‘Johnny,’ I explained reluctantly. ‘He’s not what he seems.’
‘So I see,’ said Pedro slowly, digesting this latest news. ‘A lord? He’s the most unlordly lord . . . with the possible exception of Frank here . . . that I’ve ever met.’
‘You don’t know the half of it,’ I said. ‘But first you must promise me, all of you, that even if you decide you cannot help Johnny and me . . . Lord Jonathan, I mean . . . what I tell you will go no further than us four. You must promise not to betray him, even if this means passing up the opportunity to earn a lot of money.’ I looked directly at Pedro who was slowly beginning to understand what I had been hinting at earlier.
‘Of course I won’t,’ he said indignantly.
Still far from certain that I could take him at his word, I knew I had to proceed if I were to get the help we so urgently needed.
‘Johnny has another name . . . a name that you all have heard before. He’s also Captain Sparkler.’ I was watching Pedro closely as I spoke and thought I saw a strange gleam light up in his eye. This worried me: what was Pedro thinking? He now knew that Johnny belong to the privileged classes . . . he might even be from one of the many families grown rich on sugar and tobacco at the expense of thousands of slaves’ lives in the West Indies. Did this weaken any personal loyalty Pedro might feel towards him? Would the temptation to sell him out prove too strong? After all, no one had cared about the feelings of Pedro and his family when they were sold. Why should he care now?
The duke’s children were easier to read. From the steady expression of Lady Elizabeth I could tell Johnny’s identity did not come as a shock to her; to Lord Francis the news was almost welcome.
‘Fancy that! Lord Jonathan Fitzroy turning out to be the captain! I never knew he was so clever . . . not just a stuffed shirt then like most of Lizzie’s suitors.’
‘Hush!’ said Lady Elizabeth as Pedro now looked at her with renewed interest. I wondered with a sinking heart what scheme he was concocting with these pieces of private information.
‘But I think your friend Marchmont suspects something,’ I continued, trying not to let Pedro distract me from my purpose. ‘Not about Lord Jonathan, of course, but he suspects that the captain is hidden in Drury Lane. The net is closing in. Johnny’ll have to find somewhere else to stay.’
‘And you need our help to find him somewhere? What does Lord Jonathan think?’ asked Lady Elizabeth.
I dropped my head and examined my grubby fingers. ‘I have to admit he doesn’t know I’m asking you. I have only just found out about Marchmont.’
‘He’ll be cross with you,’ said Lady Elizabeth. ‘He’s very proud, you know.’
‘But it’s too much for him to handle on his own,’ I replied. ‘He’s taking too many risks. He doesn’t see the danger . . . or doesn’t care. And it’s not just him, it’s the diamond as well.’
‘Diamond? You mean there really is a diamond?’ asked Lord Francis excitedly. ‘It’s not just something you made up for your story?’
I nodded, my eyes again on Pedro, who was keeping suspiciously quiet. ‘It’s quite possible that the Shepherd gang’ll try to get it and that puts Johnny in double danger.’
‘What’s Johnny got to do with Billy Boil?’ asked Pedro shrewdly. He seemed very interested to hear that Billy had got wind of the diamond.
I was trying to think up an explanation that avoided divulging the events of last night but Lady Elizabeth was too quick.
‘Lord Jonathan saved Cat from those ruffians,’ she replied, remembering the praise I had given her sweetheart.
‘He did what?’ exclaimed Lord Francis. ‘This gets better and better!’
I was now compelled to tell the whole story, but only after I had again sworn them to secrecy. A stunned silence followed my brief but brutal narrative.
‘So it’s not only Johnny in danger. You are too,’ said Lord Francis looking at me with concern.
‘Maybe,’ I said dismissively. ‘But Billy’s not interested in me, he’s interested in the diamond and Johnny’s protecting it for Mr Sheridan . . . perhaps in exchange for having a place to hide. I’m not sure.’
‘Hmm,’ said Lady Elizabeth. ‘There’s something not quite right about this. Where would Mr Sheridan get a diamond from and why hide it?’
‘The second part’s easy: he’s probably hiding it from his creditors,’ said Lord Francis. ‘It’s well known that it’s only because he’s a member of parliament that he’s not arrested for debt. If they got wind that he had some money for once, they’d be down on him like a pack of crows.’
‘And he’s best mates with the Prince of Wales, isn’t he?’ asked Pedro. ‘If anyone is dripping diamonds in this country, it’ll be royalty. Maybe it was a gift.’
‘Maybe,’ said Lady Elizabeth sceptically. ‘I just don’t see it though.’
‘But the long and the short of it is that Johnny’s in danger,’ I continued. ‘He’s got to get out and the sooner the better. He’ll need help to do so. He’ll need you and . . .’ I felt embarrassed to say it ‘. . . and your resources.’
He would have to leave London . . . go abroad even . . . and I had no gold to buy him a ticket out of England. If his father had disowned him, he needed rich friends to help him . . . friends like the children of a duke, not a pauper like me.
‘Of course,’ agreed Lord Francis, ‘but it won’t be easy, even for us, Cat. My pocket money hardly stretches to a passage to a safe country.’
‘I suppose I could pawn some of my jewels,’ suggested Lady Elizabeth. ‘That is, if someone would take them to the broker for me. Papa would be furious if he found out I’d gone.’
‘You are an angel, sis,’ said Lord Francis. ‘I’ll take them for you.’