Jacqueline's Dilemma by Emma - Part Twenty-One
As Jacqueline rode through the woods she could barely see a thing. Darkness was quickly falling and the tears were still coming fast, blinding her. She had been riding for over an hour now and had no idea where she was or where she was heading. All that she knew was that the palace was nowhere in sight, exactly the way she wanted it. She was unable to concentrate on anything other than the picture that she had formed in her mind of Marguerite and Antoine together.
Her wonderful, perfect Antoine had been proved to be no more than a man, despite her conviction that he was a gift, sent to her from God. What could he have possibly seen in Marguerite? He was so witty and charming and she was so vapid. What could they have possibly talked about?
Jacqueline had been playing an imaginary conversation between them in her mind.
Marguerite would be snuggled up to him and would say something like: 'Tell me how wonderful I am again.'
He would reply with: 'You milady, are the most beautiful creature I ever beheld.'
'More beautiful than Sabine?'
'Yes.'
'And Eloise?'
'And Jacqueline?'
'Of course, that fat cow could never compare to you. You know what they say about her at court.'
'What?"
'That she only goes for the food.' The two of them would then laugh and kiss.
No matter how badly these thoughts tortured Jacqueline, she could not get them out of their mind. It was no more than she deserved though. She had allowed herself to believe in a better life. In a love that was solely hers. She had caused the damage by allowing herself to lose sight of reality whilst she was trapped in her little cloud of love.
How could she have been so wrong in judging his character? She had spent so much time with him, how could she not know what he was? Sabine had made it perfectly clear that he had entertained many lovers in his time. Was this his method of seduction? Promises of love and marriage to make a lady forget her virtue. Had he been through this sham with Marguerite? Was she just his latest target? Just another courtier to seduce and discard. For all she loved him, the feeling of hatred towards the man she had pledged to spend her life with, were overwhelming.
Suddenly a fox appeared in the road. Her horse reared up and she was thrown from the saddle, to the ground. Fortunately the ground was soft due to the last fall of rain. Nothing was hurt but her feelings; injured but her pride; broken but her heart. She pulled herself out of the mud to her feet. Her horse had disappeared into the woods and she was left alone. She began to walk along the boggy path, still crying.
She had no idea where she was going to go, without money or a horse, she was pretty much stranded in the woods. She had to find somewhere to shelter. She did not like the idea of being alone in this place after dark. perhaps she could find a farm and take shelter in a barn or something, just until the next morning.
Just beyond the trees she could see some sort of orchard. She moved closer so that she could get a better look. She moved back again almost instantly. She would know the manor vineyards anywhere. She had ridden through every inch of this property and would know it blindfold. She
had no desire to go back to the manor though. Not now. Returning would require her to do some explaining and she did not think that she could go through that. Also seeing the place where she had fallen in love would cause her nothing but pain.
So she carried on walking down the path, away from the manor. The love she felt for Antoine was still as strong as ever, but she was overwhelmed with a hatred for him, which love could not make her ignore. What he had done was a terrible thing and he had to be punished for it, she knew that. However she knew that her love would eventually upset her anger. What she wouldn't give to be back in that state of ignorance with Antoine perfect again and by her side. If he would stay with her then she would not mind a lifetime of lies, just so long as they could be together.
She knew though that it would not have been that way. He would have probably left her as he had the others, taking her pride with him. If he had asked her, she would have given him anything and that included her virtue. She had been and was still so blinded by love anything he wanted
would have been his. She had to count herself lucky that she had found out before she had lost more than she could possibly gain back.
As she walked, she heard a rustling in the trees nearby. There was something watching her. She could hear the breathing but she could not see it. It seemed like it was larger than most of the creatures that would usually be found in those woods.
"Who's there?" she called. There was no answer. "Show yourself," she commanded. Still there was no reply. "Please come out. As you see I have no weapon and I have nothing to take." She suddenly saw a flash of something moving in the trees and before she knew it, a child darted out of the bushes and ran off. She quickly pursued the child. She wasn't sure why. It just seemed as if that is what she should do.
For something so small this child was quick and it was not long before Jacqueline had lost it. It had probably dived into the woods again. Probably scared of her. Suddenly she felt something small and hard hit the top of her head. "Ow!" she cried, looking up. The child who she had been
chasing was now up in a high tree with an armful of chestnuts. "What did you do that for?" she cried, looking hard at the child.
It was a little girl. She could only have been about eight. What on Earth was she doing in the woods alone? She threw down another chestnut. This time it struck Jacqueline on the shoulder. "Will you stop that?" Jacqueline called. The child pouted.
"Why don't you come down?" Jacqueline asked. She was nervous about the little girl being up such a high tree. Also those nuts could not do any damage when down on the ground.
She seemed to ponder this idea before scrambling off her branch and down the trunk. She landed about a foot away from Jacqueline. They looked at each other for a minute. This was a beautiful child. Her hair was long and thick, her eyes dark like the chestnuts she was throwing and her skin a wonderful olive colour.
"You're not a gypsy!" She said bluntly.
"That's right, are you a gypsy" Jacqueline replied. The little girl nodded. that explained why she was alone in the woods. It also meant that the rest of the band were not far away.
"What's your name?"
"Jacqueline."
"Jacqueline," she mused. "Like Danielle's sister." Jacqueline was taken aback by this. This must be a member of the band who Danielle had befriended those months ago.
"What is your name?"
"My papa said that I shouldn't talk to strangers in the woods. Not everyone is as honest as the gypsies."
"But I'm not a stranger," Jacqueline said. "I'm a friend." She crouched down beside the girl and held her hand out in friendship. The girl looked at it, before placing her little hand in Jacqueline's outstretched palm.
"I'm Esmerelda," she said. "Do you want to walk with me?" Jacqueline nodded. The two set off along the path again. "Why were you crying back there?"
"You were watching me?" Jacqueline asked. The little girl blushed and nodded. "Why?"
"I wanted to know why such a pretty lady was on her own in the woods. What would a pretty lady like you have to cry about?"
"It was nothing," Jacqueline replied.
"No it wasn't," Esmerelda said. "If it was nothing you wouldn't have cried like that." Jacqueline just looked at her. Were all children this observant?
"Esmerelda, can you keep a secret?" She nodded, an excited glint in her eye. "I'm running away from somebody."
"Like Henry is always doing." When she said this there was a gleam in her eyes. Jacqueline had the feeling that the Danielle had some competition for Henry's affection. "Why did you want to run away?"
"There was somebody there, who had done something bad and I did not want to see him anymore."
"Was he your husband?"
"No he was not. Why do you ask?"
"When my sister ran away it was because she didn't want to see her husband anymore. I was glad, he was horrible."
"He was not my husband."
"But you did love him though. I know that."
"How do you know that?"
"I just know. I'm good at that. Mama said that one day I will matchmake the whole band." Jacqueline was astounded that such a little child could have such a knowledge of the intricacies of love. "He must have done something very bad indeed if you are running away. Nobody who is as in love as you are runs away without it being very bad."
"Yes it was," a voice from behind them said. They both spun round to see Captain Laurent, holding his own horse and the one which had escaped from Jacqueline.
"Marc!" Esmerelda said running up to him. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. He received her warmly. She then suddenly drew away and looked at him sternly. "Why have you and Henry and Danielle and Steven and Hélène not been to see us?"
"We have all been very busy at the palace. We have had visitors."
"Well I think you have all been very rude and you should all come and say sorry as soon as possible."
"Quite right milady."
"Have you come to take Jacqueline back to the palace?"
"How did you know I had run away from the palace?"
"I just knew. I think you should go back and talk to him. It can't have been that bad and you'll miss out if you don't. You only have one soul-mate you know. I though Henry would have told you that, I've told him enough times." She then disappeared back into the woods.
"So you've met Esmerelda." Laurent said. "The Gypsies own Cupid."
"Yes. She's a remarkable child."
"She is that." Jacqueline was pondering what Esmerelda had said as Marc talked.
"Prince Henry has asked me to ask you to return to the manor for your safety." Marc did not want her to go back to the palace. He did not want Polignac trying to worm his way out of what he had done. If he ever had a chance to put him out of the picture and give himself a chance, this was it.
"I do not wish to go back to the manor. There are too many memories there." Laurent could see the hurt in her eyes. She really had been in love. "Tell me Marc, be honest. What did Antoine do when I left?" He desperately wanted to lie and say that he had done nothing, but he could not.
"He ran after you, but the princess stopped him. He wanted to talk to you." Tears were forming in her eyes. Laurent recognised the tenderness behind them on hearing news of her beloved. At this moment he realised that he had no chance. The best thing he could do was to ensure that Jacqueline was happy. "Perhaps, you should do as Esmerelda says."
"What?" Jacqueline said.
"Go back and talk to him. I don't think it is all that bad."
"Not that bad!"
"Milady, do not imagine that he is alone in what he has done. There are many in the guard who have the same appetites as he and many have gone on the be good husbands. Do not delude yourself into thinking that you will ever find a man who is a saint, because they do not exist. We all have feet of clay"
"So you think I should give him another chance?"
"I think you should listen to him. You do not want to miss out do you. I think you might get a pleasant surprise if you give him the chance to talk." Jacqueline smiled and took her horse.
"Thankyou Marc." She kissed him on the cheek and mounted her steed. "I think you ought to go and make that visit you promised now. I will be alright." With that she galloped off, back to the palace, and maybe , back to happiness.
