“Here and there,” he said, riding around me in a circle. “The gossips say you’re moving to Trianon to live with your mother.”

“Her carriage is coming for me tomorrow.”

“You’ll be singing then. On stage?”

“Yes.”

He smiled. “You always did have the voice of an angel.”

“I need to get home,” I said. “My gran’s expecting me – my father too.” I hesitated and looked down the road. “You may ride with me, if you like.” I rather hoped he wouldn’t accept, but riding was better than standing here alone with him.

“Today is your birthday, isn’t it?” His horse sidled tight against mine.

I frowned. “Yes.”

“Seventeen. You’re a woman now.” He looked me up and down as though inspecting something that could be bought and sold. A horse at market. Or something worse. He chuckled softly to himself and I cringed.

“What’s so funny?” My heart raced, my instincts telling me that something was terribly wrong. Please, someone come down the road.

“I was just thinking about how sometimes fortune finds us when we least expect,” he said. Before I could react, he reached down and seized Fleur’s reins. “I need you to come with me. There are some individuals who would very much like to make your acquaintance.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Luc,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady – I did not want him to know I was afraid. “My brother won’t take kindly to hearing that you caused me trouble.”

Luc glanced around. “Funny, but I don’t see Frédéric about. Seems it’s just you and me.”

He was right about that, but wrong if he thought I’d go without a fight.

I jammed my spurs into Fleur’s sides and she reared, hooves striking out and knocking away Luc’s hand. “Hah!” I screamed and plunged down the road at a gallop. Sensing my terror, the horse ran faster than ever before, ears pinned back. But Luc’s stallion was bigger – if I kept to the road, he’d catch us easily. A game trail appeared ahead, and I swung down the path.

Branches tore at my hair and skirts as we leapt over fallen trees and crashed through the underbrush. I let the mare have her head, concentrating on staying low and keeping my seat. Behind us, I heard the big horse’s hooves thundering against the ground along with Luc’s curses and vile threats. We were nearing the Girard farm. Ahead, the break in the forest was visible, and beyond lay their fields. “Chris!” I screamed, knowing I was still too far for them to hear me. “Jérôme!”

A glance behind showed Luc in fast pursuit. He was near enough for me to see the fury written on his face. I could not let him catch me. I would not. Then a branch smashed across my chest, launching me backwards. Fleur disappeared from under me and I was falling, my eyes fixed on the sun filtering through the green leaves of the trees.