d'Artagnan And Her Musketeers (The Cosette D'Artagnan Romances, book 1)

Chapter 9: Secrets and Lies

Athos joined Aramis and Cosette in Treville's office as soon as he had been sent away by one of Porthos' friends. He just couldn't believe that Porthos wouldn't want any help from the brothers that abandoned him to the executioner's block. Though Athos, Aramis, and Treville all knew he worked harder than all of them to become Musketeers, Cosette didn't. However, they knew him longer.

Athos looked, seeing Cosette's pained expressions. Usually, he would have her follow them on their missions, but based on the fact the victim was 18 or 19 like d'Artagnan, he wouldn't force him to continue.

"D'Artagnan, you do not have to continue, if you don't want to."

"Why?" Cosette asked.

"Because, the boy was your age, and if it upsets you..."

No, Cosette thought.

"No!" Cosette cried. Athos looked at her. "Porthos needs us, and If I'm to be a Musketeer, then I have to get used to something like this."

Athos stood before giving her a brief smile and patting her rather affectionately.

They ride down to the Mauvoisin house, where the valet let them in. Athos, Cosette and Aramis informed Emile de Mauvoisin of his son's death, as Cosette handed back Jean's locket. However, she withheld the key from Emile. Besides, they still might need it to find the door that the key belonged to. After visiting Jean's father, he sent her and Aramis to visit the building down at Rue Calbert that Jean lodged at. when they got there, it was totally ran down. Paint was chipping off the walls, wood off the door, and the windows were broken.

"Bit down-market for a de Mauvoisin," Cosette muttered. She didn't realize that she had just blurted that out until after Aramis responded to her.

"The family's bankrupt, been living off borrowed money for years."

They approached the apartment that Jean had been lodging at. Cosette took out the key and placed it in the lock. However, when she tried turning the key, the door remained locked. She shook her head.

"No," Cosette said. She immediately moved out of the way as Aramis took his pistol and pointed it at the lock. He fired, causing a large bullet, as well as gunpowder laid out on where the keyhole used to be. Cosette shook her head and looked at Aramis.

"You could always try knocking,"

"That's true," Aramis agreed.

The boys and Cosette entered the room, upon which, Aramis picked up the bullet he used on the door to save it for another day. Of course, the room was a complete mess, paper fallen and scattered on the floor. With Aramis doing his side of the room, he saw a masked man in the mirror. Before Aramis responded, he took out his pistol and fired at the assailant. Cosette jumped out of her skin as they struggled against their unknown enemy. He had already been gone when Cosette and Athos reached the bottom floor to find he had been gone.

The trio went back upstairs, to look at the pages that had been nearly destroyed.

"Whoever he was, he was keen to cover his tracks," said Aramis. He was leaned up against the doorframe, looking through the pages like Athos and Cosette were. "Most of this is burned beyond recognition."

Reading through his pages, Athos held one page up for his comrades to see.

"A page from a Protestant hymnal." Athos explained.

"What would a Catholic like de Mauvoisin want with that? " Aramis asked. He snatched the paper from Athos.

"Never mind about that," Cosette said. She revealed what she had in her hand. "What would he want with 6,000lb of gunpowder? Bought from a mill outside the city three weeks ago." She handed it to Athos. "It carries his signature."

"Sermons and Prayers by Pastor Ferrand," Aramis' comment caused Athos and Cosette to look at him.

"Who's that?" asked the young woman.

"A well-known Huguenot preacher."

"Jean's father is known for his hatred of the Protestant faith," Athos added. "Perhaps the boy was a radical. He was planning to blow up this pastor's church."

"People have done worse in the name of religion."

Ararmis and D'Artagnan had been sent by Athos to deal with their Pastor friend. However, Cosette found it extra creepier than the building that Jean had lived in. Before they were more or less kicked out of the church by the Pastor, Aramis had paid a contribution to the church's community chest. Cosette also felt disturbed by the Pastor's strange personality.

"He's definitely hiding something," Cosette muttered. "There's something strange about that man."

"Maybe your accusation made him uneasy,"Aramis said. "Honestly, you are getting more and more like Athos every day, I'm starting to worry about you."

Cosette shook her head, knowing he was referring to how Cosette coldly told Paster Ferrand that Jean was dead and accused him of killing the boy.

"I just wanted to see how he'd react. He's hiding something, 'Mis," Cosette said. "You know I'm right."

Aramis nodded.

"Let us go find Athos, and tell him what we've found," Aramis said, patting Cosette on the back before they made their way to Athos.

Finally making their way to another room that Jean would have had access to, Athos attempted to open the door but found it locked. "Try that key..." Athos began but looked at Cosette who already had unlocked the door. "Again."

Cosette shrugged with an amused smile as she and the Musketeers entered the room.

"A bomb-making factory?" Cosette asked. This was a room she had not seen before.

"No. A printing press," said Aramis, his fingers rubbing against the printer. Cosette was looking at the stacks of barrels.

"Hey," Cosette said. Aramis looked to her. Aramis took his sword and poked a whole in it, with black liquid spilling from the keg.

"It's ink," said Aramis.

"Not in this one," said Athos. He took his own sword and followed Aramis' advice. Gunpowder spilled out.

"There's the gunpowder," he simply said, Cosette's mouth and eyes were ride upen. Before anything could be done with this new evidence, the boys and Cosette were cornered by the Pastor. Athos, Aramis, and Cosette took out their swords and pointed it at the pastor, who had a sword himself.

"There are three of us, Pastor," said Athos.

"Then you are outnumbered," said the pastor. "I have God on my side."

"Oh, I do hope he's good with a sword," Cosette said sarcastically, earning a couple of huffs of amusement from Aramis.

"You lied to us," Aramis said. "You were in a conspiracy with Jean de Mauvoisin."

"Conspiracy? I have a large congregation. This printing press is the only way I can stay in touch with them."

"Do you use gunpowder instead of ink?" Athos asked.

The Pastor looked at Athos, totally at a loss for words.