Manon and Belle Pt. 16

Belle and Melissa came back, and sat together on the sofa opposite Janine's chair, where Manon was sat carefully cleaning her burn and putting antiseptic on it. "Janine, I can heal a a little, but this is beyond me, your hand alone needs someone properly qualified as does the burn."

"Thank you my lady, but I already feel better, as does my hand, for your kind care. My lady, I may not have long before I must go, perhaps I'd best tell you my story?"

"Indeed," Manon said, and sat on the arm of Janine's chair, holding her good hand.

"Belle? Could I have that packet back please? I'll need it in a moment," Janine asked.

"So, let me first apologise and tell you why it is that I have put you danger by coming here. My lady, I have been declared outlaw, traitor and witch, and sentenced to death, so aiding me is a serious crime, for a citizen anyway."

"Outlaw, traitor, witch?" Manon said incredulous.

"Yes my lady. So, you remember that I was taken to hospital from the Château?" Manon and Belle both nodded. "Well at first that was all normal and they started to treat my wounds, but then it all changed. These men arrived, and arrested me, and took me from my bed, over the protests of the doctors."

"I didn't work out until later that it was not long after the old Duke died, and these men were his son's, as I soon found out. At first they didn't treat me badly, but I didn't get any more help for my wounds, and I was questioned incessantly by some nasty little pole. He was determined to make me admit that the deaths at the château were somehow my fault, that I had been negligent."

"I wasn't very polite denying that, and so after that I was taken away somewhere else. Somewhere worse. He came to my cell after I had been kicked and punched black and blue. I was lying on the floor, my wounds bleeding again, and he told me that I had been dismissed from the Guard, and was going be charged with treason."

"What made it worse, which I couldn't have imagined, he then told me that if I gave a written confession that I had been negligent at the Château and had used magic and other unnatural means to seduce and beguile the Duke's sister, 'to lead her into mortal sin' he called it, that I would be allowed to go into exile. I refused, so I was given another beating."

"The next morning I was dragged to another room, and strapped into a chair, and they did this," she said, nodding at her left hand and arm. "The two poles who did it were terribly matter of fact. They told me what they would do if I didn't agree to their fake confessions, and when I didn't, just calmly carried out their threats, stopping and asking me if I'd changed my mind yet."

"They broke my fingers one by one and then my hand with hammers, and then repeatedly dipped my hand and arm in a pot of boiling water, the result of which you can see. Then they told me they were swapping the water for oil and would start on my feet and legs next. They wanted my right hand to able to sign my confession you see."

"The last thing they told me before I passed out was that my Mary-Louise was in a nearby cell, and that if I didn't cooperate soon, they would start on her, to make her confess instead of me."

"How did you get away?" Manon asked, stunned at the descent into barbarity that this new Duke had started.

"They got careless my lady, and I got very very angry. They had loosened my bindings to move me while I was insensible, and were pulling my stockings off, presumably to get at my feet, when I recovered. I used the hammer they had broken my hand with, and killed one of them with it outright, and took his sword, and killed the other man."

"I could only think of trying to find Mary-Louise and rescue her, and I went on a bit of rampage, I'm not sure how many I killed or if I only wounded them, but it was four or five. They weren't properly trained my lady, even weakened as I was defeating them was easy, but for the fact I was exhausted already. The adjacent cells were empty though, they had lied about where she was, and then I heard the sounds of many guards and a lot of shouting, so I had to flee," she said bitterly.

"I found that I had been held in the old municipal jail, which apparently was being brought back into use, and I was able to lose my pursuers in the dark in the back streets and alleys. A lot of them, if not all of them, were foreigners and I've lived in this city all my life, so it wasn't hard. I've hidden out since, stealing some clothing and food and trying to avoid all these new constables that suddenly appeared."

"But news of my judgement reached me anyway, they started putting up wanted posters of my face this morning. I was both sick and getting sicker, making it harder to stay ahead of the search for me. So I came up with a plan, of sorts, and did what I had to today, though I nearly got caught doing it. They know I am somewhere near here now, and I fear it is only a matter of time before I am discovered. I wanted to find you in the hope that you would help me put my plan into practise."

"It's quite a mad plan my lady, and you've no good reason to aid me and get involved in this, so I will understand if you refuse. I'll just slip away and lead them as merry a chase as I can," she said calmly.

Manon thought that although Janine seemed to have recovered a lot, she was still weak and tired, and a chase wouldn't be likely to be a long one. Before she could say anything though, Belle chipped in.

"Well Janine, my lady has been known to have a few mad plans herself, so you never know."

"Belle?" "Yes miss?" Belle answered trying and failing to look innocent.

"I really don't mind spanking you in front of other people you know," Manon said, failing to wipe the grin off Belle's face.

"Indeed miss, it is a cross I have to bear," she said, the grin getting wider if anything. Manon rounded on Melissa who was giggling, and she quickly swallowed it with a snort when Manon caught her eye.

"Well, seems there's hope for me yet then my lady, according to your servants."

"Shortly to be my very sore servants, if there's any more cheek," Manon said grumpily. "Melissa dear, one more giggle from you, and I will spank you now after all."

"Yes miss," Melissa said, choking her laughter down.

"Enough, Janine please explain, and start with those extraordinary charges. Treason? Witchcraft? Is that even a thing any more?" Manon asked.

"Ah my treason is apparently conspiring with the attacks on the late Duke my lady. And yes witchcraft is actually still in the statute books, although I've never heard of it being used since mediaeval times. People like their magus doctors after all."

"Anyway," she went on, "the twisted logic that this nasty little pole used goes like this. Mary-Louise is a fine upstanding Duke's daughter, who must have been beguiled by dark arts, as that is the only possible explanation for her unnatural acts with another woman, namely me. Therefore this proves I am a witch, at least that's how this Skandinski put it to me before his thugs beat the crap out of me."

"My lady, you have seen the square and what they are building there?" Manon nodded, and Janine went on. "The scaffold is for some of late Duke's advisers, who have been convicted of treason. The stake," she said a hitch in her voice, "that is for me. They burn witches in Poland he told me, and apparently we do now."

"Madness," Manon said. "Utter madness."

"Manon, my lady," Janine corrected herself, "I won't burn, I'll go down swinging a sword in my teeth if it's all I can do, but I won't burn."

"So you'd best tell me this plan of yours Janine, dawn is breaking, and you said you didn't have much time. Tell me one thing first, what of your Mary-Louise?"

"Locked up in the palace. Dismissed from the Guard as though she were a felon, and locked up. I've not been best placed to find out more, but if her brother is mad enough to start hanging and burning his citizens, I fear for her."

"Yes, I see why," Manon said, "well now your plan?"

"Well, my lady, the way I see it is I can't get out of the City, they've got everything locked down tight, and I'm too messed up to get far anyway. So they will find me eventually. And execute me. So the only way I have of escaping is if I am already dead."

"Pardon?" Belle said, beating Manon to it by a second.

"My lady, open the packet please, if you would, it will explain. It was actually you, and that Dumain woman, who inspired the idea."

Manon's eyebrows went up, she had no idea where this was going, but opened the packet. There were some papers, obviously legal documents of some kind even at a swift glance, and a small brass cylinder, with a button and light on one end.

"Janine, you can't be serious," Manon said as she connected the dots.

"Well miss," Belle said, " she did warn us the plan was mad, and she's right."

Janine stayed silent as Manon opened the papers and quickly scanned them. Out of the corner of her eye Manon saw a shocked and frightened looking Melissa going and standing by Belle, holding her hand.

"You want me to take you as a slave?" Manon asked, hefting the branding tool.

"My lady," Janine said, "I've been declared outlaw, legally you could kill me where I sit, or enslave me, anything. I went to the slaver's guild today, which nearly got me caught as I was recognised coming out."

"I thought that if I had papers showing I was entering into slavery voluntarily, and that the guild was satisfied I wasn't mad or being coerced it would make it harder to challenge. My lady if I become a slave, your slave, then Janine Russell the convicted traitor and witch is dead."

"You'd expect that to hold up?" Manon asked.

"Not for long in Aquitaine my lady no. If things are this mad, I'm sure they'll come up with something else, if they even bother with the pretence of it being legal that is. My hope is it might give me more time, give us time if you take me, to get await from here. If I get away, then however long it takes, I might one day see my Mary-Louise again, even if it's only because you sell me to her. If I am dead, burned alive, then it's over."

"Belle?" Manon asked.

"Stark raving mad miss, with all respect Janine. I like it," she said laughing. "Miss, it's a world of complications if you do, here, and maybe in London with our friends, but I can't tell you what to do. I'll back you whatever you decide."

"Thank you Belle. Melissa?"

"Me?" Melissa squeaked, surprised.

"Yes you girl You are part of my small household now, this effects you potentially as much as me and Belle, so I'd know what you think and why."

"Oh, well. Miss, honestly I don't know, but I think there are a lot of reasons why it wouldn't be wise, that I don't know about and wouldn't understand," she said, slowly.

"But?" Manon said, "there is a but there isn't there?"

"Yes miss, it's something Eric used to say. 'The right thing to do is rarely the easy thing to do'. Miss, I can sort of hear him saying it in my head about this Miss. Sorry Miss," she said, wriggling with discomfort.

Manon just looked at her steadily for a while, and then smiled at her. "Melissa dear, remind me to ask you what you think more often."

"Janine?"

"Yes my lady," She answered, having been watching this carefully, her face a studied mask of neutrality.

"If I do this, it will be real. I mean you really will be my slave, and I will use you or frankly abuse you as I see fit, do you understand that?"

"My lady, I'd expect no less of you," she answered.

"I'll make you one promise though Janine, if we do this. I won't sell you, not unless you do something horrendous, like attack me or my girls here, or betray me. I'm not merciful by nature Janine. If at some point the opportunity comes for you to reunite with your Mary-Louise, I'll free you, so that you can be together."

"That's two promises miss," Belle said.

"Belle dear, spanking, remember?"

"Yes miss," she replied a suppressed giggle in her voice.

"My lady," Janine said, "I'd not ask that of you, or try to hold you to those promises. I have to make this leap on faith alone, and trust that somehow it works out."

"I don't want to be rude my lady, but I must point out that if you take me, you and your girls are at great risk. It's my belief that the new Duke's people will come after you as well as me, once they get over their surprise."

"I understand, thank you Janine, and for what it is worth, I agree. Now girl, you are exhausted, so I want you to go and sleep. If you still want to go ahead with this insanity when you wake up, then I will brand you, and complete these forms," Manon told her.

"No no protests, sleep, I need to know that you have a clear head if we do this, and aren't half crazed with lack of sleep. You might also want to think about how disobeying me if you are branded will get you punished."

Janine nodded and stumbled towards the bedroom, more than half asleep already. "Melissa go with her, keep her company. Come to me at once if you need to, that young lady isn't very well."

"Yes miss," Melissa said, and quickly followed Janine.

"Belle come and sit with me, and tell me I'm not mad," Manon said.

Belle sat and put an arm around Manon where she had sat on the sofa. "Not mad miss, stark raving off your head bonkers miss. And I love you all the more for it."

"And I love you too," Manon said. "Belle my love, we'd best sort ourselves some things out of the luggage. As soon as this is done, because Janine is going to go through with it, we are going to need those horses, and run."

In the end, there really was only money, weapons and a few extra clothes that they needed. Manon was upset to leave all the rest, but more would only slow them down.

They'd only just settled down on the sofa again when Melissa came in, "Miss, there's something going on, outside. I could hear them, there's constables and I can hear the goods lift. It squeaks and would never be used early like this when it might wake guests."

"Thank you dear. Belle, get Janine up, gag her and chain her, unless she's changed her mind. I'll need you to hold her Belle, this will hurt her."

"I remember miss, and I can hold her, but it won't be gentle," Belle said.

"Melissa open the door and listen out, when you hear people coming, warn me, and close the door, run back into the bathroom and wait."

"Yes miss," Melissa said.

Manon distinctly heard Janine say she hadn't changed her mind, and a few minutes later Belle marched her into the room. She had cuffed Janine's hands behind her back, and was still apologising for doing it, as it clearly hurt like the very devil, but she knew there wasn't a choice, as apparently did Janine.

"Last chance Janine, we'll hold them off if you want to run," Manon said.

"No my lady, do it, I beg you."

"Gag her Belle. You understand why Janine?" Janine nodded, she knew full well that the branding hurt, and she'd scream even if she didn't want to. Every slave did, when they were branded.

"Belle, how do want to hold her?" Manon asked.

"Lying down I think miss, on me. I can hold her body still like that for you miss, but I could use Melissa's help to hold her legs," Belle replied.

"Very well, chain her ankles together and lay her down. Weapons in easy reach Belle, but not in hand, I don't want to provoke anything if our imminent visitors are nervous." Manon quickly filled in the gaps on Janine's slave papers, and smiled as she filled in the name of her new slave. Hopefully she'd like it.

"Lift is coming Miss," Melissa said, closing the door and coming to stand by Manon. "You heard? About holding her legs?"

"Yes miss," Melissa replied, and quickly stripped naked. "Melissa?" Manon asked.

"Miss when you let them in, I thought it better if they see miss Janine as just another slave with your other slaves."

"Clever girl," Manon said, and gave her a quick fierce kiss. Belle returned, placing Manon's revolver, cane and sword next to her, and pulled her own nightdress off, giving Manon a quick grin.

Manon knelt down by Janine, who was breathing raggedly through her nose, clearly in pain and scared.

"Even sick, and wounded, you are lovely, and I am going to enjoy every inch of you at some point," Manon said, and kissed her on the forehead. Heavy footsteps were coming from the corridor then, and Belle lay full length on the floor and worked Janine up on to her, so that the chained girl's head was resting on her shoulder.

"Sorry," Belle said, as this clearly caused Janine a lot of pain as her burned and mangled hand was trapped between them. It was a testament to how tough Janine was that she endured this, with only some muted grunting.

Melissa, without being asked, went and sat across Janine's shins, and leant her weight forward to pin Janine's knees. Manon hoped it would be enough, and knelt by Janine, by her hip holding up the cylinder Janine she could see it.

"Forgive me," Manon said, and pressed the cylinder to Janine's hip, triggering it as soon as the light glowed green to show it was aligned properly. Janine went rigid and thrashed hard, bucking Melissa almost completely off her legs, but Belle grunted and held her tightly, though she got her face bashed by the back of Janine's head for her trouble.

Janine's scream was muffled by her gag, but clearly audible, and she went on grunting with pain as she relaxed.

There was some very loud banging on the door then, and a voice, Skandinski's Manon was sure, shouted, "Open in the name of the Duke!"

"Get her up on her feet, all of you, together. Hold her up if you have to, but I want them to see all three of you together, your brands clearly showing."

"Open I say"

"Coming, what on earth is all this fuss?" Manon shouted back, trying to buy time.

"Manon," Belle said, and threw her something, that Manon caught. It was a leather collar.

"Bless you Belle. Ungag her quickly," Manon said

Manon placed the collar around Janine's neck, buckling it on quickly. "I'd do that with more ceremony for choice," Manon said, and kissed a startled Janine on the lips, before turning away and opening the door.

Several constables crowded in, pistols and swords drawn, but Manon had stepped quickly back and away from the door and stood by her girls.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Skandinski, making not even the slightest effort to be polite, slid in to the room.

"Please, no pretences. We were informed you were harbouring and sheltering a wanted outlaw, a capital crime, and here she is." He must have sensed this situation was odd, as he slowed his little rant as it went along and he caught sight of Janine.

"Harbouring and sheltering?" Manon asked, "isn't that the same thing?"

Manon saw that Janine had somehow managed to stand up straight, even though between her restraints and the new brand she had to be in agony. "A fugitive?" Manon asked, watching the Count go purple with anger "Here, pray tell me Count , who would that be? Or should I say Monsignor?"

A nasty little gleam lit Skandinski's eye as he looked at Manon. "Don't think you'll get away with this, you perverted bitch, you have Janine Russel right there, naked. No doubt we have interrupted one of your unnatural sordid little pastimes. It will be your last."

"That's Lady perverted bitch to you," Manon replied. "There is no one of that name here. These are my three slaves, Belle, Melissa and a very new acquisition of mine, little Janine there in the middle."

"That's not a slave, that's Janine Russell, what tomfool game are you playing?" he said crossly.

"No game. Her papers are there, and she is as you can see branded and collared, and tightly restrained. I find with new slaves it is best to be firm."

"All that is beside the point, she is a convicted felon and you are all under arrest," he spluttered.