Prologue : All for Buisness
Outside Paris,
November 1701
Nothing is more disturbing than transportation in bad weather.
But the employer had made it very clear. Tonight would be the last chance. They must put everything listed on the paper into a cart for a planned transportation regardless of the weather.
Monsieur Julian Monteil, a respectable businessman and famous expert in chattel appraisal was not in good mood tonight because he felt quite unlucky. He pulled out the paper list when his carriage stopped in front country house and suddenly let out a cry that almost scared his driver off the siege.
"What is it? Monsieur?" The leader of his workers turned to him in the heavy rain while others were going straightly to the front door.
"Nothing irregular. Just do your job, gentlemen." said Monteil calmly.
So they did. The group of porters began to hammer the front door.
Unfortunately, the master of this cottage was one of those sad people who had been involved with Monsieur Monteil. A broken man for sure. But Monsieur Monteil was a clever businessman who worked for the interest of his employer and avoided unnecessary argument as much as he could Which meant he always treat those sad people with restrained politeness.
"Good evening, sir." He even took off his hat and saluted the old servant who came to answer the door, "Would you mind informing your master that Julian Monteil has arrived for the rendez-vous？We do hope he is ready for us."
That was it. As much as he was willing to be polite he did not pretend that he was paying a friendly visit. With a few words he could always make himself clear enough. After all, it was all for business.
The old servant took a candle and brought the entire gang of ill-mood workers into a large, empty living room. The travelling coats of the visitors were completely wet from the rain, leaving traces throughout the passage.
There was no fire in the fireplace, noticed Monteil. A man was sitting beside the table alone, covering himself with a large carpet in order to keep warm. His long blond hair hanged down loosely to his shoulders, messy and untidy.
Monteil's gang always made noise for their entry, which was also completely for business .This time it seemed that they were unable to disturb the man. He continued to bury his nose into something he was writing and did not even look at the visitors.
Monteil cleared his throat before talking.
"Sir," his voice was not high but he had a rather resolute tone. "In the name of the king Louis XIV, we've come here to collect all property enumerated on this list."
The man made no remark for this claim.
"Sir, "Monteil slightly raised his voice, "Are you ignoring the name of the King?"
"I dare not."The man finally opened his mouth but he still didn't look at anyone in the room. "You may begin your work. I will not be in your way and you shall not be in mine. As you can see, I am very busy at the moment."
Monteil looked at the weather outside the window with little patience and then nodded to his men in the room. FINE, he thought, there is no point to waste time if that man chooses to give up his right to check on the list by himself.
"A portrait of Duchess Montpensier by Louis Ferdinand," he pointed at the first object on the list and raised his hand to the large painting hanging above the empty fireplace. His workers took action immediately by climbing on a ladder and chopping off that most expensive golden frame.
The owner of this painting stayed indifferent to the situation. He dropped his plume in the ink bottle and continued to write under dim candlelight.
"Pearl necklace of Anna Maria Mancini, crystal glass made in Venice." Monteil kept finding the listed objects in different rooms of the house by using his sharp, professional judgement. His workers also acted effectively with quick pace and just removed everything he had identified.
To be honest, Monteil couldn't believe his own eyes when he saw what was listed on this paper until now. As a businessman of quality, he knew none of these were no fake so he began to feel curious about the man wrapped in the carpet.
"A dressing table of yellow sandal with its armchair, once belonged to the Duchess of Orléans,"as Monteil went on looking for the things that had been evaluated and brought by his employer, he found the next object rather difficult to identify.
"One iron box made in Versailles, caved by four rubies with the colors of wine." As he read this description out loudly, a sound could be heard in the living room, as if someone just stood up too swiftly that he knocked down the chair.
"Ah…" Monteil was lucky this time, the box was just beneath his eyes on a small table by the entry of the chamber. It was made of black iron with an emblem of sun on it, the symbol of King Louis XIV. The ruies were the same as the description.
"Not that one, Monsieur." The man in the living room suddenly stood before him.
"Sir, if I remember correctly, you said that you are not going to be in my way."claimed Monteil. Now he could get a good look of this man, he found him quite handsome. Although no longer young by his age, he still kept certain good-looking shape and fine silhouette of his face that made him much attractive than ordinary people.
"I will keep my word, sir." replied the master of the house. "The box is yours, but what inside that box must stay."
"What inside the box?" Repeated Monteil.
The man pushed backward his messy hair impatiently. There were gray hair among those blond curls. He seemed to be nervous and uneasy. After one moment of hesitation, he reached out to that box and opened it. Insided was a yellow topaz
Julian Monteil was just the right man to tell from its color and luster that the Spanish topaz was not of a nice quality and almost worthless.
"I beg your pardon, sir. The box is on the list and that includes everything inside. This is the rule, I am afraid."
The man looked at him straightly into the eye.
"You don't want to break the rule, do you, sir?"
"I am no sir, I am a chevalier."
"What? "Monteil was slightly surprised.
"Chevalier, Chevalier de Lorraine.'
Monteil felt like something just pitched him, but he was certainly not scared. The man happened to be noble, but this did not change anything. He was still broke. After all, it was all for business.
"My lord," He bowed to the man, "even my lord cannot deny the law of his majesty. You have sold the box along with what's inside it."
Chevalier de Lorrain fell silent for the next moment.
"No, we are not denying any law of his majesty." He finally replied.
Then he quickly pulled off a ring of emerald from one of his fingers and threw it into the box.
"Your box is no longer empty."said Chevalier.
Julian Monteil had made lots of profitable bargains in his life, but never had there been one so easy that made him unable to believe. He could not help himself from looking closely at this man, this so called Chevalier de Lorraine. Strange, he thought, the man did not seem to be crazy or entirely out of mind.
"Why are you looking at me like this, sir?" Chevalier was now unhappy.
"I just want to… wish you very good health." Replied Monteil.
"And I just want to remind you that I did not sell my sward to you sir." Chevalier held his head high.
"What? Why? What do you mean?"
"I do not like to be belittled or pitied." said Chevalier de Lorraine. "You look at me that way again, I will prick your eyes out. Do you understand me?"
Horrified, Monteil quickly took another bow.
"I mean no disrespect, sir."
"I am no sir, I am a chevalier!" cried Chevalier de Lorrain, "Do not look at me like this, do not judge me! I became this because it is what I chose. I wished for it, do you understand? I wished for it myself!"
He grabbed Monteil around the neck so tight that it was almost killing the poor businessman. Monteil struggled,tried hard to breathe and cried out hoarsely. His bodyguards were alerted. They ran towards him and formed a cycle, hands all settled on weapon.
"But of course, you don't understand."Chevalier lowered his voice when he took another look on the face of the unfortunate businessman and let him go slowly.
"None of you will understand." He turned away from the entire gang, walking quietly back to the living room.
The bodyguards looked to each other with hesitation, then let him go through without doing anything.
" I am a Chevalier,"repeated Chevalier de Lorraine while he picked up the carpet on the floor, wrapping it around himself again. "and a Chevalier likes horses. Wild horses, the most beautiful and rare ones of all kinds."
He put the Spanish topaz under the dim candlelight, right in the middle of his palm and gazed upon it dreamily as if he had suddenly forgotten everything else in the world.