Mon Cher Alain, La Princesse and I greatly look forward to seeing Anna and yourself at the Ball. Regarding your own affair, I hope that my governmental duties will allow me the leisure to attend - but with the Summer campaign almost upon us and the Military Justice reforms still awaiting Royal consideration I am not overly optimistic.
Chabot's treason indeed came as a blow to the whole nation. He was already serving as Minister of Justice when I first came to Paris, and has moved largely in governmental circles ever since - it is unlikely that the full extent of the damage he has been able to cause will ever come to light, I fear. Even more disturbing are the indications that Chabot was not actually the head of the recent conspiracy, who is rumoured to be an equally prominent member of society who continues to escape detection despite the best efforts of the Commissioner. One can only pray that the continuing investigations of Vicomte Zilvain succeed in rooting this blackguard out. The duty of all loyal Frenchmen, as I am sure you will agree, must be to aid the investigations to the full extent of their ability, by coming forward with whatever pertinent information they may possess. The disappearance of Lt.Colonel le Chevalier Jean-Luc de Frost on New Year's Eve has become common knowledge. You will recall that the Commissioner offered a reward for information concerning his whereabouts some months ago? Confidentially, during the trial of Chabot it was revealed that Chevalier de Frost was one of the senior Commission Operatives who had been working on the case - as you will no doubt be aware. Are you saying that it is now rumoured that he was kidnapped? If you have any concrete evidence to this effect, my friend, I'm sure that the Commissioner would be most grateful to receive it. Until now I must confess to assuming that Chabot and his cronies had ensured that the unidentifiable body of the poor Chevalier ended up in some nameless ditch somewhere. No-one is more aware than I of the thoroughness of your own investigations whilst serving as Commissioner, my friend. Indeed, had you been shown the same leniency concerning regulations of which you were completely unaware as has the current Commissioner regarding the most recently codified Public Safety regulations, I am sure that you would still be a most respected holder of this post today. I can see that it must wrankle greatly that, in the wake of your compiling a cast iron case showing how Senior treasonously plotted to bring the Nation to the brink of military disaster, thanks to Senior persuading His Majesty to enforce those obscure regulations of which He had neglected to inform you, you suffered an ignominious dismissal whilst Senior escaped to become the 'respected' Governor of Hispaniola! The most disturbing factor, however, is that rumours in the highest government circles point to the case you compiled being merely the tip of the iceberg. The available evidence suggests most strongly that Senior was none other than the traitor 'Cheddar' of the Fromage Conspiracy papers, and it is rumoured that he purposely buried evidence of treason on the part of another, as yet unknown, minister during his criminally derelict tenure of the Ministry of State. Chabot's treason pales to insignificance in the face of such calumnies! Nevertheless, I fear that I can offer you little but sympathy for the injustice you have suffered, my friend, together with my ongoing respect for the sterling work which led to it. His Majesty is, indeed, a compact of contradictions at times - a fact which, as His son-in-law, I have more reason to know than most. Having said that, the unswerving loyalty of all Frenchmen is His by right and it must be said that His Majesty's reign has brought France to a pinnacle of greatness undreamt of by previous monarchs. Amiti�s, Alain
