Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Philippe felt terrible. He had never insulted a woman like he kept doing with Alex.
And the problem was, he really liked Alex; he always had.
Et mon dieu had she become a beauty, like nothing he’d ever seen.
The women he knew were simple, less complicated.
Alex had an intensity to her that always drew him in.
Unfortunately, it also made him act like a perfect idiot.
He stood in the equipment room, staring at the wall where moments before he’d held her captive.
How had he read the situation so wrong? It wasn’t like him.
He ground his feet into the dirt then picked up his sword, took a few breaths, and walked blankly into the young night.
The cool air felt good against his agitated skin.
He smelled the scented, budding lavender as he found his way to a wooden bench at the entrance to the gardens.
Up ahead was the stone palace. Warm lights glowed inside as snatches of conversation floated out the open windows.
Down below, the town was nestled in the valley with the great arena far at the other end.
He watched as smoke from evening fires streamed from the chimneys to meet the winking stars, the families settling in for the night.
Had he really been so out of line? Earlier that day, and after the initial shock of seeing her, he’d gone to the tavern, where he heard tales of the lady guide and how she took lovers like a man.
Of course, he knew it had to have been exaggerated, as the stories of drunken men always are, but their words had convinced him she was no dewy maid.
He’d been torn. The idea of sleeping with a woman who had no inhibitions was incredibly alluring and made Philippe want to sprout wings and fly back to find her.
But there was something else, raw and almost painful, that had been triggered inside of him by their stories.
The thought of her beneath some rutting beast of a man clenched his stomach, and he had to shake his head to get rid of the image.
Was he feeling protective? The charming girl she had been lived in his memories.
He knew the caliber of man she would find on the road.
Who among them could equal a woman such as her?
After hearing their tales, his own desire had won, and he’d gone to find her.
Philippe understood what it meant to be lonely and far from home, when finding comfort in another person is the only thing that can keep you sane.
He didn’t mean to hold any past liaison against her.
When he found her in the equipment room, where he’d known she would be, she was every bit as bold and tempting as they had said.
So why had she turned him away? At one point, they had shared a special friendship.
If their swordplay was any indication of what could happen in the bedroom, why in the world would she say no?
Of course, maybe she was still just angry.
His apology had been flimsy. He could admit he was too eager to have her forgiveness to give it the proper weight.
Maybe he had to pay in blood before she’d let him get closer.
But he wanted to get closer. Everything about her drove him mad.
Her eyes, her lips, her words, the fact that she seemed to hate him so.
It all made him burn. When he had held her pinned to the wall and had been overcome with the intimate scent of her desire, he could think of no better way to finally bring them together.
However, if she was in fact still pure, he had just insulted her beyond belief.
This possibility picked him up off the bench and took him down the stone walkway towards the palace’s guest quarters.
He usually had no trouble interpreting a woman’s intent, but Alex, wrapped in pants and guarded with a sword, was a damn enigma, and he couldn’t trust his judgment.
He approached the low stone building at the back end of the palace.
The voices of several men rang out of the courtyard.
Philippe came around the corner and saw the men with whom Alex had traveled that morning.
He approached them, calling out, “Bonsoir, Messieurs.” He spoke to the older man, the one who had told him where to find Alex that morning at the stables. “Monsieur,” Philippe said. “May I talk with you a moment?”
“Of course, my lord.”
“Do you mind if we walk?”
The man nodded and rose to standing. As they walked away from the others, Philippe noticed a slight limp in the old man’s step and battle scars covering his arms. Despite these signs of having fought many battles, the man still had a steady and calm demeanor, which made Philippe feel he could trust him.
“Please tell me your name,” Philippe replied.
“I am Jacque Demore from Genoa. My family is in Menton now, not so far from here, Monsieur.”
“Call me Philippe, good sir.”
They walked for a moment, down the path towards the main yard. To their right, grass sparkled in the early evening mist, and to their left, several tall trees overhung the path. Jacque took his steps carefully, his limp slowing them only just.
Philippe continued, “How did you come to know your mistress, may I ask?”
“Mademoiselle Alex? I met her in La Rochette.” Jacque answered.
“I have this old injury that has kept me from finding much work,” he patted his right hip.
“People don’t always trust a man with a handicap.
But I can offer a sword and a knowledge of the country.
” He paused a moment to avoid a dip in the gravel.
“Mademoiselle hired me to help with a large party of gentlemen traveling down to the coast. I was grateful for the opportunity. She’s hired me and several of the others on many a job since. ”
“Would you say you know her well?” Philippe asked.
“As someone I have traveled and worked with, yes,” he replied.
Philippe held his words for a moment. “I must ask you a delicate question,” he continued.
“Please do so.”
They came upon a bench beside the path. Jacque took a seat and Philippe leaned against a tree across from him. “There is a chance that I have offended Mademoiselle Alexandra,” he began.
“That’s a shame.” Jacque watched Philippe, waiting for Philippe to continue.
“I had heard in the tavern this afternoon the great, and possibly embellished, stories of her… lovemaking.” Philippe paused. “I assumed they were true.”
Jacque snorted a laugh, then pulled a snuff box from his pocket. He put a wad of tobacco in his lip. “Would you like some?” he asked Philippe, holding the box out.
Philippe shook his head no.
Jacque returned the box to his pocket and continued. “Monsieur—” He corrected himself. “Philippe. Whatever you have heard was untrue.”
“You don’t know what I heard.”
“Do you think a woman who invited that kind of attention could survive very long on her own?” he said, shutting the idea down as absurd.
“I’ve never seen her involved with a man.
In fact,” he paused, spitting a mouthful of brown liquid into the grass, “I have seen her fight for her chastity. I dare say it has made her skills far sharper than mine.”
Philippe was quiet for a moment. “I am an ass,” he said finally.
“Perhaps you are,” Jacque nodded. “But who of us isn’t when it comes to a pretty face?”
The following evening, the Duke and Duchess sat with Philippe in the Duke’s study, discussing the upcoming mission.
Duchess Laure watched the two men go back and forth, marking towns that had been struck and trying to discern some meaning from the seeming chaos on the maps spread before them.
The politics were important, but she, at the moment, was more concerned with her son, and if this mission he was being sent on would be safe.
Just that morning, reports arrived that an entire farm had been burnt to the ground in the Peillon area, leaving another family without a home.
Her husband was furious, which meant he was all the more eager to send the party into the unknown.
The primary contact for Philippe would be the Marquis du Ponce, an old comrade of the Duke and someone who held a tight rein on the northern reaches.
However, the Marquis did not have the skilled fighters to go after the rebels or any idea what had prompted the violence.
Her husband suspected it had something to do with the river that cut just above Ponce.
It was one of the final territories of Provence and vulnerable to anyone who came in from the Alps.
People from the north or even other Frenchmen could be the culprits.
Perhaps some robber baron wanted to take control of the river to charge unsanctioned tolls to merchants but could not do so because the Marquis was so close.
Whatever it was, her husband was determined to stop it.
The Duke sat at the head of the dark, heavy table in his high-backed chair where he had planned many missions, with Philippe to his right and the Duchess to his left. Laure looked over the map and saw the uncharted area they planned to explore, feeling a sense of dread come over her.
“I’ve sent scouts here, here, and here.” The Duke pointed to three different towns. “They have not seen any shadow of unknown travelers.” He dropped his finger to a section of the map that showed very little detail. “They’re here. I’m sure of it.”
“Father,” Philippe said, “I know the foothills well, but I’ve spent the majority of my tours in the East. I can’t lead a troop with any kind of certainty through this region.”
“That is why we have hired a guide to accompany the group.”
“What guide knows these caves?” he asked. He paused for a moment then looked to Laure. “No,” he said.
“It was your father’s idea,” she replied, shaking her head.
“What should I do?” said the Duke, his voice insistent. “Put my men in jeopardy because the guide who knows this area best happens to be a woman?” He looked at his wife. “You started this when you let her take up the sword.”
“Well that was just child’s play. How was I supposed to know she would run off like she did? This is…” she trailed off. “This is dangerous.”
“It will be difficult, yes,” said the Duke. “But it doesn’t seem like this is a very large rebel group at the moment. The men going with Philippe are all well-trained. It is unlikely she will be caught up in the fight.”
“I will watch out for her, Mother,” said Philippe looking back down to the map.
She eyed him. “I know you will,” she said. “But you must protect the men. And yourself. This may prove to be an unnecessary burden.”
Just then came a knock at the door.
“Entre,” said the Duke.
The door opened and Alex closed it behind her as soft as a blush. “My Lord, My Lady.” She nodded her head.
“Come dear, sit with me,” said Laure. The girl approached the long table and sat, looking from the Duchess to the Duke.
“Tell me, Alex,” said the Duke. “What do you make of this map? Do you know this area well?” He pointed to the circled section they had just been over.
Alex looked over the parchment. She ran her fingers over the markings.
“Here,” she said. “There are a great number of caverns in this region that aren’t marked on any map I’ve seen.
Even this is muddled and unclear. This valley exists, but the map has it covering far more area.
” She leaned forward and pointed to a section that was covered by trees.
“Where this shows the valley leading into forest is incorrect. This is the beginning of the caves. The rock juts out of the ground and before the trees realized they weren’t growing on land, they rooted themselves into the stone.
It can be very deceiving if you hedge the area, but once you get into it, you can begin to understand the secrets.
” She leaned back and addressed the Duke.
“If your marauders wish to hide, this would not be a bad choice.”
“You have traveled this area?” asked the Duke.
“Indeed,” she replied. “I’ve used it as a shortcut into the Mercantour Valley.”
“Is it very treacherous?” asked Laure.
“It is not easy. It’s dark and muddy. I wouldn’t take a group of dandies through there, but the well-traveled Cliffs du Soliel towards the south are far more perilous.”
The Duke addressed Alex, his countenance softening as he spoke solemnly to her.
“We always marveled at your ability to hold whole maps in your head when we would take you on hunts as a child. It’s no surprise you have built a reputation of your skills as a guide.
” He put his hand over hers. “I wouldn’t put you in danger for this mission if we didn’t need you.
Are you prepared to take this burden on? ” He watched Alex carefully.
“Oui Monsieur, I am happy to assist in any way I can.” She smiled. “Besides, I believe I shall enjoy traveling with you once more.”
“Oh no,” the Duke responded, “‘tis not me leading this one. I have been away from home too long.” He leaned back into the cushion of his chair. “No,” he continued. “You shall travel under the lead of Philippe.”
Alex blinked a few times as the smile fell right off her face. “Right,” she said with a quick nod to her head. She looked back down to the map and traced the lines with her finger.
The Duke continued, his tone commanding again as he addressed Philippe. “I should like you to be off in the next day or two.”
“There is much to prepare,” Philippe replied. “I haven’t even brought all the men together yet. Not all have traveled that far north. They must be briefed on the conditions.”
“And also,” interjected Duchess Laure, “It would be a shame if they had to miss the tournament. Many of them are competing this year. Surely, the mission can wait until the day after.”
“That is five days hence?” asked the Duke.
“I could have everything organized by then,” Philippe said. “I should like a few opportunities to review the plan with everyone.”
Laure noticed that Alex spoke no more, nor had she looked up from the map.
The men continued to discuss the task while the girl was silent.
Laure also noticed that Philippe’s eyes kept darting back to Alex as he spoke to the Duke and then away again.
Well, she thought, it seemed they hated each other again.
If those two could just cool their heels, Laure was sure they could be good companions.
She said a quick prayer for the safety of the journey.
She hoped her husband was not underestimating the trouble they would encounter.
If nothing else, it would be an interesting adventure, she thought, as she let a worried sigh escape her lips.