Chapter 165: Peace and Business (3)
After a month of tireless efforts in France, Sean, the representative of the Irish resistance organization, finally had the opportunity to meet a significant figure in Madame Rousseau's salon, the Member of the National Convention, Lucien Bonaparte.
At that time, the beautiful Madame Fleurette made him wait at the entrance of the ballroom while she gracefully walked through the brilliantly lit hall, making her way to a row of sofas where two people were seated, one of them a young man.Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)
"Lucien, do you remember the Irishman I told you about last time? The one with so many stories that broke my heart," Madame Fleurette said, casting a seductive look towards Lucien. "I want to help him, and among all my friends, only you have the power, kindness, and sympathy to assist the poor Irish. So, I brought him here. Would you like to meet him?"
Lucien knew that Madame Fleurette's willingness to speak for an Irishman was likely driven by motives other than pure sympathy. His gaze shifted from Madame Fleurette's slender, graceful neck, adorned with an unfamiliar, rustic-looking necklace. At the bottom of the necklace hung a gem almost as large as a pigeon's egg. If these impoverished Irish people had truly given her this, they had invested quite a sum.
"Well, can I bring him over?" Madame Fleurette asked, her enchanting smile intact.
"Of course, my dear!" Lucien raised his wine glass toward Madame Fleurette. "But after a while, you must sit next to me, so I can properly admire your new necklace."
"Is there a problem with that?" Madame Fleurette leaned closer, her hand embracing Lucien's arm, gently pressing her chest to make her assets appear closer, allowing him a better view of the gem nestled in the valley between them.
"Unique design, beautiful gem, and a perfect match with you, my dear," Lucien leaned in, his lips almost touching Madame Fleurette's earlobe. "But, my dear, have you had enough?"
"Not at all. How could I get enough in such a short time? I still need to examine it carefully later," Lucien whispered, gently biting Madame Fleurette's earlobe. "But for now, my dear, you can let your friend come over."
With Lucien's permission, Madame Fleurette straightened her posture and waved Sean over from the doorway.
Sean hurriedly approached, and Madame Fleurette slightly furrowed her delicate eyebrows as she introduced him to Lucien. "Lucien, this is Mr. Sean from Ireland, the one I mentioned to you. He's a man with many stories, some of which have broken my heart. I want to help him, and among all my friends, only you have the power, kindness, and sympathy to assist the unfortunate Irish. So, I brought him here. Would you like to get to know him?"
"No, we don't," Sean replied.
"That's good. Do you know how to swim?" Captain Van der Deken inquired.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Sean felt that something was not quite right.
"You see, our ship has to risk breaking through the English fleet's blockade. Therefore, this ship's design is solely focused on speed. Everything else can be sacrificed, including safety. Do you understand what I mean?" Sean nodded in acknowledgment, realizing the high-risk nature of smuggling.
"We understand," Sean said.
Sean believed he understood the danger of this ship, but once they were at sea, he realized he had underestimated the peril. The ship rocked violently, and even Sean and Liam, who had never been seasick before, found themselves vomiting. It was important to remember that the weather was still relatively calm. This was a clear sign of how treacherous it could be if they encountered larger wavesFrench support for the Irish people was truly a perilous endeavor.
The "Flyer" clipper ship, despite its intense rocking, had decent resistance to rough seas. Captain Van der Deken's warning had been to make the Irish believe that many of the items they were transporting had "disappeared."
Days later, on a dark night, the "Flyer" arrived in the vicinity of Ireland. Looking from the land towards the sea, everything was pitch black, impossible to see. But looking from the sea towards the land was different. Beneath a cliff close to the sea, two fires were lit - the agreed-upon signal between those on the shore and the ship. Due to the cliff's cover, the fires couldn't be seen from the land.
The "Flyer" responded with two lanterns as agreed, and after a while, the left fire disappeared. A bit further to the right, two fires were ignited, signaling that everything was safe onshore.
In the darkness, the sailors lowered a small boat into the water, followed by packages tied to inflated leather floats and wrapped in oiled paper, all connected by ropes. After all the packages were in the water, Sean, Liam, and the sailors boarded the small boat, using oars to slowly row towards the shore.
By the time dawn was approaching, the sailors returned to the "Flyer." The ship retrieved the small boat and immediately hoisted its sails, leaving the dangerous area. Meanwhile, below the silhouette of the cliff, Sean, Liam, and a group of others were busy inspecting the weapons that had been delivered.
