‘Our understanding is that thecomtewanted to present this at a musical party on the day he died, handing it to the highest bidder.’
Thornbury looked away and up at the high window. ‘And if so, we had decided not to get involved in that disgraceful bidding process but press him for our own copy of the report quietly or tell him he could say goodbye to the pension. He would have liked being paid twice for the same information.’
‘Who was bidding, do you know?’
‘The chief contenders were the Prussians, the Swedes and the Russians. My money was on the Russians winning the bid as he was closest to them.’
‘This is good news for them, isn’t it?’
‘Only after a lot of suffering. I would think it a mixed bag myself. Imagine if it were here instead. Imagine that Wellington was fighting at home and decided that everything between Dover and London could be sacrificed to stop an invasion– crops burned in the fields, great houses reduced to ashes, barns pulled down. There would be a revolution if he suggested such a thing.’
‘Whereas in Russia…?’
‘The country is so vast, such losses are absorbed like a stone dropping into a deep pool. Besides, the Russians have serfs– which is another name for slaves– and not our independently minded peasantry. I can’t imagine the serfs ever revolting.’
‘I imagine King Louis said the same thing. Now we have the information, what do we do with it? I’m sure you will share it with your superiors, naturally, but everyone is sniffing around for the report, even the French. People are willing to kill for it.’
Thornbury drummed his fingers. ‘Yes, it is a conundrum, isn’t it?’
‘It strikes me that if the French put as much weight on thecomte’s assessment as you do, letting them know what is in this report could be exceedingly damaging.’
‘You’re right. We must keep it away from them. What do you suggest?’
‘I have a plan both to wrongfoot the French and expose the person behind the assassination of thecomteand his wife and subsequent attacks.’
‘That sounds intriguing. Tell me more.’
‘It requires the auction to go ahead and for you to play your part. You’ll need permission, of course, and I’ll need to ask the newcomteif we can stand in his stead.’
‘You?’
‘Not me, exactly, but thecomte’s banker, Mr Austen. He can say that the will has now been read and the latecomtehas entrusted it to him to sell the report on behalf of the estate.’
‘Yes, that does sound like something the clever oldcomtewould have done.’
‘It might be dangerous, but if we get this right we will have honoured thecomte’s final wishes.’
‘And what did he wish?’
‘The defeat of Napoleon, of course.’
Returning to Bruton Mews, Jacob listened to what Dora and Miss Austen had discovered about the hiring of the gunner.
‘Excellent. That is confirmation of what I suspected,’ he said. ‘The Russians are in this up to their ears. Or at least one of them is.’
‘It certainly is looking that way. Do you think Miss Petrovna was acting alone or with her government’s approval?’ asked Dora.
‘Odd business, shooting at your own representative and his wife,’ said Jane.
‘It looks more like the actions of someone going far beyond their orders,’ said Jacob. ‘The only way we can find that out is to talk to Count Vorontsov. His near brush with death will likely have made him suspicious that there are dealings in the embassy to which he isn’t party.’
‘I think you should call on him,’ said Dora. ‘It would be natural for you to do so as you attended him last night.’
‘Agreed. I’ll make that a priority. We’ll need his cooperation for what we do next.’
‘Which is?’ asked Jane.
‘Use the report as bait to bring them into the open?’ suggested Dora.
