“Hopefully,” I agreed. “I foresee plenty of places for this plan of yours to go wrong.”
“Then we will simply have to hope that all goes right.” Blanche turned me around to face her and smiled as she looked me over, a touch of sadness coloring her eyes. “It has truly been a pleasure to meet you, Emile St. Aubert. Take care of yourself.”
I pressed my lips together to check the sob I felt gathering in my throat. I nodded and we hugged our goodbyes.
Fifteen minutes later, I was waiting in the courtyard for the carriage with Annette, all having gone according to plan thus far. It was dark and drizzling, which worked in our favor, for I kept my hood low without suspicion. I realized that if we were caught, it wouldn’t be just Blanche and I who would find ourselves in trouble, but Annette as well, whose place here was precarious. She could end up with my aunt as a specimen if this went awry, which was clearly why Blanche had insisted on her traveling with me. I was glad she’d had the foresight. Having Annette at my side during this trying time was certainly a comfort. And if things continued to go right, Ludovico would join us with my aunt at some point in the near future.
“Can you believe that Ludovico locked me in a closet when he learned of the plan?” Annette snorted as we watched for the carriage. “He honestly thought that would keep me from fulfilling my duties.”
“He was worried about you. This is dangerous,” I pointed out.
Annette waved a hand dismissively. “Yes, well, once he realized this would also see me to safety, he changed his mind. He’s lucky he’s so adorable. No man gets to tell me what I can and can’t do.”
I stiffened as a carriage turned the corner, a horse clopping leisurely. As it pulled up, Annette opened the door for me before the driver had a chance, and I climbed inside.
“My lady,” the driver bowed to me as he helped Annette within. “The roads are wet, so it may take longer than usual.” He watched me for a moment until Annette cleared her throat.
“Her ladyship cannot speak,” Annette told him. “Voice is gone from a cold. Not that she would wish to speak on such matters with a driver.”
“What matters?”
Annette leaned close to the man, conspiratorially. “Wedding things. What this trip is for. Haven’t you heard? She’s going to marry the marquis.”
“The marquis? That lout?”
I held my tongue, although I very much wanted to know how my reputation had been sullied in such a fashion. It was probably Bertolino’s doing. He’d never liked me.
Annette snorted, sending me a pointed look. “He’d be lucky to have her, wouldn’t he? Any man would.”
The driver smiled encouragingly at me. “I’m sure he will make you very happy, my lady. We’ll get you to town, in no time.”
I dipped my head as elegantly as I could, the man quickly closing the door on us and climbing atop the carriage. With a click of his tongue, we were off.
I watched with apprehension as we approached the castle gates, imagining that they wouldn’t open. So many things could go wrong. The porter might come out to question the journey, Blanche might be discovered inside while she was supposed to be in this carriage, Montoni might come to see me off … but none of those worst-case scenarios came to pass. The gates opened and we passed through without molestation, and then we were on the winding road through the forest, and on to the village beyond.
I had another moment’s fear when we approached the covered bridge some minutes later, the site of that horrible confrontation with Montoni in his monstrous form, but once more, we traversed the gorge with no problem, and were on our way to safety.
I watched the dark forest that swept by the carriage as we continued on our way. The lantern that rocked beside the driver gave the shadows life around us, and I was certain on more than one occasion that I saw a large black wolf flanking the carriage, but it was most likely my mind imagining the worst. After all, given what I’d seen previously, Montoni would have no qualms attacking the carriage outright and killing everyone in my company.
Soon, the soft glow of the village could be seen ahead like a mirage in a desert of shadowy forest. The lights seemed warm and safe, and the nearer we drew to them, the more the knot in my stomach uncoiled, until the carriage was gliding along the streets between houses.
“We made it,” Annette stated the obvious, peering out the window. “My mistress is a clever one, is she not?”
“That she is,” I agreed, smiling.
The carriage stopped outside of a two-story house with a sign promoting it as a shop that combined several specialties, including dresses. The driver was much quicker to attend to the door this time, and helped Annette out first with a polite nod, before reaching a hand in to me. I hesitated, then reached out for his hand, allowing him to guide me down the steps and onto the pavement beyond. I snatched my hand back as soon as was polite, thinking how thick and graceless my hands looked compared to the slim hands of Lady Morano, even under the protection of gloves. I hardly believed that my disguise would work on the driver, but he dipped into a reverent bow as I stepped past him, taking care to keep my face shadowed beneath my hood.
“We have some additional items to shop for while we are here,” Annette told the driver. “It may be some time before we return.”
“I’ll be here,” the driver replied, tipping his hat to her. “Take all the time you need.”
We walked around the side of the building and kept going past the door. We rounded the house and moved quickly on through the neighborhood, making a beeline for the tavern. I paused in a dark alley on the way to rid myself of Blanche’s dress and gloves, revealing a thin shirt and trousers beneath. Once I’d discarded Blanche’s lovely hair, I replaced the cloak and scrubbed at my face with the help of a puddle and a kerchief. It wasn’t perfect, with lips a little too red and uneven skin, but I looked far more like myself than before.
“Do we know who we’re meeting?” I asked as we stepped into the pub. The lighting was dim among the tables, brightening at the counter where a man was busy scrubbing at a stein.
“I haven’t a clue,” Annette whispered back to me. “Only my lady said you would know them.”
“Well,” a familiar voice said at my back, “you left town so quickly that I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you’d forgotten me.”
