Chapter Eleven
They arrived at the estate late that night, Jean carried the children up to bed as soon as they arrived and then lit a fire before he began to ferry their things in. Maggie was quiet as she unpacked their belongings, he had given up his career and his position in the palace over her; and it made her feel sick.
It had all happened so suddenly, and he had been quiet as he drove out here. Maggie said nothing as he set the rocking chair next to the window and turned for the stairs, taking the bundle of the kids clothes and toys upstairs. They had always lived simply but as they unpacked she realized the majority of what they did have was for the children
They had little more than a few keepsakes, clothes and weapons a piece; and each other. But right now she wondered if that was enough, she knew Jean was financially stable, even without his commission he owned this land, he received rent from Rylan and had saved much of his earnings. But what would he be like without the musketeers? And his duties at the palace? Would he resent her for taking it from him?
She should have done a better job of hiding her feelings today but seeing the Queen, her belly swollen with the baby and asking Maggie to help her find its kicks had been like a kick in the gut. She had been toured through the new nursery and shown the various little clothes the Queen had already had made, should the baby be a boy or girl. Constance had given her a hand a reassuring squeeze when Maggie had tried to fade back but the woman had no idea that it was her surroundings and not her back that were hurting her.
But it wasn't worth Jean's career, she would adjust in time and it was not as though she was without a child. Jeanne and Marc were wonderful little ones, busy, inquisitive and oh so smart. And with the garrison and the children she was plenty busy to be thinking about another baby; if only she could get her heart on board with that.
"Stop worrying." Her husband's hand smoothed around her side, pulling her close to him. "It is not your fault, and we will have a fine life here."
"That is what you say now, but you have worked in that palace your whole life. I don't want you to have regrets." Maggie turned into him, letting him draw her up the stairs.
"My only regret is ruining another one of your dresses. The King needs a lesson on how he treats others, now he has one, and I am going to attend an issue he chose to neglect. It will be okay, I promise you that Maggie." He shook his head as he helped her out of it. "And don't worry about the King doing anything foolish, I was sixteen when I received my commission, the agreement has never been updated, I am well past my term of service. I left my uniform and all papers behind, he has no legal ground to recall or punish me and he will know it, however it is best we not leave France."
"Okay." Maggie murmured, the dress was easily fixable, but she still worried how her husband would feel in the morning and in a few days.
…
Anne was still in shock, at Maggie's back and the look in Treville's eyes, she had seen that fierce anger in his eyes, but it had never been directed at the King before; or at her. The look in his eyes had been cold fury and, in that moment, she realized he meant for her to never see her friend again.
Nervously she paced the main room of her quarters, waiting for Constance to return from the garrison. Her husband was in shock, he had retired to his own quarters and one of her maids reported that he had began drinking. Anne was scared, she knew her husband was and so were the musketeers.
The men had retreated to the garrison and she had sent Constance with them to learn what she could, but Anne could not wait patiently. Treville was not a rash man, he was patient, tolerant and even indulgent of Louis whims, what had pushed him to far this time? And was it her fault?
She had gone behind his back to send for Maggie today, Anne missed her and wanted her company. She'd had no idea Maggie's injuries were so severe, her friend had said nothing, but Anne had known she was uncomfortable.
Finally, the door opened, and Constance hurried in, Anne could tell it was bad by her eyes. "Are they at the garrison?"
"No, Anne." Constance drew her to the settee, her voice gentle. "No, there is more going on than I could tell you, I had hoped Maggie would confide in you herself."
"Where are they?" Anne demanded.
"I don't know, the men don't know for sure either; our best guess is they went to the estate. Treville spoke briefly to Athos as they left, said he would know how to find him and the only place the men know of is the estate near Maggie's brother." Constance spoke gently, but that reassured her, if the men knew where they were that meant in time she may be able to see Maggie again. "There is more, I couldn't tell you before, I only had suspicions and it was not my place."
"Tell me."
"When I went to check on Maggie, before we returned to Paris I met a woman in the village, I told her I was a friend of Maggie's and I needed direction to the estate house. She pointed the way but she made a comment that didn't make sense to me. She said how it was all such a shame, that a sweet little woman like Maggie deserved a whole house full of babies."
"She does." Anne frowned, Maggie was a wonderful and devoted mother, surely in time the young woman would have another.
"Anne that was not her meaning, I wasn't sure until Porthos told us today. When we were attacked on the road and Maggie was hurt; she was pregnant. They lost the child, Treville knew the day he captured the prisoners; he told Porthos when they rode to Paris. The woman in the village must have treated Maggie." There were tears in Constance's eyes and Anne felt her own throat tighten. "After very traumatic injuries I have heard of midwifes insisting a woman be careful about becoming pregnant, Maggie was pushed from a moving carriage and miscarried after; I had no idea how bad her back was. I think that was why Treville was keeping her at home."
"He was right to." She whispered quietly, no wonder Maggie hadn't seemed herself today and no wonder Treville had reacted so strongly, they had found his tipping point and it had been Maggie.
Anne remembered the days when the sight of a pregnant woman made her ache with emptiness and jealousy, but she had not lost a child because of another. If she had not stolen Maggie away from Treville that day the two would be celebrating a new child soon, or if the robbers had not been on the road maybe Maggie would have been telling them of her news today; instead of shaking in her husband's arms.
"What do we do? Louis will be lost without Treville; already he is drinking." Anne sighed as Constance shook her head.
"Right now, we should let them be." Constance said the last words she wanted to hear, but she knew, she knew her friend was right.
"Thank you, Constance, but now I need to try and speak to my husband." And that was going to be a challenge.
Anne knew how much Louis had been shocked this afternoon, Treville had been the one constant in his life since his father died. The soldier had defended his life countless times over the years, and in the past two had been a trusted and reliable confidant and advisor. Treville didn't play the political game, he was one of the only honest men in their court, he was loyal to the King and to France; and now he was gone.
Louis could be immature and rash, especially when he was drinking but even he knew they had no choice but to let Treville go. He had every right to resign his commission, any soldier did and as his promotions to minister had been given as orders based upon that position; and he had long since served his term. Treville knew many secrets of the court and had written a great deal of French policy and military strategy and Anne knew that he was still loyal to the military he had served. Anne figured that alone meant he would not leave France, and he would not take Maggie so far away.
She found her husband tucked away in his suite and well on his way to plastered. Anne sighed, moving to sit near him as he downed another glass of his liquor of choice. "What am I going to do without him?"
"You will keep going, you will lead France with everything Treville has given you over the years." Anne spoke gently.
"He can't leave me, he cannot leave." The man thrust his cup towards a servant and as the man refilled the cup again Anne took it, dismissing the servant with a nod.
"Louis I don't think he wanted to, I believe we drove him away, there was so much we didn't know; so much that they didn't tell us." And that was not unusual. "Really think Louis, I did and I know very little about Maggie and Treville's life, I don't know what they are doing on a day to day basis and I don't know what they are struggling with."
"It is not our concern, they work for us and while they are, they were our friends it does not matter." Louis swallowed back the drink.
"They lost a baby Louis, when Maggie was hurt she miscarried and now she can't have another. Louis we didn't know how bad her back was, but that wasn't why Treville was keeping her home." Anne held his hand, wondering if her husband understood what it meant for the couple.
"Your brother will be here within a week, if we go to war my minister for war will not match Treville. I want him here."
Finally, he leaned into her shoulder, silent and sad; his hand slid down to her belly. It was the first time he had reached to touch their child, either of their children when she was pregnant. He loved their son, loved him dearly but had been hesitant to know him for fear of loosing him; so far it had been much the same this time. Only now they had lost two key members of their support network.
