The Prince Of Pleasure by Nicole Jordan

Author:Nicole Jordan
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Julienne began her commission as a spy much sooner than expected, for the next day brought news that eclipsed all else: Napoleon Bonaparte had abdicated.

For hours pandemonium reigned in London as crowds took to the streets in celebration.

Amid the blaring trumpets and banging pots and pans came ecstatic cheers and triumphant shouts of the Corsican Monster is vanquished! All Europe had been ground under Napoleon s boot heel for so long that his defeat seemed almost miraculous.

The émigrés could talk of nothing else, Julienne discovered when she attended the impromptu gatherings at Solange Brogard s salon over the next several days. She shared their jubilation, even though her future wasn t directly dependent on the fate of Napoleon s successor, as theirs was. When the French Senate had declared in favor of King Louis, it meant that many of the exiles would be able to return home. But Julienne had no close family remaining, and the Folmont estates had been confiscated long ago.

At week s end, however, she had little progress to report to Dare. He called at her lodgings to take her for a drive in the country.

Even though it was a beautiful spring day, Julienne felt a definite tension between them.

But Dare made no mention of her revelations about her shameful past, and she was determined to keep tight control of her emotions and pretend their angry lovemaking had never occurred.

She waited until they had left London s main streets before summarizing her lack of success as a spy.

Everyone I observed is elated that Louis will be returning to France, along with the Compte d Artois, the Prince de Conde, and other members of the exiled court. But I found no one at all who raised my suspicions or seemed to support Bonaparte. I m sorry.

Dare shook his head. You needn t apologize. And I sympathize with your frustration.

We ve had no luck in the search for Caliban.

You haven t been able to identify the companion s lover?

He hesitated, making Julienne wonder if he had indeed uncovered a new lead. But all he said was, No. It s too soon yet to expect any breakthroughs on that front.

Then he surprised her by asking an entirely unrelated question. That is quite a fetching hat. Did you design it?

She reached up to touch the wide-brimmed silk bonnet that was adorned with tiny roses.

Not I. Maman was the one with the creative talent.

While you were the one with the business sense.

I suppose, Julienne said, puzzled by his change of subject.

For years after escaping to Kent, she and her mother had lived on the charity of distant relatives, in genteel shabbiness, struggling to make ends meet until Julienne had hit upon the idea of selling bonnets and chapeaus that her artistic but frail mother designed.

Like many Frenchwomen, the comptess had an astute eye for fashion, and her creations were in great demand. The business prospered well enough to eventually allow them to open a millinery and even to employ a clerk.

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