Claimed By Chaos (5 page)

“I rarely get to say this but you're completely wrong, Gilles. She's absolutely perfect for Alastair.” She linked her arm in Lucien’s and led him toward the house. Gilles shook his head as he set off after them. Alastair paced along side him. Gilles glanced at him as they entered the house.

“Do you understand why I told you to reconsider?” He asked softly. Alastair was thoughtful for a moment before he nodded.

“I understand why you would think that her past and her identity would be a surprise but it's hardly a deterrent. If anything, it only makes me more certain.” He stopped Gilles. “Giselle is not the only one with secrets. There are things that I have done… I think she may be more capable of overlooking them than most women. Yet I still worry that she may not be able to.” He stared into Gilles’ eyes, willing him to understand.

“What do you mean? What have you done?” Gilles’ eyes searched his. Alastair shook his head. There was no need for him to know.

“There is much you don't know about me, Gilles. I prefer it that way.” Alastair turned and strode into the study leaving Gilles to stare at his back.

Chapter 10

“Shall I order tea while we wait?” Mirabelle asked as Alastair entered the study. Gilles followed. Both shook their heads.

“Giselle doesn't care for tea.” Gilles said as he took a seat.

“Wine.” Alastair added as he sat across from him. His eyes were fixed on the door.

“Very well!” She reached for the bell pull before taking a seat next to Lucien on the couch. “How could a young lady like Giselle come to work for the War Office, as an assassin, of all things?” Mirabelle asked. Alastair's head snapped towards Gilles and he leaned forward. Gilles relaxed and crossed his legs.

“Her father was Aldous St. Claire.” He paused and looked at Alastair and Lucien. Lucien nodded thoughtfully and Alastair’s face became blank with the exception of his eyes. They flared in surprise. Both Gilles and Lucien turned to Alastair. Gilles rolled his eyes and Lucien snorted. “Seriously, Alastair? You're so brilliant but you couldn't have at least put that together?” He said incredulously.

“Aldous was Aldous.” Alastair shrugged. “He was an exemplary fellow, I didn't need to know his entire history.” He mumbled. Lucien raised a brow.

“No. But you knew his name, at least?”

“Now that you mention it, I recall that I did but at some point, it became unnecessary information.” Alastair sounded defensive.

“Who was Aldous St. Claire?” Mirabelle asked, hoping to move the story along. “Aside from Giselle’s father and one of the Capets.” She looked expectantly at Gilles.

“Aldous recruited us to work for the War Office. At first, he wanted me to take his place in London but it became obvious that Alastair would be better suited to oversee all of our activities and pick targets. Lucien was perfectly positioned to operate within the ton and at court. I wanted to follow Aldous to France. He agreed and became my mentor.” He paused when Hendrick entered.

“Would you please bring us some wine and something to hold us over until dinner?” Mirabelle asked.

“Certainly, Your Grace.”

“We might need a few bottles, Hendrick.” She added. He bowed and took himself off. She turned back to Gilles and gestured for him to continue.

“Giselle’s mother, Evangeline, died when she was twelve. Aldous was devastated, he turned to his work with the War Office as an escape. He adored Giselle and had doted on her but it was too painful for him to remain at home. A great aunt had volunteered to keep her. Giselle was miserable, the woman immediately began training her to be a proper young lady. She talked of preparing her to wed a prince or a duke and overwhelmed her with lessons and rules. Giselle had fired her first pistol when she was four and started fencing when she was five. Aldous being Aldous, hired anyone that could teach him anything. Carpenters, gypsies, magicians, artists, acrobats… and Giselle learned right along side him. She learned to throw knives, sleight of hand and how to climb damned near anything. As you can imagine, embroidering and dance lessons held little attraction for her. She endured for two years until Aldous told her he was going away, indefinitely. We were half way to France, in the middle of the Channel when we found her stowed away on the ship. Aldous was furious but he had no choice. From then on, the three of us were a team. Fortunately, Giselle was a natural.

At first, she was meant to be what she was, his daughter. He played the part of a wealthy French businessman and a financial supporter of Napoleon’s Grand Armée. Her French is flawless and she pulled it off. I was his nephew and business partner. Eventually, we worked our way into Napoleon’s court.” He paused as Hendrick appeared with the wine. He was followed by another servant carrying a tray of fruit, cheeses and pastries.

“Is there anything else you require, Your Grace?” He asked once everything was arranged on the sideboard. Mirabelle shook her head as she plucked a berry off the tray.

“This is lovely, thank you!” With that, Hendrick bowed and left the room. She looked over her shoulder at Gilles as she began filling a plate. “How did she become an assassin? I can't imagine a father encouraging that.” She returned to her seat and crossed her legs, setting her plate in her lap, ready to be entertained. Lucien rose and began pouring wine and passing glasses around.

“Again, Aldous didn't have much of a choice. He and I had snuck into a certain Vicomte’s chateau and were trying to break into his study when we were discovered. We were outnumbered and had no choice but to shoot our way out. Aldous took a bullet to the arm and was unable to reload. I was backed into a corner and had a gun pointed at my chest. Just as the fellow was about to pull the trigger, our shadow burst into the room and shot him and another man. Giselle killed two more men on the way out. Once we were safely away, she revealed that she had gone through the study window and found the letters we were after. With Aldous recovering from his wound, we couldn't refuse her help. She was so efficient and effective and there was no way she'd let us leave her behind once Aldous recovered. Giselle could do anything. All we had to do was point her at someone or tell her to get something.”

“She saved your life!” Mirabelle whispered. If Giselle had been in the room she would have hugged her out of relief and gratitude.

“I lost count of how many times she saved my life.” Gilles said softly. “Aldous fell ill and we lost him to a fever. At first, we didn't know how to go on. For days we just existed, in silence. Finally, Giselle said we had to get back to work. She was unstoppable, she couldn't rest. It was as if she purged her grief through violence.” Alastair's head snapped up and his gaze narrowed.

“I'm certain you saved my life just as many times.” Everyone turned toward the door to find Giselle leaning against the wall. Her eyes were damp and her smile was weak. Mirabelle couldn't help but envy the soft blue day dress she wore. The neckline was more daring and the waist higher than the current English style. It suited her alluring, petite figure. She was a perfect example of a pocket Venus. Giselle was sleek and looked soft and gentle, she reminded Mirabelle very much of a kitten. She walked toward them and took the glass Lucien offered and sat in the chair next to Gilles’. “And you make me sound like a monster. I never minded killing if it was for a good purpose. If I was protecting someone I loved or I knew that it would save British lives, it had to be done.” She shrugged as she sipped her wine. “I don't think I would be able to sleep at night if I murdered an innocent.” Lucien and Alastair exchanged glances.

“How did the two of you become separated?” Alastair asked. Giselle looked at Gilles and he nodded.

“Giselle, I should make Alastair and Lucien known to you.” Her brows pulled together as he gestured to Alastair. “I believe you know him as The Chess Master.” Her gaze flicked to Alastair as she gasped and he dipped his head. “You will have heard Lucien referred to as Adonis.” He smiled as he bowed his head. Mirabelle rolled her eyes.

“Oh, you can't be serious! Why would you have encouraged him?” She asked incredulously.

“Well, if one looks like a thing and behaves like it, one must therefor be it.” Lucien teased. She swatted him and turned her attention back to Alastair. Gilles snorted.

“How could you direct everyone and how could you all know of each other but not know who each person was?” She asked. Alastair sat back.

“The fact that I worked at the War Office is not a secret, Mirabelle. If it had become known that I was controlling numerous operatives, I would have become a target. I could have been tortured for information. The fewer names I knew, the better.” His voice was flat, unconcerned. Mirabelle felt her pulse gallop at the idea that he could have been in such danger. Gilles nodded.

“Mirabelle was not employed by the war office but she can be trusted and there is nothing that you told me earlier that would put her in danger. I think Alastair should know everything.”

Alastair focused on Giselle. She nodded, kicked off her shoes, tucked her feet under her and settled into her seat. Mirabelle felt herself lean forward knowing that whatever was about to come next, was going to be riveting.

“Where shall I begin?” She looked at Alastair.

“The night you and Gilles became separated. What led to you getting shot?” His voice was hard. She sighed and smiled wryly.

“I admit, I never should have gone. I was nearly delirious with fever and it was miserably cold and wet. But agents weren't making it back to England from France and we were close to finding the person responsible.” Alastair’s posture became alert and tense.

“The last traitor.” He whispered. Giselle’s head tilted in question, he shook his head and gestured for her to continue.

“We had a promising lead but Gilles had been summoned to Lille. He was already set to call the meeting off because of how high my fever was and we had argued before the letter came. He ordered me to stay but I left almost as soon as he was out the door.” She paused for a moment. Gilles had become tense, resting his elbows on his knees as he shook his head. “I knew I was in trouble as soon as I reached the beach at Calais. I could barely stay on my mount but it was too late by then. Our contact was approaching. I recognized him, it was Marcel LeVan. He didn't know me and was surprised to be meeting a woman. I led him to believe I was a mistress of an English spy and that he had sent me in his place. I made every mistake possible, I'm sure he would have been shocked if he knew who I really was. He shot me in the back and left me on the beach.” Gilles cursed and his head fell. Giselle's expression became soft, she looked as if she wanted to comfort him. Alastair’s eyes became dark as he stared at her.

“Gilles said you were gone by the time he reached the beach. Where did you go?” He asked. For a moment, Giselle looked as if she wasn't with them. She shivered and shook her head as if she was trying to forget.

“I heard a horse in the distance and was afraid LeVan was coming back to make sure I was dead. I tied my shawl tight around my chest and crawled into the tide and let the water take me.” Lucien gasped as she paused and took a long drink of her wine. Gilles stood and began pacing. Mirabelle could feel anger and pain rolling off of him. Alastair sat back and shook his head.

“That time of year, the North Sea would have been…” Giselle laughed, cutting him off.

“Bloody, painfully cold. The current was fast, it swept me away quickly. If I had truly been breathing, I probably would have drowned. I did eventually lose consciousness. You can't imagine my surprise when I woke up a few days later. A fisherman had found me washed up upon the shore. He and his wife cared for me. It took me weeks to recover from the fever and the bullet wound.” Mirabelle was confused.

“Weeks? Why didn't you go back to Gilles immediately, why did it take two years?” She asked. Giselle shook her head.

“I couldn't risk exposing him. If I turned up and LeVan or anyone else that knew of my death saw us together, they might suspect that Gilles wasn't who he said he was. I didn't know that he witnessed what had happened. I thought he would assume that my identity had been discovered and we would part ways until it was safe for me to find him.” She looked at him, her eyes full of apology. Alastair nodded, apparently approving of her decision.

“What did you do after you recovered?” Alastair asked.

“First, I repaid the fisherman and his wife. They had been terribly poor and had sacrificed much to care for me. They are living comfortably now. Then, I tracked down LeVan. Once I found him, I spent three days killing him. I can give you the name of every British agent he and his master killed.” She offered. Alastair’s eyes widened and Lucien swore.

“Did he tell you why they did it?” Lucien asked angrily. Giselle’s face twisted in disgust as she nodded.

“They had made a fortune providing transport to agents from both sides across the Channel during the war though they were both initially agents for our War Office. Apparently, it became more profitable if the operatives they were hired to take back to England never made it.”

“Did LeVan give you a name?” Alastair’s voice was hard and flat.

“No. He said the War Office never gave him a name for the man that owned the ship and sent his orders. They met three times but he was disguised, he was very careful. He said that the crew of the ship referred to him as ‘his lordship’. LeVan said the ship and all of the crew disappeared. I think he killed them all to tie up any loose ends.” Giselle’s implication that the traitor was a titled gentleman of the ton hung in the air until Lucien cursed. He slouched in his chair as he rubbed his face with his hands. Alastair's head tilted as he considered Lucien's reaction. Gilles nodded. Lucien stood and went to the sideboard and poured a scotch.

“It’s going to take some very solid proof for the House of Lords to even consider trying a peer of the realm.” He turned and leaned against the sideboard. Giselle laughed.

“I am not concerned with a trial, Lucien.” She returned. He sighed as he raked his hand through his hair.

“You're still going to need solid proof, Giselle. You can't kill a nobleman and get away with it without good cause.”

“You don't think so?” She stood and stretched before going to the sideboard to fill a plate.

“Well, you might. Louis or Ferdinand would most likely intercede on your behalf but you'd be forced to leave England, you wouldn't be able to return.” Mirabelle knew he realized that he'd all but dared her to play her hand. She shrugged as she sat next to Mirabelle and bit into an apple slice. She chewed it and everyone waited for her response.

“I have no intentions of ever returning to London. Once I have resolved this business with this last traitor, as Alastair calls him, I intended to leave. I hadn't really made any plans beyond that. I have my parents home in the country but other than that, I have nowhere else to go. I could live in any other country just as easily. I speak many languages fluently.” Gilles became furious and crossed the room until he was towering over her and Mirabelle.

“You have nowhere else to go? Did you think you could just return from the dead, kill a man and then disappear again? I mourned you for more than two years and you were going to leave without giving any thought to how I'd feel about that?” His voice was deep with emotion as he stared down at her. Alastair was watching Giselle closely. She blinked several times as she bit her lip.