In the Commodore's Hands

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‘I am sure I did not,’ she retorted. ‘He laughed in my face, knowing how helpless I am. Hortense will vouch for that, won’t you, Hortense?’

‘Yes, to be sure, he was triumphant, the evil man.’

‘Then we do not have a moment to lose,’ Jay said, determined not to bend. ‘I asked you to pack, mademoiselle, and have the carriage ready. I suggest you go home and do that.’

‘I have packed two portmanteaux and they are already in the boot of the carriage and my jewels hidden in the cushions and I have been to the bank and drawn out all my money in gold coin. Monsieur Gascon would not let me have Papa’s money without authorisation from him.’

‘Good God, woman!’ Jay exclaimed, really angry now. He wished she was a man; a man he could command, could punish if he was disobeyed, but a woman was another matter entirely. She was as headstrong as Marianne had been and probably as devious. ‘Is there no end to your foolishness? Now half the town will know there is something afoot to rescue the Comte. It will make the task doubly difficult, even impossible.’

She had to defend herself. ‘Why should anyone know? The bank manager will say nothing, he dare not. What he did was illegal. He is supposed to use all gold coin for the benefit of the state.’

‘Jay, calm yourself,’ Sir John said. ‘We are in possession of information we did not have before, let us be thankful for that and make our plans accordingly.’

Sam entered the room dressed in a brown-frieze coat and breeches, his newly washed hair springing into dark curls. Jay turned to him, laughing. ‘You look halfway decent now, my friend. Sit down while I tell you the latest news.’ To Lisette he said, ‘Mademoiselle, I am sorry if I spoke harshly. You have done well. Go home now and bring your carriage here after dark tonight. We shall need two vehicles to carry out our plans, one to convey you, your maid and Sir John directly to the Lady Amy as soon as it is light enough to see, the other to bring me, Mr Roker and the Comte. Sam, you will go and make sure Lieutenant Sandford knows he has to have the ship’s boat on the shore ready to push off the minute mademoiselle and Sir John arrive, then it is to come back for us. If we do not arrive within two hours, he is not to wait, but sail for England.’

‘Without you and Papa?’ Lisette queried, as Sam hurried off on his errand.

‘Yes. If a bid to free your father fails, you will certainly not be safe in France.’

‘But I cannot, will not, leave without him.’

‘Lisette, Jay will bring him to you,’ Sir John said. ‘Please do not make difficulties.’

‘You cannot be sure of that.’

‘Nothing is sure,’ Jay told her. ‘But rest assured, if we do not come, then the chances are we have perished in the attempt.’ He smiled to reassure her. ‘And believe me, I have no plans to depart this life just yet.’

‘What are you going to do?’ she asked in a quiet voice.

‘Free your father. When and how, I shall decide when Sam has returned from his errand.’

‘I will have beds made up for you and your maid,’ Sir John said. ‘At least you will be able to have a few hours’ rest before your journey.’

She finished her coffee and took her leave. Everything was in the hands of the Englishman now and she was not at all sure how she felt about that. She supposed his coolness was an asset in a sticky situation, but she wished he would show just a little warmth. At this moment, she would have given anything for a hug, someone’s arms about her to make her feel loved and safe. Good heavens! Whatever was she thinking of?

Jay watched her go. He could not help feeling sorry for her. She must be worried to death and it had been unkind of him to be so brusque with her when all she wanted to do was help. He sincerely hoped that the visit to Henri Canard was the last of such efforts and that she would do exactly as he told her from now on.

He turned to his grandfather. ‘You will look after her and make sure she does nothing foolish, won’t you? Watching out for her at the same time as trying to deal with her father and the guards is more than I wish to contemplate.’

‘Of course I will. She is like a granddaughter to me and if anything should happen to her father, I will be all she has.’

‘She has a brother and relatives in England.’

‘You can hardly count on them. Earl Wentworth banished her mother and, though he is long dead, I have no reason to think his heirs will welcome the daughter. As for Michel, he will share his monarch’s fate, whatever that might be.’

‘Are they alike, Michel and Lisette?’

‘To look at, yes, like peas in a pod, but I am not sure if they are temperamentally. I do not know the boy as well as I do Lisette. He has not often been home to see his father and sister since he went to court and when he has, I have not always seen him.’

‘The Comte is much older than I imagined he would be. There must have been a big age difference between him and his wife.’

‘Yes, that was another reason why her family were so against the marriage. He was a bachelor nearer fifty than forty and she was young and lovely and could take her pick of the London eligibles.’

‘There must have been a strong attraction between them for her to choose him above others. Were they happy together?’

‘Indeed, yes. They adored each other. She kept him young, but the poor man aged suddenly when she died, as if half of him had died too. It is only Lisette who has kept him going for all these years.’

‘He was in a sorry state when I saw him, filthy, unshaven, very thin and weak. I did not say anything to Mademoiselle Giradet for fear of upsetting her, but I hope he is strong enough to transfer from one coach to another.’

‘What do you have in mind?’

‘I will tell you when Sam comes back. Have you finished putting your affairs in order?’

Sir John laughed. ‘I have always been an exile, always hoping that I might return to England one day, and in over thirty years I have not put down strong roots. all I have of any worth—my family—is already in England. I have packed a few clothes and paid all the servants off—generously, I may add—and they will scatter after I have left. I have told the coachman he may keep the carriage and horses after I am safely aboard the yacht and he tells me he thinks he will use it to set up a hire business in another town.’ He smiled. ‘He will not wish to stay here for fear of being associated with our little adventure.’

‘No, I can see he would not.’

‘You cannot know how much this means to me, Jay. The prospect of going back to England, and not as a renegade but one of the family, fills me with happy anticipation.’

Jay smiled. ‘We have a few hurdles to overcome before that happens. The next twenty-four hours are crucial.’

‘I know, but I do not doubt you can do it.’

‘I pray I may be worthy of your trust.’ He stood up. ‘I think I’ll take a stroll round the town until Sam comes back. It might give me some ideas. If mademoiselle returns while I’m gone, try to reassure her.’

The town was quiet. The trade it had once done had faded to almost nothing and the people were suffering. It was strange that they did not seem to blame the new regime for this, but the King and his nobility. He did not doubt he was not the only smuggler; so far as he could tell there was a lively trade in forbidden goods in and out. The authorities did nothing about that, being more concerned with putting people like Comte Giradet in gaol.

He studied the layout of the town and watched its inhabitants. Most were in the garb of the Revolution, though some were a little better dressed. And there were a few blue-uniformed National Guard patrolling the streets on foot. Occasionally they searched someone’s shopping basket, and arrested one old man because he had real tobacco in his pocket. Jay did not see the National Guard as a great threat to his plans—the maréchaussée