‘Oh, I don’t think so. It’s common enough in monied circles to have a few side pieces. I wouldn’t worry yourself about this Teutonic slab of British beef.’ He tossed her a walnut. ‘Not very subtle. You get bored of boys like him quickly enough.’
The walnut hit her head and dropped into her lap.
‘Oh my god.’
‘I think my mother had about three of his type a week. They’d always turn up with pineapples and ice cream and toys for us children, and then I’d never see them again. It’s actually probably a good thing she decided I was a disgusting aberration, or she’d steal all my boyfriends.’
‘Al, can you pleaseshut up right now.’
‘What? I’m trying to help.’
Raised voices came from the other room.
‘I told you. Definitely breaking his heart as we speak.’
They listened to the muffled argument. Then a door slammed, and Camille reappeared.
For a beat, Ada thought about going to her. It felt a lifetime ago that she was rushing across the room to kiss a river-soaked Camille.
Then she thought about James kissing Camille, as he probably had. More than once. Ada stared at her feet. Fiancé. She felt so spectacularly stupid. She could feel everyone staring at her out of the corner of their eye.
Well, everyone but Camille.
‘This man ... James,’ started Guil. ‘Can you trust him?’
Ada was grateful to him for breaking the silence. And that he didn’t say fiancé. She didn’t know what she’d do if she heard that word again.
‘I’m still thinking about it.’
‘We could use an ally—’
‘I’m not talking about him now.’ Camille cut him off.
The battalion sat in silence, so many questions hanging unspoken between them.
Camille stood abruptly and started pacing.
‘We’ve been on the back foot since this whole thing with Olympe started, and I don’t like it. If we keep stumbling around in the dark, we’ll be in trouble before we can do anything about it. As far as I’m concerned this is still a job like any other, only the rescue bit is bigger than we thought. We’ve had difficult jobs before – who snatched the Comtesse de Vaubernier at the very moment the National Guard turned up to arrest her? Us. Who kidnapped Louis de Noailles as he walked out of the Tribunal hall itself? Us! God – who managed to get the entire Sévérac family out of Paris when half the city was hunting for them? Us! It’s always us. When things seem impossible, who else is there? If we don’t help Olympe, then no one will.’
She stopped in front of Al, who looked up at her warily.
‘And what do we need to do a job well? Information.’
He returned her gaze impassively. ‘So read a book.’
‘I need your contacts. Who the hell is this duc and why does he want Olympe? Someone must know something.’
‘I’ll just go and have a chat with all my not-yet-executed entirely relaxed aristocrat friends, then, shall I?’
‘Or your demi-monde criminal friends, whoever has the information. That’s what you said you could offer the battalion, isn’t it? Information. Sources.’
‘Here’s me thinking that you kept me around because you liked me.’ He hid his gaze in his drink. ‘Or was it guilt because your second-rate lawyer of a father couldn’t get my family out of their charges? I forget.’
Camille narrowed her eyes. ‘It certainly wasn’t for your winning personality. Information. Can you get it or not?’
Al retreated to the window seat, grumbling. ‘Your wish is my command.’
She turned to the rest of the battalion.
