he shook his head and gestured for her to continue.
“We had a promising lead but Gilles had been summoned to Lille. He was already set to call the meeting off because of how high my fever was and we had argued before the letter came. He ordered me to stay but I left almost as soon as he was out the door.” She paused for a moment. Gilles had become tense, resting his elbows on his knees as he shook his head. “I knew I was in trouble as soon as I reached the beach at Calais. I could barely stay on my mount but it was too late by then. Our contact was approaching. I recognized him, it was Marcel LeVan. He didn't know me and was surprised to be meeting a woman. I led him to believe I was a mistress of an English spy and that he had sent me in his place. I made every mistake possible, I'm sure he would have been shocked if he knew who I really was. He shot me in the back and left me on the beach.” Gilles cursed and his head fell. Giselle's expression became soft, she looked as if she wanted to comfort him. Alastair’s eyes became dark as he stared at her.
“Gilles said you were gone by the time he reached the beach. Where did you go?” He asked. For a moment, Giselle looked as if she wasn't with them. She shivered and shook her head as if she was trying to forget.
“I heard a horse in the distance and was afraid LeVan was coming back to make sure I was dead. I tied my shawl tight around my chest and crawled into the tide and let the water take me.” Lucien gasped as she paused and took a long drink of her wine. Gilles stood and began pacing. Mirabelle could feel anger and pain rolling off of him. Alastair sat back and shook his head.
“That time of year, the North Sea would have been…” Giselle laughed, cutting him off.
“Bloody, painfully cold. The current was fast, it swept me away quickly. If I had truly been breathing, I probably would have drowned. I did eventually lose consciousness. You can't imagine my surprise when I woke up a few days later. A fisherman had found me washed up upon the shore. He and his wife cared for me. It took me weeks to recover from the fever and the bullet wound.” Mirabelle was confused.
“Weeks? Why didn't you go back to Gilles immediately, why did it take two years?” She asked. Giselle shook her head.
“I couldn't risk exposing him. If I turned up and LeVan or anyone else that knew of my death saw us together, they might suspect that Gilles wasn't who he said he was. I didn't know that he witnessed what had happened. I thought he would assume that my identity had been discovered and we would part ways until it was safe for me to find him.” She looked at him, her eyes full of apology. Alastair nodded, apparently approving of her decision.
“What did you do after you recovered?” Alastair asked.
“First, I repaid the fisherman and his wife. They had been terribly poor and had sacrificed much to care for me. They are living comfortably now. Then, I tracked down LeVan. Once I found him, I spent three days killing him. I can give you the name of every British agent he and his master killed.” She offered. Alastair’s eyes widened and Lucien swore.
“Did he tell you why they did it?” Lucien asked angrily. Giselle’s face twisted in disgust as she nodded.
“They had made a fortune providing transport to agents from both sides across the Channel during the war though they were both initially agents for our War Office. Apparently, it became more profitable if the operatives they were hired to take back to England never made it.”
“Did LeVan give you a name?” Alastair’s voice was hard and flat.
“No. He said the War Office never gave him a name for the man that owned the ship and sent his orders. They met three times but he was disguised, he was very careful. He said that the crew of the ship referred to him as ‘his lordship’. LeVan said the ship and all of the crew disappeared. I think he killed them all to tie up any loose ends.” Giselle’s
“We had a promising lead but Gilles had been summoned to Lille. He was already set to call the meeting off because of how high my fever was and we had argued before the letter came. He ordered me to stay but I left almost as soon as he was out the door.” She paused for a moment. Gilles had become tense, resting his elbows on his knees as he shook his head. “I knew I was in trouble as soon as I reached the beach at Calais. I could barely stay on my mount but it was too late by then. Our contact was approaching. I recognized him, it was Marcel LeVan. He didn't know me and was surprised to be meeting a woman. I led him to believe I was a mistress of an English spy and that he had sent me in his place. I made every mistake possible, I'm sure he would have been shocked if he knew who I really was. He shot me in the back and left me on the beach.” Gilles cursed and his head fell. Giselle's expression became soft, she looked as if she wanted to comfort him. Alastair’s eyes became dark as he stared at her.
“Gilles said you were gone by the time he reached the beach. Where did you go?” He asked. For a moment, Giselle looked as if she wasn't with them. She shivered and shook her head as if she was trying to forget.
“I heard a horse in the distance and was afraid LeVan was coming back to make sure I was dead. I tied my shawl tight around my chest and crawled into the tide and let the water take me.” Lucien gasped as she paused and took a long drink of her wine. Gilles stood and began pacing. Mirabelle could feel anger and pain rolling off of him. Alastair sat back and shook his head.
“That time of year, the North Sea would have been…” Giselle laughed, cutting him off.
“Bloody, painfully cold. The current was fast, it swept me away quickly. If I had truly been breathing, I probably would have drowned. I did eventually lose consciousness. You can't imagine my surprise when I woke up a few days later. A fisherman had found me washed up upon the shore. He and his wife cared for me. It took me weeks to recover from the fever and the bullet wound.” Mirabelle was confused.
“Weeks? Why didn't you go back to Gilles immediately, why did it take two years?” She asked. Giselle shook her head.
“I couldn't risk exposing him. If I turned up and LeVan or anyone else that knew of my death saw us together, they might suspect that Gilles wasn't who he said he was. I didn't know that he witnessed what had happened. I thought he would assume that my identity had been discovered and we would part ways until it was safe for me to find him.” She looked at him, her eyes full of apology. Alastair nodded, apparently approving of her decision.
“What did you do after you recovered?” Alastair asked.
“First, I repaid the fisherman and his wife. They had been terribly poor and had sacrificed much to care for me. They are living comfortably now. Then, I tracked down LeVan. Once I found him, I spent three days killing him. I can give you the name of every British agent he and his master killed.” She offered. Alastair’s eyes widened and Lucien swore.
“Did he tell you why they did it?” Lucien asked angrily. Giselle’s face twisted in disgust as she nodded.
“They had made a fortune providing transport to agents from both sides across the Channel during the war though they were both initially agents for our War Office. Apparently, it became more profitable if the operatives they were hired to take back to England never made it.”
“Did LeVan give you a name?” Alastair’s voice was hard and flat.
“No. He said the War Office never gave him a name for the man that owned the ship and sent his orders. They met three times but he was disguised, he was very careful. He said that the crew of the ship referred to him as ‘his lordship’. LeVan said the ship and all of the crew disappeared. I think he killed them all to tie up any loose ends.” Giselle’s
Similar Books
