Shadow of the Hangman(21)

‘They may have escaped but are they really convicts?’

‘Can there be any doubt of that?’

‘It’s a legal quibble, my lord. Technically, they were not convicted of anything but holding American citizenship.’

‘If one must be pedantic, they were war criminals who fought against this country. That makes them eminently worthy of confinement in my estimation. And this ringleader who was mentioned …’ He groped in vain for the name. ‘Assist me, please. Your memory is more reliable. All that I can remember is that he was of Irish extraction.’

‘I believe that he was called Thomas O’Gara.’

‘That’s the name.’

‘Have he and his accomplice been recaptured yet?’

‘Unhappily, no,’ said the other. ‘The latest news that’s reached me from Devon mentions that a small boat was stolen from somewhere on the southern coast of the county. While it may not have been taken by the fugitives, mark you, it’s logical to suppose that two sailors might opt for that particular mode of transport.’

‘They’d never cross the Atlantic in a vessel like that, my lord.’

‘Granted, but they might make for a port where they were likely to find a ship bound for America. That would be my theory, anyway. Captain Shortland, I know, would disagree.’

‘What is his opinion?’

‘Well, there’s clearly been some kind of personal feud between the governor and this disruptive Irishman. Shortland’s letter mentions O’Gara a number of times. He believes that the fellow will endeavour to use his freedom in order to cause severe embarrassment to everyone guarding the prisoners at Dartmoor.’

‘O’Gara will be wasting his breath,’ said Grocott, dismissively. ‘Nobody will pay the slightest heed to his voice. He is of no consequence here, my lord.’

‘I concur.’

‘Have you spoken with the Prime Minister?’

‘He and I are of the same mind,’ said Sidmouth. ‘He wants an investigation into the affair to be swift and decisive. That’s a view shared by the Admiralty. A joint commission is therefore being set up with a representative from the United States alongside our own. In a matter as sensitive as this, we have to be seen to be even-handed.’

‘Do you still believe that the result will be a foregone conclusion?’

‘Most assuredly – Captain Shortland will be exonerated and the outcry from our political opponents will gradually fade away. We can then get back to our normal day-to-day business. Thanks to Levitt,’ he went on, ‘we’ll be able to do it in an atmosphere of bracing cleanliness.’





‘Can this be true?’ asked Hannah, wide-eyed.

‘I would never dare to tell you a lie.’

‘You and your brother escaped over the rooftops?’

‘It was the best way,’ explained Paul Skillen. ‘There were far too many people waiting for us in the streets below. Peter and I counted well over a dozen on our way there. They lurked in every thoroughfare.’

‘But you could have been killed!’ she protested.

He gave her a low bow. ‘Happily – as you see – I was not.’

‘I’m serious, Paul! Why didn’t you tell me beforehand that you were about to take such a risk?’

‘I didn’t say a word because you would have tried to talk me out of it. And I made no mention of it when I returned here last night because I was preoccupied with the pure joy of your company.’

‘It was my right to know,’ she insisted.

Paul blew her a kiss. ‘And it was my right to choose the moment when I should tell you,’ he said. ‘That’s why you first heard about it this morning.’

They had just finished breakfast at the house where Hannah was staying. After a night in each other’s arms, they’d awoken in a mood of drowsy ecstasy. It had just been shattered by Paul’s revelation. Though he did his best to calm her down, she remained anxious and resentful. After another triumphant performance onstage, she’d fought off her admirers, gone back to the house and waited for him. The moment he came back, they fell into bed together and everything else was put aside. It was only now that he chose to tell her the truth about his activities in Upper Brook Street.

‘How often do you do this sort of thing?’ she asked.

‘I skip across the rooftops every night,’ he joked.

‘This is no laughing matter, Paul. I had no idea that you diced with death so recklessly. Did you have no concern for me at all?’

‘Yes – that’s why I didn’t tell you beforehand. I didn’t want you to worry.’