Pierre Pevel - By The Alchemist in the Shadows Page 0,95
both curiosity and envy amongst her new peers. Although of the noblest breeding, she was nevertheless practically unknown and her sudden ascension had surprised the entire court. For two whole days, no one had spoken of anything else. It was rumoured she had been presented to the queen by the duchesse de Chevreuse, which was true. It was also said that the king had admitted her to his wife's entourage in order to initiate a reconciliation with the duchesse, which was false. Agnes's role was watch over Anne d'Autriche and to protect her if needed — a mission which the Sisters of Saint Georges' Superior General had entrusted to her with Richelieu's assent and which she was now carrying out, albeit under protest.
La Fargue turned round upon hearing the door open and saw Agnes enter. She looked very beautiful, with her hair and dress done in the latest style, her outfit including an elegant red hooped skirt, a square neckline and short puffed sleeves.
'I only have a little time,' she said as she carefully closed the door behind her.
The old gentleman understood.
'Yesterday,' he said, 'Laincourt supped at the Hotel de Chevreuse . . .'
'I'm sure it was more amusing there than it is here.'
'No doubt. This supper, in which the marquis de Chateau-neuf also took part, was given in honour of a certain Aude de Saint-Avoid.'
The young baronne nodded.
'She is to be presented at court today, before joining the queen's household tomorrow. As a maiden-of-honour, I believe . . .'
'She is a distant relative of the due de Chevreuse. She has arrived in Paris directly from Lorraine, where the duchesse no doubt made her acquaintance during her exile . . . Coming a few days after your own, this new appointment to the queen's household cannot be a coincidence.'
It was only at Cardinal Richelieu's private request that madame de Chevreuse had agreed to introduce Agnes to the queen and to recommend her. Louis XIII alone decided who was to be admitted to his wife's entourage and had occasionally used this privilege to punish her by excluding ladies she liked, claiming they exercised a bad influence over her. Thus Anne d'Autriche had learned to be wary of new faces, for she knew they had been chosen by the king and his chief minister. That was why the cardinal had sought, in this case, the good offices of the duchesse who enjoyed the queen's trust. The problem was that the duchesse had no particular desire to please either the cardinal or the king, and the fate of this little baronne de Vaudreuil was a matter of perfect indifference to her. She thus required some persuasion to become better disposed towards the idea . . .
'The duchesse,' Agnes suggested, 'might have agreed to vouch for me with the queen on condition that Aude de Saint-Avoid also became a maiden-of-honour.'
'Is there anything else that would have induced the king to allow one of La Chevreuse's protegees to join the queen's suite? Especially given that . . .'
La Fargue did not complete his train of thought
They both knew that the duchesse — who never ceased to
plot — was on the point of being arrested as part of a general round-up of suspects which would spare neither the wealthy nor the powerful. The king had decided to strike the day after the great ball the duchesse would be hosting at the Chateau de Dampierre, so that her fall would come as swiftly as possible after her apparent triumph.
'What do you expect of me, captain?'
'Laincourt assures me that this young Saint-Avoid is not mixed up in La Chevreuse's schemes.
Nevertheless, keep your eye on her. You never know.'
Agnes sighed in resignation.
'All right,' she agreed.
'Listen, Agnes, I know you feel you are wasting your time here, but—'
'What could possibly happen to the queen here? The Louvre is swarming with the king's men, including both the Swiss Guards and the Musketeers!'
'There are dangers against which courage and steel alone do not always suffice. And it is those sorts of dangers, with respect to the queen, that worry the cardinal and the Mother Superior General . . .'
The dangers that La Fargue was referring to were dragons and their spells. And he was not mistaken in his assertion that it required more than good soldiers to combat them. It took counter-spells and fearless souls who could wield them. It took the Sisters of Saint Georges, who had been protecting the throne of France for the past three centuries.