Duval and the Empress's Crown

by Michele McGrath

  “Come on,” I said to Lefebvre.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The Ministry first, then straight back to Caroline’s, with a couple of guardsmen behind us.”

  “She’ll like that!”

  “She’ll love it!”

  We took a hack to the Ministry and got several startled glances at our disreputable state when we got there. We said nothing but went up to see Fouché.

  “He’s not in,” Réal told us when we asked for him. “What’s happened to you?”

  “We were attacked and tied up in a cellar.”

  “You look as if you were. Who did it to you?”

  “Don’t know, but we escaped through a large kitchen into the Rue d’Égalité, which runs at the side of Princess Murat’s hôtel.”

  “You think she ordered it?”

  “Possibly or maybe someone did so, on her behalf.”

  “How did you escape?”

  “Lefebvre picked the lock and we fought our way out.”

  “You didn’t kill anyone I hope?”

  “No, but one man won’t be eating his dinner sitting down for a few days.”

  “You’d better tell me about it.”

  We brought him up to date on the investigation. When we had finished, he asked,

  “What are you planning to do now?”

  “Go back there and confront the Princess whether she likes it or not.”

  “Don’t get carried away by your indignation, Duval. Remember who she is and that her guilt has not yet been proved, despite your suspicions.”

  “I won’t.”

  “What do you need from me?”

  “A change of clothes, a sword and a few soldiers, so we are not attacked again or we can defend ourselves if we are.”

  Réal nodded. “Those things can be arranged.” He sent a lackey to find other garments for us and swords from the armoury. An order to the National Guards brought five men to the Ministry. He also ordered a carriage bearing the crest of the Ministry of Police to take us to our destination.

  “Keep the vehicle and the men for the rest of the day and night. Try not to cause too much of a disturbance. I will support you if I can. Don’t make it impossible for me to do so.”

  “We’ll try.”

  “Good luck. Be as quick as you can. There are not many hours left.”

  Very soon, Lefebvre and I were riding back towards Caroline’s hôtel. When we got down from the coach, the guardsmen formed around us and we marched up to the door. One of the men hammered on the panels and it was opened by the same lackey that had spoken to me before. He looked both startled and annoyed when he saw my escort. I also thought I caught a glimpse of some other emotion on his face — guilt perhaps?

  “Monsieur?” he asked. “Can I help you?”

  “It is past ten o’clock, is it not? Have the goodness to inform Princess Murat that I have called on her, at the Emperor’s order.”

  “The Princess is not here, Monsieur,” the lackey said. “I am very sorry.”

  “That was not a request but an order. I did not ask you whether she is at home to visitors. I have the authorisation to speak to her and speak to her I shall.”

  “Monsieur, I am not lying to you. The Princess really is not here.”

  My temper had risen with each word he spoke. I was in no mood to be thwarted or even to concern myself with the consequences if Caroline was proved innocent.

  “Follow me,” I ordered. I brushed the lackey aside and barged into the elegant hallway, my men at my heels. A couple of maids were cleaning the mirrors and they fled with screams when they saw us. We spread out, opening the doors to all the rooms on the main floor but finding them empty, except for startled servants. The lackey followed, protesting all the time. When I started to climb the staircase to the upper floors, he stood in my way with his arms outstretched.

  “Monsieur, this leads to the Prince and Princess’s private rooms. I cannot permit you go any further.”

  By this time my temper was in ribbons. It was made worse because I was beginning to think I had made a mistake and the man had indeed told me the truth. His employers were not here. However, I had gone so far, I had to make sure.

  “Are you prepared to sacrifice your life to stop me?” I asked, starting to draw my sword. He fell back, his face whitening with alarm. I would not have hurt him, of course, but he did not know that and my expression must have been terrifying. He almost jumped aside to let me pass. In other circumstances I would have roared with laughter. As it was, I merely ran up the stairs to search the rooms on the second floor. Murat’s room was obvious enough, decorated in the new Roman style and looking suitably military. Caroline’s also was unmistakable, silk draperies and the heavy scent of expensive perfume. Both were empty.

  “I told you she was not here,” the lackey whined, twisting his hands in agitation.

  “And now I believe you,” I said. “Where is she?”

  “I don’t…”

  “Don’t lie to me or it will be the worse for you,” I threatened, taking a step towards him.

  “Indeed I am not lying, Monsieur. The Princess was sufficiently recovered this morning to get dressed and go out to visit her sister. A message was delivered saying that the Princess Baciocchi was unwell and begged Princess Murat to come to her.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “I believe she complained of stomach pains last night after supper. A physician has been called and they are all worried about her.”

  At this moment, Lefebvre came into the room with one of the guardsmen.

  “Can I have a word with you privately?” he asked me.

  I nodded and went out into the corridor, shutting the door behind me, so the lackey could not overhear our conversation.

  “What is it?” I asked after he had ordered the guardsman who had followed him away.

  “I’ve found the cellar where we were imprisoned. The ropes are still lying on the floor just as we left them. The kitchen’s the same and the fat cook has his arm bandaged up.”

  “Good. That evidence at least gives us an excuse for our actions.”

  “You had any luck?”

  “No, except Élisa’s now sick and Caroline’s gone to visit her.”

  “Has she, by Jove! Then, if our theory is right, the crown has moved to Élisa’s. Not much point in searching here any further.”

  “Better be sure though. I’ll draw the lackey away. You have a look in Caroline’s boudoir. Try to find anywhere she could have kept the damned thing hidden. You know all the tricks.”

  I opened the door and called to the lackey to show me into the principal salon again. In a remarkably short space of time, Lefebvre joined us.

  I glanced at him and he shook his head slightly. I gathered up my men and we left the house, much to the lackey’s obvious relief. No doubt he was offering up prayers to the shades of his ancestors that he would never see us again. The guardsmen climbed into the carriage but I lingered to speak to Lefebvre.

  “Anything at all?” I asked.

  “There were two hiding places. One contained her jewels and, before you ask, no, I did not touch them. The other was empty but large enough to hold the crown. I put everything back the way it was. I doubt she’ll notice.”

  “You were quick.”

  “She’s not very imaginative in choosing her hidey-holes.”

  “I wonder if Pauline’s gone visiting too.”

  “If she has, the crown might not stay long at Élisa’s. It may pass to her.”

  “Would you entrust an important secret to Pauline, given the fact that her bedroom is hardly private? Even Saint Victor wouldn’t be as stupid as that and both her sisters know her well. I doubt they’d want to be blackmailed by a lover or even a passing flirt.”

  “You have a point. Élisa would be my choice to look after contraband goods. She has wits and strength even if she is less beautiful.”

  “Precisely.”

  “So we go to Élisa’s
then?”

  “We do. We may be lucky and catch Caroline still there as well. Let’s see if we can make them all shiver a little.”

  10

  9 Frimaire, Year XIII

  (Friday, November 30, 1804)

  I gave the order and the coachman whipped up his horses. When we got to Élisa’s, Lefebvre slipped round to the servants’ quarters as usual. I ordered the guardsmen to wait outside, with instructions to enter the house if we were gone for more than an hour. Fortunately the sergeant possessed a pocket watch which kept good enough time. I had been afraid I would have to loan him mine, which had once belonged to Eugénie’s father.

  Élisa is very different from Pauline. She is a sharp faced woman with a sharp tongue as well and I immediately felt the edge of it. Her majordomo showed me into the salon where she was lying on a chaise longue before the fire, with her sister Pauline at her side. There was no sign of Caroline.

  Pauline’s eyes widened as soon as she saw me. It was Élisa who asked, in a voice that betrayed none of the weakness of a sick person,

  “What is the meaning of this intrusion?”

  I bowed to them and said, “I am acting on the Emperor’s orders, Your Highness. Here is my authorisation.” I stepped forward and gave her the document. She read it through far more carefully than her sister and gave it back to me. Before she could say anything more, Pauline blurted out,

  “It’s really too bad, Sister. This man is positively hounding us. He was with me yesterday and left most abruptly. Fouché should employ people with better manners.”

  I wanted to retort that it was not my manners that were at fault, but my sense of self preservation. Pauline had a valid point, in fact. I had bolted out of her house like a scared rabbit.

  “Well, what do you want?” Élisa demanded. “You have been told that I am unwell. Can’t it wait?”

  “I’m afraid not, Highness, the matter is very urgent or I would not dream of disturbing you at this time.”

  “Then state your business and leave us.” She did not ask me to sit down, so I stood before her like a miscreant.

  “I am here to ask you what you observed at Monsieur Margueritte’s workshop when you visited it.”

  “What should I have observed?”

  “With your permission, Highness, I would prefer you to tell me in your own words. I don’t want to influence you in any way. Please try to remember everything you saw and heard from the time you entered the premises until the time you left.”

  “Oh this is so boring,” Pauline interjected, with a flounce. “You asked me that same question only yesterday and I told you all about it. Do we have to do it all again?”

  “No indeed.” I deliberately smiled at her, remembering that Eugénie always says that my smile is very attractive to women. I’m not sure about that but I make use of it on occasions and it seems to work. Certainly Pauline smiled back at me and seemed a little less discontented. “I accept that you have told me all you could, but people in the same circumstances often watch different things. You were standing in one place, Princess Baciocchi in another. You were possibly looking in different directions and speaking to other people. In order to obtain the best possible description of events, it is important for me to ask everyone who was there.” I turned from her to look again at Élisa. “Princess, can you tell me what you saw and heard?”

  Élisa closed her eyes for a moment then she opened them and stared at me. I met her gaze and nodded to encourage her to speak.

  “It was after we had lunch. My sister was worried about the earrings she is to wear for the Emperor’s coronation. She wanted to visit the workshop again to make sure the length was right because there was so little time left to correct any mistakes…”

  “Just as well we did go. That oaf had made them too long, as I thought he would!” Pauline interrupted.

  “Princess?” I turned back to Élisa, deliberately ignoring Pauline.

  “Princess Murat and I decided to go too and inspect our own jewellery. We drove to the workshop. Dupré knocked and a boy opened the door to us. We all went inside.”

  “Your pardon, but who exactly entered the building?”

  Pauline sighed but Élisa answered calmly, “Myself, my two sisters and our equerries.”

  “Monsieur Dupré and Monsieur de Saint Victor?”

  “Colonel Dupré, if you please,” Élisa said sharply.

  “Excuse me. I did not know he was in the army.” Pauline stifled a giggle and Élisa looked at her with a frown. Pauline smiled then turned away.

  “Can you remember who was in the workshop when you entered the room?” I asked to regain her attention.

  “Margueritte’s foreman, Robart. He greeted us. There was the boy who opened the door and…”

  “The oaf with the muscles and no brain who deliberately made my earrings too long,” Pauline hissed. “He mustn’t like me; he’s so disobliging.”

  I bit back the wish to agree with her and asked, “No one else?”

  “I don’t think so, do you?” Élisa asked Pauline, who shook her head making her curls bounce and fluttering her long eyelashes as she looked at me.

  “What happened next?”

  “We told Robart that we wanted to look at our jewellery. He unlocked the safe, took it out and gave it to us. I examined mine and it seemed to be correct. I put the pieces back into their boxes and returned it to Robart.”

  “Where did you stand when you were examining your jewellery?”

  “Beside one of the benches.”

  “Alone?”

  “No. Princess Murat, Monsieur de Saint Victor and Colonel Dupré were with me.”

  “The boy, Jacques, said that he saw something flashing where you were standing.”

  “I tried on my diamond necklace and it certainly sparkled in the light of the fire. The men looked at it too. Dupré even put it on for a jest and asked me how it suited him. Do you remember?” She asked Pauline who shook her head.

  “You’ll have to ask Caroline. I wasn’t looking at you. I was too busy quarrelling with that oaf.”

  “Is Princess Murat here, Highness?” I asked.

  “Why should she be?”

  “I visited her hôtel before we came here. They told me she had come to visit you.”

  “She is here but she is indisposed. She has not been well. It was rash or her to leave her sick bed. Certainly she cannot be disturbed to answer questions at this moment.”

  “A pity. I will have to call back later in the hope that she will be well enough to speak to me then.”

  “What is this about? Why are you asking us all these questions?” I hesitated and she snapped, “Don’t trifle with me. I want to know what this is about and I want to know now!”

  I chose my words carefully, watching her like a bird of prey as she answered, hoping to observe some reaction.

  “During the time of your visit, something was stolen from the workshop. It is of great value and I have been set the task of finding it.”

  Élisa has excellent understanding. “Are you accusing me of taking some trinket?” she asked and there was menace in her voice.

  “Indeed no, Highness, I am merely asking you to tell me what you saw, as a witness to what occurred.”

  “You had better not try to blame any of us. Not even for my brother will I be treated like a common criminal. What is it that has been stolen?”

  I again described it as a bauble and Pauline glanced at me, but Élisa is definitely a person to be handled carefully.

  “Be precise! It is obviously of some importance or my brother would not have given you that scribble. Margueritte is making the regalia for the Empress as well as my sisters and myself. He may have other customers, but no one who would take precedence before us. Our jewellery was locked away in the safe before we left, I saw to that. So whatever has been stolen is unlikely to belong to us. Something of the Empress’s perhaps?”

  Her words gave me a shock. Feeling sure she was guilty, I had expected her to
be more hesitant. She was either too shrewd to show emotion or merely abiding by one of her brother’s principles — the best form of defence is to attack. Her words left me breathless and I obviously did not dissemble quickly enough. She clapped her hands as a delighted little smile lit up her face. She gave a crow of laughter.

  “I’m right! I’m right. Whatever has gone belongs to Joséphine. Something vital; it must be. If it was only a bangle that would not matter, she has many of them already. I wonder...” She looked at me sharply and under her penetrating stare, my eyes soon fell away from hers. “What is more important at a coronation than a crown?”

  Pauline’s eyes went wide as she stared at her sister. “You mean…”

  “Someone has stolen Joséphine’s crown! Look at his face.” She pointed to me and I found it hard to meet her gaze. “Oh how truly delightful!”

  “Madame, I beg you...”

  “You might as well tell me. If you do not, I shall ask the Emperor in public whether it is true that Joséphine’s crown has been lost. He will not be pleased with you if that happens.”

  “He won’t be pleased with you either,” I replied tartly.

  She smiled. “I am not afraid of my brother and by then the damage would be done. What a charming thought. So our dear sister-in-law might not be crowned after all. Such a great pity. I am so sorry for her.”

  “Highness, the Emperor has ordered the crown to be found and his orders are binding on both of us. He intends the coronation to go ahead exactly as planned.”

  “But where would he obtain another crown if you cannot find it?” Pauline asked plaintively. Her face looked completely innocent and I wondered just how good an actress she was.