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I am just going to let this chapter speak for itself!

CHAPTER 84

I

Porthos and Aramis rode into the stable yard and slipped from their horses with ease. Tethering their mounts, they turned deaf ears to the jeers emanating from a group of Red Guard sitting nearby and headed into the cool darkness of the stable.

A stable boy was rubbing down the black horse that L'Hernault had been riding.

"A beautiful animal," Aramis began conversationally, rubbing the animal's nose.

"That he is," answered the boy, intent upon his work.

"The man who was ridin' him. Did you see where he went?" Porthos asked, still watching the Red Guards outside.

The boy's eyes widened fearfully as Aramis drew his dagger, but then visibly relaxed as the Musketeer reached into a basket of apples stored there as a treat for the horses and cut it in half. He held out one part in the palm of his hand to the animal and bit into the other part himself.

"I brought the horse straight in but he was headin' for that side door past those soldiers."

Porthos tossed a coin as reward for the information and grinned as the boy caught it, exclaiming his delight. The two Musketeers moved to stand in the entrance to the stables. The Red Guards glared at them in open hostility.

"I think we should use a different entrance," Aramis said calmly.

"Surely you're not scared by a bunch o' the Cardinal's men?" Porthos was surprised.

"Not at all," Aramis quipped, "but they look as if they are spoiling for a fight we would do well to avoid. For a start, they outnumber us five to one …"

"I like unfavourable odds," Porthos interrupted.

Aramis chuckled. "I know you do, my friend, but I am remembering the Captain's orders as far as the Red Guard are concerned and I, for one, would not want to add to his worries at this time. We have effectively lost L'Hernault for the time being. We need to locate his room and the person most likely to have access to the information as to who has been housed where is Athos. We can go and ask him and to do that, the front door is far more convenient for the Cardinal's office."

"And in goin' to see Athos now, we can also make sure L'Hernault isn't 'angin' around."

"Exactly!"

"I'm not supposed to look after the soldiers' horses," a voice said behind them, "but I will if you want me to."

Porthos turned and ruffled the stable boy's hair. "They're good. We fed them not too long ago. Maybe they'd like one of those apples, though, and some water. They can stay saddled as we'll be headin' back to the hunt when we've finished 'ere."

II

The Captain of the Red Guard was no conversationalist and resentment rolled off him in waves as he and Athos started across the open ground to the regiments' camps.

Athos could not help but feel sorry for the man, although Planque would only be incensed further if he knew what was going through the Musketeer's head. The two officers were similar in so many ways. They were soldiers, dedicated to the regiments they had joined; they were also close in age, height, colouring and rank.

More importantly, they were both victims of harassment.

The thorn in Athos' side was one Delacroix who, for some reason, had taken a dislike to Athos as soon as he joined the regiment. As the son of a minor noble who had gained his commission solely because his father had parted with sufficient silver, he was totally oblivious to Athos' aristocratic background and considered himself superior to the former Comte. The treatment took a variety of forms, including verbal abuse, veiled threats and the spurring on of friends to join in making his life a misery whenever they could. He remained convinced that Delacroix had been behind the savage beating he had suffered when they were besieged on the Îsle de Ré three years before*, but he had no proof. Tréville was aware of the situation and had offered to intervene on more than one occasion, as had Porthos and Aramis, but Athos had refused. Why had he done that?

Perhaps it was his pride, the knowledge that he would deal with Delacroix himself somehow, someday of his own choosing. But perhaps it was because he still harboured a strange belief that he deserved what was meted out to him by the other man; that he was no longer worthy of a trouble-free existence because of what had happened in his past. There had been a strange truce between them that had lasted for several months, long enough for Athos to suspect that the Captain had indeed had words with the other Musketeer, but he was not ready to believe that Delacroix had abandoned his underhand tactics for good. Tréville remained mindful of the situation and Athos wondered how Delacroix had taken the news that he and a couple of his closest friends- if any of them could be described as such – were to remain behind in Paris. Perhaps, after all, that was another reason why the Captain let Athos accompany the Musketeers headed to Versailles.

He had men- good men – to watch his back. Whom did Planque have to support him when he had Grenouille harassing him from one direction and Richelieu from the other? The Cardinal was undoubtedly intimidating when he thought it served his purpose.

III

The lodge itself was E-shaped without the middle bar and L'Hernault was on the ground floor of the north east wing, searching for a suitable hiding place for the weapon that seemed to be weighing him down. He had toyed with a room on one of the two storeys above, but he wanted it as far away from his room as possible and he thought, rightly or wrongly, that he could access it more quickly if it were to be secreted on the ground floor. Carefully avoiding areas frequented by the Queen and the ladies of the party and keeping alert for servants, he made his way along the wing, relieved that occupancy of the various rooms decreased the further he went.

He slipped into the last unoccupied room, furnished as a small salon and with a dual aspect. He pulled at drawers, opened doors in ornate cupboards and tapped at the panelling around the walls. Despairing of finding anywhere suitable to conceal the pistol, he was considering the options of hiding it outside and glanced through one of the windows.

His jaw dropped in disbelief.

There was Athos walking with two other men in the open! He could not believe his good fortune that an opportunity to achieve his aim was presenting itself so soon.

If it were to be done now, he had to be quick for the Musketeer would soon pass beyond range. Considered a 'good shot' amongst his friends, his mind raced as he opened the window, primed the flintlock weapon and took aim at his target.

IV

"Enter!"

Porthos and Aramis doffed their hats and opened the door to Richelieu's office. It did not take long for them to see that Athos was not there.

"What is it?" Richelieu demanded.

Aramis dipped his head, "Our apologies for disturbing you, Your Eminence, but we were expecting to find Athos here."

"Well, you can see that he is not in the room. I must have words with your Captain. I do not welcome my office being turned into a social meeting place for Musketeers."

Porthos bristled but Aramis elbowed him to keep quiet.

"Our profuse apologies again, but we had a question regarding the guests and were hoping not to bother you. Will he return soon?" Aramis asked.

"He left with Captain Planque to sort out a disagreement between the men." Richelieu turned a page in the book he was reading, thereby effectively dismissing the two Musketeers.

Their deferential nods were derisory, but he did not favour their departure with even the briefest of glances.

"'E's full of 'is usual charm," Porthos grumbled as they headed to the nearest exit at the back of the lodge.

"No wonder Athos seized the opportunity to escape," Aramis agreed, opening the door.

At that moment, the sound of a shot filled the air.