Chapter 26
King Francis paced the floor of the Audience Chamber. Three times he was kept from his journey. Three times!!!
It was the same group of people all three times and of course, they had to be from his wife's side of the family.
"Your children, as I seem to have understood, are missing?" he said, stopping long enough to notice Vivienne's tapping toes.
"And I suppose you have no idea where they are and you want me to help you find them?"
"Your Majesty, forgive me, but.."
"Oh stop with the 'Your Majesty' crap, Phillippe. You always use that expression when you want to get on my good side or talk me into something. That's how you and your charming toe tapping wife got me to agree on selecting Marguerite Françoise Louise de Ghent as my new daughter in law. Well, that really didn't work out at all now, did it?"
He shot his eyes angrily at Vivienne "And you wanted me to approve of Adrienne, didn't you?" He was staring at her foot now, watching it move up and down, up and down, up and..
"Vivienne, please, can't you control that foot of yours?"
Vivienne looked at him and without a word the foot miraculously stopped.
"Now," The King said, turning his attention back to Phillippe. "I have an idea where they might be after all."
"And where might that be, Francis?"
The King smiled. "My, Phillippe, you honestly don't know? Why the de Barbarac manor, of course."
"Oh, of course," Phillippe repeated, shaking his head. "Now why didn't I realize this? And what would our darling charges be doing there, pray tell?"
Francis shrugged. "How would I know, du Bois? I am just a King, not a wizard." He shook his head was about to say something else when a page entered the room with a letter in his hand.
"For you, Sire. I am told it is a matter of some urgency."
Francis took the note, tore it open, threw his head back and laughed. He looked at the three of them and held up the note. "This is in response to my earlier note. My wife confirmed my suspicions. The children are there, including Henry. I will join my wife there and invite you to do the same. Do you accept?"
Phillippe looked at him. "Is this an order, Francis?"
"Perhaps," Francis said, "Depends on how you look at it, but we do have much to discuss and I would like to lay it out before you, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, Francis, and maybe it will be you who is enlightened."
The King shook his head and laughed.
"We shall see. Come, we are late already."
King Francis paced the floor of the Audience Chamber. Three times he was kept from his journey. Three times!!!
It was the same group of people all three times and of course, they had to be from his wife's side of the family.
"Your children, as I seem to have understood, are missing?" he said, stopping long enough to notice Vivienne's tapping toes.
"And I suppose you have no idea where they are and you want me to help you find them?"
"Your Majesty, forgive me, but.."
"Oh stop with the 'Your Majesty' crap, Phillippe. You always use that expression when you want to get on my good side or talk me into something. That's how you and your charming toe tapping wife got me to agree on selecting Marguerite Françoise Louise de Ghent as my new daughter in law. Well, that really didn't work out at all now, did it?"
He shot his eyes angrily at Vivienne "And you wanted me to approve of Adrienne, didn't you?" He was staring at her foot now, watching it move up and down, up and down, up and..
"Vivienne, please, can't you control that foot of yours?"
Vivienne looked at him and without a word the foot miraculously stopped.
"Now," The King said, turning his attention back to Phillippe. "I have an idea where they might be after all."
"And where might that be, Francis?"
The King smiled. "My, Phillippe, you honestly don't know? Why the de Barbarac manor, of course."
"Oh, of course," Phillippe repeated, shaking his head. "Now why didn't I realize this? And what would our darling charges be doing there, pray tell?"
Francis shrugged. "How would I know, du Bois? I am just a King, not a wizard." He shook his head was about to say something else when a page entered the room with a letter in his hand.
"For you, Sire. I am told it is a matter of some urgency."
Francis took the note, tore it open, threw his head back and laughed. He looked at the three of them and held up the note. "This is in response to my earlier note. My wife confirmed my suspicions. The children are there, including Henry. I will join my wife there and invite you to do the same. Do you accept?"
Phillippe looked at him. "Is this an order, Francis?"
"Perhaps," Francis said, "Depends on how you look at it, but we do have much to discuss and I would like to lay it out before you, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, Francis, and maybe it will be you who is enlightened."
The King shook his head and laughed.
"We shall see. Come, we are late already."