The Nymph of Versailles

Chapter 35

She rested her head in her hands. The king was late and she feared he wouldn't come at all. His lateness gave her time to imagine herself being led to the scaffold while Maintenon smirked from the crowd. There'd been more arrests, but so far no guards had come knocking on her door. It bothered her that the king had warned Soissons of her imminent arrest to give her time to flee, but he'd never said anything to her about the arrests or a warning of who might be accusing her.

When he finally appeared, thirty minutes late, she gave him a curtsey before casting him her flirty eyes and swaying her hips as she approached him. She'd piled on the rouge today to hide her pale cheeks. Her hands hurt from how much she'd wrung them.

"I missed you. I'm glad you could come to Clagny today." She craned her neck for a kiss and her heart gave a little jolt when he met her lips. Fontanges had left court for a convent already, sent away by her embarrassed family.

"Would you like a snack or some champagne?" She gestured to the tray she'd had the maids set out for her.

"No thank you."

She stilled. He'd never turned down her food before. "Please don't tell me this has to do with all those poison rumors."

"Sit down," the king commanded as he grabbed a seat for himself. "I'm here to find out the truth."

"The truth?" Her knees wobbled and she sat down. "What do you mean?" Her heart raced as she searched the king's face for any sign of what he might be thinking. He might as well be a statue. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a guard peering into the room. Her hands grasped at the arms of her chair, clinging as though for dear life.

"Have you tried to poison anyone?" the king asked.

She let out a gasp of horror. "Of course not! Whatever is being whispered about me is a lie. I've done nothing. I'm not a murderer, and I know you know that."

"You never schemed against Fontanges?" He kept his cool gaze pinned on her.

"I schemed to get her out of your bed every day, but not by poison."

"La Voisin's daughter has accused you of black magic."

She stared at him as she struggled to process his words. "Me?" She couldn't even remember if she'd ever seen Voisin's daughter. Was she in league with Maintenon or Fontanges? Or was someone leading the investigation plotting against her?" She shook her head. "Never and I'm offended anyone would accuse me."

He switched his gaze to the food sitting in front of him, but he didn't reach for any of it. "Colbert has claimed your innocence as well. He thinks Louvois is trying to get you out of the way for Angélique." He'd always been a supporter of Fontanges.

Plotting wouldn't be a new concept to him. After all Louvois once helped her get rid of Lauzun, but he was a smart enough man to throw his weight behind Maintenon, not the girl already sent away to a convent. "I promise you I've never used poison or whatever other nonsense is being claimed and I'm inclined to agree with Colbert. Louvois is a great supporter of Madame Fontanges and Madame Maintenon."

He stared past her, his brow knitted.

"Oh, Louis. Look at me." She lifted his chin with a finger. "Do you really think I'd stoop so low? I love you, yes a great deal, but not once have I considered murder as a possible course let alone black magic." She spat out the last two words, not enjoying the way speaking about the topic made her insides roil. "I have a lot of enemies because I'm the woman who loves you. My station alone is enough to garner accusations. Louvois is using lies to pave the way for a new mistress. Nothing more."