Authors Notes: Sort of an alternate to the books way that Marguerite and
Percy reconcile. So that means that all of the action takes place during
their estrangement, until they reconcile of course. Please review!
**
He sat hunched over on the old wagon cart, the knotted wig of the old woman disguise was becoming increasingly irritated. Yet, he dealt with it. The roar of the crowd seemed to break Percy out of his former thoughts, and the sickening 'thud' of another head rolling into a basket made him want to retch. Another victim was roughly lead up the staircase and he forced himself to watch. This is what she had done to a whole family; his horrible wife had done this. The girl fell to her knees, begging the guard to spare her. How many times had he seen this play out before? After a few seconds, the blade fell and another sickening 'thud' was followed by the loud cheering of the crowd.
"Ah, We got a special one today Citoyens!" The guard pulled another woman up from the cart, and this one caught Percy's attention. She had amazingly beautiful red hair, with a slight gold shine to it. He frowned as he leaned forward in a desperate attempt to see the woman's face. His face turned a horrid shade of white and he felt the bile rise in his stomach as the face of his beautiful wife stared back at him.
The crowd gasped and several cried out "Marguerite St. Just!".
"Why yes it is, It is the famous Marguerite St. Just. Or should we call you… Lady Blakeney?" The guard gave a fake bow to her and took her hand, kissing it in a mocking tone. The crowd cheered and tears fell down Marguerites cheeks.
"You've been accused of high treason to your country, Lady Blakeney, and for that… You'll get a kiss from the Guillotine! I bet she's a better kisser than that husband of yours." He leered at her as he forced her to face the crowd.
"Take a bow, Oh wonderful actress of the Comedie Francaise!" She nearly fainted when he forced her to curtsy, and Percy's heart broke a thousand times over. How could this have happened? He had someone watching the prisons all the time… Chauvelin. Of course! But what was she doing in France anyway? She had no idea that he was the Scarlet Pimpernel. Did she? He watched with panicked horror as she was laid on the wood flat, the blade gleaming as it was raised. The crowd once more roared as the blade was released and Percy leaned over and threw up several times as that sickening sound filled his brain.
'Thud'
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Percy sat straight up in his bed, his hand gripping his chest as sweat poured down his forehead. He took a deep breath, his eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness of his room. His room? Yes. He was in his chambers in Blakeney Manor. Of course… He took a deep breath again, attempting to untangle himself from his sheets. That nightmare had been so realistic.. It was a nightmare wasn't it? Panic flooded his senses as he quickly jumped out of bed and ran from his room. He nearly collided with Frank, who had risen because of Percy's cry. It seemed like it took him years to reach her door and push it open. He was confronted with the image of her peacefully sleeping in her bed. Without thinking, he took her in his arms and held her so tightly to him that she instantly woke up. She pulled herself from his arms, her eyes wide in shock.
"Sir Percy! Is that you…?" He nodded and it suddenly dawned on him how much he loved this woman. The St. Cyr thing had to be a big misunderstanding, but all he wanted to do was confess to his wife how much he loved her.
"Yes, yes. I am so sorry to wake you like this, Marguerite. I had a horrible nightmare… We have to talk, Marguerite. Please?" He lit a candle by her bed, and blushed. He had forgotten that women's nightgowns were so thin! Bashfully she pulled the sheets around her and gave him a nod.
"I suppose we can… Heavens, it must have been a horrible nightmare indeed for you to talk to me." He could see the pain in her eyes and… there were signs of her crying earlier in that evening. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her cheek.
"You've been crying?"
"I.. N—Yes. I have." How could she possibly tell him about her horrible encounter with Chauvelin? And how she had betrayed The Scarlet Pimpernels life for her brothers? She shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face. "Please… Will you tell me about your nightmare?" (AN: Pretend this was the night of Lord Grenvilles ball, but he and Marguerite never had that talk on the terrace.)
Slowly he recounted the details to her, except for the wig and that he had been disguised. She stared at him for several minutes after he finished his tale, and he was suddenly afraid she would dismiss him from her presence.
"That… That's horrible!" He gave a nod to her, looking away for a moment.
"I woke and I thought it had been real, so I hurried here and found you sleeping. I suppose the moment over took me and I woke you. I apologize." In a surprising gesture, she took his hand in hers and lightly kissed his knuckles.
"There is no reason to apologize, Sir Percy." She had been touched by his feelings of wanting to see her so bad.
"Marguerite, I apologize for everything. But… I must know. The St. Cyrs, will you tell me now? Please, Marguerite, I am truly begging you now." The tears that formed in his eyes seemed to break down all her defenses and she felt tears prick at her eyes too.
"Percy… (AN: This is the story from the '34 Scarlet Pimpernel. I just like this one, I guess.) St. Cyrs son fell in love with me and asked me to marry him. Of course, I didn't love him and I turned him down… as I did to every man who ever asked me, excluding you of course. St. Cyr heard about this and had me thrown in St. Lazare. Do you even know what happens there? What kind of women and men are sent there? I was going to kill myself but then something happened, July 14th. I was free because of the revolution! I overheard him plotting with Austria and I told a friend… a man I thought I could trust. He denounced him, and out of hatred for you he put my name on the warrant." She looked away from him at this point, tears escaping finally. "I was going to kill myself Percy…" She turned to look at him again, her eyes shimmering in tears. "Please forgive me from not telling you at first, I was so offended that you questioned me. That you didn't trust me."
The thought of her taking her own life seemed to strike him with fear and he once more took her in his arms. He buried his face in the soft red curls and kissed her head. After a few moments of the comforting embrace, he pulled back to look at her.
"I should never have doubted you, Marguerite. If I had only known! Can you ever forgive me? I was so quick to assume you had done it, all because of my ignorance. I am different now, Margot, please forgive me." He kissed her cheek. It seemed to him that she would never speak, but instead would stay sitting and staring at him forever.
"Oh Percy…I should have explained. I shouldn't have reacted as I did. Of course I forgive you, as long as you can forgive me. I only hurt you because I was hurting so horribly. I felt like you took away everything I knew; My home, my profession, and even my feelings and left me in this unfamiliar place. With your many absences.. I thought.. I thought you were running off to another woman. Tell me it isn't true, Percy! Tell me you love me…" She stared up at him, and she began to cry once more. He kissed away each tear as he ran one hand through her hair.
"Never Marguerite. There was never another woman, there was always only you. Forever. I love you." And for the first time in his life, he did feel love. He loved Marguerite.
"I love you!" She once more wrapped her arms around him, kissing him passionately.
Percy melted into her kiss, her arms, and her intoxicating scent.
More Authors Notes: I may make a sequel to this story detailing how Percy tells Marguerite about being the Scarlet Pimpernel. If I get good feed back.
**
He sat hunched over on the old wagon cart, the knotted wig of the old woman disguise was becoming increasingly irritated. Yet, he dealt with it. The roar of the crowd seemed to break Percy out of his former thoughts, and the sickening 'thud' of another head rolling into a basket made him want to retch. Another victim was roughly lead up the staircase and he forced himself to watch. This is what she had done to a whole family; his horrible wife had done this. The girl fell to her knees, begging the guard to spare her. How many times had he seen this play out before? After a few seconds, the blade fell and another sickening 'thud' was followed by the loud cheering of the crowd.
"Ah, We got a special one today Citoyens!" The guard pulled another woman up from the cart, and this one caught Percy's attention. She had amazingly beautiful red hair, with a slight gold shine to it. He frowned as he leaned forward in a desperate attempt to see the woman's face. His face turned a horrid shade of white and he felt the bile rise in his stomach as the face of his beautiful wife stared back at him.
The crowd gasped and several cried out "Marguerite St. Just!".
"Why yes it is, It is the famous Marguerite St. Just. Or should we call you… Lady Blakeney?" The guard gave a fake bow to her and took her hand, kissing it in a mocking tone. The crowd cheered and tears fell down Marguerites cheeks.
"You've been accused of high treason to your country, Lady Blakeney, and for that… You'll get a kiss from the Guillotine! I bet she's a better kisser than that husband of yours." He leered at her as he forced her to face the crowd.
"Take a bow, Oh wonderful actress of the Comedie Francaise!" She nearly fainted when he forced her to curtsy, and Percy's heart broke a thousand times over. How could this have happened? He had someone watching the prisons all the time… Chauvelin. Of course! But what was she doing in France anyway? She had no idea that he was the Scarlet Pimpernel. Did she? He watched with panicked horror as she was laid on the wood flat, the blade gleaming as it was raised. The crowd once more roared as the blade was released and Percy leaned over and threw up several times as that sickening sound filled his brain.
'Thud'
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Percy sat straight up in his bed, his hand gripping his chest as sweat poured down his forehead. He took a deep breath, his eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness of his room. His room? Yes. He was in his chambers in Blakeney Manor. Of course… He took a deep breath again, attempting to untangle himself from his sheets. That nightmare had been so realistic.. It was a nightmare wasn't it? Panic flooded his senses as he quickly jumped out of bed and ran from his room. He nearly collided with Frank, who had risen because of Percy's cry. It seemed like it took him years to reach her door and push it open. He was confronted with the image of her peacefully sleeping in her bed. Without thinking, he took her in his arms and held her so tightly to him that she instantly woke up. She pulled herself from his arms, her eyes wide in shock.
"Sir Percy! Is that you…?" He nodded and it suddenly dawned on him how much he loved this woman. The St. Cyr thing had to be a big misunderstanding, but all he wanted to do was confess to his wife how much he loved her.
"Yes, yes. I am so sorry to wake you like this, Marguerite. I had a horrible nightmare… We have to talk, Marguerite. Please?" He lit a candle by her bed, and blushed. He had forgotten that women's nightgowns were so thin! Bashfully she pulled the sheets around her and gave him a nod.
"I suppose we can… Heavens, it must have been a horrible nightmare indeed for you to talk to me." He could see the pain in her eyes and… there were signs of her crying earlier in that evening. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her cheek.
"You've been crying?"
"I.. N—Yes. I have." How could she possibly tell him about her horrible encounter with Chauvelin? And how she had betrayed The Scarlet Pimpernels life for her brothers? She shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face. "Please… Will you tell me about your nightmare?" (AN: Pretend this was the night of Lord Grenvilles ball, but he and Marguerite never had that talk on the terrace.)
Slowly he recounted the details to her, except for the wig and that he had been disguised. She stared at him for several minutes after he finished his tale, and he was suddenly afraid she would dismiss him from her presence.
"That… That's horrible!" He gave a nod to her, looking away for a moment.
"I woke and I thought it had been real, so I hurried here and found you sleeping. I suppose the moment over took me and I woke you. I apologize." In a surprising gesture, she took his hand in hers and lightly kissed his knuckles.
"There is no reason to apologize, Sir Percy." She had been touched by his feelings of wanting to see her so bad.
"Marguerite, I apologize for everything. But… I must know. The St. Cyrs, will you tell me now? Please, Marguerite, I am truly begging you now." The tears that formed in his eyes seemed to break down all her defenses and she felt tears prick at her eyes too.
"Percy… (AN: This is the story from the '34 Scarlet Pimpernel. I just like this one, I guess.) St. Cyrs son fell in love with me and asked me to marry him. Of course, I didn't love him and I turned him down… as I did to every man who ever asked me, excluding you of course. St. Cyr heard about this and had me thrown in St. Lazare. Do you even know what happens there? What kind of women and men are sent there? I was going to kill myself but then something happened, July 14th. I was free because of the revolution! I overheard him plotting with Austria and I told a friend… a man I thought I could trust. He denounced him, and out of hatred for you he put my name on the warrant." She looked away from him at this point, tears escaping finally. "I was going to kill myself Percy…" She turned to look at him again, her eyes shimmering in tears. "Please forgive me from not telling you at first, I was so offended that you questioned me. That you didn't trust me."
The thought of her taking her own life seemed to strike him with fear and he once more took her in his arms. He buried his face in the soft red curls and kissed her head. After a few moments of the comforting embrace, he pulled back to look at her.
"I should never have doubted you, Marguerite. If I had only known! Can you ever forgive me? I was so quick to assume you had done it, all because of my ignorance. I am different now, Margot, please forgive me." He kissed her cheek. It seemed to him that she would never speak, but instead would stay sitting and staring at him forever.
"Oh Percy…I should have explained. I shouldn't have reacted as I did. Of course I forgive you, as long as you can forgive me. I only hurt you because I was hurting so horribly. I felt like you took away everything I knew; My home, my profession, and even my feelings and left me in this unfamiliar place. With your many absences.. I thought.. I thought you were running off to another woman. Tell me it isn't true, Percy! Tell me you love me…" She stared up at him, and she began to cry once more. He kissed away each tear as he ran one hand through her hair.
"Never Marguerite. There was never another woman, there was always only you. Forever. I love you." And for the first time in his life, he did feel love. He loved Marguerite.
"I love you!" She once more wrapped her arms around him, kissing him passionately.
Percy melted into her kiss, her arms, and her intoxicating scent.
More Authors Notes: I may make a sequel to this story detailing how Percy tells Marguerite about being the Scarlet Pimpernel. If I get good feed back.