Reluctant Refugees

Tony smiled and flipped over his own cards: an ace and a 3... well that could be 4 or 14, but either way he had to gamble. He took a card: the king of hearts... damn, that meant he now had 14 by taking the ace as a 1. He would have to gamble again: the 8 of spades... bust! "First hand to you, Armand. Best of three?" he asked, gathering up the cards to deal again. This time Armand received the 2 of clubs and the 7 of diamonds.

He grinned at the unexpected victory and studied Tony suspiciously. "You let me win," he said but didn't push.

Then he examined his new cards. Ah well. There was no avoiding it this time. Armand looked longingly at the blank backs of Tony's cards, wishing he knew what they were. "Another please," he requested and got the five of spades. And his 4th card was the nine of hearts. He shrugged. "Yours I think, Tony. We're even."

Lord Dewhurst didn't even bother to flip his cards. He might have had a perfect 21, but he would never know, those were the rules of the game... the player could hold when he wanted, but the dealer had to keep taking cards until he either won or bust. Tony shuffled the cards with a flourish and dealt again: Nave of diamonds and the 8 of diamonds. It seemed like a good score, but was it enough to beat whatever lay face down? What would Armand choose to do in this last, all important hand?

Armand look at his cards and considered. "I think I will stay put," he said. "I seem to have better luck that way." He smiled tentatively at Tony.

Prudent, very prudent. Tony turned his own cards: 8 of hearts and 9 of spades... he had no choice but to take a card. He needed anything under a five to win. He turned the top card and felt his heart leap: 3 of spades... 20... he'd won! "Bad luck, Armand." he said graciously, but secretly relieved not to have been beaten by a novice. Had Armand taken the card it would have gived him 21, a hand only beatable by blackjack, which Tony didn't have. He packed the cards away in silence, wondering whether Armand realised this?

Armand yawned as Tony put the cards away. "Where are we to sleep? I hope these kind people are not being put out of their beds. Anything flat and warm would be good for me."

He meant to be as little trouble as possible, though he still longed a bit for a chance to clean up better. He didn't have the natural fastidiousness of an Englishman, but still being able to smell the reek of prison on his own clothing and hair turned Armand's stomach occasionally.

"I am terribly tired, and I know you must be even worse, as you were driving all day."

"There's a small cot in the next room for you. Can you walk unaided?" asked Lord Dewhurst, offering Armand an arm. He made no mention of the fact that there was no bed for him. Tony would sleep by the fire in the arm chair, with a thick blanket thrown over himself and using his coat as a pillow. It would be comfortable enough, though doubtless his neck would be awful sore come the morning, but he didn't want Armand feeling guilty. Armand needed the only bed far more than Tony.

Armand nodded that of course he could walk without help, but as soon as he stood, he felt incredibly dizzy and dropped back into the chair. He muttered to himself under his breath, not wanting Tony to think he was cross with him. It was his own weakness he hated. He knew he could not have been long in the prison, because he didn't recall eating at all while there, though food, inedible as it was, was offered during the last day or so. So he felt his continue frailty was due to some fault in his own nature.

"Pardon me," he said. "I did not realize I would--" Then he simply looked at his knees while gathering his courage to try to stand again. He pushed himself to his feet a second time, and did not wave away any offer of help this time.

Armand's colouring as he fainted back into the chair had worried Tony exceedingly and, when it became clear that he would make another attempt to stand, Tony did not give the man another chance to turn down his offer of help. Supporting Armand as best he could, Tony allowed him to lean heavily against him as they progressed slowly into the other room. "I have a few things to discuss with our host, but you should get some sleep. I want to be away as soon after dawn as possible."

The bed was a welcome sight, and Armand gratefully sat upon it before his knees gave way again. He nodded to all Tony said. "Of course. Please, Lord Tony, get some rest yourself. We've had an exceedingly easy time of it, and I do not think my countrymen will let us get away to England as easy as all that. If it were easy, people would not need the aid of our beloved leader."

Just thinking of Percy and Margot was painful, especially as there was nothing he could do to help, so Armand bit his tongue yet again to keep silent. "If you need me for anything, you know where I am." The smile he offered was rueful at best but he didn't want to give Tony the impression he took his help for granted.

The pretty girl in his dream suddenly developed a deeper voice, and Armand puzzled at it a moment before awakening. The figure of Tony looming over him frightened him all by itself. How many times had he woken in the prison to someone looking down at him? But this voice was calm, concerned, not anything else. Armand shuddered as the memory fell away and he fully recognized who had awakened him.

"What is it?" Then he realized it didn't matter. If they had to go, they had to go. He, for one, might yet be able to rest a little more. He felt sorry for Tony. "Nevermind, I understand, I think." He sat up, trying not to move too quickly so that he'd need as little help as possible. "Do we have time for the coach?" He didn't think he could ride yet, but he'd try if he had to.

"Yes, if we're quick." Tony didn't think much of their chances with a carriage in tow, but he wouldn't make Armand ride unless they had to. The risk of his passing out in the saddle was too great. "Get dressed... no lamps!... and ask our hostess for some food and water to take with us. I'll see to the horses. Ten minutes... alright?" Lord Dewhurst was already half out the door.

He didn't have to do much to dress, just find and don his jacket and shoes. He poked his head out of the room to find their hostess.

"Madame, could we trouble you for something to take with us for breakfast?" he asked in French. The poor, worried woman didn't answer him in words, just pressed a small wrapped bundle into his hands with a leather water bottle.

Armand looked toward the door, still framing a black night, and shivered. There was nothing for it. They had to leave now. "Merci beaucoup, madame." As if it would hurry him, the woman helped him to the door and then closed it behind him. He heard a bar slide across it as soon as it was shut.

Then he squinted into the darkness, lit only fitfully by the moon and stars in a cloud-cluttered sky. He chose a direction to walk into, looking for where Lord Dewhurst would be harnassing the horses to the carriage. It should make some noise, but Armand didn't hear anything. Perhaps he was already done and waiting impatiently for his nearly invalid passenger. Not daring to use names in the open, he whispered, "Are you there?"

One of the horses whinnied slightly at the sound of Armand's voice, but Tony managed to quiet it again. Lord Dewhurst had a real knack with horses. "Over here!" he replied in a hoarse whisper. Gingerly he held up a blacked lantern and opened the shutters a little so that Armand could find his way to the carriage.

He spotted the faint light and turned that way. He got to the carriage and whispered, "Do you want me to keep the food and water inside?" The step seemed rather steep but he grabbed the handle and tried to climb in on his own. The night air seemed so cold.

"Yes, but keep it close to hand. We may have to leave the carriage in a rush." Lord Tony shut the door behind Armand, replaced the cover on the lamp and then hauled himself onto the box to take the reigns. It was bitterly cold and the stars still shone down. All was so absolutely quiet that the slightest sound seemed absurdly loud. The snort of the horses, the steady clip-clop of their hooves, the scrunching scraping sound of the wheels, the creak of the carriage panels... Tony felt that they must be audible in Paris itself! How many hours of night remained to them? 1? 2 at the most. Then the locals would be up and about, ready to remark on a strange carriage at a stranger hour. At least he couldn't see the lights of the patrol, but that meant only temporary relief. The carriage was slow and made slower because he had to drive without lamps. The guards could overtake them at any moment and Lord Dewhurst drove with his heart in his mouth.

Inside the creaky carriage, Armand huddled small and kept the food and water on his lap. Every sound was magnified. His head ached from exhaustion yet. He almost nodded off in the rough rocking of the carriage, then startled fully awake.

Voices? He heard voices. Distinct. He listened a moment to be sure it wasn't Tony, then pushed back the cover on the door to the carriage to look outside. Yes...he couldn't tell if it were before or behind, but men were talking. More than one. And surely they'd heard the carriage already.

He knocked on the side. "Can you hear that?"

Lord Dewhurst had reigned in the horses and turned off the road. It was probably that which had woken Armand. Now the carriage halted and Tony sprang down. "There's a road block ahead, I think." he whispered hastily. "Not sure how many guards. Half a dozen maybe. I couldn't see. We can't take the carriage any further, but if we ride through these woods back the way we came, we might be alright. I think there's a road west of the trees that runs paralell to this one. Can you ride?" It was a brave decision. They would be riding bare-back with no maps, towards a road that Tony was nowhere near as certain existed as he tried to make out... but to stay where they were was not an option.

Armand took a deep breath and tried not to show how frightened he was of the idea of riding, especially in the dark. "I can if I must," he said slowly. Outside the carriage the voices were much clearer, probably carried a distance by the cold air. He hoped he and Tony were being quiet enough.

"Would they not watch both roads?" he asked as he climbed down, making sure to bring the wallet of food and water bottle. What he wouldn't give for a clever cache of false papers to allow them to get through the roadblock unmolested.

Then he tried to help Tony unharness the horses.