CHAPTER16
“That’s not what I expected,” Tamsyn said, surprised, “but it’s a reasonable request, assuming I’m alive to perform it. Tell me more about your grandson.”
“Andre is twenty. My daughter Giselle was his mother. She married a Scotsman, Robert Jameson, and they went together to India, where he worked for one of the rajahs designing some kind of mechanical things. After Robert died, Giselle brought Andre home to France, but the lad is more British than French and he would surely be detained with other Britons if he is discovered.” Madame LeBlanc’s eyes turned icy. “Claude would dearly love to make that happen.”
Tamsyn caught her breath. No wonder Madame LeBlanc was willing to work against her nephew. “I will be pleased to help your grandson to safety and give him the protection of my family. Where is he now?”
“Working in a menial job where he is unlikely to be noticed. If you succeed in freeing your brother, I will bring him to you.” Madame LeBlanc stood and moved around the desk, and Tamsyn realized that she was wearing a riding habit. “Now it’s time for a ride south along the seaside.”
They walked out to the stables where a sleek white gelding with a sidesaddle awaited his mistress. The stable hand helped her mount. Since Tamsyn was theoretically male, she mounted Zeus on her own.
“That’s a beautiful horse,” Tamsyn said admiringly. “He looks like he might be kin to my Zeus.”
“That’s quite possible. There’s a breeder on the other side of Calais who specializes in breeding white horses, so there are many in this area.” Madame LeBlanc patted the sleek neck. “Clovis belonged to my late husband. He’s rather large for me, but he’s very well mannered and I enjoy riding him.”
They set off for the coast road and followed it for a mile or two before descending a lane that slanted down to the beach and continuing south. The white sand was wide enough for the horses to ride abreast. As waves lapped over Clovis’s hooves, Madame LeBlanc said, “Having been raised here by the sea, I’ve always loved riding along the beach.”
“There is something very free and primal about it. Since I haven’t lived by the sea, I’ve had few opportunities.” Tamsyn slanted a glance at the other woman. “Once I free Cade, I’ll need a safe place to go to ground with him until he’s ready to travel.”
“That can be arranged. I assume that his French is as good as yours so he won’t be identified as English?”
“Yes, our parents hired French nurses and tutors as we grew up,” Tamsyn replied. “Since our countries have been fighting for centuries, it seemed a useful skill.”
Her companion smiled. “Indeed. A pity women don’t run our countries. The world might be a more peaceful place.”
After they’d ridden another half mile or so, Tamsyn saw a massive stone building set on a rocky bluff above the sea. It looked like a small medieval fortress complete with battlements. She felt a clench of her heart. Cade was up there, so close, she could feel him. “I presume that’s Château Bastien.”
“Yes, it’s Norman and very old. Though it’s not large enough to be considered a castle, it’s very solid and makes a good prison.” Her gaze rested on her childhood home. “Not very comfortable. I haven’t been inside since my brother’s death, but I do ride along this beach regularly.”
“When I’ve done mind touch with Cade, I had the sense that he’s in a small, rather plain room,” Tamsyn said. “There’s a narrow vertical window. He was able to pull himself up to the sill and look out at the sea. Do you have an idea where that might be?”
Madame LeBlanc considered. “It would have to be on this side of the fortress, of course. Likely on the top floor below the battlements. You can see several vertical windows up there and he’s probably in one of those rooms.”
When Tamsyn was close enough, intuition would surely take her to where Cade was imprisoned. But breaking into the fortress and escaping safely was going to be near to impossible even with Madame LeBlanc’s help.
As they drew closer to the château, she saw that the bluff had been undercut by the relentless sea and the area below the overhang was a ragged wall of crevices and dark holes.
They continued riding until they were in the middle of the undercut area. Surprisingly, a seaworn stone bench was set against the irregular wall. “Time for a break,” Madame LeBlanc said. “I like to stop here under the bluff because it’s protected from the wind. Over there I had iron rings installed for tethering horses. There’s a little natural basin that collects fresh drinking water from a small spring in the cliff.”
“It’s a lovely place to sit and watch the waves,” Tamsyn said as she dismounted. “There’s even a stone over there that can be used as a mounting block.”
The older woman chuckled as she dismounted and tethered her horse. “I had that stone placed there for exactly that reason. The Bastiens have owned this stretch of coastline for centuries. Though I prefer living in the town, I own the estate next to the château domain. I visit my property regularly to talk to my steward about what’s going on, and because it gives me an excuse to ride along the sea.”
“Your nephew doesn’t mind?”
Madame LeBlanc shrugged. “We politely ignore each other. He hasn’t invited me into the château since his father died, but this stretch of coast belongs to both of us.”
As Tamsyn dismounted, she asked, “Can people in the fortress see down here to the bottom of the cliff?”
“No, the overhang prevents anyone above from seeing us. One would have to be farther out in the shallows to be seen.”
“Convenient.” She tethered Zeus to an iron ring next to the little drinking basin. He started slurping enthusiastically.
She glanced around the rocky wall. “There seem to be several caves. Which one leads up to the château?”
“Most of the caves are shallow. A few are large enough that smugglers used them for storage and perhaps still do.” After pulling something from her saddlebag, Madame LeBlanc raised the skirts of her riding habit above the wet sand and led the way to a particularly ragged section of rock. She ducked behind an outcropping and pointed to a narrow crevice that looked too small to be the entrance to a cave. “This is the way up to the château. It’s easy to miss unless one knows exactly where to look.”
Tamsyn regarded it doubtfully. “It’s very narrow. Can a grown man get through here?”
