Luisa: The Orphan Tale

Part XVII: The Protestant in La Rochelle

The three lovers, Dubois and Genevieve had all packed their things and loaded them on two carriages now. That's where Dubois and Genevieve were off to, arranging a second carriage as one would be too cramped for all five of them they thought.

Luisa told of their reunion with Mignonette and they were surprised at all the fortunate meetings!

Soon they were set off on the path towards Brest once more! The girls' carriage trailing Dubois and Genevieve's closely.

Luisa recognized some landmarks on the return trip and was intrigued to see some of them from a different angle. It seemed a once tread path was not a fully explored one.

Chloe and Elise loved the trip and gazed at every beauty. When they weren't all fooling around and kissing each other of course.

Eventually they crossed back over into France and up the coast, eventually reaching La Rochelle where they stopped in the afternoon, to take respite for the night. Dubois was tired and felt unwell. Luisa fretted over him as he laid in bed in his room, his spirits just as happy and jovial as ever! Though he insisted after a few hours of fussing that Luisa leave his side and get some air.

She relented and exited the inn, leaving Chloe and Elise to a their meal they were enjoying with Genevieve.

The late evening was cold and frigid but she was warm from action so she didn't mind. She roamed the streets of La Rochelle seeing the last of the populace finishing their business before the sun set.

As she walked she soon found herself in what seemed to be a refuge for the homeless beggars of the city, she attempted to turn around and leave the beggar's alley but a man stopped her.

"I bet you've got some good coin on you!" He laughed as he eyed up her clothing.

"You can have it all! Just leave me alone!" Luisa said as she wasn't fool enough to stand up against six men, no matter how emaciated.

"We want more than money..." He said menacingly.

Luisa felt fear rush through her and terrible dread accompany it, but it was soon broken by a cracking sound. Followed by a few more before all the men had run off and she heard a man shouting. "You bastards are disgusting!"

Luisa opened the eyes she'd closed in fear to see a man in a tattered military uniform, he leaned on a rough wooden crutch and saw his left leg was missing. He had wacked the unsuspecting beggars over the head with this crutch.

"Thank you! I don't know what I would have done!" She said as she looked up at the man.

He was young but his face was wrinkled and tanned, by the war it seemed, dirty with dust and soot and a scraggly beard gree best it could over his face.

"What? Don't recognize me?" He laughed.

"Oh my! Frederic!?" She exclaimed. "My God! My past seems to haunt me these days!" She said as she hugged him.

"I'm not a ghost yet!" He laughed.

"Not what I meant!" She scolded. "God! What did they do to you!?" She asked as she looked him up and down, and at his missing leg.

"Blunderbuss, right to my leg. Surgeon had to amputate lest I get gangrene." Frederic said with a smile of all things.
"Navy has no need for legless sailors." He giggled. 

"You told me you were joining the army and get here you look like an old sailor and speak of blunderbusses!" She said.

"I didn't want you to worry eve more about be drowning." He laughed.

"You're a great swimmer." She said.

"Just can't run!" He joked. "So how are you!?" He asked.

Again, Luisa told her whole story to another person who needed to hear it.