A Prisioner in Paris Read online

  When they reached The Castle, it was to find the chaise they were to drive in to Dover waiting for them.

  Lord Lanwood’s cases were already stowed away inside it.

  Walking into the hall, Lord Lanwood gave his last instructions to Armstrong.

  He also told his secretary to write immediately to the Countess of Helston to explain that he had been called abroad unexpectedly and begged her to forgive him for not keeping his appointment with her.

  “Order a grand profusion of pink roses, that she particularly likes, to be sent to her from the usual shop we use,” he told his secretary.

  “I will do so at once, my Lord,” he replied.

  They went into the nearest sitting room where there was a drink for Lord Lanwood before undertaking the long ride in front of him.

  “You must drink our health,” Lord Lanwood said to the Vicar.

  He was somewhat surprised when the Vicar closed the door behind him.

  “There is just one thing I have to say before you go, my Lord,” he said. “It would be a mistake, as you well know, if the Press heard that you had arrived in Paris with Isa without a chaperone.”

  Lord Lanwood stared at him and then gave a gasp.

  “I did not think of that,” he said, “how awful of me. I was so taken up with thinking about Charles that I did not consider the Press.”

  “And I did not think of it myself at first,” the Vicar admitted. “But it would be bad for your reputation and hers if people found out who you both are.”

  Lord Lanwood was silent for a moment.

  Then he said,

  “We will not be, I would hope, associating in any way with the Society French I know. At the same time we must be very careful and, as you are well aware already, I know quite a number of French people, who have been my friends for years.”

  “Then what I would suggest, my Lord, is that you make Isa some close relative. Why not a cousin, as you are looking for Charles? Isa could be even younger, if she is asked her age, than she is at the moment.”

  “You think of everything and it was very stupid of me not to realise that this was a problem,” Lord Lanwood replied. “I think you are quite right, Vicar, and it would be even better for Isa to say that she is only seventeen and my niece.”

  He hesitated for a moment before he went on,

  “No one could think it wrong for me to take my young niece to Paris with me. If I am pressed, I can say I am looking for a Finishing School for her before she makes her debut in London.”

  The Vicar laughed.

  “You have always had a most imaginative mind, my Lord, and it will not fail you now. I am sure that Isa will be quite content to be your niece and, although she is now over twenty, she still looks about sixteen to me.”

  “I am not sure if that is a compliment or an insult!” Isa said, who had been listening. “But I think that Papa is right and, if I say I am sixteen and want to go to a French Finishing School, no one will question it.”

  “I bow to your judgement,” Lord Lanwood said, “and I will be very proud to be the uncle of such a bright and intelligent girl.”

  “Then that is agreed,” the Vicar said. “So now I will not worry about it appearing as headlines in the French newspapers only to be copied by those in Mayfair.”

  “One thing is quite certain, Vicar, is that we don’t want anyone to know we have gone, but if they do, not to be in any way concerned for the reason of it. I have sent a letter to one friend to say that I was called over to France unexpectedly by the illness of one of my relations and that will be my story. The less people who realise we are in Paris the better.”

  “I understand,” the Vicar replied, “and you know that my lips are sealed. I am sure that your household will not talk as they never have in the past.”

  Lord Lanwood smiled.

  “My father saw to that. As he had so much here that was of great value, he said publicity always attracted curious eyes and he did not want people prying on what was his.”

  “He was right,” the Vicar agreed. “Talk is always dangerous and I know that your staff, under your father’s guidance, were always told to talk to no one and never, under any circumstances, to give information of what was happening or what treasures were in The Castle.”

  “My father was quite right,” Lord Lanwood said, “and now we must go.”

  Isa kissed her father affectionately.

  Then she hurried ahead and climbed into the chaise.

  She sat close to Lord Lanwood, who was driving, and she did not seem perturbed that there was nowhere else for the Frenchman to sit but beside her.

  Armstrong then brought him some delectable titbits from the kitchen.

  The Frenchman appeared in a very good humour as they drove off. In fact he waved goodbye to the butler and footmen as if he had known them for years.

  It was not until they were safely several miles from The Castle and on the road that would lead them directly to Dover that he began to talk.

  As he was much more voluble than he had been on the long drive from London, Lord Lanwood guessed that Armstrong had given him plenty of beer to drink or, as he was a Frenchman, maybe he had preferred several glasses of wine.

  Although he did not understand what the man was saying, it was obvious that Isa did.

  He guessed from the questions she was asking that she was obtaining from him a very good idea of where in Paris they were going and where Charles was being kept prisoner.

  However, Lord Lanwood concentrated on driving as fast as he could.

  *

  Three and a half hours later they arrived at the Port of Dover.

  He was anxious that they should reach the ferry to Calais before it was dark.

  By sheer good luck they boarded one five minutes before it moved out of Port.

  It was Isa who had suggested to Lord Lanwood as they were approaching Dover that it would be a mistake for them to leave the Frenchman alone, now he had received the money he had been promised, in case he disappeared when they reached Paris.

  But it would seem equally extraordinary if either he accompanied them to Third Class seats or if he joined them in First Class.

  “I will go with him to where it will seem more appropriate,” Isa said to Lord Lanwood, “whilst I suggest you go to a cabin, my Lord, if they have one available, so that you are not likely to meet any friends who may be aboard or in fact anyone who reads the Social magazines.”

  Lord Lanwood laughed.

  “You are quite right and you think of everything,” he replied. “You do what you think best, Isa, and I will obey you.”

  He laughed again before he said,

  “It’s something I never expected to say to a woman, but I am astounded by how brilliantly you have understood this extremely difficult situation and how astutely you are directing it.”

  “Now you are being rather sarcastic, my Lord,” Isa chided. “I promise you I am waiting for orders which I will carry out as well as any soldier might do. At the same time you have never met the sort of French I am taking you to and I will have to make certain of the way you will be received before you actually set foot amongst them.”

  “Do you think you will be safe?” Lord Lanwood asked anxiously.

  “I am sure that I will be because I can speak as they speak,” Isa replied. “After all I am only a woman and they have little use for women in the particular ‘work’ they are doing, if that is what you want to call it.”

  “I will leave it in your most capable hands,” Lord Lanwood told her.

  When they went aboard the ferry and he asked for a cabin, he was delighted to find that one was available.

  “I will join you later, my Lord” Isa said, “when he has settled down. By the way his name is Pierre Marché.”

  “I presume that you looked at his passport,” Lord Lanwood remarked. “I did not think to ask him his name and undoubtedly I would not have been able to pronounce it anyway!”

  “It’s a very simple name,”
Isa laughed.

  Then she said seriously,

  “I, of course, have my passport with my own name on it, which is convenient as I have to say that I am the daughter of your sister.”

  “I am rather ashamed I did not think of all these things myself,” Lord Lanwood replied. “But actually I was counting on you having a passport and it never entered my head that it might be queried.”

  “I think that the sort of people I met when Papa and I were in Paris taught me, if nothing else, to always be cautious and always have an answer to every question.”

  She looked up at him as she added,

  “If you are doing something which is not quite on the top, so to speak, you must always be ready to find an answer to those who quiz you.”

  Lord Lanwood chuckled.

  “I suppose you do realise,” he said, “that, instead of knowing all this, you should be dancing in London at the balls and hoping to be the débutante of the year.”

  “Now you are really exaggerating, my Lord. That is something I am never likely to be. As you well know, Papa is so busy with his very large Parish that we never have time to go to London or to enjoy half the invitations we receive in the County.”

  Lord Lanwood had always known that the Vicar came from a distinguished family and had always been a great favourite with his father and his father’s friends.

  And it was obvious that his daughter would have been asked to any balls or parties that were being given by their neighbours.

  Yet he could understand, because there was no one ill or in trouble who did not wish to see the Vicar.

  Not only because he was so understanding, but very practical in helping those who appealed to him.

  “Your father is a very dedicated and inspiring man, Isa,” he commented.

  Isa smiled.

  “He has always been the same, determined to help anyone who turns to him in trouble, never failing to give them anything they want.”

  “Now I am going to talk to Pierre and see if I can find out more than we know of the situation at the moment, which seems very little.”

  “Very little indeed,” Lord Lanwood agreed. “But, if you can get him to confide in you, it certainly would be very helpful.”

  “I will do my best and as we have a long and rather boring journey in front of us, I hope, by the time we reach Calais, that we will know a great deal more than we know at present.”

  She smiled at him as she spoke.

  And then she disappeared down into the depths of the ferry where the poorest and least affluent passengers were accommodated.

  In his comfortable cabin Lord Lanwood could not help thinking that few women of his acquaintance would fall so naturally into the swing of what was wanted, or to understand without being told that her part was to learn as much as she could from Pierre.

  ‘She is certainly a remarkable young woman,’ Lord Lanwood ruminated.

  It occurred to him that the lady who had given him so much pleasure last night would certainly not have fallen into the part in the same way that Isa had done.

  In fact he could not think of anyone he knew, and he had known a great number of intelligent women in his time, who would have been so helpful and so practical as she had been.

  He could not imagine any woman packing to come to France at a moment’s notice, knowing that she would not be treated as a lady because they were on a mission to save Charles and therefore she must concentrate entirely on that and nothing else.

  ‘In other words,’ he said to himself, ‘Isa is not thinking of herself, as most women are, but of Charles and how we can rescue him.’

  He could well imagine the screams of horror there would be from any other woman he knew and how she would require a great deal more time to get ready for the journey.

  And she would have been horrified at the idea of sitting in Third Class while he had a cabin to himself.

  ‘She is certainly her father’s daughter,’ he reflected to himself. ‘If she really helps me and we set Charles free, I must give a ball for her at The Castle or do something to show my appreciation for her unselfish efforts.’

  *

  It was dark when the ferry drew into Calais.

  As usual there was a rush for the Express train that was waiting to carry the passengers on to Paris.

  Lord Lanwood had already arranged on board the ferry that he would require sleeping accommodation for himself and Isa.

  He thought that Pierre would be more comfortable in Third Class than he would be with them.

  His sleeping berth and Isa’s on the train were next to each other, but she insisted on seeing that Pierre was in a suitable carriage before she came into her own berth.

  She asked Lord Lanwood not to come with her as the other passengers who Pierre was travelling with would undoubtedly be impressed by him and ask questions as to who he was.

  So only when she had seen to it that Pierre was comfortable and given him money from Lord Lanwood to pay for some food, did she go to her own cabin.

  As she reached it, Lord Lanwood appeared at the door of his and said,

  “I was beginning to worry about you. I thought perhaps you intended to spend the night with our friend!”

  Isa gave a little laugh.

  “He is quite happy,” she replied. “He has a very over-dressed and rather gaudy Frenchwoman who I gather was a performer in one of the theatres to talk to. He was delighted with the money I gave him to buy himself some food and drink.”

  They were standing talking at the door of their compartments and, as the train gave a lurch, Lord Lanwood suggested,

  “You had a long talk with him when we were on board the ferry, have you anything to tell me? If so, let’s sit down comfortably either in my compartment or yours.”

  “I will come to yours, my Lord,” Isa replied.

  She went in and settled herself on the bed, which had been made up for him on the sofa.

  “Would you like something to eat or drink?” Lord Lanwood enquired.

  Isa shook her head.

  “I had some rather nasty food on board the ferry and most of the passengers were drinking beer which smelt horrible.”

  Lord Lanwood laughed.

  “I am sure it did. Let me order some champagne.”

  “No thank you, my Lord. I want to go to sleep,” Isa said. “But first I have something to tell you that I think you will find interesting.”

  He sat down beside her.

  “Tell me. You know I am longing to hear anything that will help us in our search for Charles.”

  “I know where he is and he is a prisoner, as we both know from his note. But I think that you will be surprised when I tell you the reason why they captured him.”

  “The reason!” he exclaimed. “So why should they have chosen him of all people?”

  “Because he is your nephew and because,” Isa said, “from what I gather there is a Frenchman who is obviously important and rich and intends to steal the treasures you have in your castle from you.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Lord Lanwood was astonished.

  Then he asked,

  “Did you find out the man’s name?”

  “No,” Isa replied. “Pierre is not aware of it, but he says that if you pay him enough he will certainly discover it for you.”

  “Of course I will pay him. And tell him he will be very handsomely rewarded for anything he tells us as to where my nephew is.”

  “I have told him that already,” Isa said. “Although he is very greedy, but I think he will be honest with us in finding out what we want to know.”

  “I think you have been brilliant, Isa. At the same time we have a long way to go.”

  “I have been thinking it over,” Isa remarked, “about you going to find Charles yourself and I think now that that will be impossible.”

  Lord Lanwood stared at her.

  “Why do you say that?” he asked.

  “Because, my Lord, I am sure it would be absurd for you to arrive in
Paris pretending to be someone you are not.”

  Lord Lanwood considered this for a moment and there was silence between them until he said,

  “Are you then suggesting that you will go alone to wherever Charles is imprisoned?”

  “Pierre is sure that he can find a way of taking me there, so that I can tell Charles what to do,” Isa replied. “But you, my Lord, no matter how hard that you tried, you would never look anything but yourself.”

  “I have brought clothes with me that I hope will be a good disguise,” Lord Lanwood retorted.

  Isa laughed.

  “Do you really think that whatever you wore would alter your height, your face or the obvious fact that you are an English gentleman?”

  Lord Lanwood looked at her.

  Then he said,

  “I rather thought that I was a good actor.”

  “You could not act that part whatever else you can do,” Isa told him. “I have already agreed with Pierre that he will find some way of taking me amongst his people so that I can speak to Charles and at least tell him that we are here. Then, of course, we must think of some clever way to spirit him out of his prison.”

  “Is it really a prison?” Lord Lanwood asked.

  “No. From what I can gather they have some place where a gang of them not only eat and talk but also sleep. I suspect, although he did not actually say so, that they have tied Charles up and made it impossible for him to run away.”

  Lord Lanwood sighed.

  “The whole venture sounds very difficult!”

  “Of course it is, my Lord, otherwise you would not be here.”

  “That is indeed true,” Lord Lanwood agreed.

  “What I think is important,” Isa continued, “is that you should arrive in Paris as yourself. No one must think for a moment that you have any ulterior motive for being in the City except to find a good school for me.”

  She could see that Lord Lanwood was now looking surprised and she went on quickly,

  “You are far too well-known amongst the French as well as the English people in Paris for them not to have to be told a really good reason as to why you should be here so unexpectedly.”

  She was speaking as though she was thinking it out carefully for herself.