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‘Then if it pleases God to spare us, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife in fact, not fiction?’
‘Oh, Jay, you know I will, but I thought you had vowed not to marry again.’
‘I was a fool. I had no idea when I made that vow that I would meet you. You have cancelled it.’ He paused as they drew up in the yard of the Cross Keys. ‘We have a long way to go before we can truly say we have escaped and there will be many hurdles and pitfalls on the way, but we will overcome them together.’
He was kissing her again as the coach came to a stop and Sam jumped down to open the coach door. He coughed. ‘Are you going to leave the coach, Commodore?’
They trooped into the inn to find Madame Barnard cooking breakfast. The smell of the bacon sizzling in the pan reminded Lisette that she had had nothing to eat since her previous breakfast and she was hungry. But first she must change; it was time to become Mrs Drymore again. She was conducted to an upper room where she found her portmanteau and some hot water. Hurriedly she washed and changed into the rose-coloured taffeta, repacked her portmanteau and returned downstairs.
They were all in the kitchen: Jay, Harry, Sam, Nat and Michel. Only Joe was missing, being already on his way to make sure there would be horses all along their route. Harry was in the uniform of a superior office of the maréchaussée, Nat and Michel were dressed as troopers. She hardly recognised her brother; he was sporting a moustache and a little pointed beard and thick eyebrows. Make-up made his face look fatter and older.
‘I’m to stay in disguise until we reach the coast,’ he told her as she hugged him.
‘Come and eat,’ Jay said. ‘Then we must be on our way. I do not know how long it will take for the gaoler to be missed and let out of that room, but there will be a hue and cry when he is. It may already have happened.’
Lisette ate some of the bacon and swallowed some wine and then she and Jay returned to the coach and, with Sam driving, set off for the barricade at a normal pace. Impatient as they were, it would not do to hurry.
‘The others?’ she queried. ‘What are they going to do?’
‘They are going to follow and block any attempt to stop us once we have passed through the barrier.’
‘Even Michel?’
‘Yes. We are Commodore and Mrs Drymore returning to England with safe conduct. We cannot risk having your brother in the coach with us if we are stopped—not even my diplomatic status would save us. My father told me if I were caught, the government would deny all knowledge of me.’
‘You never told me that.’
‘No, you had enough to worry about. Michel will be safe enough with Harry. No one would expect him to be one of those sent in pursuit.’
‘He is chasing himself.’ She laughed. ‘Oh, Jay, how clever of you.’
‘That was Harry’s idea. I only hope your brother is strong enough for the ride.’
‘He will be.’
‘And you?’
‘I am ready for anything, as long as you are by my side.’
‘Good, because here is our first test.’
There were two lines at the barricade, one to enter the city and one to leave. There was only a perfunctory search of those coming in to make sure they were not carrying forbidden imports like tea, coffee, tobacco or sugar, which could command ridiculous prices from those who could afford to pay. Vehicles waiting to leave the city, from handcarts to grand carriages, were thoroughly searched for aristos fleeing the country, taking gold and jewellery with them. Both were against the law and punishable by death.
They sat waiting their turn, moving up as the people at the front were either allowed through or taken away. Jay looked at Lisette and squeezed her hand. ‘Don’t look so apprehensive, my love. You must appear relaxed.’
She smiled at him as they jerked into motion and found themselves at the head of the line. A guard opened the coach door and put his head in. ‘Out, if you please,’ he said.
‘I do not see the necessity for that,’ Jay said haughtily.
‘I need to search the coach.’
‘I am an envoy of his Britannic Majesty and I refuse to be treated in this fashion. I shall inform your superiors.’
‘Nevertheless…’ the man began.
‘Oh, let us humour him,’ Lisette said, smiling at the guard. ‘We have nothing to hide and the poor man is only doing his duty.’
‘Thank you, madame.’ He was disposed to be polite.
They left the coach while two guards pulled out all the cushions and two more opened the boot and inspected their luggage. They even bent to search under the vehicle in case anyone should be hanging there. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, they allowed the travellers to return to their seats.
