Manon and Belle Pt. 15

"Wise as ever Belle," Manon said. Melissa was wilting under the teasing, but Manon clipped a leash to her collar while the pink faced girl pushed her feet into her shoes. "Don't worry girl, we are just teasing you. So you are going to get a spanking, but you know that already, it's not because of this."

"Yes miss," she answered in a quiet voice.

"In future Melissa, when you know things that are useful, tell me or Belle? Don't assume we know just because you do. Now enough of this, lets go and see Granny Foster."

When they got downstairs, they almost literally bumped into Travers who was on her way in.

"Was coming to see you, message from the Captain for you, well two I guess."

"First the ship has arrived, and the Captain would like you to come and see her. Unless you've any objections, crew have decided on a name, and we'd like you there to wet the baby's head when she's renamed, so to speak."

"Oh, of course, and what's the name?" Manon asked.

"Forgive me, but I'm under orders not to say, it's a surprise for you."

"Oh well, alright" Manon said, non nonplussed. "What's the second thing?" Manon asked.

"Well Beth, Poppy and Jen, they'd like to take you up on the offer of visiting the girls' graves. Thing is my lady, with the ship arriving, things are going to get impossibly busy, even for the juniors, so it would have to be quick, or we won't be able to spare them."

"I can see that. Look I'll take them, but there's a problem, they'll need an escort. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I am very nervous, can a couple of the crew come with us? Two with Belle and me should be enough."

"Real danger, or just being safe?" Travers asked.

"I don't know, but more of the first than I'd like, though that's my gut talking," Manon said.

"I'll escort them myself my lady, but that just makes it more urgent. No way the Captain can spare us all after a couple of days."

"Well, tomorrow then? Could you come tomorrow, early? We can be there in back in a day, I'll arrange a coach. If we get back in time, perhaps I could visit the ship in the afternoon as well?"

"I'll say yes, and see you with the girls tomorrow at say eight? I doubt I'll have more than one other with me. If that doesn't work for some reason, I'll get a message to you as soon as I can."

"Good thank you," Manon said, and Travers quickly put a knuckle to her forehead before walking swiftly away.

"Did she just salute me Belle?" Manon asked, amazed. "Best not mention it miss, I don't think she knew," Belle said, laughing.

They walked on, and found Granny Foster at her stall, who gave them her typically warm welcome, which is to say almost none at all.

"No refunds," is all she said.

Manon laughed, "Not why we are here. I have some connections, in Burgundy, that might be of use to your daughter," Manon said.

"Oh aye," was the wary response.

"This is a letter of introduction, for her to give to my associate at the English Embassy in Lyon. It's not a promise of employment, but it will get her in the door, to meet with someone whose work regularly requires legal assistance, on contracts and so on."

"It's up to her, if anything comes of it I mean, but I hope it will help," Manon said.

"Hmm, I have to ask why? You barely know me, and don't know her at all?" Gran said, fixing Manon with a beady eye.

"Well two reasons now, though it was only one when I decided to do this. I'm not the marrying kind either as you put it, so helping your daughter who seems to be at risk because of that just appeals to me," Manon said.

"And this other reason?" Gran asked, still stony faced.

"Well, I only found out after we'd finished our business, that Melissa here knew you, and spoke highly of you. I think highly of Melissa, so that was good enough for me."

"Hmm, and this second letter?"

"That's for your daughter, from me. It has my London home address on it. If for any reason she should herself in England, whether or not Burgundy proves fruitful, I'd be happy for her to call on me, and assist with any introductions I might be able to make."

"Clemence, Clemmy in the family. She's thirty this coming new year."

"She looked a lot younger," Manon said, as she filled in Clemmy's name on the letter of introduction.

"She gets that from her mother," Gran replied, making Manon laugh, which dried up quickly when Gran's expression suggested she hadn't in fact been joking.

Returning to the hotel, Manon decided they would have a late lunch in the hotel's ground floor restaurant, so she sat Belle and Melissa down while she ordered. A further sign of all not being well soon became apparent as the restaurant was clearly under-staffed, a number of people who Melissa said should be working were not there.

The restaurant manager apologised profusely, not only due to the lack of waiting staff, but because the kitchen had the same issues, but a simple lunch was perfectly acceptable.

"Miss, it's very odd," Melissa whispered at one point. "It's so quiet."

"Yes, it is," Manon said thoughtfully when they 'd finished eating. "Belle, why don't you and Melissa go and organise a carriage and driver for us for tomorrow, and perhaps see what else you can find out about what is happening?"

"Yes Miss," Belle said, but Melissa hesitated. "Melissa?" Manon asked? "Oh, well miss, I can drive you surely?"

"Good point you can," Manon told her and Melissa smiled happily, though her face fell when Manon went on. "Thing is Melissa, this afternoon you and I are going to talk, and I am going to give you the spanking you earned, so perhaps you might not be very happy sitting down driving a carriage tomorrow?"

Manon laughed, and sent them off, before heading upstairs. She was just opening the door to their rooms, when a door at the end of the corridor opened, and she saw Eric Du Valle emerge, smiling at her but holding a finger to his lips to ask for quiet.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Manon nodded and went into her room, and Eric slipped in behind her.

"My lady," she said, giving her a courtly bow. "I think Eric, you and I may be past that," Manon said and kissed the older man gently on the cheek.

"Eric," she said once they had both sat down, "what on earth if going on, and where have you been?"

Eric rubbed his face, and Manon saw he looked very tired, like someone who has had too little sleep for several days at least.

"Well, for myself my lady, I have found it wise to make myself scarce. My new Duke doesn't like me at all, as has become very plain."

"Like Pauline, the lady you know as madame Grey, I am part of what the Duke sees as the rot at the heart of the Duchy. The 'morally corrupt and weak old guard' as he told me, with his father lying dead for not more than 30 minutes in the next room."

"Pauline was dismissed, and wisely has gone into hiding, which is where I shortly shall return, but I had to see you, for a number of reasons."

"The most important is that you must please get word to Sir James of what is happening here. The Duke has his own people, most of whom adhere to the odd religious views he holds, and many are foreigners. It is that which troubles me the most. Sir James made mention of a setback you and your suffered in Poland? The new Duke has replaced madame Grey with this Count Skandinski, who was I know at the centre of that affair. The Poles and he in particular are no friend to England Manon, of that you may be sure."

"Yes, I rather had that impression. He came to see me, demanding an account of what happened at the Château, and trying to slant my account of things so as to lay blame for the attack on the guards," Manon told him.

"That narrative is already spreading my lady, which brings me to one of the other reasons I want to talk to you, Janine Russell. She is being blamed for the attack, on the grounds she was negligent."

"That is nonsense, she was diligent and almost died leading the defence. I'm afraid we didn't have to time to get to know each other better, and now I have been unable to find word of her, not since she was discharged from hospital," Manon said.

"I thought you two would get on," he said with a brief smile. "I haven't been able to find her my lady. I had hoped you might have some word, as I am afraid my old information networks have rapidly declined."

"My lady, it is not safe for me already, and will I fear get worse. The Duke is having confidants of my brother's arrested, even his official ones, and I fear the unofficial ones like myself are in a worse case. There have been some deaths, and a number are imprisoned on the Isle, on patently ridiculous charges," he said. "I am not going to be added to the inmates."

Manon knew that the Isle was the way locals referred to the Ducal prison, that was on island off the coast, in an old castle and coastal fortification. It had a grim reputation.

"I am hoping you will go on trying to find Janine my lady, and aid her if you can. She is a little headstrong, and the Duke has a special loathing for her, because of his family issues," he said.

Manon smiled inwardly at Eric's delicate choice of phrase. The new Duke's youngest sibling, his sister Mary-Loiuse and Janine were lovers, and he profoundly disapproved of same sex relationships, believing them to be an affront to god. Well to his god anyway.

"I'm aware of Janine's situation regarding the Duke's sister," Manon told him. "She told me the story. Eric is it true the Duke had Mary-Louise dismissed from the army and summoned her home?"

"It is. She was dismissed as have been all the other women in the Guard, the arrogant fool. Though it wasn't just a summons. She was escorted home by some of his new Guard, all but a prisoner and is being closely confined in the palace," he said angrily. "That he could treat his own sister so! It is outrageous."

"Eric, I will not be here much longer, but for as long as I am, I will try to find out anything I can about Janine and will aid her if it is needed and in my power," Manon told him.

"Thank you, I am grateful. I have to tell you I think you are wise to be leaving, even though I hope that you can find of Janine where I cannot. Candidly, though it pains me to say it, I don't think you are safe here."

"There has been something of a change in the weather," Manon told him.

Belle and Melissa returned then, and Melissa jumped towards Eric with a huge smile on her face, before stopping and looking sheepish.

"Come now girl, you and I have no secrets from Manon and Belle, not after all that has happened," and he open his arms to her and gave her a big hug, which she slightly tearfully returned.

"I don't suppose I need to tell you that this scamp is like a daughter to me, despite her station in life?" Eric said as Manon looked on.

She laughed, as Eric gently set Melissa back on her feet. "Well indeed not Eric, but then she is not the only girl you have looked out for is she, I suspect that you would say the same of Janine Russell?"

"I would, and indeed have, though that may now do her no favours. My recommendation of her may turn out to be a heavy weight on her now, given how things are," he said sorrowfully.

"Eric, I wanted to talk to you about Melissa, and her future," Manon told him. Melissa looked petrified, and Belle took by her the shoulders and hugged her for reassurance.

Eric barked a laugh, and then apologised. "Forgive me my lady, Melissa was the third issue I wanted to speak to you about as well, please continue."

"I have to apologise, as I was careless and Melissa heard me talking with Belle, about herself and her future," Manon said.

"Yes she has a habit of overhearing things," Eric said giving Melissa a stern look, as the girl herself went pink with embarrassment.

"Indeed, well it means she knows that I want to buy her and keep her with me, or, if she doesn't want to go to England with me, at least let me buy out her contract and free her. I'd give her some money to help her start a new life."

Now it was Eric's turn to laugh, "ah my lady, you have beaten me to it. I wanted to ask you to take Melissa into your care, as I am loathe to leave her here, when I cannot protect her when I am gone."

"Gone?" Melissa asked in a small voice, looking tearful again.

"Gone." Eric repeated. "Melissa it isn't safe for me here with the new Duke. I am going to go into hiding for a while, and possibly, even probably, leave Aquitaine, though that breaks my heart. Those same changes do not bode well for girls like you Melissa, but I cannot take you with me."

"That would I think put you in more danger not less, and I don't know where I am going or how. I can't do that to you," he said.

Melissa wriggled free of Belle, and ran into Eric's waiting hug. "Hush girl, please. We talked about this, that one day you would have to go out into the world on your own, and now that day has come," Eric said.

"So my lady," he said formally to Manon, "I had these drawn up, in the hope you would be prepared to do me a great service, even though I can offer you nothing in return?" He held out a packet of papers to Manon, who took them and scanned the first page quickly. It was obvious what it was, a contract to transfer ownership of a slave.

"If you agree and we both sign, those papers would make you Melissa's owner, once a copy is lodged with the slaver's guild somewhere. If I can't look out for her, I hoped you might, but it seems you were already of like mind."

"I am. I have become very fond of Melissa, as has Belle, and want to keep her, but I won't force to leave Aquitaine, that seemed too much," Manon said, silently adding "even for me" to herself.

"And Eric, you have no need to offer me anything in return. I am in your debt several times over already," Manon told him.

"Melissa?" Eric said. "you knew what Lady Manon wanted to do, so what do you think?"

She wiped her eyes off on her sleeve and looked from Eric to Manon and back. "I didn't want to leave the hotel, well, honestly M. Eric, to leave you, but I wanted to stay with my lady too, it's been making me sick thinking about it."

"M. Eric? You really have to leave? Abandon your hotel and go?" she asked.

"I do, it really is the only way," Eric confirmed.

"Then I know what I want, if I have a choice," Melissa said, and Manon smiled at her as she knelt in front of her looking up at her. "My lady I am very happy to be owned by you, and I want to stay with you, if you will have me. Offering to free me is amazing, but that it isn't for me. There's nothing for me in Bordeaux if M. Eric isn't here, and I'm scared of the way things seem to be changing."

Melissa didn't see, but looking at him over her head, Manon could see that Eric was almost in tears, but was smiling hugely and looking relieved.

"Well then I'd best sign these papers," Manon said. She signed first, and handed them back to Eric for him to sign, but he paused a moment.

"Melissa, you asked if I was prepared to abandon my hotel? So that means you told Lady Manon that I own it?"

Melissa looked stricken, but could only nod. "Until I sign this, you are still mine, and you betrayed a confidence, thoguh I know you must have had good reason. Perhaps your new owner will do me another small service, one that I think she may enjoy?" he said as she continued to blush red.

"My lady, you were kind enough to punish the girl for me once before, if I might beg a favour of you? Perhaps you would discipline her again on my behalf, as sadly I have to leave. I want to be out of the City before dark, as the gate guards after that are more troublesome."

"The pleasure would be mine Eric," Manon said, watching Melissa gulp slightly and watch Manon out of the corner of her eye. Eric signed, and handed Manon the papers to lodge when she could.

"Melissa? I have to go," he said and he gave her one last hug, lifting her off her feet and kissing the top of her head as he put her down. He whispered something to her, that only she heard as he did.

"My lady, I must go," he said heavily, and kissed her hand. "Belle," he said, "take care of these two and of yourself," he said.

Belle dropped him a perfect curtsey, "until my last breath Monsieur," she said, getting over her surprise at being directly addressed quickly. With a last nod to everyone and a smile for Melissa, Eric slipped quietly out of the room.