Spring Fires (39 page)

"I haven't been sleeping very well, that's all. I may have picked up a bit of the ague that has been circulating in the public room, but I'm certain I will be fine in no time."

After a few more minutes' idle conversation about the impending arrival of Citizen Genet in Philadelphia and Katya's wedding plans, Lisette politely inquired about the children of Caro and Alec.

Caro was glad for this perfect opportunity to broach the subject uppermost on her mind. "My youngest daughter has been quite ill these past few days with that nasty ague you mentioned. If not for that, I would have come to visit you days ago."

"Oh, really? Whatever for?"

With a quick glance in Hyla's direction, Caro murmured, "It is a subject I would prefer to discuss privately...."

Lisette could hear her heart pounding in her ears; instinct told her that Caro was going to speak about Nicholai. Could he possibly have arrived too late for the ship to England? Had he returned to Philadelphia? "Hyla, would you go into the public room and make certain that Stringfellow and the girls have everything in order?"

Noting the color that stained her friend's cheeks, Katya exchanged glances with Caro.

Grudgingly, Hyla Flowers obeyed after adding the sliced onions to the pepper pot that simmered over the hearth.

"Well?" Lisette prompted when the door had swung closed.

Katya began, "We realize that it is none of our affair, but Caro and I have been very concerned about the situation between you and my brother."

"Only because we care so much for you both," interjected Caroline.

"That is... very nice of you," she acknowledged, her heart sinking, "but rather beside the point now, since Nicholai has sailed for England." She paused, then added helplessly, "Hasn't he—?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Caro nodded. "Alec received word just this morning that the ship departed from New York four days ago, as scheduled, and Nicky was indeed on board."

Looking pitifully crestfallen, Lisette pressed a hand to her mouth.

"I knew it!" Caro burst out. "Nicky told Alec that you urged him to make this journey, but I knew you couldn't really feel that way. Why on earth didn't you stop him, Lisette?"

"Oh, I had plenty of reasons, but I won't claim that any of them made any sense. I felt threatened by the thought of Gabrielle, still alive—haunting him. I find it hard to believe that he could be happy with me, knowing that she still wanted him...." She smiled sadly. "Sometimes the pain of... caring so much has made me wonder if I'm not better off working here, where I am in control and the days pass smoothly. Another man hurt me once, and I am hurting now... and the idea of being rejected by Nicholai if we were any more entangled is terrifying."

Seeing the tears that glistened in her friend's sad eyes, Katya felt her own eyes sting sympathetically. "Oh, Lisette, you should have come to me. How awful that you've kept it all inside." She held tight to her pale hand.

"Falling in love has been more difficult than the deaths of my parents or the challenge of running this business all alone...." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I was out of my depth from the first night I met Nicholai. That frightened me."

"So you retreated—back to safer waters," Caro murmured.

"I kept trying!" Lisette wiped her eyes with the edge of her snowy apron. "He seems to be in my blood, though. He won't be dismissed. Since Nicholai left, I have dreamed constantly that he has come back... and in my dreams, the image of him in the doorway is so real that it seems I could touch him—but when I draw near and put out my hand, I waken to my dark chamber and empty bed and it seems that my heart will burst from the pain...."

"Oh, Lisette—" Katya was weeping, too, and wrapped her friend in a tight embrace.

Caro waited until they regained a measure of control, then demanded, "What do you intend to do about this?"

"What can I do? Ever since the letter arrived from Gabrielle, it seems that I had to let him go and discover the truth for himself. Now, I can only wait and pray that he returns."

"Oh—balderdash!" Caro ejaculated, surprising them all. "I think it is time for you to face a few plain facts, my dear! Love is a gamble—but you can't win by sitting back passively and waiting for the cards to fall into place. Do you imagine that Gabrielle is doing the same? I am begging you to listen only to your own heart. You must fight back. I know you can win!"

Lisette could scarcely find her voice. "But—how?" Suddenly, she felt exhilarated.

"Go after him! He loves you. You must believe in yourself. Frankly, this insecurity of yours would seem ludicrous to anyone not familiar with the details. You have no reason to be anything but confident!"

"She's right," Katya chimed in. "I am certain you could cast every beauty in London into the shade!"

"In—
London!"
Lisette echoed incredulously.

Looking satisfied, Caro propped an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. "Why not?"

A wave of panic swept over her. "I cannot leave the CoffeeHouse!"

"Why not?" Caro repeated calmly.

"I have responsibilities!"

"This CoffeeHouse will do just fine without you. My feeling is that right now your first responsibility is to yourself—and to Nicholai. You must save him from that scheming Frenchwoman! I happen to know that you have come into a large sum of money, so you can afford to make this journey, plus you will be confident of the CoffeeHouse's financial solvency during your absence. I also happen to know that the person who left you that money wanted you to use it to obtain your freedom from the drudgery here—if you so desired."

"Bramble will take your place," Katya said reassuringly. "And we—Nicky's family and all your friends—will make certain that nothing goes awry while you are away."

At that moment, Stringfellow saved Lisette from answering by poking his head in the door. He was wound tight with curiosity to learn what was brewing in the keeping room, and prayed that whatever it was would revive his mistress's spirits.

"Stringfellow," Lisette said clearly, "bring us some wine. Suddenly, I am parched!"

With a grin, he saluted and nearly caught the swinging door in his face. "Yes, ma'am!" Moments later, he was placing goblets and a decanter of claret before the trio, then backing happily out the door. Katya poured the wine while Lisette mulled over all that they had said.

"Obviously, you two have planned this in some detail," she murmured at length.

"The idea came to me the night Nicholai paid his farewell visit. I couldn't sleep, I was so upset! If it hadn't been for Alec's scolding about my interference and little Kristin's fretfulness, I would have ridden in to see you that night!" Caro lifted her wineglass.

Looking ill, Lisette followed suit, then told them, "Nicholai was here that night. After learning that his ship would not be leaving for two days, he decided to return for a more amicable farewell..."

"He was here
all
night?" blurted Katya.

Lisette blushed.

"And he still left for England?" Caro cried heatedly.

"The scenes between us seem to follow a pattern," Lisette admitted sheepishly. She couldn't bring herself to tell them that he'd asked her to come with him. "Although we have made progress, old barriers are not easily broken down. I didn't really think that I had any choice but to let him go...."

Caro sighed heavily. "Well, perhaps you needed this lesson to bring home the truth—but it isn't one that can be extended indefinitely! We mustn't give Gabrielle any more time than is absolutely necessary. I've known women like her and they can be very dangerous!"

Lisette nodded, thinking of Amelia Purdy. "Perhaps, but I don't see how we can be certain that Gabrielle is that sort of woman...?"

"After you have been with Nicholai for ten years, you will understand how I know."

Her words sent an excited chill down Lisette's back. Leaning forward, she looked from Katya to Caro. "This conversation is all well and good, but you haven't told me how I am to be transported to England, or what I will do when I arrive. How will I find Nicholai—and not appear to be a lovesick female who has chased him across an ocean?" Lisette could imagine a humiliating encounter with Nicholai. Gabrielle would be clinging to his arm, and regarding her with a disdainful expression. Perhaps they would be amused by her appearance...

"You have that uneasy look in your eyes again!" scolded Caro. "You must tell yourself that Nicholai loves you and that you are the only woman in the world for him. You are intelligent, strong, beautiful, and completely unique!"

"Thank you. I realize that you are biased—"

"Biased for good reason!" cried Katya. "Do you imagine that we would take up your cause so enthusiastically if you weren't such a spectacular match for Nicholai?"

Lisette straightened her graceful back in the old way; a familiar gleam lit her eyes. "Tell me, then: how shall I travel to England?"

Katya and Caro exchanged triumphant grins, then the latter replied, "We have plans to meet Alec and Randolph for the noon meal at the Walnut Inn, but there is also someone else who promised to join us here beforehand." Caro lifted the enameled watch that hung from a golden chain around her neck. "Goodness! It is later than I thought! I believe our friend may have already arrived! Lisette, won't you make his acquaintance? He and his family have been staying at our home these past few days—and he may just provide the vehicle for your reunion with Nicky."

Lisette was suffused with an excitement that she hadn't thought she would experience until Nicholai returned in a year or more—if indeed he did return. When Stringfellow opened the door and ushered a tall, dark stranger into the keeping room, she smiled irrepressibly. In some ways, he resembled Alexandre Beauvisage, but his countenance, accented by a thin white scar that traced one side of his jaw, seemed harder... more dangerous.

"Mistress Hahn, I presume," he greeted her sardonically. When he smiled, silver sparks flashed from slate-colored eyes.

"Lisette," Caro announced, "may I present Captain Andre Raveneau—your savior!"

Chapter 35

July 2, 1793

Lisette hurried to keep pace with Andre Raveneau as he strode briskly down Third Street. His mood seemed forbidding and she knew that his thoughts must be occupied by their imminent departure from Philadelphia, so she kept silent.

Just minutes before, Raveneau had come to fetch her at the elegant home of Nicholai's parents who had been kind enough to arrange a sunrise farewell breakfast. In the loving company of Katya, Randolph, Caro, Alec, Hyla, and Stringfellow, Lisette feasted on broiled fowl, buckwheat cakes, eggs, ham, and hot tea with lemon and cream.

Because of a recent outbreak of what people feared was yellow fever, the group had decided against gathering at the CoffeeHouse. It was located too near the waterfront, where the first cases had lately appeared. The educated opinion was that the fever had been brought to Philadelphia by a recent influx of refugees from Santo Domingo, where a bloody slave revolt was in progress. Contributing to the problem were the unsanitary conditions around the docks and the especially hot and humid summer the city was experiencing. Stagnant pools of water made breeding grounds for disease, on the narrow, filthy Water Street in particular. The Beauvisages had begun to talk about leaving Philadelphia for Belle Maison until the danger of an epidemic passed and Katya had been forced to postpone her wedding.

For her own part, Lisette was torn about her voyage to England. It had already been delayed more than a fortnight due to some unanticipated but necessary repairs to Raveneau's brigantine,
La Mouette,
and now, in light of the potential yellow fever outbreak, she was both hesitant to leave her CoffeeHouse and anxious to get safely away in time.... For weeks now, she had worked to make certain that every detail at the CoffeeHouse was taken care of. Meanwhile, the sweltering days had dragged by, heavy with fantasies of Nicholai and their reunion. Lisette experienced moments of agonizing nervousness, but they were overtaken by her yearning for the sight of his face and mocking grin; the feel of his embrace, and her own fingers touching the warm body she loved so acutely....

Totally oblivious to her surroundings, Lisette gave a heartfelt sigh.

"Mademoiselle, do not swoon, I beg you!" Raveneau said sarcastically. He grasped her elbow as they turned east on Spruce Street, bound for the waterfront.

"I was concerned about my business,
Captain Raveneau!" she returned sharply. "You men are not alone in pursuing financial responsibilities!"

"Vraiment?"
he mocked, pausing in the dawn's mist to press a hand to his linen shirt.

"As long as we are not in France, sir, why don't you stoop to the level of us Americans and speak English?"

He bit back a grin. "Your wish is my command, Mistress Hahn."

Feeling his eyes sweep her body, Lisette wondered, not for the first time, how she would elude this lawless-looking Frenchman between Philadelphia and England. It would be hard enough to be at sea with a crew of men, but Raveneau struck her as one who would not be dissuaded by the cool-headed, tactful rejections that had always kept the CoffeeHouse clientele at bay. She doubted that even a straightforward insult would work in his case.