Gene of Isis

Give the child the powder, he prompted, as if that went without saying.

‘Surely it can do no good now…’ but I fished out the vial, eager to try anything at this point.

Just a small amount will do the trick, washed down with some of Chiara’s brew.

‘All right.’ I was doubtful, but I fetched a cup of broth.

I sprinkled about a tenth of the vial’s contents on the boy’s tongue and closed his mouth. I replaced my vial for safekeeping, and then raised the head of the deceased lad to trickle Chiara’s brew into his mouth. The next thing I knew the child was coughing and spluttering all over me.

‘Mademoiselle?’ The blue-eyed boy with dark angelic curls looked at me, wide-eyed and energetic, like he’d just woken from a sleep, rather than a fatal illness. The child looked over my shoulder. ‘Monsieur?’ Albray was the only other being present. ‘Is the sickness gone?’ He was amazed to feel so well after days of torture.

‘Oui, the sickness is gone.’ I placed the broth in his hands. ‘But I think you had best choose another colour for your chambers, or better still, choose new chambers altogether.’

‘Oui,’ the lad agreed, ‘the new paint smelt rather bad.’

Albray and I got a chuckle out of that observation.

Even having achieved a miracle, my problems in Orleans were far from over.

Gasgon de Guise was, of course, extremely grateful for his son’s return to health. He proclaimed, with his duchess in attendance, that I had undone the curse of the gypsies and he would set them free.

At this stage I wanted to point out that I had also proved that the illness was not the work of a gypsy curse. I refrained, however. The duke had been informed of my findings and if I made him out to be the fool, I would lose what favour I had gained by my service to his house. Instead, I decided it wiser to focus on and clarify our arrangement. I felt there was some sort of catch to what was being said by the duke. ‘So all the gypsies, including Cingar and Rumer Choron, are now free to leave with me.’

The duke’s gaze of approval turned chilly.

‘The girl may go, but the fiddle player stays,’ he informed me. ‘I have plans for him on my plantation in Louisiana.’

‘No, my lord, please. There is nothing to punish this man for,’ his duchess appealed. ‘His music invoked my passion,’ she admitted willingly, ‘my passion for you, my love…why won’t you believe me?’

The duke would not look at his wife; clearly he felt her words stemmed from love and not justice.

‘The only curse on this house is your jealousy!’ said the duchess bitterly.

‘Perhaps I shall hang the gypsy instead,’ the duke replied coldly, whereby his wife reached her wit’s end and stood. ‘I love you, Gasgon de Guise, but I shall never forgive you if you condemn this man’s genius simply because you envy his talent.’ The duchess stormed toward me on her way out of the room. ‘I would grant you anything for the service you have done this house today, Mademoiselle Winston, but I fear my husband is a stubborn fool.’

‘You shall not speak ill of me in front of a guest.’ The duke attempted to reprimand his feisty lady.

‘You have no honour,’ she spat back at him as she left the room.

Any angles on this negotiation would be very welcome right now, I said to my knight on the quiet.

Just say exactly what I tell you to say and we ought to fare well, Albray told me and I opened myself to his suggestion.

‘If I release Cingar, what compensation have I for the upheaval he has caused in this house?’ The duke was sounding a little emotionally unstable. He could easily snap and decide to have me beheaded for defending his purported heretic.

‘If I might suggest a different perspective, your grace,’ I ventured humbly and he gave me his attention. ‘If you had never invited Cingar to play in your house, he would never have offended you, that is true. However…he would not have been arrested and I would have had no reason to come to Orleans. Your son would have fallen sick to the poison on his walls in any case, and the entire household, including your grace, may have perished before the true cause of the illness was ascertained.’

The duke was grave as he mulled over my words, but to my great relief he eventually smiled. ‘You are a very clever young woman, Mademoiselle Winston. And as you are so clever, I shall allow you to give me one good reason why I should release this gypsy. Are you in love with him?’ The duke was clearly intrigued as to why I would risk my neck for such a man as Cingar.

‘I am sorry to disappoint, your grace,’ I blushed at his implication, for it was very romantic, ‘but in truth I have never met the man.’

Tell the duke that you have a very good reason to release Cingar, but that it is for his ears alone. His guards must leave.

I’m not too sure that I want to be alone with his man, Albray, I inwardly protested as I repeated Albray’s instruction to de Guise.

The duke appeared wary of my request, but curiosity got the better of him and he dismissed his guards.

Excellent, Albray confirmed. Now undo your gown at the back.

Forget it! I wasn’t going to seduce a duke to get Cingar out of prison.

Show the duke your birthmark. Albray insisted I stop protesting and trust him. The House of Guise is allied to the Grail kings. Do it, please.

‘Your grace, I must beg your leave one moment. This is not what it seems.’