Le Chevalier by Mary Jean Adams

Author:Mary Jean Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2012-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The boys had not lied. All rode well on the four fast horses Mont Trignon managed to procure at considerable expense and despite the late hour.

The best of the riders, Reid insisted on setting the pace once he knew their intended destination. Mont Trignon did not attempt to hold him back. He much preferred the hot-tempered man assuage his anger on the back of a swift horse than with his fists.

At the very least, he hoped his future brother-in-law would forget his challenge. Once given, no Frenchman would retreat, but he supposed the Americans played by different rules. Of course, he would never kill Reid, but even a scratch on Alexandra’s twin might put a wrinkle in his plans.

Mont Trignon leveraged a number of sources to stay abreast of developments in the war. Everyone from farmers to shopkeepers to street urchins had a unique perspective, forming a nexus in his information web.

At the moment, the farmers were the most useful source of information. Armies, both British and American, needed food and lots of it. With supply lines unreliable, most regiments took what they could from local farmers, whether given willingly, or not. In either case, it fueled discussions on market day. Mont Trignon struck up a friendship with more than one farmer’s wife based on his interest in their troubles.

Depending on whose farm had been raided, as well as who had freely given supplies, he had achieved some success at tracking both armies’ movements and strength.

However, the information he desired most in the world right now could not be so easily gathered. He would gladly pay double for some small bit of good news about the marquis.

They reigned in their horses atop a rise overlooking a wide meandering river. In the valley, hundreds of tents sprouted like pale mushrooms in the dewy grass under the light of the moon.

As they dismounted, a sentry in a wrinkled blue and white linen uniform and crumpled tricorn hat with a black cockade spotted them.

“Who goes there? Be ye friend or be ye foe?” he demanded. With a wary glance at the four men surrounding him, he added with a faint tremor in his voice. “Speak up now, or I’ll shoot ye where ye stand.” He shook his rifle, emphasizing he could if he wanted to.

“Friend, mon ami.” Mont Trignon held up his hands, palms facing the man, and replied in a clear voice, heavily accented for good measure. “I am a friend of the Marquis de Lafayette. I heard he was wounded, and I search for him.”

“Friend of the general’s, are ye?” the man said, thumping the butt of his rifle on the ground as he stood down. “Then you’re a friend of ours. Come join us at our fire.”

Mont Trignon considered suggesting the sentry not be so quick to trust but decided it would be better to have a word later with Lafayette about his lax security, assuming the marquis still lived, than to question his good fortune now.

“Stay here and tend the horses,” he told Josh and Beau, and then waved for Reid to follow.

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