Disclaimer: I own Amber and nobody else

Sydney Carton was no fool. He knew how to get what he wanted when he wanted it and now he was about to face Madame Defarge.

"Good morning Madame"

Sydney smiled despite his disgust of her. Like I said he was wise beyond his years of 31.

"Good morning yourself"

Just like Sydney Madame Therese Defarge was no fool. She could fake being polite as well as anyone else.

"How do you do today?"

He helped himself to a drink. Madame Defarge raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"How do you do"

Sydney did well. He had done he research well. Soon he would play his ace

"How is your daughter? She's adopted isn't she"

"Yes she is but she is every bit my daughter as she would have been if she came out of my own belly"

Sydney grinned widely. Time to play his ace. He helped himself to another drink

"So what you're saying is that you love her"

"Of course I love her. She is my life. She's my child"

"Suppose, just suppose she was fathered by an Evermound"

The look on Madame Therese Defarge's face was a mixture of hatred for that despicable family and love for her daughter.

"What difference would that make. Fathered by an Evermound or not she's still my daughter!"

Sydney's grinned widened. Now he had her right where he wanted her

"Charles, like Amber is only an Evermound in name"

"JUST A SECOND. IN THE FIRST PLACE THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT AMBER IS AN EVERMOUND AND IN THE SECOND PLACE SHE'S ONLY SIX"

"Oh I see"

He remained calm. He was not about to stoop to her level.

"So what you're saying is when Amber turns 21 if she has been fathered by an Evermound you will no longer love her"

Therese's face turned red.

"I-I didn't say that."

"No but you implied it"

"I DID NOT AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF RETRACTING MY DENOUNCEMENT OF EVERMOUND"

Sydney didn't let it bother him. Clearly his first or second plan wouldn't have worked. Circumstances stood in the way of his first plan. Madame Defarge's stubborn attitude stood in the way of this plan. Now he was going to have to get tough

"Well now I don't have proof that she's an Evermound but I do have proof that she's of Nobel birth. Wouldn't it be a shame if someone, namely m'self were to denounce her. I so wouldn't want to do it"

"YOU WOULDN'T"

"It's up to you"

"THAT'S NOT FAIR"

Sydney shrugged

"Well we're not on a carnival ground"

"Ugh fine I'll do it but I don't like you"

Sydney pretended to be hurt

"Remind me to care"

"If I were you I'd get out of France"

"I will as soon as you retract your denouncement of Charles. The sooner the Mannette's have reunited the sooner your daughter is out of danger"

Therese flushed a deep red but an hour later Charles Evermound Darney Mannette had been released and the Mannette family was on their way back to England