Annabelle was only two miles from the house when she suddenly howled out to the driver.
“Stop!” she cried, startling Shauna and the children. They all looked at her like she had lost her mind. “I can't do this.”
Shauna put her arm around Gwendolyn, a calm expression on her face.
“I know,” she said. “I was just waiting to see how long it would take you to realize that. What do you want to do?”
“Let me out here,” Annabelle said, going for the door.
“Mother!” James cried, and Annabelle's heart nearly broke. She glanced at Shauna, and both women seemed to have the same idea.
“James,” Annabelle said, pausing. “Your Aunt Shauna and I need you to be strong, to be the man of the house right now.”
James was barely 8 years old, and Annabelle knew that in other households, 8 was a difficult age. They either managed as adults, if their fathers were gone, or they were treated like children. James was half way in between these difficult ages, where he managed quite well some days, and others, he reverted back to the sobbing child Annabelle had given birth to.
She envied her son, in a lot of ways, because he was the only one whose future was not uncertain. No matter which way this day played out, James was the only male child of the Bamber twins, so he would inherit the title. Aaron and Shauna were unlikely to have any more children, so James was the sole heir. He was the solution; the cleansing to all this controversy When James inherited, it wouldn't have mattered what troubles the generation before him went through. He was the reason they were fighting to begin with.
James sniffled, but held his head high.
“What do you need me to do, Mother?”
“She wants to leave us,” Gwendolyn wasn't unintelligent, but she was often without tact. “Isn't that right?”
Shauna glanced at her daughter.
“We have to go help your Father,” Shauna said. “So that he can come home and you can tell him exactly what you think.”
“You'll stay in the carriage until you reach the farm house,” Annabelle said. “You'll be safe, and we'll be able to join you soon.”
“What if you're not?” Gwendolyn asked.
“Then,” Shauna smoothed her daughter's head. “You will do us proud, won't you?”
“Mmm,” Gwendolyn was used to danger, and life on the edge. They had lived such a different life before Aaron had acknowledged her. It was almost as if she preferred life to be on the edge; adrenaline fueled without a hint of normalcy.
“What happens to the title then?” James asked, wise beyond his years.
“The two of you,” Shauna looked to the cousins. “Will save it. But that's not going to be the case, because Annabelle and I are going to save your fathers from their own mess.”
“As usual,” Annabelle put in. They leaned in, giving their children hugs and kisses, and saying a quick prayer. Then, before they could lose their nerve, they both stepped out of the carriage. The driver knew better than to question the will of the two ladies, and simply nodding stoically, carrying on.
Annabelle turned to Shauna, taking a deep breath.
“Where to, first? Lola and Wesley are at the theater. Our husbands are probably arguing their way through military headquarters.”
“Or swinging from a noose,” Shauna said. “Either way, there's potential fire power in both places, and neither of us have weapons. The best way to help them is to disable the danger.”
Annabelle raised an eyebrow.
“You're talking about the lines that supposedly lay through the entire city?”
“The entire city,” Shauna said. “That your family used to own. You must know the secret passages, the ways to the palace. You're smart like your brother, Annabelle, you just need to think. Even if we can cut a few wires...”
“There is a way,” Annabelle said, suddenly. “Long ago, when the Bamber title was created, they were a favorite of the king. We weren't next in line, or even close to it, but the King loved the family. We were given blueprints, of the sewers, the underground passages to the palace, should we ever need to get there in a hurry.”
“Do you know them all by heart?” Shauna asked.
“I...maybe,” she said. “Aaron and I only played in them a few times, before we got in trouble. Our parents thought it was too dangerous. We got in trouble, and we never went back. If we go down there now, there's a chance that we might never come out. You could get lost in there for the rest of your life.”
“The rest of our lives could be short, though,” Shauna pointed out. “If we don't try.”
“I'm not second guessing it,” Annabelle replied. “I just hope you have a better sense of direction than I do. Aaron was always good at it. I suppose that's part of why the navy worked out for him.”
“Lead the way,” Shauna answered, squaring her shoulders.
Annabelle didn't move right away, closing her eyes as she tried to remember those days of play years ago. She and Aaron hadn't even been 10 years old yet when they explored the tunnels. They had only found their way to the palace once, and it had been by sheer luck. For all she knew, everything was going to be sealed off when they got down there.
“This way,” Annabelle walked away from the main street, trying to remember what was still the same from her childhood. “Gilles did this,” she said, as they walked. “The whole family knew about it, it was part of our family inheritance, really. He would have given the information away.”
“That's treason,” Shauna said. “The King will prosecute him for that.”
“Let's just stop the city from blowing to kingdom come,” Annabelle said. “I think it's in here.”
She found her way through one close, up another, and into the sewers, eventually. They had to lower themselves through a hole, their dresses splattered with mud. Both women were hearty, and neither wrinkled their noses too much when they slipped in the mud.
It only took one turn before Annabelle saw the wires.
“Here,” she said, to Shauna. It was almost buried in the mud, in the darkness. Her eyes trailed down the alley, and she thought she saw a barrel around the corner. “Good Lord, I was right,” she said. “He must have sold it to them. The---”
“No need to be crude,” Shauna smiled at her. “The real question is how are we going to cut the wires?”
“We can---” Annabelle looked around until she found a sharp rock. “Try this?”
“Let me,” Shauna said, holding out her hand. “No offense, dear sister-in-law, but I've had a bit more experience at roughing it than you have.”
“Mmm,” Annabelle didn't argue the point, putting it in her hand. “I'm going to follow the line. I don't have any knowledge about amounts of gun powder, but I have a feeling there is a lot more, and it is enough to carry through with the threat.”
“You don't think that it's enough to wet the powder?”
“Do you want to take that risk?” Annabelle asked. “I'd rather have the wires cut.”
“You could knock them over, for good measure,” Shauna was putting a good amount of elbow grease into the wire, but it wasn't working very well.
“I can do that,” Annabelle picked her way gingerly through the passage way, putting her hand on the wall for guidance.
She wasn't afraid, because she knew where she was, and knew she was alive. However, she was worried for her brother, her brother-in-law, and Lola.
She couldn't see it all ending well. There were too many variables that had to work out in order for them to not live life in scandal. She had already accepted scandal, and ruin. All she wanted was that they stayed alive, and could live in peace.
She was lost in her own thoughts, and she didn't see the shadow in front of her until she was almost upon it. Annabelle stopped short, leaning against the wall. She tried to calm her breathing, lower her heart rate, and not make a sound.
She squinted into the dark, and the shadow moved again. To her horror, it took the shape of a man, and a flame came into sight.
It was a French uniform; she recognized it briefly by its colors. It confirmed that everyone was against them in this plot. It was probably some low level soldier, sent to light the fuses. Annabelle didn't see anyone else with him, but he was still armed. She was trying to work out what she was going to do when Shauna's voice came through the passageway.
“I got it!” she cried and her voice echoed through the cavern.
The French soldier jerked up and Annabelle had to think fast. She only had moments before the solider rushed forward.
The only thing she had to grab was her shoe, which was already half off in the mud. She reached down quickly, and pulled it off, throwing it in one smooth motion.
It hit him square in the forehead, and he stumbled back. He didn't fall, which Annabelle had been hoping for, but he did drop the light.
It lit the wick of the gunpowder, and began to travel fast.
Annabelle moved forward quickly, putting her shod foot over it. Her other was instantly freezing, sinking into the wet mud. She felt something move beneath her bare stocking, and she resisted screaming.
The solider lunged forward, and he put his hands on her. Annabelle shrieked, feeling herself falling backwards.
“Let go!” she gritted her teeth. Annabelle was no delicate flower, but she couldn't over power a French soldier. “Let go of me!”
“Madame!” the solider cried.
Suddenly, there was a thunk and he fell backwards.
Annabelle stood in shock, confused as to what happened.
“At least that rock had some purpose,” Shauna said, behind her. “Because it was useless to cut the wire.”
“Do you think he's dead?” Annabelle asked, peering down at the body.
“Possibly,” Shauna didn't seem too bothered by it. “I'd rather that than he killed you. Either way, he's out for now. Do you think he's alone?”
“Maybe,” Annabelle said. “Either way, we have to move fast. Clearly, they are planning to light the fuses now. If he was alone, he was on a side mission.” She pushed over the gunpowder barrel, spilling it into the wet mud. “Let's keep walking, then. We'll do what we can and hopefully, not encounter anyone else.”
“There's not that many rocks around,” Shauna said, dryly. Annabelle found her shoe, and managed to put it back on her foot before moving forward. It was getting cold in the tunnels, but Annabelle didn't have to find her way, at least. All they had to do was follow the lines, and she could find the palace. “Should someone have alerted the King?”
“No need to give him undue stress,” Annabelle replied. “That's part of the duty of nobles, to take the stress from the King.”
“Aaron didn't mention that when we married,” Shauna said, dryly. They turned a corner, leaving the previous passageway behind. That's when an explosion came from behind them, knocking them both to the ground and throwing them several feet forward. Annabelle saw stars and her head pounded, and then there was only blackness.