A Powerful Little Love

Chapter 55

All eyes were upon Amorette in that tense moment, and she tipped her head to the side to accentuate the movement of her hat that was perched on her head at a jaunty angle.  What mattered now was not her feelings or her reputation.  She was not particularly formidable, but she knew women who were.  Countless times she had witnessed her sister manipulate a room with only a few small body movements and no words at all.  It was all about confidence in one's self-righteousness and forcing it upon others.

Amorette forced herself to grin wickedly around at her companions around the table and eventually nodded.  "Yes, I have!" she announced boldly. 

"Well I did not expect that..." mumbled the Vicomte de Turenne as his eyebrows rose swiftly upon his forehead.

"Why should it be expected or unexpected?" questioned Amorette.  "It is what it is."

"I think perhaps my dear Vicomte does not imagine how a musketeer and a very fortunate Cometess came to be within the same social circle at all to develop a liaison?" cried the King.  "It is a peculiar pairing; even though this is Paris."

Amorette felt her back begin to stiffen.  She had expected to be questioned about this particular subject, but hadn't realised just how protective she would become of her relationship with Athos.  "Yes this is Paris," she supplied hastily.  "Where members of the court do as they please; even disregarding their own wives or husbands.  I have no such husband to disrespect.  Athos has no wife, what is the issue?"

The Queen tried for a gentle smile.  "There is no issue Cometess."

The Queen had known though, of Amorette's feelings for Athos even if she had not known of just how much their relationship had progressed.  "Of all the men at court though; Athos the musketeer caught your eye?  I had thought Cometess that your standards might have been set a little higher," said the King.

Amorette sighed exasperatedly.  Before she could rush to defend herself though, the Queen got there first.  "Louis did you not hear what the Cometess said earlier?  She and Athos have been acquainted with one another for most of her life.  Surely it is more of a love match than some dissolute affair conducted secretly?  Is that not right Cometess?"

Amorette felt her cheeks heat as all eyes were upon her again.  She had not wanted to have to admit to the secret workings and desires of her heart in such company.  What she had felt since she was a child was a wholly private thing that she wished only to share with Athos and those few friends who they equally cared for.  There was also the question of believability.  A flippant fling with a musketeer wouldn't give someone of her status enough reason to lie and provide him with an alibi.  If she were in love with him though, she might be persuaded to lie to clear his name. 

Slowly Amorette began to nod, feeling her guard slowly slip away.  She would have to hope that her reputation and good name would bolster their good opinion of her enough to make her believable.  "You see I've known Athos since I was five years old.  I know him so well, and he would not have killed Lyall Fitzgerald under any circumstances; that is, not unless he had to.  If someone's life were in danger for example; but he's not the kind of man to act rashly and kill needlessly."

The King nodded suddenly, and Amorette breathed a gentle sigh of relief as she realised that he had bought everything that she had said.  "Yes, that is why he is a King's musketeer.  He did fight with Lyall Fitzgerald, we know that much.  The story we have been told is that the fight escalated."

Amorette shook her head lightly.  "I believe Athos may have been defending my honour.  He does not know Lyall as well as the Duke of Buckingham and I do, but he does understand the importance of the Fitzgerald name.  He would not become entangled in Lyall's games because he appreciates the man's nobility.  A Scottish noble is dead in Paris, and someone killed him.  There will be Scots who will be severely unhappy with this turn of events.  I know the Fitzgerald brothers are disliked by many, but they are from the Campbell clan.  Their family is loyal to the English crown and are therefore in favour.  They will want an investigation.  The English King will more than likely grant them one; that is if he has not ordered Lyall's death himself that is."