Musketeer's Daughter:Unanswered Riddle

Chapter 30: Key

"Courtly life is not the glorious beauty and smiles you see. It is wrought with deception, hatred, intrigue. The Queen-Mother, Catherine de Médicis, seeks out every possible young woman and adds her to what is known as the L'escadron Volant."

Ysabeau knitted her brows and lifted her eyes to his. "Flying squadron?"

"Oui."

"Odd to call them that."

"They are seductresses who lure information from the King and any whom Catherine desires."

"How awful that no one could trust one another."

"Indeed."

"Ah, is it because of the war on religion?"

"That along with so many other clandestine activities.

"How have you come to know such secretive activities?"

"Andrién knows someone who had served under the Catherine herself."

"Ah." Ysabeau lifted her hands from her sides and placed them against his chest, enjoying the feel of his clothing against her fingertips. He clasped her hands and lifted them to his lips, caressing each fingernail with his kisses.

"Ysabeau," the urgent bass tone of his voice had her gazing deep into his eyes, "there is something Andrién has hidden from you."

She lost her breath, feeling her life tilt to sudden halt. "What? What has he hidden from me?" Breathless. It has finally come. Was she prepared to hear? Was she? Tears, strong and hard and fast, clogged her throat and she watched he knuckles tighten. Her head lightened and spun. "No." She took a step back, the railing that boxed them in was no higher than her derrière, but he caught her before she could fall to her death.

Ysabeau ducked from his arms, a sob wrenched from her chest and she flew down the stairs. She had contained these emotions for so long and solely based upon a fear so strong, she had feared truth would shred her tender heart.

"Ysabeau!" he called, the hatch closing behind him with a slam. His footfalls trampled behind her, faster.

"No!" Her voice spiraled to a shriek. So her hunch was correct; Andrién did hold secrets. Secrets about her. He had something going on that confirmed her suspicions. This was not happening.

"Ysabeau." Philippe finally caught her, held her tight. She wriggled from him, kneed and kicked and bit him, but he refused to yield. "I will not tell you if you do not wish it. I apologize, I had thought you wanted to know."

"Let me go, please." She wedged her hands against his chest and pushed. He moved from her with ease, and she turned in place and ran the rest of the way. Ysabeau cried out, her voice entangling with a sob when Mathieu barged in, his hands knotted into fists.

He did not bother to meet her eye, but glowered at Philippe from the bottom of the steps. "I do not care if you are childhood comrades with my père, or the greatest musketeer or the King's executioner! I want you out of my home. Now!" He slammed his finger toward the entrance.