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Nell Abbott (ex_little_st99) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-08-24 17:57:00

Entry tags:

léon_belmont, nell_abbot, plot

Nell Abbot: Something to Swing for.
Subject: Stealing, Spying and Treason
Who: Nell Abbot
Where: The Ambassador’s study, the French Embassy
Warnings: None.
Open to: Léon Belmont.

Heart hammering in his chest Nell let himself in through the servants entrance at the side of the embassy, nodding to a few of the servants as he passed but waving away any questions of why he had been absent from the ambassador’s bed chamber for so long. The papers he had hidden in the inside pocket of his coat were his only thought, that and turning them over to Léon. He had been fearful when he had taken them that someone had seen him and he was sure everyone in the street must have known what he had concealed on his person.

Lord Richmond had been more than pleased to show Nell the speech he had been writing and talk about it in length, he reasoned to himself and it wasn’t as if he wouldn’t return the thing later, but still he couldn’t bring himself to think what he was doing was anything less than stealing. And then showing it to the Ambassador when the content was the business of the English parliament, he was sure that was tantamount to treason.

Reaching the door he knew led to Léon’s office Nell knocked loudly, wanting this meeting to be over with as soon as possible. Helping the man locate French villains was one thing but this sort of favour was not one Nell wished to repeat.

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ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-24 12:20 pm UTC (link)

"Entrez." The ambassador called between indrawn breaths through the black cigarette, looking up from his papers to see who it was that needed him now. His tired, bored expression fled at the sight of Nell, and he quickly stubbed out the cigarette into the ashtray.

"Petit espion! Will you shut and lock the door behind you, Nell?" The Frenchman asked, getting to his feet to greet the boy half away across the room, stroking through Nell's hair. "How worried you look! What ever is wrong?" He asked, leading the boy to the soft two-seater sofa to one side of the room, rather than the leather chairs as the desk.

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ex_little_st99
2008-08-24 12:43 pm UTC (link)

Nell did as he was told, shutting the doors quickly and locking them although he still expected any moment that the constable’s would break it down. Lord Richmond must have discovered by now that his speech was missing.

He reached in his pocket and brought out the papers, handing them wordlessly to Léon and waiting for him to look them over.
“Please, I don’t want to do that again. It’s one thing to bring you information about Frenchmen and another to steal from a client. I don’t do that.”

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ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-24 01:09 pm UTC (link)

Léon took the papers, looking over them briefly, satisfying himself that there was no imminent war to take place between Britain and France. He superiors, the Commitee, had bid him discover the plans of the English government before such information was released, and he had done so. He would send a message that afternoon, once his scribes had finished copying out the document.

"I know, Nell. You are a good boy, not a thief. But today you have saved the lives of many many people. You, my dear petit espion, are a secret hero." He said with a smile, moving from the seat they shared to the door which opened onto his secretaries office. "Ayez ceci copié et traduit immédiatement. Je le veux ai envoyé en France sur la marée de soir." He ordered, before shutting the door again and return to Nell's side.

"You know I would not have you do such a thing unless there was no other alternative, Nell. Do not think I asked you lightly." He said, taking the boy's hand. "I do not want you uncomfortable, or to feel I take advantage of you."

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ex_little_st99
2008-08-24 01:15 pm UTC (link)

Nell bit his lip. He dearly wanted to believe Léon when he said what he had done had saved lives but he couldn’t quite bring himself to.
“Harry will be so angry if he finds out. He always says we’re supposed to be better than that – we don’t steal, and we don’t betray our client’s confidence.” He said. He had the feeling Harry had meant don’t filch the jewellery or brag about who’s bed you’d been warming but if he’d known what Nell had been drawn into then the warning would have counted for this too.

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ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-24 01:34 pm UTC (link)

"Nell." Léon said, stroking the boys leg and taking his hand once more. "Nell, my dear little Nell, don't worry. You can return the papers before tonight, and apologise. Say that you must have taken them accidentally." He said in his most comforting of manners. "Harry need not know, Nell. And if he does ever find out, it will be on my head, not yours. You did what I bid you to. And besides, Lord Richmond will be delivering his speech in only a matter of days. After that date, its contents will hardly be secret anymore."

He patted the boy's leg again, "You are too good to me, Nell. And although you do not believe me, you are a secret hero. A hero of France. And no doubt a hero of England too, now you have prevented war."

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ex_little_st99
2008-08-24 01:40 pm UTC (link)

Nell did not really want to be a hero of France but he said nothing, simply nodded. He did not want to upset Léon, he knew the man regarded his homeland with great pride. He wondered why, if Lord Richmond was to be delivering the speech soon, Léon had needed to see it now but he didn’t want to ask, as he was sure the answer would be one he didn’t want to hear.

“No more, not Englishmen.” He said after a moment.

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ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-26 06:10 am UTC (link)

"No more Englishmen, you have my word." Léon said to him, holding out his hand for the boy to shake. "No more Englishmen, not any more. I do not want you to be upset." He told the boy, reaching with his other hand to stroke the boy's cheek.

"We have still not gone on that trip I promised you, have we? With all this work, I had completely lost track of time. But now my new assistant has arrived, we shall have more time."

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	ex_little_st99 2008-08-26 09:29 am UTC (link)
	Nell smiled, although it did not reach his eyes and he shook his head. "I'm not in the mood for a trip, Léon. Maybe later?" He brushed his hair from his face, looking up at the man. "New assistant?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-27 01:49 am UTC (link)

"A young man called Augustine Laurent, fresh from Paris. He shall be staying with us. At least till he finds safe lodgings of his own or his family have him move in with them." He explained, dropping his hand from the boy's cheek to rest instead on Nell's knee. "He is about my son's age, so perhaps they will get along. If not Nell, you may find I move in with you." He teases, trying to coach a smile out of the boy.

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	ex_little_st99 2008-08-27 03:38 am UTC (link)
	"His family? Really?" Nell said, although he couldn't imagine a family of revolutionaries living here in the city. It unnerved him slightly to think so. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_the_ambas216 2008-08-31 02:19 am UTC (link)
	"His family are aristos. They seem to be very popular in English high-society. Whether they will have him stay under there roof is debatable." He said, stroking over the boy's knee, although he felt that he would probably not be able to enjoy the boy today. Nell's mood seemed to black after his theft from a client. "Perhaps you will meet him at some point." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_little_st99
2008-08-31 03:34 am UTC (link)

"Perhaps I will." Nell said, although his heart was not in the words. In truth he was beginning to feel very cold towards the ambassador. He had no politics in him, simply affection and his affection here had obviously been used. All the gifts, all the promises of shopping, they were just trinkets to buy his silence and his knowledge.

Nell didn’t mind selling his body, but the idea that all of this…had been to gain a spy in aristocratic circles upset him so much he thought he’d scream. “I should go.”

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ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-31 04:09 pm UTC (link)

"Nell, do not go." Léon said, "Not yet, petit amoureux." He said again, having heard the strangeness in the boy's voice. "Please, Nell, I do not get enough time with you anymore, and I have missed you." He said, trying to coax the boy back. Never mind that Nell could be of further use, he had realised, but he had in truth missed him, yearned for him. "I will never, ever again ask you to betray the trust of your countrymen, Nell. But I would ask a favour of you. To help reunite a family, for Augustine. He must know his elder brother's feelings, if he is to pacify them at all. He does so wish to be back with his brother and father. His father is very ill, you see."

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ex_little_st99
2008-08-31 04:13 pm UTC (link)

Nell frowned. "Is father is ill? That's awful, but if they are so different can they really be reconciled?" He couldn't help but stay. The ambassador's promises were soothing to his hurt spirit but he was also interested in the human story playing out with the new arrival. He wondered what this Augustin looked like - if he was pretty, or young - someone who might turn Léon's head.

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ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-31 04:33 pm UTC (link)

"I hope that you are wrong, Nell. For Augustin's sake. His journey here was dangerous and long, and he speaks of little but his family. He misses them." Léon said, although he knew it was a twist of the truth and unfair to Nell, he would make sure that Nell's feelings were no longer hurt as they had been; he would not find out, and perhaps even more importantly, Léon would not be punished- or tried- by The Commitee. Nell, he decided, would be more upset if his favourite Ambassador was to lose his head then if he was told a slight untruth.

"You have a lot of friends, Nell, and your Mr Fisher is becoming quite the man in high society. I was... I was hoping, if, for Citoyen Laurent, you would find out if his brother, Antoine, would reunite their family, despite their political differences."

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	ex_little_st99 2008-08-31 04:35 pm UTC (link)
	"Antoine?" Nell said, his stomach twisting in to knots. It couldn't be - but how many escaped Frenchmen with ill father's could there be? "How do you want me to help? Antoine wouldn't be hurt would he?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_the_ambas216 2008-08-31 04:43 pm UTC (link)
	"I can hardly see why anyone could be hurt- unless Citoyen Laurent's brother refuses to reunite them. It would break Augustine's heart not to see his father." He explained, although his interested was piqued at Nell's show of concern. "Do you know Antoine Laurent, Nell?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_little_st99 2008-08-31 04:46 pm UTC (link)
	"I...I'm not sure if I do or not." Nell said quietly. He did not want to admit to Léon that he might know him. He was fearful that Léon might become jealous but still he was more worried now that Antoine was on the list of traitors he knew the ambassador had, and that he hoped to capture him. He would never allow himself to be party to something such as that. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-31 04:50 pm UTC (link)

"His name has been all over the papers since he rescued the young lady." Léon said, although perhaps he sounded too casual about the matter. Nell was attempting to be tactful, he assumed, trying not to stir up any rivalries between clients. Men could so easily get attached. "Even if you do not, Nell, perhaps your entry into the upper reaches of society could help Augustin? And, who knows? Perhaps Antoine wishes to see his brother again also, but has not known how to contact the young man."

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	ex_little_st99 2008-08-31 05:04 pm UTC (link)
	"I don't read." Nell said coldly, but that meant that the Antoine Léon was speaking about was his Antoine. "I...Léon, I can't help you. Not with this. I don't care if it's simply to help a family. If he knew I saw you as well...no, I won't do it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_the_ambas216 2008-09-01 02:06 am UTC (link)
	Léon let his face fall. "I see. Although why he must know who else you see and do not see if beyond me." He said, with a small shrug, more than a little hurt that Nell would put this other Frenchman before himself, a traitor at that. It must have been the title and heroic story of his escape that attracted Nell to the other's arms. "Brave, is he?" Léon asked. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_little_st99 2008-09-01 04:04 am UTC (link)
	"Yes," Nell whispered. "He saved a young lady from being accosted by a thief. I think that's brave, don't you?" He looked up at Léon. "Why do you ask?" (Reply to this) (Parent)