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them, but she hastily moved over to study a picture on the wall. It was an eminently safe picture of a country house in a tidy, geometric garden. Not a lot of scope for discussion there, but they managed until the king and queen were finally ready to take their leave.

Soon now, soon, the parting.

She had forgotten that she was to travel with him. A reprieve, but one of perhaps only a quarter of an hour. Still, she thought as they settled into the coach, she would not waste it. No time to discuss the complex issues that separated them, but time to satisfy her curiosity.

"Now," she said as they rolled off, "tell me more about the Comte de Broglie."

"Ah. I hoped you had forgotten." He turned toward her. "I doubt the information would be of use to you."

"No? I am going to be very bored in the next weeks. A little skillful observation would pass the time. I noticed that you did not want Monsieur D'Eon to know that I speak excellent French. I might hear something useful to you?"

"Diana, being a spy within the royal household is a dangerous thing."

She blinked at him. "I hadn't thought of it quite like that." After a moment she grinned. "Consider me a gossip, then. I'm sure conventional ladies are expected to gossip."

He covered his face with his hand in mock despair.

"And," she added brightly, loving this moment for its sparkling self, "it would be much more to the point to be a well-informed gossip than one with no idea of what is going on."

"You are irrepressible, Lady Arradale."

"I do hope so, Lord Rothgar."

Smile faded into something much more dangerous. His hand lowered and moved as if he would touch her, but was controlled.

"Very well," he said, cool once more. "But bear in mind that what I am about to tell you is known to very few, and the French do not know we know. It must stay so."

They were already passing out of the narrow streets around Saint James's and into the greenery of the parks. Perhaps ten minutes left. "I can be discreet."

"If I didn't think so, I would tell you nothing. King Louis of France is, in effect, running two separate governments, especially with regard to foreign affairs. The open, official one, and a secret one known only to the few."

This was startling enough to distract her from other matters. "Why?"

"Because kings are surprisingly hemmed in. By traditions, by favorites, by formality. King George often uses me as his private intelligence. King Louis is constrained by the much more rigid world of Versailles. He finds it particularly difficult to escape his ministers or La Pompadour."

"I thought she was old and retired."

"But still has her influence, and anyway this all dates back to the years of her prime. Don't interrupt. We don't have much time."

Indeed, they were completely surrounded by parkland now.

"Years ago, Louis set up a secret chain of command running parallel to his official government. It was to pursue his own aims and policies when they conflicted with official ones. It also feeds him independent information, something all monarchs need. The Comte de Broglie is officially out of favor, but he is the head of this alternate government, and the Chevalier D'Eon is a key player. He has direct contact with the king."

"And the new ambassador who is awaited?" Diana asked.

"Guerchy. The choice of official circles."

She frowned over it. "If D'Eon is King Louis' man, why isn't he ambassador? Surely the king could appoint whomever he wished."

"D'Eon's come far, but he's an adventurer. He doesn't have the rank or fortune for such a position. More importantly, a suggestion of such unusual royal favor would raise suspicions. A secret agent must stay in the shadows."

"You don't."

"I'm not a secret agent. I employ some, however. They are decidedly shadowy."

Diana blew out a little breath. "How extraordinary. And exciting. I begin to see the appeal of a life close to the center of the world. So, if King Louis' secret ministry differs from the official one, what do they plan?"

"What we spoke of last night. Revenge. The French government wishes to lick its wounds, but Louis wants to go to war again as soon as he thinks he can win. Above all, he wishes to invade us."

For a moment, she was tempted to take the conversation back to last night, but she knew there was nothing more to be said on that just now, and she needed this information to be