She tilted her head in complete confusion, and then she brightened her face in open discovery. “Oh, yes! You mean the pastries. You would have heard, being French, about our near-disaster with the pastries. Oh my, yes. Nearly destroyed. Our chef, poor dear, keeps us well supplied here in France whenever it is we come. But they were just a bit on the stale side, so we employed a local chef, but let me tell you—although French, he simply could not bake a single thing, so then we had to employ a group of runners to gather every good pastry in Paris, from all different bakeries, and difficult to find they were—”

“Surely you jest. Please do not continue in this mockery.”

“Oh, believe me, I wish I were in error, but France hasn’t a single good pastry chef. We can attest to that, as we searched up and down the streets. I heard it once said that you would elevate your chefs. Well, perhaps you have, and now, my dear Bernard—now, there is no one to bake your food.”

He ran a hand up and down his face and used one finger to loosen his cravat.

“Or perhaps they are lolling about their days in your horrid Place de Grève, wasting away good talent.” She shrugged delicately. “Well, whatever the reason, the tragedy has been averted, and we have pastries for our party.” She smiled up at him with a vacant expression of pure relief.

“And the Pimpernel? You know nothing of him?”

“Why, monsieur, of course I have heard of the Pimpernel, the greatest hero in all of France! Who hasn’t? Isn’t he just so entertaining? Sneaking all sorts of people right out from under your very fingers. Why, just the other day, did he not ride out of Bibot’s west barricade himself, with none the wiser?”

Turning red in the face, Monsieur LeFevre said, “Is he here, madame? I wish to speak with him.”

“Here? Here, in my home? I hardly think so. As well-liked as I am, I am sure the Pimpernel has better things to do than to entertain me.” She leaned toward him and in a mock-whisper said, “It’s more likely he’s over at your prison right now, what with you and your soldiers so happily situated. What a perfect opportunity.”

His squinty eyes opened wider, and he turned from her briskly, calling for two of his men to follow out the door. Once outside, he shouted for his carriage.

Slowly, she let out a large breath of air.