A Matter Of Delicacy

The Revelation

     I staggered back through the gates of Montagu House two hours later, with London nearly silent behind me and the heavy weight of what I'd seen weighing on my shoulders. They'd been right after all; in this case, the simplest explanation was, in fact, correct. Beresford and Paulette were working for the Prince Regent. Our Heir Apparent was trying to have his wife murdered. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, I had seen the extent to which some wealthy and powerful men would go to get their way.
     I slumped on the bottom stair in the grand hallway and listened to the blissful silence of Montagu House. I didn't know when it had happened, when in my month of living there it had become my home, but the echoing and creaking and the thick dark shadows cast by the gilt statues and the velvet curtains were comforting in their own way. I lay back, the edge of the stair digging into the small of my back, and stared up into the dark of the tall stairwell. The air around me still smelt of perfume and dust and coffee and wine, the heady smells of a rich and decadent court. I smiled, breathing it all in. This place, these people, all of it mad and emotional and steeped in its own grandeur. And all at the brink of collapse. I was surprised at how the thought of it made my heart hurt, with a deep ache somewhere beneath my ribs. When had I begun to care so much? Maybe it had been when Sarah had helped me dress on my first evening here, or maybe it was when I'd watched as Princess Caroline had cried over her daughter, or when Lady Bruce had taken her mistress's hand and comforted her. These women. These wonderful, charismatic, chaotic women full of colour and emotion and ferocity. I would be sad to leave, I realised.
     I saw a flicker of light from through the front windows as the guard patrolled the front door. It must be nearly dawn. Sighing, I dragged myself up from my haphazard perch and limped to my room, feeling every step I made ache in my knee. Not even bothering to change out of my boy's clothes I collapsed straight onto my bed, kicked off my boots and fell into a deep and heavy sleep.

     It felt like the next day came before I had even closed my eyes, and the maid was in with my washbasin. She took one long look at my muddy boots on the carpet, my wrinkled shirt and waistcoat and the pile of tangled hair around my grubby face. Setting the basin firmly on the side table she laid out an extra towel and left, closing the door more firmly behind her. I scrubbed my face and changed into my most comfortable day dress, suddenly ravenous. My knee ached painfully and I could feel it throbbing even through my skirt. I should have been more careful climbing that tree.
     Breakfast was over by the time I got downstairs, but I swiped a roll from the kitchen and went to find Sarah. The door to her bedroom was open when I arrived, and I found her stripping off her overcoat and gloves.
     'Good morning, have you been out?'
     She beamed at me, 'Kate! I wondered if you were up yet, I've just got back, Lord Lynton came back to fetch me after dinner last night, seemed very insistent. And really with the Prince Regent's ball tonight I should probably have stayed to oversee things there but I knew I just had to see you. And I suppose the Princess will want me to help her get ready as well, she'll be on the offensive after what happened at the card party. Why are you just standing there? Come in!'
     I smiled and stepped fully into the room, realising that this was the first time I'd been in her room. It was beautifully tranquil, with the sun coming in through the large windows lighting against pink walls painted with intricate vines and large roses. 'This is beautiful.'
     She blushed, 'oh thank you. The Princess had it decorated when I arrived. I've always loved roses, sort of a personal emblem I guess.' She left her coat on the bed and motioned me to some chairs in the corner, neatly arranged in a patch of sunlight around a tiny coffee table. I eased myself down and rubbed my knee.
     'So, tell me about last night,' she said. 'Did you find them?'
     'They were there, at the Pleasure Gardens.' I pursed my lips, wondering about how to go about this. 'Sarah, they were meeting your husband.'
     Her eyebrows shot up, 'Lynton? They were meeting him at the Pleasure Gardens? Are you sure?'
     I nodded.
     She shook her head, baffled, 'they can't have been! He was here!'
     I reached across the took her hand, 'Sarah I'm so sorry, but I saw him with them. I listened to their conversation; it was him. He must have gone straight from here and then come back for you. When did he arrive?'
     She looked like a fish out of water, her eyes large and round and blinking rapidly, 'around ten-thirty, the Princess had just called for dessert wine.'
     'He left the Pleasure Gardens just before ten, the timeline works out.'
     She stood and went to the window, fiddling with the trim of her dress. 'What did they say?'
     'I think they just wanted information really. They kept asking about the card party and what Lord Ashgrove had said and who heard him. They know about me now, which is a little concerning.'
     'They know you're a bodyguard?!'
     'No, just that I live here and heard what Ashgrove said, although if I were a paid mercenary I'd be doing some digging, so I imagine they'll ask around about me.' Sarah was still staring out into the garden, tapping her finger against her lip. 'Sarah, I know this is upsetting for you, and I know you probably don't want to believe it, but I think Lynton is involved in some way. Not badly!' I said, as she shot me a terrified look. 'I followed them after they left the Gardens, and they went back to Carlton House. I even climbed a tree to get a look over the fence. But they definitely spoke to him like they knew him. I think they're working for the Prince Regent, and I think Lynton either knows about it, or knows that something is going on.'
     Sarah turned back to me, visibly relieved, 'so he might not be involved? He might think they're there for some other reason?'
     'I suppose so, but my gut says otherwise.'
     Plopping back into the chair, she sighed deeply, 'gracious. So the Prince Regent has hired mercenaries to kill his wife. It's a dark time we live in Kate.'
     I smiled, 'might make tonight's ball a little awkward.'
     'They won't try anything at a state ball surely?!'
     I laughed, 'they'd be bold to try! Every significant name in the country will be there, and there have been enough rumours running around she'll hardly be lost for attention. Although it will be good to watch how he acts from the background.' I smiled wickedly at her, 'is it bad that I'm a little excited?'
     'Yes, absolutely, it's vile of you.' She smiled warmly. 'Are you alright though Kate? You seem troubled.'
     'My knee, that's all. I slipped and fell onto it last night and aggravated an old injury. It's nothing to worry about. Though I'll admit the promise I made to the Princess is weighing on me.' In fact, it had been almost all I could think of, despite the revelation of last night. How to engineer a meeting between the second in line to the throne and her estranged mother?
     'It won't be easy, Rothwell House isn't a fortress but you wouldn't know that, judging by the number of people who work there. And that governess keeps a firm eye on the place. I doubt you'll be able to just waltz in.'
     'No, and even if I did I hardly think I could smuggle the Princess in with me. Much less sneak Charlotte out.' I started chewing at my thumbnail, only stopping when Sarah batted my hand away with a disapproving look. 'Besides, when Princess Caroline says that she wants me to help her see Charlotte I'm not sure she meant commit treason to do it.'
     'Oh I'm not sure,' Sarah grinned, 'I wouldn't put it past our illustrious benefactress.'
     'I might go on a reconnaissance mission tomorrow,' I mused, 'see the layout, what the guard situation is, if there are any clear ways in and out.'
     'Might clear your head.'
     I nodded and stood slowly, stretching out my knee. 'I should go and see the Princess, run her through safety protocol for tonight. She'll be thrilled.' I hesitated by the door and looked back. Sarah had gone back to gazing at the window, fingers worrying at her lip again. 'It'll be alright Sarah, we'll get to the bottom of it. And I'm sure you're right, you'll see. Lord Lynton won't have anything to do with any of it.'
     She smiled gratefully at me from her seat in the sun, but even I could tell she didn't quite believe me.