No. She banished the though from herhead. She must not think that way. It could have been anyone, andmaybe they weren’t even aware she and Jean Pierre were also in thebuilding.
Lisette knew it was too much to hopefor, but it helped give her some peace of mind. However, if theyweren’t there to spy on them, who were they and what did theywant?
She folded the gown once again andmoved the mattress to cover it. Jean Pierre was right. She couldn’treturn home. At least not now. Somehow she needed to come up withan excuse to write to grandfather and pray heunderstood.
Lisette rose with the sun. It was afitful night of sleep, and if she slept at all it was to doze. Withevery sound that woke her, she feared that Savary or one of his menwas about to arrest her. The Minister of Police didn’t bother towait for normal hours. If he decided to imprison someone, it didn’tmatter if it was three in the afternoon or three in themorning.
She put on her serviceable gown andbrushed through her hair. She needed to put her worry aside. Hadthey been discovered, soldiers would have come for them by now.Besides, she needed to think of an excuse to write her grandfather.The thought of defying him made her as ill as the thought of beingarrested by Savary.
She checked her appearance in themirror, noted all was in place, and left her room for another dayof work. As she rounded the corner before descending the stairs,the voices of two other maids drifted up to her.
“What do Savary’s men wantwith Lisette?”
Her stomach tightened, and Lisetteducked into a small closet. She kept the door cracked so she couldstill hear them.
“Who knows, but I doubtthey will find what they want. I can’t imagine why Lisette would beof interest to him. She barely speaks, and I’ve not known her toleave the palace grounds since she was hired. Lisette is the lastperson who would be a threat.”
“I heard they also wantedto speak with Jean Pierre Bouvier.”
The taller maid looked at the other.“The groomsman?”
“Oui. Don’t you think itodd?”
“I think Savary is chasingshadows, is what I think.”
The other maid gasped.
“Don’t you dare tell anyoneI said that. I have no wish to be imprisoned.”
“I promise, Iswear.”
The taller one knocked on Lisette’sdoor and waited. She knocked a second time. When nobody answered,she turned the handle and stuck her head in the room beforestraightening and closing the door. “She must already be atbreakfast.”
The two retreated down the stairs, andLisette bolted to her room. She wasn’t about to waste a momentwondering what Savary and his men wanted, because she could alreadyguess. She didn’t dare risk an audience to put aside any suspicionsor be arrested on the spot.
Lisette slammed the lock into placeand pulled her gown from beneath the mattress. Even though she hadchecked her pockets the night before, she did so again. Everythingshe needed was there. She quickly changed her clothing before shegrabbed her cloak. Now, to make it out of the palace without beingcaught. She had gone over this route several times and knew it byheart. She could navigate it in the dark if necessary. She justhoped she didn’t encounter anyone.
She hastily made her way down the backset of stairs and exited a door that led to the gardens. This oneopened behind tall bushes, so if anyone was within the grounds theycould not see her. She shut the door and peered through thefoliage. Nobody was about. She slinked along the back of thebuilding to peak around the corner. Officers employed by theMinistry of Police were mounted on horses. Between them was a wagonused for hauling prisoners. They were not here to simply askquestions, but to arrest them. She had to get word to Jean Pierrebefore it was too late.
Lisette tightened the bow at her chinthat held her cap in place and slipped the handle of the basketover her arm. She knew that from a distance, she looked like one ofthe kitchen maids and hoped the disguise would last until she wasfar away.
Slowly, so as not to draw attention,Lisette wandered down the rows of the herb garden, studying theplants. This was December and they were all dead, but she hopedthose on horseback were too stupid to realize that or they wouldthink she was checking on how the garden was doing in the winter.She chanced a glance over her shoulder when she reached the end.She couldn’t even see the drive or the officers from this location,and nobody else was outside either.
She quickened her steps and made herway to the stables, keeping within the tree line. More soldiers onhorses were in the yard. Lisette held her breath. Had Jean Pierrebeen arrested? Should she wait to find out, or make her own escape?Yet she couldn’t leave without him. What if she was his only chanceat being rescued? What if he hadn’t been warned or didn’t know? Hecould walk into a trap. She had to get to him first.
Two officers stepped out of the stableand approached the others on horses. “He is not here.”
Lisette sighed with relief and steppedfurther back into the shadows. Had he made his escape, or was hejust lucky enough to be gone when the soldiers came?
“Where did he go?” demandeda man on horseback.
“To the house for hismeal.” The officer gestured towards the palace with a tilt of hishead.
“Very well, we will arresthim there.”
The other two men mounted their horsesand rode towards the palace. Lisette didn’t wait to find out whatwould happen. She made her way out of the gardens and to thestreets of Paris. She couldn’t risk returning to help Jean Pierre,nor would he expect her to. She would just have to wait and seewhat happened. Others could rescue him if necessary, but if theywere both taken, there was nobody to alert their contacts before itwas too late.
Tuileries was large. Hopefully itwould be hours before anyone realized she was actuallygone.
Her first order of business was tomake her
