"Are we ready?" I asked, glancing at Lady Eliza and Janette.
Eliza nodded.
"Places, people, places." I muttered under my breath, visions of
the director
of the show we had recently performed filled my head. I shook it
off, and
motioned for Janette to follow me.
We stepped out into the light, yelling at each other as if we
were having a
disagreement. The guard yelled, "You there! What seems to be
the problem
ladies?"
We stopped and looked at him, back at each other, and then walked
towards him.
"We're having a bit of a disagreement," I said.
"She thinks that you think she's prettier then me," Janette
filled in.
"Well, I am!"
"Are not!" Janette turns to me with her hands on her hips.
"Are too!" I shot back.
"Why don't we let him decide?"
"Fine!"
We both turned and waited impatiently for the guards decision.
"Well?" we said in unison.
"One moment ladies," the guard motioned for the other guard to
join him in
making his decision. It was all I could do not to laugh. "What
do you say,
Henri?" said the first guard.
"Hmmm, tough one, Jean-Marc", said Henri. Janette stepped closer
to Jean-
Marc.
She smiled and ran a finger down his jawline. The guard smiled
and put his
hands around her waist. Janette whispered something in his ear
that made him
grin even bigger.
"Uhhhh, I have to go do something, Henri. Could you keep watch?"
said Jean-
Marc.
"Mmmhmmm." he muttered, staring at me as I slid my arms around
his neck.
"I'll see you there," said Janette, smiling. Jean-Marc
scampered off.
I walked around Henri, sliding my hand across his chest as I
went. He smiled.
Janette moved over to him. Both of us slid our hands around his
waist.
Janette began whispering in his ear. I slipped the keys off of
his belt, and
hid them in my pouch. A far off clock chimed 11:30. Only a half
hour left.
"Oh dear, listen to that!" I said giving a secret signal to
Janette.
"My, my, it is getting rather late. We should be going," she
backed away from
him as I walked around to meet her. "Shall we be off?"
"Oui, mademoiselle," We began to walk off, arm in arm, secretly
laughing.
"Un moment, mademoiselles," said our victim. "Would you be
needing someone
to escort you home?"
Janette looked a little panicked, this being her first
assignment. I patted
her arm reassuringly.
"No, that is quite all right. We don't live
far from
here," I said, strolling off into the night.
~*
We made our rendezvous with Lady Eliza. I gave her the keys,
and she led the
way to the prison cell. We arrived there, and a guard was
sleeping, slumped
over the arm of a chair in the corner. A rat skittered past
Janette's foot,
and she almost started to scream, but I clamped my hand over her
mouth before
she had a chance. Eliza raised a finger to her lips, telling us
to be quiet.
She began testing keys in the lock. The guard began to stir at
the jingling
of the keys. He snorted and all was quiet again. Janette's eyes
showed just
how scared she was. I touched her shoulder to settle her. Eliza
continued
testing keys. The next one snapped the lock open. I slipped
inside the cell,
and began gathering the Marquis and his sons. Eliza led them out
into the
street.
When we stepped out into the alley, we could hear the remaining
guard
whistling. Eliza continued on, carrying Claude, the younger of
the Marquis
two sons. Etienne, the older son, clung to his father's hand. I
followed
behind everyone. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a sword being
unsheathed.
"Eliza! Run!" I yelled, whipped out my sword, and was met with a
strong swipe
from the guard's sword. Our swords clanged together, sending
sparks flying.
The guard who had been sleeping ran out to the street and charged
towards
Janette. She let out a banshee wail and met his sword with her
own.
It was hard to keep track of what was happening with all of the
clanging,
sparks, and screaming. I heard a sickening thud from behind me.
Janette had
knocked the other guard unconscious but hitting him in the head
with the hilt
of her sword. I slashed at my assailant. Our swords met, sparks
flashing in
the dark. I swiped again, and missed, giving him the advantage.
He sliced my
arm, but then suddenly fell forward, eyes crossed. The thudded
to the ground,
unconscious. Janette was standing behind him. "Let's go!" she
said, and we
ran off into the night.
~*
Out of breath, we met Eliza, the Marquis and his family, and
Eliza's husband,
Hastings, at No. 12 Rue de St. Anne. "Leontine, you're
bleeding!" cried
Eliza. Hastings retrieved the medical kit from his bag. He
bandaged my arm.
Finally, everyone was safe...for now...
Mail Mlle. de Chante! Mail Mlle. d'Amour!