Page 11 of Lord Ashley's Beautiful Alibi
“Men like her, but she does not succumb to easy charms.” Scarlett was adamant. “Become friends with Bolton. But find Madame St. Antoine or…”
“I know.” For the fortune he was being paid, he would find God. “Or bury her.” He winced.
Scarlett held out documents to him. “Memorize this list and burn it afterward. And this is the address of your apartment off the Champs-Élysées. It is temporary. You have amajordom, who is one of ours. His family works with us out of Pisa. Magnus Corsini. He finds you a suitable house and hires staff.”
Kane was surprised at how thoroughly she had prepared for him that he had an Italian in his operation. Did Corsini deal in poison and thegarrotte?
She must have read his mind, because she lifted her shoulders in a pose of a woman thrilled by her thoughts. “He is from a famous family, yes, with many useful skills.”
As I thought.“I won’t ask what they are.” Kane put up a palm, but looked toward his friends. “Am I to know the missions of these three?”
She was quick to respond. “Each has his own assignment, but first and foremost, they assist you. Our temporary minister in Paris is Anthony Merry. Leave him to his diplomacy. He knowsonly what each of you do for the government, but not what you do for me.”
To Kane, she was pointed: “As for you, sir, you become the suave British host of exclusive receptions and balls. You are signing trade deals for silks, china. Especially grain—if you can get it. Fournier assists with diplomats. Ramsey is not far away in a house near the Tuileries.”
“No dinner parties for me?” Ram appeared to take umbrage at that.
But Scarlett had his answer. “If you need it, do. But right away, you are busy implementing the release of our English from French prisons.”
“Ah,” Ram said. “So then I am looking at numbers of soldiers in French forts, am I?”
Scarlett let her lips lift in an appreciative smile. “And supplies going into them. But remember, all of you work together. What you don’t know, you learn. What you know, you share.”
Kane scanned the attitudes of each man before him. They were silent. Imbibing their struggles to come. Calm as ever. Intent as always. And deadly.
“The four of you,” she said, “are there to ensure a proper, functioning system. Repair it or rebuild it. Feed and complement what we have here.” She tipped her head and smiled at them with the consolation of the damned. “Do not fail.”
Chapter Three
April 27, 1802
Tuileries Palace
Paris
This evening’s gatheringwas much the same as last night’s here. Kane had presented himself to tonight’s hostess for Josephine, Madame Tallien, one of Madame Bonaparte’s ladies, and made his way through the crowd to the supper buffet. Satisfied by his ownmaison d’chef’s creations, he rarely wasted time to eat at these soirees.
He had priorities. Track Josephine’s movements. Ask discreet questions about one or two of her unmarried ladies. Appear affable and interested in today’s gossip. Who slept with whom last night. Where Fouché’s madman deputy Vaillancourt was. Did Ramsey keep his hands to himself tonight? And what happened to Dirk Fournier that he was suddenly enraptured with a little chit from the Vendee?
His cousin should stay clear of those types. Revolutionaries like that were still causing trouble in Brittany and in Bordeaux. Look what had happened to Kane when he worked with that rebel Juvenot. The man had failed, with all conspirators caught and killed. Only Kane had escaped that day…and probably only because he kissed a black-haired beauty too many times.
“Bon soir, Monsieur le Comte.” The lady who stood in his way to the table was Madame Julie Averdeau. Her husband, an aide-de-camp to Bonaparte, was a young bit of fluff who managed to find her way into many of her husband’s comrades’ beds.
“Forgive me,madame.” He executed his superb Parisian French, smiled like a smitten beau, and bowed like a prince. “I have not had the pleasure.”
“Nor have I,Monsieur le Comte, which is why I stand before you. The best way to make friends is to start without all the rules that hold others in chains. Don’t you agree?” She touched her open fan to his wrist, her good English his encouragement to get this tète-à-tète over with soon. He did not speak often in English. In French, he could prevaricate.
“I do,madame.” He stuck to his French. “Allow me. I am your humble servant. The Earl of Ashley, Viscount Marl, Baron Dayton.”
“A lovely recitation,” she replied with dainty pronunciation. “I heard you speak French before. How do you speak our language so well,monsieurof the many titles?”
“I have family who are from Aquitaine,madame. When a child, I had the privilege to live with my mother’s family in Bordeaux and later in the Loire.”
“C’est vrai?How charming. Whom do you have in the Loire? Perhaps I know them?”
Why did Kane have the impression that she knew who his relatives were and only asked to keep him amused? “My family are wine producers.”
“Ancient vintners?”
