Furious, he pulled her into an alcove just outside of the room where the Pimpernel likely awaited hm. “You must desist with the lies, Éléonore. Leave Scarlet and my marriage out of this. You know there is nothing between you and me. What we had as children was just that, childish, and now it is no more.”

Still swaying from drink, she spat, “So you have said. Believe me, sir, I know where I stand with you.” Her tone changed, and she ran a finger up his arm. “I’m just having a bit of fun. If she isn’t secure enough in your love, what fault of that is mine?”

He shrugged her off. “Stop.”

Time was passing, and he felt his frustration rise as he worried he would miss the Pimpernel altogether.

Voices in the hall interrupted his thoughts. “The Pimpernel. One a.m.”

Éléonore stiffened beside him and burst out of the alcove, eyes madly searching up and down the hallway and then turning to the drawing room. “Where is he?”

Grasping for any idea, his mind racing, he said, “I was on my way to meet the Pimpernel now before you interrupted me. If you would just let me do my job and leave my personal life out of this, we could get a lot further along.”

Her eyes glared at him with suspicion. “I am coming with you.”

He shrugged, and with that shrug, gave up his precious rendezvous. He would have to save the families himself. “Follow me. We are meeting in the hallway by the kitchen. He will be there in a cupboard behind the door. We are not to see him, only to hear.”

Éléonore rubbed her hands together in greedy anticipation. “I will not be so polite. In moments, we will know his identity. Robespierre will be pleased.” Her eyes shone with a crazed energy as her hurried feet slinked down the hallway.

Matteo followed but looked over his shoulder. The toe of a shiny hessian revealed itself at the base of the drapes. He stared as long as he dared, watching his last hope of assistance in France disappear when he and Éléonore turned down a different hallway.

***

Simon had poked his foot forward under the drapes, hoping that Matteo would see it as he led Éléonore away. The little he could offer as hope seemed paltry in comparison with all Matteo carried on his shoulders in the form of worries and betrayal.

Confusion warred with Simon’s conviction and understanding of Matteo’s character. He had heard their conversation, purposefully dangled the one a.m. meeting near their alcove for Éléonore to hear, a test. He wanted to be sure of how Matteo would respond if given an easy opportunity to lead Éléonore straight to the Pimpernel.