‘Itrustedyou.’
Camille was calm. Her voice soft against the wind.
‘I know.’
She pulled the trigger.
6
In the Crowd on the Champs de Mars
Ashot rang out across the Champs de Mars. Robespierre faltered mid-speech as people started screaming.
From the top of the mountain, a figure in white tumbled through the air, narrowly missing the balcony Robespierre spoke from, before disappearing from view.
The crowd moved like a riptide, surging suddenly and violently away from the mountain, while eddies swirled back towards the scene. Ada was pulled in several directions at once, jostled and pushed away from the duc.
Fighting the flow, she elbowed her way towards where he was using his cane to smack people out of his path.
‘Move, you disgusting little man,’ he sneered, prodding a mason aside. ‘What is the meaning of this?’
‘I don’t know,’ mumbled Ada. ‘They were supposed to meet us here—’
‘Oh, for god’s sake.’
Forcing his way through the terrified crowd, he strode closer to the mountain, Ada tagging along behind. Robespierre had gone from his balcony, a ring of guards escorting him out of the public eye. Olympe had fallen into the ditch that circled the mountain like a moat. Some people were peering into it, while others were pointing up at the summit where the shot had come from.
‘I swear to you—’
‘Do not take me for a fool, girl,’ he hissed. His blue eyes had gone steely grey with anger. ‘You think we play? I have given you and Mademoiselle Laroche more than enough chances. I do not know what idiocy you aim at now, but my patience is finished.’
For the first time, Ada felt true horror as the duc towered over her. But before she could speak, a hand closed around her arm. She looked up in fright, adrenaline spiking her chest.
‘Ada, what are you doing?’
‘Papa!’ She tried to pull away in frustration, but he kept hold of her arm.
The duc shifted from rage into cold and calculating displeasure. ‘Get your daughter in hand. Set our plan in action.’
Ada frowned. ‘Papa – what is he talking about?’
The duc levelled a cold glare at her. ‘I do not take kindly to being tricked. If you won’t give me the girl sensibly, I will take things into my own hands. And your father is going to help me.’
He walked away into the crowds.
Ada looked at her father, eyebrows shooting up in disbelief.
He gave her a strained smile. ‘Time to leave, Adalaide. Things have gone too far – all of this,’ he gestured to the ragged remains of the festival, ‘has gone too far. It’s time some order was restored.’
‘But – but you hate the old system. You don’t want the monarchy back, I know you.’
‘You’re right. I don’t.’
‘Then why on earth are you working with them? We have to stop them!’
‘No, darling. I have to stop you. It’s the only way to keep you safe. The duc has promised me you will be.’
It took a long moment for his words to sink in. To let the truth stitch itself together.
