Minuet by Joan Smith Read Free Book Online

aristos for the death of their France, but in the simple mode of her own pays. She would wear her hair à la victime, she might at some ball wear the narrow red ribbon around her throat as a reminder to these complacent Englishmen of the fate of so many of her friends and relatives, and as it seemed to bother Lord Degan so very much, she might continue using the preferred mode of address of citoyen upon occasion as well. Truth to tell, that habit would be difficult to break. One dare not utter the word duc or duchesse at home for fear of attracting the unwanted attention of the ubiquitous gardes with their pikes. Even chez Belhomme titles were abandoned.
    The modiste arrived, and was set back to discover her services were to be rendered in the supplying to her ladyship of such a bizarre wardrobe. But the materials chosen were of the finest; the figure was good enough to carry off the outré gowns selected; and most of all, Lady Céleste was from that upper echelon whose patronage was invaluable. It could set one’s business back severely if the young lady should choose one of the several French modistes presently rivals in the trade. All things considered, Miss Brown decided to humor the lady, and as the exchange between livres and pounds caused some little confusion, the price exacted for the wardrobe was satisfactory to both. Miss Brown even agreed to sit up half the night that one of the outfits might be ready for the next day.
    When Papa returned at four, Sally was still in her blue dimity frock. “What do they say? How are you going to get Mama and Édouard home?” was her first question.
    “It is going to be extremely difficult,” he said sadly. “I took the matter to Pitt himself. With the war on, no official letter would receive any generous attention. It’s the worst thing in the world to call attention to this Belhomme place, he says. We have a barricade on trade with France as well, because of the war. I begin to think it is Fox, a Whig, who might be our man. He never was in favor of the war at all, and says a little trade of a nonstrategic sort is carried on well enough, while the Tories wink their eye at it. The odd ship gets through. Fox is looking into it for me.”
    “We cannot long delay. Five thousand livres a week now they must pay, with me gone. The money runs short.”
    “How short exactly?” he asked.
    “Till the end of July they are safe.”
    “That gives them three weeks, then,” he said, rubbing his chin. “I’ll keep hounding Fox and bend his ear till he comes up with something.”
    “Maybe the best thing to do would be to send money with someone we know and trust.... No, it would be better to get them out. The asylum may fall under suspicion at any time. Henri would go, Papa,” she suggested.
    “Has he been to call?”
    “No, he hasn’t come yet. Soon he will. He cannot have received my letter.”
    “Henri is not the one to send. He left Paris seven years ago, and was only a boy at the time. We must have someone who has left more recently, and will be able to find his way to this asylum.”
    “Henri was back once, Papa.”
    “You never mean it!”
    “Yes, he came once, but was nearly caught.”
    “Good God! He shouldn’t have done it. You know how dangerous it is for him. Being a Mérigot...”
    “He will know someone he trusts. I can give an exact map of how to reach Belhomme’s place. I have it all in my head.”
    “There are no guards there, you say? Visitors are allowed?”
    “Yes, but still some precautions are taken. Belhomme would be held to account if his prisoners took to vanishing, and he does a check every night.”
    “We’ll get to work on it. I’ll suggest this to Fox. He is the more helpful of the two. I will do something, my pet. Now I want you to put it out of your head and relax. How have you amused yourself today, eh?”
    She entertained him with her decision to confound English society by wearing the French style. A mere man, he had no idea what an