“He’s met me before,” Darcy said. “He could have just missed the doctor who has been called out to a confinement in the mountains.”

Nicholas laughed again. “You are turning this whole thing into a farce. It can’t work. You know what court life is like. It will probably be all around the castle by morning that he’s dead. Servants will come into his room—and who knows when Papa will get here? We can’t leave a corpse lying around for days, you know. He’ll begin to smell.”

“How revolting,” Lady Middlesex said.

Nicholas looked up at her, I think just realizing that strangers were present at what was a very private discussion. “We have no guarantee that the people in this room will not say the wrong thing.”

“Unfortunately we all know the truth,” Darcy said. “You can count on Georgie and me. That leaves Dragomir and the ladies. I’m sure Dragomir wants what is best for his princess and for Romania, but you may have to lock away the ladies until after the ceremony. There are plenty of dungeons here, aren’t there?”

“Lock us away? Are you out of your mind, young man?” Lady Middlesex demanded, while Miss Deer-Harte whimpered the word “dungeons?”

“Then they must swear not to divulge anything they have overheard. I’m sure we can trust the word of the wife of a British high commissioner.”

“You most certainly can,” Lady Middlesex said.

“I must have the word of every one of you here that nothing that has been discussed in this room is ever repeated to anyone else,” Nicholas said solemnly. “The future of my country is at stake. Can I trust you? Do I have your word?”

“I’ve already said you have mine,” Darcy said. “I don’t see how you’re going to pull this off, but I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”

“Mine too,” I said.

“Very well,” Nicholas said. “And you, ladies?”

Lady Middlesex frowned. “I would normally not agree to go along with any kind of subterfuge or underhand behavior, but I can see the ramifications could be most difficult for your country, so yes, you have my word. Besides, Miss Deer-Harte and I shall be leaving as soon as transportation can be provided for us over the pass. I am expected by my husband in Baghdad.”

“And I can be trusted to hold my tongue,” Miss Deer-Harte said. “I have a long history of living in other people’s houses and of hearing things not meant for my ears.”