Jane Feather - Charade, Unknown [great novels to read TXT] 📗

a cool desperation he had never needed in White's. There, if hemade the wrong discard, he paid only with money. Here, in this scrubbycopse on the north coast of Brittany in revolution-torn France, Danny'ssafety hung on his skill.

"Out of France?" Jeanette's eyes widened at the terrifying scope ofsuch an idea.

"Yes, out of France. Have no fear, little one, you will be well lookedafter." He held out his hand.

Jeanette had known no gentleness in her fourteen years. Her mother haddied before she was three and her older sisters had had their ownbattles to fight. She had scrambled to maturity amidst curses and thethwack of a belt, had learned that the latter at least came less oftenif she kept a still tongue in her head and obeyed without question, butalways she had believed, as a fierce talisman, that there was a worldoutside this mean grubbing for survival and the brutality that informedher environment. And here was someone, with a soft smile and a promiseon his lips, someone who looked and spoke like that poor woman bound tothe bed in the dark chamber; a woman who had never given Jeanetteanything but smiles and instant comprehension of the girl's dilemma.

"What do you wish of me?"

"Information only. You can tell us how to effect entrance to thecottage where the lady is held and we

will decide what to do." Tonytook her hand.'"Come, you have little to lose and much to gain."

Jeanette went then willingly enough and answered the rapid questions.Milady was held in a chamber at the front of the house. There were twoguards always at the door. She had not yet been harmed but she was weakbecause she had taken no food since her captivity and was bound in sucha manner as to restrict all movement.... Her description of Danielle'scaptivity was accurate and matter-of-fact and the four men containedtheir fury and made their plans.

Jeanette gave them a detailed account of the layout of the cottage andthe routine of the guards.

"Very well," said Jules when she had finished. "We can assume we havelittle time before the

comte

returns. You will set fire to the haystackand take the six guards. I will deal with the two onduty."                                                        ,

"Milord," Jeanette whispered. "I can perhaps help. I may distract theguards at the door . . . they have shown a certain interest . . ."

"Are you willing to do that, child?" Jules asked quietly.

"Mais oui,

milord. You will bethere also."

Julian nodded. 'Three to six, my friends. You can manage?"

"Without doubt and with much pleasure," Westmore said. "I will fire thestack now and you and Jeanette will make your way into the house underthe cover of the smoke."

Danielle, stretched supine on the bed, heard the clamor as a confusedtumult of shouts and curses. Smoke filled the yard and the six guardshurtled from the barn to meet no mercy from the outnumbered three whocould afford to take no chances.

The guards outside her prison, a few minutes before the tumult brokeout below, found the little maid, soft and inviting, curling herselfaround them. The

comte

wasaway; why not take advantage of what wasoffered? And she was a taking little thing with those nubile curvesthat she knew so well how to flaunt. As they pawed and patted andJeanette offered her body with titillating little murmurs, Julianmoved. He had only one knife and used it carefully but withoutcompunction—no time for delicacy when Danny lay beyond the locked door.The guards fell at his feet and Jeanette had the key almost beforeJules could draw breath.

"What the devil . . .?" The figure on the bed writhed against herbonds, the voice amazingly strong.

"C'est toi,

Jules?"

"Oui, c'est' moi."

He tossedhis cloak over her hastily, beforeunfastening the straps at wrists and ankles. "Keep still now and foronce just do as you are bid." It was a strange thing to say in thecircumstances

but in his anxiety he could not have cared.

"I am incapable of doing otherwise." She laughed weakly. "But

please

.. . my eyes!"

"Damn!" Jules untied the blindfold. "We have little time,

Danny. I must carry you."

"D'accord, mon ami.

ButJeanette, we cannot leave her here."

"Je suis id,

milady," the girlsaid. "I have a change of clothes, ifyou will do me the honor. They may

be a little large but the winds blowstrong."

"Va, vite."

Danielle swayed onher feet, smiling at the girl as sheclung to Julian.

Julian turned his back as she scrambled into Jeanette's best petticoatsand gown, and then he picked her up and ran down the stairs to wherethe others waited impatiently, horses stamping, nostrils flared at thesmell of smoke and charred hay.

"Set fire to the barn," Jules clipped, handing Danny to Westmore as heswung astride his horse and then reached down for her again. "We arebut five miles from the coast and the lights may perhaps alert Jake."

"And also St. Estephe," Tony said, throwing Jeanette up ahead of himbefore mounting himself.

"He is now but three to our four," Jules reminded.

"Five," Danielle declared. "I am not as weak as I seem. If you have aspare weapon, I claim the

comte

for my own."

"We have not and you may not," Julian told her flatly. "You will keepyour mouth shut, cousin, until we are again aboard

Dream Girl

."

"If she has not already left," Danny said soberly.

"That is not a helpful remark! Will you please keep quiet."

Danielle took no offense at Julian's autocratic tone, sensing both hisacute anxiety and his relief at finding her relatively unharmed. Thedays of her captivity must have been almost as horrendous for herfriends as they had been for her.

Meanwhile, Jake had reluctantly made up his mind that he must sail onthe evening tide. He had intended to leave that morning but perverselythe clamoring insistence of his passengers