Iris hung Millie’s uniform on a hanger, then put on her own suit. “My disguise didn’t fool anyone that mattered tonight,” she said as she removed her glasses.

“Putting on glasses doesn’t change you from the Scarlet Pimpernel into Sir Percy, you know.”

“Alas. But we learned a few useful items. What did you think about Torgos?”

“A mixture of truth and lies,” said Gwen.

“Which were which? You’re the one who reads people.”

“There were two moments in particular when I thought he was lying.”

“Which were?”

“When he said Magoulias was working for him.”

“That makes sense. He would have kept closer tabs on him for something like this. So, if Magoulias wasn’t with the Royalists, he was with some other faction. Anti-Royalist, maybe one of the Leftist groups. He must have let slip something about the letters to someone loyal to Torgos. What was the other item?”

“When he said Talbot was his friend,” said Gwen. “Torgos has never had a friend in his entire life.”

“Yet I can’t bring myself to feel sorry for him,” said Iris. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Which means he’s not our man. He’s looking for the letters, too.”

“Which he heard about through rumours. Our rumourmonger was exceptionally busy, wasn’t he?”

“He was. Now it’s time for us to put an end to all of this. Tomorrow, we send out our invitations.”

“I wonder what I should wear,” mused Gwen as they left the office. “I’ve never been to this kind of party before. Have you?”

“This kind of party never existed before,” said Iris. “Wear something comfortable. Something you don’t mind getting dirty if we have to dive for cover.”

“Are we expecting a shooting war?”

“Not if it all goes according to plan,” said Iris as they headed out the front door.

Then she stopped.

“But when does it ever do that?” she said as Gwen came up beside her.

There was a black Bentley parked in front of the building. A large man in a black suit stood in front of it. Iris glanced to her right, then her left. Other similarly dressed men were positioned in both directions, blocking their escape. She knew even before she heard footsteps that another man was coming up behind them from inside the building.

“Excuse me,” said the man by the car, opening the rear door. “The proctor would like a word with you.”

“Right,” said Iris, her shoulders slumping in resignation. “I’ll see you in the morning, Gwen. At least, I hope I will.”

“Nonsense,” said Gwen, stepping up to the Bentley with Iris. “I’m coming, too.”

“This doesn’t involve you,” said Iris.

“Actually, it does,” said the man. “The ‘you’ was plural. As in, both of you, in case I wasn’t being clear.”

“Perfectly clear, thank you,” said Gwen as they got into the car.

The man closed the door. There was a click as the driver engaged the locks.

“Iris, are we being kidnapped?” Gwen asked as they drove away.