Chapter 5 A Mysterious Night The door opened and Madame Bonacieux spoke to a young woman inside.
Doctrinion watched as they exchanged handkerchiefs.
What does this mean? he wondered.
When Madame Bonacieux left and hurried down the street, Doctrinion ran after her.
He touched her shoulder and she cried out, It's you! she said.
Oh, thank goodness.
Why have you followed me?
I was about to visit my friend.
He lives in that house.
Do you know Aramis?
I don't, she said.
I was talking to a woman.
Who is she?
That is a secret, she said.
If you still want to help me, please walk with me to my next meeting.
Once we arrive, you must go.
D'Artagnan did not want to leave her, especially with so many guards and secrets flying about, but when they arrived at her destination, he agreed to go home.
Back at his apartment, Poitier told D'Artagnan that he had only been able to bring Othos back, but some more guards had come and arrested him.
They...
Thought he was you, Clocher said.
He told me D'Atrignon needs his freedom right now.
The police will think they have him, which should give him a few days.
Oh, brave Arthas, D'Atrignon said.
I must find Monsieur d'Etreville and tell him what has happened.
Will you stay here?
You're not afraid.
Don't worry, Clocher said.
I can be brave when I put my mind to it.
On his way to Monsieur de Treville's mansion, Doctrinion saw a man and woman walking together.
The man wore a musketeer's uniform.
Doctrinion thought he looked like Aramis, so he ran to them.
The man turned, but it wasn't Aramis.
The woman turned as well.
It was Madame Bonacieux again.
I had your promise, she said.
You swore you wouldn't follow me.
I'm sorry, I thought this man was someone else, D'Artagnan said.
Please take my arm, madame, the man said.
Let's go on.
D'Artagnan was confused and wouldn't move out of their way, so the man stepped forward and pushed him aside.
D'Artagnan and the man both drew their swords.
My lord, don't fight, madame Bordesil said.
My lord, Doctrineur said, can you possibly be?
It's the Duke of Buckingham, Madame Bonacieux said, and now you may have ruined us all.
Please forgive me, Doctrineur said, I only wanted to protect her.
You are a worthy young man, said the Duke.
If you wish to help, follow us at a distance.
If you see anyone else following us, attack them.
D'Artagnan followed behind Madame Bonacieux and the duke until they entered the palace.
Inside, Madame Bonacieux led the duke through many dark and secret passages.
Finally, they reached one of the queen's rooms.
When the queen entered, the duke was struck by her beauty.
She was twenty-six, with eyes that sparkled like emeralds.
The duke knelt at her feet.
My lord, duke, the queen said, you must already know that I did not invite you here.
I know, he said, but I am in love with you and I wanted to see you again.
You must listen to me, she said.
Our kingdoms separate us.
We must never meet again.
Remember, I never told you that I loved you.
But you never said that you didn't love me, he said.
It was true that she loved him, but it was too dangerous.
If the king found out, the duke's life would be in danger and the scandal could lead to a war with England.
Just then, as if reading her thoughts, the duke told her he wanted their kingdoms to go to war.
A war?
Ends in peace, he explained, and peace requires an ambassador such as myself to come back to France and sign the papers.
Then I shall see you again, and no one will be able to stop me.
You are a foolish man, the queen said.
You must go now.
I don't want to see you harmed.
Let me beg for an object from you, something to prove that I'm not dreaming, said the duke.
Will you leave France and return to England, the queen asked.
I swear it.
She went into her room and returned with a small wooden jewelry box.
My lord, here is a gift for you to remember me by, the queen said.
The duke fell to one knee.
You promised to leave, the queen reminded him.
I shall be true to my word, your highness, the duke said.
Just give me your hand and I'll go.
Her eyes closed.
The queen offered him one hand and leaned with the other on the table, for she felt as if she was about to faint.
Passionately, the duke pressed his lips to her fingertips, then rose and left the room.
While all of this was happening, Monsieur Bonacieux sat in a small room at the jail.
He was very scared.
His cowardice was so strong, in fact, that it outweighed any love he had for his wife.
He would have revealed all of her secrets, if only they would free him.
But when the guards asked him where they could find Madame Bonacieux, he could only tell them that she had been kidnapped.
She escaped yesterday afternoon, said a guard.
Thanks to your efforts and those of M. D'Artagnan.
Luckily for you, we have arrested him as well.
The guards opened the door and brought in Athos.
M. D'Artagnan, will you explain what you and M. Bonacieux have planned? the guard asked.
But that is not D'Artagnan, said M. Bonacieux.
Not D'Artagnan, then?
Who is this man? the guard asked.
I cannot tell you, said Monsieur Bonacieux.
I don't know his name.
Your name, Monsieur, snapped the guard.
My name is Arthas.
But you said your name was D'Atrignon, the guard said.
No, Monsieur.
When the guards came, one of them asked if I was Monsieur D'Atrignon.
I said, do you really think so?
And the guards said they were positive.
Who was I to say they were wrong?
Where is my wife? interrupted Monsieur Bonacieux.
The guards told him that she was in trouble and then sent the men back to their cells.
Arthur shrugged and left.
Monsieur Bonacieux began to shake with fear.
The next day the guards took Monsieur Bonacieux to see the Cardinal.
The poor man was shocked to be questioned by such a powerful person.
You have plotted with your wife, the Cardinal said.
Together you helped the Queen meet with the Duke of Buckingham.
Told me it was you who tricked the Duke into coming here, said Monsieur Bonacieux.
Hold your tongue, you fool, the Cardinal said.
Just then the door opened and the man for Mont entered.
Monsieur Bonacieux shouted, That's the man!
That man kidnapped my wife!
The Cardinal called for his guards.
Take this man away, he said, and pointed at Monsieur Bonacieux.
The man from Mons, whose real name was Count Roffo, spoke to the cardinal.
The queen has met with the duke, he said.
My spy saw him leave the palace last night.
We have been beaten, the cardinal said.
Now we must seek revenge.
I have learned that the queen gave the duke a gift, said Roffo.
A box with some jewelry inside, diamond studs to wear on the shoulder.
Those diamonds were a gift from the king, the cardinal replied.
Perhaps this is how we shall catch them.
We must create a situation where the queen has to wear the diamonds.
When she reveals that she no longer has them, she will be found out.
We must make the queen believe she is safe.
She must not suspect that we know about the diamonds.
The cardinal wrote a short note and told Roquefort to make sure it was delivered to his spy Milady in London.
The note instructed her to find the duke and wait for him to wear the diamonds.
When he did, Milady was secretly to cut two of them off and bring them to the cardinal.
When Roquefort left, the cardinal asked his guards to bring Bonacieux back up.
I must apologize, the cardinal told him.
I realized that I was mistaken.
You are a worthy man.
I hope there are no hard feelings.
Monsieur Bonacieux, who had begun to think that he would be in jail forever, was surprised.
No hard feelings, he said, stuttering.
You are free to go, the Cardinal said.
I hope we shall meet again soon.
I enjoy your company very much.
In fact, I will have some money sent to you as my apology for putting you in jail.
Monsieur Bonacieux bowed and thanked the cardinal many times.
When he left, the cardinal thought, There goes a man who will do anything I ask.
He will spy on his wife and will tell me everything he learns.
The next day the cardinal met with the king.
Sire, the duke was in Paris, the cardinal said.
He left this morning.
What was he doing here? the king asked, alarmed.
My spies tell me he met with the queen, the cardinal replied.
The king had suspected for a long time that the queen was in love with someone else.
What he did not know was that the cardinal had also been in love with the queen once, many years ago.
She had turned him down, and the cardinal had been trying to find ways to hurt her ever since.
Oh, what shall I do? the king asked.
I must find out what she's plotting.
I hate to see you and the queen angry with each other, the cardinal said.
I think I know a way to solve this.
The cardinal reminded the king how much the queen loved fancy parties.
Perhaps she will be happy if you offer to throw a party for her, the cardinal said.
It will also give her a chance to wear the diamonds you gave her.
She hasn't worn them for some time.
We shall see, the king said.
It's a good idea.
Just then a messenger arrived with a letter for the cardinal.
He left the king for a moment to read the letter.
It was from my lady.
The note said, I have the diamonds, but I cannot leave London yet.
I will need money.
I should be back in Paris in two weeks.
The cardinal smiled to himself.
This would be a perfect opportunity to embarrass the king and queen.
Sire, I have another idea, the cardinal said when he returned.
If you offer to have the Queen's party in two weeks, it will give her enough time to plan and to invite everyone and remember to tell her how beautiful those diamonds will look.
