Aldric managed to smile as if it were a bit of nonsense. But hewasplanning to do just that. He’d been pondering the possibility almost from the moment he’d been invited to join the Gents. And it had been his unspoken strategy within hours of learning that Stanley would not be returning from war.
At the window, Lucas said, “Something appears to be on fire.”
Aldric rose, as did Henri, and crossed to the window, looking out at the Paris streets. A plume of smoke was, indeed, rising on the horizon.
“And over there.” Lucas motioned to another plume with a nod of his head.
“One is unusual,” Henri said. “Two is worrying.”
The window led to a small iron balcony. Aldric opened it, though he didn’t step through. Leaning was enough to look more drastically to either side. More smoke, barely visible and at a much farther distance.
What in heaven’s name was happening in Paris?
Chapter Sixteen
On the street below, ahired fiacre stopped directly in front of the house, and Nicolette sprinted from it to the front doors. Aldric exchanged a quick concerned glance with Henri and Lucas before all three of them rushed away from the window and out of the parlor.
They reached the middle of the stairs just as she did. There was a franticness in her expression that Aldric didn’t think he’d ever seen her wear before. She remained calm in every storm, but she wasn’t calm now.
“Paris has descended into chaos.” She spoke in bleak tones. “Mobs. Riots. People have already been killed, Henri. There are rumors, growing louder, that the army will be called in with orders to fire on the people.”
Cursed blazes.
Nicolette took a quick, sharp breath before continuing. “Word has reached the streets that Necker has been dismissed and has left Paris.”
“Lafayette was worried His Majesty’s meeting with the finance minister would not end well,” Aldric said. “How widespread is the rioting?”
Nicolette looked at him, her breathing tense with concern. “The upheaval is not terribly near here yet, but it is spreading fast.”
Her posture remained rigid. Henri wrapped an arm around her, which brought a bit of calm to her expression.
“The army has not yet arrived,” she said. “Regardless of what they do, it will be pandemonium at the first sight of a soldier. There will be warfare, I have no doubt.”
“I am certain you’ve spoken with—” Whomever Henri meant to refer to, he thought better of it. “Do any of them think this is likely to calm anytime soon?”
She shook her head. “They are all predicting days of violence. So much of the anger is turned toward those in the government and of the privileged class.”
“Which places a target on all of us,” Aldric said.
Nicolette didn’t answer. She didn’t need to.
Jean-François was a person of privilege, and he was quite disliked. If ire was to turn on a household, this one seemed a likely candidate.
To Henri, Aldric said, “It is time to rouse your brother from his slumber, literally and figuratively.”
Henri and Nicolette hurried up the stairs, no doubt to summon his brother and sister-in-law. Lucas and Aldric followed close on their heels.
“You said you needed two or three days to be ready to leave Paris,” Lucas said to Aldric. “Is there any chance that timeline could be shortened?”
“I will have us ready to leave in a matter of hours, or I will give up the title of the General.” They reached the landing of the second floor, which housed the family bedchambers and nursery. “Find Julia. Make certain she is ready to depart.”
Lucas moved swiftly down the corridor in the direction of the nursery.
Though it was not the done thing, Aldric made his way to the door of Céleste’s bedchamber. Fortunately, it was open. She was inside, bent over a trunk.
He was able to speak from the threshold. “How quickly can you be ready to depart?”
She spun around and faced him, confusion and concern on her face. “Has something happened?”
