Lisette placed herself on the oppositeside of the door and could hear every word. Her eyes methis.
“The one to Etienne?” Vauxasked.
The soldier laughed. “He will be thelast. Code it, but don’t make any mistakes. We now know your codesas well as you do.”
Vaux set his quill aside and looked upat the man. “If I refuse?”
Another soldier grabbed the boy andaimed a pistol at his child. “Do you really wish to ask thequestion again?”
A thin line of sweat trickled down theside of Vaux’s temple. “Leave him be.” He picked up the quill. “Heis only a child.”
“One who will grow intomanhood, if you do as you are told.”
Silence followed while Vaux rewrotethe message to Etienne. They would have to get to him soon so hecould be warned. He was more important than Pasquel. Only Etienneand Vaux knew the name and location of each English spy inParis.
When he was finished, Vaux blew on theink and sanded it before handing the parchment to thesoldier.
The man skimmed the contents, noddedhis head, and folded the letter before he turned to the boy.“Deliver both of these and return. If you say anything, your papawill die.”
The boys eyes grew larger, but he saidnothing. Jean Pierre hated the man more with each moment. Only acruel monster would terrorize a child.
“Oui, Monsieur.” The boyshoved his cap on the top of his head and left the parlor towardsthe front door. Lisette met Jean Pierre’s eyes and jerked her headtowards the back door. He nodded. He would stay here while she wentafter the boy. The boy needed saving as much as hisfather.
Lisette slipped out the back door. Sheentered the small street and turned left in hopes of encounteringthe boy. She exited onto a main street just as he crossed beforeher, and she reached out for him.
At the feel of her fingers on his arm,the boy jumped and turned in her direction. A moment later he flunghimself at her, his small arms clasped around her thighs, his headagainst her stomach. The poor thing must be frightened to death.But they couldn’t stay here like this. A soldier could come aroundthe corner at any moment. As much as she hated to do this, shepushed him away and bent down so they were face to face. “I needfor you to go down two more streets and turn right. Wait for me infront of the café. Can you do that?”
Tears pooled in his eyes but he didn’trelinquish hold of her black skirt.
“I promise I will be rightbehind you.” She glanced back at the corner, certain someone wouldcome upon them in any moment. “We could be caught here.”
Slowly his hands fell away from herskirts, but he didn’t move away.
“I promise I will be therein a few moments.”
He swallowed, terror written in hissmall features, but he turned and ran down the street. She followedat a slower pace, basket still linked over her arm, resisting theurge to look behind and watched the boy round the corner. Shedidn’t even know his name. A year of delivering messages, and she’dnever bothered to know him.
He waited for her as promised. Shetook his hand and led him inside the café. The place was packedwith early morning workers drinking coffee and eating variousbreads. Lisette settled the boy at a back table, next to thekitchen where if necessary, they could duck out that way. Confidenthe wouldn’t be seen from the entrance, she took a seat facing thedoor.
She leaned forwards and whispered. “Iam Lisette.”
A small smile pulled at his lips. “Iknow,” he whispered back.
Of course he knew her name. He askedfor her at the palace and pressed the letters into herhands.
“What is yourname?”
“Claude.”
“That is a very nice name.”The boy was a bit more relaxed, but not entirely. Who could blamehim? There were officers in his house threatening to kill hisfather. “May I have the letter to Pasquel?”
“I must . . .”
“I know, I heard thesoldiers.”
Claude pulled it from his pocket andhanded it over. Lisette scanned the message and was thankful itwasn’t anything too damning. Pasquel was to meet Etienne on urgentbusiness at Place de la Concorde. Why so close to the palace? Shesupposed it didn’t matter, given it was a public location and notone she wanted to spend any time in, especially at midnight. Thelocation was probably haunted by the hundreds of souls who losttheir head there during the revolution.
It didn’t matter what Etienne’sinstructions were. The ones she needed to add were more important.Lisette glanced around for a writing implement. A pencil sat on atable behind the counter. She moved from her seat and approachedthe servant. “May I?”
The servant glanced down at the penciland shrugged. Lisette took this as a yes and returned to her seat.It didn’t write nearly as well as the ones she was used to inEngland, but it would suffice. Her message was simple. Falcon.Lisette folded the parchment again and handed it back to Claude.“May I have the other letter?”
He slid that one across thetable.
A quick glance offered up few detailsof Napoleon’s return to France. At the bottom of this letter, shewrote Geese and returned it to Claude. “I will follow you as youdeliver these and then take you back home.”
He nodded and bit his lowerlip
The servant came over and glared ather. They really should not have taken a table if they weren’tgoing to order anything. “A baguette and croissant to take with us,please.”
He nodded and walked away. A momentlater he returned. She paid for the bread and left the café withClaude.
“You need to go alone, likeyou always do. I promise to follow close behind.” She pressed thecroissant into his hand.
He nodded and turned away from her.Lisette tore off a piece of the baguette and followed, remainingalmost a block behind until Claude stopped before the door ofPasquel’s home. She had only met the man twice but knew him onsight when he opened the door. He took the note, turned, and sawher. He paused for a moment, his brows furrowed. Lisette gave aslight shake of her head, and he disappeared inside. The moment heread the
