it.’
Judith stared at her. ‘But do
you
think it?’
Kitty sighed. She had done nothing but find fault with the man ever since she had met him, but until he had left them, she had not appreciated how much he had done for them, much of it to his own inconvenience. Now, she wished she had showed herself more grateful. Without him to make decisions, to tell her what to do, she felt lost.
And deep down inside her, so deep she refused to acknowledge it, was the memory of that kiss. Had she really reacted so warmly? What must he have thought of her? No wonder he treated her with so much contempt; she deserved it. But she wanted him back. She wanted him back for all sorts of reasons she dare not analyse.
‘I don’t know what to think, but I cannot just sit here and do nothing,’ she said. ‘Perhaps he has been taken into custody for having forged papers, perhaps he has been waylaid by cut-throats and thrown in the river, perhaps something terrible has happened to James and …’
‘And perhaps you have a lively imagination, miss.’
‘What would you have us do?’
‘Me? Why ask me?’ the maid said huffily. ‘You did not ask my opinion before you left home, or I might have given it. You chose to trust a complete stranger, who is most decidedly not a gentleman, so what can I say? You must do as you please.’
‘Oh, Judith, please don’t let us quarrel, we have troubles enough without that.’
Judith softened. ‘I am sorry, my love. It is all this waiting about and idleness. I never could abide being idle. But if we leave, where could we go?’
‘To the British Embassy. They must know the whereabouts of all English people in Paris.’
They sat in their room in the cold rather than get under Madame Clavier’s feet, but they went down in the middle of the day and were given a bowl of soup made of fish bones and onions, which was so thin it had little nourishment.
Afterwards they offered Jean money and told him they were leaving. He protested they should wait a little longer for Jack, but his wife contradicted him.
‘He must have been discovered,’ she said. ‘He’s in prison or dead. And we shall be next if we give shelter to France’s enemies. Let them go.’
It looked as if there might be a serious falling out between husband and wife which Kitty solved by putting a gold sovereign on the table and leaving, followed by Judith. Once outside, Kitty hesitated, wondering which way to go, then decided to walk towards the centre of the city, where they would be able to ask directions.
The noisome alleys were busy and they walked close together to avoid being separated. Bands of women were flocking along the streets, shrieking obscenities and carrying bags of flour and sugar. Some were armed with pikes and knives; a few had muskets. Nervously Kitty and Judith pressed themselves against the wall to allow them to pass.
‘I never saw such a bloodthirsty lot,’ Judith said after the women had passed on. ‘Where are they going with all that stuff? Do you suppose they’ve looted it?’
‘Perhaps, but it need not concern us,’ Kitty said, anxious to be away from what was obviously a very unsavoury area and to find somewhere more wholesome. ‘Let’s hurry.’
But there was no escaping the rioting women. They were everywhere, dashing into shops and coming out loaded with food, shouting,
‘Vive la République!’
as if that justified whatthey were doing. Kitty and Judith, trying to make a way through the crowds, found themselves carried along with the tide.
‘Please let me pass,’ Kitty said, pushing against the shoulders of one woman who barred her way.
The woman’s answer was to knock her to the ground, so that she was almost trampled underfoot.
‘Have a care!’ Judith shouted, wading in to push aside the women who surrounded her mistress. ‘Let my lady up. You will trample her to death.’
‘What do you say?’ another shrieked, stopping in her tracks. ‘What language is that?’
Judith did
Judith stared at her. ‘But do
you
think it?’
Kitty sighed. She had done nothing but find fault with the man ever since she had met him, but until he had left them, she had not appreciated how much he had done for them, much of it to his own inconvenience. Now, she wished she had showed herself more grateful. Without him to make decisions, to tell her what to do, she felt lost.
And deep down inside her, so deep she refused to acknowledge it, was the memory of that kiss. Had she really reacted so warmly? What must he have thought of her? No wonder he treated her with so much contempt; she deserved it. But she wanted him back. She wanted him back for all sorts of reasons she dare not analyse.
‘I don’t know what to think, but I cannot just sit here and do nothing,’ she said. ‘Perhaps he has been taken into custody for having forged papers, perhaps he has been waylaid by cut-throats and thrown in the river, perhaps something terrible has happened to James and …’
‘And perhaps you have a lively imagination, miss.’
‘What would you have us do?’
‘Me? Why ask me?’ the maid said huffily. ‘You did not ask my opinion before you left home, or I might have given it. You chose to trust a complete stranger, who is most decidedly not a gentleman, so what can I say? You must do as you please.’
‘Oh, Judith, please don’t let us quarrel, we have troubles enough without that.’
Judith softened. ‘I am sorry, my love. It is all this waiting about and idleness. I never could abide being idle. But if we leave, where could we go?’
‘To the British Embassy. They must know the whereabouts of all English people in Paris.’
They sat in their room in the cold rather than get under Madame Clavier’s feet, but they went down in the middle of the day and were given a bowl of soup made of fish bones and onions, which was so thin it had little nourishment.
Afterwards they offered Jean money and told him they were leaving. He protested they should wait a little longer for Jack, but his wife contradicted him.
‘He must have been discovered,’ she said. ‘He’s in prison or dead. And we shall be next if we give shelter to France’s enemies. Let them go.’
It looked as if there might be a serious falling out between husband and wife which Kitty solved by putting a gold sovereign on the table and leaving, followed by Judith. Once outside, Kitty hesitated, wondering which way to go, then decided to walk towards the centre of the city, where they would be able to ask directions.
The noisome alleys were busy and they walked close together to avoid being separated. Bands of women were flocking along the streets, shrieking obscenities and carrying bags of flour and sugar. Some were armed with pikes and knives; a few had muskets. Nervously Kitty and Judith pressed themselves against the wall to allow them to pass.
‘I never saw such a bloodthirsty lot,’ Judith said after the women had passed on. ‘Where are they going with all that stuff? Do you suppose they’ve looted it?’
‘Perhaps, but it need not concern us,’ Kitty said, anxious to be away from what was obviously a very unsavoury area and to find somewhere more wholesome. ‘Let’s hurry.’
But there was no escaping the rioting women. They were everywhere, dashing into shops and coming out loaded with food, shouting,
‘Vive la République!’
as if that justified whatthey were doing. Kitty and Judith, trying to make a way through the crowds, found themselves carried along with the tide.
‘Please let me pass,’ Kitty said, pushing against the shoulders of one woman who barred her way.
The woman’s answer was to knock her to the ground, so that she was almost trampled underfoot.
‘Have a care!’ Judith shouted, wading in to push aside the women who surrounded her mistress. ‘Let my lady up. You will trample her to death.’
‘What do you say?’ another shrieked, stopping in her tracks. ‘What language is that?’
Judith did
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