The King's Falcon (Roundheads & Cavaliers Book 3) (58 page)

They buried Celia two days before Christmas in the churchyard of St Germain-des-Pr
è
s.
 
It was bitterly cold and, aside from Francis, Ashley and Sir Hugo Verney, only four other people deigned to attend.
 
None of them was Celia’s mother.

Back in the Rue des Rosiers, Francis put his arms around Pauline, leaned his cheek against her hair and said, ‘Thank God that’s over.’

She hugged him back, albeit hesitantly. ‘Was it bad?’

‘It could have been worse, I suppose.
 
Though between Verney shedding tears I am quite sure meant nothing and the fact that my bitch of a mother couldn’t be bothered to put in an appearance, it’s hard to know how.’
 
He released her and stepped away.
 
‘Thank you for allowing me that crumb of comfort.
 
I needed it.’

Pauline tried to think which of the many things she might say would be most helpful.
 
In the end, she answered directly as she always did.

‘You don’t need to thank me.
 
I thought I’d made that plain.’

‘You did.
 
You offered me something I want very much indeed … but you offered it when I was at a particularly low ebb and I’d like us both to be sure it wasn’t out of kindness.
 
This,’ he said, touching her cheek with light, almost insubstantial fingers, ‘is new to me.
 
It feels important.
 
So I’m not about to risk it by rushing.’

A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed it.

‘You speak as if you’ve never wanted a woman before.’

‘I’ve wanted lots of them. And,’ he smiled suddenly, ‘I’ve had quite a few.
 
That isn’t what this is about … and waiting seems the best way to convince you of it.
 
But once you’ve accepted and got used to the idea … well, then I’ll be more than willing to take you to bed.’

‘But not before?’

‘No.
 
Sadly, not before.’

She made a helpless gesture with her hands.

‘I don’t know what to say to you.
 
You baffle me.’

‘I know.
 
Truth to tell, Duchess, I baffle myself as well.’

*
 
*
 
*

Monsieur Laroque having announced that the theatre would close for three days from Christmas Eve, Pauline and Suzon spent the day baking while Athenais decorated the house with the armfuls of greenery brought in by Ashley and Francis.
 
Then, in the evening, everyone sat around the kitchen table enjoying a simple meal washed down with a good deal of cheap wine.

It was late when Ashley and Athenais were finally alone in her room.
 
As it always did, passion flared at the first touch.
 
Sometimes urgent and demanding; sometimes, like tonight, slow and languorous and incredibly sweet.
 
But afterwards, when she was curled up against him with her fingers straying lazily over his chest, Ashley felt the familiar anxiety start to gnaw at the back of his mind.

Mostly, he managed to avoid thinking of the future by concentrating on the exquisite pleasure of the present.
 
But sometimes, on nights like this, after they had made love he found himself unable to entirely shut out grim reality.
 
A reality which said that this couldn’t last;

that the time would come when he’d have held her for the last time … kissed her for the last time … loved her for the last time.
 
And when that time
did
come, he wasn’t sure how he would deal with it, since the mere thought made him feel as if his guts had been wrenched out.

In the meantime, however, he’d bought a gift for her.
 
It lay in a little velvet pouch in the pocket of his coat, waiting for the morning. It wasn’t much, really.
 
It was so much less than he’d have
liked
to give her, yet still more than he could sensibly afford.
 
He hoped she liked it; he thought she would … but was afraid she might not.
 
The truth was that she’d never asked him for anything yet still invariably looked at him as if he’d torn the stars from the sky for her.
 
And he wished he could.

He hadn’t expected to sleep but the next thing he knew, dingy light was creeping through the window and Athenais was skimming her instep up and down his calf.

As soon as he opened his eyes, she said, ‘Happy Christmas.
 
It’s snowing again.’

She was as flushed and excited as a child so he couldn’t resist teasing her.

‘Then perhaps we should stay in the warm for a little while longer.’

‘No, no.
 
We have this whole day.
 
I want to walk in the snow and listen to the church bells and – and I want you to kiss me until I’m dizzy.’

‘I can do that right here,’ he said.
 
And did so.

By the time he released her mouth, she was gasping.
 
Ashley slid his hands tantalisingly over her and murmured, ‘Do you still want bells and snow?’

‘No.
 
I want you.
 
Just you.’

‘By an odd coincidence, that’s exactly what I had in mind.’

Later, when he had donned his own clothes and finished lacing Athenais into the leaf-green gown, he pulled the little pouch from his pocket and said, ‘Close your eyes and stand still.’

She did it but said laughingly, ‘I’m dressed.
 
You can’t be wicked now.’

He moved behind her and, setting his mouth close to her ear, breathed, ‘Oh I think you’ll find that I can.’

Then, withdrawing the contents of the pouch, he fastened his gift around her neck.

Her breath stopped, her eyes flew open and her fingers flew to the cool thing touching her skin.
 

‘What--?
 
Oh!
 
Ashley?
 
You didn’t – you shouldn’t – oh, let me see!’

He smiled and held the mirror out to her.

Athenais looked and looked again and was suddenly very still. A dainty silver chain, alternately studded with moonstones and amethysts, lay around the base of her throat.
 
Slowly, almost hesitantly, she traced it with one fingertip.
 
Her colour rose and the smoky eyes grew suspiciously bright.
 
She said huskily, ‘It’s beautiful. But you shouldn’t … I know there’s no money.
 
You shouldn’t have spent what little you have on this.’

The expression of dazzled awe on her face as she continued to stare into the mirror was more than sufficient reward, Ashley thought.
 
He said gently, ‘If you like it, nothing else matters in the least.’

She turned to him then and cast the mirror aside to throw her arms about his neck.

‘I love it.
 
Of course, I love it.
 
How could I not? I never expected … I’ve never had any jewellery ever before.
 
But you need a new coat and boots.
 
You need them so
badly
… and yet you’ve done this.
 
You break my heart … and I’ve nothing to give you.’

‘You’ve already given me something beyond price, Athenais.
 
The best gift in the world.’
 
He held her close until he thought the tears had stopped.
 
‘Now let’s go down and join the others.
 
But you’ll have to dry your eyes or Pauline will hit me with a skillet.’

*
 
*
 
*

With what, to Ashley at least, was touching delight, Athenais showed off his gift to Pauline, Francis and Archie.
 
The results were variable.

Archie, who had yet to come to terms with the fact that his daughter was sleeping with the Colonel, said gruffly, ‘No more’n he should do – unless ’e’s taking you for granted.’

Pauline pulled Athenais to one side and said, ‘Just so you know – he was given some money by the English Chancellor.
 
And what isn’t hanging round your neck, he gave to me for food and rent – even though I told him there was no need.
 
So I thought you might want it to buy him a decent second-hand coat.’

And Francis merely lifted one eyebrow at Ashley and said, ‘It’s lovely, Athenais.
 
And it suits you perfectly.’

The day passed swiftly and in an atmosphere of increasing good cheer.
 
They ate Suzon’s stuffed goose with roast parsnips and cabbage, before moving on to Pauline’s fruit-and-nut tarts.
 
Then, when everyone had lent a hand to clear the table, they all trooped into the parlour where Jem and Archie immediately launched into a lively rendering of
Which Nobody Can Deny
.
 
Francis recited some verses by Suckling and Davenant, mixed in with a few of his own; Ashley was eventually persuaded to sing the parts he remembered of
To Drive The Cold Winter Away
in a light, tuneful baritone that succeeded in making Athenais cry again; and Pauline delivered a tragic monologue from Corneille’s
Polyeucte
that made
everyone
cry – Jem and Archie mostly because they scarcely understood a word of it.

‘Outstanding as that was, Duchess,’ said Francis at length, ‘we’re in danger of becoming maudlin.
 
Also, Athenais has yet to contribute to the entertainment.’

Having drunk more wine than she was accustomed to, Athenais was curled up beside Ashley.
 
She said, ‘I can’t.
 
I shall make an idiot of myself.’

‘Excellent.
 
That’s just what we want.’
 
He reached down and pulled her to her feet, grinning when she lurched a little.
 
‘You wanted to play the wife?
 
Now’s your chance.’

She shook her head.
 
‘I need a script.’

‘No, you don’t.
 
God knows, you’ve watched
M
é
nage
enough times – and I’ve seen you miming the words backstage.’

‘It still won’t work.
 
You need another man.’

‘And we have one,’ announced Francis, grinning at Ashley. ‘Pauline is herself; I shall play the husband, also prompting where necessary … and you,
mon Colonel
, can be the lover.
 
I call that perfect casting.’
 
He swept round, lifted Pauline on to the table and said, ‘Jem – move your carcass.
 
We need the sofa.
 
And now … positions, please!’

Entering into the spirit of the thing, Ashley sat down and pulled Athenais on to his lap.
 
He said, ‘I hope you all realise that I have no idea what I’m doing.’

‘That’s not true,’ murmured Athenais naughtily.
 
‘Unless you’ve forgotten since this morning?’

Archie scowled and said, ‘Don’t reckon anybody needed to know that.’

Waving an airy hand, Francis said, ‘Begin.
 
You’ll recall, I hope, that it starts with a passionate clinch?’

Ashley bent Athenais back over his arm and leaned towards her, his eyes alight with laughter.
 
Pitching his voice low and dark, he said, ‘Well, madam.
 
Alone at last!’

Athenais started to giggle and Francis said, ‘Don’t extemporise.
 
Just kiss the girl … and fondle her assets.’

‘Bugger that,’ said Archie. ‘You leave her assets be.’

‘I think I’ll have to,’ replied Ashley, regretfully, ‘since I can’t actually fi --’ He stopped abruptly as Athenais kicked his shin with the back of her heel.
 
‘Is that not the line?’

‘No,’ said Francis. ‘It isn’t. And you are ruining my masterpiece.
 
Is a bit of groping and grunting beyond you?’

‘Any time you like.
 
But I thought you wanted me to do it with Athenais?’

From her perch on the table-top, Pauline started to laugh and said, ‘Oh dear.
 
Now
there’s
a permutation you haven’t yet thought of, Francis.’

He sent her a pained glance. ‘You’ve just ruined the surprise.
 
I was saving it for
M
é
nage Quatre.’

‘Quatre?’
she asked.
 
‘What happened to
Trois?
’

‘The husband, the wife, the mother-in-law and
her
lover,’ replied Francis, calmly.
 
And then, ‘Time to bring you down to the level of the rest of us, Duchess.’

*
 
*
 
*

The remainder of their brief holiday was equally carefree and was spent walking in the snow or in casual conversation by the fireside.
 
Then the theatre re-opened and everyone went back to their normal day-to-day concerns.