Désirée (83 page)

"It's been many long years since you and I looked at a flowering hedge together." And because I still said nothing, "You remember, don't you, Eugénie?" With which, still smiling, he moved his hand as though to sweep back a lock of hair, which had long since disappeared.

"One has time to remember while one waits. I'm waiting for a message from the Government. An extremely important message." He frowned, two deep furrows appeared at either side of his nose, his chin jutted out. "And I'm not used to waiting."

"You need wait no longer, General Bonaparte. I bring the Government's answer." I quickly pulled the letter out of my
handbag. I heard him hastily break the seal. I didn't watch him while he read.

"How does it happen that you bring me this letter, madame? Did the Government not consider it sufficiently important to send me their answer by a minister or an officer? A casual guest, a lady, making a friendly call, chosen as messenger!"

"I'm not a casual visitor, General Bonaparte. Nor a lady making a friendly call," said I, and took a deep breath, "I am the Crown Princess of Sweden, General Bonaparte."

"And what has that to do with it?" he demanded.

"The French Government has asked me to inform you that the Allies will consider the surrender of Paris only after you have left France. To save Paris from destruction, it is imperative that you leave today."

"I make an offer to repulse the enemy at the gates of Paris, and they reject it," he roared.

"The first allied troops have reached Versailles," I said quietly. "Do you want to be taken prisoner here at Malmaison?"

"Don't worry, madame, I know how to defend myself."

"That's just it, General. Unnecessary bloodshed must be avoided."

His eyes narrowed, only two slits. "So—must it? And if it's important to the honour of a nation?"

I could mention the millions, I thought, who have already died for the honour of this nation. But he knew these figures better than I. I clenched my teeth. I wouldn't give in. I'd sit on this bench, and not give in. But he had stood up. He probably wanted to pace up and down. But there was no room in the heart of the maze. Like a cage, I thought, and shrank from the idea.

"Madame." He was so close to me I had to lean back my head to see his face. "You say, the French Government wished me to leave. And— the Allies?"

His face was contorted; in the corners of his mouth were tiny bubbles.

"The Allies insist on taking you prisoner, General."

For a long minute he looked at me steadily. Then he turned his back on me and leaned against the hedge. "This scrap of paper from the so-called French Government, which you have just delivered to me, madame, refers again to frigates in Rochefort. I'm to embark for whatever destination I choose. I . . . . Madame, why doesn't the Government hand me over to the Allies?"

"I think . . . it would embarrass the gentlemen." He wheeled around and looked at me again. "I must merely board one of the ships, name my destination, and . . ."

"The harbour of Rochefort, like all the other French ports, is patrolled by the English Navy. You wouldn't get far, General."

He didn't shout, he didn't bluster, he sat down very quietly beside me. We had so little room that I could hear every breath he drew. At first he breathed very heavily.

"When I saw you awhile ago, and recognized your face, madame, I felt for a moment that my youth had come back. I was wrong—Your Royal Highness."

"Why? I remember perfectly the evenings we raced each other. You were already a general, a very young and handsome general." I spoke as in a dream, the words came of themselves. It was hot and still and the hedge smelled sweet. "Occasionally you even let me win. But you've probably forgotten that long ago."

"No—Eugénie"

"And once—it was late in the evening, and the meadow beyond our garden was all dark—you told me that you knew your destiny. Your face was so white in the moonlight. That was the first time I was afraid of you."

"And that was the first time I kissed you, Eugénie"

I smiled. "You were thinking about my dowry, General . . ."

"Not—entirely—Eugénie Truly—not entirely. . . ."

Then we again sat beside each other in silence. I sensed he was watching me sideways, that something had occurred to him that had to do with me. I clasped my hands tightly together. A few hundred men's lives mean a great deal, my child . . . If I could pray, I would pray now.

"And if I don't let myself be taken prisoner, but give my self up voluntarily as a prisoner of war—what then?"

"I don't know," I said unhappily.

"An island? Another island. Perhaps that rock in the ocean called St. Helena they suggested at the Congress of Vienna?" Naked fear showed in his eyes—his whole face. "Is it—St. Helena?"

"I honestly don't know. Where is St. Helena?"

"Beyond the Cape of Good Hope. Far beyond, Eugénie!"

"Nevertheless, General, I wouldn't let myself be taken prisoner. Never, General, never. I'd much rather go voluntarily."

But he leaned forward again and put his hand over his eyes, which still reflected his overwhelming fear. I stood up. He didn't move.

"I'm going now," I said. And stayed there, waiting.

He raised his head. "Where are you going?"

"Back to Paris. You have given neither the Crown Princess of Sweden nor the French Government an answer. But you have until—this evening."

With that he began to roar with laughter. It came so unexpectedly that it startled me.

"Shall I keep them from taking me prisoner? Here or in Rochefort? Shall I prevent it?" He felt for his sword. "Shall we cheat Blücher and Wellington of their sport?" He ripped the sword from its scabbard. "Take it, Eugénie, take the sword of Waterloo!"

Steel glinted in the sunlight.

Hesitantly I stretched out my hand. "Be careful, don't hold it by the blade." Awkwardly I clutched the hilt. Then I stared in dismay at the sword in my hand. Napoleon had stood up. "At this moment I surrender myself to the Allies. I consider myself a prisoner of war. It is customary to hand over one's sword to the officer who takes one prisoner. Bernadotte can explain this to you someday. I have handed over my sword to the Crown Princess of Sweden, because—" his words tumbled over each other—"because we've reached the hedge, Eugénie And you have won."

"I can hardly explain about the hedge to the French Government," I said. "They're waiting for your answer at my house, General Bonaparte."

"Oh, they're waiting?" he jeered. "M. Talleyrand and Fouché are waiting in your house to deliver up France to the Bourbons again?"

"No, Lafayette is waiting."

He grimaced. "Eugénie, don't hold the sword like an umbrella."

"And your answer to the Government, General?"

"Show them my sword and say that I'm giving myself up to the Allies as a prisoner of war. In an hour—no, in two I leave for Rochefort. From there I'll send a letter to my oldest and best enemy, the Prince Regent of England. My fate after that depends on the Allies." Napoleon paused and added hastily, "The frigates are, under all circumstances, to wait in Rochefort."

"They're lying at anchor beside the English cruiser
Bellerophon,"
I said. Then I waited for a word of farewell. No word came, and I turned to leave.

"Madame!"

I turned around quickly. "Madame, they say the climate on St. Helena is very unhealthy. Can I count on any effort to persuade the English to change my destination?"

"You said yourself that St. Helena lies beyond the Cape of Good Hope."

He stared straight ahead. "After my first abdication I tried to commit suicide. In Fontainebleau . . . but my life was saved. I have not yet fulfilled my destiny. On St. Helena I will dictate my political testament. You've probably never been suspended between life and death, madame?"

"The evening you became engaged to Viscountess de Beauharnais, I tried to drown myself in the Seine."

His eyes bored through me. "You tried to . . . And how were you rescued, Eugénie?"

"Bernadotte pulled me back."

He shook his head, baffled. "How strange. Bernadotte pulled you back. You will be Queen of Sweden. I hand you
the sword of Waterloo. ... Do you believe in predestination?"

"No, only in curious coincidences." I held out my hand to him.

"Can you find your way back alone through the maze, Eugénie?"

I nodded.

"Tell my brothers to prepare everything for my departure Above all, my civilian clothes. I wish to be alone here for a while. And our engagement—long ago—it wasn't only the dowry. Now go, Eugénie—go very quickly. Before I repent."

I went very quickly. The paths in the maze seemed to have no end. The sun blazed down. Not a branch, not a leaf stirred, no bird sang. I have the sword, I thought, everything is over, I have the sword. . . . My white dress clung to me, my eyes were swimming. Roses in many colours, so many white, she had so loved white. I began to run. A window opened. Julie's voice, "That took you a long time." Yes, a lifetime. I ran on, they were waiting for me on the open staircase—the brothers, Rosen's gleaming sash, the dark uniform of the commissary. How odd that not one of them moved. Like wax figures, they stood and stared at me.

They weren't staring at me at all, but at the sword I clutched. . . .

I stopped running and took a deep breath. Count Rosen reached out his hand to take the sword. I shook my head. The others remained motionless. "General Becker."

"At your command, Highness?"

"General Bonaparte has decided to surrender to the Allies. The General handed over his sword to me, as Crown Prince of Sweden. In two hours, General Bonaparte leaves for Rochefort."

Footsteps on the stairs. The women of the Bonaparte family joined the men. "Napoleon—" Mme Letizia whispered, and began to cry softly. "In just two hours. . . ."

Joseph's fingers closed firmly around Julie's arm. "I will accompany my brother to Rochefort, General Becker," he said
calmly. He hates him, I thought again, or he wouldn't go with him.

General Bertrand said something to Joseph in a low voice. "Two regiments are ready, at the command of His Majesty."

"General Bonaparte wants to spare France this—this civil war," I exclaimed. "Don't rob him of this opportunity."

Then I began to shiver and my eyes swam again. Close
beside me, Julie was sobbing. "Has Napoleone had anything
to eat?" Mme Letizia demanded. "Is he going far?" And then
I heard nothing more, the roaring in my ears was so loud. I'm
drowning in this uproar, I thought, and said, "The General
wants his civilian clothes to be got ready. He wishes to be
alone a little longer."

Somehow I must have climbed into my carriage. The wheels rolled. When I opened my eyes again, I saw the road, the meadows, trees and bushes all unchanged. How strange, I thought in amazement. A light breeze had come up. It smelled sweet as the roses at Malmaison. Count Rosen took the sword from my cramped fingers and leaned it in the corner of the carriage next to me. Then it happened. I don't know why I ducked back my head at the right moment. But I did, and I heard my own scream. The stone struck my knee. It was a very sharp stone. . . .

Rosen shouted in Swedish to Johansson, and Johansson lashed the horses. The next stone hit only a rear wheel. Rosen's face was deathly pale. "Your Highness—I swear—the would-be assassin will be caught!"

"Why? He's done nothing."

"Nothing? If someone throws stones at the Crown Princess of Sweden?"

"The stone wasn't aimed at the Crown Princess of Sweden. Only at Marshal Bernadotte's wife. And she no longer exists."

It was dusk, the sweet breeze was cooler, I could breathe again. A horseman overtook us. Probably a courier from General Becker to inform the Government that it was all over. I leaned back and looked at the evening sky. The first stars gleamed. Over—yes, all over. . . . I couldn't imagine ever leaving this carriage again, seeing people, thinking, acting.

"It's not quite proper, but perhaps you would hold my hand, Count—I'm so tired and so alone."

Shyly he put his hand over mine.

When we reached the outskirts of the city, darkness had fallen. In front of every house, whispering groups had gathered. Now Napoleon has put on his civilian clothes, he's driving to the coast, his mother has given him some food, he has started on his long journey, Paris is saved—

Near the rue d'Anjou we came upon a crowd of people surging forward. We had to stop. From the rue d'Anjou came muffled shouting. All at once someone called, "The Crown Princess of Sweden!" Others took up the cry. In the rue d'Anjou it sounded like a storm. Gendarmes appeared, pushed back the crowd, our horses started forward. In front of my house, torches burned high. The gate was wide open, we drove right on. Then the gates were closed quickly behind us. The storm outside subsided into a sound like the distant roaring of the sea.

When I alighted from the carriage I felt an agonizing pain in my knee. I clenched my teeth and reached for the sword. Then I limped into the house. The hall was brightly lighted, the doors were open. Startled, I blinked in the sudden brightness. At many strangers. . . .