Chapter Eighteen

A “Council of War” was quite an accurate description of this gathering, thought Allegra to herself as she looked at the serious faces of the three men in the room. Once again, she blessed the fact that Grace and Penelope were still abed, and offered up a brief prayer that they would stay there for some time to come.

“Your sources were unable to find out what he wants?” asked Pip, rereading the short note Angus had received.

“Unfortunately not, my Lord. Falworth is being unbelievably circumspect. It was only through the merest chance that his identity slipped out. Even that mistake probably wouldn’t have meant anything to his companions had one of them not been paying such close attention. The rest were...er...otherwise engaged, so to speak.”Angus shot a self-conscious glance at Allegra.

“If you’re worried that I shall be upset by some blunt facts, Angus, I beg you will put your mind at ease. Nothing Charles Falworth could do or say would surprise me, and if you are saying that this information was gathered from a less-than-genteel occasion, that’s not going to be of any concern.”

Her words fell into a silent room as each pondered them in his own way.

“Very well, my Lady. Thank you for your permission to speak freely. Falworth and some friends had visited a house of ill-repute in Cheapside, and it was here that he made the small slip that allowed my informant to finally identify him.” Angus sighed as he looked again at the note on Pip’s desk.

“I suppose...” interpolated Vivian thoughtfully, “...that his shipping accident was responsible for all that nasty scarring—severe burns and smoke inhalation could have done a lot to change both voice and appearance. If I may ask, Lady Ally, what were you told when his assumed death became known?”

Allegra thought carefully for a moment. “I must confess, I don’t remember much of that day. The Lord Lieutenant, Barkley Founders, arrived a little after lunch. I do recall that it was raining...” Her eyes took on a faraway look, and she didn’t notice a movement of Pip’s hand silencing the questions trembling on the lips of his friends.

“He came into the house and dripped onto the hall floor. I was surprised to see him because he’d sworn never to set foot inside Falworth Manor while Charles was alive, so I suppose I must have had an inkling of why he had come.”

She sighed. “Anyway, he got right to the point without too many solicitations. He told me he’d received notice that the Charles’ ship had foundered—yes, that’s the word he used—foundered on its way to India and that ‘poor Lord Falworth’ had not survived.”

Allegra smiled, feeling her lips twist at the memory. “Those were the kindest words he’d ever spoken about Charles, and I remember trying so hard not to giggle. His Lordship must have thought I was quite hysterical. He gave me Charles’s ring and said it was the only thing of his that had been recovered. He didn’t know how. There could be no funeral as Charles’s body had not been found, so I should arrange a simple memorial service.”

She stopped for a moment and looked at the faces watching her. “I distinctly recall looking at the circle of drips around his greatcoat and thinking it was going to take ages to get the marks of the water and the memory of Charles out of the wood. Isn’t it funny how you remember such stupid things at such important times?”

Her eyes met Pip’s.

“Not really...” he answered. “The mind grasps anything it can understand until it can deal with those it can’t.”

“That certainly confirms our present situation, Lady Ally,” said Vivian thoughtfully. “His body was never recovered, so we can guess that he survived the wreck and fire, horribly burned, and was able to take refuge somewhere while his injuries healed. Going further into the realm of assumption, he may have realised that his ring was gone, and that he no longer had to be ‘Charles Falworth’, who had left England under a cloud of debts.”

Allegra nodded her agreement. “There were lots of creditors after him...I know—I dealt with most of them. It must have been a heaven-sent opportunity to be rid of his Falworth identity...and me as well.”

“Lady Ally...” Vivian and Angus both huffed a little at her blunt words.

“You must be aware that I was very young when I was married to Falworth.” Ally’s words were firm, and she took courage from Pip’s presence.

“He was a beast of a husband and thankfully left after a few months of marriage to pursue other interests. His death was a welcome release from the prison I had found myself in, so I am not overly upset by any details of this current situation. We must be as honest as possible in order to find out why he has undergone this elaborate masquerade at all.”

“Absolutely right, Ally.” Pip’s gaze warmed her. “So, let’s ask ourselves what we know about the supposed Rajah...hmm?” He raised an eyebrow at his companions.

“Well...he has been spending money, but not much of it. The Jamesons have always included him in their activities, and he has room and board there...” began Angus, practically.

“Good.” Pip drew a sheet of paper towards him and began to write. “Money. Probably limited, but enough to maintain an image. What else?”

“I would hazard a guess that his funds may well originate from his jewellery. I haven’t seen any bare patches on that get-up of his, but I also haven’t seen a particularly fine emerald he wore in his turban once.” Vivian tugged at his lower lip as he pulled his thoughts together.”The Rajah would not be expected to know much about the London pawn shops, but you can bet that Charles Falworth was well acquainted with any number of places where he could get some cash for the emerald with no questions asked.”

“Excellent observation,” beamed Pip. “We’ll add a note that the jewellery he wears is probably the source of his funds. It is quite real, by the way, I got a good look at some of the stones the night we first met, and they were unquestionably genuine. Shall we guess that they came from his sojourn in India?”

Three nods approved this idea, and it was added to the list.

“I have a contribution...” said Allegra tentatively. “It seems that he has kept his circle of acquaintances quite limited. He did not get himself introduced to the present Lord Falworth, for example, and on many of the occasions we met Gloriana and Nigel, the Rajah was not there...”

“Good, Ally. I never would have thought of it, but you’re quite right.” congratulated Pip, grinning at his wife.

“Yes, but what does that mean?” mused Vivian. “I suppose that limited exposure to the Ton resulted in limited exposure to someone who might have twigged on somehow to his real identity. The Jamesons would never have known him, he was quite safe there...but there are others with long memories and sharp eyes. He has a lot to lose should his identity become known.”

“And his meeting with you, My Lady...” added Angus, nodding in Allegra’s direction. “Would have been the merest chance. He must have been quite put out to see you arrive at the Jamesons’ party.”

“But then he turned that chance into an opportunity by using Allegra to procure an invitation to Falworth Manor...” continued Pip.

“He what?” chorused Vivian and Angus, who had not known of Allegra’s conversation with the Rajah during the ball.

“I know. It doesn’t make any sense.” Allegra abruptly pushed herself out of her chair and walked to the desk to stand beside Pip.

“I’m sure it does to him...” said Pip ruefully. “We just have to be smarter than he is and try to work out what he’s really up to. Let’s suppose for a moment he really does want to go to Falworth Manor. Can you think of any reason in the world he might want to visit his ancestral home?” Pip turned to look at Allegra.

“Not a one.” she replied firmly. “I’ve been over and over it in my mind since last night. Charles left Falworth a few months after our marriage and came back less than a handful of times after that. His final visit was about three weeks before he sailed away, and he returned merely to tell me he was going abroad and to see if I had any money. I think he may have taken some odds and ends with him, probably to sell and raise cash.”

She frowned, concentrating on recalling a past she’d tried to forget. “I remember noticing that he was dusty and had a bundle with him when he finally left, but I didn’t worry too much—after all, they were his possessions, so what right had I to say anything?”

She looked at the others. “And actually, I was so relieved at the thought of his going overseas, he could have taken my wardrobe and bed linens with him if it would have kept him away.”

The gentlemen received this wry comment with varying degrees of amusement.

“Well, he certainly wants something, and it’s a ‘something’ that is apparently at Falworth Manor,” said Pip.

“So, what should we do? Go along with his plan?” asked Vivian.

“There’s nothing to be gained and everything to be lost by revealing his identity to the authorities. Besides, he hasn’t really done anything illegal up to now, other than being a bit of an outsider, which isn’t, unfortunately, against the law,” answered Pip.

“And that raises the question of why he hasn’t used the fact of his identity as blackmail against you two?” said Angus with a frown. “It would be the logical step. He returns to find his wife remarried to a wealthy man—why not try to obtain money for his silence? If it’s money he wants, that is...”

“Oh, it has to be money. “ Allegra’s voice was hard. “I can’t believe that after all this time, he’s changed his philosophy to any great degree. Money always was, is, and probably ever shall be, his God.”

“So if he doesn’t want any of your money, whose money is he after and why Falworth Manor?” Vivian pushed his hands through his hair and blew an exasperated sigh. “It just makes no sense, does it?”

“And there’s one other thing that confirms this whole situation...” added Allegra. She looked down at the papers on Pip’s desk, and pushed them aside in favour of what looked like a large dictionary. “Do you realise that the Indian names he’s using mean “traveller” and “secret”? Typical of him to choose something like this and then gloat over the stupidity of those who haven’t caught on.”

There was silence in the room for a moment as they all thought about the accuracy of Allegra’s words.

Vivian blinked and glanced at Pip with one eyebrow raised. “You have an Indian dictionary?”

Pip shrugged, and let the slide as they all digested how cunning their adversary had been. “Well, all these questions are leading us in one clear direction. We need to know what he’s up to, and we need to form a plan for finding out.”

”If it’s of any help, I do know where he’ll be tomorrow night...or rather that is... tonight...” said Angus hesitantly. “The Angel’s Wing is a rather low tavern, which my informant mentioned. It was agreed that a place would only be specified if he was definitely going to be there. But I don’t see what good it will do.”

“What we need...” said Pip, after a few moments silence,”...is to have someone there at the Angel’s Wing.”

“You mean, like a spy?” asked Angus.

“Exactly.”

“That would be an excellent thing...” agreed Vivian. “But how on earth would our spy know what to look for? Or what to listen for, and thirdly, how to tell the important from the unimportant? I can’t think of anyone who could do it properly. No, it’s a great idea, Pip, but I think it probably can’t be done successfully.”

“Oh yes it can.” The voice was quiet and determined and all heads turned towards Allegra who was sitting upright with an intense look on her face.

“Why am I uncomfortable all of a sudden?” Pip’s eyes narrowed.

“Just listen for a moment...” Her eyes pleaded with her husband for his understanding. “Who better to meet all Vivian’s requirements than one of us? We know who we’re looking for, we know why we are there and all the details of the situation. We would very easily be able to tell something important from idle chatter.”

“By Heavens, she’s right...I shall go myself.” exclaimed Pip. An expression of excitement crossed his face. “There’s no one better able to spy successfully on this rogue.”

“Well, there is one better person...” interrupted Allegra. “Me.”

“Out of the question...”

“Lady Ally...no.”

“‘Twould be monstrously unsafe...”

“Please gentlemen...” Allegra raised her hands to stem the tide of disapproval. “I am not suggesting that I go alone, but that I accompany Pip. Together, we might draw less attention to ourselves, and you must admit that logically no one can know more about the devious workings of Charles Falworth’s mind.”

She paused for breath. “My suggestion is that my Lord and I disguise ourselves appropriately and just lurk around the vicinity of this tavern. When we can ascertain that Falworth is inside, we shall enter, make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible and unashamedly eavesdrop on whatever we can hear.”

Vivian opened his mouth to argue the point, but shut it again after a few moments when he realised that Allegra was right.

Pip sighed. “It’s most annoying, Ally, but what you’re saying is making a great deal of sense. I don’t like the idea of taking you into some of the more dangerous areas of London, but with my presence and adequate disguises, we may be able to pull it off. I shall insist, however...” His eyes locked firmly onto those of his wife. “That you follow my instructions without question and that if I think we’re in any kind of danger, we get out as fast as humanly possible.”

“Sir Vivian and I can provide some sort of emergency transportation perhaps,” offered Angus. “Now that we know exactly where you’ll be, if we could station ourselves in two carriages nearby, then you would be able to leave by either direction. That way we might stand a better chance of pulling this harebrained scheme off without too much trouble...er...my Lord,” he added apologetically.

“Good idea, Angus. And you’re right. It is a decidedly harebrained scheme, but one which will give us the upper hand over ‘Rajah’ Falworth if it works.”

Allegra nodded at Pip’s words. “I must confess I shall not rest easy until I know exactly what that scheming weasel is up to.”

“Agreed.” said Pip. “Let’s formulate our tactics—I think I have a map of the City here somewhere...”

The next hour or so was spent poring over the street maps of London so that the would-be spies might familiarise themselves with the area surrounding that delightful haven of entertainment and cheap gin known as the “Angel’s Wing”.

“Well then. I will rent a hack and position myself here—with a footman hidden inside—” Vivian pointed at a crossroads near the tavern, “—and you, Angus, can do the same here...” he indicated a fork in the road on the opposite side of the rendezvous. “If I drop you and Lady Ally here, Pip, you should be able to walk the little distance and arrive looking relatively inconspicuous.”

“That will be my responsibility, Vivian.” Allegra raised her head. “I shall try to come up with suitable disguises for us. You and Angus will only need some kind of coachman-type coat and hat and the older, the better. I shall hope that you can both provide for yourselves. As for Pip and me, hmm...perhaps a labourer and his wife on the town? Or...wait...I have it. A less-than-affluent sprig of fashion and his current doxy?”

“Lady Ally...” Vivian and Angus sounded shocked.

“Gentlemen...” soothed Pip. “Once again, my wife is thinking things through sensibly. We are not visiting Almack’s. We would draw a great deal of unwanted attention to ourselves if we don’t try our very best to blend in—in fact, our lives may well depend on it. If Lady Allegra feels she can stand to dress up as a doxy, then we must agree that such a disguise will fit her surroundings. Although I trust it will be as a relatively modest doxy...if there is such a thing...” he added thoughtfully.

Allegra bit her lip in amusement, trying not to laugh. “Don’t worry. I shall be the most maidenly doxy walking the streets of London with her beau. In fact, I’m not quite sure how to accomplish this, but I think I might start by shocking my maid with a rather unusual conversation.”

“Shall we agree to meet at ten here this evening? You, Viv, can drive us to our appointed place, and you, Angus, will head off to your spot about fifteen to twenty minutes later.” Pip stood, all coiled eagerness to get their scheme underway.

“We should all be in our positions when Falworth arrives. I trust we won’t need to make a speedy exit, but if you both stay alert, you should be able to see if we’ve left the tavern. If something occurs that we’ve not anticipated, we must return here immediately. That way, we will know where everyone else is. Agreed?”

Nods came from everybody, and they departed to attend to their various duties in preparation for a night of high adventure.

Allegra found herself breathing more quickly than was normal as she created a wardrobe suitable for the character she was to play.

In an effort to keep her activities as quiet as possible, she left a message for the twins that she would be resting for a large part of the day. Not a surprise given the pace that they had all been keeping recently.

Luckily, the girls had engagements for a most of it, and were to spend the evening at a musicale, well-chaperoned by friends. There would be little risk of them seeing the surprising sight of their uncle and his wife dressed in very bizarre clothing.

Her maid was the only uninvolved member of the household let into the secret and even then, under the pretext of a “surprise” for some friends at a party that evening. Between them, they were able to produce an outfit that was considerably unlike Lady Allenbridge’s usual elegant attire.

“Oh my goodness...” said the maid as she pulled at the laces.

“Oooh...how do these women breathe?” Allegra gasped for air, eyes closed, as the maid tightened the gown.

“I’m sure I don’t know, my Lady, but you really do look like...er...what you said you wanted to look like.”

Turning to the mirror in her room, Allegra was forced to agree. The silk dress she had scrounged from the attic was obviously well worn and the stripes, which had once been an unpleasant chartreuse, were now just a muddy green. The bodice was extremely décolletage, and the stays inside assisted nature in propelling Allegra’s assets to the front and centre of attention.

To mitigate this uncharacteristic display of cleavage, Allegra had added some torn and grimy lace taken off a set of old curtains. Stitched around the bosom, it managed to hide some of her charms while not detracting from those left exposed.

The maid brushed her hair down flat across her brow and pinned a turban-like headpiece over most of her head. An elderly feather, which had seen better days, wafted limply in the air, surrounded by a bunch of old silk flowers tied with a ribbon of quite the wrong shade of green.

Rather than try to find some cheap jewellery, Allegra had decided to add a black velvet neckband and pendant, à la Guillotine, in a style that had faded from prominence several years ago. A thorough powdering of her face, along with the addition of some rouge completed the transformation, and she added a liberal application of colour to her lips just for good measure.

Breathing would take some effort, she discovered, as the dress was corseting her figure to an almost impossible degree. However, the tightness of the bodice compensated for the looseness of the sleeves that seemed designed to drop off one’s shoulders. The fact that the entire dress didn’t drop to the ground was a testimonial to the well-constructed stays.

She hoped that Pip was half as uncomfortable in his disguise as she was going to be in hers.

But when they met in the small Salon, Allegra found it hard to accept that he was actually in costume at all. His presence filled her senses and excluded mundane things like what he was wearing. But when she got over her initial reaction to him, she saw that his outfit was perfect in every way.

He stood rather self-consciously, and it was apparent that he had poured himself into a suit that was one size too small.

The shoulders of the jacket were padded to the point of absurdity and the fabric was of a cheap and unpleasant appearance. His collar was also ridiculously high, but grubby, and his cravat had seen better days.

His pantaloons were a shade too snug and the boots, which he wore over them, were scuffed and needed about a week’s worth of cleaning. He had selected a style of jacket with huge tarnished buttons, and sported a large, ugly stickpin. His normally well-groomed hair was brushed forward into a Brutus, a popular style that did not become his slightly angular face at all.

His disguise had completely turned her husband into a not-quite-acceptable man about town, who would certainly fit right in to the seedy environment of the “Angel’s Wing”.

As for Pip, the woman standing before him left him without a word to say.

While Allegra’s eyes took in the details of his attire, his eyes travelled over what had once been his beautiful and elegant wife. They noted the flattened hair and ugly feather, and absorbed the poor quality and out-of-date design of the dress.

They reached the bodice of said dress and widened.

A rather wicked gleam entered those eyes, followed by a definitely lustful twinkle.

“Whatever you are thinking, my Lord, remember this is just a disguise.” Allegra’s voice was as firm as a constricted ribcage would allow.

“It’s a very effective one.” Pip moved unconsciously toward her, gazing all the while at the soft mounds of flesh welling provocatively over the dowdy lace. “There are hidden depths to you, my dear.”

“Yes...well...that will do for the present, don’t you think?” Allegra moved backwards slightly. “Let’s remember why we are dressed in these ridiculous get-ups. Besides, I think your trousers may well split their seams if you’re not careful.”

Pip stopped abruptly. “Dammit. You may well be right. Tonight had better pay off with us getting plenty of information on Falworth and his plans, because I’d hate to think that I’ve rendered myself this uncomfortable for nothing.”

“Let me tell you something of discomfort, my Lord.” Allegra grinned as she took his arm and walked with him out to the waiting carriage. “Try having your ribcage collapsed, your waist cinched to the point of pain, and your physical assets placed on vulgar display. Now that’s uncomfortable.”

Pip’s laughter faded away with the sound of horses’ hooves as their carriage drove off into the night.