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So, what is the outcome of Athos' outburst?
CHAPTER 99
"Stay with him!" Tréville ordered the bemused Musketeer before he hurried down the corridor in Athos' wake. He saw the outer door swing shut and quickened his pace but refrained from breaking into a run.
He was through the door just as Athos leaned against the outer wall and slid down to the ground, head bowed and gulping in air like a landed fish as he sat there, shaking in the aftermath of the encounter.
Tréville gingerly lowered himself down as well and stretched out his legs in front of him. The pair sat there, staring ahead of them and in silence for some time as Athos recovered his composure and Tréville waited.
"Is sitting on the ground a dignified place for a captain?" Athos asked eventually, still not making eye contact.
It was a signal to Tréville that he was calm once more. "Probably not, and I anticipate that the getting up will be even less so."
Athos smiled a little, his focus now on picking at a piece of skin on the side of his thumb.
"I was not going to attack him, you know," he said quietly.
"I'm glad to hear it."
"I did not overturn the table to get to him," Athos continued, not sure whether the Captain believed him. "I overturned it to vent my anger so that I did not gethim."
There was a long pause.
"I am relieved that you restrained yourself. It would not have been appropriate, but I also would have understood. You certainly had the provocation." He hesitated. "The things he said to you … your brother … "
"Please, Captain," Athos suddenly turned to him, his green eyes troubled. "I don't want to talk about it. I can't."
Tréville nodded. "If the time ever comes that you do …" He left the rest of the sentence unsaid.
"I know," and Athos dropped his head again.
"I apologise for over-reacting; I know that I hurt you. How is the wound now?"
"Still grumbling but improving, thank you. It was my fault for losing my temper."
"We won't talk about whose fault it was. Let's say it was more of a misunderstanding; on my part, that is."
Another pause.
"You must be prepared for the fact that L'Hernault might never come to trial," Tréville said as he began to absent-mindedly tear at tufts of grass beside him and throw them beyond reach.
Athos considered the comment before responding. "Because he will be declared a lunatic, you mean."
"I am sure of it. We have witnessed his strange behaviour, heard his outrageous claims …"
"You agree that they are irrational?" Athos sounded desperate for Tréville to believe him.
"Of course! They are nothing more than the ravings of a man losing his grip on his reason," Tréville reassured him and saw him sag with relief. "If it were not for the unhappiness his father's claims brought to your parents, it would be pitiful, risible even."
"For all the trouble that L'Hernault has caused, I would not like to think of him with his state of mind housed within the Châtelet or the Bastille," Athos went on softly.
"It is more likely to be the Hôtel-Dieu."
"And the conditions in an asylum would be better?"
"He would be tended at least; his social rank and financial standing would go some way to helping with his care."
"I never thought it would come to this," Athos was filled with regret.
"No, I don't suppose you did; no-one would have envisaged this outcome." Tréville stole a sideways glance. "I hope you are not entertaining any thoughts of feeling guilty."
Athos managed a weak smile. "Not this time."
"Good! And now," he began, slapping his thighs in business-like fashion, "we need to get ready for Louis' hunt banquet. It will have started and, as Captains of the regiments here, we will be expected to be in attendance. Then we need to meet with Richelieu to update him and discuss how the King should handle tomorrow's meeting. We know he will turn down Menier's petition and so we need to notify our reinforcements. Everyone is apprised of what to do; they just need the signal."
"I will send my apologies for the banquet and join you at the first opportunity, but I need to check on the men." Athos gave a wry smile – he could not bring himself to refer to them as 'my' men. "I do not know what orders they have been given by Planque, nor if they are even following them. I need to make sure that they will be ready tomorrow but before then," he sighed, "I also need to find Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan; we did not part well"
"You can settle some of that right now," Tréville said, indicating with his head to where he had spied Porthos walking purposefully towards them.
As the big Musketeer neared them though, his steps seemed to falter as if he wondered about the reception he might receive.
"Porthos!" the Captain greeted him warmly, demonstrating that he harboured no ill-feeling about the earlier exchange.
"You two takin' the early evenin' air?" Porthos ventured. "You don't exactly look comfortable down there."
"It did seem a good idea at the time," Tréville commented as he moved to push himself up. A large hand appeared in front of his face and he seized it. Oh, but Porthos was a strong man! He hauled the Captain to his feet with astonishing ease and the officer was already dusting down the seat of his breeches as Athos was pulled up beside him.
"Thank you," the Captain said, his gaze flitting between the two of them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have things that I must do. I'll leave you two to talk," and he was gone.
"I shouldn't 'ave said …"
"Porthos, I owe you and …"
Both began talking at the same time and stopped simultaneously.
"I am sorry," Athos said. "You first."
"I wanted to say I shouldn't 'ave said the things I did. It's your business what you tell us an' I shouldn't 'ave pushed like I did an' I'm sorry."
"I am the one who should be sorry," Athos countered, shaking his head at the other man's admission. "It's a word I seem to be using frequently of late. I was coming over to find you and the others. I need to talk to the three of you, give you some sort of explanation."
"You don't 'ave to, you know."
"Yes, I do. I know I owe it to you but …" His voice trailed off and his eyes misted. "There are things … Porthos, I …" and his voice caught. "It is too … much." He shuddered.
"An' it 'urts a lot," Porthos guessed correctly.
"Yet again I am asking a great deal of you, Aramis and d'Artagnan. I swear I do not take your trust or your friendship for granted even though my actions suggest otherwise."
Porthos cupped the back of Athos' neck. "I know you don't. Don't take any notice o' me. I just want to look out for you, that's all. That's what brothers do but I swear, there are times when you seem to go out of your way to make that as difficult as possible." He felt Athos nod beneath his hand. "You tell us what you can, what you need to, an' that'll be good enough for me."
"I do not deserve you, any of you," Athos said in little more than a whisper.
Porthos pulled him into a bone-crushing embrace. "No more o' that, you hear me?"
They separated.
"So, you think you'll be able to stay an' eat with us?" Porthos asked, his face betraying his eagerness. "Maybe you can tell us what 'appened with Allaire an' L'Hernault."
Athos' heart sank; there was so much he needed to do and, as Tréville had informed him, he was expected to attend the banquet as he was now captain of the Red Guard.
Everything was a priority but it only took a moment to reach a decision.
"First, need to visit the Red Guard camp briefly to see that all is well there and to see if I can find Grenouille."
"'E was looking for you earlier," Porthos interrupted.
"Yes, he was gathering some information for me, but I was busy."
"Seems like a good man for a Red Guard," Porthos added, but said no more.
"I think he is," Athos admitted. "Anyway, when I have found him and seen how things are, I will meet you at the tent. I do not think it advisable to eat in the open near Serge's position for if I am seen by any of the Red Guard, they could quickly misinterpret my actions."
"Understood. Gives us time to collect the food an' be back there ready for you," Porthos agreed.
"I warn you now, I will not be able to stay for long. I am expected at the banquet and would like to check for myself the Red Guard who are on duty. After that, I have a meeting with the Captain and Richelieu about tomorrow."
"Busy! The price of bein' captain, eh?"
"It seems I am discovering just how costly with each passing hour," Athos answered ruefully.
A/N
Hotel Dieu de Paris was founded in the mid-7th century and is the world's oldest hospital in constant use. By the time this story is set, part of it was used as an asylum.