A Dangerous Masquerade Read Free Page B

children would soon starve.
    ‘Constance…’ Sister Helene came into the room.  ‘How glad I am to see you.  Forgive me – did you bring money?  We have none left and I must pay the taxes for this house and we need fuel for the fire and food.’
    ‘Taxes…’ Constance was taken back.  Would she have to pay taxes on the comte’s house?  ‘How much do you need?’
    ‘One hundred francs for the taxes – and whatever you can spare for the rest.’
    ‘Let us go into your parlour,’ Constance said.  ‘I must keep some for my taxes but the rest you may have.’
    She followed Sister Helene into the comfortable parlour and poured the money on to a small side table against the wall.  Seeing the piles of golden guineas, she was shocked.  Until this moment she had had no idea how much she’d stolen.
    ‘Did you win so much?’  Sister Helene looked stunned.  ‘There must  be more than two thousand guineas here – and another thousand in francs.’
    ‘Yes, there is a lot,’ Constance said.  ‘I shall keep two hundred francs in case I must pay more taxes than you, for the comte’s house is larger – but you may have the rest.’
    ‘Are you certain?’  Sister Helene put out a tentative hand to touch the piles of coins.  ‘I have never seen so much money.  This will last us for weeks.’
    ‘You must use it wisely,’ Constance said.  ‘I have been lucky but I may not always be so fortunate.  If the luck deserts me I may have nothing to give you.’
    ‘Why not keep some for yourself?’
    ‘No, I want nothing, except that I must have for the taxes,’ Constance replied.  ‘If you hide this safely it will last you for a year or more.’
    ‘Longer,’ Sister Helene told her, eyes shining.  ‘I cannot thank you enough for this, comtesse.  You have been so generous to us.  This day I had five more children brought to me here by my sisters.  If it were not for you, we could not keep this house going.  Pierre keeps us safe from that wicked man.  Were it not for him the children would be taken from us by violence.’
    ‘You speak of Andre Renard?’
    Sister Helene shuddered.  ‘If he ever discovered where we are he might send his men to raid us.  Even Pierre might not keep us safe then – but for the moment we have money and we are protected.  God is with us.’
    Constance made no reply as the nun made the sign of the cross over her breast.  Her guilty conscience pricked her.  If God was truly watching over them, what did he think of her action that night?  She ought not to have stolen what was not hers – but the temptation had been great.  The rich English milord had been so careless, so clearly bored by the whole evening.  Winning a small fortune meant nothing to him so he must have far more than he needed.  He would not truly miss what she’d taken – God forgive her.  It was for a good cause.
    ‘We must continue to hide the children from Renard,’ she said.  ‘Have you thought of leaving Paris – taking the children to the country, where they would be safe?’
    ‘My order is here in Paris – and it is here on the streets that we find the children who need our help.  God will provide.  He sent you to us, comtesse.  He will protect us from our enemy.’
    ‘We must pray that it will be so,’ Constance said.  ‘Is there anything more I may do for you?’
    ‘You have done more than enough.  You must not risk coming here again until it is necessary, comtesse.’
    ‘Another time I may send Pierre, but I think I shall not gamble for a while.  It will not do to push my luck too far.  I shall wait for a few weeks before I try again.’
    ‘As I told you, the money will last us for more than a year.’
    ‘Then I shall not come for a while.’  Constance inclined her head, hardly able to hide her yawn.  ‘I am tired.  I must go home and rest.  I shall send for Pierre when I need him.’
    Taking her leave of the nun and her servant, Constance made her way through