Counterfeit Lady Read online

  “Is that bad?”

  Gerard gave her a look of disgust. “The courts frown on adultery.”

  “Courts? What courts?”

  “The courts that will grant him a divorce and will take everything away from you.”

  Bianca slid with her back to a tree until she sat down. “I’ve worked so hard for everything. He can’t take it away from me. He can’t!”

  Gerard knelt before her. “Do you really mean that? There are ways to prevent him from stealing from you.”

  She stared at him. “You mean murder?”

  “Isn’t he trying to kill you? How would you like to return to England a divorced woman? Everyone would say you couldn’t hold a man. What would your father say?”

  Bianca thought of all the times her father had laughed at her. He had said Clay wouldn’t want her after he’d gotten a taste of Nicole. He’d never let her forget it if she returned in disgrace. “How?” she whispered. “When?”

  Gerard sat back on his heels. There was an odd light in his eyes. “Soon. It must be very soon. We mustn’t let him talk to anyone about his plans.”

  Suddenly, a movement caught Bianca’s eyes. “Nicole!” she gasped, then put her hand over her mouth.

  Gerard turned instantly. Adele stood behind him, half hidden by the trees. It had taken Nicole a long time to persuade her mother that it was safe to walk in the woods behind the house. This was only her third time out alone.

  He took one long stride and grabbed his wife’s arm. “What did you hear?” he said, as his hand cut into her flesh.

  “Murder,” she said, her eyes almost whirling in fear.

  Gerard struck her hard across the cheek. “Yes! Murder! Yours! Do you understand me? You say one word about this, and I’ll take Nicole and the twins to the guillotine. Would you like to see their heads roll into the basket?”

  Adele’s expression went past terror to something that only someone who’s known great horror could comprehend.

  He ran his finger across her throat. “Remember,” he whispered, then pushed her away.

  She fell to her knees, quickly picked herself up, and scampered back toward the house.

  Gerard adjusted his cravat, then turned to Bianca. She was standing with her back to the tree, her eyes frightened. “What in the world is wrong with you?” he snapped.

  “I’ve never seen you like that,” she whispered.

  “What you mean is you’ve never seen a man protect the woman he loves.” He continued when he saw her frown. “I had to ensure that she wouldn’t tell what she’d heard.”

  “She will. Of course she will.”

  “No! Not after what I said. She’s insane, didn’t you know?”

  “Who is she? She looks like Nicole.”

  He hesitated. “Her mother.” He went on before she could ask more questions, “Meet me tomorrow at one o’clock where we had the picnic. We’ll make plans there.”

  “You’ll bring lunch?” she asked eagerly.

  “Of course. Now you must go before someone sees you. I don’t want us seen together…Yet,” he added. He took her hand and directed her to the wharf.

  When Nicole returned from the mill, Janie greeted her at the door with a solemn face. “Your mother’s having a bad one. Nobody can calm her down.”

  A horrible scream threatened to shake the roof from the little house, and Nicole ran up the stairs.

  “Mother!” Nicole said, and tried to put her arms around her mother. Adele’s lovely face was distorted so badly it was almost unrecognizable.

  “The babies!” Adele shrieked, flailing her arms about wildly. “The babies! Their heads! They’ll murder them, kill them. Blood everywhere!”

  “Mother, please. You are safe!” Nicole was speaking in French, as was Adele.

  Janie stood at the head of the stairs. “She seemed to be upset about the twins. Is that what she’s saying?”

  Nicole struggled with her mother’s arms. “I think so. She’s talking about the babies. Maybe she means one of my cousins.”

  “I don’t think so. She came tearing into the house a few minutes ago and tried to hide the twins in the little closet under the stairs.”

  “I hope the children aren’t upset.”

  Janie shrugged. “They’re used to her. They crouched in the closet, then got out when I got her upstairs.”

  “He’ll kill them!” Adele screamed. “I didn’t know him. I never knew him. The fat lady will kill them, too.”

  “What’s she saying now?” Janie asked.

  “Just nonsense. Could you get some laudanum? I think the only way she’ll calm down is if she sleeps.”

  When Janie was gone, Nicole continued to try to soothe her mother, but Adele was wild, frantic. She kept talking of murder and the guillotine and a fat woman. When Adele mentioned Clayton, she gained Nicole’s full attention.

  “What about Clay?” Nicole asked.

  Adele’s eyes were wild, her hair flying. “Clay! They will kill him, too. And my babies, all my babies. Everyone’s babies. They killed the queen. They’ll kill Clay.”

  “Who will kill Clay?”

  “Them. The baby-killers!”

  Janie stood at Nicole’s shoulder. “She looks like she’s trying to tell you something. It almost sounded as if she said Clay’s name.”

  Nicole took the cup of tea from Janie. “Drink this, Mother. It will make you feel much better.”

  It didn’t take long for the laudanum to take effect. Downstairs, Gerard was just entering the house.

  “Gerard,” Nicole said. “Did something happen today to upset Mother?”

  He turned toward her slowly. “I haven’t seen her. Is she having one of her fits again?”

  “As if you’d care!” Janie said, passing Nicole on the stairs and going to the fireplace. “Considering that she’s your wife, you’d think you’d have some feeling for her.”

  “I would certainly never share my feelings with such as you,” Gerard retorted.

  “Stop it, both of you!” Nicole commanded. “Neither of you is helping my mother.”

  Gerard waved his hand. “It’s just one of her fits. You should be used to them by now.”

  Nicole moved to the table. “Somehow, this one was different. It was almost as if she were trying to tell me something.”

  Gerard looked at her from under lowered lashes. “What could she say that she hasn’t said a hundred times? All she ever talks about is murder and death.”

  “True,” Nicole said thoughtfully. “Only this time she mentioned Clay.”

  “Clay!” Janie said. “She’s never met Clay before, has she?”

  “Not to my knowledge. And she kept talking about a fat woman.”

  “There’s no guessing who that is,” Janie snorted.

  “Of course,” Gerard inserted with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. “She must have seen Clay and Bianca together, and since they are strangers, she was frightened. You know how strangers terrify her.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Nicole said. “But somehow it seemed more than that. She kept saying someone was trying to kill Clay.”

  “She’s always saying someone is trying to murder someone else,” Gerard said angrily.

  “Maybe, but she’s never confused the past and the present quite like this before.”

  Before Gerard could say a word, Janie stepped forward. “There’s no use worrying about it now. In the morning, you can try to talk to your mother. Maybe after a good night’s sleep, she’ll be able to explain herself more clearly. Now, sit down and eat your supper.”

  The little house was dark and silent. Outside, the river flowed slowly, gently, now that it had come closer to straightening its course. It was especially warm for September, and the four people in the attic bedroom slept without covers.

  Adele was restless. Even under the heavy dose of the sleeping drug, she still tossed and turned, her dreams puzzled and confused. She knew she had something to tell, but she had no idea how to go about it. The king and