Jean Marc peered carefully through the glass of the window to their right. “They’re going away.”
“Toward the palace?”
“No, toward Le Hameau. We’ll wait a minute until they move farther away and then we’ll have to be quick. We don’t want to run into them on our way back to the gates.”
“I thought for sure he’d seen us.”
“He wasn’t looking hard. He saw only what he expected to see.”
Juliette sank to the floor and leaned back against the wall, trying to steady her breathing. She was shaking and the icy cold of the mosaic marble floor seemed to pierce through her woolen gown to her bones. She wondered if Jean Marc could see how frightened she was as he stared so intently at her. She moistened her lips. “It’s the same.”
“What?”
“This pavilion. Versailles. Even the gardens are still well cared for.” She gestured to the exquisite arabesques painted on the wall, the clear blue sky drifting with fleeting clouds on the cupola above them. “I expected it to be defaced. Paris has changed so much. The queen used to have wonderful parties in the gardens of the Trianon and she had a concealed trench dug around this pavilion. Faggots were lit so that it looked as if it were floating on a cloud of light.” She wished he would stop staring at her. He mustn’t see how weak she felt. It was dangerous to show anyone her weaknesses but most of all Jean Marc. “I tried to paint it once, but I’m not good at fire.”
“I’d say your incendiary capabilities are extraordinary.”To her relief, Jean Marc finally shifted his gaze. “Do I detect a hint of sentiment?”
She shook her head. “It’s very beautiful here, but I liked the abbey better.” She was silent a moment. “Why did you intercede with the queen to have me sent there?”
“Why do you think?”
“Because of Catherine.”
“It was partly Catherine.” His voice was suddenly rough as his gaze returned to her face. “Stop chattering. It doesn’t matter if you’re frightened.”
She should have realized she couldn’t deceive him. “I’m only a little frightened.”
“But you won’t give in to it. You won’t let anyone see.” He knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “Christ, stop trying to hide it.”
He felt hard and strong and smelled of spice and the night. She buried her face in his shoulder. “You told me not to let you see any weakness.”
“Did I?” His hand gently stroked her hair. “Ah, yes, I’d forgotten. I’m not usually so generous as to give warnings. Never mind, this isn’t the kind of battleground I was speaking about.”
“I’ll be all right soon. It was the surprise…”
“I was scared out of my wits too.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “You were? You didn’t show it.”
“I’ve had a few more years of practice hiding my feelings than you have.”
She didn’t know any other man who would have admitted to fear, but he had never been like other men. He had always been only Jean Marc, and the gift he was giving her tonight was as unique as the man himself. He had saved her pride by his simple admission of fear. “You’re a strange man.”
“You’ve said that before.”
“Because it’s true.” She nestled closer into his arms. “I never know what you’re going to do next.”
“Nothing at the moment. Hush.”
She fell silent for a moment, absorbing his comfortand strength. Warmth flowed through her, not the tingling heat of lust but something deeper, cozier. She suddenly chuckled. “I feel very foolish kneeling here like this. We must look like two porcelain figures in a music box.”
“You must be feeling better if you’re thinking in pictures.” Jean Marc cast a glance out the window and then rose to his feet and opened the door. “I believe it’s safe to leave now.”
Juliette scrambled to her feet and grabbed the lantern. “Shall I light it?”
Jean Marc was already going down the steps. “Not if we can avoid it. It might be seen.” Jean Marc knelt by the sphinx again, examining it closely. “I see no levers.” He pushed at the base. “The foundation is solid.” He pushed sideways on the body of the sphinx.
It moved!
