behind our backs. The Comte and Comtesse were ordered to hand over all their jewels and valuables.
‘Monsieur le Comte tried to draw his sword, ordering the brigands to throw down their weapons, then ... Then they shot him and the Comtesse,’ Pierre sobbed.
‘Mon Dieu,’ Amelie gasped and sank against Tilly. Mimi pinched Tilly’s ear, as though to punish her for Amelie’s distress.
‘The leader ordered me to check that they were dead. Jean and I had to drag their bodies into the copse. As we pulled them away, the leader dipped his finger in the Comte’s blood and wrote on the carriage door.’
Tilly and Amelie stared at the door. Against the yellow paintwork could be seen three words written in dried, rusty-brown letters: Liberté. Égalité. Fraternité.
A freezing hand clutched Tilly’s heart, chilling her blood.
‘Liberty. Equality. Brotherhood,’ whispered Tilly. ‘It has begun.’
Amelie glanced at Tilly in horror, then back to Pierre.
‘The brigands ordered us to leave the bodies and return to Versailles immediately on pain of death,’ continued Pierre. ‘We didn’t know what else to do.’
Amelie started to shake. Mimi patted her cheek softly.
A third man strolled into the courtyard, dressed impeccably in the dark blue velvet livery of the Comte de Montjoyeuse, a tricorne tucked under his arm. It was the Comte’s valet, Jacques.
‘Jacques, Jacques,’ blurted Pierre, his voice trembling with shock and relief. ‘Madame and monsieur.’
Jacques frowned, taking in the blood-stained clothes of the servants, the empty carriage and Amelie’s distress.
‘Mademoiselle de Montjoyeuse, I imagine there has been some kind of disaster?’ Jacques asked with a bow.
‘My aunt. My uncle. Brigands ... murdered,’ stammered Amelie.
‘We had to leave the bodies,’ added Pierre. ‘There was nothing else we could do.’
A flash of concern flittered over Jacques’s normally impassive face. He patted Pierre on the shoulder, calming his outburst.
‘Please don’t fret, Mademoiselle,’ Jacques suggested to Amelie. ‘I’ll deal with all of this. The authorities should be notified and the bodies retrieved. I will send a groom with a message for Monsieur Henri at once. ’Tis a terrible outrage. The brigands have become very bold. Pierre, I’m sure you did your best.’
Amelie nodded gratefully, leaning on Tilly for support.
‘Mademoiselle, perhaps you would kindly escort Mademoiselle de Montjoyeuse back to her boudoir?’ suggested Jacques to Tilly with a bow. ‘She should rest and let me handle all the details.’
‘Merci, Jacques,’ Amelie said thankfully. ‘You are very kind.’
‘Not at all, mademoiselle. I am at your service,’ Jacques replied. ‘Pierre, change the horses and be ready to leave at once.’ He turned to the two footmen. ‘Alain, you and François must take a cart back to the copse and retrieve the bodies of the Comte and Comtesse, God rest their souls. Their bodies should be returned to the chateau for burial. You had better take some blankets.’
Tilly took Amelie gently by the arm and led her away. She was unsure of the way and they were soon lost, wandering aimlessly in the seemingly endless palace corridors. Amelie was in a fug of misery. Her legs trembled, barely able to carry her.
Thoughts tumbled through Tilly’s mind. Who had killed the Comte and Comtesse? Why? What did this mean for Amelie? What could she do now?
Tilly found a seat in a quiet corner so they could sit down for a while and rest. At last, Amelie recovered enough to give directions back to the Montjoyeuse apartment.
There was another shock in store for them when they finally returned to the apartment. There was no footman at the door to let them in. No-one answered Amelie’s call. Inside the small apartment, every room had been ransacked and there was no sign of any of the servants. The girls went from room to room. Ornaments had been taken, armoires emptied, even the velvet hangings had
‘Monsieur le Comte tried to draw his sword, ordering the brigands to throw down their weapons, then ... Then they shot him and the Comtesse,’ Pierre sobbed.
‘Mon Dieu,’ Amelie gasped and sank against Tilly. Mimi pinched Tilly’s ear, as though to punish her for Amelie’s distress.
‘The leader ordered me to check that they were dead. Jean and I had to drag their bodies into the copse. As we pulled them away, the leader dipped his finger in the Comte’s blood and wrote on the carriage door.’
Tilly and Amelie stared at the door. Against the yellow paintwork could be seen three words written in dried, rusty-brown letters: Liberté. Égalité. Fraternité.
A freezing hand clutched Tilly’s heart, chilling her blood.
‘Liberty. Equality. Brotherhood,’ whispered Tilly. ‘It has begun.’
Amelie glanced at Tilly in horror, then back to Pierre.
‘The brigands ordered us to leave the bodies and return to Versailles immediately on pain of death,’ continued Pierre. ‘We didn’t know what else to do.’
Amelie started to shake. Mimi patted her cheek softly.
A third man strolled into the courtyard, dressed impeccably in the dark blue velvet livery of the Comte de Montjoyeuse, a tricorne tucked under his arm. It was the Comte’s valet, Jacques.
‘Jacques, Jacques,’ blurted Pierre, his voice trembling with shock and relief. ‘Madame and monsieur.’
Jacques frowned, taking in the blood-stained clothes of the servants, the empty carriage and Amelie’s distress.
‘Mademoiselle de Montjoyeuse, I imagine there has been some kind of disaster?’ Jacques asked with a bow.
‘My aunt. My uncle. Brigands ... murdered,’ stammered Amelie.
‘We had to leave the bodies,’ added Pierre. ‘There was nothing else we could do.’
A flash of concern flittered over Jacques’s normally impassive face. He patted Pierre on the shoulder, calming his outburst.
‘Please don’t fret, Mademoiselle,’ Jacques suggested to Amelie. ‘I’ll deal with all of this. The authorities should be notified and the bodies retrieved. I will send a groom with a message for Monsieur Henri at once. ’Tis a terrible outrage. The brigands have become very bold. Pierre, I’m sure you did your best.’
Amelie nodded gratefully, leaning on Tilly for support.
‘Mademoiselle, perhaps you would kindly escort Mademoiselle de Montjoyeuse back to her boudoir?’ suggested Jacques to Tilly with a bow. ‘She should rest and let me handle all the details.’
‘Merci, Jacques,’ Amelie said thankfully. ‘You are very kind.’
‘Not at all, mademoiselle. I am at your service,’ Jacques replied. ‘Pierre, change the horses and be ready to leave at once.’ He turned to the two footmen. ‘Alain, you and François must take a cart back to the copse and retrieve the bodies of the Comte and Comtesse, God rest their souls. Their bodies should be returned to the chateau for burial. You had better take some blankets.’
Tilly took Amelie gently by the arm and led her away. She was unsure of the way and they were soon lost, wandering aimlessly in the seemingly endless palace corridors. Amelie was in a fug of misery. Her legs trembled, barely able to carry her.
Thoughts tumbled through Tilly’s mind. Who had killed the Comte and Comtesse? Why? What did this mean for Amelie? What could she do now?
Tilly found a seat in a quiet corner so they could sit down for a while and rest. At last, Amelie recovered enough to give directions back to the Montjoyeuse apartment.
There was another shock in store for them when they finally returned to the apartment. There was no footman at the door to let them in. No-one answered Amelie’s call. Inside the small apartment, every room had been ransacked and there was no sign of any of the servants. The girls went from room to room. Ornaments had been taken, armoires emptied, even the velvet hangings had
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