Miss
Willoughby,” Celine said, changing her tack slightly. “I think I could quite
like you in different circumstances. You’re a very astute young lady. I also
know you’ve no money either, which is why you forged that note about Mr. Oakley’s
guardianship. Yes, I was listening at the door. Join us, and you can have all
the money you want. We may have different reasons for disliking this society,
but there’s no reason why we can’t work together to bring it to its knees. ”
“Whatever my personal feelings about excesses
of the rich, I would never become involved in a plot to kill him. Particularly
as it means working for our enemies. Do you really believe your revolutionary
council cares anymore about the poor in France than our royalty do about the
poor in Britain? The French working people are just as hungry now as they were
before the Revolution began. Only the names of those in charge have changed.
Their excesses still go on. And if you think you could destabilize the British
monarchy by killing the king, you’re very much mistaken. You forget that we’ve
already lost one monarch to revolution, and England survived it, and brought
the monarchy back.”
“Not quite as clever as I thought then.
Otherwise you would have at least pretended in order to save your life. If
you’re good, we’ll bring you food and drink later. Now get to work.” Celine left
the room, slamming the door shut. Catherine heard the key turning in the lock.
Looking around properly for the first
time, Catherine found herself in a tiny room with a grimy looking truckle bed,
and a chair and table. On the table was a pile of paper, the same letter from
the nobleman with an example of his handwriting, a sheet of paper bearing two
more women’s names, writing implements and a candle. They’d thought of
everything.
Despite that, Catherine found it
impossible to begin work. It wasn’t only to keep up the pretence of being
unable to forge the documents. The thought that she might be contributing to
the death of the king was horrifying. The idea that she’d already done it
unwittingly when Jimmy first brought her the work, and that it was the reason
he’d been silenced, was overwhelming. How naïve they’d both been, to think that
the only people asking for the service would have a noble cause. They’d been
stupid not to ask further questions. Jimmy had obviously been seduced by Mrs.
Somerson’s charms, and probably would never have believed she’d be involved in
such a heinous plot. But Catherine knew that she should have pressed for more
information. She’d just trusted her brother to do the decent thing.
Xander was right. What Catherine had
done, not just to him with the guardianship letter, but in putting the king’s
life at risk, was reprehensible. When he found out that she’d assisted in the
assassination, he would despise her even more.
She imagined that the sisters planned to
assassinate the king, then use the letters from the French nobleman to escape
detection. The authorities, even if they suspected Mrs Somerson and Celine,
would be looking for an Englishwoman and her maid, not two French women
escaping the guillotine. Catherine had to make things right, no matter what the
outcome.
She sat on the bed, despondent and was
still sitting there an hour later, when Celine returned.
“I’ve brought you a drink.” She handed
Catherine a pewter tankard filled with water. “Don’t worry it’s not drugged.
Obviously we need to keep you awake.” As Catherine was thirsty, she took a sip,
and then grimaced at the brackish taste.
“Why haven’t you started?”
“I’m not going to do it,” said
Catherine.
“Now listen to me, you stupid girl.”
Celine grabbed Catherine by the hair and dragged her to the table, knocking the
tankard to the floor, and forcing her to sit down on the chair. “I can send one
of the men back to London at any moment, and when he gets there, he’ll
Willoughby,” Celine said, changing her tack slightly. “I think I could quite
like you in different circumstances. You’re a very astute young lady. I also
know you’ve no money either, which is why you forged that note about Mr. Oakley’s
guardianship. Yes, I was listening at the door. Join us, and you can have all
the money you want. We may have different reasons for disliking this society,
but there’s no reason why we can’t work together to bring it to its knees. ”
“Whatever my personal feelings about excesses
of the rich, I would never become involved in a plot to kill him. Particularly
as it means working for our enemies. Do you really believe your revolutionary
council cares anymore about the poor in France than our royalty do about the
poor in Britain? The French working people are just as hungry now as they were
before the Revolution began. Only the names of those in charge have changed.
Their excesses still go on. And if you think you could destabilize the British
monarchy by killing the king, you’re very much mistaken. You forget that we’ve
already lost one monarch to revolution, and England survived it, and brought
the monarchy back.”
“Not quite as clever as I thought then.
Otherwise you would have at least pretended in order to save your life. If
you’re good, we’ll bring you food and drink later. Now get to work.” Celine left
the room, slamming the door shut. Catherine heard the key turning in the lock.
Looking around properly for the first
time, Catherine found herself in a tiny room with a grimy looking truckle bed,
and a chair and table. On the table was a pile of paper, the same letter from
the nobleman with an example of his handwriting, a sheet of paper bearing two
more women’s names, writing implements and a candle. They’d thought of
everything.
Despite that, Catherine found it
impossible to begin work. It wasn’t only to keep up the pretence of being
unable to forge the documents. The thought that she might be contributing to
the death of the king was horrifying. The idea that she’d already done it
unwittingly when Jimmy first brought her the work, and that it was the reason
he’d been silenced, was overwhelming. How naïve they’d both been, to think that
the only people asking for the service would have a noble cause. They’d been
stupid not to ask further questions. Jimmy had obviously been seduced by Mrs.
Somerson’s charms, and probably would never have believed she’d be involved in
such a heinous plot. But Catherine knew that she should have pressed for more
information. She’d just trusted her brother to do the decent thing.
Xander was right. What Catherine had
done, not just to him with the guardianship letter, but in putting the king’s
life at risk, was reprehensible. When he found out that she’d assisted in the
assassination, he would despise her even more.
She imagined that the sisters planned to
assassinate the king, then use the letters from the French nobleman to escape
detection. The authorities, even if they suspected Mrs Somerson and Celine,
would be looking for an Englishwoman and her maid, not two French women
escaping the guillotine. Catherine had to make things right, no matter what the
outcome.
She sat on the bed, despondent and was
still sitting there an hour later, when Celine returned.
“I’ve brought you a drink.” She handed
Catherine a pewter tankard filled with water. “Don’t worry it’s not drugged.
Obviously we need to keep you awake.” As Catherine was thirsty, she took a sip,
and then grimaced at the brackish taste.
“Why haven’t you started?”
“I’m not going to do it,” said
Catherine.
“Now listen to me, you stupid girl.”
Celine grabbed Catherine by the hair and dragged her to the table, knocking the
tankard to the floor, and forcing her to sit down on the chair. “I can send one
of the men back to London at any moment, and when he gets there, he’ll
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