Authors: Barbara Cleverly
‘No. That was the second daughter. But you let her get away.’
He rolled his eyes in disbelief. ‘Next time, then, I’ll chase after Her Imperious Haughtiness and let you drop,’ he said pleasantly. ‘Now, if that’s enough excitement for one day,
I
could do with a cup of tea. Joe Lyons Corner House suit you? Come on. I think we’d better get our story straight before we report back to the Commissioner.’
Lily stuck out her legs and wiggled her shoeless toes.
Joe groaned. ‘Piggy back, then. I’ll have to carry you. And just hope the man from the
Mirror
isn’t rushing here, camera in hand, attracted by a telephone call from the police box at the other end of the bridge.
Botched suicide plunge. Young woman flees scene in arms of knight-errant vicar.
It wouldn’t do either of us any good.’
‘No need for heroics, sir. Strong feet. I can get as far as the nearest taxi stand.’
Cherbourg, the
Hirondelle
, Friday
He had his introductory speech off pat but he nervously rehearsed it again as he unpacked his luggage. He could hardly present himself at the door of her state room – no, that wouldn’t do at all. It would never be his plan to impose himself on her. He thought it best to come across her by chance, standing at the rail staring out to sea perhaps. Yes, that’s how it would happen. He wouldn’t rush it. He’d time his appearance for dawn on the first morning out from Southampton. Always glad to come through the dark hours, she loved to watch the sun rise, he remembered. She’d be there at the stern. ‘I say, miss, for a moment I thought I knew you. Great heavens! I
do
know you!’ he’d say in surprise. If she didn’t instantly deny it he’d carry on: ‘We met quite some time ago, I believe … What would you say to taking a turn around the deck and remembering old times?’ Or some such rubbish. He acknowledged that he was not honey tongued with women.
He hunted frantically for a razor amongst his things. Must get rid of the beard. She didn’t like beards. He’d hastily crammed a selection of necessities into a bag when the telegram from the princess had reached him at his digs in Paris. Could one cross the Atlantic in three shirts? If things went his way, he could always restock in New York. The old girl had thoughtfully sent word that she’d wired a large sum of money to an account in his name at the Fifth Avenue Bank so he would at least be able to cover emergencies. But how the hell had the old girl known he was in Paris? Had she been tracking him about Europe for the last year? He’d hardly known where he was himself most of the time. And how could she have been aware of the dubious state of his bank balance? None of her business and he resented the interference. All the same … and despising himself for sentimentality … he’d kept the telegram. It was in the breast pocket of his jacket.
Only a Russian would pay no heed to the conventions of telegraphic communication. No short phrases here and hardly even a stop. It ran on like a conversation. A one-sided conversation. It had been two years since he’d exchanged a word with the princess and here she was ordering him to drop his wandering life and get himself to Cherbourg to board a liner with one day’s notice. He wasn’t offended – he was amazed and delighted to obey.
With funds running low, he’d only been able to afford a second-class cabin so there might be difficulties. But his cabin was spacious, the fittings elegantly French, and he had a porthole. And at least the clientèle in second seemed to be of a good sort and rather his style. The chap in the cabin next to him … quiet, hooded eyes, military bearing, had impressed him with his undemanding overtures. He’d be glad to meet him for a lunchtime drink in the bar later. Calm his nerves and pass the time agreeably until they picked up passengers at Southampton.
Bacchus watched as the passengers came aboard at Southampton, spotting her willowy frame moving lithely up the gangplank. Both targets safely aboard. So far, so good. He stayed at the rail, lazily watching the comings and goings in the port, and sighed with relief and anticipation when the liner finally upped anchor and began to ease its way out into the Solent, setting its bow to the westering sun. He’d managed to get off a last report for Sandilands, ship to shore, and he could come off watch.
They were in his pocket now. Both of them.
His new friend had confided over a gin or two, after some pretty skilful probing on his part, that he was contemplating reviving an old friendship and was planning a romantic dawn encounter with a young lady in first class. It hadn’t been difficult to get him talking. Men always confided more than was wise to a congenial fellow passenger. Particularly men head over ears in love. Bacchus had offered a sympathetic smile, worldly advice and encouragement.
A considerable man. Bacchus liked him. They’d agreed to have dinner together tonight. Poor bloke, though. Had he any idea what a hell-cat … Bacchus caught himself. If any man was equal to the task of handling the appalling young woman, this was surely the one. He wondered briefly what the attraction was for him. Apart, of course, from the stunning good looks, and the fortune tucked away in an American bank. Bacchus allowed himself a moment’s speculation and decided he wasn’t, himself, man enough to take her on even with such tempting assets. But he could sense a depth of common sense and a firmness of purpose under this man’s charming exterior. He probably had no illusions. And Bacchus had established that, as well as being used to command, the fellow was highly intelligent, fit and active, free of all ties of family and career and spoke several European languages.
Far too good for her.
Bacchus resolved to chuck the girl overboard and recruit the fellow.
At least that’s how he’d tell it for Wentworth … just for the pleasure of seeing her shocked reaction. Bacchus was disconcerted to find that it was the face of the constable his imagination had conjured up for the rehearsal of his tale. He shrugged. If she was still haunting the Yard when he returned, that is. But he wouldn’t get involved with this pair of firecrackers unless something quite untoward happened. Sandilands hadn’t needed to remind him – no feelings! He’d made his plans.
Bacchus was still lounging at the rail outside his cabin, toying with the idea of a sherry before dinner, when she arrived. He checked his watch. On the move already? She ought to be just getting round to unpacking and having a shower. He noted that she was still wearing the blue linen dress she’d had on when she came aboard. No hat, no gloves, no bag, sandals on her feet. Hardly decent, really. She’d left her stateroom in a hurry and came, not striding with confidence for once, but walking tentatively, looking about her like a wild creature. He realized she was checking the numbers on the cabin doors. Her eyes were wide with … could that be fear? Nervousness, at least. Bacchus thought he’d have been looking at her a long time before the word assassin came to mind. Nevertheless, his professional eyes skimmed her slender figure, seeing no evidence of a hidden gun or knife to precipitate his instant intervention. Better stay on watch, though. A killer out on business, as a last gesture, checked his weapon, the hand going towards the pocket or holster a dead giveaway. The very best, and Bacchus counted himself among these, knew they didn’t need to. Her hands performed no such manoeuvre – they were twisting together in anxiety.
She found the door she wanted, stared at it for an age, then knocked.
A bad moment. She’d caught her man dressing for dinner and he appeared at the door flustered, a tiny bloodstained patch on his cheek and in his shirtsleeves.
A series of unintelligible exclamations followed. Gasps and snorts and giggles. And then, at last, a few words that Bacchus, by straining his ears, could just make out. Nothing out of the ordinary. Boring stuff.
‘You’re looking well, Anna.’
‘You too. Oh, you’ve cut your face again!’
‘And you’ve cut your hair …’
‘Oh, it’ll grow … At least I’ve managed to get rid of the hair dye.’
‘Glad about that. We never did say goodbye, did we?’
‘… in the middle of a conversation as far as I remember …’
‘I say, are you sure this is all right?’ Bacchus heard him murmur gallantly.
At last Miss Peterson found her courage. She put her hands on his shoulders, pushed him back into the cabin and stepped inside after him. Bacchus heard the door click shut.
Grinning with relief, the Branch man went to dress and prepare himself for a lonely dinner.
Scotland Yard, Sunday morning
‘Well, that’s it. For better or worse, they’re afloat. The lovebirds are out of our reach on the high seas,’ Joe announced happily, waving a message sheet at Lily. ‘And Bacchus is safely aboard to ensure a good outcome. The admiral’s funeral went as well as you could expect and no one else dropped down dead, though a certain young airman made a hasty departure, looking, I’m pleased to say, rather green about the gills. I took your advice. The boot was firmly put in. Well, thank you for coming in on a Sunday morning. Charge it to overtime, won’t you? I thought the least I could do was to invite you to come along with me for a final confrontation with the princess. She owes us a macaroon or two.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Might even get a sherry.’
‘The princess! Do I have to? Honestly, sir, I’ve seen enough of that double-dealing old fiend for a lifetime. The acting! I still can’t believe how she pulled the wool over my eyes. She knew what was going on right from the beginning. She’d always known who Anna was. She sat there and listened to the guff you made me spout without cracking a smile. She actually twisted a lock of dear dead Tatiana’s hair around her finger, sighing with emotion.’
Joe grinned. ‘And the dear, un-dead girl was hiding in the woodwork at the time. She’s awfully good, isn’t she, the Princess Rat? I sometimes wonder what she’d get up to if we didn’t have Foxton keeping a close eye on her. Oh, yes, she’s well aware,’ he added in response to a lifted eyebrow. ‘We both pretend his presence in the house is for her own safety … as indeed it is, of course. Damn dangerous place, London. And she was right to conceal Tatiana’s identity. The girl wouldn’t have lasted five minutes if it had become known.’
‘But wait a minute, sir. What was that you said about lovebirds?
They
, sir? Are you saying Bacchus is watching two people?’
‘Yes. What did the princess tell you? About countering a great force of hatred?’
‘She spoke of an equally great love, sir.’
‘Well there you are, then. A great love. She performed in accordance … provided same.’
‘But where do you come by such a thing at a moment’s notice? They don’t have that on the shelves at the Co-op. What’s she been up to? Are you saying she’s got a bloke lined up and given him marching orders to get aboard ship with that killer? Sir! This can’t be right!’
‘Oh, I don’t know … seems to be working. Get your hat on, Wentworth. We’ll go together to put the screws on the old girl. Find out what she’s stirring up and who it is she’s cajoled or bribed to cosy up to our Anna. I shall go on referring to her as Anna. And I want you to do the same. Remember I’ve got your signature where it counts!’
Foxton was expecting them. ‘Her Highness is up in the drawing room where she hopes you will join her in a glass of champagne,’ he said, smiling a conspirator’s smile.
The champagne was chilling in an ice bucket and a manservant was on hand to uncork, pour and offer dry French biscuits to accompany it. The princess, Joe noted, was looking very chipper. She’d chattered non-stop since they entered the room and seemed to have had a load lifted from her shoulders.
When they were all equipped with flutes of Dom Perignon she dismissed the manservant and waited for a moment, examining the bubbles. ‘A toast, Commander?’
‘Certainly. Let’s drink to Stout Cortez! And may our absent friend be struck with the same paralysing wonder when she claps eyes on the Pacific.’
‘Ah! Cortez! Now tell me – wasn’t he the Spanish gentleman who set the fashion for burning one’s boats?’ The princess dimpled and twinkled and sipped her champagne in a high good humour.
‘Indeed. I understand he set fire to his whole fleet to prevent any retreat from the New World to Europe,’ Joe confirmed with relish. ‘And a further toast to the equally stout-hearted gentleman who is at present accompanying our adventurer. I’m thinking he too deserves our good wishes. Are you ever going to tell us, Your Highness, who it was who drew the short straw?’
‘Villain!’ The princess smiled flirtatiously. If she’d had a fan she would have tapped him with it, Joe thought. ‘I’m only surprised you haven’t worked it out, Commander. He’s the best of men and now has what he’s long wanted. He would expect our congratulations. It was difficult to decide and I cannot be certain even now that I made the right choice. If I’ve got it wrong, you’re not to tell me!’
Sandilands poured out more champagne and waited.
‘Choice?’ Lily filled the silence. ‘You mean there was more than one candidate for this position?’
‘You are surprised? She is rich (I have seen to it that her affairs are in order) and lovely. There are many men in her past who would have died for her. But there was one special man, an officer in the White Army, with whom she fell in love when she was nursing. He is alive. I have kept him in focus all these years, never quite knowing whether I might need to call on him. He lives in France now … something of a wastrel it has to be said, but free. I do not enjoy playing God and I might well have done the wrong thing. I shall try to think of myself as God’s instrument,’ she said with a slight smile. ‘But I rejected him. A gambler I’m told. I take no risks with the Romanov fortune.’