The Highwayman's Mistress (3 page)

 
Angelica knew herself outnumbered, her
shoulders sagged and she relented. “Oh very well. But I fear for all our
 
. . .” She laughed then, perchance realisation
that freedom was hers after all. “My head, our heads, we might keep them yet if
we work fast.”

 
As Angelica led off and Diamonta in her
wake, Richard moved to have words with the coachman. She heard the other man
say he would need a bucket, for the horses required water. Angelica heard him
too, and said, “You will find hay in the stable loft at the back of the lodge
and buckets by the well.” She paused mid-step, turned to the coachman. “It
would be best to leave as dawn breaks, do you not agree?”

 
The coachman disagreed, and said all haste
was absolute needed in getting as far away from Versailles as could be managed
before daybreak. Angelica graciously conceded to the coachman’s greater
knowledge of equines travelling in darkness, and as if by miracle the rain
ceased and faint glimmer of moonlight peeped through thinning clouds.

 
“Thank Heaven,” exclaimed Richard. “Pray God
we make the coast in two days, or should that be nights?”

Chapter three.

~

Once inside the hall of
the hunting lodge and Richard assisting the coachman, she had to ask. “Why is
Francois a highwayman?”

 
Angelica threw back the hood of her cape.
Jewelled pins in her powdered wig glistened in candlelight, a reminder of her
position at court and how difficult it would be for her to simply discard
everything and leave it behind.

 
“He is not a highwayman. He only posed as
one to stop your coche, to stop you driving into Versailles where you would
have been arrested.”

 
“But he robbed Richard of a silver snuffbox
and gold fob watch.”

 
Angelica looked aghast. “He
robbed
him?” She tutted, most annoyed. “I told him to tell you to turn the coche
around and go back to England, but he told you to come here, and that was wrong
of him.”

 
“He did not tell us to come, Angelica. He
just said there were two women here, and both Richard and I agreed we could not
turn back without attempting to rescue whomever. Though I did guess the rider
to be Francois, and hoped it might be you hiding here.”

 
“Francois promised me faithfully he would
see you safely turned back, and then he was going to try and find some horses.”
She shook her head, air of guilt about her. “Steal them if need be.”

 
“So he has not abandoned you?”

 
“No, he swore we live or die together, and
promised to return by midnight with or without horses.”

 
“Then we must hurry, for you cannot travel
as you look now.”

 
Angelica sighed, air of despondency about
her as she eased her cape from shoulders, and called out for Anna Marie. A door
opened and there stood another fashionable young lady of the French Court, to
whom Angelica addressed in French and explained Richard’s plan of action. A
slight argument developed and Diamonta scolded them both in French for wasting
precious time, and insisted they make every effort to disguise themselves and
as quickly as possible. Anna Marie pouted and Angelica screwed her eyes tight,
neither really willing to abandon their finery.

 
“As servants you will not have to speak, and
therefore it will be much easier to get you past any soldiers or militiamen we
may encounter en route.”

 
“You are right, Diamonta“ said a familiar
male voice from the doorway directly behind Anna Marie. “I have one extra
horse, that is all I could get, so who will ride with me and who will ride in
the coche?”

 
Anna Marie turned, threw herself at
Francois, arms about his neck. “I will come with you, my love, my Francois.”

 
Angelica laughed. “Ride a horse? Oh come
now, Anna Marie, you’ve never sat a horse.”

 
“Is this true, Anna Marie?” quizzed
Francois, as he levered her arms from about his neck in rough and hasty manner.
“You have
never
ridden a horse?”

 
“Of course it is true,” rallied his sister,
wig wrenched from head. “I haven’t since a small child,” she added, snatching
the jewelled pins from wig, “but at least I know how to ride.”

 
Anna Marie’s pout returned, and Francois
expression turned thunderous. “Then my sister rides with me, and you Anna
Marie, go with Diamonta.”

 
“I can understand Anna Marie’s desire to be
with Francois,” slipped Diamonta’s lips in her mother’s tongue, and she
regretted the words before the last uttered, because Francois shot her a look
of amusement, as though having read her very thoughts, that as his mistress she
would have chosen to ride with him. “But please, can we stop this bickering,
pouting, and unwillingness to see the urgency of our getting underway
directly.”

 
Anna Marie turned, a look quite venomous.
“Your French is very accomplished.”

 
Diamonta sensed the other woman’s coolness
was wholly attributed to the presence of a meddling young Englishwoman, as Anna
Marie flicked her fingers in gesture of contempt and dismissal.

 
Anna Marie’s tone was sharpened for effect,
“I may achieve some sense of servant dress, but just remember I will not be
your servant.”

 
“Diamonta does not expect to you to be her
servant,” said Angelica, discarding heeled silk slippers with careless abandon,
the jewelled pins already threaded through lace of neck frill. “We must hurry,
and make ourselves unrecognisable as ladies of the court.” Skirt raised with
one hand, she rushed toward Anna Marie and grabbed her hand in passing. “Come,
we must hurry.”

 
Left in the room together, Francois smiled,
that oh so familiar smile that had caused her heart to flutter before when
their eyes had met in passing, and no less now. “I owe you and your gentleman
friend an apology.”

 
“Friend . . . Richard is merely a friend,”
spilled forth too readily, almost to point of rudeness.”

 
Francois came toward her, a glint in his
eyes tending mischief. “That is what I thought, mere
friend
, for what
man in his right mind sits opposite to a beautiful woman when a far better
arrangement could be entertained?”

 
She sensed a flush to her cheeks. This was
Francois the teasing Francois who’d haunted her dreams ever since her first
sighting of him. Oh Lord. On that first dramatic occasion his flamboyant manner
had overwhelmed and charmed her, for she had known little about him. But, in
the weeks that followed she had learned a lot from his sister. Angelica in all
honesty had claimed him a man of some reputation, and ladies of the court keen
to be seen on his arm. And, in response to such disappointing revelations she
had set out to harden her heart and avoid his attentions, though with great
difficulty for he had seemed intent on attracting hers, their eyes meeting too
often despite a woman always on his arm.

 
“Is he blind to your beauty?”

 
Francois had bridged the gap between them,
the smell of horse and leather strong upon his person yet overridden with
powerful essence of honey sweet sandalwood and citrus. She could almost taste
the zest of bitter lemon on her tongue.

 
He caught up her gloved right hand, and drew
it to his lips. “J’aimerais te connaître mieux.”

 
His words were those of a skilled romancer,
and no matter he wanted to get to know her better she could not entertain such
thoughts. Not after her mother’s harsh response at mere mention of his name. To
her relief Richard came striding in to the lodge, and need for reply excused by
Francois speedy action of holding aloft a gold fob watch and silver snuffbox.

 
“I apologise most humble for theft of your
belongings.”

 
Richard looked aghast, then realisation of
events of their past and present predicament of waiting for Angelica and Anna
Marie brought a tentative smile to his face. “Well I’ll be damned. Why didn’t
you just plead our help instead of resorting to dramatic highwayman act?”

 
“I did not know if your cocheman was friend
or foe, and my success in securing your help lay with Diamonta. I hoped and
prayed she would recognise my voice and my overt attentions, and I thank God
she did.”

 
“Are the young ladies near ready to leave?”
quizzed Richard. “I fear there are soldiers or militiamen coming this way. From
the stable courtyard we spied lights in the distance, and they did appear to be
coming through the forest not on the highway.”

 
Francois turned and hurried from the hall.
She could hear him shouting for Angelica and Anna Marie to hurry up, and
Richard’s expression took on a rather haunted appearance in the dim
candlelight. He was clearly agitated, nervous perhaps, and sense of fear
gripped her.

 
“How close were the lights?”

 
“Close enough for Pierre to make haste in
turning the coche and he’s doused the lights. He’s edgy to say the least, and I
fear if the ladies are not ready I will insist you come away without them. The
danger is real Diamonta, and I cannot and will not have you take any more risk
than we already have. We must away, for those lights are no more than a quarter
mile distant. Who ever those men are, they have hounds and it would seem the
beasts have a scent. They were baying, and too damn close for comfort.”

 
“You think they’ve picked up the scent of .
. . Oh my God. But of course, Francois was a joint master of the king’s hounds.
They will know him, and follow him wherever he may go.”

 
She rushed to the door, which adjoined hall
to large inner room. There, a carved staircase ascended to second floor, fire
ablaze in the hearth lighting her way. At the foot of the staircase she called
for Francois, but he came in such a rush it was obvious he’d heard the hounds
in the distance.

 
“They are ready,” he said, donning
gauntlets. “Take both of them with you for now, and I will rendezvous with you
somewhere along the way, presupposing I survive a contretemps with the handlers
of the hounds. I fear soldiers are intent on arrest of I, a known fugitive
along with Angelica and Anna Marie. If I leave this instant I can lead the
hounds away and afford you more time to get clear of the forest and safe en
route to the coast. He kissed her on the cheek, and further said, “Do not stop
in villages, and be wary in Vernon.” He then turned and took leave by way of a
dark passage with candelabra in hand.

 
She touched her cheek, his kiss as though
having branded her flesh. But his words of warning started ringing in her ears.
No stopping in villages, people too nosy. Be careful in the town, but food . .
. They had to eat, drink. No, no matter how hungry they must try to survive on
meagre ration.

 
Angelica appeared at the top of the
staircase devoid of powdered face and rouge, well-worn cloak over her arm and a
small cloth-wrapped bundle in hand. She was sensibly wearing a very plain gown
of dark blue cotton, no frills, no bows, no pretty trailing ribbons, and little
black buckled slippers on her feet. “Will I pass as a servant?”

 
“My goodness, your hair. What have you
done?”

 
“I cut it off a little and tied it back,
see.”

 
She rushed down the staircase, swirled
about, and true enough her dark locks were now no more than shoulder length and
secured with a cotton cord. Anna Marie, on the other hand in stark contrast to
Angelica’s dark hair and dark eyes, quite fair of face and fair of hair and had
obviously refused to have her hair cut. It hung in a coil draped over her
shoulder almost to her waist, and her silk gown though hanging straight it was
still a little flamboyant for a mere servant.

 
Angelica laughed, which seemed so at odds
with their present circumstance of soldiers and or militiamen on their trail. “
You
,
Miss Whitaker,” she said, a sweeping curtsy, “will have to say Anna Marie is a
little simple, and likes to pretend she is a princess.”

 
“I hope we can evade any questions, for
Francois has given warning to avoid villages and to be very careful in Vernon.”

 
Anna Marie muttered something indiscernible,
and Angelica turned on her for she was sufficient close to hear what was said.
“I am in two minds to leave you here, you ungrateful good-for-nothing.”

 
“Good-for-nothing,” screamed Anna Marie. “I
am a Duke’s granddaughter, and will have you treat me with . . . “

 
“All the more reason to keep your mouth
shut,” said Angelica, cutting her short, “and it is most wise to play the
simpleton if you wish to keep your head.”

 
“Ladies,
please
,” interjected
Richard, the door held wide. “We leave now or we may all be minus our heads by
morning.”

 
His outburst worked, for Anna Marie flew
past him and out into the hall. By the time they reached the coche she was
already settled inside and quite impatient to be off. Richard assisted Angelica
to climb up beside the coachman, her cloak wrapped tight about her in
comforting manner. He then turned, a concerned look upon his face. “Pray God we
make it through.”

 
“Indeed.” The hounds seemed very close, and
they heard a pistol fired. Momentary silence befell the forest then the baying
continued in earnest as though their quarry was again on the run. She accepted
Richard’s hand in assisting her to her seat. “I pray Francois safe delivered,
too.”

 
“Is he not coming with us?”

 
“No, he has gone to lead the hounds astray,”
said Angelica, from up top.

 
Richard clambered aboard and closed the
door. Hardly before his rump was seated the coche lurched and rolled forward.
“I did wonder why the change of plan.” He drew breath, exhaled deeply. “Brave
man, and God speed,” he said, glancing into the black void that was the forest.