Regency Belles & Beaux

by Michele McGrath

  “You’re not well enough.” Agathe put her hand on his arm but he shook it off.

  “At this moment I have never felt better!”

  He hurried out of the room and the whole party followed him. Grace caught up a cloak and threw it over his shoulders.

  “If you catch cold, you may become ill again,” she hissed at him. For a second, he stared at her and the light of the torches shone in his eyes. Then he nodded, took her hand and drew it through his good arm. Together they went down the street and out of the front door of the inn. At first they saw hardly anything because the streets were thronged with people. There were lights in all the windows and a buzz of talk. Cheers rang out in the distance rapidly coming nearer and louder.

  “He’ll use the road not this alleyway,” Victor said at his side. “Come with me.” He led them through a lane into an area where the press of people was even greater. It was impossible for the whole party to stay together but Grace hung grimly onto Philip’s arm. She was determined not to be parted from him and tried her best to shield him from knocks. Philip seemed to have forgotten his wound in the excitement of the moment. Anxious to remove him from the crowd and the chance of being jostled, Grace looked around her wildly. She spotted some steps to one side of a building. Several men and women were already standing on them but she managed to manoeuvre Philip up there, so he could see over the heads of those below. Harsh words were said to her which fortunately she did not understand in detail although their meaning was clear. There was no more room, so she could not climb up herself. She stood underneath, more intent on keeping Philip safe than on what was happening nearby. They did not have long to wait. Horses clattered down the street followed by marching soldiers. A black carriage appeared with its windows wide open.

  “There he is!” Philip shouted as he joined in the cheering. The coach stopped and the Emperor ascended the steps of the Mairie. He spoke to the assembly, but Grace could not hear anything he said over the cheers. It was an electric moment, one that she would never forget for the rest of her life. For a few seconds, she was swept away by the enthusiasm of the crowd. She changed from the vicar’s prim daughter to the heroine from her dreams. She would fight for this man, fall in love with him. What a hero!

  What was she saying! Suddenly she was herself again. Ever afterwards she believed in the ability of a special kind of person to sway a crowd and entice them to follow him. The Emperor would succeed in taking back the reins of power, of that she was certain, and then what would happen to all of them? She felt cold and shaken as she helped Philip down from his perch and supported him to the inn. He was also shaky and he walked as if he was terribly tired. When they arrived, she urged him to go to bed but he refused and insisted they wait for the others, because they had much to discuss. It was an odd party that reassembled in the private parlour once Napoleon’s carriage had continued on its way with his soldiers riding beside him. Half the group were elated, half anxious.

  “Well, it seems as if my countrymen are wrong,” Edward said. “It appears that France does want the Emperor back again.”

  “I doubt anyone can stop him reaching Paris now,” Victor agreed. “What happens then is another matter. If the army remains loyal to the king, it would lead to fighting in the streets.”

  “They won’t,” Philip told them. “Some of the troops were shouting that they had been sent to capture Napoleon. He came out to them alone and said they could shoot him if they liked. Their whole regiment changed sides in an instant.”

  “Did you hear what he told the people?”

  “Not really, but someone said that he promised peace and prosperity.”

  “He would; all leaders do.”

  “He won’t manage it for all his fine words. I doubt the Allies will let him rule without a fight. They’re afraid he would try to conquer their countries again. It’s war and sooner rather than later,” Edward said, “unfortunately.”

  Alice gave a little gasp but then asked, “What should we do?”

  “Once he assumes power he will give orders to detain all his enemies,” Victor said. “That’s what he did before and it applies to foreigners as well as to the French Royalists. Don’t you agree Philip?”

  “I do, once the confusion in the ministries is brought under control. A few days at most. You gave up your passports and received permis de séjour to remain in France, didn’t you Edward?” Edward nodded. “If you ask for them back, you’ll only draw attention to yourselves. You would need them to go north, because there will be checks on the roads into the Low Countries where there are still allied armies quartered. I doubt anyone will bother if you continue your journey to Oncle Richard’s. You were going there in any case so no one should be surprised. His home is close to the border and he should be able to warn you if anyone asks questions. If needs be, Edward, you can travel through Switzerland and the Netherlands to return to England or join the army if you choose to do so.”

  “That’s good advice,” Victor agreed. “Once you’re safely at my father’s house, I should go back to Paris. There is work for me to do.”

  “And for me,” Philip said.

  “You must come with us.” Alice said to her brother. “You’re an Englishman too and wounded. If you stayed behind, you would be at risk.”

  “Only Oncle, Tante Françoise and the people in this room know I’m English. The Baron de Vezey doesn’t need to run away, if the Empire is restored. I would only slow you down if you have to leave France in a hurry.”

  “Please come with us,” Alice begged. Grace held her breath, afraid to say anything which might influence his decision.

  Philip again shook his head. “The journey from Paris tired me. I’m much better today because I haven’t been jolted around in the coach. I would like to stay here in this inn until Victor returns from Grenoble and go back to Paris with him. By then I should be myself again and Staunton’s death will have been forgotten.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Next morning both Alice and Grace found it very hard to leave Philip, but they tried not to show their feelings as they climbed dry-eyed into the waiting carriage. Philip held out his hand to his brother-in-law.

  “Goodbye, Edward and good luck whatever the future holds. Write to me once you reach Oncle Richard’s and tell me you are all safe.”

  Edward nodded. “Don’t get yourself so deeply embroiled in affairs that you prevent yourself from ever coming back to England.”

  “I won’t, be sure of that. I’m not important enough in either country.”

  Agathe stood beside him. It had been decided that she would also return to Paris. It was better that the party should be reduced in case they had to leave France in a hurry. Agathe volunteered to stay with Philip and had promised Alice she would tend to his wound.

  “He will be well before it’s necessary for him to travel again,” she said.

  Indeed, so it proved. Good food, fresh air and careful nursing worked wonders. Exciting news came from Paris with every coach that stopped at the inn. The Emperor had been carried into the Tuileries on the shoulders of a cheering crowd and had taken up the reins of government again. The king had fled willy-nilly. Other reports were not so reassuring. As Edward had predicted, the foreign powers met in Vienna and declared General Bonaparte to be an outlaw. Their troops had been gathered and were marching towards France. As more and more information arrived, Philip became restless. His arm was almost well, except for a certain stiffness. He made himself exercise it every day and little by little his range of movement increased. If war was coming, he did not want to be incapacitated. His place was in Paris, not in this small town, so he was delighted when his cousin arrived at last.

  “You look better,” Victor greeted him.

  “I am and anxious to leave here. Are they safely settled?”

  “Papa was very pleased to see them and so was my mother. I think your sister and Miss Talbot are staying there for the moment, but Edward is already making arrangements to go to Brussels where the
British Army is gathering.”

  “Before you ask, I haven’t changed my mind and have no intention of joining him. They say that Caulaincourt is the Foreign Minister again and he will be anxious to make peace, so I intend to ask for my old employment back. Please remember I am Baron Louis de Vezey once again, not Alice’s brother, Philip."

  The following morning, Philip put Agathe aboard the stagecoach to Paris. He asked her to open his apartment again. Once the lumbering vehicle was out of sight, Victor and Philip mounted their horses and set off in the same direction. They rode swiftly, overtaking the coach and arriving in Paris that evening. Although tired, Philip felt better than he expected at the end of the journey. A meal, a night’s rest in Victor’s apartment and the two men were ready to discover exactly what had happened in their absence.

  Philip went first to the Foreign Ministry where he found out the rumour was true and Armand de Caulaincourt, Duc de Vicenze, had indeed returned. The head of his old section, Jouvier, was missing. His deputy, MacDonald, a Frenchman descended from Jacobite rebels, had assumed the direction of the bureau that dealt with English translation.

  “Well, I didn’t expect to see you, Louis,” MacDonald greeted him. “I thought you’d gone off to grow grapes in the country.”

  “I was on my way there when the Emperor returned, so I came back. How could you possibly manage without me?”

  MacDonald laughed but drew him outside into the corridor. “Be careful what you say in there, my friend. Not everyone is a Bonapartist but we need more time to get rid of the king’s men and put our own in their place. If you discover anything sensitive, tell me about it privately, not in front of the others. Listen to what they’re saying and report to me if there is something unusual. It will be a while before everything gets back to normal.”

  “How do you know I’m not a spy for the king?”

  “Heaven forbid! I remember what you said about him when you left here in such a hurry. It would certainly have landed you in gaol, if it had been reported. Have you changed your mind?”

  “No, but I hope that this time the Emperor tries to make peace and not war.”

  “We all hope for that.”

  Philip slipped easily back into his old job, mostly translating correspondence, foreign newspapers and legal documents from one language into the other. It was tedious work but he had grown used to it over the years and it had always been well paid. A couple of days later, he was handed packets of letters written by English people who had been caught in Paris by the change of government. They were applying for their passports to go home again. These he took to MacDonald.

  “What do I reply to them?” he asked. “Do we let them leave? A few of them are men over military age, some women and children.”

  “I expect we’ll send those people back but I’ll have to check. It’s not like it was in 1803. The Emperor’s position was much stronger then. Fouché’s spies should be able to find out about the current crop; give the Police something to do instead of skulking around the back streets hatching plots. You can have the pleasure of replying to these letters, if they prove to be who they say they are.”

  “Thank you,” Philip said with a wry grin.

  “What are those you are holding in your other hand?”

  “From men who could fight against us if they leave. One, I’m certain, has only just sold out of the British Army.”

  “How do you know that? Is he a friend of yours?”

  “Perish the thought. I met him once in a tavern when he was boasting that the English had thrashed our forces in Spain.”

  “Well Fouché can intern him and others like him. As for the rest, I will get the Minister to decide. We’re better off without foreigners for now. We’ve enough to do, without monitoring their movements and their boring correspondence.”

  “Very true.”

  That evening, Philip sought out Victor and told him about the letters.

  “If MacDonald doesn’t change his mind and asks me to write to these people, enclosing their passports…”

  “You’re not thinking about sending a few more for Alice, Edward and Grace, are you?” Victor grinned.

  “How well you know me. But why not?”

  “No problem about the ladies, but Edward has already said he intends to fight. In this instance, you will have to decide where your loyalties lie, with France or with England…”

  “Curse you, Victor, that’s exactly my difficulty but it’s more than a simple matter of loyalty to my country, whichever one that is. Edward may be a former soldier but he is also my sister’s husband and my cousin. I have a loyalty to him too.”

  “If I were the one who needed your help, would you give it to me? After all, I am your cousin too.”

  “Of course I would, but Edward’s case is different. You would not be going to fight.”

  “No thank God. Tell me why you came here tonight?”

  “Two things. I hoped talking with you might make up my mind, which it has not. I also thought that, if I did manage to obtain the passports, I would need them to be delivered by someone I could trust.”

  “Are you asking me to do it for you?”

  “Yes, if you can.”

  “I have just been home. If I go again so soon, there are bound to be questions. I like the work I do now so I haven’t gone back to my former job in the government, as you know. Moreau is tolerant but he won’t like it if I abuse his generosity. If I can’t take them, though, I know a couple of people who travel to Grenoble regularly and who are reliable. They will deliver a packet from me to Papa with no trouble.”

  “Thank you. I’ll let you know, if and when, I have the passports.”

  The following day Philip called into the Salle looking for Marco.

  “Mon brave, I’m so pleased to see you,” Marco said as the other instructors gathered around to welcome him. “How are you?”

  “I’m glad to be back here.”

  “And the arm?”

  “I can use it for most things.”

  “Fencing?”

  “I haven’t tried.”

  “Then shall we find out?”

  An hour later a sweaty and exhausted Philip sank onto a bench and accepted a glass of wine from the Italian who laughed at him.

  “A bit rusty and easily tired but we will soon have you back to your best form.”

  “I hope so, although I expect you’re thin of customers with all our visitors departing rapidly for their homes.”

  “Not at all. They have been replaced by those wishing to brush up their skills in anticipation of war.”

  “Do you think it will come to that?” Philip asked.

  “Almost certainly. Are you another who intends to fight on the battlefield instead of in the Salle?”

  “I don’t know the first thing about battlefields.”

  “Neither did the armies that carried the Revolution though all the countries of Europe.”

  Philip smiled and looked around. It was getting late and the Salle was almost empty now. All the clients had left and only a few of the instructors were putting their equipment away. No one was near enough to overhear their talk.

  “Perhaps it’s time for me to share a secret with you. Like many in France, I’m unsure of what to do, but not for the usual reasons. You’ve known me for years as both a client and an instructor. You gave me work at a moment when I needed it badly. I will always be grateful to you but I never told you the full story of my life, although I count you my friend. As you know, my mother is French. My father was an Englishman and I was raised in that country. When I had to leave my home, I found refuge here under a relative’s name. I’m torn between loyalty to the place where I was born and to France which I love and which has been so good to me. I should have told you before.”

  “Why? All men have secrets but I did wonder a little when that Englishman, Charville, came and accosted you, then later on when you fought the duel.”

  “A debt I owed in another life, paid in full now.”r />
  Marco nodded. “There are many of us in your position at this moment,” he said. “France is my home and has been for years, ever since the Emperor conquered Lombardy. If I had to choose between France and Italy, I don’t know what I would do. Fortunately, the question does not arise for me. I’m an old man, too old for war.”

  “Can you advise me?”

  “If I could, I would not. Only you are able to say which is the greater loyalty for yourself but, in your position, I would try to find a way to serve both masters if I could.”

  “I’m trying to do that at the Foreign Ministry.”

  “You are not satisfied?”

  “No, but I can’t see an alternative.”

  “Perhaps there is none to be found at the moment.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Edward was restless and Alice was scared, even though they had been made very welcome in Oncle Richard’s house. Every afternoon Edward rode into Grenoble to find out the latest news. Alice waited for his return expecting him to tell her that he was leaving. This apprehension spoiled her pleasure in meeting her cousins and playing with their offspring. It had been her dream to meet her mother’s family and she found that they were pleasant people whose company she enjoyed. One in particular, Louise, was close to her age and often joined her and Grace, walking together and discussing clothes, friends and children. They never talked about politics or what was happening in France for, as Louise said,

  “Whatever happens, none of us will be able to change a thing, so let us enjoy ourselves while we can and the country is still quiet.”

  Louise also had a reason to fear the future. She was planning her wedding to Guilliame, one of the soldiers guarding the fortress of La Grande Chartreuse, which overlooks the city of Grenoble.

  “If the Emperor calls, he will have to go,” she said fearfully to the others on the only occasion they ever discussed the subject. “Let’s hope that the foreigners allow us to live in peace.”

  At first it seemed as if her hope would be fulfilled, for the present at least. The enemies of France were arming and gathering their men together but they had not moved up to the frontier. Yet it was only a matter of time. Edward sent several messages by the carrier to London and to friends stationed in the Low Countries, who might be expected to know more than he did. It was the answer to one of these letters that brought him to find Alice. She was sitting alone in the garden enjoying the sunny weather and the view of the snow-capped peaks of the Belledonne Mountains. A look at his face told her the worst. She could feel the blood draining from her cheeks and her hands starting to shake. She bit her lip before she asked in a voice she did not recognise as her own,