He told her to sit.“Jenny.I know you are devoted to my wife, but I must ask you if you know anything of the matters discussed this morning between her and her brother.”
“No, sir.I couldn’t hear.”Jenny kept her eyes firmly down.
“Did you hear anything at all?”
The maid fidgeted.“She asked me most particular not to tell you, sir.”
“And I say you must, Jenny.My wife’s safety may depend upon it.”
After a moment Jenny gave in.“Well, sir, I truly didn’t hear much, but Mrs.Delaney raised her voice once or twice.I think she said, ‘This is ridiculous,’ and then something about Bonaparte.That’s all, sir, but she was very upset and she’s sitting up there in her room as she always does when she’s upset about something.”
Then the maid gathered her courage to add, “And, begging your pardon, sir but it ain’t right for her to be upset as often as she is, not in her condition.That’s why I told her she should tell you, and you’d see to Sir Lionel.But she turned quite fierce and said I wasn’t to tell you anything.”The maid’s confidence left her.“I hope she doesn’t turn me off.”
“Nonsense,” he said absently.“You don’t have to tell her anything about this.Mind, you can if you wish, but it will probably just upset her more.Even if she dismisses you, and I cannot imagine Eleanor doing anything so unfair, I’ll give you an excellent character.Go along now.”
After the maid left Nicholas stood for a long time, contemplating the view, fiddling idly with a steel paperknife.When he finally moved, he cursed fluently and drove the knife deep into the polished wood of the desk.He left the room abruptly.
Sir Lionel arrived home to find he had visitors.His bland greetings to Lord Deveril and Madame Bellaire were a little more forced than usual.
“This is an unexpected pleasure,” he said, all smiles.
“Unexpected, certainly,” said Lord Deveril unpleasantly.“I believe you have been seeing your sister again, Lionel.”
“Ah, well, blood’s thicker than water, you know, though that damned husband of hers don’t like me to visit the house.”
“In fact, he has forbidden you the house,” said Lord Deveril.
“Aye, as you say,” agreed Sir Lionel uneasily.“Most unreasonable.But we do meet, Eleanor and I, and have a little chat about the old days.”
“How very nice for you,” said Lord Deveril ominously, “and for us.We have a job for you again.”
“What?”asked Sir Lionel, unable to hide his alarm.“You want to meet here again?”
“Not at all,” purred Madame Bellaire.“Now my little establishment is so popular it serves that purpose excellently.No, I fear my charming Nicholas might be losing his enthusiasm for our cause.A little extra inducement might be needed to keep him resolute.Do you not feel his wife might provide such a persuasion to good behavior?”
Sir Lionel gave a bark of genuine amusement.“Hell and damnation, you’re up the wrong tree there.For a start, I couldn’t persuade Eleanor to eat if she was starving, and to add to it, she has no influence with her husband at all.If anyone can raise his enthusiasm,” he said with a leer, “it’s you, madame, not Eleanor.”
Madame smiled.“I agree with you there, Sir Lionel.But it is you who is—how did you say it?—barking up the wrong tree.I am afraid a little more ruthless persuasion may be needed.”
Sir Lionel paled as he always did at the thought of physical violence.“You won’t beat sense into him, if that’s what you have in mind.”
“Of course not.”Lord Deveril’s voice was scornful.“But he would object to us laying hands on his wife, wouldn’t he, you numbskull?Especially in her condition.A man doesn’t have to be a devoted husband to draw the line at that.”
Sir Lionel looked as if he was about to be sick.
“Sir Lionel, Sir Lionel,” said Madame Bellaire reassuringly.“You do not think we would really hurt her?That I, a woman, would condone such a thing?The mere threat will be enough.To make the threat real, however, we must have his wife in our power.”
“What has that to do with me?”
“You,” said Lord Deveril, “are going to get her for us.”
“How?”cried Sir Lionel, his eyes bulging.“How?She wouldn’t trust me if I were her last hope, I tell you.It can’t be done!”
Madame Therese rustled over to him in a delicate mist of sultry perfume.She laid a hand on his arm.“Do not distress yourself so,mon ami.We know it is difficult, but to whom else may we turn?All the servants in his house are incorruptible.She never goes out alone.She is watched constantly.And besides, to snatch her on the streets would be too hazardous.You are our only hope.We have brought you two helpers.All you have to do is lure her here.”
“But how?”he asked, ashen with fear.
“I know you can think of a way,mon cher.Could you not offer to give her something and ask her to collect it?A keepsake, something she treasured as a child?”
