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‘She has courage, that inconvenient spouse of yours,’ Harry said, laughing.
‘Too much courage,’ Jay added gloomily as they followed Wentworth out of the building.
They had kept on his heels all the way to the Embassy.
‘I shall have to waylay him. You keep out of sight.’ Jay increased his pace to catch up with the man before Madame Gilbert answered the door. ‘Wentworth, were you looking for me?’ he called out.
The man turned at the sound of his name. ‘Drymore, there you are.’
‘Yes, here I am. To what do I owe this visit?’ It was an effort to remain polite.
‘I came to wish you and your good lady bon voyage. Is she at home?’
‘She will be resting before our journey, I think. The carriage will be here at any moment.’
‘Then allow me to say goodbye to her.’
‘Why the courtesies, Wentworth? You were not always so particular.’
‘She is my niece, but you knew that, did you not? Mind you, I’ll wager you didn’t know she married you to use your name as protection in a country where she is wanted for counter-revolutionary plotting. Or did you? You are not innocent in the affair, I think. Do you think you can keep her safe, Drymore?’
‘Go,’ Jay said, trying to keep his voice level although it was an effort. ‘My wife will not see you.’
‘Oh, I am sure she will.’
The window above them was opened and Lisette’s head poked out. ‘Is that you, Jay, darling?’ she called. ‘I have been waiting this age for you. Who is that with you?’
‘It is Mr Wentworth come to say goodbye and bon voyage,’ Jay called back, his heart in his mouth.
‘Oh, Mr Wentworth, how civil of you. I am afraid I cannot receive you. I am déshabillée and do not have much time to dress before we are due to leave. A thousand pardons.’ And with that she withdrew her head and shut the window.
‘I must go in and make sure all is ready,’ Jay said. ‘Good day to you, Wentworth. I will not say I hope we meet again because I am not given to untruths.’ He paused, watching a twitch in the man’s jaw which told him the other man was even more nervous than he was. Fear, perhaps? Danton must have threatened him. ‘If you are thinking of forcing your way in, you will regret it, I promise you,’ he went on. ‘I will not spare you a second time. The only reason I tolerate your presence at all is in deference to my wife.’
Wentworth hesitated, opened his mouth and shut it again, then left. Jay breathed a sigh of relief.
‘How did she manage it?’ Harry asked, joining him on the step.
‘She?’
‘Lisette.’ He jerked his head towards the upper window. ‘Back here.’
‘She isn’t. That was Michel. He is as bad as Lisette for acting on his own account. I could cheerfully throttle him.’
‘My God, he was good. He fooled me.’
‘Come in and meet him. You will see the difference when you are close to him.’
‘I do not think we dare wait until the morning now,’ Jay said as he ushered Harry into the vestibule. ‘Wentworth will not believe Lisette would leave without her brother. He will check that Michel is still in the prison. We cannot risk him recognising Lisette.’
Michel was peering over the banisters above them. ‘Did he go away?’
‘Yes, thank goodness,’ Jay said. ‘Come down and meet my friend, Lord Portman.’
Michel descended the stairs, every inch of him an uncanny imitation of Lisette. ‘And you can forget the charade,’ he added. ‘Lord Portman knows all about it. Harry, this is Michel Giradet, Lisette’s twin.’
The two men shook hands. ‘Your mimicry of your sister is extraordinary,’ Harry said.
‘Thank you. We often used to change places when we were children. Sometimes we could even fool our father. Never our mother, though.’
‘Is your sister as good as you are?’ Harry asked. ‘Would she fool Wentworth as easily as you did?’
‘If they are not too close, she might. She is an inch or two shorter than I am.’
‘No,’ Jay said firmly. ‘I am not going to risk it. We must do what we have to do tonight.’ He turned to Michel. ‘Giradet, I want you to go to the Cross Keys on the corner of Rue St Honore and speak to Monsieur Barnard, the proprietor. Tell him our plans are to go ahead, but there might be some delay. Tell him to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. You will also meet a man called Sam Roker. Tell him he is to bring the carriage to the Île de la Cité and wait for us as near the entrance as he can get without arousing suspicion. You stay at the inn until we come. If you value your sister’s life you will not stir from there, and you will not try any of your childish games on anyone, do you hear? Keep hidden.’
