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Ethan, have you come up with a plan for the ball tonight?
He heard the tenor of a question from across the desk, and he nodded absently in reply, but his thoughts
remained with Katie.
If I say yes, will you send the constables after me? Will you have them send me back to Willoughby?
He tried to see the situation from her point of view. He could understand that she was scared. He knew
she was afraid of going back to Virginia, and he knew he had always used that threat to ensure her
silence and her loyalty, but after last night, how could she still believe he would do that to her?
Because you didn t deny it, that s why.
He hadn t denied it because he could not afford to let her go. Not now, not yet. He had told her the
truth this morning that he needed her help at the ball. He had a plan to meet with Chevain, but it would
only work with her help. If he freed her from their bargain, he could not use her. Guilt washed over him,
for the first time overpowering the fact that she had brought their bargain on herself.
Ethan, what the hell is wrong with you?
Adam s explosive question forced thoughts of Katie from his mind. He couldn t think about her right
now. He had crucial things to do and not much time. Let s discuss the Governor s Ball tonight.
That s what I m trying to do, his secretary said with some exasperation. If you re ready to stop
wool-gathering and listen. He pulled out a sheet of foolscap from the leather portmanteau at his feet and
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handed it to Ethan. This is a list of everyone in Chevain s entourage. The whole party arrived from
Quebec yesterday.
Ethan scanned the list quickly. Marie LeBlanc will be there. Excellent.
Marie LeBlanc is Chevain s mistress.
Yes, I know. I have been making inquiries.
If you make your own inquiries, I don t know why you ask me to do so, Adam complained
good-naturedly. What do you have in mind for tonight?
This visit is a diplomatic one, made in the guise of friendly relations, is it not?
Yes.
But you know as well as I that France will take any opportunity to irritate England that it can get. So,
Chevain will probably be willing at least to lis-ten to me if I can get him alone.
Agreed. But getting him alone will not be easy. You have spent many years making yourself known
among your Tory acquaintances to be noto-riously uninformed about politics, though you are the man to
consult if one wants a well-made waist-coat or a fashionable new way to tie a cravat. Are you planning
to use that as a basis for conversa-tion?
No. Chevain is known to be completely unin-terested in fashion, and I m sure Gage s spies will be
watching him very closely. If we are seen talking to-gether, it will arouse suspicion.
Do you have to meet with him at the ball? Is there any other way to have a meeting?
Ethan shook his head. I don t see how. His schedule for today is completely filled with diplomatic talks,
and his ship departs for France tomorrow afternoon. No, I must talk with him tonight. It s my only
opportunity. And not meet-ing with him is unthinkable. I must know that we have French support. If we
cannot count on help from King Louis, we have no hope of free-dom from England.
But how are you going to get him alone? And what does his mistress have to do with it?
If I remember the way rooms are laid out at the governor s mansion, some of the bedrooms on the
ground floor have doors leading into the gardens.
I believe so, yes.
People have romantic liaisons at balls all the time, Ethan went on. Both Chevain and I will have our
mistresses at this affair. If we were to lead them into bedrooms that were side by side, each with a door
giving onto the garden
You would simply switch places with Marie LeBlanc, Adam finished for him. If people think you are
with your mistress and Chevain is with his, no one would disturb you.
We would also have good reason to lock the doors, Ethan pointed out.
How are you going to inform Chevain that this is what you wish to do?
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I already know from my informants in France that Chevain is willing to meet with me. I ll dance with
Madame LeBlanc and tell her. The only con-cern is not being seen slipping in and out of the bed-rooms
by anyone in the garden. We can only hope that the early spring chill in the night air discour-ages people
from strolling outside in the gardens.
Is it wise to involve Katie in this?
I don t have a choice. Remembering his prom-ise to her that morning, Ethan went on, By the way, I
want you to make arrangements with Willoughby to purchase her indenture. Go to Vir-ginia to conduct
the transaction yourself.
His secretary frowned, looking troubled. If she is afraid to return to indenture and you free her, what
will you have to hold over her head in future?
I promised her I would buy her indenture and free her if she helped me to discover Lowden s pur-pose
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