Simon smiled, liking her plain speaking. “What about Madame Duval?”
“With warmth and food and a good night’s sleep, she is better, but fragile. Very worried for her husband, of course, plus there is her condition.”
“So they need several days of rest before traveling to Brussels,” Suzanne said.
“That is what I recommend,” the landlady said. “Now I must go and see how my kitchen is managing.”
“Thank you for all you’re doing,” Simon said. But he was not enthralled by her recommendation.
The kitchen seemed to be managing well even without the mistress. Simon and Suzanne settled at a small table by a window and were served well-flavored sausage, sweet pastries, and strong hot coffee. After a bite of the sausage, Suzanne remarked, “You look like you’re tempted to abandon our cousins here to their own devices.”
Simon smiled ruefully. “Am I that obvious? Of course we can’t leave our newfound relatives ill and alone. Even when they’re recovered, they’re going to need help to establish themselves.”
“Help and money,” Suzanne said.
He shrugged. “I can provide both.”
“You’re very generous.”
“As you said, they are kin, and in dire need.” Simon smiled dryly. “Isn’t that what families are for?”
Suzanne bit into a flaky pastry. “Yes, but you hate sitting around here doing nothing when you might be searching for Lucas, yes?”
She was learning to understand him very well. “We’ve already established that we can’t just walk away,” he responded.
“Not permanently, but perhaps we can ride away for a few days,” she said. “We should be able to hire a couple of decent horses here in the village and travel to some of the other places on the list Frère Pascal gave us. Maurice and Jackson can return to Brussels and come back with a vehicle better suited to carrying Philippe to Brussels, and visit with their ladies as well.”
Simon’s mood brightened. “That’s an excellent idea. Waiting around here for several days would drive me mad.” He swallowed the last of his coffee and stood. “I’ll speak with Maurice and Jackson.”
Suzanne washed down the last bite of her pastry with the rest of her coffee. “And I’ll talk to Madame Moreau and Marie. I’m sure that madam will know who might have horses to hire. With luck, we’ll be on our way by midday!”
* * *
Suzanne found the landlady in the kitchen eating her own breakfast. Suzanne explained what they’d like to do, adding that they’d leave enough money to cover costs for the young Duvals for a week’s worth of bed, board, and nursing treatment.
Madame Moreau nodded. “It will be better if you go off rather than having that military-looking husband of yours prowling about restlessly and alarming my other guests. Horses are easy—my husband and I own a farm and he has riding horses that should do.” She frowned at Suzanne. “Or at least they’ll do if you’re a good rider. They aren’t mounts trained for fashionable ladies.”
Suzanne smiled. “I am not a fashionable lady rider, so I should be able to manage. If I can’t buy or borrow a riding habit, I’ll ride astride.”
Madame Moreau clucked disapprovingly. “That wouldn’t be proper for a lady, which you are even if you don’t admit it. We have a sidesaddle and my oldest daughter has a habit that would fit you, though she made it herself and it’s very plain.”
“Plain is preferred in these unsettled times. If she’s willing to let me borrow the habit, I’ll be very grateful.”
She and the landlady exchanged a rueful glance about the unsettled times before Madame Moreau finished her coffee and got to her feet. “I’ll find a boy to guide you and your husband to the farm. It’s not far.”
“And I’ll talk to Marie to tell her what we have in mind. I hope she won’t feel abandoned if we go off.” Suzanne resignedly recognized that if Marie was very upset, Suzanne would have to stay at the inn when she’d much rather ride with Simon.
Hoping for the best, Suzanne quietly entered the sickroom to find Marie. Philippe slept sitting up against a pile of pillows to help his breathing, though it was still labored. But his color had improved from the day before.
Marie sat on a chair by the bed, her worried gaze trained on her husband. Suzanne beckoned her out to the corridor so their talk wouldn’t wake Philippe. “You look better today,” she said approvingly.
“Warmth and good food make a great difference,” Marie said with a smile. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
Suzanne squeezed her hand. “No need for thanks. You are family. Are you comfortable here at the inn?”
“Oh, yes! Madame Moreau reminds me of my grandmother,” Marie replied. “She is so kind and did so much for Philippe. She is as good as any physician.”
“Would you be comfortable staying here while my husband and I leave for two or three days to continue the journey that brought us to Château Chambron? He is seeking a man who is very dear to him,” Suzanne explained. “Our servants will go to Brussels and return with a carriage that can carry Philippe in more comfort. But truly, we will return. We are not abandoning you!”
