Then there was that correspondence Jules Marquette delivered to Judge Frollo.
No word on how THAT meeting went. Given Frollo's reputation, Jacques surmised
that His Grace obviously went ballistic the moment he read that report. The man
had to have drawn up arrest warrants, and calling for an immediate trial
followed by a quick execution. Jacques quaked with fear at the thought of
Ameline and Maman in Frollo's clutches. But what does it matter now? THEY did
all these awful crimes. THEY charmed and feigned their way into Aubert's and
Frollo's good graces, only to hoodwink and defraud.
His thoughts were on Émile, a good-natured young man whose naiveté and dreams of
financial success were exploited to the hilt by an avaricious Ameline. No doubt
Frollo knows about that episode, and what the man is going through now upon
learning the woman he nearly made his wife is nothing but a charlatan and common
thief.
He strode up to the front door, knocked the customary three times before Mathena answered. The servant's eyes grew wide with surprise and delight upon seeing Jacques' commanding form. "Master Jacques!," she exclaimed with joy, "Madame is home and is anxious to see you." Mathena ushered Jacques inside and quickly announced his presence to Lutisse. Imagine Lutisse Lemer's pleasant shock upon seeing the nephew she hadn't laid eyes upon since he was a little boy.
"Jacques!," she said, gliding across the floor with the grace and polish of a
duchess. She embraced her nephew quite a long time then released him, saying,
"Let me get a good look at you. Mon Dieu! You are getting to be quite the
handsome young man." She then waved at
her servant, "Mathena, fetch some
refreshment for Master Jacques. I'm sure the boy must be famished."
Once behind the closed doors of her sumptuous parlor, Lutisse then launched into
a series of questions. "I suppose you are here on Denis' request, no?"
"Yes, Tante Lutisse," replied Jacques, helping himself to the mounds of cheese,
bread, spiced fruits, and red wine. "Father...Well, I'm not sure how much you
know, so let me explain..."
He laid it all out: The murder of Guibert Varlet and how Jehanne may be
implicated; the new evidence surfacing, spurring the Calais magistrate to
dispatch via special courier a document stating said evidence; how Jehanne and
Ameline inexplicably vanished in the night, supposedly boarding a ship bound for
Dover. He also related how Denis Bellot discovered several documents stashed
amongst Jehanne's personal papers. What was in those documents? Information on
one Aubert d'Urboise, the Baron de Clellaux. Lutisse Lemer looked at her nephew
with not one ounce of shock or outrage.
Naturally Jacques was puzzled as to why Lutisse did not react as expected. She,
sensing the boy's confusion, explained, "Jacques, I've known all about my sister
and niece's shenanigans ever since my return from Lyon. Thank Lysbette Claus for
having such sharp eyes and ears. She came to me several weeks ago, telling all
of how Jehanne and Ameline have 'worked' Paris society, how they schemed their
way into not just the baron's heart but Frollo's as well. Now, my boy, I'll tell
you this much..."
She proceeded to explain that Lysbette, taking advantage of Jehanne's absence,
discovered a forged will supposedly signed by Aubert d'Urboise and Claude
Frollo. The paper even had Frollo's official seal. Said 'will' bequeathed nearly
Aubert's entire estate to "My dear wife and step-daughter".
"Lysbette thought something was wrong the moment she laid eyes on Jehanne. Did you know, Jacques, that Aubert was a confirmed bachelor, that he supposedly had no intentions of marrying. Likewise with Frollo. I can't see His Grace marrying the likes of Ameline, or any woman for that matter." Jacques nodded, wondering if he should relate what Quasimodo revealed this morning. It didn't take long to do just that.
"And, Tante Lutisse, this little misshapen lad told me that he overheard
everything passed between Ameline and Maman. He said Maman told Ameline to kill
Frollo before the ink had chance to dry on the marriage certificate."
Then he recounted how Ameline has threatened the bell ringer with bodily harm if
he Quasi ever told Frollo or anyone else. Lutisse was outdone! How can such
depravity, such dishonesty, such chicanery go on right under our very noses. Not
only have they – Jehanne and Ameline – committed the most despicable crimes,
both have resorted to murder. Ameline, a beautiful but extremely devious girl,
threatening death to Notre Dame's little misshapen bell ringer. That poor child!
What the boy must have been going through.
"Jacques," said Lutisse as she neatly cut a slice of Brie, "I believe it is
time to call on Minister Frollo. He has a right to know what is going on within
his city. Honestly, I still can't understand, not after all these years, how
Jehanne turned out so badly. It's as if she's possessed by demons, and those
unholy creatures have taken over Ameline's soul, blotting out all that's good
and true."
Jacques nodded again and began to tell Lutisse of Ameline's latest caper, namely
scamming Émile Poulin. However, he was interrupted by Mathena who breezed into
the room, her eyes all agog with awe and wonderment. Lutisse was quite put out
with her servant's present demeanor, not to mention the sudden and discourteous
interruption.
"For goodness sakes, girl, don't stand there gawking! Now, what is it?"
The servant responded with excited voice, "His Grace, the Minister of Justice is
here to see you, Madame!"
Lutisse, totally taken aback, as was Jacques, rose from her chair, commanding, "Well, don't keep the man waiting, Mathena! Show him in!"
°°°°°°
Jehanne Bellot, clad in her mourning black, sat in the comfortable quiet of
her bedchamber. She hadn't' been out all week, not since Aubert's untimely
'disappearance and, perhaps, death'. A thin self-satisfied smile spread across
her beautiful face; Jehanne knew it would be a matter of time before she
produced that 'will', proclaiming her and Ameline the sole heir's to Aubert's
vast empire. And then there was Ameline, just days away from becoming the wife
of the most powerful man in all of France next to the King himself.
What an adventurous, productive three months this has been! Not only did Jehanne
extract herself out of that nasty business of Guibert Varlet's murder, but she
and Ameline had scored the coup of a lifetime. She was now the Baroness de
Clellaux, and Ameline was Lady Ameline, and now people would have to regard them
with awe and respect. No more kowtowing to the goody-goody likes of Denis. No
more pulling petty scams just so she and Ameline can have expensive clothes and
jewels. It will all be ours, and ours alone. Once Ameline dispatches Claude
Frollo, everything, all our hard painstaking work will pay off beautifully.
She hadn't seen the Clauses since she so tearfully related what happened to Aubert, not that it mattered. Lysbette and Anton would simply have to bow down to her, beg her forgiveness for being so boorish and rude to her and Ameline. She was a baroness now, a member of the nobility, and the Clauses, on their next trip here, may have to find another place in Paris to lodge. No, thought Jehanne, that nosy Belgian couple are no longer welcome here. This is now MY home, and I can invite whoever I see fit. Now...once the official mourning is done, perhaps I can invite His Majesty over for a splendid banquet...Oh yes, get rid of the servants, Perrin and Margot, too. Can't have them about, giving me the evil eye and not obeying my orders, not with the King here....
As if the woman had a sort of ESP, Margot quietly knocked on the door,
disturbing Jehanne's solitude. Lady Clellaux was deeply annoyed with the
servant. Honestly, when the time comes, that woman and her husband will find
themselves on the streets before Easter. With a feigned sob, Jehanne said, "You
may enter, Margot."
The servant opened the door, took a few steps inside, then announced, "M'lady,
Monsieur Claus is downstairs. He wants to see you. Something about His
Lordship."
Now Jehanne panicked, but kept it not so obvious to Margot lest the servant pick
up on the ruse. No, have to continue playing the grieving widow... She rose from
her chair, neatened her hair and dress, gathered her handkerchief and said,
"Thank you, Margot. Tell M. Claus I shall be down momentarily."
°°°°°°
"Ah, Minister Frollo, what do I owe to this visit?"
Lutisse Lemer, not so surprised that the Minister of Justice was paying her a call, introduced Jacques, saying that the boy had information concerning Jehanne and Ameline. To this Frollo was quite surprised that Lutisse ever knew about the Bellot women's presence in Paris let alone having knowledge of their despicable crimes.
"Madame," Frollo so graciously said, "I will get right to the point. I've
received rather disturbing information regarding your sister, Jehanne Bellot,
and your niece, Ameline. Now, tell me the truth: Have you been in contact with
either woman?"
Lutisse and Jacques, aware that they could not keep such information from Claude
Frollo, a man known for detecting the slightest falsehood, and having a natural
knack for getting people to confess the truth, told Frollo everything. Lutisse
related how she and Lysbette Claus discovered what Jehanne and Ameline have been
up to. She told him about the fake document Lysbette found hidden away in
Jehanne's trunk, and that Jehanne expected to
inherit all of Aubert d'Urboise's
estate. Jacques then related to Frollo how Ameline scammed Émile Poulin,
absconding with the boy's life savings. But he hesitated to tell Frollo about
the little bell ringer, and how the boy witnessed the Bellot women discussing
their respective plots. And then there was Ameline's threats against Quasimodo.
As usual, Claude Frollo detected that young Bellot was hiding something. In
his lofty, imperious manner, Frollo commanded, "Bellot, I believe you're hiding
something else. If you are thinking of protecting your womenfolk–"
"Oh no, Your Grace," said Jacques finally. "I have no intention of protecting
them. My father sent me here to bring Maman and Ameline to justice. Sir, they
are beyond reasoning with. So I will tell you this in all honesty..."
And with that, Jacques recounted following Ameline to Notre Dame, watching
her go up to the bell tower. And he told Frollo how he went up there after
Ameline left, only to discover the little bell ringer. He then told Frollo what
Quasimodo told him: the eyewitness account of the Bellot women finalizing their
plot; Ameline stealing into the bell tower, threatening Quasimodo if he told
anyone what he heard and saw.
Claude Frollo, his face registering the most intense anger and outrage Jacques
had ever seen, pronounced, "I thank you for all information. And I regret to
inform you that I have drawn up warrants for the immediate arrest of Jehanne and
Ameline Bellot."
Noticing Jacques' utter bewilderment, Frollo then said, "But capture may not be easy as I need complete cooperation from both you and Madame Lemer. I have already spoken to Anton Claus; he and his wife have told me much about Madame Bellot's activities. And my housekeeper has informed me of her son's victimization at the hands of Ameline Bellot. We are dealing with a most slippery pair, so to catch those two will take the utmost, meticulous planning. I suggest we do this..."
COMING UP:
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