By the time Gabrielle finally made it across the room, the couple she was following had gone out into the hall. Stepping through the door, she saw the young man’s fiancée going into another room with several other ladies. Leggett himself was nowhere in sight. She walked quickly through the corridor, perring as inconspicuously as possible into each room. Finally she spotted him in the library, in conversation with two more of Percy’s friends. She walked quickly into the room and then stopped abruptly, as if taken off guard by something. The men immediately stopped speaking and turned and bowed to her.
“Oh dear,” she laughed, sounding embarrassed. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, gentlemen, but I’m quite lost. This house is as big as half of Paris!”
The men smiled indulgently. “Sir Leggett, was it?” she addressed the men she had been following, and he nodded in acknowledgement. “I wonder if I may impose upon you to help me find my way?”
“It would be my pleasure, mademoiselle,” he answered sincerely, and taking his leave of the others, joined her at the door and offered her his arm. She took it and they began walking back in the direction from which she had just came.
“Where would you like to go?” Leggett asked.
Gabrielle glanced around to ensure no one was within earshot, and answered, “Actually, sir, I would be most grateful for a word in private with you.”
“Oh! Um, of course,” he stuttered, taken aback, but unable to refuse. The next room on their right was empty, and they ducked inside, Leggett taking a seat opposite her, with unconcealed surprise and curiosity on his face.
“You must forgive me, sir, for being so frank,” she began. “But this is extremely important. You know that I have just come from Paris, rescued by none other than the brave hero known as the Scarlet Pimpernel.” He nodded. “Well, once I realized we had been rescued, I hoped to speak to the man myself, about something that happened prior to my arrest. But I never saw him. And even if I had, I would likely still have been too overwhelmed to be able to say all I needed to say. But now that I have had time to put my thoughts in order, it is of the utmost importance that I speak with him. And I believe that you can help me.”
“Me, mademoiselle?” he asked with almost convincing disbelief. But Gabrielle had learned too long ago to tell when someone was hiding something. She knew she had the right man.
“Yes, you, sir,” she said emphatically, leaning forward and speaking in a quieter, almost conspiratorial tone. She decided to pull out her ace. “I recognize you from the ship.” The flash of fear and self-reproach in his eyes was unmistakable. “Of course your secret is safe with me, sir! I owe you my life. All I ask is that you deliver this note for me.”
From the folds of her dress she produced the letter she had been carrying since her arrival, waiting for such an opportunity. The young man looked at it, obviously unsure of what he should do.
“Listen,” she continued, before he could object, and rose to her feet. Leggett stood as well. “I will leave it here on the table. If you able to help me, I pray you will take it and deliver it. If not, leave it there and I will retrieve it later. If it is gone, I will have no way of knowing if you actually took it, or if someone else simply got rid of it. Your conscience can rest easy.”
Saying this, she laid the note down and walked to the door. On reaching it, she turned back and curtseyed to the man still standing hesitantly by his chair. “I would not ask if were not very important!” And with that, she left the room and returned to the main ballroom.
When she passed through the hallway again later that night, she peered into the small room. The envelope on the table was gone.