Her behaviour greatly calmed the crowd but the women still demanded
bread and food. They all insisted that the royal couple and their children must
leave Versailles and return to Paris, to be closer to the people.
The king reluctantly agreed, and after dressing in their travel
clothing the royal family made a triumphal entry into Paris. They have now been
placed under house arrest in the Tuilleries Palace.’
All in the room were completely silent as this latest news was taken
in. It was too much to even consider.
‘God help us all,’ Rene spoke softly.
‘And I must be away too, to share this dreadful news with many others.’
So Dunod and his fellow rider mounted again and galloped away as quickly as
they had come.
Laneve and Rene sat in silence, neither of them speaking for a very
long time. At last she put her arms around him saying, ‘Hold me, Rene, for I
fear that our time of suffering will begin soon.’
Autumn gave way to winter, one of the coldest that Laneve had ever
remembered. She mused by the fire as a March wind howled outside, occasionally
rattling the panes. Although Christmas had been peaceful this year it still
remained very quiet. Fewer guests now visited the chateau, as people preferred
to stay safely at home. Laneve’s concerts with Viotti had almost ceased yet
they still managed an occasional performance in the fine estates nearby.
Stories of the food shortages in Paris were never ending and thankfully
their root cellars were stocked with produce from the chateau’s garden,
providing them with a good supply of fruit and vegetables. All the chickens and
geese were safe in a warm barn, so eggs and poultry were available for everyone
at the chateau.
Malande entered the room where Laneve had drawn up a table and two
chairs. She carried two bowls of steaming soup on a tray.
‘Laneve, I have a surprise. Cook has sent us some tasty potato soup.’
‘This is wonderful, so much better than a hot cup of tea.’
‘And I’ve also brought you a letter. A young courier just rode up with
it.’
Laneve opened the letter as she exclaimed aloud, ‘Oh, how wonderful.
It’s from Marie. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen her. How quickly
time passes as Marie’s child must now be nearly four years old. I’ll read it
aloud so you can hear it too, Malande.’
Laneve, ma cherie
,
So much time has passed since we were together and I miss you very much.
I am once again carrying a child, our second. It is due in five months. Giles
and I have made the decision to leave Paris and journey to Normandy before our
baby is born. His aunt has a large home near the Norman coast and if this
present terrible situation reaches us there, we all plan to make our way to
London. As you know Giles’ father was an architect working for the King, as was
my father, so suspicion has fallen on all of us.
The other day someone on the street yelled out at Giles, ‘There goes
another royalist.’ A crowd began to gather, with some of them holding sticks
and clubs. Thankfully an empty coach passed by just then and collected him. As
soon as he returned home, we began to pack. When you read this letter we should
be well on our way to the safety of Normandy.
I have also received a letter from Dussek, who has established
himself in London. He urged us all to leave France. He sends his fondest wishes
on to you, Laneve and to Rene.
I miss you so much my dear friend. Please take care of yourselves
and do plan to leave France if events get worse. Stories of the arrests and
executions have even reached England now.
I hold you in my arms and kiss both your cheeks.
Love from your dear friend,
Marie
Laneve burst into tears as Malande rose to comfort her. ‘I will miss
Marie so much now that she too has left. Thank heaven I have you close to me,
Malande. You have become much more to me than a companion. You are a true
friend and now, a sister of my heart.’
‘Laneve, you know that I will always be here for you whenever you need
me.’
‘I want you to know that if Rene and I should leave our home here, you
will come with us. You are part of our family now.’
Time passed quickly as all went about the business of maintaining a
large country estate. Then on a beautiful day in the late summer of 1792 Rene
summoned Laneve with news she had hoped never to hear. ‘I must tell you that
once again an angry mob of people invaded the prison in the Tuilleries. The
royal family has now been moved to the Temple prison under tight security.
Outside the prison, a mob continuously calls for their deaths.’
Rene looked into her eyes as he addressed her. ‘Together with a small
group of diplomats, I have been ordered to travel to Italy immediately. There
we will visit the Holy See in Rome, in the hope of persuading the pope himself
to intervene. As France is a loyal Catholic country he may be able to save
Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis from the guillotine. I will leave
tomorrow but I will return as soon as this mission is completed.’
‘Oh no, Rene, do you have to undertake this?’
‘We will travel with an armed guard and I should be quite safe. I have
secured a courier who will deliver my letters to you every week. If anything
untoward should occur in my absence, Dunod will look after you as he will be
remaining here. I must now be away. Have courage, dear heart, for you will be
safe here until I return.’
Laneve had barely enough time to say goodbye before Rene too had left
her. She and Malande were alone.
Christmas had come and gone bringing little cheer as Laneve waited for
Rene’s return. Nearly six months had passed since his departure for Italy and
her concerns for his safely were being felt by all.
Malande suddenly burst into the study with a joyous cry. ‘Laneve, at
last, a courier has just left you a letter.’ Passing the letter to her Laneve
tore it open, hoping to see Rene’s familiar writing.
Instead it carried the following brief message, with no signature.
On January 6, 1793 King Louis XVI of France was executed. The king
remained quiet and regal with his hands tied behind him as he mounted the steps
to the guillotine. A huge crowd was in attendance and when he suddenly turned
to speak to them, a loud roll of the drums covered his voice. He was hurriedly
laid down and within the following moment his severed head was held up before
the people. How they cheered and shouted. He has been buried in a common grave
like all the others, with his head placed between his legs. Vive la Republique!
‘So it has come to this,’ cried Laneve as Malande wept openly. ‘Who
sent me this dreadful message and what has become of Rene? I have heard nothing
since his last letter, which I received in September. In it he recalled the
discomfort of the back country roads, taken to avoid the parties of mounted
rangers. The loss of a wheel from one of the coaches kept them all waiting for
hours in the rain until a farmhand could be found to help with repairs. He and
his party had nearly reached Lyon where they would cross the border then move
straight east to Turin and south to Rome. By now he should be returning on his
way home, yet I’ve received no word from him. I have finally asked Dunod to
send an investigator who will discover what has happened to them all. We should
hear something within the next month or two.’
Spring arrived and filled the gardens with cherry blossoms and scented
flowers. The warm sun lifted the spirits of both women who enjoyed filling the
rooms with bouquets of freshly cut flowers to welcome Rene when he returned.
Finally, Dunod made his long awaited visit to the chateau. Laneve
welcomed him into the drawing room once again. ‘Oh Laneve, this room has been
the setting for so many distressing messages from me and I’m afraid that what I
must tell you will bring you no joy. Please be seated as I share what I have
learned.’
‘You have no happy news for me?’
‘I have been told by the investigator that the Marquis de Marais and his
party safely made the crossing into the Italian city states. But before they
could even reach Rome, a group of Austrian revolutionaries captured and
arrested them all.
Their diplomatic papers were taken from them and read. It was
decided to charge them all as spies. None of the Austrians were sympathetic to
Marie Antoinette and her enemies now reach into every corner of Europe.
The entire diplomatic mission was imprisoned, interrogated and finally
executed. Rene and his party have all been buried in an unmarked grave near the
grounds of the Dungeons of Mantou.
I am so deeply sorry, Laneve, to be the one to bring this news to you.
There is nothing more I can say to give you any comfort. But I did learn that
Rene died with all the dignity and courage befitting a member of the French
nobility.’
On hearing this news, Laneve lost consciousness as she fell from her
chair to the floor.
Malande and the servants came running to attend to her as Dunod quietly
made his own way to the door.
‘I hope I will never have to carry a message like this ever again,’ he
whispered to himself as he mounted his horse and left Montmorency. ‘I can’t
bear to see Laneve suffer so much. She is far too precious to me now.’
Can the passing of time ever fully heal a deep open wound? Laneve
recovered very slowly from the loss of her beloved husband. Small pieces of
news reached now and again about the ongoing arrests and beheadings. It seemed
that Madame la Guillotine had an insatiable appetite for royalist blood.
Laneve often wondered if now she and Malande should also think of
leaving France. But where would they go – to London, Berlin or even to Prague?
Perhaps the time is not right yet to leave. We will wait a bit longer.
Finally in September, Viotti paid her a long overdue visit. He arrived
looking very tired and worn as his coach had taken the longer, safer route on
the back country roads.
‘Laneve, you must read this pamphlet that has just been published
by the royalist gazetteer, Gautier. We have both been viciously attacked in his
publication,
Journal de la Cour et de la Ville.
He then read aloud to
her:
‘This shifty Viotti, a Jacobin violinist and music director of the
Theatre de Monsieur has for his Penelope - a woman named Laneve de Marais, a
disgraceful harpsichordist. She marvelously seconds the anger of this reptile
as he gazes shamelessly at her breast. She hires him with her comical credit to
flood the theatre with trite pieces and will end up by playing these pieces
herself if she hasn’t already done so.’
Both Laneve and Viotti were furious when they heard Gautier’s
slanderous words. ‘I have made a difficult decision and have come to tell you
that my music and belongings have all been packed and sent on ahead. I will
continue from here to London,’ Viotti told her.
‘I dare not stay any longer in Paris. The opera which I direct has
closed down completely and my services are not needed in this mad city. I
wanted to speak once more to you, as you have been my friend, my lily of
inspiration and a magnificent musical partner. I will always treasure the
memories of the many concerts we played together. These have given me some of
the happiest moments of my life.’
‘Oh, Giovanni, stay here tonight for a farewell dinner with me, then
rest and you can continue on safely before dawn tomorrow morning.’
‘I have my violin with me and we will allow ourselves one final chamber
music performance after our dinner. I will retire early and be off before you
rise in the morning. You must promise me one thing only – that you too will
begin your preparations for departure. After this damned pamphlet, neither of
us will ever be completely safe again.’
And so they spent their final moments together in joyful friendship,
filling the chateau with their beautiful music for the very last time.
After Viotti had departed, Laneve called Malande to her. ‘We must begin
our plans now to leave France together. But before we can do this I have
something to show you.’
On her bed Laneve had placed several pieces of valuable jewellery: the
three stranded pearl necklace Mama had given her before her death, a diamond
necklace, bracelet and earrings, (her wedding gift from Rene), three smaller
pins encrusted with gemstones, several unset gems and a number of small gold
ingots.
‘I will place these in a strongbox, it will be locked and each of us
will keep a key. If I’m arrested you must hide this box in a safe place until I
return. You may not go with me to prison and this is an order, as I need you to
remain here at the chateau. If we are able to escape together before I’m taken,
we will dress as common women, slip away in a plain coach, and sew these jewels
into our clothing before we leave.
Tomorrow we begin to make these plans to be away this coming Sunday.
Tell no one, Malande. Your lips are now sealed.’
‘Yes, I will do exactly as you have told me.’
The next day Laneve received a scribbled message from Dunod. She read
it aloud in disbelief.
Laneve, I am on my way to Berlin. This morning one of my stable
hands reported that a group of revolutionary guards were making their way
toward our chateau. I asked him to give me his clothing, his old horse, and to
leave two fresh horses for me in the Charnade Forest.
I only had time to pack some gold and jewellery in a small sack,
with bread and cheese to sustain me on my journey. After smearing my face with
dirt and letting my hair hang loose, I was able to ride in my disguise past the
marching guards and make my way into the woods without being recognized. I was
off on a fresh horse before they reached my front door. I will ride night and
day until I’m safely away from France.