Vintage Love (32 page)

“I’ll be satisfied for the moment if I can get you free,” Lacoste said. “Valmy is planning to move everyone to Paris in a few days. You should escape before the move is made and alert the other agents in Paris to what is going on!”

“The problem is that Major Walters and Kingston are also prisoners somewhere. That is why I consented to live here with Valmy. It’s my only hope of saving them. If I run off, he will surely order their execution.”

“You cannot let that halt you at this time of crisis,” the veteran army surgeon said. “Be sure that they are also making their own escape attempts. They could even be free now.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.”

Betsy said, “Valmy would never tell me as long as my fear for their safety was keeping me with him.”

“Exactly,” the old one-armed man agreed. “So you must concentrate on a plan for your own escape. I shall try to help you.”

“If I could get out of this apartment, I would try to find the emperor and warn him!”

Lacoste shook his head. “There are guards on this door and at the emperor’s door. Guards everywhere! But if you manage to escape, you might in passing be able to get at least a few minutes with the emperor.”

She looked at him eagerly. “Have you any ideas?”

“A plan is slowly forming in my mind.”

“Tell me!” she urged him.

His lined old face showed concern. “You must not be too impatient,” he said. “Let me develop this. It will begin with your complaining of illness to Valmy.”

“Will he guess I’m pretending?”

“No. I shall give you a potion which will make you slightly ill, produce the symptoms of a fever without your actually having any.”

“And?”

“Then I will ask his permission to bring in a Venetian doctor or two to consult with me on your case. I will explain that the fever is a rare type particular only to Venice, and thus it will take a Venetian doctor to properly understand your condition and treat it.”

“It sounds plausible so far,” she said.

The old man paced up and down as he planned, his hand on his chin. “I will arrange for the doctor to be your rescuer. Either you will don his dress and escape in this disguise or together with his help we will fight our way to freedom.”

“You will come with us?”

“I will have no choice,” he said with a shrug. “Once I help you escape, I will no longer be able to remain here. I believe I can do more to help the emperor on the outside.”

“I’m sure you can,” she agreed. “There is supposed to be a ship waiting off Calais. If we can only get in touch with its captain, the best move would be to somehow get the emperor from Valmy’s custody and have him safely transferred to the ship.”

Lacoste nodded. “We can work on that next.”

“When will we begin?” she said.

“I’ll bring you the potion in an hour or so,” he said. “Take it and by this evening you should be showing symptoms of a fever.”

“What if he has those other doctors looking after the emperor come to see me?” she worried.

“Tell him you don’t want them,” the army surgeon said. “A female is entitled to her whims — especially when she’s been sharing your bed. Tell him you will only see me.”

So the project of her escape was set in motion. Lacoste returned with the medicine. She took it as he’d directed, and by the time Valmy returned to dine with her, she gave all the appearance of having a bad fever.

The handsome dark man was upset at once. He asked her, “How long have you felt like this?”

“I started to have a headache and chills this morning,” she told him, stretched out in the bed.

He frowned. “This is bad! Especially as we’ll be taking off for Paris in a day or two. I have a doctor down with the emperor now. When he finishes examining him, I’ll have him come and take a look at you!”

She shook her head on the pillow. “No! No! I do not want him!”

Valmy’s handsome face showed frustration. “You must have a doctor!”

“No, I’ll be all right!” She groaned and closed her eyes.

“I insist!”

She opened her eyes again and mournfully said, “If I must have a doctor, bring in Major Lacoste. I know him and respect his talents.”

“That old man!” Valmy said disgustedly. “I only keep him on because he is popular with the emperor. I do not think him worth anything as a doctor!”

“I disagree,” she replied firmly. “And if I’m to have a doctor, it must be Dr. Lacoste.”

Valmy was annoyed. “You’re being unreasonable! The doctor downstairs is younger and has an excellent reputation!”

“Still I want Dr. Lacoste,” she insisted. “I have not asked much of you.”

He sighed. “Very well! Since you are so clearly ill, I shall give in to you.”

“Dear Raymond!” she said with a weary smile.

He came and sat on the bedside and took her hand in his. “You know how much I care for you. I cannot lose you as we near the moment of our return to Paris. I want you to be well and happy.”

“This will pass, I’m sure,” she told him.

He summoned Dr. Lacoste, and the old man appeared and examined her. When he’d finished, he told Valmy, “It is a fever. One I cannot name. The city of Venice is known for its several varieties of fever.”

Valmy scowled. “How will you treat her?”

“I will do my best,” the army surgeon said. And then he added, “If she doesn’t respond readily, I would suggest that I be allowed to call in as a consultant one of the local Venetian doctors.”

“Why not have one of the doctors taking care of the emperor see her?” Valmy wanted to know.

Lacoste smiled. “They would be no better informed on these Venetian fevers than I. It will take a local man. Several of the priests here are physicians. I might get one of them.”

“We must get her well quickly,” Valmy said. “We have to make this move to Paris.”

“She could be left behind,” the army surgeon suggested.

Valmy crimsoned. “That is not possible!” he said in his arrogant manner. “I want her with me.”

“Then I have your permission to bring in a consultant if I must?” Dr. Lacoste said.

“Yes. Just so long as you get her on her feet.”

“I shall wait until morning,” Major Lacoste said. “If she shows no improvement by then, I will seek other help.”

Betsy watched and listened to this charade with a pounding heart. It all appeared to be working out well. She did not have to stretch her pretending to seem ill, for the medicine which Lacoste had given her made her feel truly miserable.

Valmy paced about the apartment all evening. He tried to entice her to join him for dinner, but she only took a little broth in her bed. She could see that he was beginning to fear whatever she had might be contagious. After dinner he sat with her a bit, and then he excused himself and told her he would sleep in the adjoining bedchamber. She was left alone in the room with mirrors.

She passed an uneasy night. In the morning he came to see her before he left. The tall handsome man was concerned that she seemed to show no improvement. He said, “I hope that old dog Lacoste is right in his treatment of you.”

“Perhaps a Venetian doctor could manage a quick cure for me,” she said.

“I have given him permission to try that today,” Valmy told her. “I shall not be able to look in on you again until late this evening. I have to go to a town outside the city and make plans for our transportation.”

“You will not use the public stages?” she asked with faked innocence.

He frowned. “That would be out of the question. This is a most private mission. We must cross the border into France without the identity of the emperor being discovered.”

“I have not met him yet. You haven’t allowed it,” she complained.

“And I shall certainly not allow it until you are better,” he said sharply. “You might infect him with whatever you have.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“It is all right,” he said stiffly. “I will not kiss you since it is essential I be in good health in the next few days.”

“I understand.”

“Tell Lacoste to spare no expense or trouble,” he went on. “The important thing is that you be ready to travel within the next seventy-two hours.”

“Is that when we are to leave?”

“As things stand now.”

“I will tell him,” she said.

“My thoughts will be with you,” he said awkwardly. And then he turned and strode out of the room quickly, with a great deal of relief on his part, she felt.

Major Lacoste came shortly after and made a show of examining her. When the maid had left the room and they were alone, he said in a low voice, “Valmy has left. He will not return until late, and he has taken some of the guards with him.”

“He said he was going somewhere to plan the caravan to France.”

“This has to be our moment,” the old army surgeon went on excitedly. “I shall return later with a priest and a doctor. They will be here to assist in your escape, not attend to your illness.”

“I feel very well this morning,” she said.

“Excellent,” Lacoste said. “You will dress to leave here. Manage it without the maid knowing. Then put your nightgown on over your clothes and return to bed.”

“I will.”

“Do not be surprised or frightened at anything that takes place,” he warned her.

“I shan’t,” she said.

He reached inside his medical bag and produced a small pistol. “It is loaded and ready in case it may be needed. Conceal it on your person somewhere, and be not afraid to use it.”

She took the pistol quickly and hid it under the pillow. “I will transfer it to my dress pocket later,” she promised.

“Very well,” the one-armed man said, closing his medical bag and picking it up. “I shall return as soon as possible.”

As soon as he’d left, she called the maid and sent her to the palace kitchen to get her a warm drink. While the maid was absent, she hastily dressed and placed the pistol in her pocket. Then she donned her nightgown again and slipped into the big bed at the top of the three steps.

The maid returned with her warm drink, and she dismissed her, saying, “I wish to sleep for a little and not be disturbed.”

She counted on Major Lacoste and his fellow doctors making their way in on their own. Now began the taut period of waiting. She found it difficult to keep her nerves under control. So much would depend on what happened within the following hour. She had every confidence in the old army surgeon and was sure he had planned carefully.

Where had he found the willing aides to help her escape? Perhaps from among his former army cronies. In any event he seemed to have managed it, and she could be thankful for that. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. Then she heard the distant voice of Lacoste as he let himself into the apartment.

She sat up in bed and saw that the old man was accompanied by a thin figure in a priest’s robes and cowl of brown. Also with him was a shorter man with a bald head and gray whiskers dressed in a velvet suit. She judged that these were the two doctors he had spoken about. He had mentioned one of them was a priest.

Major Lacoste came over to her bed and smiled at her. “I trust you are feeling somewhat better.”

“I am,” she said. “And these are the doctors?”

“Indeed they are,” the old doctor said. “Let me introduce Father Alberto first. He is a Jesuit and a graduate in medicine.”

Father Alberto bowed and in a low voice said, “My greetings, signorina.” His face was almost completely concealed by his upturned cowl, and he stood with his hands folded in his ample sleeves.

“And this is Antonio Salvario, one of the best-known medical men in Venice. He also speaks English,” Lacoste said with a smile.

The bald man with the whiskers smiled in a friendly fashion, and she felt he had a familiar look. In a high voice he said, “I have spoken a great deal of English, my lady!” And he bowed.

“We are going to try and help you,” Major Lacoste said.

“I’m sure you will,” she told him. “I dismissed my maid awhile ago so I might sleep.”

“Excellent!” Major Lacoste said. And then he opened his medical bag and removed a businesslike-looking revolver from it. He asked her, “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she said throwing back the bedclothes and taking off her nightgown to reveal she was fully dressed. She took the pistol from her pocket and held it on the ready.

“Good girl!” a familiar voice said, and the priest threw back his cowl. She saw revealed the good-looking Major Eric Walters.

“I can’t believe iti” she cried. “You escaped and you are here!”

“Later coming to your aid than I planned,” Eric said. “But no matter.” And he took her in his arms and kissed her.

The man with the whiskers wailed, “What about me?”

She stared at him in delight. “I didn’t recognize you! You are George Frederick Kingston?”

“I am,” he said. “Also I am Antonio Salvario!”

Old Major Lacoste was smiling. “You see I found you some old friends!”

“You couldn’t have managed better,” she said. “Now what?”

“We should be able to get out of here. I will tell the guards at the door you are being removed to a hospital on my authority,”‘ Lacoste said.

“If they give any trouble, we’ve guns to reply with,” Eric said.

“Let us hope it will not come to that,” the army surgeon said. “The blockage will come below. We may have to shoot our way out.”

Eric said, “We have a gondola and a man to operate it waiting at the rear door on the canal.”

She said, “What about the emperor?”

Lacoste looked troubled. “You may have a moment to speak with him. It would be good if you did. We will see how things go.”

“Very well,” she said. “I’ll go by your advice.”

Eric had put up the cowl again so that his face would be hidden. “I say, let us lose no more time,” he told them.

Major Lacoste led the way. He spoke a few dignified words to the guard at her door, and he allowed the party to pass. She kept in the middle of the group as they swiftly made their way downstairs to the main hallway.

Lacoste whispered, “Napoleon’s quarters are at the rear, the door almost under the stairway.”

They turned and went to the rear and then took another left turn to a broad hall which led to double doors at the end. There were two guards with guns and swords at this doorway.