My Brother's Crown

by Mindy Starns Clark

  There was an excitement in his voice that both thrilled and frightened me.

  “I’ve thought about it,” I admitted. “When I was getting my doctorate, I did some work on the absorption spectra of nanocrystals, and that got me to wondering… I mean, I would never have had the nerve to go there myself, but I considered hiring a private investigator or a retired cop to run tests for me. I called Granddad to find out who owned the woods next door, thinking the first step was probably to get permission to be on the property.”

  “So what happened with that?”

  I shrugged. “The call went really bad. Granddad was not happy about the idea and told me to let it go. I guess his reaction sort of dredged up all that old stuff.”

  “I can imagine. What did you do?”

  “I did as he asked. I tried to let it go, at least for the time being.” I glanced at Blake, thinking he would understand better if he’d actually known my grandfather. He was a good man, but going against him in a disagreement was like trying to walk up the James River against the current after a hard rain.

  “Shortly after that he invited me to join the authentication team, and I enjoyed myself so much I didn’t want to rock the boat by bringing up the matter of the Incident again.”

  “You have a right to know what happened over there. All four of you do.”

  The way he said it, so resolutely, made me realize he had no doubt about the matter at all. He believed me. Not only did he believe me, he wanted to help me.

  “What do you say, Talbot? Want to validate what you’ve known all along to be true? Just say the word and we’ll go there and take a look.”

  I swallowed hard, my heart pounding with fear and excitement.

  “You would do that for me?”

  He smiled, melting my heart in an instant. “Sounds to me like you need to resolve the past so you can move on with the future. If this will help you do that, then nothing would make me happier.”

  I waited until the day’s events were over with before I talked to my cousins. We were in our room, on our beds, the familiar “slumber party” vibe flowing between us. But I had something to ask them that wasn’t the wanna-play-truth-or-dare or anybody-up-for-a-facial-mask kind of question. It was serious—and possibly life changing.

  I started by inquiring about their schedules and what they were like over the next few days. Both lived close enough to come here by car, and though Maddee had ridden with her parents, Danielle had driven herself. If they were to stay an extra day or two, I knew Danielle could take Maddee home on her way.

  “Why?” Maddee asked, her eyes narrowing. “What’s up in that complicated brain of yours, Renee?”

  I swallowed hard. “I have something I want to propose to you guys, but part of it depends on whether you’re in a position to stick around a little longer. I am. I’ve already talked with my supervisor and let her know I’m taking some extra time, and I changed my flight and extended my car till Wednesday.”

  They looked at each other and then back at me.

  “There’s something I want to do,” I continued, “whether you guys can be a part of it or not. But I’d rather not do it without your blessing. And ideally I’d rather you stick around and be a part of it too.”

  “This is totally your serious face,” Danielle said, sitting up on her bed. “What is it, Renee? Talk to us. I can swing an extra day. I’m not sure about more than that, but I could try.”

  Maddee nodded. “Same here as long as Danielle can get me home.”

  “Of course.”

  Maddee again fixed her compassionate gaze on me. “Whatever it is, honey, if you need us, we’re here for you.”

  Danielle nodded. “We got your back, girl.”

  I exhaled slowly. “I really appreciate what you’re both saying, but don’t speak too soon. This… thing I want to do, it isn’t just about me. It’s about all of us.”

  I sat up straight and tucked pillows behind my back, buying time as I tried to think of the best way to jump in. Finally, I decided to start within my own comfort zone and explain the science of what I wanted to do. I asked if either of them had ever heard of chemiluminescence. They both shook their heads.

  “How about luminol?”

  Maddee frowned. “Isn’t that what they use on CSI to find blood at crime scenes?”

  They shared another glance, their expressions growing wary.

  “Probably.” Pressing on, I gave the simplest explanation I could, telling them how the chemical luminol could be put into a spray bottle along with several other substances.

  “Blood contains hemoglobin,” I added, “which contains iron, and when blood is sprayed with the luminol mixture, the iron becomes a catalyst.” Resisting the urge to go into the full explanation about cyclic peroxide and electron transfer and 3-aminophthalate, I just said that the reaction increased energy, which was then released as photons of light, resulting in blue chemiluminescence.

  “Earth to Renee,” Danielle interrupted. “Can you bring this down a notch for us regular humans?”

  I smiled. “Fine. There’s this really cool chemical, and if you spray it on a surface where there has been blood—even if that blood is no longer visible to the naked eye, even if it’s been decades since the blood was there—chances are a chemical reaction will occur, and for about thirty seconds the residual iron from the blood will cause the luminol to light up as a distinct blue glow.”

  Maddee scooted to the edge of her bed, dumbfounded. “You want to test the floor of the cabin in the Dark Woods.”

  Looking from her to Danielle, I nodded. “Blake has offered to help.”

  Their eyes began to light up at the thought. After all these years, would we finally be vindicated?

  “I’m in,” said Maddee.

  “Me too!” said Danielle.

  “Wait,” I said, holding up a hand. “There’s one more thing. To see the glow, it needs to be dark. Which means going there at night.”

  I wasn’t sure why, but I expected discussion or debate or outright refusal. Instead, both of my cousins just grew quiet for a long moment.

  “If Blake can get things squared away in time, the plan is to do it tomorrow night,” I continued, speaking into their silence. “But bear in mind that luminol does have its disadvantages, including that it doesn’t always work. Though considering the amount of blood there that day, I feel it’s worth a try. So I guess the first question is, is it okay with you guys if he and I do this?”

  They both nodded enthusiastically.

  “Okay, second question. Do you want to be there when we do?”

  It took about ten more seconds of silent thought before Danielle spoke.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  Maddee sucked in a breath and blew it out. “Yes.”

  “Good,” I said, giving them a nod.

  As if recognizing the importance of our decision, Danielle surprised us by sitting up in bed, raising her right hand, and declaring, “From this moment forward, we will no longer be called the Liar Choir. Henceforth, we are to be known as the Truth Sleuths.”

  Maddee and I cheered softly and then we all hugged and cried a little. We spent the next half hour lying on our beds and whispering about what this would mean if it actually worked.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Catherine

  Catherine was determined to make the trip to Paris and Versailles a reality. She knew their options were rapidly dwindling and that Suzanne was their last hope. Wanting to build a spark within Grand-Mère’s heart, she kept bringing up old, oft-told stories in conversation, ones about her grandmother’s youth in Paris.

  Grand-Mère had grown up Catholic, but when she was sixteen she met a printer from Lyon at the pond in the Jardin du Luxembourg. He was staying with friends not far from her parents’ grand house across from the gardens, and they met every day for a week on the edge of the pond in front of the Luxembourg palace. On the second day they met, he told her he was Huguenot. There were not many Protestants in Paris
, and Grand-Mère was surprised that the young man she had so quickly grown fond of did not share her faith. But by Sunday she was willing to sneak away from mass at her family’s church, Saint Germain, to boat down the Seine with him to the Temple de Charenton, outside of the city.

  That very day she fell in love with both the young man and the Savior the pastor preached about. “I could have come to know that same Christ through my childhood faith,” she had said. “But somehow I had missed Him. It was not the fault of the nuns who schooled me or the priests who taught me. I think hearing it in a new way is what touched me.”

  She converted and married the man and moved to Lyon, into a home that far exceeded his humble description. She’d had no idea the position his family held in the city, even though her parents had discovered the Gillet family was nobility.

  But neither Grand-Père’s family’s stature nor their wealth swayed Grand-Mère’s mother and father into accepting her husband. They said she had disgraced them by marrying a Huguenot. In the few times my grandparents visited Paris after their marriage, Grand-Mère’s parents had been cordial to her husband but never warm.

  Grand-Mère may have left the Catholicism of her girlhood, but she brought her Holy Days with her, teaching them to Catherine. “There is a lot to learn from the rhythm of the days,” she said. Catherine liked that every single one not only had a number but also a name. This was the first Monday of the Octave of Easter. She liked the thought of it being the first. She hoped it was the beginning of something new in their lives.

  The physician came to examine Amelie that afternoon. On his way out, he also checked Valentina and said he was pleased with how she was improving. “She is filling out already. Amelie is better too.”

  Catherine nodded in agreement. “Do you think they are strong enough for us to consider going away for a time and leaving them behind? Grand-Mère has been invited to Versailles to visit an old friend.”

  “Medically that would not be a problem as long as there are others to care for them here. My bigger concern would be your safety, Catherine, in Paris and on the road. And Amelie’s safety here in the house, with the dragoons…”

  “Of course. We will not go unless we can assure there is protection both here and on our journey.”

  “Very well,” he said, smiling kindly. “Then I wish you Godspeed.”

  Once he was gone, discussion of the trip continued, with Amelie urging them to go but Grand-Mère still resisting.

  “Our temple has been destroyed.” Amelie’s voice was much stronger. “We are running out of time.”

  “I will not leave you, not with the dragoons here,” Grand-Mère answered.

  “They are not staying,” Estelle chimed in from the doorway to the sitting room, the baby still at her breast.

  Catherine turned toward her. “What?”

  “Waltier told me. Last night. Father Philippe made an arrangement with the captain. The platoon was already going south, down the Rhône, for the next several weeks. Father Philippe convinced him to send them ahead of schedule.”

  Amelie managed to walk to the dining room at dinnertime. The first thing she asked after sitting down was if it was true that the dragoons were leaving for a time.

  Jules nodded. “I confirmed it with Father Philippe this afternoon. They should be gone soon.” He was obviously pleased to have Amelie join them for the meal. After the food was served, he said, “Our prayers are being answered. You have come home, our solicitor assures me the Mother Superior has no claim on you, and you will soon be well.”

  She leaned toward her cousin. “I am so much better that Grand-Mère and Catherine can leave for Paris soon.”

  Jules nearly choked on his beef. He took a drink of wine and then said, “No one is going anywhere, at least not that far. Besides, I know you think Suzanne can help, but why? She is a friend of the king’s mistress, oui? What power do you think she has? Certainly none over Louis XIV.”

  “It is worth a try, non?” Amelie said softly.

  Jules shrugged. Catherine knew he would have a hard time saying no to their cousin. She had forgotten that, what it was like to have an ally around to sway him when nothing else could.

  “They will need someone to accompany them,” Amelie continued. “What about Pierre? Could he go?”

  Jules shook his head. “I need him to look at the mill on the Plateau. We are going down there soon.”

  Catherine’s heart sank until he added, “Perhaps Eriq could accompany you if you absolutely insist on going. I can spare him. Thanks to the king’s latest manipulations, we are short on orders.”

  Though Catherine would have far preferred Pierre, at least her brother’s suggestion of Eriq meant he was willing to help make the trip happen.

  “What if Eriq went with you to the Plateau instead?” Amelie asked. “Then Pierre would be free to go with Catherine and Grand-Mère.”

  “Non. Eriq has no experience with these sorts of things. And I do not—”

  A commotion in the kitchen kept him from finishing his sentence.

  “The dragoons,” Grand-Mère said, sighing. “God willing, we will only have to put up with them for a short time.”

  After a moment, a drunken Basile burst into the room, followed by Waltier, who appeared embarrassed by his comrade’s behavior, as usual.

  “Come in,” Grand-Mère said. “You will be served shortly.”

  As Basile took a seat at the table, Jules escorted Amelie from the room. Catherine tried to slip out as well, but Basile commanded her to stop.

  She kept going. “Get her!” Basile shouted, and before she could reach the end of the hall, Waltier grabbed her by the arm. “Play along,” he whispered.

  “I do not want to play anything with him,” she hissed.

  “I will protect you.”

  “Really? Like you did Pierre yesterday, at the fire?”

  He dropped his eyes. “I will do my best.”

  “Let her go,” Grand-Mère said quietly to Waltier. “You are heading south soon, oui?”

  Waltier nodded.

  “I will give your colleague a couple of bottles of our best wine,” Grand-Mère whispered. “That should distract him for another night.”

  Waltier shrugged but let go of Catherine.

  “Basile,” Grand-Mère said, stepping back into the dining room. “I have something for you. I need the help of my granddaughter in the wine cellar.” She jingled her keys as she came back into the hall. Then, before turning for the kitchen, she gave Catherine a push toward their rooms. She reached the suite and closed the door behind her, locking it.

  “I take it the dragoons are back,” Estelle said from the chaise.

  Catherine exhaled. “They cannot leave soon enough.”

  “Oh, I do not know,” Estelle said. “Waltier is not that bad.”

  Catherine frowned. “Not compared to the other one, non, but he is still doing the work—”

  “That he has been assigned to do,” Amelie said. “All of us have our burdens to carry, Catherine. This is clearly a burden for Waltier.”

  “Then why does he not quit?”

  “He would be hung for treason,” Amelie said, sighing. “None of this is easy. Not for any of us.”

  “Except for people like Basile. Or the king,” Catherine interjected. She had no sympathy for either.

  Amelie sighed again. “Non, we cannot guess at what demons torment them.”

  Estelle stood with the baby in her arms and started toward the cradle.

  Catherine helped Amelie into bed, and she could see in the weariness of her body the cost of having taken dinner at the table with the family.

  “I wish you could go to Paris too,” Catherine said softly.

  “I have never wanted to go. You were the one interested in fashion and the court, remember?” She leaned back against the pillow. “And traveling and adventures. All I wanted was a husband and a family.” She turned her head toward Valentina, her eyes shiny with sudden tears. “I just want to get we
ll and be able to care for my daughter. And for all of us to keep her safe.”

  Catherine sat down on the side of the bed and held her cousin’s hand. That was what they all wanted.

  On Wednesday, on the Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist, Grand-Mère took Catherine to Janetta’s shop and ordered two gowns, one brown and one gray. Both would be a little lower in the bodice than the ones she had and much fuller in the skirt. Both would be more appropriate for older, married women, Catherine was sure.

  “You are going to Versailles?” Janetta asked as she measured Catherine.

  “We may,” Grand-Mère said.

  “No one wears this sort of thing there,” Janetta said, stretching the measurement string down Catherine’s back.

  “Au contraire. We just had a letter that this is the latest fashion, set by Madame de Maintenon.”

  Janetta laughed, dropping the string on the floor. As she retrieved it, she said, “Certainly it’s the latest fashion for a fifty-year-old favorite, but it isn’t for an eighteen-year-old beauty.” Catherine expected Janetta to laugh again, but she did not. “She needs a colorful dress and, I’m afraid, a lower neckline. She will be laughed out of Paris, not to mention Versailles. As lovely as she is, she will be ridiculed. You do not want that.”

  Catherine’s face grew warm, though whether at the compliment or the warning, she wasn’t sure.

  Grand-Mère pursed her lips together and then said, “It’s a chance we will take. Our goal is not to have Catherine accepted into Parisian society but to speak with my friend—and keep our integrity.”

  Catherine was grateful for the dresses, she really was. But Janetta’s words caused her concern. Maybe she had been wrong about Paris.

  After Janetta assured them the dresses would be done in time, they left to continue their preparations for the trip.

  On Thursday of the Octave of Easter, Catherine and Grand-Mère took a chance on going out in order to deliver soup and bread to several elderly people in the area. They heard dragoons had been harassing the cobbler again, so on the way home they went by his shop. It was closed. Catherine peered in the windows, but there was no sign of anyone.