The Colonel paused. 'There is another matter of Luxorian politics which you might not be able to understand, another reason for George's bargaining power. It has long been well-known amongst those of us who are close to the Kaiser - myself included as a lifelong friend - that he wishes to annex Luxoria to Imperial Germany.'
'So I have heard,' said Faro. And when the Colonel's eyebrow raised a little at that, he added, 'We have our sources of secret information too.'
The Colonel laughed. 'Of course, a senior policeman in the service of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Stupid of me!'
'I begin to see your reasoning, Colonel.'
'Excellent! Proceed.'
'The President could use George's future to force his mother to refuse the Kaiser's wish for annexation with Germany.'
The Colonel shook his head. 'I think you are oversimplifying matters a little, Mr Faro. George has no "future" as far as the President is concerned. He is expendable, since the President wishes to have his natural son Anton made heir to Luxoria.'
'But surely George is his legitimate heir?'
The Colonel smiled. 'Ah, now there is a point! Suppose we ask why Gustav should want to destroy George, the son of his marriage, forced perhaps but legal, to Amelie.'
Leaning forward, he raised a finger. 'The answer is very plain, surely - ' Pausing, he laughed, 'especially to a detective of your powers, Mr Faro?'
'I don't follow you,' said Faro, trying to look blank despite his fast-beating heart.
The Colonel shook his head, and said triumphantly: 'George is not his child.'
They were interrupted by the arrival of a waiter bearing some excellent schnapps. Not quite Faro's preference but, at that moment, strong enough to down in one gulp and hopefully still the anguish of hearing what the Colonel had to impart.
'Permit me to let you into a secret, Mr Faro.'
Chapter 24
Pausing, the Colonel looked out of the window. ‘This secret goes back a long time and is a very personal one.'
Sighing, he smiled. 'I have been in love with Amelie for a very long time. But to go back to the beginning, Wilhelm - the Kaiser - and I were childhood companions. I knew all his secrets. He told me how he had met this wonderful lady while visiting his grandmother Queen Victoria at Balmoral.'
He paused. 'I believe you know it well, Mr Faro, and that you are a trusted intimate of Her Majesty.'
Faro bowed. 'Hardly that, sir. I have been a useful servant only, on many occasions.'
The Colonel laughed. 'Ah, like John Brown, perhaps. The servant who taught her to enjoy your Scotch whisky in her tea.'
And Faro smiled wryly at another reputation ruined by crossing the English Channel. 'No, sir. I am a policeman - a detective - on several occasions when there were threats to her life.'
'Ah, yes - assassination attempts like the one on Amelie?'
Faro nodded. 'Very similar.'
'And you were able to avert them. A pity you had not been present at Mosheim.' Again that intense look. ‘I understand that you were also responsible for Amelie's safety when she visited Scotland some years ago.'
‘I was.'
The Colonel smiled. 'Scotland has a fascination for us, a beautiful country. I once had the honour to accompany Wilhelm. He loves his grandmother, a rather formidable lady, according to Bismarck.' Pausing, he asked, 'Did you ever meet His Imperial Majesty?'
'I never had that pleasure.'
'A pity, for he is a remarkable man. Not only as my good friend but as a statesman and a soldier. Someone once said of him that he is eager to impress everyone. That he wants to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. He is a great raconteur, few can match him telling a story. And physically too.'
His face darkened momentarily as he continued. 'Although he has overcome a physical disadvantage that is not publically referred to,' he touched his left arm delicately, 'to become a great horseman. You must be wondering why I am telling you, a stranger, all these things, Mr Faro. The reason is very obvious. Compare this man with what you know of Amelie's husband, President Gustav.'
He shrugged. 'The man is a savage, a moral degenerate. Would it surprise anyone that Amelie, a beautiful cultured woman, would prefer His Imperial Majesty to such a fellow?'
Faro listened, fascinated now. They had come some distance from George's parentage, but was the Colonel hinting that he thought that Wilhelm was the boy's father?
'We were all a little in love with the unhappy Grand Duchess who Wilhelm had brought into our small circle. We all wished to see her free of such a marriage. My own reasons were intensely personal. My sister Melissa was born with the gift of a voice, she defied family tradition by going on the stage. Gustav saw her, charmed her by some means unknown to the rest of us. Perhaps his savage background had a sexual fascination after her gentle upbringing.'
He stopped and sighed again. 'Who knows? She was young, beautiful, ambitious and with a passionate nature. She became his mistress and Anton was born. As his own marriage was childless after many years, he decided to be rid of Amelie, and marry my sister.'
He shook his head. 'For me, this was a very difficult situation personally. I was in love with Amelie.' Smiling gently, he added, 'And I still am. I have been faithful to her for many years.'
Pausing again, he regarded Faro intently. ‘I am telling you all this because there is a mystery which has long intrigued me and one I hope you might be able to solve. It is rather personal, but I gather from your dealings with Amelie's godmother, your Queen, that you are a man of discretion, a man who can be trusted with secrets.'
Regarding Faro
