The English Visitor

Revelations from a Lady

Omigosh!!! I am so sorry this took so long...I have no idea what happened...anyway I tried please don't hate me and again I don't own any of the Musketeers I just might be a teeny bit obsessed...ENJOY PLEASE!!! xox

Chapter 3

D'Artagnan studied the jewel glinting in his hand, "Bridget..." He turned to look at the Lady to find her curled in upon herself crying uncontrollably, clearly disturbed and beginning to hyperventilate.

"Bridget!" Athos yelled from across the room, only now noticing the state she was in. He ran to her side and dropped to his knees closely followed by Porthos and Aramis.

"My lady, It will be all right." Aramis reassured her from behind Athos.

"Bridget," Athos said in a soft and gentle voice that would not even cause a mouse to start, "we're here, he is not. We will keep you safe if it is the last thing we do. Aramis and Porthos will take you to the next room. D'Artagnan and I will scour the grounds for your attacker. Not a hair on your head will be harmed, do you understand?"

Lady Silveress looked directly into the eyes of the gallant Musketeer and, for the first time since D'Artagnan had meet her, looked as young as her seventeen years, very scared and very much alone with her terror. She deliberately nodded to Athos then raised her head to look to Porthos, "Please take me from here." She whispered.

Porthos nodded, "Of course my lady, I'll keep you safe." He then knelt down and wrapped his arms around her back and knees, lifting her into the air and holding her close to him. Aramis held the door open as Porthos strode purposefully from the room and then followed him out.

Athos and D'Artagnan made a careful search of the room, scouring it from top to bottom, but they found nothing amongst the debris that suggested anything towards the identity of the person who had seemingly ransacked the room. The only clue they possessed was the solitary earring. It seemed to D'Artagnan, who was, admittedly, not an expert on women's jewellery, that it was very expensive but not quite gaudy. The earring itself was understated and elegant in such a way that it was not aggressive in it's beauty, but subtly hinted at it's immense true worth.

After findi ng nothing other than this to assist them, Athos and D'Artagnan left Lady Silveress' room to find where Porthos and Aramis had taken the shaken girl. They found them in a room on the opposite side of the corridor three doors down. Porthos and Aramis were sitting either side of Bridget, Porthos held her against his side while Aramis held her hand and rubbed comforting circles into the back of her hand with his thumb.

"My lady, are you alright?" enquired Athos.

Bridget nodded her head slightly, her red-rimmed eyes focused on her lap.

"Bridget..." D'Artagnan said softly. His voice barely above a whisper falling upon her ears like a reverent prayer.

"Really," Bridget began. She lifted her eyes and carefully looked each of the men there in the eyes, "I'm alright now. I apologise for my behaviour before. It was...unbecoming...of me. Rest assured it will not happen again." As she said this, she straightened her hand and stopped leaning on Porthos. His hand fell from where it was resting around her shoulders and Aramis' hands detached from hers as she folded her own in her lap carefully. "Did you find anything in the room? I assume you searched it well."

"We found nothing, Lady Silveress, but a single earring." Athos replied, pulling the earring out from a pouch attached to his belt.

Bridget paused, "May I see it?" she breathed.

Athos silently handed her the earring. She took it from and laid it in her palm. It caught the light shining in on it from the window and glowed, lighting up her face and eyes. D'Artagnan prepared for her to beak down again like she had in her room. Apparently he needn't have been concerned. As Lady Silveress looked upon the object a slight, soft smile graced her features. Her eyes filed with tears as she let out a small smile and gently touched her fingertips to the intricate designs of the earring and her smile grew wider again.