The King's Falcon (Roundheads & Cavaliers Book 3) (53 page)

Cornered immediately afterwards by an extremely anxious Athenais, Ashley merely said that he’d set the Marquis straight on a few things.
 

Privately, to Francis, he said disgustedly, ‘The fellow’s lily-livered.
 
I insulted his intelligence, his manhood and his honour.
 
I even knocked the bastard down.
 
If he had an ounce of backbone, he’d have named a time and place – but he didn’t.
 
So the only thing I can hope is that I’ve drawn his fire from Athenais to myself … because if I haven’t, sooner or later I’m going to have to do something terminal.’

‘Kill him, you mean?’

‘Either that or cut off his bollocks and ram them down his throat.
 
You’re the poet.
 
Which one do you think is more apt?’

~
 
*
 
*
 
~
 
*
 
*
 
~

The following day brought another visit from Celia, this time in tears.

‘What’s Verney done now?’ asked Francis wearily.

‘I don’t know where he is,’ sobbed Celia.
 
‘He hasn’t been home for two days.
 
Do you think … do you really think he’s with that woman?’

‘I’ve no idea – but it seems likely.’
 
He looked at her, not entirely unsympathetic but feeling as though he could well do without this.
 
‘I’m sorry, Celia.
 
I don’t know what you expect me to do about it.’

‘Find him and tell him he must break with her and come back to me.’

‘And you think he’s going to do it because I say so?
 
Of course he isn’t.’
 
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down beside her.
 
‘I can’t say I ever thought it would happen but, realistically, this was always a possibility.
 
You’re not married so you have no hold over him.
 
If he doesn’t want to be with you any more, there’s nothing anyone can do about it.’

‘But I gave up
everything
for him.’

Nothing that apparently mattered very much to you
, thought Francis.
 
But said dryly, ‘He gave up quite a lot himself, as I recall.’

She made a dismissive gesture with one hand.

‘He loves me.
 
He’s
always
loved me. And I don’t understand why he’s behaving this way – especially now, when there’s finally a chance we could marry.’
 
She fumbled for her handkerchief and wiped her brimming eyes.
 
‘This can’t happen.
 
It’s all wrong.
 
We’ve been together for over eight years, Francis!’

‘I know.’
 

‘And I’ve never looked at another man in all that time.’

Having seen the way she’d eyed Ashley, Francis rather doubted that – though he was ready to believe she’d probably never done much more than look.

‘Of course not.’

‘So he can’t just walk away from me.
 
I won’t let him.’

He sighed.
 
‘Then talk to him.
 
And I mean
talk
, Celia – not a barrage of tears and recrimination.
 
But if things don’t go the way you wish, there really isn’t a great deal to be done.’

Her mouth compressed into a hard line and she stared down at her lap, where her fingers were systematically shredding her handkerchief.
 
‘You said I have no hold over him – but I have. A few months ago when we were short of money, he persuaded me to do something I shouldn’t have.’

‘What, exactly?’

‘I … I took something.’

Francis frowned.
 
‘You mean you stole it?’

She nodded.

‘From whom?’

‘That doesn’t matter.
 
Hugo said it was something this person shouldn’t have anyway and, in the right quarters, it would be worth a lot of money.
 
He made it sound like a
good
thing – as though we’d be doing the – doing a favour for someone important.
 
Only afterwards, it started to feel … awkward.
 
I couldn’t face my – the person in question so I had to invent a quarrel.
 
Worse still, the man Hugo said would pay for the – for this thing I took, didn’t.
 
Or, at least, I don’t think he did.’
 
She looked up.
 
‘But what’s important is that Hugo wouldn’t want people to know what he’s done and how he made me help him.’

 
Francis was beginning to get a feeling of dire foreboding.
 
He said, ‘Celia … please tell me you didn’t steal Lucy Walter’s so-called marriage lines and give them to Hugo to sell?’

Her eyes flew to meet his.

‘How do you --?’
 
She stopped abruptly.

‘How do I know?
 
You’ve just more or less told me.’
 
He dropped his head in his hands and tried to think past the fact that this was getting worse and worse – and God alone knew what Ashley was going to make of it.
 
‘Christ. I’m having trouble believing that even you could be this stupid.
 
I’m assuming Verney expected Ned Hyde to buy it?’

She nodded.
 
‘He said that, even if it was a forgery, Hyde would still want it so Lucy couldn’t use it to cause trouble.
 
But he didn’t.’

‘So what did Verney do next?’

‘Next?
 
I don’t know.
 
For all I know, he still has it.’

He doesn’t
, thought Francis.
 
Thomas Scot does.
 
Which means Verney’s loyalties are, at best, divided.
 
Then, knowing better than to expect Celia to concentrate on anything that didn’t personally involve her, he said, ‘If you think you can use this to blackmail Verney into marrying you, you’re deluded.
 
It was you who stole the letter, not him.
 
And since you don’t know what he did with it, you can’t prove that he did anything at all.
 
All you’ll achieve is to brand yourself a thief.’

‘But --’

He stood up.

‘There aren’t any buts. The whole thing is a petard waiting to blow up in your face. If you threaten Verney with this, he’ll say exactly what I’ve just said – and then he probably
will
walk out on you. If your relationship with him is crumbling and you want to shore it up, you’re going to have to keep your temper and hold an adult conversation – or, alternatively, put a smile on your face, something enticing on the rest of you and seduce him.
 
If neither of those work, nothing will.’

*
 
*
 
*

‘So what do you want to do about Verney?’ asked Francis, when he finished relating the whole sorry tale to Ashley.

‘Not a great deal.
 
If, as Eden believes, the marriage-lines are forged, Verney hasn’t exactly done much damage.
 
But since he
could
have done, I’ll make sure Hyde is aware that his allegiance is questionable – and what happens thereafter will be up to him, not me.’
 
Ashley let his head fall back and communed silently with the ceiling for a few moments.
 
Then he said, ‘It’s galling to think of the time I’ve wasted over Lucy Walter and Henri de Vauvallon. But in matters like this, I suppose there’s always a red herring or two. And events have now moved on.’
 
He sighed.
 
‘His Majesty wants me to burgle Lucy’s lodgings and retrieve his letters.
 
If Celia had taken those as well, she could have saved me a great deal of trouble.’

Francis stared at him.

‘You’re not really going to do it, are you?’

‘I said I would.
 
I also said it would have to wait until I’m fit enough to go tripping around rooftops.
 
But since I’m reluctant to ruin my only remaining suit of clothes, I’m going to have to ensure that the lady is otherwise engaged and hope that Jem’s dalliance with the maidservant is sufficiently advanced to let me in through the front door – after which, I’ll only have to pick a couple of locks.’

‘
Only?
’

‘Yes.
 
It’s not especially difficult.’

A prickle of suspicion made its way down Francis’s neck.

‘Why do I get the feeling you’re telling me this for a purpose?’

Ashley grinned.
 
‘Because I want you to reserve a box for Mistress Walter and her friends at the theatre tomorrow evening.
 
Tell her it’s by way of an apology from Celia, if you like.
 
And then, since you don’t need to watch every single performance, you can come and watch the street for me instead.
 
All being well, we’ll be back for the final curtain.’

‘Watch the street for what?’

‘Unexpected visitors.’

‘And if I see any?
 
No.
 
Don’t tell me.
 
I’m supposed to hoot like an owl – or some such thing.’

‘I was thinking more in terms of a piercing whistle.
 
But if hooting is your preference, I haven’t any objection.’
 
He paused.
 
‘So you’ll do it?’

‘Why not?
 
Since larceny already runs in the family, what have I got to lose?’

*
 
*
 
*

Ashley told Jem that they were going house-breaking.

‘Gawd!’ said Mr Barker.
 
‘Totting a crib?
 
Are you dicked in the nob?
 
You had enough to say when I was doing a bit of dipping!’

‘That was because you were bad at it.’

‘I did all right,’ muttered Jem sulkily. ‘And you’re no ace cracksman.’

‘I’m careful and I plan – which is generally sufficient.
 
Can you get me a couple of lengths of strong wire?’

‘Reckon so.
 
What for?’

‘I need to make some lock-picks.’

‘Gawd!’ breathed Jem again.

‘And, while I’m working on that, you can continue your flirtation with that saucy piece at Mistress Walter’s lodgings.
 
Make an assignation with her for tomorrow night.’

‘A what?’

‘Tell her you’ll be round tomorrow evening with some wine.’

Jem scratched his head and looked moderately more cheerful.

‘Ah.
 
Well, it’s an ill-wind, ain’t it, Colonel?’

‘It certainly is.’

*
 
*
 
*

An hour or so later and having searched the entire house, Athenais found Ashley in the attic bending wire into small, oddly intricate shapes.
 
She said, ‘What on earth are you doing?’

He tossed the pieces aside and smiled at her.

‘Nothing very important.’
 
Reaching out, he took her hand and pulled her down beside him.
 
‘You’ll want to ask about last night.’

She nodded, colouring a little.

After the encounter with the Marquis, Ashley had accompanied her to her room, pulled the pins from her hair and kissed her with his usual languorous skill.
 
Then he’d said, ‘I’m not going to stay with you tonight.
 
Not because I don’t want to – but because that piece of vermin has left a bad taste in my mouth … and also because there’s something you and I need to talk about before taking matters any further.
 
And so, since I can’t guarantee to keep my hands off you, I’m going to sleep upstairs.’

Then he’d kissed her hands, told her that he loved her – and left.

‘Yes.
 
What did you mean?’

‘About d’Auxerre?
 
What I said.
 
He’d made me angry and, when that happens, it sometimes takes time to dissipate.’
 
His smile was crooked.
 
‘One of my less attractive characteristics, I’m afraid.’

‘And the thing we needed to talk about?’

‘Ah.
 
Yes.’
 
He stared down at their clasped hands for a moment and then said bluntly, ‘I don’t want to get you with child.’

‘Oh.
 
No.
 
I mean – it’s all right. Pauline has already talked to me about that.’

‘Has she?
 
How very efficient of her.’

 
‘You know what she’s like,’ shrugged Athenais. ‘She guessed that I might not think of it and wouldn’t know what to do if I did – so she’s brewing a cordial I’m to drink every day.
 
She says it’s very effective.’

Ashley wasn’t entirely convinced but, since he knew that the only certain way to prevent conception was abstinence and he rather suspected that might be beyond him, he said, ‘And you’re happy with that?’

She leaned her head against his shoulder.

‘I’m happy with
you
.’
 
She hesitated and then said, ‘If I promise to remember that you need privacy sometimes, will you move downstairs with me?’

‘You don’t need to promise me anything except that you’re sure it’s what you want.’

‘How could it not be?’
 
She reached up to kiss his jaw.
 
‘I love you.’
 

*
 
*
 
*

On the following day, learning that Nicholas was again visiting the Louvre, Ashley said, ‘Tell His Majesty that I’m hoping to complete the task he set me this evening.
 
He’ll know what you mean.
 
And you might also tell him that, if I fail to report to him tomorrow, he’d better find out why.’