Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

I am preparedto spy for Pitt myself, but I will not involve you. The matter is at anend."

Danielle heard the decisive note, the implacable ring in the levelvoice. "Spying is a harsh word, sir," she said quietly.

"It is, nevertheless, the correct one. I shall be in search ofinformation and I do not wish those who furnish me with thatinformation to be aware of my purpose. There is, therefore, doublejeopardy. There is turbulence in the streets and should my purposebecome known the personal danger will be doubled. I cannot keep my witsabout me when I must worry about your safety."

"I am able to take a care for myself," Danny reiterated.

Justin gave up the attempt to reason with her. "You are my wife, ma'am,although you appear to forget that fact. Your safety and your welfareare my responsibility and mine alone. I choose not to jeopardizeeither. If you refer to the subject again, I shall postpone mydeparture for as long as it will take to see you safely to Danesburywhere you will remain, under watchful eyes, until my return. Do weunderstand each other?"

We do indeed, Danielle thought grimly—on one level at least. "Verywell," she said with a dismissive shrug. "I wish to drive yourchestnuts. Will you accompany me?"

""Since you may not drive them without me, I appear to have no option."With a conciliatory smile, Justin tilted her chin and kissed the cornerof her mouth, happy to settle the issue in such a relatively peaceablefashion. "Do you wish to do so immediately?"

"As soon as I have changed my dress."

"In half an hour then?"

"Twenty minutes, milord." She swept from the room, kissing her fingerswith an impish smile that put

all Justin's fears to rest. A littleearly, as he would have realized had he been able to see inside hiswife's head at this moment.

Danielle changed into her driving dress, her mind whirling as variousplans came and were as quickly discarded. Justin was quite wrong andsince he could not be persuaded by wordsand reason then she

must takematters into her own hands. He would most probably be very angry, butshe could weather the storm. It would be no worse than many she hadencountered at the hands of her father and uncles and would carry nobitter crust of mistrust between husband and wife. It would be a simplematter of defiance, too late for Justin to do anything about. He mightstorm and rage but in the end would perforce accept the loving reasonthat insisted they share whatever danger came their way. France was,after all, the country of her birth and she had a right to participatein its trouble, just as she had both right and obligation to give heradopted country whatever help she could.

The devil take Society's prohibitions, Danielle thought indelicately,as she returned downstairs. She

would deceive her husband on thisoccasion, simply by apparent compliance. He would be disabused soonenough and he had created the situation himself, after all. Consciencethus quieted, Danielle

rejoined Linton.

In the next twelve hours she made her secret arrangements with a calmefficiency. Peter Haversham answered her innocent-seeming questions asto My Lord's travel plans and the preparations of the

Black

Gull

withblind openness and it never occurred to him to mention Danielle's eagerinterest to Justin. Her curiosity was natural enough given thecloseness of their relationship.

Danielle paid a visit to a young French matron who had contrived tobring into exile an adequate

wardrobe suited to the social position ofan affluent burgher's wife and left the house with a substantialparcel. Molly would need to put in some tucks and take up the hem. Itwould be a simple enough task, but when Molly heard what else would beexpected of her, she gazed at her mistress aghast.

"B . . . but my lady, it will be quite impossible."

"Oh stuff!" Danielle declared. "We have only to ensure that we arehidden aboard the

Black Gull

beforeshe sails and once she is well under way I will reveal myself to mylord. You will be inno danger and it will be a famous adventure, I promise. You would liketo see Paris, would you not?"

Molly said that she did not think she would at all, particularly not indisobedience to My Lord's direct orders. But Danielle told her she wasa poor spirited creature and the earl's wrath would not fall upon herhead. "It is more like to fall upon my back," she said with a cheerfulinsouciance that stunned her maid.

"I need you, Molly, and yourpresence will only please My Lord, I assure you. We can travel with theutmost gentility as respectable members of the bourgeosie, man, wife,and the wife's maid. In the Tuileries, where I shall appear as theCountess of Linton, formerly a de St. Varennes, it would be consideredstrange if I were unaccompanied by my personal maid. All will beconvenable, you will see."

Molly merely shivered and nearly rebelled when Danielle handed her apair of britches and a shirt with

the brisk injunction to try them onimmediately. Since they were tailored for Danielle's slender frame, itwas something of a struggle and Danny frowned crossly at the result."You look even more like a girl

than ever! But if you move the buttonson the shirt and fasten the britches with a belt, it should suffice.But you must wear a cloak to hide the round bits. Now I must seekJulian's aid. 'Twould be better to enlist the chevalier but since Ihave promised not to go to his lodging without milord's escort, Icannot

do so."

Molly was at a loss to understand why, when her mistress was about todisobey her husband so flagrantly and outrageously, another minorinfraction should matter. But then she did not understand Danielle'scode of honor—a promise was a promise.

Jules proved harder to persuade, and in fact remained steadfast in hisrefusal until Danny hit upon the happy notion of informing him that inthat case she would take her horse and ride the