When the Devil Drives by Caro Peacock Read Free Book Online Page A

isn’t considered good enough?’
    â€˜For them, no.’
    â€˜And what about the gentleman himself? Has he just said “very well, papa” and abandoned her?’
    He laughed. It rang round the room and made the footmen glance up at us. ‘You look as if you’re prepared to go into battle on her behalf.’
    â€˜No. But I’m certainly not prepared to go into battle against her.’
    â€˜You think that’s what I want, Miss Lane?’
    â€˜I assume I’m being asked to befriend her and find out things this gentleman can use against her if she makes life embarrassing for him. The answer’s no.’
    â€˜That isn’t what I’m asking. Quite the reverse.’
    I was on the point of standing up to leave, but the way he said it kept me in my chair. His voice was quiet and sad. ‘Her friends are concerned that she may harm herself by doing something desperate. We want to prevent that at all costs.’
    â€˜So you’re not representing the gentleman in the case?’
    â€˜No. It’s her we care about.’
    â€˜When you say she might do something desperate, what do you mean?’
    â€˜She’s determined to confront the man. When she heard that he’d be visiting England with the two princes, she immediately moved to London. I don’t think she realized that the party would be staying at Windsor and how difficult it would be for her to see him. But she’s a remarkably determined lady and has her own sources of information.’
    â€˜So her friends are concerned that she might jump out from behind a bush in Windsor Park and throw herself at his feet? Is that likely?’
    â€˜Something like that happened yesterday, Miss Lane. Only it was here in London, not at Windsor. That’s why I decided to speak to you.’
    I’d spoken lightly and his quiet reply seemed a reproach. ‘What happened?’
    â€˜Prince Ernest and his brother had travelled up from Windsor to make a private visit to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at Gloucester House in Park Lane. The gentleman was accompanying them. The visit had not been announced in advance but somehow the contessa knew about it. When the party came out of Gloucester House, she was waiting by their carriage. Before anybody could do anything, she approached the gentleman and tried to thrust a note into his hand.’
    â€˜What happened?’
    â€˜People from the prince’s retinue restrained her. The carriage drove away. To onlookers, it probably seemed no more than a case of a young woman overexcited by the presence of royalty.’
    â€˜And you want me to stop her trying anything like that again?
    â€˜Yes. At least, I want you to become her confidante, so that you can give me warning of anything she intends to do.’
    â€˜Are the princes and their friends staying in England long?’
    â€˜Six weeks. I’m quite certain she’ll try again. She’s becoming desperate and probably sees this as her last throw.’
    â€˜Desperate?’
    â€˜She’s running out of money. She’s sold all her serious jewels and is deeply in debt.’
    I wondered fleetingly what it would feel like to live in circles where a spray of diamonds was not even counted as serious. Mr Clyde went on talking, dropping his voice so low that it was scarcely more than caressing the air. ‘Then there’s a commodity even more important and fleeting than money.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Beauty, Miss Lane. You’re too young to have known this, but the contessa is approaching the age where she might be described as “still” beautiful. You’ll understand, for a lady like her, there’s a deathly cold sound in that “still”.’
    The way he said it made me shiver too. I could see that he noticed.
    â€˜So why do you need my services in particular?’ I said.
    â€˜Because I’ve heard about your resourcefulness and