head.
“Remember as I have, at pains, tried to teach you, Sue - For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the battle…”
Just then, the royal Governor’s thought was interrupted by his personal man-servant Edward Pierce who had barged into the room in a nervous huff carrying a tea set on a silver platter. Hutchinson looked up, aghast at the rudeness of the man.
“Begging yer pardon sir,” Edward began, absently setting the tray in front of his master. “Not at all being my place t’interrupt ‘ee, on’y a foreign man of some renown, French at my estimation, hath called below speakin’ of a ma’er of some urgencies.”
Hutchinson stood up and paced the length of his study, suddenly anxious. To allow a Frenchman into his private quarters would have been an absurd thought only a few years ago. Yet now, having just received word that he was to be summarily replaced as Governor of Massachusetts by the general Thomas Gage, Hutchinson’s loyalties were not as they once were. He was angry. By any fair account, he had performed decades of exquisite service to the crown and to receive what? A commendation? A promotion? Hardly. The only word to reach his ears from London in months was a summons to pack up his trunks and return to Britain in failure. He sat down behind the desk.
“Send the gentleman up,” Hutchinson said quietly.
Susanna picked up the dog and hurried out of the room, happy for a reprieve from her uncle’s rebuke.
Moments later, a polite knock at the door signaled the Frenchman’s arrival. He was a tall man with a large belly and a moustache that curled expertly around his nose. He removed his hat and extended a hand to Hutchinson.
“Bonjour monsieur le Gouverneur,” he said as they shook. “I am called Crépuscule.”
“And to you monsieur,” said Hutchinson with a nod of the head. “Please sit down. May I offer you some tea?” He poured two cups, handed one to the Frenchman and quickly got down to business. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
“Well monsieur,” Crépuscule said while casually pretending to admire the office. “Our king is quite eeel.”
“I am sorry that you bring such dire news!” said Hutchinson politely. Crépuscule’s gaze fell back onto the Governor whom he sized up carefully.
“I will tell you in extreme confidence zat zere is not much time left,” he said bluntly, “and I come as an emisaree from ze royal court in France.”
“You’ve come with a message from Louis XV?” said Hutchinson with a hint of disbelief.
“Not quite monsieur le Gouverneur,” said the Frenchman earnestly. “I ‘ave been sent from ze man who shall soon become Roi Louis XVI.”
Hutchinson raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“The new king is quite un’appy zat France ‘as ‘ad such difficulties in America and would very much like to see a change.”
Hutchinson was not sure what the Frenchman was playing at, but he had an idea.
“Very well, monsieur Crép…er”
“Crépuscule.”
“Yes, well what has this to do with me, if I may ask?”
The Frenchman returned his gaze to the bookshelves.
“We do not…what is ze correct word…” a sly smile expanding across Crépuscule’s face, “…appreciate…this man Gage as ze Eenglish do.”
“Yes, I expect not after the business in Quebec,” replied Hutchinson, adjusting his lapel nonchalantly.
Crépuscule let out a confirmatory snort.
“But we also believe zat you are un’appy too monsieur le Gouverneur…with zis Gage and with your own King, if I may be so bold.”
Hutchinson was surprised at the man’s candor. He tried to process this information quickly, but it had taken him off guard. Everything the Frenchman said was true, but the Governor could not believe where this conversation was headed.
“Do you mean to say, monsieur, that you have come to
“Remember as I have, at pains, tried to teach you, Sue - For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the battle…”
Just then, the royal Governor’s thought was interrupted by his personal man-servant Edward Pierce who had barged into the room in a nervous huff carrying a tea set on a silver platter. Hutchinson looked up, aghast at the rudeness of the man.
“Begging yer pardon sir,” Edward began, absently setting the tray in front of his master. “Not at all being my place t’interrupt ‘ee, on’y a foreign man of some renown, French at my estimation, hath called below speakin’ of a ma’er of some urgencies.”
Hutchinson stood up and paced the length of his study, suddenly anxious. To allow a Frenchman into his private quarters would have been an absurd thought only a few years ago. Yet now, having just received word that he was to be summarily replaced as Governor of Massachusetts by the general Thomas Gage, Hutchinson’s loyalties were not as they once were. He was angry. By any fair account, he had performed decades of exquisite service to the crown and to receive what? A commendation? A promotion? Hardly. The only word to reach his ears from London in months was a summons to pack up his trunks and return to Britain in failure. He sat down behind the desk.
“Send the gentleman up,” Hutchinson said quietly.
Susanna picked up the dog and hurried out of the room, happy for a reprieve from her uncle’s rebuke.
Moments later, a polite knock at the door signaled the Frenchman’s arrival. He was a tall man with a large belly and a moustache that curled expertly around his nose. He removed his hat and extended a hand to Hutchinson.
“Bonjour monsieur le Gouverneur,” he said as they shook. “I am called Crépuscule.”
“And to you monsieur,” said Hutchinson with a nod of the head. “Please sit down. May I offer you some tea?” He poured two cups, handed one to the Frenchman and quickly got down to business. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
“Well monsieur,” Crépuscule said while casually pretending to admire the office. “Our king is quite eeel.”
“I am sorry that you bring such dire news!” said Hutchinson politely. Crépuscule’s gaze fell back onto the Governor whom he sized up carefully.
“I will tell you in extreme confidence zat zere is not much time left,” he said bluntly, “and I come as an emisaree from ze royal court in France.”
“You’ve come with a message from Louis XV?” said Hutchinson with a hint of disbelief.
“Not quite monsieur le Gouverneur,” said the Frenchman earnestly. “I ‘ave been sent from ze man who shall soon become Roi Louis XVI.”
Hutchinson raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“The new king is quite un’appy zat France ‘as ‘ad such difficulties in America and would very much like to see a change.”
Hutchinson was not sure what the Frenchman was playing at, but he had an idea.
“Very well, monsieur Crép…er”
“Crépuscule.”
“Yes, well what has this to do with me, if I may ask?”
The Frenchman returned his gaze to the bookshelves.
“We do not…what is ze correct word…” a sly smile expanding across Crépuscule’s face, “…appreciate…this man Gage as ze Eenglish do.”
“Yes, I expect not after the business in Quebec,” replied Hutchinson, adjusting his lapel nonchalantly.
Crépuscule let out a confirmatory snort.
“But we also believe zat you are un’appy too monsieur le Gouverneur…with zis Gage and with your own King, if I may be so bold.”
Hutchinson was surprised at the man’s candor. He tried to process this information quickly, but it had taken him off guard. Everything the Frenchman said was true, but the Governor could not believe where this conversation was headed.
“Do you mean to say, monsieur, that you have come to
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