‘You may protest, Lady Allenham – or whoever you fashion yourself to be – but you wear the truth as plainly as you sport his lordship’s silk gowns. To be sure, I have witnessed many feats of female gallantry, but your relentless pursuit of a lover who has abandoned you has proven the finest show I have seen to date. Why, I might write your tale for the stage: La Pouffiasse galante.’ He roared with laughter. ‘But now, the time has arrived for you to call off your quest and take to heart a lesson: if a gentleman has not made his whereabouts known to you, he does not wish to be found.’ Savill surveyed me from top to toe. ‘I shall say this much, the man who jilted you is either half-blind or half-witted. I have never beheld a finer piece in all my life, and the devil take me if I am not half in love with you.’

If ever I was persuaded to hold firm to a falsehood it was then, and I clutched it to me for dear life. When I at last found my voice it was surprisingly calm and measured.

‘Sir, I would remind you that as an honourable and faithful wife, I withhold nothing from his lordship. I will not hesitate to inform him of this attack upon my character. I shall leave you to imagine what remedy he may seek.’

My words did not touch Savill’s haughty look. It remained firmly in place.

‘And I shall leave you to imagine, my lady, what it will be like to abandon your game and give yourself freely to a man who has made a considerable investment in catching you.’

I did not deign to respond.

When we returned to the Hôtel l’Impératrice, Mr Savill unceremoniously threw wide the door and stepped from the vehicle. He left me in his furious wake, to be assisted by Madame Bonet’s footman. I could not say that his barbaric conduct startled me. He had sought to unmask me, but had only succeeded in revealing himself.

I lingered in the courtyard long enough to observe him ascend the stairs and disappear from my view for what I intended to be forever.

Chapter 6

AS YOU MIGHT imagine, I returned to my apartments in a storm of indignation. I immediately resolved to alert Madame Bonet to my ill usage. All the baseness of Savill’s character, his insinuations and insulting words would be repeated to her and I did not doubt that she would seek recourse. I had determined to have him thrown from the Hôtel l’Impératrice. I had summoned Lucy to me and was in the course of relating my tale to her when we were interrupted by the sound of the servants’ door in the dining room.

‘Madame Allenham?’ called out the proprietress.