CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Rescue Plan

D'Artagnan and his friends sat discussing what they should do.

"We should have guessed that the Cardinal would do something like this," Athos said seriously.

The others all agreed with him.

"We must rescue her," d'Artagnan cried wildly, "We must act now; we cannot wait—"

Athos placed a hand on d'Artagnan's shoulder. "We will save her," he said quietly, "but we must think clearly first. Our enemy is a very powerful man in France, We will need the help of powerful people ... 

"The Queen will help!" said Aramis suddenly, "We must go to tell the Queen what has happened at once."

"Yes!" cried d'Artagnan, his eyes filling with the light of hope, "But how can we get a message to her?"

"I am familiar with a lady who is close to the Queen," said Aramis, looking quite embarrassed.

D'Artagnan suddenly remembered his first meeting with Aramis and the lady's handkerchief that he was standing on; he also remembered that Constance had spoken once with a woman at a window of Aramis' house.

"Aramis' idea is good," said Athos. "We should act at once. I hear that the King and Queen have been close recently. Perhaps she can persuade him to help us. Now, Aramis—tell us, how shall we send our message to The Queen? And how long will it take to reach her?"

Aramis looked over at the clock on the wall. "Our message will be given to the Queen by mouth," he said, "and will reach her ear within the hour ... "

D'Artagnan and his friends waited. Aramis promised d'Artagnan that the Queen would definitely help save Constance. But for three days there was no new news.

During those three days and nights, d'Artagnan was very worried and could not think about anything except Constance. He practiced his sword skills and sat in his room waiting to hear some news.

Finally, on the evening of the third day, Aramis arrived with news. "Madam Bonacieux is safe and well," he said.

"Tell me, where is she?" cried d'Artagnan.

"She was put into the prison of Mantes," Aramis answered, "but the King has written an order which says that she is to be taken to a convent"

"Which convent?" d'Artagnan asked with great excitement in his voice.

"I still don't know. The Queen told me that the name must be kept secret until Constance is safe there. Once she is safe, we will be told, and we can then go there and take Madam Bonacieux away to some safe place."

"How long until she is there?" asked d'Artagnan.

"Not long," said Aramis, placing a hand on d'Artagnan's arm. "Do not worry, my friend ... "

The Musketeers waited five more days before news arrived. Aramis came over to d'Artagnan's room, holding a few pieces of paper in his hand. "Here is a letter from my—my—my—cousin," he said. "Inside is the information that you have been waiting to hear."

D'Artagnan quickly pulled the letter out of Aramis' hand, and read:

DEAR COUSIN,

You should go to Bethune. My sister has left our old servant in the convent there. Here is a letter from my sister to take the servant out of the convent.

Goodbye, my dear cousin. Send news as soon as you are able.

MARIE MICHON

The other piece of paper was an order. It said:

Oct. 12th, 1626

The convent of Bethune will let the person holding this letter take the girl who recently entered the convent.

Anne

"Let us quickly go meet Athos and tell him what has happened," said d'Artagnan, "I will tell Planchet to go find Porthos and tell him to come to join us as soon as he can."

Just a few minutes later Planchet had gone and the young Musketeers had left to find Athos. A few more minutes passed, and the door to d'Artagnan's room opened slowly and quietly. Mister Bonacieux looked in without making a sound. When he saw that the room was empty, he came in and looked around. He saw the letter on the table and read it with great excitement. He was about to put it in his pocket, but then changed his mind.

"I should not take it," he said to himself, "or they might know that it was me who took it. However, the Cardinal will certainly be interested to learn of its contents. He will be very happy with me indeed."

Bonacieux then turned around and ran quickly down the stairs ... 

"Mister Bonacieux, my friend," said the Cardinal. "You are a good man. Please accept this bag of gold as thanks."

Bonacieux accepted the bag with large eyes, said his thanks and bowed deeply. He then left the room. The Cardinal rang the bell sitting on his writing table.

A moment later an officer entered.

"Bring Rochefort and Milady here immediately," the Cardinal ordered.

Just a minute later the door opened and the scarred Rochefort came in with the lovely Milady.

"Milady and Rochefort," began the Cardinal, "I need you both to leave Paris immediately on a mission of great importance. You both should remember a young servant girl of the Queen named Constance Bonacieux. I had her put in the prison in Mantes, but now this young lady has been freed and moved—by the Queen—to a convent in Bethune. A young Musketeer—her lover—is preparing to go to Bethune, and to move Madam Bonacieux to some secret place."

"A-ha!" Rochefort said with fire in his eyes. "I know which young man you mean."

"I know also," cried Milady, her eyes were angry as well. "You mean the Musketeer d'Artagnan, who caused me to fail you in the affair of the diamond earrings."

"Listen to the plan," said the Cardinal, "You, Milady, will go to Bethune by carriage, Rochefort will be your guard. Rochefort must not enter the convent, because Madam Bonacieux knows him. Milady, you will tell her that the Queen and her lover, d'Artagnan, sent you to take her to a place of safety. She has never seen you, and you should be able to trick her easily. I will write you a letter of order, but only use it if you truly need it."

The Cardinal sat down at his table and wrote a short letter.

"When we have the girl, what should we do then?" Milady asked, as he finished writing. "Where should we take her?"

The Cardinal thought for a moment and then wrote one word on the bottom of the letter. "It is written here," he said.

The Cardinal then wrote another letter and handed it to Milady. "Make her sign this letter. Let her know that she will stay guarded until she signs it. This letter will be very useful to me. Milady, use all your skills to persuade her to sign the letter."

Milady smiled terribly. "Cardinal," she said with eyes hard as stone, "I promise that I will not fail you again!"

(end of section)