“We’ll know soon enough,” said Finn. “Just don’t turn your back on either of them. One more time. You three start shooting your pistols at…?”
“Three on the dot,” said Lucas.
“Good. I’ll wait until I hear the ruckus, then I’ll make my move with the marquis. As soon as the guards get drawn away, I’m going for the gate. They’ll probably leave a couple of men on the gate unless we get real lucky, but they’ll be tired after a full shift and shouldn’t pose a problem. I just hope to hell the horses are where Fitzroy said they would be.”
“We’ve gone over it with him twice,” said Lucas. “They’ll be there. I just hope the marquis doesn’t panic on us.”
“If he does, I’ll put him to sleep for a little while,” said Finn. “I’ll get him to Cap Gris Nez if I have to carry him.”
They turned down a narrow side street and walked halfway down the block until they came to the house where Wilberforce and Barrett were waiting with the marquis. The room was on the second floor. The windows were covered, as per instructions.
“Wait down here,” said Finn. “I’ll send the boys down to you. I’ll give you a five-minute head start, then I’ll follow with the marquis.”
Finn en
tered the building and slowly climbed the steps to the second floor, being careful not to make any noise. He came to the door of the apartment where the marquis was being hidden and softly knocked three times. The door opened just a crack.
“I come from the Pimpernel,” Finn whispered.
He was admitted and he entered quickly. Just as quickly Barrett shut the door behind him, lowering the hammer slowly on the pistol he held in his right hand.
“What is it?” Barrett said in a low, urgent voice. “Has anything gone wrong?”
Finn tensed. There was no one in the room except himself the tall and slender Barrett, and the shorter, more heavily built Wilberforce. Both men were staring at him anxiously. There was no sign of the marquis.
“What do you mean?” said Finn, disguising his voice. “Where is the marquis?”
Barrett looked alarmed and he exchanged a quick glance with Wilberforce. “Why, he has gone with the boy, as the Pimpernel instructed,” he said.
“The boy! What boy?”
“The little street urchin,” said Wilberforce looking concerned. “Jean, I think his name was. He brought the woman’s clothing for the marquis and they went out together, posing as mother and son.”
“What’s the matter?” Barrett said. “Something’s gone wrong, hasn’t it?”
“No, no,” Finn said, recovering quickly, “nothing has gone wrong. I just didn’t know that the Pimpernel would use the boy, that’s all.”
They looked relieved. “Well, Alan and I were both a bit surprised that the Pimpernel would use a child,” said Barrett, “but he did seem like a capable young chap and I must admit it was a stroke of genius, using a little boy. Who would suspect a mother and her son?”
“Who, indeed?” said Finn. “I hadn’t known the plan. I was only told the part I was to play.”
“The Pimpernel likes doing things that way,” said Barrett. “Less chance for the plan being discovered, what? Young Jean said we would be contacted regarding any change in plan or instructions for our departure. I expect that’s your job, eh?”
“Right, that’s what I came for,” Finn said. “You are to stay the night. Make your way out of the city tomorrow afternoon.
You are English gentlemen who had heard about the goings-on here and came to see how the Revolution had changed things for yourselves. You’ve had a perfectly marvelous time and now you’re on your way home to tell your friends all about it. If you’re asked about the Scarlet Pimpernel, you are to over-whelm them with questions in return. Everyone in London wants to know about the Pimpernel and who would know better than the soldiers at the gates? They should grow quite disgusted with you and pass you through without further inquiry.”
The two men grinned at each other.
“I say this calls for a celebration,” Barrett said. “We’ve got several bottles of claret waiting to be uncorked, old chap. Will you join us?”
“Wish I could, but I must be on about my business,” Finn said. “You’ve done well. Good night and good fortune to you.”
He left them and hurried back downstairs to Lucas.
“What’s happened?” Lucas said, grabbing his arm.
“That son of a bitch has done it again!” said Finn. “He beat us to it and took the marquis out from right under our noses!”