Man of Honour. Iain Gale

commend you on your way and to hammer home beyond doubt the absolute necessity that you should succeed. This is no less than a matter of life and death, Steel. My death and now also your own.’

      He smiled.

      ‘If you fail in this mission, if the document you seek should find its way into the hands of my enemies, they will as surely break me up like hounds falling upon a hare. And be assured, Mister Steel, that if you do fail then they will most certainly do the same to you.’

      He paused. ‘I’m told, by my sources in London and by Colonel Hawkins, that you are a man to be trusted.’

      He fixed Steel with strikingly cold grey-green eyes.

      Steel swallowed: ‘I very much believe that to be true, Your Grace.’

      ‘It had better be, my boy.’

      Steel felt a sudden impetuous curiosity which momentarily overcame his nervousness. ‘May I ask by whom in London I was named to you, Sir?’

      Marlborough laughed. ‘No indeed, you may not, Sir. But I guess that you must already know. Shall we just call her ‘Milady’.

      ‘So then, Steel. D’you think you can do it? Can you save my skin and this blessed war?’