Eugène scurried off in search of André, while Simon wandered slowly past Le Chien to the entrance of an apartment building a little further up the street from whose shelter he could watch the restaurant to make sure that his quarry didn’t leave before his tail was in place.

Once André had arrived and was installed in the apartment building’s porch, Simon left him, not wanting to be seen or recognised by Rupert when he finally emerged.

Due to his unexpected vigil, he had missed both his lunch and his appointment with the young lady whom he visited on his trips to Paris, and he knew she would not be best pleased. Mademoiselle Angélique knew how to please him, her erotic person and ingenious games providing him with the release he needed from time to time. He had assumed that once he was married to Hélène there would be no need of further visits to Mademoiselle Angélique; he would simply use Hélène in the same way – teach her what he liked and expect her to provide it whenever he chose.

Now, he returned to the Pension Marguerite, where he stayed on such visits, and thought about the day. First, there was the housekeeper, Madame Sauze. She was Annette the maid’s aunt and she was in Paris for one day. Then he’d seen Rupert, the foppish Englishman who had deserted Hélène last autumn. What were they both doing in Paris on the same day? Surely that couldn’t be a coincidence? There had to be something going on, something to do with Hélène. That old woman must know where she’s hiding, he thought. Perhaps she’d known all along. Well, once André had done his stuff and discovered where Rupert was staying, Simon could plan his next move. He only hoped that André made a better job of following Rupert than he had when he’d tried to follow Hélène from the Avenue St Anne. Simon had been furious when he’d heard that André had had her in his sights and then had somehow managed to lose her when he had been attacked by some cutpurse and left sprawling in the gutter, clutching his private parts.

Simon still wanted Hélène, to own her and bend her to his will. When she finally came back home she would be ruined, having run away and lived who knew where and with who knew whom. Her reputation would be in the gutter. Her only way back was to allow him to forgive her and marry him after all. He had been patient, and now here was that damned Englishman again.

*

The damned Englishman and his old friend David had a leisurely luncheon at Le Chien Dansant. The food, Rupert decided, was even better than he remembered. As always he enjoyed the French dishes that passed across the table, and the wine that accompanied them – so much more interesting than the plain English fare offered in restaurants at home – and it was some considerable time later that they left the restaurant and made their way back towards the embassy.