Chapter 4: An unpleasant birthday surprise.

The 24th of November, 1825, was my thirty fifth birthday, and also the fifth anniversary of the burning of Hungerford Hall and the deaths of my family.
Naturally the birthday celebration was subdued. Mimi and I intended spending the night in the Dower House, where the sounds of our coupling would not be heard by the inhabitants of the château, unless they had their bedroom windows open, which would be a highly unlikely event in the depths of a Flanders winter.

We had finished supper and were preparing to leave the château for the Dower House when the post boy from the Valenciennes Arms delivered a package. As in England, mail was dispatched via the stage coaches that ran between the main towns of France, diligences as they are known. Packets and parcels were deposited in the towns’ coaching inns, and the inns’ post boys sent out into the neighbouring area with the mai. I looked at the rectangular package, well wrapped in thick brown paper, firmly tied with hemp, and sealed at the knots with blobs of red wax.
The address was concise.

Greenaway
Château Blanchard
Valenciennes
France

“Who would send me a birthday gift?” I said. “My family never have before, and although I have reached the milestone of halfway to my three score and ten I doubt anyone other than myself would care.”

“I care, my love.” Mimi said, placing a warm kiss on my lips, “although I confess my present will not be so well wrapped as this package.”
I smiled; I was looking forward to what she had planned, which would be some variation on four bare legs in a bed. Mimi had a repertoire of moves and positions that never failed to captivate me, and more importantly, arouse me.

“Shall you open the parcel, and then you will be free to open my present to you?” She said.

I sliced through the fastening with a table knife, and then ripped the paper away to reveal a red leather bound book, with a gold embossed title and author’s name.

Unfinished Business.

by ELZ

I opened the book at the first page and read the inscription.
“Happy birthday Elijah, and welcome to the family.
.

I have not forgotten, or forgiven you, dear Elijah, and rest assured we shall meet again. When we do you will give yourself to me, and I will take my final revenge.
Eloise de La Zouche
The rest of the pages were blank.

“How does she know I am married and living here?” I shouted to no one in particular. “There must be a spy in the chateau. Summon all the servants and I will get the truth from them.”
Mimi laid her hand on my arm. “This is what the woman intends, Jacques. To set you off running about like une poulet sans tete, a headless chicken. Calm down, and let us think rationally.”
Her soothing voice, and the tender look in her eyes, calmed my fear induced panic. I took a deep breath and marshalled my thoughts.
From where did the package originate? The fact the country of destination was written on the address would seem the package was despatched somewhere outside of France.

The Paris to Amsterdam diligence not only changed horses at the Valenciennes Inn but also the drivers and guards. The coachmen who had travelled from Paris would rest a few days, and then take the reins of the Amsterdam to Paris diligence when it arrived in Valenciennes. The driver should know from where the package came when handed to him in Paris.
It was too late of an evening to go dashing off to Valenciennes asking questions,, but I determined to ride into town the next morning.

“Are you aware that the names of all foreigners who spend more than two days in a town in France are notified to the Ministry of the Interior?” Mimi said. “Fouquet built a network of informants, official and unofficial, throughout French occupied territory when he was chief of the secret police. Napoleon and Louis the Eighteenth incorporated the network into the state apparatus. All préfets have to inform the Ministry of foreigners in their préfecture, and weddings are reported through both secular and religious networks to the Ministry. Eloise was well connected to rich and prominent men, she must still have informants in the Ministry of Interior, and probably other ministries. This is how she knows you are at Blanchards and married to me.”

“You are probably correct, Mimi. I admit the shock of seeing her name, and the knowledge she knows where I live and am married did un-man me for a moment.”
Mimi hugged me. “Let us go to bed, and you can prove to me you have regained your manliness.”
Which we did, and I did indeed prove my manliness – several times in fact – to Mimi’s absolute delight and satisfaction.