“He does, but I give him all manner of leeway.” The prince leaned forward in his seat. “You know, I have never even seen the man. He refuses to disclose his identity even to me.”

Matteo raised his eyebrows. “But surely someone must know who he is. How do you contact him?”

His Highness shrugged. “We have our methods.”

His personal needs weighing him down greatly, Matteo debated in his mind what to communicate to His Highness. Watching the prince for a moment, he said, “France has one desperate need, more important than all others at the moment.”

He nodded. “The dauphin.”

Matteo opened his mouth and then closed it. “You astonish me.”

“Nothing so astonishing, I assure you.” He humphed. “We do keep ourselves abreast of the happenings to our nearest neighbor. The dauphin is in dire straits, the poor lad. If rumors are to be believed, torture and abuse are his daily bread. The stability of your country, and quite possibly ours, rests in his safekeeping.”

Matteo sat up straighter in his chair. “I am so pleased at the depth of your awareness. Something must be done. Rumors are indeed grave. His treatment is beyond cruel, starvation and illness his constant companions. Incarcerated in the Temple prison along with Marie Antoinette and her daughter, though the lad is purportedly in a separate, dark room all by himself.”

Frowning, Prince George said, “We are investigating what can be done. But we must tread carefully. We cannot do anything that would be seen as an act of war by the governing body in France. And you can be assured that kidnapping Louis-Charles would be an act of war.”

“Will you consult with your advisors?”

“No. Not at all. We must not let them know a thing. I will keep it from my father as well. No, this must be handled with great discretion by military in my service, by the Pimpernel, and by some very loyal friends in Hungary.”

Matteo’s face relaxed, and his mouth turned up into a small smile. “I thank you. France will be greatly in your debt. Preserving the royal house of King Louis could save my country.”

Lifting a cup of tea to his mouth, the prince took a sip. “I also need to discuss with you a sensible manner in which to approach the new governing body of France.”

“They are imbeciles.”

“So they appear to be, but I must discover ways to negotiate, to deal diplomatically with them.”

“I can help with that. I know them well. Unfortunately, in the beginning, I worked closely with some to bring about a hope for new freedom in my homeland.” Matteo could not lift his eyes from the floor so great was his shame.

Continued silence brought his eyes up to search Prince George’s. The man did not seem pleased. “You were misguided. People need the crown, a strong monarch to guide them, to give them purpose. To keep them in hand.”