All the Sweet Tomorrows

'Madame Burke.'

Both Gaby and Skye started, and then rose quickly to their feet to curtsey to Catherine de Medici. The Queen Mother smiled warmly at Gaby, and then turned her eyes to Skye.

“I will not forget the favor you have done me this night, madame,' she said. 'Whatever may be said of me I do not forget those who give me their aid. You have a friend in Catherine de Medici.'

'Why me?' Skye asked, quietly wondering why she felt no anger.

'Because, madame, you were his passion for the moment, and I needed you, for only you could keep him occupied long enough and safe from de Guise and his mob. You did not seek Navarre's attention, which in itself was a stronger attraction. My beau-free is not used to being disdained and spurned by a beautiful woman. You are a member of the Tudor court, madame, and my information on you says that you are an intelligent woman. If you did not understand my position you would now be screaming and shrieking charges for all this court to hear.'

'I would not hurt my betrothed, Majesty, with the dishonor that has been visited upon us both tonight; but know one thing, I do not like being used.'

'Nonetheless,' came the disconcerting reply, 'it is the way of the powerful to use, and you well know it. When is your wedding?'

'At Michaelmas at Archambault.'

Catherine de Medici turned to Gaby. 'I shall come,' she said calmly. 'I will be staying at Usse that week, but I shall stop a night at Archambault. I understand from Comte Antoine that you will be leaving Paris tonight, so I shall bid you adieu until Michaelmas.' With a nod at Gaby the Queen Mother turned away and walked back to the royal dais.

'Mon Dieu!' Gaby gasped. 'We have never entertained royalty at Archambault! I cannot believe it! Skye, ma fille, do you realize the honor being done us? The Queen is coming to your wedding!'

Skye had to laugh. Royalty! She would never really understand them. Royalty were the damnedest people in the world. Well, perhaps Catherine de Medici's appearance at their wedding would sit well with Elizabeth Tudor, and she would give her blessing to them despite the fact that they were marrying without her royal permission. 'When I was married to Adam's cousin, Geoffrey Southwood, I was married in Elizabeth Tudor's presence at her palace at Greenwich,' she told Gaby. 'In fact Geoffrey and I spent our wedding night there.'

Gaby was impressed. 'Adam did not tell me that,' she said. 'It was a happy marriage with Southwood, was it not?'

'Very happy!'

'So the Queen's presence brought you luck. Now you will be married again in a queen's presence, and that will bring you luck once more, cherie.'

'What a good thought, Gaby!' Skye leaned over and hugged the older woman. 'Do you know,' she said, 'I have never had a mother-in-law, as my previous husbands' mamas were all dead. I am so glad you are going to be my belle-mere, Gaby!'

Gaby de Saville felt the tears pricking at her eyelids. She would have made the effort to love any wife of Adam's; but with Skye it was so easy. Not only that, they were friends, and Gaby considered that even better. 'I shall light a hundred candles to the Blessed Mother that my son has you,' she said feelingly.

'And I shall light a hundred more to her that I have him,' Skye replied. 'Oh, Gaby! This time I know that everything is going to be all right!'

Chapter 15

The Comte de Cher and his party reached the Marais district just in time. An angry mob was preparing to storm the house that they had rented for their Paris stay. All the mob knew was that the house was owned by a Huguenot family. The comte and his sons clattered into the overrun courtyard of the house, while around them the mob brandished pikes and homemade weapons, shouting, 'Kill the heretics!'

'Stop!' Antoine de Saville shouted, but he could not make himself heard over the uproar.

Adam saw one of the Duc de Guise's men leading the crowd, and riding over to him, he said, 'M'sieur, though this house is owned by a Huguenot, he is not in Paris. The house is being rented by a good Catholic nobleman, the Comte de Cher. It is his family and servants inside, not Huguenots.'

“The house is to be burned,' the duc's man replied. 'Orders of M'sieur de Guise.'

'I understand,' Adam replied, realizing that the duc, whose own mansion was next door, was taking this opportunity to confiscate the property for his own. 'Nonetheless you will allow my stepfather to remove his people and his goods. The Comte de Cher is in both the King's and Queen Catherine's favor.'

The duc's man nodded. 'We'll hold the mob, but tell your stepfather to hurry. The canaille grow madder with their blood lust with each minute that passes by.'

Adam turned his horse back to Antoine and, reaching him, said, 'We just have time to get our things, the children, and the servants, beau-pere. They're going to burn the house.'

'Alexandre! Yves!' the comte shouted. 'Go to the stables and have every coach in there made ready, even those we don't own! Louis, Henri, Robert! You will remain mounted before the front door. Adam, come inside with me!'

It did not take long to marshall the de Saville children, servants, and all their personal property. The servants had spent their evening packing for their master's departure the following day, and it was merely a matter of loading up the coaches in the rear of the house while the howling mob was held at bay out front. Within minutes the house was vacated, and Adam and the comte departed through the main door of the mansion, mounted their horses, and, thanking the duc's man, rode off. Behind them the Paris mob, freed of restraint, burst into their former abode, looting and destroying before putting the building to the torch.

When they reached the palace their women were eagerly waiting and anxious to leave Paris behind. In the confusion Skye found herself alone in a small carriage with Adam. She snuggled into his arms and, pressing her cheek against his hard shoulder, fell asleep. The whole evening had been a traumatic experience and, as always following a crisis, Skye was exhausted. When she awoke they were miles from the capital, but as they drove along there was evidence here and there of the same sort of violence and destruction and mayhem that they had left behind in Paris. In several places along their route gallows had been set up and both men and women as well as children dangled from them, swaying in the clear summer morning.

Skye wept at the sight. 'I cannot believe that God condones such cruelty,' she said sadly.