A Powerful Little Love

Chapter 35

The knock at the door surprised Amorette.  She looked out of the windows into the deep darkness and knew that it was relatively late.  She had tried to send Tilda home hours ago to pack some of her own things for their journey to Provins but the maid had refused the extra time and had helped Amorette arrange her own packing instead.  They had spent another hour after that talking by the light of the fire in the parlour about the house in Provins.  Tilda was remarkably interested in Amorette's mother's old home and listened to the stories Amorette told with avid interest.  The knock came as Amorette was slipping into bed and Tilda was making her way to the door to head home for the evening. 

Amorette sat up in bed and waited as she heard Tilda open the door and the beginnings of a whispered conversation.  A few seconds later Tilda's face peered around the bedroom door.  She smiled a little guiltily at Amorette.  The smile almost told Amorette the answer to her question before she had even asked it.  "Who is it?"

"It's a musketeer Madame, says he needs to speak with you tonight." 

Amorette groaned.  "Which musketeer?"

Tilda couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face then.  In the short span of time that she had spent working for Amorette, the observant maid seemed to know her employer better than Amorette did herself.  "Athos."

Despite her inner turmoil Amorette considered letting him in.  Wouldn't it be better to have the conversation with him now rather than have him pouncing on her the moment she left her rooms the next day.  Tilda stood waiting in the doorway expectantly for an answer.  Amorette groaned again and said, "Oh very well, let him in then.  But I'm not getting out of bed to receive him."

Tilda scampered away from the doorway and Amorette heard the tell-tale whispers as she let him into the parlour.  Amorette pulled the thick counterpane of the bed up to her chest partly to preserve her modesty, and also because for some strange reason she still felt a chill despite the large fire burning in the grate.  When Tilda showed Athos in, Amorette was pleasantly surprised to see that he didn't glare at her harshly or remain nonplussed with a cold expression.  Instead he was remarkably well mannered.

"Tilda you can head off home now, make sure Léo walks you to your door," Amorette said.  If keeping her maid on after her marriage had seemed pointless to Amorette, it had been nothing to how she had felt regarding Fabien's valet.  There was little enough work for Tilda, but Amorette had nothing in the way of work to offer Léo apart from walking Tilda home at night.  He obligingly took care of Amorette's horse from time to time and Tilda could always find him there in the stables with the horses.  Amorette had no doubts that a diligent and bright young man like him would be snapped up in no time by some newcomer to Paris looking for a valet.  In fact, she suspected Léo had refused any job offers because he was trying to pluck up the courage to pay particular attentions to Tilda.  He had been offered one or two positions, and Amorette knew this because she herself had written the boy a letter of recommendation. 

Her maid was standing in the doorway observing their late night caller avidly.  She slid a sly grin to Amorette before saying, "Are you sure Madame?  I don't mind staying."

"No, go home.  I have kept you far too long this evening as it is!"  Amorette waited until Tilda's footsteps retreated into the parlour and out into the corridor before she spoke again.  "I can't possibly imagine what this late night call is for Athos."

She watched the pleasant smile drop as Athos took a few steps closer to her.  "Your conversation with Treville earlier, what was it about?"

Amorette let a chuckle escape her lips.  "I was able to help Treville and the King by providing some information, but beyond that Athos, I don't really know if I can say any more.  You know yourself that I am not one to break someone's confidence in me.  I'm sure Treville will tell you himself though if you ask."