Page 80 of Lord Appleby's Gorgeous Imposter
“Oui.A gendarme. Not just any gendarme, but one who was handsome.”
“Oui.”
“A man cunning and destined to rise in rank.”
Alert as an animal being cornered, Charmaine flicked her head to one side. “What do you mean?”
Viv changed to the matter that tore at her. “You paid him two gold Louis.”
Charmaine froze.
“His task was to hire a few in the mob to take one of us from the coach.”
Charmaine scoffed. “You dream.”
“It is, in fact, a nightmare.” Viv leaned closer. “You paid him gold. I suspect you took it from Papa’s vault in the library.”
“This is ridiculous. How do you manufacture this?”
“Better is the question, how did you?”
“You are quite mad, Vivienne.”
“Yes, very mad. Quite outraged. Angry. Wild that my own sister, my flesh and blood, paid someone to have our sister abducted.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You are insane.” Charmaine swept out a hand. The move was so swift, she startled in pain. “You have no proof.”
“I do, Charmaine. I do. What I want to know is, why?”
The woman sat silent as stone.
“Why? Hmm? I know. Diane was too pretty for your comfort. You didn’t care for anyone whom you considered a challenge.”
“Hell, there was you!” Charmaine pointed at Viv. “You looked just like me. The very image.”
“Yes, but I was young and so unlike you that you did not see me as a challenge. But Diane? Ah, yes. Our Diane was smart, wise to what happened in the Croix-Rouge in the tribunal.”
“What could I care for that, eh?” Charmaine growled.
“I suspect she caught you at your game.”
“No.”
“You learned she knew about your scheme to pay the maid or the man she met and kissed in the kitchen doorway. Diane knew, and you had to have her taken away. You had to have it appear to be an act of the mob.”
“No.”
“The abduction happened so easily, so according to your plan, that no one suspected. Not my mother and not me.” Viv caught her breath. “What you did not expect was that the man to whom you paid the two gold Louis would want greater payment.”
“No. No. This is fantasy. Get out.”
“Monsieur René Vaillancourt has had a stellar career in the French police. Handsome as the devil, charming as sin, he uses his intellect and his wiles ever so well. He is now deputy chief of police,” Viv declared with little satisfaction. “But you knew that.”
“Get out!” Charmaine pointed a shaking finger to the door.
