The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1056: Chapter 80: The Broken Line_2

Emma was already very graceful and poised, and with this wealth, she naturally did not lack suitors. Emma thought, leveraging her advantage as the heir, if she couldn’t find someone who made her heart flutter, she would not settle for a quick marriage. On the first Sunday of June, on this day, Emma received a special reward from her father — she was allowed to visit the fountains of Versailles, southwest of Paris, with a friend, and all expenses were covered by her father.

The young lady was thrilled and had a wonderful time with her friends there, but what excited her more was meeting a charming gentleman. This gentleman was knowledgeable about everything and everyone he talked about. He recognized this Duke, that Earl, and other Parisian socialites. Moreover, he was an approachable, well-dressed man in fashion.

As evening approached, he insisted on sharing a cab with Miss Emma back home and insisted on paying the entire fare himself. At this moment, he gently pressed Emma’s hand and softly pleaded with her to tell him where they might meet again, hoping he might have the honor to bow before her in admiration.

Although many had pursued Emma before, she felt this time it was different. Nevertheless, she couldn’t give this gentleman her address. She felt a bit embarrassed; how could she tell such a charming gentleman that she lived on Saint Anthony Street?

No, she couldn’t. Yet she agreed to meet him at the Summer Park next Sunday evening, where she would spend the whole evening dancing with him alone. Thus, the young lady met the gentleman again and again at the Summer Park until her father became suspicious. She often wasn’t home in the evenings, and the old man found this situation unusual, suspecting something was amiss with his daughter.

The old man loved money, but he loved his daughter even more, as she was the only bond connecting his emotions to his life. In the past, he was deeply in love with his wife. But after his wife’s death, Emma filled that void in his heart. Besides money, these two women were everything he loved. Although the world vehemently condemned his ruthlessness and greed, in turn, he also despised this despicable world.

Therefore, regarding Emma’s actions, the old man felt troubled and subtly inquired where she frequently went during her outings. But the answer he received was: she wasn’t aware of anything abnormal about her behavior. This reply did not satisfy the old man; instead, it confirmed his suspicions. So he decided to have someone watch his daughter.

For this, he sought help from an old friend. This old friend euphemistically called his profession a ’Prosecutor’, but his opponents referred to him as a ’spy’ or ’secret agent’. However, no matter how he or others labeled his profession, he was very aware of what he did.”

Arthur quipped, ”So this is the starting point of the Parisian Sleuth story?”

Victor nodded with pride, ”You could say that. A few days later, my surveillance began to yield results, and I discovered that the reason the young lady was often not at home was to meet a man. However, no matter how proud I was of my abilities, that man always found a way to shake me off after a short distance.

This situation puzzled me; you can imagine my feelings at that time. I was employed by the Government, engaged in the sacred work akin to that of Argos, with the goal of becoming a renowned detective — one who could successfully solve any challenging and complex case. Yet the reality was that I was frustrated by a trivial private commission — a secret investigation.

I followed them to a corner, but by the time I turned the corner, they were long gone. Wasn’t this outrageous? What could be more intolerable? At that moment, I considered calling a fellow for help. But then I thought, if I did that, wouldn’t it be like admitting my failure? I could tolerate many things, but I could not accept losing face.

So, I decided to solve it by myself, even though this case left me completely baffled. From my experience and the handsome man’s actions towards Emma, he definitely wasn’t some gallant gentleman but rather a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There was certainly a problem here, and I had to find the answer, but the question was: how should I look for it?”

Saying this, Victor glanced at Arthur, seemingly intent on provoking him, ”Brother, if you were in my position back then, facing such a cunning adversary, what would you do?”

Arthur answered without hesitation, ”For such a case, I think taking the initiative works better than tailing. After all, Mr. Jean Monette just wanted you to find out the unusual behavior of his daughter, and in matters between men and women, there are only a few potential connections after much talk. Find a young flower seller, give them a shilling or two, and have them approach and sell flowers to the couple while teasing them a bit. Observe the changes in Miss Emma’s expression and tone, and the truth would emerge.”

Victor laughed heartily, ”That’s how I think now too, but back then, I was new to the profession and not very flexible, so can you guess how I eventually uncovered them?”