She paused, closing her eyes for a moment, as if to gather up all of her strength. I decided to take matters into my own hands.
"Umm, excuse me," I started apologetically, "but, I was informed by my cousin, Sir Andrew, that everyone was on a mission."
Lady Hastings had immediately opened her eyes at the first sound from my lips. She sighed and took apiece of paper out of her pocket.
"That was a cover story. So that, hopefully, no one would panic."
She paused again, looking intently at that piece of paper.
"I have a plan." She turned to me. "Calista, where is your husband? We will need him for this. Heaven knows he'll never let you do something like this on your own."
I raised my eyebrows, almost tempted to laugh.
"William is still quite mad at you for having me go alone on a previous mission. But seeing as you need him, he may forgive you."
As if it were planned, the door burst open then to reveal my husband, Sir William Grimsby, lavishly dressed in the latest fashion.
"Dear me, it appears I've missed something." He turned to Lady Hastings and bowed. "Does this meeting have anything to do with the recent growth of certain Englishmen in prison?"
Lady Hastings almost jumped out of her skin. "Who told you?" she demanded.
William turned and let his piercing blue eyes rest on me. "Let's see if Cally can guess."
"Hmmm..." I thought for a moment, running the possibilities through my head. Everyone was in prison except Sir Percy and Sir Andrew. Andrew wouldn't tell. That only left...
"How is Sir Percy? I haven't seen him in ages." William's face became grave. "Not very well, I'm afraid. You'd think
he was in jail." He turned to Lady Hastings. "We'll have to act quickly. Should I assume you have a plan?"
"I was just getting to that," sighed Lady Hastings impatiently. She turned and quickly walked to a nearby table. There lay a detailed map of Paris. "Gather 'round. I will need everyone's help."
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The gates to Paris had been heavily guarded but, it was simple to get through. Thanks to superb disguises and stupid soldiers. Almost too simple, too easy.
"Will you relax?" muttered William. "Nothing is going to go wrong."
"Quit scolding. You'll give us away." I whispered as I glared at every passerby. "Something doesn't feel right."
"Stop nagging, woman. You worry too much." He straightened his coat and glanced in my direction. "Showtime."
I nodded and pushed him away from me as hard as I could. "Ya filthy drunk. All ya do is lay in the streets all day with whores. Then, ya bother to tell me that ya think the glorious revolution is the bloody laughing stock of Europe. Ya're wrong. It's the bloody laughing stock of the whole bleedin' world."
I gasped for air and started laughing hysterically.
A firm hand clamped over my mouth. "You're under arrest for treason. It's the Tribunal for you."
With that, William and I were dragged away.
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When I first clamped eyes on that place, I couldn't help but shudder. In the House of Justice, thousands had been innocently sent to death. I couldn't help but wonder if some of them were still there, trying to seek revenge for their deaths. The whole thing was just too morbid to think about.
As we were escorted to our prison cell, I could the hear moaning and wailing. William saw the look of horror on my face and decided to add to my agonies.
"It's the screaming of the damned," he teased.
Our cell was small and filthy, just like the rest of this horrid hole. There weren't any windows, only a door made of bars to look at. As soon as we were settled, and the soldiers were just about to leave us, we began step two of the plan.
"What?!?!?" William gasped.
"Sh. Not so loud,"I hissed.
"Didn't you just say that you know the Scarlet Pimpernel?"
"Aye, that I did. And I know what his next move is on his superb plan."
As predicted by Lady Hastings, not so long ago, the door to our cell burst open. The captain of the guard(I think it was the captain of the guard) gripped my arm, pulled my out of the cell and slammed the door behind him. I struggled to get free but, there were too many of them. The last thing I recall was that my head hurt, a lot.
I woke up in a long, organized room. Directly in front of me was a desk. And at that desk sat the vilest man I know...Chauvelin.
As he rose from the desk, I noticed that in his left hand, he was carrying an unusual dagger. It was decorated with green gems, set in silver. He started to walk toward but, stopped and held the dagger in the light. The only reason I think he did that was to try and intimidate me. Any poor peasant woman would be easily frightened at this point. So, I proceeded to play my part.
"Please, please don't hurt me. I'm only a poor useless woman," I whimpered.
"There's no need for all that. All you have to do is tell me where the Scarlet Pimpernel is, and you're free," he sid soothingly.
"He... he's at... an old inn, on Rue St. Anne," I stammered, letting Chauvelin think that I was absolutely petrified.
Chauvelin quickly walked to the door of the room and told the captain of the guard to take all available men to the inn and to escort me back to my cell.
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As soon I as so much as put my foot in the room, William asked me how everything went. I told him everything that happened, down to the jewels on the dagger. Everything was going according to plan.
On cue, after we had heard many soldiers leave, William picked open the lock on the door. It opened easily and we quietly slipped down the corridor. As Lady Hastings had informed us, all of the Leaguers who had been captured, were in cells right next to each other or across from. I t was a simple task finding their dungeons and letting them out.
After William had changed into another disguise, that of a Republican soldier, we headed out an exit near the rear of the prison. William and I left them near a safehouse of theirs. They said that our services were no longer needed. They wished us good luck and we were on our way...home.
   

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