Page 32 of The Rebellious Countess
“No one escapes Bagne of Toulon.”
He tamped down the growl threatening to surface as he chose to take another tact. “How do you know about Bagne of Toulon?”
“A member of theémigréarmy visited us at Caerlaverock and often spoke of the deplorable conditions at Toulon.”
Good God, how many spies dined at Caerlaverock? Not counting himself, because the ladies had not known his occupation, but the earl and now this namelessémigré. Perhaps he was the source of their trouble after all. Trying to inflect as little emotion as possible he asked, “What’s his name?”
Her brow rose as she ducked her head in a coquettish display that made him want to crush her delectable mouth with his own.Something he could never do again. “Why do you think it was a man?”
Focus on her question and not her mouth, he warned his over-eager libido.
“Because theémigréarmy wanted to restore the House of Bourbon to power, not establish women’s rights.”
“That doesn’t mean there weren’t members of the female aristocracy fighting with them.”
He sighed. This conversation was getting them nowhere. “The name of theémigré, Máira. It could be vital to Astley’s recovery.”
She dropped any semblance of flirtation and gave up the name without another word. “Comte Mathieu Armand du Motier. He is cousin to the Marquis de Lafayette, Gilbert du Motier.”
Good God. Did her family ever look into the lineage of nobility? He had worried over one of the sisters checking DeBrett’s and finding his lie, but it turned out he wasn’t the only man to hide behind a title while entertaining the Blair family. The Marquis de Lafayette, Gilbert du Motier, had no cousin. Mathieu Armand was as big an imposter as he was. Damnation. He let out a beleaguered breath and told her the brutal and honest truth. “I regret to inform you Mathieu Armand du Motier is a fraud.”
She laughed, a disbelieving sound that was not her normal joyous fare, until she saw the serious expression he leveled at her. Her face dropped. “You’re joking.”
He slowly shook his head. “I am not.”
Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. “Yes, you are. I have known Mathieu Armand du Motier almost my entire life.” When he did not waiver, she continued. “If you are not joking than you are sadly mistaken. The comte was business partners with myfather. We lost contact with him after my father’s death, but he has just recently come back into our lives.”
That caught his interest. “How recently?”
Her anger turned to suspicion. “I don’t see how this is relevant to rescuing Simon.”
“Is the comte French?”
“Of course he’s French. He fought in theémigréarmy. What else would he be? He barely escaped with his life in 1789. He came back to France several times and fought in the war. Each time he returned to Scotland injured and would recover with my family.”
“You remember him recovering at Urquhart Castle, not Caerlaverock?”
She gave one curt nod as if she’d proven him wrong. “Yes. The same man who visited my family and was my father’s business partner in the Highlands, began visiting us again last summer at my sister’s home.”
Could a man remain in one alias that long and never be detected?
“What was he doing while you and your sisters were living in destitution?”
“He searched for us, but was told the same thing Ross was told when he looked for us: we were sent to live with relatives. It was only when the comte saw the announcement of Iseabail’s betrothal to Nash that he learned our location, and he sought us out immediately.”
The man had not been living as Comte Mathieu Armand du Motier for the past ten years at least. How long he lived the lie before that, was still in question. By the frustrated look on Máira’s face as she began to pace, he didn’t think she would tolerate him questioning the comte’s identity any further.
“The comte is a fraud.” Hag spat out the truth in brutal fashion, her voice filled with recrimination and Elias groaned. The woman had the tact of a sailor using a canon.
Máira spun around, a gasp on her lips. She was just as shocked by Hag’s blatant eavesdropping as he was, only Máira’s surprise was wrapped in indignation. With her hands clenched in fists at her sides she accused, “That is a lie!”
“When a woman reacts blindly to a man’s ruse, she is being as stupid as a deer in rut.”
He had to give it to Hag, she knew how to shock and blatantly tell the truth in a manner no one could deny, including a well-born lady.
His wife sputtered for a moment. Took a deep breath and walked over to Hag and met her toe to toe. Hag quirked an amused brow but didn’t take a step back. She’d never been one to back down for as long as Elias could remember.
“My father trusted him completely. That is enough for me.”
