Lord Philip's Christmas

by Michele McGrath

  “How badly is he injured?”

  “Antoine says it all depends on whether an infection sets in. If it does, he could lose his arm or worse.”

  “Which one is it?” Marco asked quickly and there was anxiety in his tone.

  “His left.”

  “Thank God. Not his sword arm then.”

  “I doubt losing either would please him much,” Edward said dryly. “Once my wife hears he is here; she’s certain to insist that he is moved to our hotel where she can nurse him herself.”

  “Ordinarily I would agree that would be best, but Philip is known in government circles. Once this duel is reported to the authorities, his enemies would find it simple to accuse him of murder. Don’t move him until we know what people are saying about the affair. He’s safe enough here for a few hours. Antoine will be back later and should bring news. If one of you will take my place, I can also ask some of my acquaintances who work in the ministries.”

  “I’ll stay,” Marco offered, “while you go and reassure Lady Alice, Monsieur. At least he has not managed to kill himself, thank the good God.”

  The cousins separated after they left the hospital, Victor to find his friends; Edward back to his hotel. When Edward walked into the room, he saw Alice walking around in agitation, her arm through Grace’s. Agathe sat upon the sofa staring at them with wide open eyes. As soon as he opened the door, Alice shook herself free and ran towards him.

  “Tell us!”

  “He’s alive but injured.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Edward noticed Grace drop onto a chair and cover her face with her hands. He held his wife close to him.

  “Where is he?” Alice cried. “I must go to him at once.”

  “My love, calm yourself, I beg of you. If you do so, people will start to ask awkward questions.” He led Alice to a seat and made her sit down. “Philip fought a duel this morning and killed a man, so it’s possible that he could be arrested. Victor and his friend Antoine have both gone to find out. We must wait for them before we do anything rash.”

  Edward poured out a small glass of brandy for each of the women then he told them what had happened. At the end, Alice exclaimed,

  “Well I am glad that evil man is dead and won’t be able to do any more harm. Surely Philip can’t be arrested if he died in a duel?”

  “I’m not perfectly certain of the law in France. In England, what happens when someone is killed differs, depending on the circumstances of the opponents. We must wait for Victor to know more.”

  “If they want to arrest him, what can we do?”

  “He’s in no state to be thrown into gaol. Somehow we have to hide him.” He turned to Agathe. “Would you be willing to help us?”

  “Of course, Monsieur.”

  “There may be some danger, if they find you have been telling lies.”

  Suddenly Agathe smiled. “I am an excellent liar, Monsieur, and I also know when to hold my tongue. There should be no difficulty, I assure you. Tell me what to do and I will do it.”

  “That’s good. There is nothing further for you to do tonight. Do you think anyone will be wondering about your absence? You came here early this morning and it is beginning to get dark.”

  “I’m often at the Baron’s until this time, but you are right. If I stay any longer, my mother is sure to ask questions when I return. I should leave now.”

  “Go home and allay your mother’s suspicions. Act as if nothing has happened but, when you usually go to work tomorrow, come back here instead. By then we should know what to do.”

  Agathe left and the waiting began again. It was some hours later, when dinner was over, before Victor knocked on the door. Such was the state of everyone’s nerves that they jumped at the sound. Victor looked white and strained and his eyes were red rimmed with tiredness.

  “You look terrible,” Edward said. “Have you eaten?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Then eat while you tell us what you have found out.”

  Edward sent for food and made his cousin drink a glass of wine.

  Once Victor’s first hunger was satisfied and he had more colour in his cheeks, he described what had happened.

  “There is a man in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whom I have known for years and who owes me several favours. I said I was working for one of the new broadsheets and asked him about a rumour that an Englishman had been killed in a duel this morning. He told me that the British Ambassador had lodged a formal complaint, accusing the man’s opponent of murder. Philip is currently being sought by the Police. By the by, the man they are seeking is a French Baron, ennobled by the former Emperor.”

  “So they don’t know that Philip is English?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Staunton knew Philip’s real name and he would have told Charville, who was one of his seconds. It can only be a matter of time before Philip’s identity is revealed.”

  Alice stood up. “How do we prevent them from finding him?”

  Victor smiled. “I’ve been thinking about that and decided that I should go home to see my parents. It should cause little comment, because it is something I do occasionally. I shall tell my employers that my mother is sick and calling for me. What is more natural than we should journey together? It is well known that you want to go to Dauphiné to visit your relatives. You will take your servants with you, of course, since you intend to travel on to Switzerland afterwards. Philip can pose as my groom, who has met with an unfortunate accident, and whom I am taking back with me.”

  “Is Philip well enough to make the journey?”

  “Antoine says he can do so in a day or two, provided we travel by easy stages. If not, we must find somewhere to hide him until he recovers more of his strength. Antoine thinks that he will need nursing on the way, for the first few days at least. How trustworthy are your servants?”

  “Benson has been with me for years. He was my batman in Spain and I would trust him with my life, but he is no nursemaid. The coachman, Trevor, worked for my father before me and is very loyal to the family. Alice’s dresser, Bennett, has only been with us for a few months, ever since Alice and I were married. She is efficient and a pleasant woman. Alice speaks highly of her, but she is not a good traveller as we found out on the journey here. The motion of a coach, even a well-sprung one, makes her ill, so we had to stop frequently. Certainly, she would be no use caring for a wounded man. Alice, what do you say? I think Bennett should go home to London but I do not want to deprive you of her services.”

  “I don’t care about that. We can’t look after for two sick people on such a long journey. Send her back by all means and she can take the clothes we won’t need once we have left Paris.”

  “May I come with you to Dauphiné?” Grace asked hesitantly. “As you know, I nursed my mother when she fell ill and I would be glad to repay some small part the generosity you have shown me. Together I’m sure we’ll manage to look after him.”

  Alice nodded. “That would be useful, thank you.”

  “The less people, who know that we are taking Philip away from Paris, the better, but a woman servant is necessary. You will need her to procure things from the hostelries we stay in along the way and do other chores. It would be best if she is French. A stranger would be dangerous in case one of us makes a slip at the wrong moment so I thought we might take that girl who works for Philip. What is her name?”

  “Agathe Bouchard. I’m not so sure her mother would allow her to come, but if she did, it would be a good idea. She seems to care what happens to Philip and can help us.”

  Alice visited Agathe’s mother to ask her permission and to make arrangements. Madame Bouchard was reluctant at first and extracted several promises about the welfare of her daughter but in the end, she agreed to let her go with them. Agathe herself was wild with excitement.

  “Because I have never been out of Paris before,” she explained, her eyes glowing.

  The following day Philip was moved from the Hôtel-Dieu. Victor
and Antoine carried him down on a stretcher from the ward and out to the waiting coach. They went alone.

  “Better not to let anyone English come for him,” Victor advised. “An Englishman at this hospital is sure to be remembered. We will manage. Antoine has a friend who is staying with his parents in the country. Antoine is allowed to use his apartment while he is away. It’s in a poor area where people don’t ask too many questions. Philip can stay there until we begin our journey.”

  So, Edward stayed at the hotel with the three women, trying to calm their apprehension but the move was made without incident, as Victor reported later. Philip was comfortable and Antoine remained with him for the present. Alice was somewhat comforted by this news. Later, when they were alone, she asked a question she had not wanted to ask at all,

  “Should we tell Mama what has happened to Philip and that we are going to Dauphiné?”

  Edward looked at her, startled. “Can you trust her to act in such a way that she doesn’t betray his whereabouts or would you expect her to rush to his bedside?”

  “She was never very concerned when we were little,” Alice said thoughtfully. “Now that Philip has inherited she might feel differently, of course. She was troubled if Julian hurt himself but she left the rest of us in Nurse’s care.”

  “If anything happened to Philip, who would inherit the estate?” Edward asked.

  “A distant cousin of ours who lives in London. Our family isn’t close, so he never visited Kirkmore. With two healthy brothers, I did not trouble to seek him out when I came to the city.”

  “Would the fact that Philip is now the earl make him more important in your mother’s eyes?”

  “It must do so. If anything happened to him, she would have to remove to the dower house and see Cousin Arthur inherit Kirkmore. To answer your question, I think she would go to him and would want to accompany him to ensure he was properly looked after.”

  “She wouldn’t trust you?”

  “Her opinion of me has never been high.”

  “What a foolish woman. Tell me, my love, would you like her to be with us all the way to Dauphiné?”

  “Certainly not. It has been a great relief to me to be on our own these last few weeks. I think, though, it would be wrong just sneak away from her as if we were thieves in the night.”

  “A sentiment that does justice to your heart, but not to your head. I, for one, will do much better without your mother…” Alice opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand to stop her. “To soothe your conscience, you may leave a letter to be delivered to her after we have gone.”

  “She will be so angry!”

  “If she follows us to Dauphiné, we’ll have escaped her company on the journey at least, and she is unlikely to make a scene in front of her brother and his family.”

  “She won’t come. She told me that she wanted your protection to come here at all, so I doubt she would travel further on her own.”

  “Even more reason to tell her after we’ve left.”

  “Edward, you wretch!”

  “She’s fulfilled her wish to find Philip and urged him to return to England. She can do nothing more to make him do so. If she wants to visit her brother and see her old home, she can easily hire outriders for the journey. It may be more convenient for her to travel with us but it’s not necessary. A very little of your mother’s company is trying to my nerves, so be a good girl and write to her if you must, but don’t invite her to join us.”

  The letter was duly written and given to the hotel manager with strict instructions to see it delivered after they had left. The manager was sorry they were going but was consoled with a large vail to thank him for his services. Bennett and Benson supervised the packing of all the trunks and bandboxes.

  “Mama told me that life is much simpler in the French countryside or even in a provincial city like Grenoble.” Alice and Grace were making a careful selection of what was to be taken with them. “We will send our town clothes home, including the dresses Céleste made and anything else that is not strictly necessary, so we may have more room in the coach.”

  Edward sent Alice and Grace out to purchase those items they thought might need for Philip’s comfort on the journey. They had been given a list of necessities by Antoine as well as the addresses of the apothecaries which would stock such things. They took a little time to make all the purchases, but they returned at last with everything he had suggested.

  One of the coaches they had brought from England was loaded with luggage Bennett was to take home. Alice, Grace and Agathe would travel in the other one with Philip, while Edward and Victor intended to ride. Benson had a seat beside the coachman as usual. Everything was ready when, that evening, Victor came to the hotel and took Edward aside.

  “They are hunting for him, or so I’ve been told. We moved him from the Hôtel-Dieu just in time. These royalists never persist in such things for long, though. If we can get him away, he should be safe. Philip didn’t shoot the King or one of his family, which is all that matters to them. One Englishman more or less is no great loss, forgive me for saying so.”

  Edward laughed. “I could say the same of a Frenchman in London.”

  “Nevertheless I think we should leave tomorrow and hurry over the first few stages. It’s better to be leagues away from Paris before anyone knows that we’ve gone.”

  Philip was apparently much improved but still unable to use his arm. Antoine agreed he could attempt the journey so long as it was strapped to his chest and he did not try to use it. Edward gave his instructions to the coachman while Alice said goodbye to Bennett, who was close to tears.

  “I am so sorry to be leaving you, ma’am. Are you sure I can’t stay?”

  “You will be far more comfortable at home and of greater use to me there than you would be bouncing over the mountains. Look after my dresses and give my letters to Lady Maitland and the housekeeper. There’s no need for you to hurry, because we won’t be in London for some weeks. The coachman knows to stop from time to time, so you may go for a walk and recover yourself. Have a good journey.”

  Although she liked Bennett, Alice was impatient for her to leave. She wanted to see her brother. When the coach turned the corner and was lost to sight, she gave a sigh of relief. She quickly mounted into the other carriage. Grace and Agathe were already aboard while Edward mounted his horse. Victor and Benson had gone on ahead to make Philip ready. They were carrying him down the stairs of the apartment, followed by Antoine, when the carriage drew up at the entrance.

  Alice and Grace were shocked to see how white and ill Philip looked. They tried hard to restrain their feelings, but Agathe cried out,

  “Oh! Monsieur le Baron!” She was promptly hushed by Antoine. Philip was assisted into the coach and propped up with pillows.

  “If he has good food and proper attention, he will prosper,” Antoine told them. “Don’t worry. You must dress his wound every day, more often if he starts to bleed, but I think it is unlikely.”

  He gave the women further instructions on the care for their patient and then wished them Bon Voyage.

  Chapter Eleven

  The carriage picked its way carefully through the streets of Paris. They passed out of the Port de Vincennes, one of the eastern gates of the city, and set off on the road leading to Dauphiné. Nobody challenged them at the gate although Victor had a story ready in case it was needed. At first everything went well and they left Paris behind. The roads were soft with rain but not enough for them to become mired. The horses maintained a steady pace and the changes were accomplished with no trouble. After they left the forest of Fontainebleu behind them, Grace pulled down the window and called to Edward,

  “I’m sorry but I think we must stop soon. Philip is obviously in pain. I have given him a little brandy, as Antoine suggested, but he has not settled.”

  “Victor, do you know where we can stay near here?” Edward asked.

  “The next village is Moret-sur-Loing. There’s a good enough inn ther
e.”

  “How far?”

  “A league. Perhaps a little more.”

  “Very well.”

  The hostelry proved to be a pleasant place as Victor had said. Philip was carried up to the best bedchamber and made comfortable. The landlady clucked over him,

  “Ah le pauvre petit. Quel dommage.”

  Alice spent time with Philip while Grace and Agathe had their dinner.

  “I will stay with him tonight,” Grace offered when she returned.

  “No, you won’t,” Agathe disputed. “A lady does not remain in the room of a servant, even if he is sick. I am the one to do so. I have done it before when Madame was alive and no questions asked. No one takes any notice of me. Besides which, the Baron snores!”

  Grace could not help smiling at that. She made no further argument but came downstairs again and told Alice and Edward what Agathe had said.

  “She is perfectly right of course,” Edward agreed. “We are bound to be remembered if you or Alice look after a mere servant. It’s best to give the gossips nothing to talk about. Look in before you go to bed and see that he is settled for the night, then Agathe can call us if he gets any worse.”

  Edward insisted that both Alice and Grace came for a short walk before they retired.

  “You have been cooped up in the carriage all day. You won’t do Philip any good if you make yourselves ill through worrying about him. He’s young and fit and will recover from this wound. Let Agathe watch him, then you can see him in the morning.”

  They walked along the banks of the twisting river and admired the old buildings in the town centre. It was not long, though, before Grace grew restless and they turned back. When she peeped into Philip’s room she found him in a deep sleep.

  “Oh, Mademoiselle, he seemed so happy to be able to stretch out his legs properly and to lie still,” Agathe said. “I’m sure he is a little better, thank the good God.”

  “I hope you’re right, Agathe. Go down now and take a short walk. I have done so and I feel so much better. Wake me in the night if he is restless or if there is any change for the worst.”