Greetings from San Diego. I LOVE this city (but NOT the traffic. Glad I am not doing the driving each day!)

Thanks once again for all the readers and reviewers. Mmm, I suspect that there is a barrowful of revenge from different angles. Even Trevillle seems consumed by the need for justice (revenge?) as far as his men - especially Athos - are concerned and he is obsessed by the mystery lady and her involvement ...

(I'd better hurry up and finish chapter 29!)

CHAPTER 27

Mid-evening on the ninth day and the banquet was still very much in progress. They were reaching the end of the fourth of eight planned courses and those invited kept a very watchful eye on the people at the top table, taking the cue from them as to how successful the evening was and consequently how much they could relax and enjoy themselves.

Tréville found it ironic that those under surveillance were, in turn, studying some of the very people who were watching them!

On a raised dais, Louis sat in the centre with Gaston on his right as the 'honoured guest'. The Queen was to his left and beyond her sat Richelieu and Tréville . An invitation to the Captain to dine with the King was infrequent but not unheard of and he had taken pains to be at his best in his appearance. It was a little galling to find himself placed next to the Cardinal and he baulked at making polite conversation with the man for the whole of the evening. He wondered at his exalted position close to the King when three of the highest ranking nobles in the land were to his left whilst two more, along with their wives, were the other side of the Duc.

It did not take him long to realise why. Louis wanted Richelieu and him close for reassurance and security, although from his seat, Tréville could not hear any of the conversation that transpired between the King and his brother, but at least they were talking to each other and most animatedly at times. Two of the titled aristocracy at the top table were on the list, albeit in the middle.

As he surveyed the room and the four long tables that were at right angles to the dais, he saw where other suspects had been seated. Protocol had to be observed as far as possible and people appropriately positioned according to their rank; he and the Cardinal did not want certain individuals alerted to a possible fall from favour in the King's eyes so although Louis wanted them kept at bay, they were not designated places at the bottom of the tables. They were separated as far as possible though to make conversation difficult, if not impossible.

An overly cautious gesture, Tréville thought. Just as he and the Cardinal could not openly discuss aspects of the current security at the banqueting table, so the suspects could hardly debate the finer points of insurrection so publicly but, he speculated, they could arrange meetings for another time.

There was an advantage to the seating arrangements then. It would be obvious if any of them gravitated towards each other in the lull between courses or if they stepped outside to take the evening air. It was a very warm summer evening and the banqueting hall was hot with so many people present, the atmosphere not helped by the conflicting perfumes worn by the vast majority of those gathered.

He glanced around to where his men were surreptitiously positioned, backs tight to the wall so that they were not in the way of those serving the food, yet facing inwardly to the guests. They had perfected the art of fading into the background, as still as statues and yet totally alert. Catching the eye of first Aramis and then Porthos, he nodded. Banquet or not, he would need to make his rounds at some point. Perhaps after the next course ...

"Your seating plan?" he casually asked the Cardinal.

"But of course," Richelieu answered, dabbing at the corner of his mouth with an embroidered napkin. "They're all here, those on the Paris list."

"So I see," Tréville responded, keeping his voice low.

Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a messenger who stood behind the Cardinal's right shoulder, bent slightly to whisper something in his ear and then handed him a folded paper.

Richelieu dismissed him with a wave of the hand and read the message, careful to keep its contents from Tréville.

Frowning, he pushed back from the table and stood.

"My apologies to Your Majesties but I hope you will excuse me. I must attend to something."

"My dear Cardinal," the Queen began, her blue eyes clouding with concern. "Nothing serious, I hope."

He smiled solicitously. "No major affairs of state, I assure you, Your Majesty, but something I cannot ignore. I do not anticipate that it will detain me for long though."

"I hope not," and the Queen flashed one of her beautiful, winsome smiles towards Tréville "The Captain and I will pass the time together until your return."

"Indeed we will, Your Majesty," Tréville agreed happily. It was no burden to talk with this gentle, articulate and well-educated young woman. He looked directly at Richelieu. "That is, of course, as long as the Cardinal does not require my company."

"No, no, not at all, Tréville. It is nothing to concern yourself about. You must remain and entertain Her Majesty."

He waited for a nod from Louis that his absence from the table was acceptable and then he was gone.

Tréville did his best to converse with the Queen but he was distracted, wondering what had taken the Cardinal from the room and eventually he, too, was making his apologies, excusing himself by saying that he needed to make a circuit of his men stationed in the room and within the palace at large to ensure all was well.

"If your trusty lieutenant had been here, you could have delegated that responsibility to him," Ann said, reminding Tréville that the Queen was informed of much of what was happening regarding the conspiracy. "You have not heard from him?"

Tréville shook his head.

"That is to the good then. He is about the business to which you have assigned him. He is a brave man and fully competent for the task, I am sure of it but I keep him in my prayers daily for his safe return is important to us all, is it not?" Her gaze drifted past him to where Aramis and Porthos were standing.

Tréville nodded. "It is indeed, Your Majesty. The information we await from him is vital. I am touched that you would remember one of my men and grateful for your concern; I am sure that Athos would feel the same were he to know."

She leaned a little towards the Musketeer. "But he will never know, will he, Captain?"

"He will not hear it from my lips, Your Majesty," Tréville promised. That did not stop him telling the others so that they might impart that news. "Now, if you will excuse me ..."

"Of course, Captain," and, sighing, she glanced sideways to where Louis was deep in conversation with Gaston and completely ignoring her. "We all have our respective duties to fulfil."

He moved around the hall, asking a quick question of each of his men, including Aramis, Porthos and d'Artagnan, but it was clear that all was well. It was a partial ruse to leave the banquet. He wanted to be seen doing his job – and it had been his intention to circulate amongst those on guard throughout the palace – but his suspicious mind was at work once more and he was wondering what had been so important that Richelieu had to leave the banquet. What could be taking him so long?

It was as he approached the Cardinal's office that one of the doors opened. Expecting it to be Richelieu, he flattened himself out of sight in a recessed doorway, not wanting to have to explain himself to the First Minister as to why he had followed him. There were no Musketeers in the vicinity who might give rise to his presence.

Taking a risk, he edged his head around the wall in time to see someone close the office door and go down the corridor that led away from the office to the left.

It was a woman, dark-haired and expensively dressed.

It was her - the mystery woman. It had to be.

Tréville did not hesitate. Were Richelieu to leave his office now, he would see the Captain coming straight towards him but, as he reached the end of the corridor outside the Cardinal's room, Tréville went left, just in time to see the dark skirts round another corner and disappear.

There were burning questions that he had for this woman.

Tréville followed.