The Musketeers BBC / I can't breathe without you

A new day

Next morning, Anne got up early and walked around the castle on her own. The countless decorations and art work were fascinating, but it was rather hard not to get lost in the sprawling building. A short time later she came upon a very wide corridor, decorated with numerous paintings as well as an ornamented wallpaper. Anne walked past the paintings, but stopped suddenly and went back a few steps. What was that? There was a tear in the wallpaper in an unusual place, as if someone had cut through it. A painting in a large, heavy frame had been hung over it, but it didn't manage to cover the tear. She took a closer look, but she couldn't find anything else, so she moved on. Constance was surely up by now and today they wanted to see the grounds.

-----

D'Artagnan approached apartment 48 and knocked on the door. Constance opened.

"Oh, Monsieur D'Artagnan, what can I do for you at this early hour?"

"Security Chief Treville sent me to ask if you already have a plan of what you and Anne would like to do this week. We should be prepared for everything, so that we can take the appropriate measures." D'Artagnan froze when he noticed that Constance was only wearing pajama shorts and a low-cut top, so that he had a very good view of what she had to offer.

"Oh, of course, I already put together a list. Please come in." Constance opened the door all the way and walked over to the desk.

"Please, you don't have to be so formal, but I don't understand – you put together a list?" D'Artagnan followed her slowly. He tried not to stare at her too openly, but it was difficult.

"Well, I'm not just her best friend, I help her in business matters as well. I'm her assistant, if you want to put it like that." Constance rummaged around on the desk, which was strewn with papers and an open laptop. A number of papers had slipped to the floor and D'Artagnan bent down to pick them up.

"Oh,thanks, but you don't have to do that, it's embarrassing for me." Constance blushed. D'Artagnan didn't reply, he just handed her the papers. "Ehm, yes, thanks. And here is the plan."

"Thank you and please excuse the disturbance." D'Artagnan left the room, leaving Constance still rooted to the spot, perplexed.

-----

D'Artagnan walked down the corridor towards the employees' mess hall and joined his friends at their table.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Porthos asked around a mouthful of food.

"Well, at 2 o'clock the ladies want to visit the gardens. Everything is still quiet, so two of us should be enough. From tomorrow on it will be more difficult." D'Artagnan poured himself some coffee.

"How about you let us copy the plan, so that everyone of us has it, and we'll give the original to Treville. Who's going to volunteer for the gardens?" Athos asked, immediately taking charge.

"I'll do it. Aramis, do you want to come with me?" D'Artagnan looked at his friend questioningly.

"Since when are you so eager to volunteer for something? Could it have something to do with the fact that Constance – who is a married woman by the way – will be there too?" Aramis smirked at him.

"Just doing my job."

"Good, everything's settled then. D'Artagnan and Aramis are on duty today, Athos and I will check the equipment and discuss the next couple of days with Treville." Before Aramis could protest, Porthos got up and put his dishes away.

-----

"Good morning, Constance."

"Good morning, Anne. Wonderful day for the gardens. Breakfast should be here any minute." Constance said, making some room on the large table in the living room area.

"Oh thanks, I had almost forgotten about that. I hope I can talk to Louis today about what I can do here. I would like to help him around here and also look into some social projects," Anne said, taking a seat at the table.

"I'm sure something suitable will come up," Constance said, smiling dreamily.

"What are you smiling about so early in the morning? Did you meet a certain someone?" Anne tried to get some information out of her friend, but a knock on the door saved Constance. She got up and brought in the breakfast tray. For a French breakfast it was a rather large selection: a selection of different breads and preserves, meats and cheeses, a variety of fruits, two glasses of orange juice and a large pot of coffee and two cups.

"I will ask my cousin for a meeting. When do we want to start today?"

"After lunch. We could take a picnic basket with us."

"Oh, that's a very good idea."

The two women enjoyed their meal and talked about their first night at a new place.

------

Before lunch Anne managed to see her cousin.

"Anne, I've been told that you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes, thank you for sparing a little time for me. I would like to look into one or two social projects around here and I would like to help you with your work."

"Well, there's actually not all that much to choose from. There's a home for parentless children, they can always do with someone willing to help and you could take care of the financial part. I don't really trust my accountants and since you studied economics in Madrid, I think this would be the perfect task for you." Louis gave her a questioning look.

Anne smiled at him. "Of course, dear cousin. I'll go by the children's home and I'll keep an eye on your accountants. And now I'll let you get back to your business." She smiled at him again and left to go back to her rooms.

On the way there she met Aramis.

"Good morning, Anne, or rather good day. Have you made yourself at home yet?" Aramis asked giving her a small bow.

"Yes, thank you. Are you going to accompany us today?" Anne looked at him expectantly.

"Of course, if that is your wish. Unfortunately I'm a soldier so the beauty of nature isn't really my style."

"And what kind of beauty would be your style?" Anne started to enjoy their game. Aramis had something compelling and dangerous, and yet she had never felt so safe and protected with any other man, even though she hardly knew him.

"Well, I can certainly appreciate the beauty of the fairer sex," Aramis answered, before he left her.

----

"So, did you get a chance to speak to your cousin?" Constance had just tidied up after breakfast.

"Yes, luckily. I think I'll visit the children's home in the village and we need to take a look at the accounting."

"That's what I thought. I think we should skip lunch and take a picnic basket with us. Every minute we spend inside is keeping us out of the warm sunshine." Constance looked out of the window.

"You're right. We should go change and then we're ready to go."

----

For their little outing into the gardens Constance chose a thin summer dress with ballerina flats, while Anne decided on short trousers and a thin blouse. When there was a knock on the door, Constance went to answer it.

"Would the ladies be ready to leave?" D'Artagnan and Aramis were standing before her.

"Of course, we're ready to go." Anne came to the door as well, carrying a heavy picnic basket in her hand. Every inch the gentleman, Aramis immediately relieved her of the burden.

"Oh, thank you."

The two bodyguards led the women down a couple of corridors until they reached a side door. D'Artagnan opened the door for them and the women stepped outside into the courtyard.