full height and size. “Such bravery should not go unnoticed. If I were back at the court in Versailles, you would receive a medal for protecting one of our precious citizens. I can’t provide that, but I believe a banquet in your honor is long overdue.”
My heart leaped as Francois gaped at him.
“Well, uh – thank you. Your Majesty. Er, Your Grace.”
The Duke smiled. “You may call me
‘Monsieur’. Or ‘Leopold’, if you prefer.”
Francois shook his hand. “Think it’ll have to be ‘Monsieur’. Wouldn’t feel right using the first name of royalty.”
33
“I’m not all that royal anymore,” Duke Laurent joked.
“Any news from the King?” Papa asked.
The Duke’s face fell. He glanced down at me, then back at Papa, spreading his hands. “He still refuses to answer my letters. I’ve tried, Henri.
I can implore him to send some men, but – .”
“I know,” Papa said. “You have no
authority with Versailles.”
Duke Laurent shrugged and shook his head.
“The perils of losing favor with the royal court.
I’m fortunate to be given oversight here. I only wish I could provide better security for --.” He glanced down at me and stopped himself. “… for our province.”
Papa heaved a sigh. “We need soldiers, Monsieur Laurent. There must be someone we can appeal to. Someone to make the King see reason.”
“I’m afraid the only one who can change the mind of the King toward me and our province is the King. I’ve asked. I’ve pleaded. I’ve begged.”
His eyes burrowed into the ground. “I don’t even know whether they open my appeals or if they immediately discard them upon seeing my name.”
Papa whirled away with clenched fists. He unclenched them quickly as Father Vestille strode toward us, the sun glinting off of his bald head.
“Abier, how are you?” Papa said, shaking hands.
“You know Francois, of course.”
Father Vestille nodded to Francois. “Of course.”
Francois smiled, with less than his usual warmth. “Well, we’re not on a first name basis.”
34
“Perhaps we should be,” Father Vestille said. “I haven’t even spoken to you since --. Well, since Spring.” He glanced at me the same way Duke Laurent had. As if I didn’t remember what Francois did for me this past spring. He knelt before me with open arms.
I hugged him tight. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard there was a commotion in the village. I came to see you.” He lowered his chin, his forehead creasing with worry. “Are you all right?”
I nodded, feeling better. Safer, even.
“I saw you weren’t at home, so I followed the tracks here. I told Celeste I would find you both. I, ah –.” He raised his eyebrows at Papa. “I didn’t tell her anything else. Figured you’d want to share that.”
Papa nodded. “Thank you.”
“Did you hear what happened?” I asked.
“Doctor Renoire found me and told me about it. I’ll have a talk with Andre Denue tomorrow, see if I can find out who the other boys were,” he said, more to Papa than to me.
“Are you going to excommunicate
Monsieur Denue?” I asked, hopeful. “Or Jacque?”
Father Vestille blinked. “I don’t think I’ll need to do that, Helena. I would rather give them both a chance to make amends.”
“But they beat me. And they wouldn’t stop.
You have to do something.”
35
“I will. I plan to talk to every one of them about what they’ve done. And help them understand the wrong of it.”
I shook my head. “That won’t help. You need to punish them, to make sure they can’t do it again. You have to hurt them the way they hurt me. You should –!”
“Helena,” Papa interrupted with a scowl.
“That’s enough.”
“Yes, leave the punishments to me,
Helena,” Duke Laurent broke in. “After all, maintaining order is the role of government. Not the church.”
Father Vestille looked sideways at the Duke and frowned. “Yes, that is true.
