I eased out of bed as I heard the sound of horses returning to the Garrison. Athos slept but his brow was furrowed, and he was restless even with me trying to distract him. I picked up a shawl and wrapped it around my shoulders and pulled on my boots and stepped out on to the walkway that overlooked the courtyard. Aramis, Porthos and D'artagnan handed their horses off to the grooms and the three of the huddled together talking by the brazier in the middle of the courtyard..
D'artaganan rubbed the back of his neck and looked up and saw me standing there. He said something to the other two and they turned and looked up.
"Estelle" Aramis touch the brim of his hat "How is Athos?"
"Not happy" I said shaking my head as they started up the stairs "I tried to distract his mind but it's not helping"
"Well coming face to face with her and how blatant she is around the King couldn't be easy" Porthos sighed resting his hand on the hilt of his sword
"Athos still harbours many demons from his past and she is a big one" Aramis offered me a half hearted smile "You are the one thing that is keeping him sane at the moment"
"Am I?" I chewed my lip "I feel like my head is going to explode with all of this and that woman terrifies me"
"We will all make sure that you are safe" Porthos squeezed my hand
"I don't mean terrifies me in that way, I trust all of you. But Athos loved her once, married her and I don't think men do that if they aren't totally besotted" the three of them looked at each other and then back at me.
"Have you not seen the way that he looks at you" D'artaganan chuckled "If he is infatuated by anyone it is you Estelle"
"What happened after we left?" We all jumped a little as Athos spoke "and can we take this inside; I'm disliking the cold" Porthos opened his door and we all walked inside Athos caught my hand "You should go back to bed" he touched the side of my face
"I can't sleep" I said shaking my head
"Very well" he gestured to the open door and allowed me to step in first. Aramis handed me a cup of brandy. "So what did happen once Estelle and I left?"
"Treville met with the King and we didn't see Milady de Winter again after the King sent her to his rooms" Aramis said taking off his hat and putting it on the table "You cannot show yourself like that around her and the king"
"I was angry" He took the brandy from me and sank it and signaled to Aramis for more "She is the ghost that haunts my dreams each night" He got a dark expression on his face as he looked into the fire "The woman that made me a man and took my old life and gave me this one"
"For god sake" I threw up my hands "Athos you gave yourself this life because your stubborn arse became brooding and refused to talk to anyone about what had happened" He turned his head and looked at me I closed my eyes "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that"
"What are we going to do about her?" Porthos said cutting the now tense atmosphere
"What can we do she is the Kings mistress" Aramis sighed
"We can kill her before she does something to either the King or Athos" D'artagnan sank his drink. I pinched the bridge of my nose as the door knocked. Porthos got up and opened it and Constance was stood there. D'artagnan's face lit up.
"Constance" He moved and walked over to her "I did not expect to see you tonight" he kissed her and held her hands
"The queen sent me to fetch Estelle" they all looked around
"Why?" Athos and I both asked
"Because she wants to make sure that she is alright after what happened and after the reaction of you" He pointed to Athos "Had to that whore" she huffed
"I'll get dressed" I moved around the men in the room and over to Constance "Can you help me?"
"Of course"
"You are not riding to the palace at night alone" Athos said getting to his feet
"They are not going to be alone" Captain Treville came to the door "Aramis, Porthos you will both escort the ladies back to the Louvre Palace"
"No" Athos started to shake his head
"You're not in the right frame of mind to be there tonight" I said with a slight snap. I moved passed Constance and Captain Treville
"Estelle, wait Estelle" Constance hurried after me back into Athos's room
"Men! and they say we are the ones that are hard to understand" I threw the shawl on to the bed and picked up one of the dresses from the chest
"What happened?" Estelle frowned as she started to lace up the corset
"I'm not enough Constance" I looked over my shoulder at her "For Athos I'm not enough" I fought back the lump in my throat. I bent and picked up another cloak and put it on. "Let's go" we walked out of the room and to the top of the stairs
"Estelle" Athos caught my arm
"Athos, you need to take a look at yourself and let people into help you" I took a deep breath "I love you, God do I love you" I moved closer to him "But it feels like there is a third person in this relationship" I pressed my lips to his and moved away from him and down to where Constance was waiting with Porthos and Aramis.
Porthos helped me up on to the back of a horse before mounting his own. I turned and looked back up to Athos who was stood with D'Artagnan's hand on his shoulder. His face was stoic as he watch us all leave.
YOU ARE READING
Lost in the pages
RomantizmHave you ever got so lost in a book it's as if you were actually there. Estelle Bennett was left a little Old bookstore that used to belong to her grandmother, it was a place that Estelle had loved since being a child and her Grandmother had always...
