Slipping behind the screen to change, I blissfully bathed in my narrow escape. As I heard a rustling in my room, I quickly completed my toilette. I was now a master in the art of rapidly switching genders! I peered around the screen to find Tony placing some flowers and a congratulatory card on my pillow. Upon spotting me, he blushed.
"I do have the worst way of showing up." he stuttered. "Need anything? Or did you succeed?"
"Succeed, my foot! Were you expecting failure?" I retorted.
"No." On my disbelieving glare he was forced to validate himself. "Honest! Look at the card!"
I laughed and came out from around the screen. "This time you caught me dressed, but next time be more careful when using my window!"
"Alright. I came to tell you that Andrew should be here by now-"
"He is. I'd better get down. Actually, I might need you. Why don't you come around? The right way, not through my window."
"Nothing would afford me more pleasure, fair lady." He bowed mockingly. "It's not like I have anything better to do with my time."
"You don't and you know it!" He probably had more fun duping Andrew than I did. If only he could stop laughing at inopportune times. That once when Percy said that Devinne should disguise as a girl, as I was too tall… "Just swing out of here and act like you have an important message to tell Andrew. Oh dear… I forgot Suzanne was down there. Andrew's never going to leave!" I almost wailed. "You've got to do something. We have a meeting!"
"Of what sort?" he laughed.
"I'm not the only intelligent girl in Europe! There's others that want to help, and I'm leading a band into France next week."
"Don't be a jolly idiot, Rhedyn! You've got more sense than that!"
"Not much!" I scoffed. "Just wait and see!"
"I'm coming, then. The Scarlet Pimpernel is the only man who's ever succeeded in this sort of thing, you're just a girl, you've only been on two trips, and do you remember what happened in Nantes?"
"I'd rather not." I sighed. I'd gotten captured and very nearly executed. Just then the door flew open, banging into the wall. Both Tony and I jumped, turning to face a breathless Elizabeth. She and I were the only two girls in the Ring, at sixteen. Lorette was twenty, and Suzanne nineteen. But it was us two girls who hauled the Ring around.
"Andrew won't leave, Fern! I- can't- do- a– thing!" she panted. Seeing Tony, she looked surprised and then blushed. I rolled my eyes. Elizabeth's crush on Tony was beyond me. It was also absurdly obnoxious. For one, I was also sixteen, and could care less about boys in a romantic way. In fact, I had quite a reputation in ballroom circles for the one time I knocked out a sailor after he proposed. That story would have never been out except for Tony. He'd told me after that that the newest dare was to "Ask Lady Ffoulkes for a kiss." At least fifteen young idiots had. I spent my spare minutes planning revenge. The second reason was that it would be beyond obnoxious to have my best friend fall in love with my second best friend. They would neverever pay attention to me again!
"Urggh!" Tony exclaimed, distracting me from my thoughts. "Not another one of these! You realize that if every time you girls are together I have to distract Andrew, he'll get a little suspicious!"
"Yes, but we can't help it. Please….." I begged.
"Whatever. I'm going. Andrew must think I'm crazy at this point, with my phobia about my horse's ankle being injured." He muttered.
"Thanks. Just go out through the window and then come arou-"
"I know, silly goose! G'bye, Elizabeths all!" and he swung out into the tree.
"Fern?" inquired Elizabeth. "What on earth was he doing in here?"
"Helping."
"What?"
"To distract Andrew."
"Does he like you?"
"Elizabeth! You're obsessed! I just had the unintelligence to point out that you can climb up that tree into my room…" Elizabeth's eye flitted over the flowers on the bed.
"Fern…" she said warningly.
"We've got better things to do than sit around and wonder who's sending a calling card next. You know what happens when boys do…"
"They're treated to the System."
"Indeed. Tony's no different."
"Whatever." she said. I rolled my eyes and skipped out the door. Elizabeth had no choice but to follow.
Tony had succeeded in taking care of Andrew for a second. I expounded on my plan as fast as I could while watching Andrew inspect Tony's horse out the window. "Chauvelin's set a trap…. The Duchess and three children… We'll just move them to a different location before Chauvelin thinks the Pimtpernel will get there…. Day after tomorrow. Tell your family you're going on a relaxing trip to Bath with me, as I've caught a cold. We'll meet at Dover. "
I left Tony completely out of everything. He could come look for us if he really thought his coming necessary. I, however, would make it difficult! By the time us girls, I and Elizabeth as male smugglers, Suzanne as my wife and Lorette as our mother, had made it across the channel, I was pretty sure he wasn't going to make it. We managed to make it to Paris with three days to spare before Percy arrived.
I ran into Chauvelin once. As I was in disguise, it was actually a good thing. I followed him to the prison and heard the final plans for the trap. The Duchess and her two children, it was made well known, would be transferred to a less secure prison in three days. Chauvelin, (and I, after hearing Percy's plan), was confident Percy would attack the carriage. Even if he didn't, Chauvelin was sure Percy would wait until the Duchess reached the other prison to make his move. That was where we came in.
We would rescue the Duchess- not completely, as we did not have the same web of relay stations and spies Percy did. We would simply move her to a secure house, then notify the Scarlet Pimpernel of their changed location. The League could pick them up from there. Tomorrow we would act.
Peering through the peephole, I hesitated before opening the door. What had I expected? I hadn't the slightest clue. Perhaps a rasping snore, the sight of a sleeping figure sprawled on the filthy wood floor- that is, at least, if we succeeded. But I saw nothing. I could feel Elizabeth's breath on the back of my neck- in, out, in, out, harping on my adrenalin-frayed nerves. Did she think he could see through, too? The hole was microscopic- we drilled it for this purpose two days ago. A sharp jab in the ribs from my entirely too willing elbow forced her to back up. I pushed the door of doubt aside, oh so gently- and it yielded. I sighed almost imperceptibly when she saw the guard crumpled in his chair, his shaggy head bent down on his heaving chest. He was asleep, no doubt about it, eliminating the hardest part of our work. It worked! I entered, Elizabeth in tow, and glided to the opposite door to try the handle. It gave an inconclusive grunt, and then began to turn, releasing the dust on the rim. The powder showered down like little tears for those who had exited it before, dusting the us with a fine and easily penetrable film of obscurity. As we pressed its ancient form aside, I motioned for the inhabitants to be silent. The small family was relatively safe, but the guard still had to be dealt with. Elizabeth grinned gleefully at me, like a schoolboy going to the circus, as she tiptoed back with the pinions and gags. I was quite sure she had weighted the coin that we flipped to see who got to tie the guard up. A sleepy yelp, a scuffle, a chuckle from Elizabeth, and another poor member of the national Gendarme was rendered immobile for the rest of the evening- or at least until the changing of the guard. We were safe for now. I pushed the broken window open and hissed to Suzanne and Lorette who, as washerwomen, were waiting in the courtyard below.
"Tout est clair? (All clear?)"
"Oui, Citoyen." Lorette raised the huge basket. I had the two boys climb into it.
"You two carry it out and then come back."
"But you'll still be up there!"
"Do you really think Suzanne can carry that basket by herself?" Lorette looked at the bulging laundry basket, filthy underwear and uniforms oozing out of the seams.
"No. But be careful. We'll be right back."
"That's the catch. You'll only be able to take one laundry basket out without becoming suspicious. We'll have to make it out on our own."
"But—"
"We don't have another choice. Relax, Lorette, the Scarlet Pimpernel never fails. If we get caught, he can rescue his sister."
"What about you?"
"You know I can talk Chauvelin into anything. I'm still an accredited agent, remember? That's what I'm relying on to get us out. Now hurry." She and Suzanne lifted up the basket and carried it out, humming the "Ca Ira!" I quickly fastened on my tricolor sash. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had turned the Duchess and her daughter's clothing into their own disguises. With a few simple cuts and ties, the dresses were completely changed. The dust of the prison had come in handy with their make-up.
"Ready?"
"Ready." She grinned. "This is splendid fun!"
"Indeed it is! Let's go."
We made it out with the least difficulty. With us two Elizabeths as armed guards, we had no trouble convincing the gatekeeper that I, as an agent of Chauvelin, had every right to change the plans for the trap. We knew the guards would recognize the much-talked-of Duchess through the disguise. We were depending on it to add weight to our story ("We don't want the Pimpernel to know who she is.") and too keep us safe outside the prison walls. After meeting up with Suzanne and Lorette at the house, I left Elizabeth in charge of the family's welfare while I left a message at the League's hideout. It was quite simple and short.
"Dear noble sir: We, having discovered a plot to capture you while you attempted to rescue the Duchesse de Ste. Omer, have removed aforesaid duchess from the prison she was forced to call her home, and relocated her to a hovel you will recognize at 22 Rue de Poisson. If you believe that this card may be luring you into a trap, show the symbol of signature to a member of your League by the name of Lord Antony Dewhurst. He will vouch for the truthfulness of this statement.
Sincerely,
"
It was signed with a small, star-shaped red flower, back of which were two, supporting, fern fronds.
I couldn't wait to see Tony's face.