Playing for Love

Chapter 3: A Daring Girl

(Author's note: Sorry, no I'm not writing: I just never published this)

Madeleine pulled at the tie of her cloak as she walked inside, gathering the cloth in her arms instead of hanging it beside its more elegant siblings. Helene appeared, tall and foreboding and steel haired, to take in what had happened without a word in response. Madeleine got only an approving nod and that was enough to send her on her way. The steps seemed shorter than usual, her body jittery with energy at what seemed like a successful first venture.

Then she looked up to find a woman on the landing.

Madeleine came to a stop, one foot in the air, one hand immediately drawing a knife from her sleeve. Then her shoulders slumped and she gave a tired smile.

"Milady. It's a bit late for tea, isn't it?"

Milady de Winter raised an eyebrow and drew open the door to Madeleine's rooms, holding it for the younger woman to enter first. She followed after, locking the door and gesturing for Madeleine to sit at the chair at her vanity.

Madeleine went to a small chest and placed her cloak inside, not bothering to lock it up again while she was still wearing the dress. She moved to the chair and leaned forward, studying her cheek in the glass with a small frown.

"Men are such brutes, no matter their station," Milady observed, taking a cloth from her pocket and moving to wet it in the wash basin. Madeleine let her cheek be washed of blood and then reached for the vanity. She opened a drawer in the vanity and bottles clinked as she searched for a small jar of the salve Aramis had suggested ten minutes earlier.

She looked up and met Milady's eyes as she applied the medicine, wordlessly asking a question.

"You're not the only one keeping an eye on our handsome musketeers." Milady smirked and began to explore the room, opening various doors and drawers with mild curiosity. "You were quite the little actress, weren't you?"

Madeleine winced and shrugged at the same time, dabbing at her face with distaste in her eyes. "I'm more worried about meeting the other two."

"Oh?"

"Aramis..." Madeleine wiped her fingers on the bloody cloth and tossed it in the basin to soak. "Only needed a pretty smile and a joke. He enjoys having his questions unanswered. Athos does not have the same reputation."

Milady's smile fell away. "No. No, he does not. But he will not antagonize you if you seem uncomfortable rather than guilty... which, with your..." She trailed off giving an apologetic look. "If you are pressed, you have a ready-made story to mislead them."

Madeleine yawned and began unpinning her hair. "You won't tell Father that I hurt my face, will you?"

"If you don't tell him that I was here..." Milady wandered to the window. "Or anything else we spoke of. Then I suppose I won't tell him of your other nighttime wanderings, either."

Madeleine took out a brush, moving over to stand at her teacher's side as she began to move it through the tangles in her hair. "How I am to be a full person if I live only in these rooms? Am I to learn how to flirt from watching someone set the table? To blend in from the monks at Sunday mass?"

"Peace, Madeleine." Milady played with her necklace, never looking away from the window. "I am only reminding you that we keep each other's secrets."

"You're threatening me," Madeleine complained, only half serious. "You owe me some help to make up for it."

"I'll see what I can rustle up... There's always plenty of dirty work that's a bit beneath the Red Guard's notice. Why not let the Musketeers do the sweeping up?" Milady leaned forward and gave a slight smile of triumph, then pulled back and swung the curtain shut. "Well, I must be going. Say hello to Helene for me, will you?"