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“So, you mean to subcontract some other country’s army to fight for you?”
Bertram kept silent. The man grabbed hold of Letty’s hair and pulled her head back. She could not help but whimper. Bertram tried to shoot to his feet, almost toppling his chair in the process. “Stop!”
“Answer me then.”
“You did not ask a question!”
“I asked you if you were subcontracting foreign armies.”
Bertram nodded. “You might say that, yes.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Imight say that? Wouldyousay that?”
Bertram sighed, looking away. “Not exactly.”
“Well then, what, exactly?”
Suddenly at the window, Bertram saw a shadow move. He did not know if it was friend or foe but his heart leapt with hope. After all, there was no reason why this man should have an associate patrolling the outside. Perhaps it was his man, come to check on them. Hopefully he would have the presence of mind not to reveal himself.
“Answer the question!” his captor growled.
“Colonies!” Bertram shouted. “He was to recruit men from the colonies.”
Bertram tensed, tracking the shadow that was moving quite stealthily. His eyes flashed around the room. There were two other people there besides his interrogator. A tall man stood by the door to the living room while a shorter man was by the window, his back to it.
As long as they kept to their trajectory, whoever was outside the window was safe from detection.
Bertram took a deep breath, deciding to keep his captors occupied. “The French have the advantage of numbers at the moment but our Navy is still the best in the world. We have maritime experience that is unmatched and a large array of resources to draw from. We could deal the French a decisive blow if we bring all these factors to bear.”
“Why a smuggler, though? What does he have that your commanders do not?”
“We’ve been recruiting from the ranks of our colonies for a long time. It has not been easy to find committed, engaged soldiers. People need to know what they’re fighting for and apparently the glory of the empire is not sufficient for some.”
The man laughed. “Indeed. So what does this smuggler offer them?”
Bertram shook his head. “It is not for us to know. All we do know is that he promised us the numbers and has been known to deliver.”
“I see.” The man stepped away from Letty, his gaze intent on Bertram. “And where is he now?”
Suddenly the glass in the window blew inward as a shot rang out and the interrogator fell to the floor, blood blossoming from his head. Letty screamed in shock, and Bertram jerked in surprise. The two men in the room ran towards their fallen comrade, shouting. Suddenly there were other people in the room and a fight broke out. A woman in a light blue gown was bending over Letty, releasing her bonds and speaking to her in rapid French.
Bertram did not know if they were saved or in even deeper trouble.
* * *
Letty could not believe her eyes.
“Maman?” she whispered, her eyes wide and staring.
“Oui chérie c'est moi. Tenez bon pour que je puisse vous laisser sortir.”
“What are you doing here?”
Rosamund bent over to untie her hands. “We will speak of it later. At the moment we shall focus on untying you and making sure you are all right.”
Once she’d set Letty free, Rosamund grabbed a wooden stick and walked towards the window where one of their captors was fighting with a man that—Letty assumed—had come with her mother. She swung the stick back and whacked the man on the back of his head. He dropped to the ground and the man he’d been fighting with turned around.
“Jenson?” Letty’s voice was filled with disbelief.
