“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.”
“D’accord, Mademoiselle.”
They had the satisfaction of seeing Philip much improved in the morning but when Edward would have ordered the horses put to the carriage, Alice said,
“My love, I don’t think he should travel today. This inn is comfortable and he seems fine so let us remain here another day and leave tomorrow. He can stay in bed or get up and sit by the window to take the air. I’m sure that it would be more sensible than carrying on and perhaps causing him to relapse.”
“I have no objections if you believe it to be so. Do you, Victor?”
“None at all. Antoine told me that we should travel by easy stages and there is no need for us to rush, now we are out of the city. No one seems to have followed us.”
Later that morning, Philip insisted he was well enough to leave his bed and sit in the parlour for a short while.
“Let him,” Alice said, “if he is crossed in small things, it always makes him fretful.”
Benson was sent up to help the invalid to dress and then Victor and Benson supported him down the stairs. He was settled in a wing chair beside a cheerful fire and proclaimed that he felt much better just to be among them again. He shrugged off his injury, saying it was not paining him, although his white face and the lines of strain around the eyes gave the lie to this statement. Grace found an old pack of cards in the taproom and challenged him to a game of piquet. This kept him still for a while. When he became restless again, Edward handed him a broadsheet that he had acquired. This engaged his interest for a while as he snorted uncomplimentary comments about some of the articles. He had just insulted one of the king’s ministers, when the landlady entered to take away the dishes. She was obviously big with news.
“Have you heard, Mesdames, Messieurs? They say the Emperor has left that island of his and is at this moment, riding through France.”
“What!” Edward was on his feet. “Surely not?”
“Mais oui! Soldiers have been sent to arrest him, but everyone thinks he’ll avoid them and come back to where he belongs.”
“Heavens above!” Edward sank into a chair.
Philip sat up straight and looked at his cousin. “Do you think they’ll catch him?”
“I doubt it. He’s too good a general not to have made careful plans. There’s a lot of unrest in the country at present and nobody likes the king’s government. Philip and I aren’t the only ones.”
“I wouldn’t want to be sent out to intercept Napoleon,” Philip commented. “That unfortunate man will be condemned by half the people if he succeeds. If he fails, the other half will be after him for his blood.”
“You think so much of him then?” Edward asked curiously.
“He has done some good things for France. The Code Napoleon for example. The previous laws were vastly unjust, unless you were a churchman or an aristocrat.”
“He was known as ‘the ogre’ in England,” Alice said. “They told terrible stories about him.”
“They would,” her brother replied. “He’s just a man like any other, neither an ogre nor a hero out of the myths. Some call him a genius in battle and certainly he has been successful. I don’t agree with some of the things he did, but I was proud to serve him. I can’t say the same about the king.”
“It’s better to have a ruler who knows what he is about than one who is a fool who is led by the people around him,” Victor muttered.
“I wasn’t alive when the king’s brother sat on the throne, so I don’t know what happened then,” Agathe said. Her eyes were sparkling. “Maman says that there were lots of balls and entertainments at the Tuileries when the old king was alive. She often watched the pretty ladies arriving, all covered with jewels. She sometimes took me there when the Emperor had guests. They were very fine, wearing their silks and satins. How I longed to wear such things. Perhaps those times will come again.”
“I doubt it,” Edward replied, “England would never accept Bonaparte, it was hard enough getting rid of him the last time. We’re sure to fight against him and so is Austria and Prussia.”
“If you are right and the Emperor does reach Paris and take over the government, have you thought that your own position will be in jeopardy?”
“Philip,” Alice cried, “what do you mean?”
“If the Emperor succeeds, everything changes. Louis XVIII is no soldier and neither are his cronies. They would most likely flee over the border as they did before. Victor and I can go back to our old jobs. If England declares war, then you three would become enemies of the state. When the Peace of Amiens broke down in 1803, those English people stranded in France were held here until they could buy themselves free. Most of those who did so were women, children and older persons. Young men were kept prisoner, to prevent them from joining in the fighting. I’m afraid it would be the same this time.”
Victor nodded. “I agree. Dauphiné is close to the borders with Switzerland and Italy. It is also a long way from Paris so it would take days for an Imperial order to reach the authorities there. I think we should resume our journey tomorrow and make better speed, if Philip is well enough.”
“I’m well.”
“Before we panic, this all depends on whether the Emperor succeeds in taking over the government. The landlady said that troops had been sent out to arrest him.”
“What will you wager on their finding him and capturing him if they do? He hasn’t failed very often in the past. The only battle he lost was at Leipzig and he would not have lost that one if he still had the soldiers he took to Russia. Personally, I wouldn’t bet heavily on his failure.”
Alice looked at her husband. “What should we do?”
“We must wait and see what happens. If the king prevails, then we need do nothing. If the Emperor regains his power, we must leave France as soon as possible. We’re already on the road to the border. We’ll continue our journey and hope to arrive at your uncle’s house before any action is taken against foreigners. These things take time to be organised and we won’t be high on Bonaparte’s priorities. He’s certain to be more concerned with raising taxes and building up his troops before the Allied Powers send their armies against him.”
“If you leave France, I’ll come with you to the border,” Victor offered. “I’m French and a known supporter of the Emperor. Alice can pass as French also, but you, Edward and Grace, would be recognized as foreigners the moment you spoke to anyone. If Alice and I do the talking along the way, we should be able to reach Grenoble with little trouble. From there it’s an easy route into Switzerland.”
“If he does succeed and we declare war on him,” Edward said slowly, “then I must rejoin my regiment.”
Alice gasped. “Surely not? You sold out.”
“I sold out because the fighting was over and I was wanted at home after my father died. If we are to fight Bonaparte again, then anyone with military experience will be wanted urgently. Most of the troops disbanded last year and others were sent overseas to America. They can’t be brought back in time to stop him. England will need every man and even for you, my love, I couldn’t stand aside. Please God it does not come to this, because, if it does, it will be a stern undertaking with no guarantee of success.”
“Amen to that.”
“Philip what about you?”
“If the Emperor succeeds you mean? I’ll go back to Paris. No one will bother about my duel with Staunton then. They’ll have more important things to worry about.”
“You would fight against your own country?” Edward asked him dryly.
“Not I. We’ve been over this before. I have never born arms against my country, nor do I intend to d
o so. If you are asking me would I join the British Army, the answer is again no. I am no soldier and I love France, which gave me a refuge when I needed one. I can’t fight against my mother’s country any more than I could fight against my birthplace.”
“You could live safely in Switzerland,” Victor suggested, “until the situation becomes clear.”
“If Caulaincourt comes back, then I’ll return to his service. He’s wise, one of the few who warned Napoleon against invading Russia. He’s loyal, trustworthy and a man of peace. If anyone can stop the fighting, it would be him. If England declares war then the Duc will need translators again, ones who don’t make mistakes.”
The talk continued off and on for the rest of the day. No further news was received and the party was about to go to bed when they heard noises in the street. Victor shoved open a window and leaned out. Edward did the same.
“Horses, many horses.”
“Let me see,” Philip stood behind Edward who stepped back to let him pass.
“What are they shouting?” Grace asked.
Philip turned around and Alice realised that his whole face had changed.
“They are shouting ‘Vive L'Empéreur’” he replied softly. “Napoleon must be coming through Moret. I’m going out.”
“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 an
d 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.
Lord Philip's Christmas (Regency Belles &Beaux Book 2) Page 10
