The Ravishing of Lady Mary Ware by Dennis Wheatley Page A

of Prussian cavalry. Half an hour later, Roger was closeted with him.
    The two men had no liking for each other, owing to a passage between them that had taken place some years earlier. At that time Roger had been the Princess Pauline’s lover. She had wanted him to marry her, and persuaded him to ask the Emperor for her hand. Napoleon did not wish to quarrel with his favourite sister, so he had not replied with a curt refusal. Instead, with his usual duplicity, he told Roger that if he was to become one of the family he must be given high military rank, and for that he needed special military training. He had then sent him to Davout who, at Bruges, was commanding one of the corps assembled for the invasion of England.
    Roger had expected to receive instruction on the high direction of war, and the provisioning of armies. But Davout, on the Emperor’s secret instructions, had put him on a course of intensive training for junior officers, which entailed great physical endurance while living on the minimum of rations. Moreover, as Davout disliked officers on the gilded staff, he had, on his own account, temporarily demoted Roger to Lieutenant.
    Meanwhile, as Napoleon had expected, the volatile and amorous Pauline had got herself another lover and had become engaged to Prince Borghese. On learning this, Roger had been so furious that he had stolen a horse and ridden hell-for-leather back to Paris. Davout, who was the strictest disciplinarian in the Army, had promptly demanded that Roger should be arrested as a deserter; but the Emperor, having had his little joke, only laughed as he felt that Roger had already been punished quite enough for his temerity.
    The affair still rankled, so the interview between the two men was far from cordial. Roger said his piece, declared his intention of starting back for Paris on the following morning, and took an unsmiling leave of the Marshal Prince d’Eckmühl.
    By then dinner was due to be served in half an hour. The Ambassador was already receiving guests in the big salon. Soon after Roger joined them, the usher announced, ‘His Excellency Count von Haugwitz, Chief Minister to His Majesty.’
    Roger was standing near the door. He had been presented to the Count at the Conference of Erfurt. Their eyes met. Recognition was instant and mutual. The Prussian gave a gasp, pointed at Roger, turned to the Ambassador and cried:
    â€˜This … this officer is the man who murdered my brother! I must ask Your Excellency to hand him over to my police, so that he can be tried and executed.’

7
At the End of the Road
    For a moment Roger stared in utter consternation at von Haugwitz; but only for a second. Next moment he had regained his composure. Swinging round on the French Ambassador, he declared indignantly:
    â€˜Your Excellency, this charge is false! I have never murdered anyone!’
    â€˜You are
M. le Colonel de Breuc
?’ his accusor shot at him angrily.
    In such company Roger could not possibly deny his identity. Fighting down his apprehension, he bowed and replied courteously, ‘I am Colonel le Comte de Breuc, at Your Excellency’s service.’
    â€˜Then you are the man!’ The Minister’s arm shot out, pointing at him again. ‘You murdered my brother! Yes, and your own wife. At Schloss Langenstein, last September, you did them both to death most foully.’
    Davout had entered the room immediately on the heels of the Prussian Chief Minister. His eyes and those of everyone else present were riveted on Roger as he sought desperately to make up his mind what line to take. To speak of the forged von Stein letter would not help, him here. Von Hardenberg, the Minister’s predecessor, had been pro-British. That had been why the Emperor had insisted that King Frederick William should dismiss him and replace him with the pro-French von Haugwitz.And while his younger brother, the Baron, had served as a diplomat his pro-French attitude had