The River Maid (22 page)

Chapter Twenty Five

Christian retied his cravat for what must be the seventh time, but it still wasn’t right. Frustrated, he pulled the strip of fabric off and started again. He looked at the clock in the mirror
’s reflection. There was still an hour to go before they would leave for the ball. He felt as if he was going into battle. There was the same nervous energy and anticipation. The waiting was always the worst part. Once he was there it would be different. Then there would be no time to think. There would only be one chance to do this. If they failed… He couldn’t think about the possibility of failure.

His valet came up behind him.
“Allow me, your Highness.”

He waited while he retied it for him.
“Thank you,” he said. It was the last time he would see the man. After tonight, he had told him that he would no longer be required. Christian had paid him until the end of the month and more besides. Doubtless he knew something was happening, but Christian trusted him to be discreet.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He had been dressed like this the night he had danced with Lorelei at the ball. He was dressed exactly the same, yet he had changed so much. He was not the same naïve boy he had been.

His mind turned to Adrianna. When he had spoken to her last night, she had shrunk back from him and he had felt her reluctance at speaking to him. She must blame him for what had happened to her. And why shouldn’t she? It was his fault that she had lost her legs, his fault she was in that tank. And all because Lorelei had loved him.

With a sigh, he went out to join Gaspard. The Frenchman sat staring at the fire, his customary glass of brandy in his hand.

“The horses are waiting for us at the gates as planned,” Gaspard said. “I’ve paid a boy to watch them.”

“
What if the plan doesn’t work?” Christian asked. “What will happen to her?”

“
We can’t fail. We will only get one chance to do this.” Gaspard regarded him, his usual cheerful face grave. “You know there will be consequences?”

“I know the risks.” He didn’t care what happened to him, all that mattered was getting Adrianna to safety. It all
rested on Adrianna breaking the glass. If she couldn’t do it, he didn’t know what their next course of action would be.

His valet entered. “Your Highness, Madame Renard’s carriage is here.”

“Thank you.” Christian shrugged into his evening jacket and followed Gaspard from the room. Elise’s driver opened the door of the carriage and pulled down the steps. Christian let Gaspard climb in first before climbing in himself.

Elise said nothing as they settled themselves across from her. They sat in silence, the air thick with tension as the carriage carried them through the streets of Paris. Elise wore a velvet cloak over her cream high-waisted dress. A rope of pearls was woven through her dark hair and she wore long silk gloves that reached up to her elbows. 

“This might be the last time we meet,” Gaspard said at last. “We might not get a chance later to say goodbye.”

Elise reached across and clasped Gaspard
’s hand. “I’m glad that we saw one another again.”

Gaspard pressed his lips to the back of her gloved hand.
“So am I.”

“
I just wish that I had been able to meet her.” Elise smiled wistfully. “You will take care of her?”

“We will,” Christian promised. “We won’
t let any harm come to her, you have my word.”

The carriage pulled up outside the palace alongside a number of other carriages. The footman opened the door. Christian climbed out first and then helped Elise down. He offered her his arm. She smiled as she took it and he escorted her into the palace.

He held his breath as they entered the ballroom, afraid they had already moved Adrianna. He was relieved when he spotted her in her tank. She seemed different tonight to Christian’s eyes. No longer staring down and hiding behind her hair, instead her eyes boldly scanned the room, taking everything in. She looked alert and determined. He hoped no one else had noticed the change in her.

The orchestra started to play. He reminded himself that he had to behave normally until it was time.

“Would you like to dance?” he asked Elise.

She beamed at him and took his hand and he led her out onto the floor. He had avoided dancing since he had arrived in Paris; it reminded him too much of the night that he had danced with Lorelei. He remembered how happy she had been. Her violet eyes had shone as she smiled up at him. And all that time she had been a mermaid. He held Elise close as he danced with her, one hand on her back to guide her, and he was grateful when she made no attempt to make conversation.

The music ended and they stepped apart. Christian bowed and Elise curtsied. As he escorted her back to where Gaspard stood waiting, she leaned up and put her mouth close to his ear. “If tonight doesn’t go to plan, I will do what I can to help you.”

“
I don’t want you to put yourself at risk for us,” he said quietly.

Her hand tightened on his arm. “
Promise me you will come to me if you need help.”

“Elise…”

“Promise me.”

“
I promise,” he said finally. She squeezed his arm and smiled at him before she rejoined Gaspard. 

The next few hours passed slowly. He tried to act normally and make conversation with the other guests, but he was conscious of Adrianna in the tank. He tried not to look at her. For once, he found himself dancing as a way to pass the time.

“What do you think of the creature, Your Highness?” The blonde girl in his arms smiled up at him.

“
It seems cruel to keep her in the tank,” he replied.

She laughed. “
Where else could they have put her?”

“They could have left
her where she was.”

She continued to smile, but he could see she was confused and didn
’t know how to respond.

“
I hope we shall see you dancing more often,” she finally said.

“
I don’t think I will be staying in Paris for much longer.”

He managed to extract himself from her arms and returned her to her mother before she could question him further. This could be the last ball he ever attended. After tonight, Napoleon would seize his lands and take away his titles. He looked around, but he realised he wouldn
’t miss being at court. None of it really mattered. He felt oddly free.

The clock finally struck ten. He waited for the chimes to finish before he casually went over to Gaspard.
“It’s time,” he said, keeping his voice low.

Gaspard nodded and moved to take up his position across the hall as the orchestra started to play and the dancing began. In the tank, Adrianna waited expectantly. No one was paying her attention. She was an ornament; a pretty object to look at. Christian caught her gaze and gave a short nod. She began to swim around the tank in circles. As she passed, she struck at the glass with her tail. She swam back around and as she passed again, she hit the same spot. Christian winced as she hit it. It must be hurting her.

A girl in a blue dress came up behind him. “Why are you not dancing, Your Highness?” she asked, her hand lingering on his arm.

Christian stepped away from her.
“I’m not well. Excuse me.” He ignored her, his attention focused on Adrianna. She was struggling to break the glass. He caught Gaspard’s gaze. He could see that he was worried as well. If she couldn’t break the glass, then their plan would be ruined. Adrianna swam around for the fifth time and struck the glass again. A tiny crack appeared. A few people, those stood closest to the tank, had started to notice the mermaid’s strange behaviour. Adrianna swam back around and hit the glass once more. The crack spread. He watched with his breath held. More people were starting to turn around and look. She struck it one final time with her tail. The crack raced along the glass, like ice cracking. People stopped dancing and the music broke off. There was a moment of silence and then the glass shattered and water exploded out.

The guests screamed as Adrianna was swept out. Soldiers poured into the room. People were screaming, trying to get away. Ladies were fainting. He heard Elise screaming,
“Someone do something. Take it away before it kills us.” Christian smiled. Elise had done a good job at inciting the other guests to panic.

Soldiers surrounded Adrianna, but none of them approached her.
“Pick her up,” the officer in command ordered one of the soldiers. The solider shook his head and stepped back. None of them wanted to touch her, he realised. 

Adrianna lay helpless on the floor in a pool of water and broken glass. Out of the tank, he could see her tail clearly and just how extraordinary it was. Light from the chandeliers reflected off her scales, making them glimmer in a rainbow of colours. He didn
’t understand how they could be repulsed by it. Without hesitating, Christian went to her and picked her up. He expected to struggle with the weight of her tail, but he lifted her easily. Her arms went around his neck.

“
Quickly,” he said to the soldiers, “can’t you see she’s dying. We need to get her back into water. What will the Emperor do when he hears you left her to die?” Her tail was slippery and he had trouble holding onto her. He tightened his grip. “Take her,” he said to the nearest soldier. He tried to hand her to him, but the soldier moved away, as he knew he would.

Gaspard suddenly rushed up.
“The fountain,” he said, panting. “You can put her in the fountain in the gardens until you find somewhere else.”

“
This way,” the commander ordered. Christian followed him. They needed to get Adrianna out quickly while the ballroom was still in chaos. Two soldiers followed behind him, while the others stayed to try and stop the panic. That meant there were three for him to deal with, but with Adrianna in his arms he would be unable to fight.

When they were outside in the gardens and away from the palace, he pretended to stumble and went to one knee.

“She’s too heavy. I can’t carry her further,” Christian said. He set her down gently on the grass.

The commander drew his pistol.
“Pick her up.” Out of the corner of his eye, Christian saw Gaspard move up behind the other soldier. He brought the butt of his pistol down across the back of his head. The commander turned and fired his pistol, but his aim went wide as Christian punched him in the stomach and then in the face as he doubled over. The other soldier was aiming at Gaspard, but Christian picked up the fallen soldier’s musket and swung it like a club, striking his face. The soldier crumpled to the ground. Christian threw the musket into the hedge. Adrianna watched the violence, her eyes wide. He scooped her up.

“
Quickly,” Gaspard said. “They would have heard the gunfire.”

They ran to the river. There were shouts and gunfire exploded behind them, missing them by an inch.
Christian struggled to hold onto Adrianna. She clung to him, her arms tight around his neck. They reached the river. The water was a dark, unfathomable mass  below them. He turned to see soldiers behind them. They couldn’t get to the horses that were waiting outside the gates. They would never escape that way now. He exchanged glances with Gaspard. They had agreed this might be the only way.

“
You’re free now,” Christian said, preparing to drop her into the river.

Adrianna frowned.
“What about you?”

“
Don’t worry about us.”

Her arms tightened around Christian
’s neck. “I won’t leave without you.”

“
There’s no time. They’re coming. You have to let go.”

“
No,” she said. He tried to pry her arms from around his neck, but she clung stubbornly to him.

“
Can you swim?” Christian asked Gaspard. Without waiting for his reply, he stepped up onto the stone balustrade. “We jump.”

He heard the shouts behind him getting closer. The soldiers had dropped to their knees and aimed their muskets. Christian jumped just as they fired. They hit the water. Darkness engulfed him. For a moment he was lost in the water, but then Adrianna took his hand and pulled him up. His head broke the water and he gulped in air. Adrianna dived back under and returned a moment later, pulling a spluttering Gaspard to the surface. The soldiers were firing into the river, but in the darkness their shots never came close to hitting them. Together, they swam away from the palace. Gaspard struggled to keep his head above the water, but Adrianna stayed close to him, helping him along. The river was foul and Christian tried not to think about what they were swimming through. Under one of the wide bridges that spanned the Seine, they finally stopped. Gaspard was breathing heavily and desperately trying to stay afloat.

“Are you all right?” Christian asked, treading water.

The Frenchman nodded, unable to speak.

“
We should split up,” Christian said to Adrianna. Darkness hung thick around them, but he spoke softly, afraid his voice would carry over the water. “You will make better time without us. Follow the river north out of the city. We will get the horses and meet you outside. They won’t be looking for us on foot.”