Chapter
6:
The Miracle Called
Love
I awoke the next morning to the usual sunlight shining through the
thrown back bed curtains. Giving an extra layer of shading to my
closed eyes, I buried my head under my pillow, and groaned in
annoyance. Armand did this to me every morning and every morning I
wanted to turn around and take a swat at him!
At first the only thing I said was for him to go away, and when he
only continued to nudge me, I rolled over, the pillow now behind my
head and my eyes still closed.
"Armand St Just," I warned without hiding my irritation. "If you
do not let me sleep, I shall flail you within an inch of your life!
Now leave me be you foolish boy!"
Within seconds I heard a soft giggling noise, and right before I
could answer, a female voice replied laughingly, "I would really like
to see you try giving me a beating, but I must warn you that I will
put up a good fight."
Immediately I opened my eyes and what I saw had given me such an
astonishment, that I fell off the bed! Marguerite was there in
Armand's usual morning place, and for a moment I only sat on the
floor, my mouth locked shut in a wordless state.
When I finally was able to speak, I answered her in complete
embarrassment. "Milady, you really should have made your presence
known; you must forgive my harsh words."
"Sir Percy you need not feel discomfort, for 'twas all in good fun
that I performed Armand's signature prank in his absence," she said
giggling with amusement before helping me back up onto the bed.
Smiling gratefully, I replied, "In that case, all is forgiven, but
sink me where is that young jackanapes, pray tell?"
"He had to get to work earlier than usual today," she said with a
disappointed sigh. "I am sorry for sounding as I do, but I only
returned last night. I was hoping that we could spend some time
together, for I missed him so."
Sympathetically I nodded. "I can not blame you; Armand has told me
how close the both of you are."
With that she lowered her gaze to the floor. "Yes, but I was
hoping that…"
"Hoping for what, milady?"
She looked at me shyly as she answered, "That you would come with
me to delight in my first day home again. I believe it would not only
help make your leg stronger, but also I would rather take pleasure in
your company. Dinner last night was one of the most enjoyable I have
had in the longest time, for you were a humorous and fun addition to
our table. The least I could do to repay you would be to help you
with your morning schedule and take you on a tour of France."
Odd's life, maybe I did make a good impression! I decided happily.
Taking her hand in my firm grip, I kissed it gallantly. "Anything
that involves you gracing me with your presence shall be enjoyable
for me, mademoiselle," I uttered quietly.
The soft rosy hue flushed her cheeks once again. "Sir Percy, you
can be such a tease!"
It was my turn to blush, literally turning as red as a pimpernel.
"If it makes you uneasy…" My sentence was left hanging in the
air, however, as she pressed her fingertip to my lips.
"To be honest, milord," she began tenderly, "It felt more natural
than anything else."
"Honesty is the best policy," I answered the same way as she took
away that pleasant touch.
Marguerite laughed softly and then handed me my cane. "Oh get up
now, you lazy boy, and get changed! We have a whole day ahead of us,
and we must not waste a minute of it!"
"If you say so, mother!" I shouted out the door that she had
exited, a mischievous smile fleeting across my lips.
* * * * *
Moments later, I looked myself over in the mirror, making sure
that I looked my best. My outfit was very simple, waistcoat and coat
matching in a golden-striped pattern, billowy shirt, and beige
trousers. Not one of my best ensembles, but it was good looking and
certainly enough to impress a lady. Therefore with a smile, I quickly
pulled back my sandy colored hair fashionably, grabbed that wretched
cane, and headed outside to the carriage.
However, despite that plan, my feet stopped dead in their tracks
as I beheld the attractive figure awaiting me at the doorway.
Marguerite was enveloped in a white dress of lace with her hair
covered a bit by a straw woven hat, tied under her chin with a
matching ribbon.
Approaching her slowly, I offered her my arm. "Shall we go then,
sweet lady?"
* * * * *
The horses had trotted on swiftly that morning, and the fresh air
felt good as I breathed it in refreshingly. The sun shone bright in
the sky and I covered my eyes from the glare as best I could with the
small brim of my hat. The only thing I had wanted to see was my lady,
who sat contently happy, holding onto my arm while I held the reigns
tight in one hand and a whip in the other.
My Marguerite. It sounded better each time I had whispered it.
Along the way, she had pointed out every marvel and wonder that Paris
had inside her walls, but the beautiful princess beside me was all I
needed to feel happiness. Nothing I had seen or did with her could be
more splendid then Marguerite herself! Not our ride along the Seine,
our stroll down every possible street, or our relaxation in a
café could compare with the beauty at my side.
Then suddenly, the excitement we had so far seemed to be in ruins
as a voice called out her name, and we both turned our attention from
the café table to the street. There we found a man dismounting
his black horse and walking toward our direction.
"Marguerite St Just, I knew that I saw your one and only self; I
could have recognized this figure anywhere," he said removing his
tri-cornored hat, kissing her hand, and causing the level of jealousy
in me to increase rapidly.
"Paul Chauvelin!" Marguerite exclaimed nervously, looking at me
with a timid expression. "I had not the slightest idea that you were
not working today."
"My dear," he continued, "if it were not for my discovery of your
ride throughout the city, I would be returning there right now. What
is a charming woman like you doing out and about on such a warm
day?"
My sense of hearing had stopped as I took the time to look the
caller over. Clad from head to foot in black, the Frenchman had a
head of dark hair and icy blue eyes that could have matched my own
had it not been for that eerie feeling about them. He was also a
follower of the Republic, I knew by the tricolor sash he wore around
his waist.
"Sir Percy, are your thoughts running away with you again?"
Marguerite suddenly said clearly amused and jolting me back into
reality.
Smiling lovingly, I replied, "Milady, if I was ever unconscious,
it is only because I am so amazed by your beauty."
All right, so I admit it. I had tried with that last answer to
cause double emotions, happiness from Marguerite and envy from that
Chauvelin fellow, and la! I had succeeded for he was indeed turning
green!
"Marguerite, who is this foreigner?" I heard him whisper, and to
tease him further, I shoved my hand in-between him and the lady.
"Sir Percival Blakeney, baronet of Richmond, England,
citizen…Shovelin is it?"
Pretty much ignoring me, he growled as he pushed my hand away, and
if it had not been for Marguerite's admonishing expression, I was
certain he would have struck me. Thus leaving only an angered glare
in my direction, he turned to Marguerite taking her hand once again.
I looked away, my heart aching as it began to break, but I continued
to listen in.
"Ma cherie," Chauvelin began again. "I must be leaving you for
now…but I hope we shall meet soon." His voice lowered to a
fervent whisper before finishing his words. "Possibly, we can have
another evening together like the one we had before you left. You and
I, alone without anyone to bother us…locked passionately in each
other's arms…" The last of his words were lost as he tried to
trail his lips up her arm, and I looked back to them as I caught
sight of Marguerite pulling it away. And praise God with that, he put
his hat back on, and stormed off. Good riddance! I thought
childishly.
Noticing the angry tears begin to build up in her eyes, I lifted
Marguerite's head by the chin. "Is everything all right, milady?" I
asked concerned for her well being.
"I will be just fine, Sir Percy; I only need a few moments to
gather my thoughts. That is all I wish to do right now, do you
understand?" she entreated as sharp as a knife and slowly pushing my
hand away to lower her gaze.
My heart nearly shattered wholly, but I held those feelings inside
by simply saying, "Of course mademoiselle; whatever pleases you shall
please me."
We sat there for quite some time as I felt my expectations
beginning to shatter. What could I possibly have done to revive
them…? Ah yes! Now I know!
"Milady, I have some plans that I have been meaning to carry out
all afternoon, thus would you care to join me? I would be quite glad
should you accept my invitation."
In response to this, Marguerite watched closely as I rose from my
chair and offered to help her do the same. Smiling a bit, I guessed
gladdened by my attempt to cheer her up, she nodded taking my hand,
and following my lead back to the carriage. Then we were off to the
one event of the day that would assure the return of our developing
bond.
* * * * *
"Sir Percy, can I see where you have taken me? You would not keep
me in such suspense, would you?" Marguerite asked slightly
laughing.
I joined in as I took my hand away from her eyes, revealing the
surprise location. I could only her gasp as she glanced around at the
picnic dinner I had, with permission, set up atop Notre Dame's right
tower. According to one story Armand had told me, this had been
Marguerite's favorite place to visit ever since she was a little
girl, thus making it the best spot to put together a romantic dining
atmosphere.
"Do you like it, m'dear?" I asked as she ran to the railing at the
edge of the tower excitedly.
She turned back to me, her smile stretching to its fullest length.
"Oh Sir Percy, to say that I only like it could not express my
feelings enough! This is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever done
for me."
"Well you can not even begin to imagine how much joy I feel seeing
your happiness, sweet lady. Now please join me to sit down, eat, and
enjoy!"
And so we did but in silence as dinners mostly were eaten in that
fashion. I did not mind at all however as I began to work on my
famous thinking. Marguerite was a dream come true for me, for in my
entire lifetime, I had not enjoyed a woman's company as much as I did
when I was with her. The lady was an entire mixture of cleverness,
laughter, kindness, and energy that I had never thought existed. Just
being with her was what my heart and soul had cried out inside me for
so long, and I did not want to lose her now.
And then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. In the course of one
day, I had fallen in love with Marguerite St Just. I, an English
baronet, had lost my heart to the spell of a French plebian actress,
and the last thing I wanted was for it to be broken. Marguerite was
really the missing part of me, and she alone completed the man I was
meant to be.
"The dinner was wonderful, milord, and I thank you for having it
with me," Marguerite said, dabbing her mouth with the cloth napkin
beside her.
Gazing at her with the lovelight still in my eyes, I whispered,
"Please, Marguerite, I would feel much better if you called me
Percy."
She looked up, shock filling her body at the fact that I had
finally used her name instead of a title or formality. "All right
then…Percy. I apologize."
"No, there is no need for that. It is just…just…"
"Just what?"
I breathed deeply to calm myself down before speaking. I had to
tell her.
"Marguerite St Just, I have held my feelings in long enough, and
now they must come out. My dear lady, ever since I saw your portrait
hanging in the parlor, I knew that there was more to you than simply
being only another woman I had the pleasure of knowing. I have known
many throughout my life, family and friends, but I care for none of
them, more than I care for you."
"Percy, really now, that silly thing is what caught your
attention?"
"Yes indeed, and I will never regret seeing it." Kneeling down in
front of her, I reached for her cheek. "Marguerite, you must know by
now what it is I wish to say. My dear, I am desperately in love with
you, and I can only hope that you could return that feeling. But no
matter what, my sweet, I would never be able to live without you.
Whether our relationship is to be more than passion or only friends,
I need you in my life. Can you understand that?"
Marguerite let tears run free down her face as she smiled. "Of
course I can, Percy. This has been the most glorious day of my entire
life, and I spent it with a man who still has some kindness in his
heart. Many I know have lost every bit of goodness they once had, but
you are not like other men. You still care for people other than
yourself, and I consider myself very fortunate that one of them is
me."
As we both sat there wordlessly for a moment, I still was
uncertain of what she felt exactly. "Does that mean that you love me
in return?"
Giggling softly, she touched her lips to my cheek, and in reply I
moved my arms around her tiny frame. Then, taking my boldest action
of the day, I folded my own mouth to hers in a gentle kiss, to see at
first how she would react. Luckily she did not make any objections,
and I moved in again, overjoyed that after so long, my dreams had
finally come true. The miracle of love had found its place in our
lives.