Chapter 33

Richelieu had slept badly, churning his plan to scupper the King's Council over and over in his mind for most of the night. There was no doubt in his mind that the matter had come to a head and needed to be dealt with once and for all. There were matters of state and finance that needed to be addressed – the state of suspension could not continue much longer, whilst the King dithered over his latest pet project. Louis needed a push, and if that push gave light to other issues of interest, then so be it.

Why he cared at all about the dammed Musketeer's identity, he could not, or would not comprehend, but the man was a nuisance, and he was out of patience with hearing the swordsman's name. His old connection to Baron Brousard would have meant not one whit if Athos had not been mentioned; he would simply have told the man to go to the devil, but his curiosity had been peaked. Now he just wanted it over, so he could get rid of the permanent thorn in his side for good and clear up this wretched mess regarding state leadership.

Still, he could not ignore the fact that Treville's absence from the Garrison was intriguing. Could he have followed after his men? But why would he do so, even if Athos was his pet protégé? Something must have caused him to rush off so quickly. Interesting.

There was a gentle knock at the door, not the knock of a soldier. 'Come.'

The door eased open and Suzanne d'Angou sauntered into the room. Her cologne wafted around her person, and she gave the cardinal a leisurely curtsey combined with a cold smile.

In reality the two were made for each other.

'You sent for me Minister. I apologise for the delay, but your message did not reach me until the hour was late.' The cardinal waved her apology aside.

'No matter, sit.' She continued to smile despite the lack of courtesy in his manner.

'I need information, and I need it quickly. I do not care how you get it. I need to know why Captain Treville has left the Garrison in such a hurry.' He stared at her with an intense scrutiny that made her flesh crawl, but she showed no fear – in fact it was all she could do not to smirk in victory.

'Now there is an interesting question, and I may have some information which pertains to that already.' The Cardinal raised a brow and sat back in his chair.

'Pray continue.'

'Well, the day before yesterday, I had taken a respite in the gardens whilst the Queen attended to His Majesty. As I returned, I came across Madame Bonacieux.'

'Madame Bonacieux, how nice it is to see you, though if I may be so bold, you appear a little flustered and somewhat overburdened. May I offer some assistance?'

'Oh, My Lady, forgive me, I did not see you there.'

'It is hardly surprising, considering the bolts of fabric you are carrying. Here, let me take one for you.' Suzanne was not at all concerned for the young woman's comfort, but she knew the merchant's residence was close to the Garrison and who knew what information the woman might have. Little did she know how pertinent the conversation was to become.

'Oh please do not trouble yourself, I can manage quite well, it has simply been a trying day.'

Well it never hurt to take a leap. 'Do not tell me you have had to deal with those Musketeers.' Suzanne laughed gaily, rolling her eyes as she did so.

'How did you guess? They are the most trying bunch of men I have ever encountered.' Constance smiled, though the quality of her smile belied her remark.

'They have their redeeming qualities I think, some of them are very handsome. They enliven a tedious morning in court quite regularly, particularly Monsieur Aramis and Athos.' The two women entered the palace and made their way slowly up the staircase, clutching at their burdens as they went.

'They may well be, but it is still like dealing with a bunch of children. Aramis is just a charming rogue with a silky tongue and soft heart. Athos, well he is rather an enigma, but he is always polite and respectful.' Suzanne hid her frown behind the bolster of fabric. Luckily their burden and their skirts hampered their progress, giving her sufficient time for further interrogation.

'So what in particular has you so harried today?'

'Oh nothing out of the ordinary. Ripped shirts, torn cloaks – and that's just the brawling – lord knows what they will have if they return from fighting.'

'Oh dear, is there something sinister afoot?' Suzanne urged, feigning a mixture of ignorance and concern.

'I have no idea. Athos and his little band went out early this morning, I heard them charging through the town just after dawn. I went to the Garrison a short while ago to return some items to the Captain. His office was strewn with maps and something must have upset him, for he cursed Athos quite vociferously, and stormed from the room without even noting my presence. Men! They are all the same.'

'They are simple creatures I find. Though as you say, Monsieur Athos does appear a little more complex,' Suzanne sympathised.

'Well, complex or not, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when the Captain catches up to him.'

'Oh dear, the Captain was going after his errant cub was he?' Suzanne tittered.

'So it would seem. Poor Athos, in trouble again,' Constance laughed. 'Well, thank you for your assistance, my Lady, I can manage from here.' With that the young woman took back the extra fabric and walked backward through the doorway to Queen Anne's apartments, leaving Suzanne to mull over the information she had garnered.

Richelieu steepled his fingers, a sure sign he was thinking. 'Well done, my Lady, I could not have asked for the information any quicker. How fortunate a meeting that proved to be.'

Suzanne smiled, her expression almost as savage as that of her mentor. 'Is it what you wanted to know your eminence?'

'It would seem Treville finally put the pieces together and joined all of the dots. I suspect he suddenly realised why Athos was so eager to help the King with his highway robbery problem.' The First Minister sniggered. 'A little slow, but our moralising Captain usually gets there in the end. Still, it is interesting that he felt the need to follow. I wonder what else he knows?'

'Perhaps it had something to do with the fire.'

'Fire, oh yes, at the Garrison. What of it?' The Cardinal's eyes narrowed. 'Speak!'

Suzanne could not help but scowl at his barked order but controlled her features as quickly as she was able. 'Well, I do not know for sure, but the cadet who went with them, the one I believe is there at your behest? He was not originally assigned to the mission, but Captain Giroux told him to make sure he found a way to replace the cadet already assigned to the job. I discovered that during the chaos of the blaze; when the cadet fell and broke his arm, Dubois offered to go in his place.' She let the inference hang in the air and watched the older man's reaction closely. One could never be sure if the information they imparted would be well received or simply enrage the man's fury.

'Well, well, it would seem Captain Giroux is a lot more far-sighted than I would have given the man credit for. Yes, I could see how events might set a train of thought going in Treville's head. Pity we do not have a contact in the area. Leave it with me, my dear, I will give it some thought. You have done well.' He threw a small but weighty bag of coins across the table and the woman's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. She rose from her chair and secreted the bag amongst her petticoats.

'Your Grace.' Curtseying, she made her way out of the office, grinning like the cat that ate the cream.

ooOoo

Porthos had watched over Dubois until the early hours of the morning, when Aramis had relieved him. None of the men had rested in the bedrooms above, all of them preferring to remain close to the injured man, and Athos, still sleeping in the room along the corridor.

The cadet's temperature had remained steady but he was still too warm – though not terrifyingly so. Dubois whimpered occasionally, but the potion Aramis had given him earlier had put him back into a deep and hopefully, healing sleep. However, the medic held little confidence that the young man would pull through, suspecting the injuries were too severe and too deep to be detected.

Treville and Porthos were beginning to rise, stretching their aching limbs, resulting from their awkward slumber.

When the door opened, all eyes turned as one. Athos stood in the entrance, hair and shirt still damp but tucked in his breeches. He appeared to have frozen, taking their expressions in one-by-one.

Aramis smiled at once. 'I take it you found the water then?' They were all familiar with Athos' habit of rallying himself after a heavy night.

'If I'd known what he was goin' to do with it, I'd 'ave filled a bucket. For the sake of that nice 'ousekeeper, I 'ope you did it outside,' Porthos scowled, though his eyes clearly registered that his anxiety was over his friend's state of mind, not the carpet.

As for Treville, he merely scowled at his wayward Musketeer, but Athos knew out of all of them the story had been no surprise, and that his Captain's annoyance had nothing to do with Athos' declaration, but his most recent subterfuge.

It eased the tightness in his chest to see the looks of concern in his brothers' eyes, despite their banter. There was no evidence of judgement or scorn, and he let out a breath of relief.

Athos' lips twitched. 'I would never upset Madame Reynard,' he retorted. Porthos huffed, but could not hold back his smile.

Athos scowled and walked closer. 'How is he?'

Aramis sighed and shook his head. 'I would be lying if I said he was better. He is quiet because he is heavily drugged. Though the wound does not show infection, which is a miracle in itself, I cannot say his chances are good. The path of the bullet was complicated and must have done considerable damage before it exited.'

They all looked down on the sleeping Dubois in silence.

'Interestin' thing though,' grumbled the big Musketeer. 'I looked at your pistol last night, you said it jammed. Well it was soaked with wine! Though it had begun to dry out, it would not have fired.' They all looked at Athos.

The swordsman shook his head and groaned. 'The boy!' Understanding dawned slowly on the face of his two friends; of course, Treville remained ignorant of the event.

'What boy?' the Captain demanded, somewhat tired of being kept in the dark.

'In the tavern in Anet, a small boy bumped into our table just before we left. There was a lot of spilled drink.' Aramis explained.

'And 'e made a lot of fuss patting you down,' Porthos added, looking at Athos. They all considered the boy's actions and their consequences.

'He should not have thrown me his pistol,' Athos ground out. 'I had a spare, it would not have mattered. He should have taken his own shot.' He ran his hands through his damp hair in anguish.

'He panicked!' Treville stated. The man felt responsible for sending the boy with his men, but he had been angry and consumed by the after effects of the fire. Still, that was no excuse. 'I should not have sent him.'

'It was not your fault,' Athos replied. 'I do not know why he joined the regiment, but he did not want to be a soldier, he was simply following his father's orders.'

'Odd though, especially as he was not a younger son, but the heir to his father's title,' Aramis mused.

''E placed 'imself in this position. If 'e 'adn't pushed Trousseau, then 'e wouldn't 'ave been with us.'

All four men gazed at each other in silent recognition of the blunt truth of Porthos' statement.

'So why was he really here? I, for one, am tired of waiting for something to happen. I think it is time we went on the offensive,' Athos announced, delivering the declaration with his full hauteur. His friends and Captain could not disguise their relief at having the competent and plotting Athos returned to them, especially following the horrors of the night before –horrors they had no intention of ever mentioning again, unless they were forced to do so.

ooOoo

Peloir and Jobin had experienced an interesting night. Eventually, they had made their way toward the manor to see for themselves just what was happening up at the château. Jobin wished he had not imbibed quite so much, though the frigid air had soon put him to rights and, apart from feeling tired and heavy-limbed, he could manage. Peloir had drunk very little. He had laughed and smiled and poured wine for others, but had remained in control, all the time thinking hard.

'I don't remember the house being so far away,' Jobin whined.

'That's because you weren't so drunk and fat then,' his friend bit back, forging his way through the rain and stumbling every now and then in the complete darkness.

'Perhaps we should wait, it's not exactly as if we can see further than our feet.'

'Stop bleating, this is perfect weather to have a good look around. Everyone will be asleep, and the wind will cover any noise.' The two men trudged on in silence until the house began to take shape before them.

'There's lights on,' Jobin pointed out in surprise.

'Mm, so the rumours were true, there is someone staying at the manor. Now isn't that interesting.'

'Well we were expecting him to turn up, weren't we?'

'Didn't mean he was going to come here though did it? And we weren't absolutely sure, we only had Giroux's word.' The men stood watching the dimly-lit windows for any signs of life. Once or twice they thought they saw a large shadow pass behind one of the downstairs lighted windows, but it was fleeting and impossible to make out for sure.

Just as they considered moving a closer, a figure dashed from around the corner of the building. They watched in surprise as he stood for a minute, before heading just as swiftly toward the stables. They looked at one another, confounded by the sudden appearance. But that was nothing to their expressions when a woman in a long cloak followed in the man's footsteps.

'Come on, something's going on,' Peloir whispered, leading his friend in the wake of the disappearing figures.

They crept across the grounds with as much speed as they dared, keeping their distance from the woman in the cloak. As they reached the stable yard, the man had already disappeared, but the woman was peering at something through the stable window. She didn't stand there for long, and with a glance around her she slunk into the darkness of the structure with as much stealth as a hunting cat.

'What on earth are they all doing in the stables?' Jobin asked in puzzlement, watching the strange scenario play out before them.

'Well he's obviously gone inside, and she is watching him,' Peloir answered his friend in irritation.

'So, she's watching him, we're watching them. Who do you think is watching us?' the befuddled man asked, looking warily over his shoulder.

'Don't be stupid, how many people can be that interested, there are already more than enough.' But it did not stop him from imitating his partner and looking around him with growing trepidation.

ooOoo

Richelieu walked into the large room feeling his insides churning with excitement and a hint of trepidation. He loved nothing more than setting a plan in motion, but the King was a volatile soul and could not always be relied upon to act in the manner required. This was going to take a great deal of careful handling. Perhaps he should have included Rochefort in his plan, but he would rather keep the young man in the dark for now.

It was obvious at first glance that the King was not in the best of moods. He had just heard some whining complaint about a land boundary and was bored already.

'Cardinal, so good of you to join us.' The young man gave his First Minister a scathing look and Richelieu bowed low.

'Forgive me, Your Highness, there seems to be many matters of state that beg my attention of late and they require much time and consideration.'

The man who had been addressing the King stood and shifted from foot to foot, clearly in a state of nervous agitation. Louis suddenly remembered he was there and shooed him away.

'Someone make the other man give this man his field and tell him if he does not, he will languish in the Bastille at my leisure.' Someone scurried to take a note of the King's decision and the grateful Lord was hurried away even as he offered his thanks.

'Day after day, after day, I have to listen to these petty squabbles. Why do I have to listen Cardinal, tell me, why?'

'Because you are the King, Your Majesty.' Richelieu took a deep breath and took his chance. '…and because you have no current council to deal with such matters on your behalf.' He gazed on the young monarch with a mixture of sympathy and censure, an inference the King did not miss.

'Yes, I knew you would say that. You always tell me what is wrong, but you never put it right!' Louis stamped his foot, and the Cardinal recognised the early signs of a full-blown tantrum. He eased himself closer to the scowling King, ensuring his words would not carry to the surrounding courtiers, most of whom had glided further away with as much stealth and grace as they could muster; they were only too happy to be ignored and hopefully leave the room unscathed.

Richelieu continued – time to lay the cat before the pigeons. 'It is a great pity you have not found the combination of wisdom and youth you were seeking. It would seem the nobility does not throw up such a combination. If only they could have the same experience and view of the world as some of your other advisors, like your Musketeer Athos. You appear to value his opinion, and if only he were of noble birth, the like of him would have been exactly what you seek.' The Cardinal's blood thrummed through his veins; would the King take the bait?

Louis sat very still, considering the First Minister's words. Richelieu watched the emotions warring with each other on the King's face. The man was easier to read than a book.

'Is Athos still away from the Garrison?' Gone now was the King's ire, and instead an almost childish glee had taken its place.

'I am afraid so, Sire.'

'Do we know where he is?'

'Possibly, he could be traced.'

The King clapped his hands. 'Then bring him here to me. Quickly.' He jumped from his chair and taking the hand of the Queen, hurried from the room. Anne looked over her shoulder in concern, only to note the smug look of satisfaction upon the Cardinal's face.

Rochefort sidled up to the First Minister. 'I would applaud if we were not in public. That was brilliantly done, your eminence.'

Richelieu considered feigning ignorance but decided against it. 'If Athos is more than he appears to be, we will find out. The King realises the wisdom of my words and thinks I have just solved all his problems. It will be fascinating to see the Musketeer get out of this gilded trap.

ooOoo

The four men sat around the fire after finishing a first-rate breakfast, at which even Athos had picked at some bread and cheese.

'Tell me again why you wanted to be a Musketeer?' Porthos ribbed his friend as he wiped the remains of his food away with a chunk of soft bread.

Apart from a sideways glare Athos ignored him.

'Captain, I appreciate your following us, but I merely wanted to establish there was nothing obviously amiss on… my lands.' The words came out with an obvious reluctance, and they all waited to see if Treville would give his man a dressing down.

'Why the hell did you not just tell me? I would have agreed in the end, but… 'He did not finish the sentence. They all knew what he had failed to utter: I would not have sent Dubois to keep an eye on you. Though the words had not been spoken aloud they echoed around the room like thunder, causing Athos to flinch. Aramis eyed his Captain with a plea for mercy; if Dubois died, Athos did not need any more guilt.

Treville sighed. 'What do you suggest we do now?'

'I cannot go to the village, I do not want to be seen there. I am sure there are enough rumours already circulating without making them a certainty. Aramis and Porthos, go to the village and make the same enquiries we made in Anet – if word gets around it will not appear out of the ordinary that you would do so.' He gave a sly smile. 'You can say you have permission to stay at the manor.'

'What will you do?' came Porthos' suspicious bark. He would not move a muscle until he knew what Athos had planned.

'Someone needs to watch Dubois.' He turned to the Captain. 'I think you should return to the Garrison… Captain… I thank you for your concern as I said, but I believe you are needed in Paris.' He locked eyes with Treville, and the Captain scrutinised his men in turn.

'I will wait to see what Aramis and Porthos dig up in the village, then I will make my decision.'

Athos did not push his request any further but bowed his head in agreement.

When Aramis and Porthos had left, Treville walked to the window and gazed out at the cold landscape. Despite the weak sunshine the day was freezing.

Athos stood by his side, knowing the man was simply waiting to say what was on his mind.

'Who warned you Athos, who started the fire at the Garrison?'

Athos straightened his shoulders, his posture rigid. His face was a complete blank, but for once he could not keep his thoughts from showing in his eyes.

'For God's sake, Athos, I knew it!' Treville wiped his hands across his face and shook his head in dismay.

Athos gazed out across the frozen distance. Was she out there? Or had it been just her ghost and his fevered imagination, that had floated through the twilight morning in the phantom mists of the dawn?