The King's Falcon (Roundheads & Cavaliers Book 3) (44 page)

‘Obviously a villainous-looking fellow,’ murmured Francis to Athenais.
 
‘Stay here while I see who it is.’
 
And, out in the hall, ‘For God’s sake, Archie – surely it wasn’t necessary to shut the door on him?’

‘Can’t be too careful.
 
Colonel’s orders.’

With a slight shake of his head, Francis pulled the door open … and went rigid with disbelief.
 
‘
Nick?
’

Nicholas grinned.
 
‘Hello, Francis. Some jealous husband out for your blood, is he?

‘No.
Oh Christ
.’
 
Recovering the use of his legs, Francis surged forward to pull his friend into a crushing embrace.
 
‘This is – God, Nick.
 
I can’t believe it.
 
How the
hell
--?’
 
He stopped, realising why the hug felt awkward and changed his grip to pull Nicholas over the threshold.
 
‘That doesn’t matter.
 
Come inside.
 
Ignore Archie.
 
He’s here to protect the ladies – one of them, anyway.
 
I’m sorry.
 
I’m babbling.
 
I’m still having trouble believing you’re really here.
 
We were so worried – you have no idea.
 
Ashley couldn’t forgive himself for not being able to get to you in time – yet here you are.
 
How on earth did you find us?’

Finally able to get a word in edgeways, Nicholas said, ‘Ash is here?’

‘Yes.
 
He’s --’ Francis stopped as the parlour door opened and, switching back to French, said, ‘Athenais – this Captain Sir Nicholas Austin, a good friend of ours.
 
Nick – allow me to introduce you to Mademoiselle de Galzain; the best actress in Paris bar one, if she’ll forgive me for saying so.’

‘I can’t argue with the truth.’
 
She smiled at Nicholas and dropped a graceful curtsy.
 
‘I’m delighted to meet you, sir.
 
Have you recently come from England?’

Nicholas, who was having the usual male reaction to Athenais’s looks, swallowed and, in passable but rusty French, said, ‘Yes.
 
I arrived yesterday.’

‘Then you should sit down and I will send Suzon in with wine.’

‘You don’t need to leave,’ said Francis quickly.

‘I do.
 
After so long, you and Monsieur will have a great deal to talk about and I shall be very much in the way. Ah – unless you’d prefer to join Ashley upstairs?’

‘Not if he’s still in the bath.
 
Perhaps you could … or no.
 
Then again, perhaps not.’

‘Definitely not,’ she agreed firmly.
 
And left the room.

Nicholas stared after her.
 
‘Good Lord, Francis.
 
Is she your … your …?’

‘No.
 
She isn’t.
 
In fact, she isn’t anybody’s … whatever the particular word was that you were looking for. She and her friend own the lease to this house and kindly allow Ashley and me to lodge here. But all that can wait.
 
First, I want to hear about you.’
 
He paused.
 
‘I’m sorry about your arm.
 
Worcester, I suppose?’

‘Yes.’
 
Nicholas kept his tone light.
 
‘It’s inconvenient at times but I’m used to it now.’

Recognising that further conversation on this point would be unwelcome, Francis said, ‘So where have you been all this time?
 
And how did you manage to find us?’

Nicholas opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again as Suzon came in carrying a tray with wine and glasses.
 
He waited until she left and watched to make sure the door was properly shut.
 
Then he reached into the breast of his coat and said, ‘I have a letter for you.’

‘A letter?’
 
Francis took the packet, eyed the superscription and immediately recognised the handwriting. ‘Eden?
 
How is it you’ve brought me a letter from Eden?’

‘It’s a long story and most of it should probably wait until Ashley joins us.
 
But basically, Colonel Maxwell saved both my life and my liberty after Worcester.
 
I’ve been lodging with him in Cheapside for the last year. We can talk of all that later, if you wish.
 
The important thing is that something happened recently which made him want to get a message to you – and so, here I am.’
 
He gestured to the tray.
 
‘You should read what he has to say. In fact, you’d probably better read it twice.’

Frowning a little, Francis did so.
 
The letter was not written in Eden’s usual economic style and described, at some length, the state of the weather, the quality of the last harvest and the fall in trade occasioned by the Dutch war.
 
But wrapped up inside it were three pieces of salient information.

Pray tell your lady sister that her sorry situation is well-noted and that, if there is a way to rid her of this onerous burden – discreetly and without injury to either party – I will endeavour to find it
.

Which, loosely translated, said, ‘Tell Celia she can have her divorce if it doesn’t inconvenience me.’

And a paragraph and a half later,
Your father will doubtless be interested to learn that the legal dispute regarding his country retreat has finally been resolved.
 
A number of such cases, I believe.

Not such good news.
 
Eden was informing him that sequestration order on Far Flamstead had finally been enforced – presumably one of the six hundred Royalist properties confiscated to fund the Navy. Francis discovered he was quite glad he wouldn’t have to tell his father that their home was irretrievably lost.
 
Until this moment, there had always been a frail hope that one day … well, that was gone now.

Then, nearing the end,
I am sending this letter by way of a young man of good family.
 
His loyalty and veracity are to be entirely relied upon.
 
I believe his expertise in certain matters may be of value to you
.

In other words, ‘Nicholas has important information.
 
Listen carefully and do something about it.’

Francis drew a long breath and looked up.

‘Well, at least Celia will be pleased.
 
For the rest … what’s it all about, Nick?’

‘It’s complicated and I’d sooner only have to go through it all once.
 
So perhaps we could wait until Ashley comes down?’

‘How long have you got?’
 
Francis rose and picked up the wine-bottle and glasses.
 
‘Ashley won’t be coming down because he can’t.
 
So let’s go and see if he’s fit for company.’

‘What do you mean – he can’t?’
 
Nicholas followed Francis into the hall.
 
‘What’s the matter with him?’

‘A good many things, in my opinion.
 
But the one that’s keeping him upstairs is a nasty sword thrust to his thigh.
 
It happened nearly a week ago.’

Nicholas stopped abruptly on the turn of the stair.

‘Are you saying he’s been incapacitated for a
week?
’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh God.’

‘Don’t worry. He won’t rip up at you.
 
He’ll be too glad you’re alive.’

Francis stopped outside Athenais’s door and knocked.

‘You can come in,’ said an irritable voice from within.
 
‘I’m dry, dressed and not engaging in fleshly pleasures.’

Francis cast Nicholas a look which clearly said,
You see?
 
Then he opened the door saying, ‘Mind your manners – or Nick and I will leave you to your own miserable devices.’

And Ashley, who had been lying on the bed with an arm flung over his eyes while he tried to decide on what, if anything, he could usefully say to Athenais, sat up with a jerk.

‘What?
 
What
did you say?’

‘You heard.’
 
Francis stepped to one side so that Ashley could see who stood behind him.
 
‘Nick’s here.’

Colour flooded into Ashley’s face and he hauled himself to his feet so fast that he had to catch at the bedpost for support.
 
Joy, relief and sheer incredulity lit his eyes and he said unevenly, ‘Oh Christ.
 
Nick.
 
You’re alive.
 
I’m so sorry.’

‘You’re sorry I’m alive?’ asked Nicholas, attempting to leaven the moment. ‘What kind of welcome is that?’

Knowing how Ashley must feel, Francis turned away from them to pour the wine and then, clearing his throat, he said, ‘Nick has a tale to tell.
 
And I suspect, from the way he’s been behaving and the extremely peculiar letter he brought from Eden, that it’s cloak-and-dagger stuff – as if we didn’t have enough of that already.’

Ashley sat down on the side of the bed.

‘Eden?’
 
He looked at Francis.
 
‘Your friend-and-brother-in-law-and-Colonel-in-the-New-Model, Eden?’

‘Yes.
 
Truthfully, how many men do you think there
are
with a name like that? And, before you ask, he’s been looking after Nick for the past year.’

Ashley’s eyes narrowed as they returned to Nicholas.

‘He knows you’re a King’s man?
 
And a Catholic?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yet he still helped?’

‘Yes.
 
He’s a good fellow.
 
One of the best I’ve ever met.’
 
Nicholas took a large swallow of his wine.
 
‘And he’s risking his neck by sending me here to pass on information he acquired by accident and isn’t supposed to have.’

Ashley shot a sharp glance at Francis before restoring his attention to Nicholas.

‘Information about what?’

‘A plot to assassinate the King and the Duke of York.’

Silence lapped the edges of the room.

‘Go on.
 
I won’t ask if Colonel Maxwell is sure about this.
 
I’m presuming he must be or he wouldn’t have sent you – and the very nature of such a threat means that we have to take it seriously whether it exists or not,’ said Ashley crisply.
 
‘I take it he’s sent us no tangible proof?’

Nicholas shook his head.
 
‘He didn’t think it wise for me to carry anything in writing in case --’

‘In case you were stopped.
 
Quite right.
 
The Colonel plainly has more sense than most of our own agents.
 
But he showed you something to support his suspicions?’

‘Yes. I should probably mention that he’s currently working for the Secretary of State as a code-breaker --’

‘He
what?
’ exclaimed Francis.
 
And, with a laugh, ‘God.
 
He must
love
that.
 
He’s worse at sitting still than you are, Ashley.’

‘Shut up and let Nicholas finish.
 
Nick?’

‘He deals with a lot of reports and other correspondence on a daily basis.
 
Since he devises the codes for both Thomas Scot’s and Thurloe’s agents, he knows who those agents are – and, more importantly, who they
aren’t
.
 
And over the last couple of months, he’s found two stray letters – probably part of some wider communication – mixed up with a pile of other stuff. Both were in the same handwriting and used the same code – but the code wasn’t one of Eden’s own, although it should have been.’

‘Thus arousing his suspicions,’ nodded Ashley.
 
‘Yes.
 
Who does he believe these letters were meant for?’

‘Secretary Thurloe.’ Nick polished off the rest of his wine and held out his glass for Francis to re-fill.
 
‘Eden thinks he’s backing the plot in secret, in case things go awry.
 
Eden also thinks the entire concept of a double murder – after having already executed the late King – is an abomination.
 
And he sent me to you so we can stop it.’

Another silence fell.
 
But finally Francis said, ‘You’ve seen these letters?’

‘Yes.
 
The first was non-specific and spoke only of permanently removing all cause of future civil and political unrest.
 
The second was more detailed.
 
Charles and James are to be lured to Honfleur where someone will be waiting to assassinate them.
 
No names or dates were given and the writer seemed to be awaiting confirmation to proceed.
 
I know it’s not very much to go on, but --’

‘It’s enough.’
 
Ashley stood up to ease the muscles in his injured thigh.
 
‘Pay Hyde another visit, Francis.
 
Tell him I have wind of a possible plot against the King’s life and require to be instantly informed of any travel plans he may have – particularly in the general direction of Le Havre. Oh – and tell him on no account to mention this to His Majesty.’