his new carriage would have secret compartments for various knives, pistols and poisons. He would carry a small flask holding brandy strongly laced with laudanum. Let his assaulter find the flask, take a drink and he’d be overcome before you could say boo.
He knew to his grief what damage could be wrought on a man’s body once he was hauled out of his rig. That would require a sword concealed in a walking stick. It would be a cruel criminal indeed who would remove a limping man’s walking stick. Let him try!
They devised various lesser weapons as well —a quizzing glass with a small knife built into the handle for those occasions when all his other weapons failed and he was tied up. Any attacker worth his salt would tie his hands behind his back. The glass must be on a retractable lace that could be pulled out far enough to reach behind his back.
He spent half an hour working with Villier to discover just what manouevres would result in tossing the glass around to his hands, tied behind his back. For this practise run, a string was attached to an ordinary quizzing glass. Prance, with his cracked ribs, assigned the task to Villier. He was tied up and spent an uncomfortable half hour jerking his upper body about, while the quizzing glass bobbed about, knocking objects off the table and once hitting him a sharp blow on the chin, but eventually he succeeded. Even the childish stunt of carrying pepper in his pockets was not overlooked. A snuffbox would be used to carry the pepper. The lid must open at a touch.
When the details had been worked out, Prance sent for a jeweler from Rundell and Bridges who designed special items for him to execute the designs as quickly as possible. Then it was time to decide on sartorial matters. Villier and he both agreed that black was the obvious colour for a spy, but due to its mourning associations for daytime a navy blue was chosen.
“So handy at night, when you are lurking about dark places to learn secrets,”said Villier, who had got well into the spirit of what they both half considered a game. “And rather dashing during the daytime as well. A severe, no nonsense cut, don’t you think?”
“Definitely. No excesses of padded shoulders or nipped waists, the lapels sharply pointed, not rounded like the dandies wear.”
“And the coat tails not too long, eh?”
“Not long enough to get in the way in a brawl, certainly. We want exquisite material and tailoring. And a severe cravat. Long and rather narrow linen would be suitable for binding up the enemy after I have overcome him.”
“Exactly! Now as to the hat,”Villier said, frowning in concentration. “Again, not an extreme style.”
“The slouch hat must go, certainly. Too attention-getting. The aim is to pass unnoticed, not stand out in a crowd.”
“The crown a little lower than your old ones, then,”said Villier. “Now as to the brim —wide or narrow?”
“Not too wide with the shorter crown. About two inches, I think.”When these important decisions had been made, Villier and Pelkey, the groom, were sent out to find a new carriage. Again, good design and simplicity were to be the criteria. “Black, of course,”Prance decreed. “But with lovely silver appointments and well upholstered in some rich colour —mulberry, perhaps. A little touch of class will not go amiss. I don’t want it to be mistaken for a hackney after all. Bring it around and I’ll hobble out to see if it will do.”
* * * *
Coffen spent the remainder of his morning looking for clues. He drove past Bolton’s flat half a dozen times, then drove past Morgraves. When he found no clues there, he called on Black as it was time for lunch. Black, whose new position had gone quite to his head, served him in the dining room on the good china. They dined on roast chicken and what Black called asparagrass, all washed down with a decent wine.
“I feel I ought to return the favour, Black,”Coffen said, “but it’ll have to be a tavern. You
He knew to his grief what damage could be wrought on a man’s body once he was hauled out of his rig. That would require a sword concealed in a walking stick. It would be a cruel criminal indeed who would remove a limping man’s walking stick. Let him try!
They devised various lesser weapons as well —a quizzing glass with a small knife built into the handle for those occasions when all his other weapons failed and he was tied up. Any attacker worth his salt would tie his hands behind his back. The glass must be on a retractable lace that could be pulled out far enough to reach behind his back.
He spent half an hour working with Villier to discover just what manouevres would result in tossing the glass around to his hands, tied behind his back. For this practise run, a string was attached to an ordinary quizzing glass. Prance, with his cracked ribs, assigned the task to Villier. He was tied up and spent an uncomfortable half hour jerking his upper body about, while the quizzing glass bobbed about, knocking objects off the table and once hitting him a sharp blow on the chin, but eventually he succeeded. Even the childish stunt of carrying pepper in his pockets was not overlooked. A snuffbox would be used to carry the pepper. The lid must open at a touch.
When the details had been worked out, Prance sent for a jeweler from Rundell and Bridges who designed special items for him to execute the designs as quickly as possible. Then it was time to decide on sartorial matters. Villier and he both agreed that black was the obvious colour for a spy, but due to its mourning associations for daytime a navy blue was chosen.
“So handy at night, when you are lurking about dark places to learn secrets,”said Villier, who had got well into the spirit of what they both half considered a game. “And rather dashing during the daytime as well. A severe, no nonsense cut, don’t you think?”
“Definitely. No excesses of padded shoulders or nipped waists, the lapels sharply pointed, not rounded like the dandies wear.”
“And the coat tails not too long, eh?”
“Not long enough to get in the way in a brawl, certainly. We want exquisite material and tailoring. And a severe cravat. Long and rather narrow linen would be suitable for binding up the enemy after I have overcome him.”
“Exactly! Now as to the hat,”Villier said, frowning in concentration. “Again, not an extreme style.”
“The slouch hat must go, certainly. Too attention-getting. The aim is to pass unnoticed, not stand out in a crowd.”
“The crown a little lower than your old ones, then,”said Villier. “Now as to the brim —wide or narrow?”
“Not too wide with the shorter crown. About two inches, I think.”When these important decisions had been made, Villier and Pelkey, the groom, were sent out to find a new carriage. Again, good design and simplicity were to be the criteria. “Black, of course,”Prance decreed. “But with lovely silver appointments and well upholstered in some rich colour —mulberry, perhaps. A little touch of class will not go amiss. I don’t want it to be mistaken for a hackney after all. Bring it around and I’ll hobble out to see if it will do.”
* * * *
Coffen spent the remainder of his morning looking for clues. He drove past Bolton’s flat half a dozen times, then drove past Morgraves. When he found no clues there, he called on Black as it was time for lunch. Black, whose new position had gone quite to his head, served him in the dining room on the good china. They dined on roast chicken and what Black called asparagrass, all washed down with a decent wine.
“I feel I ought to return the favour, Black,”Coffen said, “but it’ll have to be a tavern. You
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