‘Well, give me the short version.’

She did not mention Rupert – well, only in passing as someone she had wondered if she might marry. She told him about Simon, how she’d been encouraged to accept him by her parents, and then how he had threatened her. She explained that she was afraid of him and didn’t dare go home.

‘But you went today,’ Jeannot said. ‘I followed you all the way there.’

‘I wanted to see my mother,’ Hélène said. ‘She must be frantic with worry.’ She paused and added, ‘It’s the second time she’s lost me.’

‘Why don’t you go back, then?’ asked Jeannot. ‘Because of this Barnier bloke? Does he still want to marry you? After you’ve run off an’ that?’

‘I don’t know, but my father is so ashamed of me, Pierre says he won’t let them mention my name at Belair. I might not be allowed back.’

‘Did you see Pierre while you was at the house today?’ asked Jeannot.

‘Yes, I did, and he wasn’t at all pleased to see me. He told me I was risking everything.’

‘He was right,’ Jeannot said firmly. ‘If I hadn’t been watching your back, you’d have led your fiancé’s snout straight here.’

‘He’s not my fiancé,’ snapped Hélène.

‘Well, whoever set that watch on the house wants to know where you are. And whoever it is has been very patient, and today his patience almost paid off.’

‘I know it was stupid,’ admitted Hélène with a sigh, ‘but I can’t stay in this apartment all day on my own while Annette is working in the market. I’m going mad.’

‘Tell you what,’ Jeannot said, ‘one of my lads has been keeping tabs on you. It was only luck that I sent him somewhere else this morning and came to watch for myself. He’ll be back tomorrow. From now on, when you need to go out, he’ll go with you. Make sure you don’t run into any more trouble.’ He grinned. ‘You always was one for gettin’ into trouble, wasn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ returned Hélène ruefully. ‘When I had anything to do with you.’

Chapter 45

Two days after Hélène’s visit to the Avenue Ste Anne, Emile St Clair arrived at the Paris house.

‘I shall be staying a week or so,’ he told Rosalie. ‘I’ve been sadly neglecting my work with everything that has happened. But when I return to Belair after next weekend, I shall expect you and Louise to return with me. It is time that we get on with our lives and stop skulking in Paris.’

‘I have not been skulking,’ retorted Rosalie. ‘Louise and I have been living perfectly normal lives here. It won’t be long before Louise will have to be introduced to society and we have been refurbishing her wardrobe.’

‘Nevertheless,’ Emile insisted. ‘We shall all be going back to Belair as soon as I have seen to my business affairs here in Paris.’ He paused at his study door and, looking back, said, ‘Tell Pierre I want him.’