the stone lion, and said ‘Will this do?’

  ‘Admirably,’ he said, then turned to face the door. He eased his blade in the scabbard, then muttered something that sounded like ‘Fuck it’ and drew it clear out. He glanced round, smiled, and said ‘If I’m wrong, I’m going to look very, very stupid.’ Then he lifted his foot, kicked the door wide open, and leapt out.

  At once came a shout, then another, then the clash of swords. The shock numbed me into uselessness. My instinct screamed ‘Go, go to him,’ but my feet did not move, and I stayed trembling against the wall with a voice in my head saying ‘Coward!’ André had fought against great odds in the past, but there were so many voices outside and not one of them his.

  A man yelled in pain, and I thought ‘Good, that’s one down,’ but others were calling ‘Behind, behind,’ ‘Get his arm,’ then ‘Now!’ and suddenly a short cry. I heard laughter then shouting and knew I must get to him, but my dress caught on the stone hand, and I had to rip it to wrench free. The lion statue jarred my shins, but I scrambled past and stumbled to the door.