The Parliament House

    'And she has had a number of clandestine meetings with him.'

    'With that grotesque old buffoon? It verges on indecency. What can possibly have attracted her?'

    'Whatever it is,' moaned Golland, 'I fail to see it. He's a roaring bear of a man. The only thing I can say in favour of him is that he's a good judge of horses. Sir Julius picked the winner in almost every race at Newmarket that day - including my own filly.'

    'And is that when this unlikely friendship started?'

    'Apparently.'

    'Then I suppose that I must take the blame,' said Farwell with a shrug. 'Had I known that this would happen, I'd have kept Dorothy well away from him.' He became pensive. 'It's rather curious, though.'

    'What is?'

    'My wife may be more prescient than she knows.'

    'Prescient?'

    'Yes,' said Farwell. 'Adele has never shown any gift for prophecy before. When we got back from the races that day, however, she told me that she had a strong impression that your sister was ready for marriage again. Adele sensed it.'

    'She could not have sensed that Sir Julius would be the husband.'

    'Never in a hundred years!'

    'What am I to do, Maurice?' said Golland, anxiously. 'I can hardly speak to her as a man of the world. Dorothy has been married twice whereas I regard holy matrimony as the grossest intrusion of privacy.' 'Yes, you like to have control of your life.'

    'A wife would insist on rearranging it for me.'

    'But she would bring many compensating virtues,' said Farwell with a fond smile. 'That's what Adele has done for me.- She's a perfect helpmeet, a true partner.' He pondered. 'As to the best course of action with regard to your sister,' he resumed after a while, 'I know exactly what you should do.'

    'What?'

    'Nothing.'

    'Nothing?'

    'Let it runs its course, Orlando.'

    'But what if she gets hopelessly entangled with Sir Julius?'

    'I have more faith in Dorothy than you.'

    'She seems to be genuinely enamoured of him.'

    'It will pass,' said Farwell, smoothly. 'She'll soon see through that blundering fool. Ha! Your sister ought to be here this afternoon so that she could watch the bloated oaf pontificate. That would teach her what an irritating fellow he is. Later on, I'll be jousting with Sir Julius Cheever once more. He'll lead strong opposition to a bill that we mean to introduce.'

    'How do you know?'

    'He's a born rebel. Whatever we propose, he'll raise endless and unnecessary objections. I'll have to do battle with the old curmudgeon yet again. He's a menace, Orlando.'

    'And he may end up as my brother-in-law.'

    'Marry him?' he said with a laugh. 'If Dorothy knew him as well as I do, she'd run a mile from Sir Julius Cheever.'

    'Stay here, Sir Julius,' she pleaded. 'Remain where you are safe.'

    'I'll be out of harm's way at the House of Commons.'

    'How do you know that? That man tried to kill you. He may do so again. I care for you too much to let you put your life at risk again.'

    'Thank you,' he said, enjoying her attention and glad that he had decided to confide in her. 'But I'll not present such an easy target again. Now that I know what to expect, I'll have eyes in the back of my head.'

    Sir Julius Cheever had called at the house in Covent Garden to let Dorothy Kitson know that he had returned, and to test her affection for him by telling her about the ambush he had survived. The news had jolted her and, for the first time, she had reached out to touch him in a spontaneous gesture of concern.

    'Did you receive my letter?' he said.

    'Yes,' she replied, 'and I was pleased to hear that both of your daughters are in London. I'm ready to meet them whenever they wish.' She gave him an inquisitive smile. 'What have you told them about me?'

    'Only that you are the most wonderful woman in the world.'

    'That was very silly of you, Sir Julius.'

    'I was only speaking the truth.'

    'But you were not being very tactful,' she pointed out. 'For any daughters, the most wonderful woman in the world is their mother. I could never compete with your wife. Nor would I wish to do so.' He nodded soulfully. 'Be more judicious in future. If you praise me to the skies, your daughters are bound to find me wanting.'

    'You are entirely without fault, Dorothy.'

    'I've learned to hide my shortcomings, that's all.'

    'Mine are all too visible,' he confessed. 'But I fear that I must away,' he added, moving to the door. 'I've work to do in that yapping menagerie we call a parliament.'

    'Take care, Sir Julius.'

    'I'll be Caution itself.'

    'And speak to my brother about this outrage you suffered.'

    'What can Mr Golland do?'

    'Orlando can arrange some bodyguards for you.'

    'I have one waiting for me beside my coach. And like me,' he said, opening his coat to reveal the pistol that he carried, 'he is well-armed and primed for action.'

    'I find this all so troubling.'

    'You may rest easy, dear lady. Nothing can touch me now. I have a more potent weapon at my disposal.'

    'Oh? And what's that?' 'A young friend who has helped me in the past. He has a genius for hunting down villains. Christopher will not fail me. It's only a matter of time before this killer is behind bars.'

    Within minutes of arriving back at his house, Christopher Redmayne had a visitor. Eager to speak with his brother, Henry was even more peevish than usual. He adopted a tone of rebuke.

    'Where on earth have you been, Christopher?' he complained. 'This is the third time today that I've called.'

    'I thought you were shackled to your desk at the Navy Office.'

    'Fortunately, the hateful Surveyer has gone to Chatham. I was able to sneak away - and I expected you to be here.'

    'I was attending a funeral in Cambridgeshire.'

    'That's a paltry excuse.'

    'Nevertheless, it accounts for my absence. I went with Sir Julius Cheever to see his friend, Mr Everett, laid to rest.'

    Henry sneered. 'It's a shame that there was no room in the grave for Sir Julius himself. No, no,' he corrected immediately, 'I withdraw that calumny. It's unjust. Any man who can bring such glory into the world deserves respect.'

    'What are you talking about, Henry?'

    'His daughter. She is a positive divinity.'

    'I agree,' said Christopher with a warm smile. 'Susan is the most gorgeous woman alive.'

    'Then you have obviously not seen her sister.'

    'Brilliana?'

    'An angel in human form,' said Henry, fervently. 'A queen of her sex. Beauty personified.'

    'Brilliana cannot compare with Susan.'

    'She can, Christopher. You may be drawn by the virginal charm of the younger sister but it pales beside the seasoned excellence of the elder. I've never met such an alluring creature.'

    'You should not have met her now,' said Christopher.