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“Yes, he is quite well, but he has asked us to bring you to London to be with him.”
The comtesse clutched her daughter closer.
“Both of you. Your daughter is Aline, yes? He calls hermon chou d’amour.”
The comtesse’s jaw dropped. “Yes.” She glanced at the warden. “But how?”
The warden banged on his table, and the door opened again. “Have the prisoners wait outside my door. I will escort her back to her cell myself.”
“Yes, citoyen,” the soldier answered, taking the comtesse’s arm. “The tumbrels are here.”
“Good. Have the prisoners called out and put in line to be counted.”
“Yes, citoyen.” The door closed again.
“Well?” the warden sat behind his makeshift desk again and raised his brows. “I have done my part. You saw the former comtesse and the child. Both are well.”
Gabrielle would not call their statewell,but she would not argue semantics. Alex had given her a small red reticule with white tassels and blue fringe. Gabrielle opened it now and withdrew a soft velvet pouch.
She laid it on the warden’s desk. His large, fumbling fingers unwrapped the black material, and he lifted the bracelet. The office was dark, and he carried the piece to the small window and held it to the light.“Mon dieu,”he breathed.
“I thought you didn’t believe in God anymore,” Ramsey muttered.
Gabrielle ignored him. The warden turned quickly. “How did you get this? How did—“
“Citoyen, I have little time to waste on explanations. It is the price for the former comtesse and the child, is it not?”
“Yes.” He studied it again, obviously trying to find some evidence that it was a fake.
“I understand your grandfather made it for Louis XV,” Gabrielle said. “Do you know anything about jewelry?”
“My grandfather and my father were both jewelers. They taught me something of their trade.” He was still studying the piece. “Here.” He pointed to the center of the cuff, under the mount for the white sapphire. “This is my grandfather’s mark.”
“I assure you, citoyen, the bracelet is real,” Ramsey said. “We went to some trouble to acquire it.”
There was the noise of voices outside and the shuffling of many feet. The prisoners were being lined up for their transfer to the Conciergerie. Gabrielle’s heart was pounding.Hurry, hurry, hurry,she thought.
“You mentioned something about another exit,” she said, her voice betraying nothing of the panic she felt inside. “It seems this one”—she indicated the corridor outside the office—“is becoming quite crowded.”
The warden’s head jerked up. He looked as though he were waking from a dream. “Yes, of course.” He crossed to the desk, wrapped the bracelet back in the velvet, and stuck the piece into his breast pocket. Gabrielle felt almost sick leaving such a treasure with this man. At least he seemed to appreciate it.
He went to the door, paused, and glanced back at them. “Follow me. Do not speak to anyone, even if spoken to.”
He opened the door and addressed the soldier standing beside the comtesse. “I will see this prisoner back to her cell.”
The soldier frowned. “But, citoyen, she is on the list.”
“Do you question me, citoyen?” the warden asked. “There has been a change to the list.”
“Yes, citoyen.”
The warden took the comtesse’s elbow and marched her and her daughter away. Gabrielle followed, keeping her head down. She could hear Ramsey’s boots clicking behind her as they were led deeper into the prison. Dear God, if the warden decided to imprison them all, they had little recourse. They were completely at his mercy. Perhaps she should have held on to the bracelet until the last moment…
They passed rows of prisoners, and Gabrielle could not help but meet their eyes. Sad eyes. Tired eyes. Eyes rimmed with red from crying. Young eyes. Old eyes. Eyes filled with despair.
If only she could take them all with her. She turned her head and saw Aline looking at her from over her mother’s shoulder. The little girl’s eyes were questioning. Gabrielle tried to smile. At least the little girl had not yet given up her curiosity about the world. She hoped a new life in England would restore her and give her much to explore to feed that curiosity.
The warden led them away from the prisoners and the cells and down a long hallway. Cobwebs hung in the corners, and Gabrielle let out a little squeak when she heard what sounded like the scurrying of tiny rat feet.
