What's in a Name?

Chapter 10

On the Eve of a Great Day

"Well, well, gentlemen," they heard, breaking them out of what sleep they actually found. "I couldn't believe the news when I heard the two of you were finally in a cell where you belong."

Without moving, D'Artagnan asked, "Did you leave a wake-up call, Aramis?"

"It wasn't me." Opening his eyes a bit, he looked up to see Cardinal Mazarin standing there, smirking. "I would have asked for someone much prettier."

D'Artagnan shifted his position on the bench, yawning, "Then maybe he'll go away and come back when he's better looking."

Mazarin stood watching the two, the hatred showing in his expression. "I see age hasn't changed your attempts at humor, or lack thereof."

"Give us a few minutes; I'm sure it will get better." Sitting upright, D'Artagnan ran his hand through his hair, attempting to wake up. "What do you want, Monseigneur?"

"The guards told me you know the whereabouts of a certain fugitive, Jacqueline Roget." He glanced at one man, then the other, trying to detect a reaction to the name. Noticing none, he continued, "Seeing that you were once servants of the King, I have no doubt that you will be more than happy to impart that information to me."

"Well, as we still consider ourselves to be servants of our King, we will be happy to give any information we have about anything to the King; and as you are certainly not him…"

"Ah, amusing, but the King is currently indisposed; and, since the crime was committed against my guard, I must insist that you tell me all you know about her. It could make your stay here much shorter."

"But you see, Your Eminence," D'Artagnan glared back at him, "that is the reason for our visit to the castle in the first place: to get an audience with the King, not you. So, if you would be so kind as to tell him we are here…"

"As I have already said, the King is indisposed."

"I don't think he'd be too busy to see us. And if he is, we will be happy to wait until he can."

Aramis had remained in his position on the bench letting his eyes travel from his friend to the one he long considered an enemy, studying him, as he listened to the exchange, content to let the younger Gascon do the talking. And as always, the Gascon was more than willing to rally to the occasion without his help.

"I want to know where she is," said Mazarin, the ire very clear in his voice. Dealing with the Musketeers always brought out his anger, but having to put up with these two made it much worse, bringing back years of hatred.

"Why is that? Can't find a date for the weekend?"

"You are trying my patience, D'Artagnan." Attempting to remain in control of his temper, Mazarin concentrated on his quest. "You know where she is, so why don't you just make it easy on all of us."

"Neither of us said anything to the guards about knowing where she is. We merely said ---"

"I know what you said; the guards have filled me in on everything ---"

"Good, then you know what I said about being arrested by a bunch of ---"

"Yes, I heard that too." Mazarin sighed. "I see this is getting us nowhere. Perhaps a night or two in here will make you more talkative."

"I think we were talking just fine, and we'll be much more talkative to the King. The help here has really gotten bad, when a Musketeer can't even get a simple message delivered to the King."

"Ex-Musketeer."

"Once a Musketeer, always a Musketeer."

"How noble. Good night, gentlemen," Mazarin said as he turned and walked out the door, telling the guard quietly to stay there and listen to anything the two might say.

As the door closed and the key turned in the lock again, Aramis looked to his friend. "He certainly takes up from where Richelieu left off, but with a totally different agenda." Smiling, he continued quietly, "And I had imagined retirement would be uneventful. I should have known better. What do you suggest now, a prison break?"

D'Artagnan pondered this for a moment. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea. In the old days there wouldn't have been a problem, but things aren't like they were then."

"There is a Cardinal controlling the King, a lady needing rescued, and injustices being done. It doesn't sound all that different." Aramis stopped for a minute, thinking, "But as you say, it might not be the best idea. Do you remember the events before the battle of La Rochelle?"

"How could I forget? But it all managed to work out then."

"As I'm sure it will all work out now; we'll just have to wait. He's bound to come looking for us, you know."

"I don't think he's very happy with us right now."

"But he is your son. And as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

The elder D'Artagnan laughed at the thought. They both then fell into silence, wondering how long it would take for the son to be over being angry with them and actually come looking for them. Neither thought it would be for a while yet. They were both right and wrong.

"Have either of you seen my father or Aramis?" D'Artagnan had just walked into the lab, having spent at least a couple of hours searching town. Not having found any sign of his two elders, he was teetering on anger at them for disappearing or actually being worried that something could have happened to them.

Ramon stared at him in awe. "Aramis? THE Aramis? You mean he is here too? This is amazing! Having both of them here, together! At the same time!" Hardly being able to contain himself, his mind was already starting to think of a new rhapsody to mark the occasion.

"Do we get to meet him?" Siroc asked, showing his excitement as much as Ramon, as he stared at his friend.

"Well, you can -- if I can ever find them."

"You mean they are missing?" Ramon asked, concern growing in his expression, mirrored by Siroc's.

"I've looked all over town; no one has seen either of them since lunch." D'Artagnan sat down on the corner of Siroc's table, at a loss to what else he should do, if anything at all. He found himself wishing that Jacqueline hadn't left for parts unknown to him; she had a way of helping him think clearly.

"Could they have gone with Jacques? Did he not leave also?" Ramon asked, remembering the events of earlier.

"No, I know they didn't go with Jacques; besides, their horses are still here." Wondering if this could have anything to do with his getting angry at them when he'd spoken to them, he tried to remember what the two men had been saying at the Café. A small sense of panic washed over him; could it be that they were planning some type of surprise for him for tomorrow? If so, D'Artagnan wondered if he could beg Duval to keep him on duty or give him a mission instead.

"They may have gone to the Palace. Did you check there?" Siroc asked, trying to deduce where else the two legends could have gone on foot.

"Si, I bet the two of them have been entertaining the King all this time. He does love to hear the old stories, as do we all." Ramon's gestures were becoming animated again as his excitement grew.

D'Artagnan rolled his eyes at that but couldn't disagree with him. That probably was indeed where they had been all afternoon. He was beginning to feel that Aramis was purposely avoiding him; putting off the talk he had promised. Well, he thought, if that was where they were then far-be-it for him to interrupt them; at least he didn't have to sit and listen to the stories again.

"Are you going to go see if that is where they are?" Siroc asked, hoping that he and Ramon could accompany their friend to the Palace.

"No. I'm sure that's where they probably are. I guess I'll just have to wait until they get back."

"Where did Jacques go anyway?" Siroc wondered.

"I don't know, he didn't say, just that he'd be gone for a few hours." D'Artagnan had been wondering that all afternoon as well. Whatever the reason was, it had seemed important to her.

"I hope it is to see a girl, mi amigo. He is starting to worry me. And after hearing the two of you earlier…he needs someone to interest him," Ramon stated.

D'Artagnan smiled a little, knowing that that was not the case. Or was it? Not meeting up with a girl, but with another man? Could she have…..no, he thought. He would have gotten some indication from her if that was the case, he was sure. And last time she had had a love interest she would sneak off after dark. His smile faded into concern as he pondered this. But the circumstances then were different, much different. Once again he could feel panic rising within him. No, he told himself, he would not let the panic get to him; they had grown close as friends, he would know if she...

"You know, D'Artagnan," Siroc started, "about earlier. I just want to say…"

D'Artagnan looked up toward the lab window as he saw Jacqueline's head pass by it. "Jacques."

Hearing her name being called, she backed up a few steps and looked in the window she had just passed by, trying to keep hidden the items she carried.

"We were just talking about you," Siroc stated.

Jacqueline looked from one man to another curiously, wondering why they had been discussing her. Now what, she thought. But not having time to find out lest they see that she had her hands full, she quickly told them, "Not now," and hurried off to her quarters with her bundle.

"What's with him?" Siroc asked, his mind wondering why two of his friends had been acting so strangely lately. I must be missing something, he thought.

Grinning, Ramon added his thought on the matter, "Maybe his lady friend has given him a few…remembrances…to bring back with him that he does not want us to see."

Siroc raised his brows thinking, a small grin on his lips. It seemed a pretty good explanation, and would mean that his worry about Jacques was unfounded.

Only D'Artagnan stood speechless, still wondering what she had been up to. It was plain she was hiding something, but what. This whole day had been odd, he thought. His father and Aramis just disappearing, Jacqueline leaving and coming back with something she didn't want anyone to see, and all on the eve of his birthday. This did not bode well for him, he thought. And all he really wanted for his birthday was a quiet day alone with the woman he loved, and to hear a simple yes from her. He sighed and decided to go find out what she was up to.

As he walked out of the lab, leaving behind Ramon and Siroc's chuckles and guesses as to what the 'lady friend' had sent home with 'their boy', Jacqueline was busy in her quarters with her quest.

"How am I supposed to wrap this up? My father never had trouble doing it." Jacqueline sat on the edge of her bed, struggling with the large piece of fabric her father had always used, laying it out on top of the bed. It had been years since her father had even shown it to her and Gerard and she couldn't remember how he'd done it. No matter how she tried to wrap it up, it was obvious what it was; some surprise that would be.

Hearing a knock on the door, she quickly jumped up and grabbed a coverlet and threw it over everything on the bed, just as D'Artagnan opened the door and popped his head in.

"Hey Jacques, are you busy?" he said, taking note of her sudden movement. Curiously he walked in and closed the door behind him. "What are you doing?"

Trying to act casually, she replied, "Nothing."

"Then what's that?" he asked, nodding toward the bed.

Looking behind her, afraid she hadn't gotten it all covered, she said, "Umm, a bed?"

"Come on, Jacqueline, I saw you hiding something in it. What's going on?"

"I told you, nothing. Have you ever heard of the word privacy?"

"Yes, but..."

"D'Artagnan, what is it that you want?"

"Well, I..." he started, then noticing a black book sitting on her desk, he asked, "What's this?" as he walked over and picked it up, looking at the plain cover.

"My old diary."

"Oh? Can I read it?" he asked, glancing at her with obvious curiosity as he started to open the cover.

Hurrying over to him, she grabbed the book from his hands. "No!"

"Why not? Got thoughts of old boyfriends in there?"

"Never you mind what I have in here," she told him sarcastically.

Looking at her with the innocence of a child, he replied, "I'd let you read mine, if I had one."

"I can already see what that would say."

"You might be surprised."

"I doubt that."

"If I promise to start one tonight, can I read yours?"

Looking at him as though he'd lost his mind, she replied, "No."

"I'd let you read it tomorrow."

"No, D'Artagnan." He's as bad as a child, she thought.

He walked closer to her and lowered his voice a little. "How am I supposed to learn those deep, dark secrets then?"

She turned around to set the book on a shelf. "You are incorrigible."

"But you love me anyways."

Jacqueline thought for a moment, then turned back around to face him. Looking him in the eye, a twinkle in hers, she said, "Tell you what, D'Artagnan. I'll let you read my diary as soon as you tell me your name."

He returned her stare, grinning, and replied, "Then you better hurry up and marry me; I'm dying to read that diary."