Free Zipporah's Daughter (Knave of Hearts) by Philippa Carr Page B

St Georges bowed and, taking Lisette’s hand and then mine, kissed them and said he was delighted to make our acquaintance.
    We all sat down at the table. A good deal of my fear had disappeared. As for Lisette, she was undoubtedly enjoying the adventure.
    ‘These young ladies are attached to one of the big houses,’ said Madame Rougemont. ‘That’s so, is it not, my dears?’
    ‘Tell me,’ said the young man. ‘Which one?’
    Lisette and I exchanged quick glances. I felt myself flushing. There would be great trouble if it were known that we had come to the fortune-teller. Tante Berthe was always warning Lisette of the dangers of life in Paris. It was the surest way to make Lisette want to sample it.
    The silence went on for several seconds. Both of us were trying to think of the name of a rich family for whom we might be working.
    Lisette was quicker than I. She said: ‘It is the Hôtel d’Argenson.’
    ‘That would be in …’ said Monsieur St Georges.
    Again that pause and Lisette said: ‘In Courcelles …’
    ‘In Courcelles! Oh, you have come a long way.’
    ‘We are fond of walking,’ I said.
    ‘I see.’
    He drank off his glass of wine and I saw him make some sort of sign to Madame Rougemont. She said: ‘I have an appointment with another client.’ She leaned towards Lisette and whispered something which Lisette told me afterwards was: ‘See, here is your dark handsome man.’
    He watched her disappear. Then he said sharply: ‘Who are you and what are you doing in a place like this?’
    ‘What do you mean?’ I cried. ‘A place like this …’
    ‘Do you mean you don’t know what sort of place it is? Mon Dieu, here we have the innocents in Paris. Tell me where your home is. The truth now. You are not serving-girls. Where did you get those clothes?’
    ‘At the Place de Grève,’ I answered.
    I saw a smile touch his lips. ‘And you live …?’
    ‘In the Rue Saint-Germain.’
    ‘And at which house?’
    ‘Is that any concern of yours?’ asked Lisette.
    ‘Yes, young lady, it is, because I am going to take you back there.’
    I felt great relief and gratitude towards him, and I said before Lisette could answer: ‘It is the Hôtel d’Aubigné.’
    For a moment he was silent; then he seemed as though he were suppressing laughter.
    ‘You are a pair of very adventurous young women,’ he said. ‘Come on. You are going home.’
    He led us to the door and as we reached it Madame Rougemont appeared. She was smiling blandly.
    ‘Well, Monsieur St Georges. You are pleased …?’
    He said in a low voice: ‘I am taking these ladies home. They belong to one of the great families in France. Good God, woman, have you no sense?’
    He was clearly rather angry with her but when he turned to us he was all smiles.
    ‘Now,’ he said, ‘I am going to take you out to the street. I am going to put you into a. pot de chambre which will take you back to the hotel. Go straight in at once and never be so foolish again.’
    ‘Why is it so foolish to have one’s fortune told?’ asked Lisette defiantly.
    ‘Because frauds tell fortunes. That is not all. Fortune-telling is not the main business of that woman. Something you are too young to understand, but never do it again. If you do, you deserve all you get. Now go back and don’t be such silly little girls again.’
    We came out into the street; he hailed the carriage, paid the driver and told him where to take us. He stood back and bowed as we drove away.
    We were subdued until we reached the hôtel. Then we went up to my room and took off our second-hand dresses. Mine had suddenly become repulsive to me and I wondered who had worn it before.
    ‘What a strange adventure!’ I said. ‘What was it all about?’
    Lisette looked wise. She had guessed, of course.
    Madame Rougemont was what was known as a procuress. The fortune-telling was a blind. She had her dark and handsome gentleman waiting as they plied the girls with wine to make them