I sat alone behind the closed door in the office with my hands clasped on my lap, the little note folded under them. I sighed thinking about how vague he could be sometimes. "Come immediately. I have urgent business to discuss with you." That was all he wrote so I rushed to the Tribunal of Public Safety to find him not even there. So now I just sat there waiting patiently not knowing why I had been summoned and hoping that he would show up. At that moment, I heard the familiar sound of his boots walking up the hallway to the door. My breath was caught in my throat as the door handle turned and in walked the striking figure that quickly shut the door behind him.

"I received your note Citoyen and came immediately."

"I appreciate that you understood my urgency Citoyenne Du Pres. What do you know of the De Tournay family?"

I searched my mind quickly. "They were good friends with my family. There is the former Comte, Comtesse and the two children the Vicomte and his sister Suzanne. What exactly do you want to know about them?"

"Who do they know in England?"

"Know in England…. Citoyen I fear I don't quite understand what you are getting at."

"Who are they friends with in the upper class circuit of English society?"

"I fear I don't know. I have not had contact with the DeTournay family in quite sometime."

Raising his voice to a sudden outburst, "I know that you know!" as he slammed his fists down on his desk and remained in that position.

Suddenly amused by his frustration I smirked, "Calm down. I will find out anything you need. I always do." As I came around behind him and put my hands on his shoulders, "Don't I always get everything you need Armand?"

He suddenly spun around to face me with an annoyed look that upon reaching my eyes faded into a smile, "Yes you do Gabrielle. You always do."

"Now what do you desire to know about the De Tournay family?"

"Who they know among the British aristocracy. Any trips that any of the family members are planning on going on soon and other details that hint at a departure from France."

"Does this have anything to do with the Pimpernel my dear?" I said as I put my arms around his shoulders. He quickly pulled away, "Doesn't it always, Brielle? Please go see the Comtesse De Tournay now Citoyenne." Suddenly he had returned to Citoyen Chauvelin, no longer the man I love but the agent of France. I just as quickly became Citoyenne Du Pres. "Yes Citoyen. Good day." I quickly turned around on my heels and walked out the door that Armand had entered only a few minutes before and was down the stairs and out into the streets in a short time.

As I reached the open air, I took a deep breath happy to be out of that stuffy building and in the open clear air. I knew this would not last. I headed to the De Tournay's and as I did, the stench grew stronger. There was no way I could avoid it though. The guillotine was now but three blocks from the De Tournay's residence and the only route to go by would take me straight past it.

When still blocks away, I could hear the cheering as the sound of the blade striking rang through the air. "Who do I know that is loosing their life today?" How could the thought not go through me? So many of my family's friends, former friends and acquaintances have already butchered. I was surprised anyone was left at all. Everyday, another person that I danced with, or entertained with, or had a deep conversation with at some point in my life was lost, but I could not think about it. I would not think about it. My life and the lives of my family and of Laurent were the most important thing. Now I may be holding the life of my dearest and oldest friend Suzanne in my hands. What could I do?

As I pushed my way through the crowd gathered by the guillotine, I was trying to force myself from looking up at the guillotine. I did not want to know who was up there and I certainly did not want to see but…

"Citoyenne!" A rough voice called out as a hand grabbed my sleeve. The gruff solider pulled my chin up to look at my face. "Shouldn't you be up there?" Gesturing to the guillotine. "No Citoyen, I should not be." He looked back at me shocked at my retort. "Papers!" he screamed at me. I pulled them out coolly and handed them over to him as another solider approached and read over the shoulder of the first, "Gabrielle Du Pres?" the second said with surprise and then whispered in the first one's ears. I could not make it all out but I did hear the mention of the name Chauvelin in the conversation. The second solider then spoke to me and asked where I was off to and I replied, "The De Tournay's residence." My papers were quickly handed back to me and the first solider spoke again, "You have friends in powerful places Citoyenne Du Pres but be careful because you wouldn't want to end up visiting Madame Guillotine" as he grabbed my chin and forced me to look up at the scaffolding. He let go of me quickly and laughed as he sauntered off but by that time it was too late, I had already seen the former Marquis Molineaux, a dear friend of my father, standing on the steps. I could not take my eyes off him until I heard a disturbance coming from somewhere closer to the vicinity of the stairs that led up to the lurking machine. A few shouts and then a mad rush through the crowd as word quickly spread that there was a man with the plague. A panic ensued and the next thing I knew I was in a doorway trying to avoid being trampled by the stampede that followed. The next few moments moved rapidly. As the soldiers tried to appease the crowd, I watched them do so, trying to avoid becoming part of the mob myself by staying in that doorway as long as I could. After a few moments, I thought of the Marquis and looked toward the scaffold but he was gone, as were the other prisoners. I looked up toward the guillotine to look for the obvious but instead I found the solider that had just a moment before told the other something of my relationship with Chauvelin. He stuck something to the guillotine and as he moved back I could see it was a piece of paper. The man jumped off the scaffold and made his way through the street. Only then did I realize what I had just witnessed, the disturbance, the prisoners suddenly gone, and the note…so this is what a visit from the Scarlet Pimpernel is like. It fit Armand's description perfectly and as I rushed on toward the De Tournay's I knew that Armand would not be happy that night.