The Ravishing of Lady Mary Ware by Dennis Wheatley Page B

also been widely known. It would not for a moment be credited that he was in communication with von Stein and preparing to lead a rebellion in the Rhineland against the French.
    Suddenly Davout said sharply, ‘Well, Breuc; have you lost your tongue? Were you at Schloss Langenstein last September? You must answer His Excellency’s accusation. Come now, speak up.’
    â€˜I was, Your Highness,’ Roger replied. ‘But I was there on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor.’
    â€˜For what purpose?’
    â€˜You must excuse me if I refuse to answer that, without first obtaining the Emperor’s permission.’
    â€˜I see. And what of the charge? Did you bring about the death of the Baron and your wife?’
    â€˜Their deaths were, Your Highness, an accident. I swear to that.’
    â€˜It is a lie,’ stormed the Prussian. ‘This man was having an affaire with my brother’s wife, and made off with her. That very afternoon his own wife and my brother were found dead in the bottom of a wine press. He, and no-one else, had both the motive and opportunity to murder them.’
    Roger realised that if he admitted to having, with Georgina’s aid, carried them from their rooms and lowered them into the press, his case would be hopeless; so he said quickly, ‘Anyone who was living in the Schloss had the opportunity, and how do you know that no-one other than myself had a motive? The Baron was a hard master. He may have behaved brutally to one of his servants, and the man resolved to be revenged upon him.’
    â€˜Had that been the case, the man would not also have killed your wife,’ von Haugwitz snapped.
    â€˜He might have. All four of us had separate rooms, and the Baron and my wife were lovers. On going to theBaron’s room in the middle of the night, the murderer would probably have found her with him. If so, he would have killed her to prevent her raising the alarm. I had no hand in the matter. I swear it.’
    The Minister’s face was white with rage and hatred. ‘I do not believe that for one second,’ he snarled, ‘and I demand that you be handed over to the Prussian authorities to stand your trial.’
    Roger turned swiftly to de Brinevillers. ‘In Your Excellency’s Embassy I am on French soil. As a Frenchman I claim sanctuary.’
    The Ambassador looked uncomfortably, first at von Haugwitz then at Roger and said, ‘
Monsieur le Colonel Comte
, if this were a political charge, I should, of course, be in a position to protect you. But this is a criminal charge.’
    â€˜Even so,’ Roger insisted, ‘I claim your protection. And I do so in the name of His Majesty the Emperor. As I have told you, I went to Schloss Langenstein on his business. I am told that, after my departure, a warrant was issued for my arrest. On arriving back in Paris, I gave His Majesty an account of this whole affair. Realising that it would not be safe for me to re-enter Prussia, I asked him to take steps to quash the charge. He willingly agreed, and said he would inform the Prussian Ambassador, the Baron von Brockenhausen, that he desired the warrant to be withdrawn. Of this there must be a record at your Ministry of Justice.’
    â€˜This is another lie,’ declared von Haugwitz. ‘Were that the case, as this affair concerns me so closely, it is certain that I should have been informed of it.’
    Again de Brinevillers looked uneasily at Davout. ‘Your Highness will, I am sure, agree that this is a very delicate matter, so I should like to discuss it with you in private.’
    The Marshal nodded. ‘Very well. I suggest that
Colonelle Comte de Breuc
should retire to a room where he can be placed under guard. When we have dined, you and I will decide on what is to be done.’ Turning to his A.D.C., he added, ‘Marchand, take de Breuc to the small library. I make you responsible for his safe keeping.’
    As Roger,