The Missing Duchess by Alanna Knight

Faro said sternly.
    'With the utmost discretion, if you please.'
    'Naturally, sir. Now if you will excuse me.'
    And giving Mr Gladstone no chance of further questioning, Faro beat a hasty retreat.
    Back at the Central Office, Faro thought rapidly. The Superintendent was no fool. He would have to be told and sooner rather than later about the distraught Miss Forstescue.
    'It appears that her lady-in-waiting has arrived at Lethie Castle,' he ended the account of his interview with the Prime Minister. 'Her mistress was making a visit there en route to Edinburgh.'
    'And so - her present whereabouts?'
    'They don't know - precisely. But they expect her arrival imminently,' he ended smoothly, rather proud of this piece of invention, but the Superintendent roared like a wounded lion.
    'You realise what this means, Faro. We've mislaid a member of the Royal Family. This could be the end of all our careers. We'll be lucky if we don't see the inside of the Tower. Dear God, what will Her Majesty say to this? You'll have to tell her.' His laugh was without mirth. 'And I don't envy you that.'
    'There could be a quite innocent explanation.'
    'Could there indeed?'
    'The Prime Minister hinted at a secret assignation of a romantic nature.'
    'Ah!' McIntosh sighed profoundly. 'Rumour has it that the marriage is fairly unsound. Presumably he has found consolation elsewhere. The PM would of course know about that from information within royal circles.'
    Faro wondered why it had not occurred to the Superintendent as in any way unusual for a duchess to travel alone. Surely a major concern in the appointment of a lady-in-waiting would be her ability to ignore royal peccadilloes when necessary.
    '... But we should have been informed of any change of plan,' the Superintendent continued. 'That is quite unforgivable. After all, our discretion can be relied upon. Who do these foreigners think they are, anyway, keeping Her Majesty waiting?' he added, ignoring the fact that, as he had pointed out, the Grand Duchess was a relative.
    'Here -' Turning to the desk he seized a fistful of papers which he flourished under Faro's nose. 'You'd better find her. That's your job.' And as he was leaving: 'I take it that you have some ideas of where to start?'
    Faro had a few but none that he would care to discuss with his superior at that moment.
    'I think we should play for time, Faro. Presume that Her Highness is, er, on a clandestine visit... The message sent ahead could have gone astray. What do you think?'
    Faro stifled a smile. The Superintendent could occasionally display an endearing romantic turn of mind. He was searching for a suitable reply when Mcintosh sighed wearily, indicating the interview was at an end.
    'Your responsibility, Faro. Be it on your head.'
    And Faro didn't care a great deal for the significance of that parting shot either. A chill wind sharp as an axe blade touched the back of his neck as he crossed the corridor into his office, where he earnestly considered the contents of a highly secret file marked 'Her Majesty the Queen'.
    Under Luxoria, there was mention of a proposed visit, but no final date had been decided. It simply said that the Grand Duchess would arrive by ship at the port of Leith. Travelling incognito - as befitted a private visit - under the name of Lady Moy, she would be accompanied by her lady-in-waiting Miss Roma Fortescue. There was no mention of any coachmen or equerry travelling with them.
    Faro's dismal thoughts were interrupted by Constable Reid.
    'There's a lady come to see you. She's in the waiting-room.'
    'Show her in.' Faro's immediate hope was that this was Miss Fortescue bearing a photograph of her mistress, and he was somewhat taken aback to find that the visitor was Lady Lethie.
    As they shook hands he said: 'I'm glad to see you here, I was about to come out to Aberlethie. How is Miss Fortescue?'
    'Much improved.' She smiled. 'We have persuaded her to accept our hospitality until - until things sort themselves