White Horses

by Joan Wolf

  He looked down at the girl beside him. She was an interesting person, this girl. She was nothing at all like the carefully nurtured, hothouse flowers he had known in England. She had deeply felt opinions. She thought about things.

  She lives in the real world, he thought.

  Interesting that he would think such a thing about a girl who ran a circus.

  They arrived in front of Flaubert’s and went in.

  Once more a clerk came to greet them and once more Gabrielle announced that they were in search of a hunt coat that would fit Leo.

  This time they were lucky.

  “I have such a coat that was made for one of our local landowners. He was a big—” the clerk gestured to indicate that he meant fat “—gentleman. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack before he could claim the coat. We could try it.”

  “Good,” said Gabrielle.

  Leo looked around the shop as they waited for the coat to be brought. It looked marginally more prosperous than the previous shop.

  Gabrielle said, “I hope it won’t bring you bad luck, wearing the coat of a man who died.”

  He looked at her. “I’m so glad you brought that up.”

  The clerk came out with the coat and Leo tried it on. It was a little tight in the shoulders and quite large in the stomach.

  “Can you fix it?” Gabrielle said. “If you can have it ready by tomorrow afternoon, I will pay you double.”

  The clerk looked at her curiously. “You do realize that hunting season is over, madame?”

  Gabrielle gave him a sunny smile. “My husband is the ringmaster for our circus, the Cirque Equestre,” she said. “His old coat was stained when paint fell on it and we need a new one quickly.”

  The clerk smiled back delightedly. It was amazing what she could accomplish with that smile of hers, Leo thought sourly.

  “Oh, the circus!” the clerk said. “But of course, madame. We will have the coat ready for you tomorrow afternoon. It is just a matter of a little taking in and a little letting out.”

  “Thank you so much,” Gabrielle said. Then, to Leo, “We had better be going or we’ll be late for the second show.”

  The clerk bowed her out of the store as if she was royalty.

  Once on the street, they looked toward where their wagon was parked. Gabrielle gasped.

  The wagon was gone.

  Sixteen

  “Jesus Christ,” Leo said. It was more a prayer than an expletive.

  “Mon Dieu.” said Gabrielle. “What has happened?”

  “Someone has made off with the wagon,” Leo said grimly.

  Gabrielle grabbed his arm. “But who would have taken it? Mon Dieu, Leo, this is terrible!”

  He struggled for composure. “Whoever has it can’t have gotten far. We were only in that store for fifteen minutes.”

  “What should we do?” she asked fearfully.

  “Find out who the authorities are in this town.” He pulled away from her and went back into the shop. When he came out, the proprietor was with him.

  “The gendarmes are four blocks from here,” Leo said. “Let’s go.”

  “We have been having some problems with mischief- making,” the proprietor informed them. “Yours is not the first wagon to be taken.”

  “Did they get the other wagons back?” Gabrielle asked.

  “Yes. The thieves go for a ride and then leave them. It’s probably a group of boys. The gendarmes have been trying to catch them, but to no avail. Perhaps they will catch the ones who stole your wagon.”

  “I hope so,” Gabrielle said, then ran after Leo, who had already started off.

  Leo walked the four blocks to the gendarmes’ station and Gabrielle skipped and ran next to him, trying to keep up. The station looked like a shop front and they entered to find a room with four different-size desks. Two of the desks were occupied. Leo approached the man who was closest to the door, “We have come to report a theft.”

  Both gendarmes looked up.

  “What kind of a theft?” the one Leo had addressed asked.

  Leo and Gabrielle moved to stand in front of his desk. “My wagon has been stolen,” Leo said. “We are from the Cirque Equestre and it’s a circus wagon. It has a picture of two horses painted on its side.”

  The gendarme rolled his eyes. “Just the kind of wagon our unknown ruffians would like.”

  “We have to get it back,” Gabrielle said tensely. “It has our…costumes in it.” She looked up at Leo. “Thank God I left Colette back at the circus.”

  He nodded, then said to the two men, “I understand you have had this problem before. Where do these wagons generally end up?”

  The second gendarme answered, “Usually right here in town somewhere. The boys who steal them are evidently from Rouen.”

  “How do you know the thieves are boys?” Leo asked.

  The gendarme shrugged his shoulders. “It’s the sort of prank a boy would play. Let me assure you, monsieur, that none of the wagons or horses have been harmed. The thieves just take them for a little ride.”

  Gabrielle said urgently, “How long before you find them? I have a show starting in a little more than an hour.”

  “Sometimes we don’t find them for a day or so, madame. But yours is a distinctive wagon. Perhaps someone will report it to us sooner.”

  “Listen, Gabrielle,” Leo said. “I think you should go back to the circus. You have to perform. I will stay here at the station and wait for word on the wagon.”

  She pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to leave, but she saw the sense of his words. “All right,” she said reluctantly. “But how am I going to get out to the circus without a wagon?”

  “We’ll hire something for you.” Leo turned back to the gendarmes. “Is there a livery stable nearby?”

  He got directions to the stable, then he and Gabrielle left the station together.

  “Mon Dieu, Leo,” she said as they walked down the pavement. “This is just terrible.”

  “It’s not good,” he agreed, “but it could be worse. If this is just a youngster’s trick, we should get the wagon back unharmed.”

  She shivered. “The thought of all that gold in the clutches of a group of silly boys—it makes my blood run cold.”

  “Mmm,” he said.

  “You don’t think they would pull up the floorboards?” she asked anxiously.

  “Why should they do that?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “You have more chance of your costumes being pawed through,” he said.

  “My poor horses,” she said. “If they hurt Jacques or Tonton, I will kill them.”

  “Is your costume in the wagon?”

  “No. I hung it next to my saddle after the first show.”

  “Good. Then you can carry on.”

  “Leo,” Gabrielle said urgently. “What if we don’t get the wagon back? The gold—”

  “We will get it back. It is very distinctive.” He stopped and looked across the street. “There is the stable. Come along and we’ll rent you a carriage.”

  Gabrielle drove back to the circus, her mind in a whirl, her stomach in a knot. She managed to get through the show, checking between each of her acts to see if Leo had returned. By the time the show was over, there was still no sign of him.

  She had told the rest of the circus members about the wagon, and the small group of people who knew about the gold were worried sick. Leo had still not returned by the time all the animals had been fed and watered. Gabrielle said they should go to the hotel and hope that Leo was waiting for them there.

  There was no Leo at the hotel. Gabrielle couldn’t eat a bite of her dinner, and after the meal was over, she asked Mathieu and Albert to go with her to return the carriage to the livery stable. “Then we can walk over to the gendarmes’ office,” she said.

  None of the Robichons spoke as Gabrielle drove the carriage back to the livery stable. Albert and Mathieu flanked their sister as they walked the five blocks to the gendarmes�
� office.

  They found Leo sitting at one of the desks drinking coffee. He was alone.

  “They haven’t found it?” Gabrielle asked when she saw him. His hair was mussed, as if he had run his fingers through it, and the top of his shirt was open as if he was warm.

  “Not yet,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to find out about the wagon, of course,” she answered impatiently.

  “You shouldn’t be walking around the streets of Rouen after dark.”

  “I had Mathieu and Albert with me,” she said.

  Leo didn’t look as if that answer satisfied him.

  Mathieu said, “I always carry a knife with me when I go out at night. Papa taught me how to use it.”

  Leo raised an eyebrow. “I seem to have underrated you, Mathieu.”

  “I can take care of Gabrielle,” her brother said.

  “Where are the gendarmes?” Gabrielle asked.

  “Out looking for the wagon. I told them I would give a reward to the person who finds it. It was amazing how motivated they became.”

  “This is scary,” Albert said. “What if they don’t find it?”

  “They will,” Leo said positively. “They have had this kind of thing happen before, and the wagon has always turned up.”

  “How long did it take to find those wagons?” Mathieu asked.

  A muscle twitched in Leo’s jaw, showing that he was not as complacent as he sounded. “Usually only a day or so.”

  Gabrielle shivered. “We have a schedule to keep, Leo. Not just our performances but also the drop-off—”

  “I know that,” he said angrily. “That is why I posted the reward. Someone will find it, Gabrielle. I am certain of that. And there is no point in all of us missing a night’s sleep. Go back to the hotel with the boys and try to get some rest. I will wait here for news.”

  “I won’t sleep a wink,” she said.

  “Curl up with Colette and try,” he said.

  She looked around the room, which was dark and dingy. “I hate to leave you here by yourself. I am responsible for the gold as well as you.”

  “I’m the one who was sent along to protect it, and I’m the one who lost it. I’ll wait here, and you go back to the hotel.”

  “Leo is right,” Mathieu said. “You can’t do anything, Gabrielle. Let Leo wait. He will tell us as soon as he has news, won’t you, Leo?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well…all right.” Gabrielle let herself be persuaded. She looked back once, as Mathieu held the door for her to leave, and Leo was watching her.

  “It will be all right,” he assured her.

  She nodded and went through the door and into the street.

  Gabrielle got into bed with Colette and looked at the empty side of the mattress.

  I should take advantage of the blessing of having my bed to myself, she thought.

  But her stomach was in a knot about the lost wagon. What if the boys crashed it? she thought. What if the false bottom is smashed and the bags of gold fall out?

  Father in heaven, she prayed, please bring the wagon back to us safely. I have put my whole circus in danger with my foolish decision to take the gold. If you will grant us a safe journey, I will never do anything so stupid again.

  The pillow was cool under her cheek and she rubbed her cold bare feet against the warmth of Colette. It was a long time before she finally fell asleep.

  She remembered the lost wagon the moment she opened her eyes the following morning. As soon as she saw that Leo was not in the bed, she knew that the wagon had not been recovered.

  She got out of bed and took Colette down to the stable yard, then brought her back into the kitchen to feed her. The dog followed her into the dining room as she went to get her own breakfast. The Martins were the only ones in the room and Gabrielle went to join them.

  “Did the wagon turn up last night?” Henri asked Gabrielle.

  “Not yet. Leo is waiting for news at the gendarmes’ station.”

  “You must be worried about your horses,” Franz said sympathetically.

  “Yes,” Gabrielle returned. She didn’t want to talk about the theft, so she concentrated on eating her eggs.

  After a few moments of silence Henri said to his brother, “You were paying particular attention to Jeanne at the cafe last night. If I were you, I would stay away from her. Pierre is jealous.”

  “All I’ve ever done is talk to the girl,” Franz protested. “A little feminine conversation is nice. There are too many men in this circus.”

  “She is flirting with you,” Carlotta said. “Henri is right. I don’t like the way Pierre looks at you. Remember, she is a married woman.”

  “Well, she can’t be a very happily married woman if she is flirting with other men only a few months into her marriage,” Franz retorted.

  Henri said, “It’s none of your business whether she is happy or not. Stay away from her, Franz. She’s trouble.”

  “She seeks me out,” Franz said. “I can’t be rude.”

  “You don’t have to be rude,” Henri said. “Just tell her that your friendship is disturbing Pierre and you think it would be best if she didn’t talk to you anymore.”

  Gabrielle looked up from her eggs. “It’s going to be difficult if we try to stop Jeanne from talking to any of the men in the circus.”

  “She’s a troublemaker,” Carlotta said. “I’ve seen her type before. Why ever did Pierre have to marry someone like that?”

  Gabrielle felt a flash of conscience. “Perhaps we’re misjudging her. Perhaps she is only trying to make friends.”

  “Hah,” said Carlotta. “Has she tried to make a friend of you or me or Emma? You would think that she would try to be friendly to the only other women in the circus, but she has hardly given me any time at all.”

  “Actually, she has never said very much to me, either,” Gabrielle admitted.

  “You see?” Carlotta said to Franz. “We have never had division in this circus before. Don’t be the one to bring it on us.”

  “I think you’re all overreacting,” Franz said. He stood up. “When are we leaving?” he asked Henri.

  “In about fifteen minutes,” he said.

  Franz left and the three remaining at the table looked at one another. Gabrielle said, “Do you really think this is a problem?”

  “You weren’t at the cafe last night,” Carlotta said. “Jeanne ignored Pierre and talked to Franz for most of the night. Pierre looked like thunder.”

  “What is wrong with that girl?” Gabrielle asked impatiently. She didn’t have time for Jeanne with the worry about the stolen wagon on her mind.

  Henri said grimly, “I don’t know what’s going on between her and Pierre, but I wish she wasn’t involving my brother.”

  “I don’t understand Franz,” Carlotta said. “He is usually very sensible.”

  Henri said, “Jeanne is a very sensual woman. I can see how she could make a man forget his common sense.”

  The two women stared at him.

  “What do you mean, she is a very sensual woman?” Carlotta asked. Her blue eyes were steely. “How would you know?”

  “There’s something about her,” Henri replied. “Ask any man and he would tell you the same thing. Maybe it’s those slanting eyes. But the fact of the matter is, she projects sensuality. And she’s got her claws into my brother.”

  “I’ll talk to Jeanne,” Gabrielle said. “Perhaps I can make her see that she is causing trouble.” She remembered how Jeanne had flirted with Leo. Did he find her sensual? Gabrielle wondered.

  Carlotta rolled her blue eyes. “Good luck.”

  Gabrielle got to her feet. “I think I will walk over to the gendarmes’ station and see how the search is coming along.”

  “It’s still early,” Henri said. “Take Mathieu with you.”

  “I’ll take Colette,” Gabrielle said. “She’s big enough to be protection.”

  She excused herself from the table and went upstairs
to put on her wool pelisse. Then she buckled Colette on a lead and the two of them went out into the cold, clear morning.

  It was a twenty-minute walk to the gendarmes’ station and the narrow streets of Rouen were crowded with farm wagons making deliveries to the various restaurants and greengrocers along the way. Gabrielle crossed the last street between a vegetable wagon and an ice wagon. The door into the station was unlocked and she pushed it open. Leo was sitting at the front desk, his eyes on the door as it opened.

  “Nothing yet?” she asked him.

  “No.”

  “Mon Dieu, Leo, what are we going to do?” she whispered. “I have been thinking—what if the boys overturned the wagon and the false bottom broke? The bags of gold would come tumbling out and we would be caught.”

  There was a thread of hysteria in her unusually high voice, and he got up from his chair and came to put an arm around her and pat her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right, Gabrielle. I will stay here in Rouen until the wagon is recovered. I may have to catch up with you in Alencon, but that won’t be a problem. You’re scheduled to be there for two days.”

  She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. He sounded so calm. She leaned against him and tried to absorb some of that calm. “Do you really think it will be all right?”

  “I do.”

  He sounded very positive and Gabrielle found herself feeling better.

  It was a good thing she didn’t see the bleak look in his eyes.

  “Have you had breakfast?” she asked, opening her own eyes.

  “Not yet.”

  “Then let me stay here and you go to the hotel for something to eat. You’ve been up all night. You must be exhausted.”

  “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. I’ll get something from one of the shops around here. You need to get out to the circus grounds and prepare the horses for the first show.”

  His arm was still around her and she closed her eyes again. He was so big. He made her feel that everything would be all right. He made her feel safe.

  At that moment a man burst through the door that Gabrielle had closed behind her. Leo dropped his arm.

  “Monsieur.” the man said loudly, “we have found your wagon!”