Jean Pierre waited at the end of adark alley, hoping to see Lisette. Had she managed to escape? Itwas fortuitous he had been unable to sleep, otherwise he would havenever heard the horses this morning. From his room, he could seethe main drive to the palace. As the sun lightened the sky, severalriders and a wagon for prisoners arrived at the front gate. Hedidn’t wait to find out what they wanted. His gut knew. He didn’twaste a moment before he started gathering the necessary papers andfunds, and changed for travel.
He wanted to get word to Lisette butknew of no way into the palace other than the most commonly useddoors, which would only get him arrested on the spot. Instead, hestood in the shadows of the bushes contemplating his many optionswhen she emerged from a hidden door. Knowing that she was well onher way to safety, he made his escape. Had he left too soon? Wasshe caught? Should he go back?
Her profile came into view as shepassed before the entrance. Jean Pierre reached out and grabbed herarm, pulling her back into the darkness. Her mouth opened in whathe assumed would become a scream, and he muffled it with his hand.Light glinted off the knife in her hand aimed towards hisneck.
“Lisette, it’s me, JeanPierre.”
She relaxed, and her arm dropped toher side.
When he removed his hand from hermouth, she sighed.
“I am so relieved youescaped. I heard one of the stable hands tell an officer you’d goneinside for your meal. It was too risky to enter the palaceagain.”
“You did the rightthing.”
“How do you suppose theyfound us?” Worry marred her brow, and she bit her bottomlip.
“It had to be theletter.”
“But why didn’t it gothrough normal channels? I don’t understand. My grandfather hasonly the address of our fictional chateaux, so by all rights theletter should be on its way south. As it reached me at the palace,it went through the proper people, so why wasn’t itcoded?”
“I don’t know, but I intendto find out.” Jean Pierre peeked out onto the road and ducked backin. “I don’t see any soldiers.”
“We should hurry. I don’tknow how long we have until they realize we are no longer at thepalace.”
Did she think he was going to loiterin this alley all day? Instead of commenting, he nodded and offeredhis arm. They both knew the direction of the safe house, ifanything went wrong.
“Should we go together?Wouldn’t it be safer to split?”
Jean Pierre looked down at her.“Normally, but we don’t know what we’ll find when we reachVaux.”
Lisette nodded and took his arm. Theyexited onto the street, and she kept her head down. He wished hehad bothered with a hat as she had, but his face was on view foranyone they passed. He could only hope nobody paid them anyattention and that they encountered no soldiers. At least theirclothing was appropriate for this hour. They blended in well withthe rest of the working class going about theirbusiness.
He paused at the corner and looked inboth directions. No soldiers so far. He forced himself to relax,yet his heart thumped heavily in his chest. The tempo increased thecloser they came to the Vaux residence. Not only was this the oneplace they were to go for instruction or to send warning, Vaux wasalso the man responsible for coding and sending messages back andforth. His young son, no more than five, had made the deliveriesfor the past year. He feared as much for the son as he did thefather. Yet the boy had been alive yesterday. Jean Pierre hoped hestill was.
Lisette’s hand tightened on his arm.Jean Pierre glanced down at her. Her eyes were fixed on thebuildings across the street and up a block. In front of the Vauxhousehold were more soldiers.
He patted her hand, and they continuedwalking past the row of houses crossing at the intersection. Theycontinued for two more blocks without a word between them beforeJean Pierre directed her across the street and down another block,until they were at the narrow street that ran behind the Vauxhome.
“What do we do now?Continue on to Etienne?” Lisette asked in a hushed tone.
Etienne was the backbone of theoperation in Paris, and he would be their second stop. “We need tofind out what has happened to Vaux.”
Her chin shot up, blue eyes blazed.“You wish for us to be killed?”
“They could only bequestioning him.”
“Or they could have beenarrested, or worse, killed. Then what?”
“We leave.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Of course,you’re correct.”
Jean Pierre squeezed her hand. “Wewere lucky to have managed as long as we did.” He could rememberthe first time he had to flee after discovery. He’d even had moretraining than Lisette, but it still hadn’t stopped the small amountof panic that settled in his gut. Given the circumstances and thatshe had never really faced the danger, she was holding up ratherwell. Of course, the Home Office would have never placed her herehad they not thought her capable.
They continued down the curved, narrowcobbled street until they reached the back of the Vaux home. Therewere no soldiers here. Jean Pierre silently walked up the few stepsto the back door. Slowly, he turned the handle and breathed a sighof relief that it wasn’t locked. He edged the door open, equallyglad the hinges were well-oiled, and stepped into the dim interior.Lisette followed close on his heels. He looked down and noted theknife clasped in the palm of her hand, knuckles white against thehandle. He slipped the gun out from inside his pocket and made hisway towards the door leading to the dining room.
Voices could be heard from the parlor.Jean Pierre peeked through a crack in the door andlistened.
“Send this one.” An olderofficer tossed a parchment on the table. How had they discoveredVaux? His son sat on the settee, watching his father and theofficers, face as pale as a ghost.
“Coded?” Vaux asked, histone dripped with hatred.
“No. I will let yourPasquel wonder why
