“I don’t know, but evidently the count and the baron prized these diagrams highly enough to hide them in the satchel. And I believe the diagrams as well as the gold bars are destined for the admiral’s house tomorrow night. Otherwise, what are they doing here?”

“Agreed. I see you’ve shaved. You let the servant in with the hot water?”

“I handled it,” Matthew said. He motioned toward the bedroom. “I’m in the process of going through the luggage. I can wear Brux’s jackets and blouses but not the breeches nor the boots. I found his makeup case too, which I detest to use but it’s a necessity. You need to go through Pellegar’s things and see what you can wear.”

“Well,” said Julian as he joined his tricorn on the sofa, “here is my suggestion. First I’ll do as you say, and then we take some of their money, go out and get you an ample meal and after that we find whatever else is lacking. I’m sure we can locate a bootmaker with some ready-mades on hand. The same with a tailor and the breeches. I’ll need to also use that makeup case. The bald head won’t be enough, and at some point I’ll have to lower the muffler from my face.”

“All right, that sounds good.”

“And further,” Julian continued, “we dress up as the count and the baron tonight, and go have our supper.”

“Tonight? Why?”

“Because we need to get used to the costumes. Starting tonight, when we have all the garments in order, we don’t need to leave this room as anyone but those two. It will be vital that we play these parts as if we are the count and baron. Our lives may depend on it, and you know that very well.”

“Yes,” Matthew said, “I do.” The idea made sense, however bizarre. But Matthew considered it as a dress rehearsal for a play … an extremely dangerous play, and one that had to be acted out with extreme vigilance.