Bertrice Small - The Duchess

"We walk from here," the duke told them, and they followed. As they reached a crossroad they heard the sounds of hooves in the distance. "Into the ditch," the duke said urgently, and they tumbled into the dirt, ducking down so they could not been seen.

A party of cloaked men galloped by, taking the road to Harfleur. As soon as they were out of sight the duke signaled with his hand that they could be on their way again. They climbed, wet and shivering from the ditch, and hurried off toward the beach. Gaining the hilltop they struggled down the bluff, the sandy path giving way beneath their feet so that they half fell as they climbed down. Below they could see their boat, but the tide was coming in, and while it had been on the sand this morning, it was now beginning to bob gently in the incoming tide.

The Earl of Aston practically threw himself down the rest of the hill, and picking himself up, ran across the beach to catch at the boat and prevent it from floating away. His companions hurried after him. They helped the countess, her children, and her servants into the boat. Caroline and Eunice squeezed in along with the earl who would row. Lord Walworth, the duke, Honor, and Allegra pushed the boat out into the sea, watching as it made its way through the waves to where the Seagull lay at anchor in the rain and haze.

"We have done it!" Allegra said triumphantly to her husband.

"Wait until we are back aboard our ship to gloat," he said to her. "I will not feel at ease until I see England again, my darling."

"We were fortunate that we had no guards to beard. I thought Honor quite wonderful with her eye patch facing down that Reynaud man." She turned to Honor. "The eye patch was a stroke of genius."

Honor chuckled. "I always thought an eye patch intimidating, my lady. It wasn't hard talking down to that fellow who was at the house. I recognized his type. He was a bully, and bullies can usually be bullied."

They turned back to the sea and saw the little boat had reached Seagull. They could just make out figures climbing up, and then down the rope ladder that hung over the side of the vessel. Then the boat began to make its way back to the shore. When it arrived they found Captain Grant rowing. They hurried to climb into their transport, and head back to the ship. On board again they were eager to change from their revolutionary garb into their own clothing, which was much dryer. Bobby took the clothing from their French passengers to dry in the galley. Allegra and the others wrapped the countess, her children, and her two servants in their warm cloaks until their garments were dried again.

Captain Grant entered the cabin. "We'll weigh anchor immediately, my lords, and set a course for England. It may be a bit choppy returning. The wind has begun to come round from the north, but 'tis no bad storm." He bowed to them, and was gone.

Bobby brought chicken, bread, and cheese for them to eat. The two children were put to bed in two of the narrow hunks. The clothing was returned, not quite dry, but serviceable. The countess retired to one of the bunks along with Eunice and Caroline, who were both exhausted from their exciting day. The men sat together in a corner talking in low tones while Céline and Honor chattered, the French maid delighted to find the English maid spoke her tongue so well. Now she felt less afraid of their future.

Allegra sat quietly, old Thérèse next to her. "The man, Reynaud," she began. "Did he harm the comtesse, Thérèse? Should she be seen by a physician when we reach England?"

"Oui, he hurt her," the old woman said. "Though I didn't ask, and she did not say, I know he violated her. He always coveted his brother's wife, the cowardly cochon. But I will take care of her, madame. As long as my mistress has Céline and me by her side she needs no one else."

"I understand," Allegra said. "We will not breach her privacy, Thérèse."

"You are brave, you Englishwomen. You could have been caught," Thérèse remarked. "If you had come two days ago I do not believe you would have been so successful, but perhaps you would have. That Honneur has courage. She is resourceful. She is your servant?"

"Since my childhood," Allegra replied. "She was born upon my father's estate."

Thérèse nodded. "Tradition is a good thing, madame. These revolutionaries would destroy our way of life. That was not what Monsieur le Comte wanted from the revolution. He wanted justice and equality, but he did not want to see tradition pulled down the way it has been. They did not have to kill the king and his family, poor souls." She crossed herself with a sigh.

"Change can sometimes be cruel," Allegra agreed.

"Ahh," Thérèse said, "you have suffered from this revolution too. Madame la comtesse told me." She patted Allegra's hand in a kindly fashion. "Yet despite it all you risked your life for ours. You are obviously very much like your brother, Madame la Duchesse."

Allegra's hand went to her mouth to stifle her cry. How she had raged to all who would listen when her brother had given up his life for love. Yet she had been willing today to risk her life for the friendship she had for Lord and Lady Bellingham. Jamie, she thought, I learned more from you than I realized. A tear slipped down her cheek, but she said nothing, and Thérèse, understanding, closed her eyes and leaned back against her chair to sleep.

It took them two full days with the winds to reach England once again, but finally they sailed into Brighton and disembarked from Seagull. Ensconced in The King's Arms they dispatched messages to London to Lord and Lady Bellingham, and to Charles Trent. Then they settled down to a hot meal and a warm bed.

The Comtesse d'Aumont awoke to a knocking upon her bedchamber door. Céline struggled up, bleary-eyed from the trundle where she had been sleeping. She hurried across the cold floor, and slowly opened the chamber door. She was immediately pushed aside by a fashionably dressed older lady who entered the room and burst into tears.

"Ohh, Anne-Marie, it is really you," the lady cried. "Thank God you are safe! Where are the children? The duke sent a message up to London last night, and nothing would do but that your uncle and I set out before the dawn this very morning to see for ourselves that you were safe." She bent, and hugged the startled young Frenchwoman, who also began to cry.

"Tante! Tante!" she sobbed. "How can I thank you? What can I say that you will understand how your intervention has saved us all from a horrible fate?" She clung to Lady Bellingham, weeping.

"Maman! Maman!" Marie-Claire and Jean-Robert ran into their mother's room. "Is everything all right?" the elder of the two asked.

Lady Bellingham straightened herself up, and addressed the two children. "Mes enfants, I am your grand-tante, Lady Clarice Bellingham. Welcome to England, my darlings. Welcome!"

Immediately Marie-Claire curtsied, and young Jean-Robert made a most elegant bow. "Merci, grand-tante," the young girl said.

"Merci, grand-tante," Jean-Robert echoed his sister.

"Lady Bellingham." Allegra entered the bedchamber.

"Allegra, my dear gel, what are you doing here?" the older woman said, surprised to see the Duchess of Sedgwick.

"Aunt, it was the duchess, her friends, her maid, Honor, and their husbands who rescued us. They came to the house dressed as those horrible creatures who always sit below the guillotine, knitting. Honor was wonderful. She boldly faced down the head of St. Jean Baptiste's Committee for Public Safety, suggesting that if he did not cooperate he would face a dire fate."

"We can speak of this over breakfast," Allegra said. "Come, dear Lady Bellingham, and sit down to eat with us."

Lady Bellingham had gone white with her niece's brief explanation. "You, Honor, and who else?" she gasped. "Not Eunice and Caroline?"

"Good morning, Aunt." Lady Walworth popped around the door.

"Ohh," Lady Bellingham cried, and sat down heavily upon the bed. "I cannot believe what I am being told. You might have all been killed!"

"But we weren't," Allegra said airily. "In the end it was all quite simple." She took the good woman by her arm, and drew her up. "Come, and join us. We have a private dining room, and if we do not come now, the gentlemen will have eaten everything." She laughed.

They repaired to the dining room where Lord Bellingham was being regaled by the duke and his friends regarding their adventures of the last few days. The old gentleman was most impressed, and quite delighted by their success. When his niece, in her dressing gown, entered the room, he greeted her with great affection, welcoming her and her little family to England.

"You must stay with us, of course," he told her.

"Only for a short time," the comtesse said softly. "We cannot impose upon you. I have jewelry, and a cache of gold coins I brought out with me. I must find my own home so I may look after myself, the children, and my two servants who have come with us. Without Thérèse and Céline, my children and I would not have survived."

"We will speak on it after you are well rested, m'dear," Lord Bellingham said in kindly tones, and he patted her shoulder lovingly.

"Frederick! What have you to say to these foolish gels?" Lady Bellingham demanded.

Lord Bellingham turned, gallantly saluting Allegra, Caroline, and Eunice. "My dears," he told them, "I stand in awe of the three of you. What courage. What clever planning. Allegra, I understand it was your maid, Honor, who carried the day."

"It was, my lord," Allegra admitted.

"Frederick! They could have all been killed!" Lady Bellingham said.

"But they weren't. Now, wife, I am hungry, for you rousted me from my bed at an early hour to make the trip down here to Brighton. I can wait no longer for a beefsteak, and some of those delicious-looking eggs."

Everyone laughed, including the comtesse who had not understood her uncle's words, but his tone was very telling.

***

They departed for London at noon, and arrived back in town shortly after dark. Reaching Morgan House on Berkley Square they discovered Lord Morgan awaiting them. Marker took their outdoor garments.

"I am relieved to see you both," Lord Morgan said as they went into the small family salon where a warm fire was burning. A young footman hurried in with the tea tray and set it down.

"Tea, Papa?" Allegra asked her parent. "I must admit to being surprised to see you up in town today."

"How was Brighton?" Lord Morgan said. "Or perhaps I should say France."

"I asked Charles not to tell you," Allegra said, calmly handing a cup of tea to her husband, and then another to her father.

"He had no choice, Allegra. I arrived in London yesterday. Had I come today he might have been able to keep your folly from me, but when you did not return by late last night he had no choice but to tell me. Only Quinton's message saved me undue worry." He turned to his son-in-law. "And you, sir? Could you not prevent your wife from playing this dangerous game?"

"Sir," the duke returned, "when you were her guardian, could you prevent her from her headstrong ways?"

Lord Morgan sighed. "I had hoped her fondness for you would have made her change. I see now that it has not."

"Oh, Papa," Allegra wheedled him, "do not fuss. We have been, and gone. The Bellinghams are delighted that we were able to rescue Anne-Marie and her children. We even brought two of the countess's servants with us. The old cook, Thérèse, killed the head of the Committee for Public Safety so we might escape. And remember when you thought it amusing that Honor learned to speak French? Well, Papa, it was Honor who was our greatest heroine. She pretended to be our leader, and knew just how to speak to this dreadful man. She had him quite intimidated, Papa. I don't know what we would have done without her."

Lord Morgan sighed. "It is over now, thank goodness, but Allegra, I hope that you and Quinton will never do such a foolish thing again."