‘In a few weeks then. I can wait.’
Dora frowned. ‘How long are you going to be here?’
He grinned. She knew then that this was what he had stopped her to say. ‘Did I not mention? I am permanently attached to our embassy here. I’m staying for the foreseeable future as the trade envoy. You are– how do you say?– stuck with me for good.’
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bruton Mews
Jacob paced between the window and Dora’s bed while she got ready behind a small screen for their evening engagement at Vauxhall. He tied a fresh cravat, nothing too fancy, by way of a knot but it was made from silk as befitted an appearance in society.
‘There’s no mistake? Percy is back in London?’ he called to her.
‘He is.’
‘Is it a joke?’
‘If it is, it is in very bad taste on the part of the French. The irony is overwhelming. Thanks to our help in killing off Fleury, Percy is now in good odour with his masters in Paris and they’ve sent him back.’ She threw her day dress over the screen and took down the burgundy evening gown. Jacob was tempted to go round to help her at this very interesting moment between gowns. There was a lot of fun that could be had while buttoning dresses…
‘Jacob, are you listening?’
Damn, he must’ve missed something. ‘Sorry, I was contemplating coming behind your screen to help you dress.’
There was a gratifying pause as she considered it, before she said, ‘Tempting though that is, I’d better press on. We’ve got a lot to do. I asked you about the trade envoy post– is it a real position?’
‘The trade is real enough. Grain is one of the products that our government allows through the blockade when we don’t have enough. We were importing French wheat before the war and that hasn’t changed.’
‘Buying grain from the enemy? They’ve had years to sort it out!’
‘Even so, with a growing population in the cities, our farmers couldn’t increase our production quickly enough to do away with the imports despite all the enclosing that has been going on. The harvest was bad across Europe last year, not just here, so Napoleon suspended exports, keeping the grain for his home market. The government didn’t like that, and I imagine allowing Percy in as the trade envoy is part of the attempt to get the grain flowing again.’
‘But doesn’t that strike you as strange? The government must know that the money we send goes into French coffers to buy the armaments that plants our boys in the ground.’
Jacob grimaced as he checked his cravat in the mirror. ‘There is more than one contradiction when it comes to trade. Name me a government minister who doesn’t indulge his taste for French wine and brandy, keeping the smugglers in business, while at the same time piously passing laws to prosecute them.’ Moving to the bed he picked up his black jacket. He slid his arms into the sleeves, pleased that this was no longer such a painful process. The bruises were now more colourful than troublesome, and he diagnosed himself as healing up satisfactorily. He’d alwaysbounced back quickly from falls in riding and this was very similar.
Dora emerged, looking delectable in her gown, a hand-me-down from Lady Tolworth, that she had remade to fit her. The current fashion to have the bodice lift the breasts and the sleeves start on the top of the shoulders left a field of very kissable skin exposed. ‘What do you think?’ She held her arms out and spun in a circle.
‘Perfect– and why isn’t it already time for bed?’ She laughed and shook a finger at him in warning. He resumed dressing, attaching his watchchain across his waistcoat, and added, ‘As for the trade envoy role, I imagine he is using that as a cover so he can be up to his old tricks informing on us.’
‘That’s what I thought. He said he has only just arrived. If we take him at his word– never a safe wager, I know– then perhaps he was dispatched once the French heard about the murders? They want to know what that was all about and sent a man to investigate. Would you help me with my pearls?’ she asked.
‘Of course I’ll help. You mean he is doing the same task as we are?’
‘Thank you. I wouldn’t call it the same as he is on the opposite side. Have we overlooked another French agent running amok in London, killing off troublesomecomtesandcomtesses?’
‘We haven’t eliminated that possibility, but Percy’s arrival is the first presence of the French in the whole affair that we’ve detected.’
‘Apart from the victims themselves.’
‘True.’ He took the necklace from her. Dora didn’t have many jewels, and had rejected his attempts to buy her any, but she was proud of her double string of seed pearls, an eighteenth birthday gift from her brother. Coming up behind her, he fastened the clasp and, naturally, had to run his lips over her bare neck.
‘Jacob!’ she exclaimed with a shiver.
‘When does the visitor leave, remind me?’ It couldn’t be soon enough.
‘Two more days.’ She turned around in his arms. ‘There are other things we can do before then. I think I hinted as much.’ Her hand went to the buttons on his breeches and her smile was pure sauce. ‘Poor love. We can’t have you going out in this state.’
He cleared his throat. She. Was. Killing. Him. He let his head drop back, having just enough sense to move away from the window.
