Chapter 5: Meeting an Unexpected Ally

I head off towards the reception room and out of the window. Fortunately Mama usually takes her lunch in her study on a Sunday, and then writes letters for several hours. Consequently, she isn’t likely to miss me. Annie will notice my absence, but she won’t tell on me providing I return by mid-afternoon.

I reach the main street in record time, and look up and down the street for Eloise and her escort. I see them further down the street heading towards the harbour. Being Sunday all the shops are closed and there aren’t many people about. I keep close to the shops so I can duck into a doorway should they look back.

Eloise and her escort are almost at the Golden Anchor when they suddenly stop. Eloise pulls away from her escort and she looks as if she intends to return to the house. I quickly step into a shop doorway, only to find the doorway is already occupied. I spin round. I’m about to scream when a man’s hand is placed over my mouth. He doesn’t say anything but puts a finger of his other hand to his lips signalling that I should be quiet. He then removes his hand from my mouth and points to Eloise and her escort, who have resumed their walk towards the harbour.

“That was close. You nearly gave us away. What do you think you’re doing?” the man says with an English accent.

I catch my breath and wait until my heart stops pounding. This is the man I saw yesterday afternoon watching from the upstairs window of the empty shop. However, he’s not looking at me, but down the street. Clearly I’m not the only person following Eloise and her escort.

“I was following my friend. I think she’s in trouble.” I reply.

“I presume it’s Mademoiselle d’Arles who is your friend. In which case I fear your concerns are well founded. I take it you don’t know her escort or you wouldn’t be so foolhardy as to follow him unescorted. He currently goes by the name of Colonel Vichy, but both his rank and name are false. He’s a Portuguese pirate; one with a very nasty reputation. His two henchmen are at the d’Arles’s house keeping an eye on Mademoiselle d’Arles’s parents.”

“And who are you? And why are you following Eloise?” I ask.

“Captain Richard Allen of the Royal Navy at your service. I’m part of a combined English, French and American naval force trying to stamp out piracy in the Caribbean. Colonel Vichy is my current quarry. Now, may I have the pleasure of knowing my companion’s name?”

“Andrea. Andrea Thibert.” I say.

“I’m pleased to meet you Andrea, if I may be so bold as to call you by your Christian name. It seems appropriate in the circumstances. You must call me Richard. In other circumstances I would offer the usual social niceties, but our quarry seems to have gone into that house down the street.”

I look at the house he is pointing to and see it is not far from the Golden Anchor. The house is at the end of a block of houses and has a good view of the harbour. A two masted ship is tied up at one of the smaller quays directly opposite the house.

“We could watch the house from the inn down the street,” Richard suggests. “Take my arm and we’ll stroll down the street like a married couple. That way, if anyone is watching the street, they won’t suspect anything.”

Before I can object, Captain Allen takes my arm, and we casually walk to the Golden Anchor. The inn is nearly empty and we take a table by a window overlooking the house across the street. Margot comes over with a couple of drinks and gives me a surprised look. I think my reputation is rapidly going downhill, but I’ve more important things to worry about at the moment.