Greetings from Grants, New Mexico, via Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Thanks as always to readers and reviewers for taking the time.

Things are about to take a turn for the worse!

CHAPTER 20 Revenge

Cardinal Richelieu was reviewing the list that the King had finally given him regarding those whom he wished to attend upon him at Versailles for the hunting party. It was going to be a strategic nightmare and the Cardinal was relieved that the security was chiefly the domain of the Musketeer Captain, but it did not deter him from insisting upon scrutinising the arrangements, especially if his own Red Guard were expected to swell the protective numbers.

He had cross-referenced the King's list with the one he and the Musketeers had drawn up over the preceding two days and he was perturbed that, despite providing His Majesty with the list of possible suspects, Louis had decided to disregard it completely, declaring loudly that he could not possible believe that this person was potentially involved or the fact that that person's family went back so far, their loyalty to the crown was without question.

"So, the King is completely ignoring what he said he was going to do yesterday, and that was to keep any suspects as far away from him as possible. He has not eliminated any of them from his list," Richelieu said out loud to himself within the confines of his cavernous office.

"It is a bad sign when you are forced to converse with yourself," a sultry voice announced lightly from the open doorway of the secret access to the office.

"You are being presumptuous, my dear, if you believe that you can come and go so freely from this room," Richelieu grumbled. "I am very busy and not in the mood for one of your inconsequential tale-telling sessions." He refused to even look in her direction.

Slipping back the hood of the dark blue cloak to reveal her ornately dressed hair, she pouted and moved with silent grace to stand opposite him.

"I was never given to understand that you regarded any of my reports as 'tale-telling', inconsequential or otherwise. I have always tried my utmost to bring you what I considered to be serious and valuable intelligence."

Richelieu sighed and sat back in his seat to study her. My, but she was a beauty and a distraction. How could the Musketeer Athos have given her up? He must have been mad! The Cardinal briefly considered whether or not he would be prepared to forgive her of a heinous crime to keep her close and decided that he would have made the effort – at least until he was ready to dispose of her services.

"I take it that you have something serious and valuable for me now?" he said gruffly.

"But of course," and she took a moment to move closer, lifting herself to perch upon the corner of the desk and rearranging her skirt around her, covering some of the papers he had been reading. He could smell her familiar floral perfume, delicate and intoxicating.

"What if I were to tell you that Gaston is on the move?"

Richelieu sat upright. "Are you being serious now?"

She was delighted by the response she had elicited. "Naturally. That is hardly something I would fabricate, is it?"

His eyes narrowing, he studied her hard. "What else do you know?"

The flirting stopped; she was an agent making an important report and there were things he needed to know.

The Cardinal frowned. "On the move heading where? To the meeting at Troyes?"

If so, the situation had suddenly worsened. Gaston, Duc d'Orleans and younger brother of the King, had already been guilty of working against Louis. Was this the beginning of another attempt? Had he thrown in his lot with the disgruntled nobles?

Milady de Winter shook her head, causing a cascade of dark, shining curls to move against the pale, flawless skin of her right shoulder. "My information is not conclusive as yet, only that he is travelling westwards. He could head south or come north."

"North?" Richelieu was incredulous. "Here? To Paris?"

The very idea of Gaston arriving in Paris was unthinkable. The relationship had, to all intents and purposes, irretrievably broken down between the two royal brothers following Gaston's previous behaviour and they had not seen each other in the years since, nor had there been much of a written communication. Would he dare return to Paris? Was this all part of the plot of the nobility to usurp or fatally harm their King in order to replace him with his spiteful heir?

Not for the first time, Richelieu regretted that the Queen seemed unable to produce a son for Louis. Although becoming pregnant, she had not successfully carried a child to full term and the prospect of the King's brother ultimately gaining the throne legally was the stuff of nightmares to the Cardinal.

He needed to see Treville and as quickly as possible, but he strove to exude an aura of absolute calm. He was not about to alert this particular agent to the extent of his concerns.

"My informant was unsure of his destination. The route he had started upon could bring him here or take him to Troyes. I expect regular updates but he thought I needed to know of the Duc's movement as soon as possible."

Richelieu nodded his approval. "I thank you. Let me know immediately you hear anything new."

Knowing that she was being dismissed, she turned to leave but the Cardinal stopped her.

"I believe Tréville has curbed his men's desire to be on the road after their friend – at least for the present. They have been issued a task, albeit a boring one of surveillance, but you might want to renew your acquaintance with young d'Artagnan to ensure that they are not plotting something themselves."

Her head dipped in acknowledgment of the order and had almost disappeared from view when he spoke again.

"I will have need of you to undertake some surveillance too. Here are the names of those I need you to watch."

With outstretched arm, he held out a folded piece of paper so that she was forced to return to him to take it. Neither spoke and she merely nodded, both of them knowing that this was a little demonstration of him reminding her who was in control.

He waited until the secret door in the panelling had closed behind her before he summoned a messenger to hasten to the garrison to bring Tréville to him.

In the event of an unexpected visit from the Duc d'Orleans, they had to make very careful preparations.