With no choice but to obey such a command, the driver touched the brim of his hat and scrambled down to locate a palace servant. In the mean time, Milady and Aramis helped Olivier clamber up into the carriage and followed him inside.
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” Olivier said without preamble.
Aramis sighed and looked down for a moment, as if contemplating his words carefully before speaking. He looked up, and his gaze encompassed them both as he said, “I was in it, so to speak, as soon as our actions brought us to the Cardinal’s attention. We all were. Richelieu will not so easily abandon whatever scheme he has in mind.”
Milady stared at him. “And you think that if you agree to take his bait, he will let the two of us slip away from the net.”
“Perhaps,” Aramis agreed. “However, if war is coming, I fear we may all be drawn into the web of intrigue regardless... but not today. Today, you will take Charlotte home and rest, while you recover from your recent trials. Right now, that is what I can promise you.”
Olivier was looking at him with an intense expression. “You don’t have to do this, old friend. Tell Richelieu he can go hang. Tell him you’ve got Latin students to teach. If this isn’t what you want—“
“Athos,” Aramis interrupted. “Please. As I’ve told you many times, I am a priest and a Latin teacher by choice.” He paused, the slow, devilish grin that had brought so many men and women to their knees lighting up his sharp-featured face. “But as both of you are well aware by now—I do like to keep my hand in.”
fin
The adventure will continue in Book 5 of The Queen's Musketeers series. Sign up for new release announcements at www.thequeensmusketeers.com and get access to the exclusive Queen's Musketeers prequel story, Book 0.
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Glossary of Period Terms
Adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit. Latin: Add a little to a little and there will be a great heap.
Backsword. A straight, single-bladed sword with a one-handed grip. In cross section, the blade has a triangular shape.
Betty lamp. A metal lamp with a receptacle for fat or oil and a spout-shaped opening to hold a wick of twisted cloth.
Braies. Knee-length, linen undergarments worn by men. Usually held closed with lacing at the top.
Chemise. A loose, light underdress or shift made of linen or cambric, worn under a lady's corset and skirts.
Doublet. A man's snug-fitting, buttoned jacket, usually waist or hip-length and worn over a loose linen shirt.
Dyscrasia. An abnormal or disordered state of the body or a part of the body, thought to be related to an imbalance of the four bodily humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
Frizzen pan. A small receptacle next to the touch hole on a muzzle-loading gun, which contains finely ground gunpowder, also called priming powder.
Hind. A female red deer. A doe.
Maine gauche. A dagger designed to be used in the left hand, in conjunction with a sword held in the right hand. Useful for attacking, parrying, and trapping an opponent's sword. Also called a parrying dagger.
Rapier. A slender, long-bladed sword with a sharp point and an intricate hilt. Used mainly for thrusting attacks.
Spanish paper. Paper impregnated with a red dye that was rubbed on the cheeks to make them rosy.
Book 4: The Queen's Musketeers, #4 Page 23