to bubble from my throat.
“I’ve no concern for gold, you see, for I’ve come to be repaid in lace.”
Alexandre collected his spoon and then placed it carefully upon his plate. “The arrangement, I believe, was for us to repay you as we are able.”
“No. The arrangement was that you would pay me for my loss, and I would keep your role in Chalais’s conspiracy to kill Cardinal Richelieu to myself. That was the arrangement. Unfortunately, however, I need the lace now.”
“You will be paid as we are able to pay you.” Alexandre repeated the words as if the count hadn’t quite comprehended them.
“Oh! I see. You misunderstood me. How can I put this plainly? I no longer want money. I no longer need it. What I need is what I don’t have. The lace.”
“We don’t…we don’t have any lace.” My father seemed to be choosing his words with some delicacy, as if that might placate the count. “The King has forbidden the wearing of lace.”
“I see how it might seem that way, with his edict and all of that nonsense, but the thing about kings is they so rarely say what they mean. You can hardly depend upon them at all. He said no lace, but everyone knows the lace he doesn’t see won’t disturb him. He’s very reasonable that way, you know. Or perhaps…I suppose you don’t know. Having taken part in that regrettable plot.”
Father’s brows had now reappeared, hurtling toward his nose. “I…I don’t understand—”
“ Lace. It’s the lace I have need of now. Gold is no longer of any use to me.”
“But I…we…I do not have your lace! It’s for that reason I have repaid you these many years.”
“Ah! Tsk, tsk. There now, you have not spoken honestly. It’s for your abominable folly in joining that doomed conspiracy against Richelieu all those years ago you have paid me. We might as well be frank, you and I, since it seems we’re to be bound together for a while longer.”
A sweat had broken out upon Father’s brow. “I have no lace.”
“Yes. I know. That’s what caused all this trouble from the first. I suppose you’ll have to send to Flanders for some.”
“To—? But…it’s forbidden! Lace has been forbidden by the King himself.”
“True. But you are a clever fellow. I’m sure you’ll think of some way around it.”
The count’s companion smirked as he listened.
“To be caught with lace is to be subject to a six-thousand-livres fine. And exile. And the confiscation of estates.”
The count raised a finger. “Only if you are caught.”
“But…I can’t…I don’t know…I don’t even know how much it would cost…” Father had gone pale as he spoke. “And I’ve already paid you so much…”
The count smiled as if his extortion had not cost us nearly everything we owned. “I can see my simple, reasonable request has taken you by surprise. Perhaps I should have stated my requirements more delicately.” He sniffed. “I’ve no doubt a night’s sleep will be…illuminating…for I’m convinced you’ll come to the same conclusion I have. It is my belief you have no other option.” He touched a cloth to his lips, nodded at his companion, and then stood. “ Belles rêves .”
•••
Father and Alexandre talked long into the night. I lit a precious taper for them. When it had burned to a stub, sparking and sputtering in a pool of its own wax, I lit a second.
“We must refuse him.” Alexandre had not taken long to reach this conclusion. That he clung to it for so many hours was admirable. That he insisted upon repeating it often was less so.
Father sighed and ran a trembling hand through his thinning hair. “As I have already said, we cannot refuse him.”
Alexandre took to his feet and followed an already well-trod path in front of the hearth. “I say we must refuse him, only because we cannot honor his request.” His voice had risen by that time, as well.
“We must. You know how Cardinal Richelieu is! He acts as the King himself. He has spies
“I’ve no concern for gold, you see, for I’ve come to be repaid in lace.”
Alexandre collected his spoon and then placed it carefully upon his plate. “The arrangement, I believe, was for us to repay you as we are able.”
“No. The arrangement was that you would pay me for my loss, and I would keep your role in Chalais’s conspiracy to kill Cardinal Richelieu to myself. That was the arrangement. Unfortunately, however, I need the lace now.”
“You will be paid as we are able to pay you.” Alexandre repeated the words as if the count hadn’t quite comprehended them.
“Oh! I see. You misunderstood me. How can I put this plainly? I no longer want money. I no longer need it. What I need is what I don’t have. The lace.”
“We don’t…we don’t have any lace.” My father seemed to be choosing his words with some delicacy, as if that might placate the count. “The King has forbidden the wearing of lace.”
“I see how it might seem that way, with his edict and all of that nonsense, but the thing about kings is they so rarely say what they mean. You can hardly depend upon them at all. He said no lace, but everyone knows the lace he doesn’t see won’t disturb him. He’s very reasonable that way, you know. Or perhaps…I suppose you don’t know. Having taken part in that regrettable plot.”
Father’s brows had now reappeared, hurtling toward his nose. “I…I don’t understand—”
“ Lace. It’s the lace I have need of now. Gold is no longer of any use to me.”
“But I…we…I do not have your lace! It’s for that reason I have repaid you these many years.”
“Ah! Tsk, tsk. There now, you have not spoken honestly. It’s for your abominable folly in joining that doomed conspiracy against Richelieu all those years ago you have paid me. We might as well be frank, you and I, since it seems we’re to be bound together for a while longer.”
A sweat had broken out upon Father’s brow. “I have no lace.”
“Yes. I know. That’s what caused all this trouble from the first. I suppose you’ll have to send to Flanders for some.”
“To—? But…it’s forbidden! Lace has been forbidden by the King himself.”
“True. But you are a clever fellow. I’m sure you’ll think of some way around it.”
The count’s companion smirked as he listened.
“To be caught with lace is to be subject to a six-thousand-livres fine. And exile. And the confiscation of estates.”
The count raised a finger. “Only if you are caught.”
“But…I can’t…I don’t know…I don’t even know how much it would cost…” Father had gone pale as he spoke. “And I’ve already paid you so much…”
The count smiled as if his extortion had not cost us nearly everything we owned. “I can see my simple, reasonable request has taken you by surprise. Perhaps I should have stated my requirements more delicately.” He sniffed. “I’ve no doubt a night’s sleep will be…illuminating…for I’m convinced you’ll come to the same conclusion I have. It is my belief you have no other option.” He touched a cloth to his lips, nodded at his companion, and then stood. “ Belles rêves .”
•••
Father and Alexandre talked long into the night. I lit a precious taper for them. When it had burned to a stub, sparking and sputtering in a pool of its own wax, I lit a second.
“We must refuse him.” Alexandre had not taken long to reach this conclusion. That he clung to it for so many hours was admirable. That he insisted upon repeating it often was less so.
Father sighed and ran a trembling hand through his thinning hair. “As I have already said, we cannot refuse him.”
Alexandre took to his feet and followed an already well-trod path in front of the hearth. “I say we must refuse him, only because we cannot honor his request.” His voice had risen by that time, as well.
“We must. You know how Cardinal Richelieu is! He acts as the King himself. He has spies
Similar Books
