“Young Miss! Just what do you think you are doing? We’ve got to go around to the back like everyone else!” She pulled at Helen’s worn sleeve and yanked her away from the footmen at the entrance. For a moment Helene had forgotten everything almost placing them at risk. They hurried around to the back door where they were greeted by the femme de manage.
“What do you want?” She looked up and down at the two women at her kitchen door. She was tall and thin and looked as if she hadn’t eaten in a week with her pallid cheeks all sunken in. She was a stern and frightening looking woman.
“Look here. Madame D’Aumont is expecting us. This here is the Comtesse Helene Corbet of Passy.” Honorine pointed to Helene.
“And I’m the Queen of France! Pleased to meet your royal highness.” The severe looking woman broke out into hoarse laughter. The thought that this woman could even venture a smile was a stretch let alone the gut wrenching guffaw that fell from her lips. “If it’s work you want why don’t you just say so instead of making up some fancy story. Come on in your majesties. The Mistress is looking for two scrubwomen so you might just be in luck but I’d skip the fancy joke on her..she wouldn’t find it as funny as I did.” She led them into a large and warm kitchen and Helene sighed with relief. They had made it safely inside and the smell of the streets was turning into a nasty memory. All she needed now was Etienne. The woman of the house kept eyeing them suspiciously. “Don’t move and for God’s sake don’t touch anything. I’ll go get my lady.” She hurried out of the kitchen and Helene looked at Honorine and the two of them burst out laughing.
“Oh Miss what an adventure! Just wait till that smug woman finds out who you really are. She’ll be begging you for forgiveness and mercy! I can’t wait to see the look on her face!” Honorine was highly amused and her skilled eye was peering into every corner of the kitchen to see how it was run and what fancy machines they had in Paris. Satisfied that it didn’t hold a candle to her own kitchen she returned her attention to Helene. “Are you alright Miss?”
“I’m fine Honorine. It’s just been such a shock seeing the streets of Paris like that. I heard the rumors but I had no idea how bad things really were. I’m so relieved to finally be away from that nightmare! I need a bath immediately and so do you. We have to get this stench off of us, I can’t bear it a moment longer.” Helene wanted so badly to sit down but was paralyzed by the stern woman’s admonishment not to move. She would wait for the lady of the house. She did not have to wait long. At the sound of the door opening Helene turned to see the most magnificently dressed creature she had ever laid her eyes upon. A mass of bright red hair was piled high on top of her head in a direct affront to the current fashions. Any respectable woman wouldn’t receive guests without her wig on but here she was all made up in a stunning fashion and she did not seem déclassé at all. On the contrary she seemed very modern and chic. It was incredible. Miss D’Aumont rushed toward them.
“I’m so glad you made it safely. It is a madhouse out there! You poor dear look at you! We must get you out of those things immediately.” Her voice was warm and dripping with honey.
“Oh thank you Madame D’Aumont! You don’t know how awful it was! You see we are quite sheltered from this insanity out in Passy.” Helene was still enamored of her hostess’ flamboyant appearance. The dress was red like the color of dark blood and in contrast she wore a fantastic necklace of emeralds as her only adornment.
“Yes, of course you are. You’re out in the country and you couldn’t possibly know how things have deteriorated so quickly. I’m just sorry you had to witness it all firsthand but we just had to get you to Paris as I’ve arranged safe transport for you and Etienne.” She smiled down at Helene and took her hand in her own. Her skin was hot as if there were a secret fire burning somewhere in her veins. “But we’ll talk later. First we must get you properly washed and dressed.” She ignored Honorine altogether.
“I was hoping my maid could get bathed and changed herself. I think we ought to burn these clothes immediately.” She looked to Honorine who was eying the Comtesse with suspicion. Something did not seem right about her even with all the flattery and soft cooing noises she made. There was something wrong with the Comtesse D’Aumont. Honorine could feel it.
“Begging your pardon Madameoiselle…”She approached Helene. “If we could just have a word.” She was interrupted by the woman with the flaming red tresses.
“We can all talk later. Antoinette get this woman to a bath and find her some clean clothes. She really is a servant but this woman is not. She is Madame Corbet from Passy.” The femme de ménage’s visage altered visibly. They were telling the truth! “She is to be treated like royalty. Take her upstairs and get some of the girls to help her. We have no time to waste.” Antoinette stared at Helene and then back to Honorine. What was going on in her household today? She was a woman who lived by schedules and routines. These large houses did not run themselves. At least she would have a satisfying tale to tell the rest of the staff at dinner tonight. Madame D’Aumont led Helene away from the kitchen and left Honorine with the head of the household.
Madame D’Aumont led Helen through a marble foyer that was as grand as could be imagined with a large staircase that split into two sections each leading to a different wing of the house. She kept Helene very close and whispered as they ascended the staircase.
“Etienne cannot wait to see you. You are all he ever talks about.” It was hard for Helene to hear someone else talking about the man she was in love with. It had been such a secret between them since it all began and it made her skin crawl to hear another woman talk about it so openly and brazenly.
“Where is he? I must speak to him.” Helene would not feel right until they were together. This was all so unreal and fantastic that she felt she was stuck in some bizarre dream from which she could not wake.
“All in good time.” The creamy soft voice failed to console her. “He is out in the stables working out the details of your escape. I will let him know that you are here and once you’ve become decent again you can see him. You don’t want him to see you this way do you?” This time the warm voice was mocking.
“I suppose not.” Helene sighed loudly. “I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.” Helene followed the brilliantly dressed woman down the ornately decorated hall with red carpeting and red tapestries on every wall. She found it a bit vulgar and ostentatious. The décor had the sense of a showy display as if the owner were trying to impress the world that she was trying so desperately to enter. She was saying loudly that she was rich and powerful where Helene’s taste was much more subtle and quiet. She was sure that the two of them under normal circumstances could never have been friends. She was led to a room that was large and filled with loud impressive furniture all painted gold and covered with gold fabric. It was a horror truly but Helene suddenly felt guilty for judging this woman’s taste when she was helping them to flee the danger all around them. Once again she thought it would all become a funny story she would tell when the world calmed down again.
She was left alone with two maids who drew her a bath and helped her scrub the filth of the streets away. There was an array of wonderful gowns to choose from that were all the right size. The mistress of the chateau certainly knew how to pamper her guests. Helene chose a dress of turquoise blue that seemed more beautiful than the others. It was regal and made in the most recent of fashion and she saw also that there were several wigs to choose from and one of the girls was quite skilled at hairdressing and helped her achieve the desired look. Finally she was herself again. Helene Corbet of Passy. She couldn’t wait now to see Etienne. She was fastening one of the brooches on her dress when she heard a commotion coming from downstairs. It sounded like angry shouting and the frightening sound of angry pounding. Her heart froze in that instant as she remembered the angry mob on the streets. She opened the door and made her way to the stairs. In the foyer there were about twenty men with guns and hammers and all sorts of weaponry. They w
ere held at bay by Celine D’Aumont. Suddenly her hostess turned around as if she sensed Helene’s presence. She smiled in the most calm manner for someone under such circumstances. She bade the men to be quiet and surprisingly they listened to her. She really was a friend to the people! Helene’s fear subsided and she saw that Celine was motioning for her to come downstairs.
“Don’t’ be afraid darling. These are friends. In these desperate times we must all be friends to the common man. It’s what all this violence is all about. For too long the privileged few have held all the coins as the rest of France starves. You saw it for yourself today did you not?” She held out her hand to Helene as she nervously reached the bottom stair. “You saw for yourself the agony and the desperation of the people. Did it not move you to tears?” The men were all staring at her hungrily with malice shining from their eyes. Helene was confused. Where was Etienne? Celine grabbed her wrist with inhuman strength and refused to let her go. Now Helene was terrified. When Celine spoke again there was blood in her voice.
“Gentlemen. As promised I deliver to you an enemy of the people of France! Comtesse Helene Corbet of Passy!” With this she pushed Helene brutally into the crowd who began cheering and yelling. One of them even shot his pistol towards the ceiling. Helen screamed as the men grabbed her and began dragging her out of the house. She looked at Celine who stood there smiling as she bade her servant to fetch her wool cape. She wasn’t going to miss this for all the world. Helene screamed and screamed for Etienne but there was no help to be found anywhere. Somehow Celine D’Aumont had tricked her and now she was being carried away by the angry killing mob that had frightened her so earlier. She couldn’t understand why a woman whom she didn’t even know would do this to her. Where was Etienne? Had she tricked him as well? She screamed again and again until one of the men knocked her on the back of her head until all she knew was blackness.
Sasha sat up in the bed abruptly. She was in a strange place and the violence of her dream had made her more afraid. Where was she? Oh yes, she looked at the sleeping form next to her and smiled at Taylor. After the river boat tour they had agreed to go to the Ritz for a night cap and the next thing she knew there were clothes flying about everywhere. They had made love not once, but three times before they finally fell asleep after admitting it was the best sex either one of them had ever had. Sasha didn’t know if he was just saying it to be nice but it was true for her. Looking at Taylor she thought about the nightmare and wondered why Celine had suddenly decided to show up in it. Great, now she was going to need therapy! First she dreams of Taylor two days before meeting him and now this dream of Celine betraying her. Was it some sort of omen? She looked around the extravagant room and wished suddenly that she was at home. She looked at Taylor again and something flashed in her mind like a memory that was vague and distinct at the same time. She saw him sleeping just like this but in a different bed and a different place. The flashes started coming faster and she found herself disoriented. What was wrong with her? She panicked and slipped out of the bed quietly. Not wishing to wake him she grabbed her purse and began to dress. She wanted to leave without disturbing him. She clicked the door closed as quietly as possible and ran down the hall to the elevator. The door opened quickly and inside was one passenger. A short attractive man who smiled up at her and went back to reading the paper in his hand. As the elevator opened to the magnificent lobby she stepped out and remembered where she saw him before. He was on the boat with her and Taylor. She had noticed him as they were disembarking and remembered feeling sorry for him that he was all alone. He didn’t get off at the lobby with her. He continued to ignore her as the doors closed and he vanished from sight. Something weird was definitely going on and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Maybe Celine was having Taylor followed. Oh God! That meant she would now know that Sasha had slept with the reporter from D.C.! Just what she needed. One thing was for sure she was going to do a little reporting of her own and with her access at Celgen she was sure she could find things that Taylor couldn’t get close to. She was going to start with Celine. He told her that there was no information about Celine to be found anywhere. She was going to find out who Celine D’Aumont really was. She walked out into the morning light and the strange flashes of memories or dreams began to fade. With each step she felt more clear headed and walked haughtily down the Champs Elysees toward the Eifel Tower. It was time to get to work.
ENCRYPTION
Frankie walked into the front door of the house on Rue Raynouard and descended the long set of steps. He stopped at the bottom and surveyed the grand room bathed in sunlight. It had been a long night and he had made sure nothing happened to his subjects of interest. There was a flurry of activity out on the terrace and he heard heated voices back and forth. Stepping out into the warmth of the spring sun he saw Marcus and Claire engaged in a battle of wills.
“How could you let this happen Marcus? After everything we risked to get her here.” Claire was on fire and it amused Frankie to see her this way. Usually she was the ice princess and he much preferred her like this.
“I didn’t let her do anything! She tricked Virginie and was gone for at least half an hour before we realized it.” Marcus was pacing rapidly back and forth. Neither one of them acknowledged Frankie’s presence. “This is just terrible.” Marcus muttered more to himself than to Claire.
“And what are we supposed to do now? Kidnap her again? By now she’s told Celine everything. Once again your well made plans end up with people in danger. I’m surprised any of us are still alive. What is she waiting for?” Claire’s anger had subdued to the slow simmer of rage.
“I thought in this modern age we would have the advantage. I still do.” Marcus looked at Frankie for the first time. “We need everyone here now more than ever. It’s only a matter of time before she goes after them.” He moved toward the smaller man and asked him quietly. “Any signs of awakening?” There was a tiny glimmer of hope in his voice.
The hope was dashed instantly by Frankie’s smart ass reply. “Nope. Not a thing.” He sighed dramatically as if nothing at all were out of the ordinary and their lives weren’t in danger. “Although they did sleep together last night and Sasha tore out of her room like a bat out of hell first thing this morning. Maybe she remembered something.” He walked to the well laden table covered with mountains of fruits and delicacies and popped a small macaroon into his mouth.
“How can you be so calm? Are you really looking forward to this? I mean she could really destroy us for good!” Claire was in a state of hysteria. For a moment they all listened as the sounds of the birds in the surrounding trees began to increase. The more agitated Claire became the louder the birds got.
“Careful Claire. If you don’t control your anger you’ll soon have all the animals in Paris in a state of chaos. Do you really want to inflict your mood on them?” Frankie stuck his tongue out at her. He knew that her concern for the animal kingdom outweighed anything else in her mind. She glared at him and closed her eyes for a moment trying to quiet the voices that were screaming in her head. After a moment she opened them again and was restored to a state of calmness. Acting childish out of the blue she stuck her tongue back at Frankie which made him laugh more than any other thing could have at that instant.
“There’s my girl! I knew you hadn’t lost your sense of humor completely. C’mon it’s not all that bad. So Celine knows we’re up to something. If anything it means that she’s going to go after the other two before they remember who they are. With them out of the way it would be easer for her to get to us. Except there’s one thing I don’t understand. She’s been giving Taylor the water I’m sure of it. She knows that will only quicken his awakening. I don’t understand why she would do that if she were trying to get them before any changes occurred.” Frankie helped himself to another macaroon and tossed it in the air before catching it in his mouth.
“To get him on her side.” Claire whispered just loud enough for them to hear.
“Do you really think she could?” Frankie said with his mouth full.
“Celine can do anything she sets her mind out to do. She could twist all the facts and convince him that we are the enemy. She’s very clever when she needs to be.” Marcus was looking out toward the forest of trees in the park. “She obviously knows by now that we took Ellen. She has Taylor drinking the water and she had Sasha close by her side at work. What I want to know is how did she find them before us? This is something completely new. This has never happened before. Always she waited for us to betray ourselves somehow. This time she has singled them out before they have a chance.” Marcus could not disguise the darkness gathering in his soul. He alone knew exactly how insane Celine really was. It was more difficult to anticipate the move of a madman or woman for that matter. He sat down at the table as if he were defeated.
“That doesn’t matter now because we know who they are too. We have to get them to safety and bring them home and just hope to the gods they remember who they really are before Celine kills us all.” Frankie patted Marcus on the shoulders.
“And what if they don’t?” It was barely discernable.
“Then we watch them die yet again. I mean really. It’s like reruns on television at this point!” He smiled at the two of them. Claire and Marcus stared at him and then each other before they all burst into laughter. The sound had the wonderful ability to break the fear and tension that had entered the room with the mention of Celine D’Aumont. Marcus coughed and tried to stop laughing long enough to ask Frankie.
Immortal Beauty (The Immortals) Page 18
