Chapter 29
Thérèse didn't bother to wait as Henry made his way through the unkempt gardens. She entered as soon as he turned his back. She smiled to herself for successfully keeping this a secret from everyone.
She walked towards the black brick wall and stared at it. The papers had to be here somewhere. Ah, she thought, but where? Which brick should she remove? She started to press them lightly to see which one of them was loose enough to move around.
She discovered that the third brick from the left moved the easiest and she began to pry it open when she heard what sounded like a thud off to her right. She turned towards the sound and saw a brick land at her feet. She heard another brick fall, then another.
For some reason, just at that moment, it quieted down.
Thérèse wasn't exactly sure what to do next. She had to get those papers. She pried the brick open a little more, stuck her hand in and felt around. It was a little hole but it was deep and she was able to feel something toward the back. She couldn't reach that far into it and tried to grab the front of the papers little by little.
She managed to get drag them out a little more when another brick fell. Thérèse tried to pull her hand out, but only got them part way. She couldn't hold on to the papers and keep her hand in there at the same time; the hole was too small. She tried to squeeze her hand out a little more, clutching the papers between her fingers.
When a whole wall came down opposite her, she knew that she had to get out of there.
The greenhouse had stood for twenty-five years and now it was crumbling, right before her eyes.
Thérèse managed to squeeze her hand out of the hole, cutting the side of her right hand in the process. She looked at it, the cut had been deep and she was bleeding badly.. She ran to the front door, forgetting all about the papers when she noticed Danielle's other shoe lying on the ground. She was starting to feel a little faint as she made it down the stone steps that led to the entranceway.
It was there she fell, unconscious, along with the old greenhouse going right behind her.
~~~~~~~
The Royal carriage was traveling as fast as it could go. Francis was impatient to see his wife and wanted to there to share some of the good news. He had found some papers hidden away that might help their cause a little. He smiled as he thought about it. Now his sister-in-law didn't have to go into that abandoned old greenhouse.
It was on its last legs anyway and looked as if it were on the verge of collapsing.
He smiled as they entered the driveway and drove up to the front door.
Francis and Phillippe got out and was helping Vivienne and Isabel out of the carriage, when they heard a huge crash toward the rear of the manor.
"Go on in," the King said to the three of them. "I'll catch up. I'm going to investigate."
Thérèse didn't bother to wait as Henry made his way through the unkempt gardens. She entered as soon as he turned his back. She smiled to herself for successfully keeping this a secret from everyone.
She walked towards the black brick wall and stared at it. The papers had to be here somewhere. Ah, she thought, but where? Which brick should she remove? She started to press them lightly to see which one of them was loose enough to move around.
She discovered that the third brick from the left moved the easiest and she began to pry it open when she heard what sounded like a thud off to her right. She turned towards the sound and saw a brick land at her feet. She heard another brick fall, then another.
For some reason, just at that moment, it quieted down.
Thérèse wasn't exactly sure what to do next. She had to get those papers. She pried the brick open a little more, stuck her hand in and felt around. It was a little hole but it was deep and she was able to feel something toward the back. She couldn't reach that far into it and tried to grab the front of the papers little by little.
She managed to get drag them out a little more when another brick fell. Thérèse tried to pull her hand out, but only got them part way. She couldn't hold on to the papers and keep her hand in there at the same time; the hole was too small. She tried to squeeze her hand out a little more, clutching the papers between her fingers.
When a whole wall came down opposite her, she knew that she had to get out of there.
The greenhouse had stood for twenty-five years and now it was crumbling, right before her eyes.
Thérèse managed to squeeze her hand out of the hole, cutting the side of her right hand in the process. She looked at it, the cut had been deep and she was bleeding badly.. She ran to the front door, forgetting all about the papers when she noticed Danielle's other shoe lying on the ground. She was starting to feel a little faint as she made it down the stone steps that led to the entranceway.
It was there she fell, unconscious, along with the old greenhouse going right behind her.
~~~~~~~
The Royal carriage was traveling as fast as it could go. Francis was impatient to see his wife and wanted to there to share some of the good news. He had found some papers hidden away that might help their cause a little. He smiled as he thought about it. Now his sister-in-law didn't have to go into that abandoned old greenhouse.
It was on its last legs anyway and looked as if it were on the verge of collapsing.
He smiled as they entered the driveway and drove up to the front door.
Francis and Phillippe got out and was helping Vivienne and Isabel out of the carriage, when they heard a huge crash toward the rear of the manor.
"Go on in," the King said to the three of them. "I'll catch up. I'm going to investigate."