Beyond a Doubt - By Felicia Rogers Page 0,62

sadness all too well.

Before they could say more, the carriage came to a sudden halt. The footman opened the door and each lady exited. Lucy stepped out first and smoothed her skirt before glancing at the other passengers. They looked awestruck, staring past her with eyes wide, mouths open, and noises of delight and surprise. Lucy turned her head to see what had affected them so, and understood why.

A huge mansion sprawled before them. Green bushes and flowering plants decorated the outside. The cobble-paved road they stood upon led up to a set of perfectly molded marble stairs. The huge wooden doors opened and the sound of music drifted on the evening breeze. Conversation and laughter filtered through the open windows.

Not sure of the protocol, Lucy was glad when the talkative lady took the initiative. With laced arms, the four of them ascended. They reached the massive entrance, and a man in full regal dress announced their presence. No one in the room appeared to notice the new arrivals. For Lucy, this was both a blessing and a curse, for the sooner the Admiral noticed her, the sooner her work would be completed.

Once past the announcements, the three sisters blended into the crowd, leaving Lucy at a loss for what to do next. She scanned and assessed the people before her.

How many times had she played this same part, only on the other side? Never had she delivered the message. Never had she worried about getting the information to the person in danger.

Admiral Coligny shouldn’t be too hard to spot. But as Lucy surveyed the crowd, she realized her assumptions might be wrong. With so many important people in attendance, the possibility of finding the Admiral without causing undue attention might prove to be a real problem indeed.

Chapter Forty-Eight

He ran his finger under his thick, hot collar. Unused to the role of center stage, Jean hoped the Admiral appreciated the effort.

When Gustav returned with the news that L.L. was not only a woman but a young woman, hopes of a message vanished.

How was it possible to depend on a female, so young, in such an important position? No way had a young lady delivered so many messages over such an extended time. What a preposterous idea. Someone clearly was trying to lead them away from the true spy.

It had taken hours of convincing for Jean to even believe the news. When he’d conceded, Gustav had explained how he had returned to France on the heels of L.L. and then she’d disappeared. For all intents and purposes, L.L. was lost to them. Gustav had returned to Jean brokenhearted.

Then Gustav had had another idea. Since the spy had disappeared, Gustav had suggested another way to draw out any ill-intent toward the Admiral. He’d proposed a celebration.

To keep people unsuspecting about the true intentions of the event, the party was arranged to honor someone other than the Admiral, which explained how Jean became the object of so much unwanted attention.

He took a sip of his drink and glanced around the room, but noticed nothing more than people enjoying free food and drink. If any here planned to harm the Admiral, they hid it well. The merriment in the room grated. If only he could slip—

“Where are you going?” asked Olga.

“If you must know, I’m going to the garden for a bit of fresh air. The heat in here is stifling.”

A tinge of laughter laced her voice as she answered. “I can’t imagine why.”

“Olga, why did I listen to Gustav? This whole thing is a terrible idea. Who is going to show up and enact harm in such a setting? Why, they would be escorted away to the Bastille at once for doing so.”

“My sentiments exactly,” came the Admiral’s voice from behind.

“Gaspard, I hate to argue with you, but this is not the same.”

“And why not? It seems the same to me. It is a large number of people impossible to watch and control, no? The same as next week’s event. No different.”

“But—“

“Jean, I understand your concerns, but you must understand my obligations. People are counting on me to protect their ideas, their way of life. I must not abandon them during their time. If I run, others will do the same. Then where will we be?”

Jean nodded, yet he silently disagreed. He knew the Admiral was walking into a trap; everyone knew it. Why couldn’t they convince the Admiral to wait for a safer time to make the announcement?

The Admiral walked away with