She gave him no answer.
He didn’t expect one. He turned and rode away.
Within a few yards the fog claimed him and François vanished from sight as if he had never come to Vasaro.
Catherine walked toward the house, shuffling slowly, painfully, as if she were a very old woman.
She was cold. She must change from the silk gown into her old woolen one and then go down to the fields.
Michel would be at the fields. He would smile at her and some of the pain would go away.
She would not oversee today. She would pick herself and more of the agony would ease.
Vasaro would help her as it had helped her before.
TWENTY
Juliette sat down at the same table at the Café du Chat she and Jean Marc had previously occupied and deposited the black grosgrain satchel she carried at her feet before turning to look around the café.
“You have no escort.” Nana Sarpelier suddenly appeared at her side, quickly setting down her tray and spreading her fans on the table. “A woman who has no escort makes herself conspicuous.” She sat down opposite Juliette. “And you also make me conspicuous.”
“I wanted to talk to you without Jean Marc being here.” Juliette motioned to the satchel at her feet. “Two million livres.”
Nana’s eyes widened. “Mother of God. And you’re carrying it around Paris with no escort?”
“Well, I did hire a carriage to bring me here.”
Nana stared at her blankly and then threw back her head and laughed. “I suppose I should be grateful you didn’t decide to stroll here from the Place Royale.”
Juliette smiled. “I thought it safe enough as long as no one knew what I carried. Jean Marc was planning on bringing me here tomorrow evening but—”
“You didn’t want him here,” Nana finished for her. “Why?”
“My affairs aren’t his concern.” Juliette clasped her hands together on the table. “In exchange for the two million livres I’ll need a writ from the queen giving Jean Marc Andreas legal possession of the Wind Dancer.”
“The Wind Dancer.” Nana’s lips pursed in a soundless whistle. “So that’s the ‘object.’”
“I want the writ at once. Is that possible?”
“It’s more difficult to see her.” Nana hesitated and then nodded. “By tomorrow. For two million livres we can make the extra effort.” Her gaze narrowed on Juliette’s face. “You were secretive enough before about it. Why are you being so open now?”
“I decided I have to trust you since we’ll be working toward the same goal.”
Nana looked down at the satchel. “The two million livres will help. You know they guillotined the king two months ago?”
“Yes, it was the first thing we heard when we arrived in Paris. You could do nothing to save him?”
“We tried, but he was too well guarded. He died with great dignity.” She shook her head wearily. “Sometimes it seems hopeless.” Her lips tightened with determination. “But we must free the queen and the dauphin.”
“What of Marie Thérèse and the king’s sister?”
“By Salic law the princess can’t inherit the throne, so she’s safe enough. If Madame Elizabeth can be persuaded to be a little less royal in her bearing, she should be safe too.”
“But the queen isn’t safe,” Juliette murmured. “They hate her.”
Nana nodded soberly. “And little Louis Charles isnow the king of France and a rallying point for all the royalists in Europe. Too many people are beginning to find him in the way.”
Juliette had a fleeting memory of that sweet, sunny little boy she had known at Versailles. “You have a plan?”
