I really wanted to get this one down on paper. I hope that you enjoy it.
Elizabeth made her way through the forest with her heart beating so loud and so fast that she felt sure the soldiers would hear it. She was afraid. She was worried about the Thenard family, about Francois, somewhere behind her in the trees, and most of all, she was worried about Tony. Every minute she could purchase that the soldiers were not following the carriage, was a minute closer to safety for those in the carriage.
It was a difficult balance to strike. She needed to avoid the soldiers and yet to make it easy enough for them to follow her. It had seemed that she had been walking for an hours, and since the sun was beginning to set, it must have been at least an hour. All of a sudden, Elizabeth heard a twig snap in front of her and she looked up and gasped. Materializing out of the trees were at least ten soldiers. They appeared dirty and under fed, but they were armed and one of them drew his sword and pointed it at her chest.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, assumed the bland expression that she had seen Percy assume so often and said in French, "Sink me, if you have not gone and done it. You have caught me."
Tony floated between delirium and agonizing pain. In his more lucid moments, he called out for Elizabeth, but heard another woman's voice telling him that all was well. But he knew that all was not well. His fevered brain could not recall what happened, but he knew Elizabeth was doing something dangerous; something from which he should have protected her. This thought tormented him while he was awake and it was almost a mercy when the pain caused him to lose consciousness.
The driver was as good as his word and brought then to Bethune and to the inn before the sun had fully set.
Andrew and Timothy were lounging outside when the carriage pulled up. The Chevalier stepped out and briskly bowed to the two younger men who returned the courtesy. The Chevalier introduced himself. "I must speak with your leader as I have a very important message for him," he said urgently. "One of your associates has saved us from the soldiers, but was grievously hurt," the Chevalier eyed the carriage anxiously. Andrew and Timothy exchanged glances full of worry and bolted for the carriage. The two men threw open the carriage doors and as quickly and gently as they could extricate their wounded friend. As they were lifting him out, their eyes, clouded with worry, met. Where was Elizabeth?
As if reading their minds, Madame Thenard said, "The Mademoiselle was very brave. She led the soldiers away from us so we could make our escape. My son, Francois, is with her."
"We shall take you to him, immediately," Andrew exclaimed, shaking himself out of his fugue. Andrew and Timothy half walked, half carried Tony up the stairs as the Chevalier , his wife and daughter followed them up stairs and into the Drawing Room where Percy was sitting.
"Good God," Percy cried out when he first saw Tony and the extent of his injuries. He then realized that he did not see Elizabeth and his heart plummeted. Without thinking, he strode up to the injured man, took his lolling head in his hands and forced him to look up. "Where is Elizabeth?" Percy demanded. Tony brought his eyes to meet those of his friend. "Forgive me, Percy. I could not stop her. I could not help. Please forgive me, I beg you."
Percy was torn. His worry for Elizabeth was driving him mad, but he knew that if there was anything that could have been done, Tony would have done it. He knew his sister. When her passions and her protective instincts were aroused, she was a force of nature, and nothing short of an Act of God would stop her. Under the best circumstances, Tony may have been able to reason with her, but these were harldy"best circumstances", were they?
He physically shook himself as a dog shaking of water - what was he doing? He was forgetting his duty to his men. Men who swore to fight and die for him. Tony needed medical attention immediately. "Andrew - for God's sake, please get Tony into bed. He must conserve what strength he has. Timothy - please have a doctor summoned. Now, Monsieur,"Percy said, turning to the Chevalier who stood in the corner of the room with his family, observing with wide-eyed wonder all that had transpired, "how may I be of service?"
"Monsieur," the Chevalier bowed low. "I believe I have you to thank for the rescue of myself and my family. Your man," the Chevalier pointed to the retreating Tony, "saved my children, my wife and me, from the soldiers who were going to arrest us. And then the Lady," Percy looked at the Chevalier even more intently now, "The Lady, led the soldiers away from the carriage so that we could escape. She charged me to deliver a message to you." The Chevalier handed over the ring and repeated the message word for word in broken English. "My son is there, Monsieur. He will be able to tell you where the soldiers have taken the young lady."
Percy was staring at the sapphire ring with the intensity of desperation. As if the force of his will exerted upon the jewelry would bring her back to him. Nothing could happen to Elizabeth. He would not permit it. It could not.
"Percy! We await your orders," Andrew's voice rang out. Percy thought for a moment. "Andrew, you stay here with Tony. Timothy - you are with me. We are going to get Elizabeth and Francois and return them both to where they belong. Get your sword and hat. We leave in five minutes." Percy bowed to the Chevalier. "Thank you again." I swear, upon my honor, that I shall do all in my power to return your son to you and your Lady wife. Now, please go see the inn keeper, I believe he will have rooms available for you where you can rest. Andrew, Timothy. You know what to do. Let us get to it, Gentlemen."
The room where Elizabeth was being kept was small and stank and the soldier attempting to interrogate her was also small and he also stank.
"Who are you?" he asked. "My name is Madeline Pierrot," Elizabeth lied. "Who are you?" The questions continued, "I am the Scarlet Pimpernel."
SLAP...a hard hand made contact with her face. "You lie. The Scarlet Pimpernel is English."
"You shall pay for that with interest, " Elizabeth muttered, "with interest."
"That is what I wanted you to think. You did know that I was clever."
And do the interview went on for a while. Every moment they were speaking to her, was one more moment closer to Percy coming to her rescue.
"What shall we do with her?" one solider asked his Commanding Officer. "Take her to Paris. Let the figure it out there. What do I care," he said in typical Gaelic disdain. "Let us write to Paris and see what they want us to do. But we can do this after dinner. It is late and I am hungry."
They left Elizabeth alone and locked the door while she took stock of her surroundings. A small room. One window for light. At least they left some water as filthy as it was, Elizabeth was parched and she availed herself of it. She was physically and emotionally exhausted, but all she could do not now was pray that Percy would come for her and that she would see Tony alive again.
Percy and Timothy almost killed their horses in their ride back. As per the plan, the located Francois who showed them the guard house where Elizabeth was being kept. It was late, and the guard detail was light. Most of them were at some stage of inebriation.
Elizabeth did not know how long she was asleep, but the noise outside jarred her into full wakefulness and she ran to the barred door to try to look out. As she had hoped, Percy had come for her. She watched as he, Timothy and Francois quickly dispatched the soldiers. Percy found the keys on the body of one of the guards and opened the door. Elizabeth wanted to rush to him, but he was focused on other things. She saw a soldier approach him from behind and saw also Francois hit him over the head with the butt of a foil and the soldier crumbling. She grabbed his sword and turned now on the remaining soldiers to assist in her own rescue.
Her eyes landed on the small, pig eyed man who interrogated her. She strode to him purposefully. He had his sword out, but was not match for her. She disdainfully knocked it out of his hands and with two swift slashes, put cuts on both his cheeks. "This will teach you to hit women," she snarled. "Some of us can hit back."
She followed Timothy and Francois out of the guard house as they ran into the barn where Percy had procured fresh horses. Elizabeth was about to head for her horse, when Percy grabbed her by her wrist and turned her around to face him. He placed his strong hands on her forearms and held her so tightly that it actually hurt.
"What do you think you were doing? You could have been hurt," Percy hissed. Elizabeth felt tears prick behind her eyes. This was not the welcome she was anticipating. "I did what I needed to do. What you or anybody in the League would have done," she responded more defiantly than she actually felt. "The innocents got to safety and Tony..., " and here she stumbled, took a breath and went on, "and Tony got to where he could get help."
"But you are not in the League," Percy snapped. "You are a...,"
"A woman," Elizabeth dryly finished his thought. Now she was truly angry, so angry she was shaking. "Women are going to the guillotine every day, Percy. Mothers, wives," her voice caught as she looked up, "sisters. Even children. Marceline; she is only twelve and they were going to execute her alongside her parents. Why shouldn't I do all that is in my power to stop this atrocity?"
Tears were falling freely now from her eyes. Elizabeth looked up at Percy and her next words caught in her throat. She looked into his eyes and what she saw was not his fury as she had feared, it was fear. Ice cold, abject fear. Percy was afraid for her. With this realization, all her anger melted away. "Oh, Percy," she sighed, as she reached out a hand to touch his cheek.
Sir Percy Blakeney was a man of deep convictions. Convictions for which he would die willingly and kill for, if need be. He was also a man who maintained an iron hard control on his emotions and passions. It was expected of him as an English gentleman and it is what kept him alive as the Scarlet Pimpernel. This one time, as his sister reached out to him, that control crumbled. With a wordless cry of relief, he enveloped his sister in a fierce embrace.
More to come soon. I will accommodate requests as much as humanly possible and always appreciate reviews, comments and constructive criticism