He had left in the middle of the night, a note hidden where no eyes but save one might find it. Henri, always suspicious and untrusting, knew that anyone could use this information against him if in the wrong hands. Monsieur le Stern would just have to understand that this was for the cause, that he would arrive back in time with the cannons that were needed. On the dock, the men stood ready, waiting for him to board the ship and into the night they sailed.

For several days they sailed, chasing their quarry... a ship laden with bronze cannons. It was then when the storm rose in the distance and at sea, there was no place to hide. The men had to ride out the storm with little choice. The old ship did not fare so well in the storm and the main mast splintered as if a twig, the ship tossed in the waves and the sea claiming many of the men who were not so fortunate to find a way to secure themselves to the ship in time. It was when the sea calmed again that they were able to assess the damage to the ship and see that their fate was grim...

Could they make it out alive, or not... only time will tell.

He sat and mulled over the meeting with his wife's family friend, Monsieur le Stern and the suggestions of trade with Meloria. Perhaps this trip would become more lucrative for him than he first thought. Henri-Armand smiled to himself, retreating to his office to gather up a few papers. He would have to ride hard in order to make the return trip in time to leave with his wife, but this would be well worth it for him. He stuffed several stacks into a leather wallet, closing it up and stuffing it into a leather shoulder bag. A pause to grab his sturdy wool coat and he hurried down the stairs to the stable to gather up his best horse. The groom had the bay gelding ready and he moved to get into the saddle. "Have the coach ready by six the day after next, I will be back tomorrow night late, so stay up and meet me here." The groom nods as Henri-Armand turns the horse and gives him a sharp kick to the ribs, setting off at a good pace down the lane and into the road... the day was only beginning for him.

With his wife's guest now gone and the house quiet, Henri-Armand sneaks up the stairs as if heading to bed himself. He pauses outside the door to her rooms and listens for any sounds. The soft crackle of the fire in the fireplace, the occasional flip of a page in a book betrayed her presence in the room. he smiled and reached for the door knob, turning it and letting himself in. The sounds so quiet she barely seemed to take notice as he made his way into her room. With the door shut, he slipped off his jacket and set it on the chair near the bed. His eyes almost boring through her as he stepped closer to the bed. It was then when she jerked her head up from her book and turned to face him, the first time in her room. "Henri... I.." She brought her hand up as he moved forward at her... tonight she would be his.

He had been sent away by his wife to sleep alone in the guest bedroom, a act that he himself felt was one of treachery by his wife and earned her a sound slap on the face. Even more an insult to himself was she'd demanded that a docteur pay them a call to make sure there were no vermin lurking between the sheets. Henri-Armand was furious and thankfully the docteur did indeed arrive that night, still he was no longer in the mood to bed his wife. The man proved that he had nothing wrong with him, other than a short and very explosive temper. A trait well known of his family. Even seen first hand by the Valet who wore the soup he flung across the room. That was enough to keep any man afraid and holding his tongue.

He grumbled to himself in bed, staring up in the darkness that he suffered too much embarrassmentby his insolent wife... tomorrow though, would be a new day.

The horses came to a halt and the crunch of their final hoof steps rang out from the stone out front of Motte-Tilly. Servants scurried to the door and outside, in a flurry to help the new arrival. The man stepped from his coach and looked around with an arrogant air, his eyes settling the door. "Where is my wife." He said firmly to the Valet. The man hastily bowed to the Vicomte. "She is in her room monsieur le Vicomte." he waves his hand at the man. "Send for her, I wish to see my wife." he brushed past the man, nearly sending him onto all fours in the yard, but the man scrambled forward in his haste to do as he was told. "And tea!" Henri-Armand shouted. "I am dry from the long ride." The sound of a tea cup breaking in the kitchens might have been heard as word of the master arrived

Henri-Armand's mind went over the last time he saw his mistress... sadly it seemed that this woman would carry his child, while his wife would remain barren. The further he was from Paris for now, the better and her husband would remain none the wiser. Rumors would spread fast enough, no matter what happened or who's child it really was. He'd like to think it wasn't his though, that it really was the comte's child. He stopped inside the doors and looked around, his eyes falling on his wife as she came through the doors.

"Henri... what are you doing here?" She reached up to touch her neck lightly with her hand, as if she was not nearly as pleased to see him as he might have hoped.

"I've come to spend time with you." He moves around the table and looks the place over. "You got new furniture."

She looks away and nods. "I did, I thought a change might be nice."

"Its rather drab, don't you think?" He walks over to a chair and runs his hand over the fabric.

Gabrielle-Marie watches her husband and shakes her head. "I thought the colors were rather fashionable."

He nods and turns to walk over to her, finally giving her a kiss on the cheek, of course she turns her head away from him as if she was being kissed by a frog. "I've come to spend time with you my dear Gabrielle." He says, reaching up to brush her face with the back of his hand. "You should be happy to see me." She stands quietly, but makes no reply. "Have the servants begin packing your bags, we are going on a trip, nothing fancy, but out of the country for a bit. Go spend some time in a nice warm environment. What do you think?"

She manages to nod, looking out of the corner of her eye at him. "I would like that very much Henri." She replies in her soft sweet voice. "When shall we leave?"

He smiles and moves away from her. "Tomorrow, I would like to rest a bit and the horses need some rest as well. We will travel to the coast and take a ship outbound to someplace exotic." he turns and smiles at her. "I was thinking Italy."

Gabrielle-Marie casts her eyes down to the floor. "That would be fine Henri."

He nods and moves back to her side. "Good, I thought you'd like that." He reaches over and traces along her arm. "Perhaps tonight we might spend alone time before our trip." He offers her his arm and she quietly slips hers around it, following him along to where he wanted to go.

The coach moved along down the country road, through the woods, the turn up ahead could take him to Versailles or away to where his wife was staying. Henri-Armand smirked, as court held little interest for him... money was power and that is what held his interest. Even being away from Paris, his mind still plotted and ticked away, figuring out ways to get more sou in his pocket. But for now his wife held his interest, perhaps this time she'd carry a child and heir to term and he wouldn't have to mess around with her for some time after this. He grunted a bit as his thoughts went over her again and again as the coach turned towards Motte-Tilly. The ride would only take a few more hours, leading him further from Versailles. He mumbled to himself. "Perhaps this month we might take a trip out of France." He seemed pleased with this thought, taking his wife away from France and his mistress. Keeping her away from what she knows and more dependent on him. "Yes, maybe a few months." his eyes flicked up at where the driver sat, outside the comfortable confines of his coach. "I will have to send a rider back to Paris when I arrive at Motte-Tilly to delay more of my appointments. I'm sure Gabrielle-Marie will not mind a trip." He turned to gaze back out the window as the trees went past. Henri-Armand had a sharp mind, always on business, perhaps he could drum up some more wherever they went. Finding trade with a local businessman in some remote village. He leaned back and closed his eyes as the day's shadows grew long and night started to fall... the ride would soon be over.

His bags now packed and loaded on his coach, the sun just barely peeking up over the horizon, Henri-Armand took in a deep breath and smirked as he looked at the city... Paris. It had been years since he'd seen Normandy and his family home, a month since he'd seen his wife, and now he was on his way to see her again. His valet paused and spoke in a low voice to Henri-Armand. "Should I send a rider ahead to announce your arrival to your wife?" Henri-Armand shook his head. "Non, I want to surprise her." He patted the man on his arm and got into the coach. "Keep the house in running order and should any of the other staff try to steal.. fire them, then have them arrested." He laughed darkly as he shut the coach door, rapping on the wall. "To Motte-Tilly! And do not waste time." With a crack of the whip the horses clattered off, a perfectly matched set of sharp gray horses, pulling the coach to the edge of Paris and beyond.

He sat in his plush apartment, the one he shared with his wife, or rather shared with her when they were in the same place at the same time. Somehow they'd managed to grow further apart, grow distant. This was not surprising really, many couples either learned to love each other or grow apart when arranged marriages were set up. Henri -Armand's was no exception.
Henri-Armand should have been working, instead he let his mind wander, past the ledgers and receipts, back years to days when he first saw his wife. It was when the Tancarvilles and Gramonts were trying to become closer, to forge family ties. Of course the logical choice to marry off was Frederic-Louis to Gabrielle-Marie, much to her protest. Though a few years younger, Henri-Armand was ambitious and driven, wanting Gabrielle-Marie for his wife. He knew that he would have to work hard to sway his father's ear to get her as his. Yet he knew at the time he could, he was skilled with persuasion, where Frederic-Louis was not. He remembered the day clearly, when he smooth talked his father into the match between himself and Gabrielle-Marie. It was no easy matter as not only was she older than himself, but their father really wanted to marry off Frederic-Louis after the last fiasco with a maid that resulted in them paying the girl off to take her child and leave Normandy for good, shipping her off to those slimy Britons to the north. He frowned at the thought of those heathens and how they shunned god. He wrinkled his nose and grunted at the thoughts, then relaxed. Not that it was bad to have a mistress, of course Henri-Armand had one as well. A nice Parisian noble who's husband was busy doing whatever that she would spread her legs for him anytime he wished, even though his wife Gabrielle-Marie was more than capable in bed and quite wild too. His issue was how skittish his wife acted around him and how he'd disappointed him time and time again in not being able to carry a baby to term. The last time he'd left her room in disgust, slamming the door behind him. What use was she if she could not produce an heir for the family.
He sighed and stood, walking to the window to look out over the streets. Late summer in Paris was pleasant this year, the clouds from the day before had gone away and there was a cool breeze. "Perhaps my wife, I should pay you a call." He said to himself, turning to call his Valet. "Pack my bags, I should go see my wife for a time. Cancel my appointments this week and reschedule them for next month. I need a break from the city before the weather turns." His valet bows and goes to do as bidden. "If only I could get you to come here... away from the country." He shrugs. "All the better my mistress does not see my wife." He laughs and goes back to his desk, finishing up his work.