The Marquis' Daughters: In the Shadow of the Guillotine by Valerie Anne Hudson

Author:Valerie Anne Hudson [Hudson, Valerie Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-19T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Marie-Madeleine

Isabelle had told me that Monsieur was waiting in his study to speak to me. I was wet and cold, but didn’t want to take the time to dry off. I was determined to confront him and tell whatever lies were necessary, desperate not to end up homeless on the streets of Paris again. Taking a deep breath, I knocked loudly on his door, and it opened almost immediately.

“Oh!” said Charles when he saw me. “This is a nice surprise. Marie, how are you? How’s your head? Please, do come in.”

Not what I expected. I had presumed he would be suspicious of me, perhaps even angry. But he seemed genuinely surprised to see me.

“I thought …Isabelle said that you wanted to see me,” I said.

“Ah, Isabelle, yes. She seems to have some notion in her head that you’re an imposter.” He laughed and indicated that I should sit down. “I told her I’d speak to you. Just to get rid of her, really, but don’t go telling her that!”

I felt quite flustered and at a loss for words. Here he was, being funny and charming in his shirtsleeves, with his dark hair all mussed up and practically standing on end. Fighting an absurd desire to smooth down his hair, put my arms around him, and rest my head on his shoulder, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

“It doesn’t matter who you are,” he said. “All that matters is that you’re here now. Doing the job you were hired to do, that is. Alice tells me you’re settling in well, anyway.”

Finally, I managed to speak. “Yes, I am. Thank you again for your kindness.”

“I don’t mean to pry, and you don’t have to tell me anything about yourself, but you seem very well educated,” he said. “You’re by no means a typical maidservant.”

I wasn’t about to tell him anything about my background, so tried to steer the conversation around to himself.

“You also seem very well educated,” I said. “Were you raised in Paris?”

“No, but I attended the University here to become a lawyer,” he answered. “And I make no secret of the fact that I was born into an aristocratic family. I have renounced my heritage because I’m working for the Revolution now. My parents aren’t exactly proud of me, but I’m doing what I think is right.”

My face flamed in anger as I thought about the list I’d seen on his desk.

“What you think is RIGHT?” I asked. “What about all the innocent people being arrested and executed simply because they’re aristocrats? Do you think that’s right?”

As soon as I’d said the words, I regretted them. Now I’d gone and given myself away. Why couldn’t I have held my tongue?

But his answer surprised me.

“Of course it’s not right! It’s abhorrent, and it’s getting out of hand. I’m doing whatever I can to save those people … after all, my own parents’ lives are in danger. Do you think I could sit back and allow anything to

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