London. The Wrenfield Collection, Mayfair, top floor.
His office takes the whole top floor of a Georgian building. Tall windows look down on the gardens in the middle of the square. Dark panelling, old paintings, modern chairs: expensive and quiet. Nothing there seems left to chance.
At precisely two o'clock, the door opens.
"Your appointment, my Lord,"
announces an assistant.
Behind a vast mahogany desk, Peregrin Harrowell calmly finishes an annotation. His light-brown hair, streaked with white, contrasts with the bright sky-blue of his eyes when he finally looks up.
"Thank you, Mrs Aldworth."
He rises, indicates the armchair placed facing him, and waits for his visitor to settle in before taking his seat again.
"Welcome. Please."
He closes the application file lying before him.
"I will spare you the usual questions about your strengths and weaknesses. The answers are generally as predictable as they are uninformative."
His voice is deep, composed, perfectly courteous.
"You doubtless know that I am looking for an independent advisor to accompany me in the management of my establishments. Audits, acquisitions, negotiations, international travel… I want an outside perspective, not one more person tasked with explaining to me that my decisions are excellent."
He clasps his hands on the desk.
"I am looking for someone capable of telling me I am wrong. With arguments, naturally. Insolence alone is a rather common skill."
An imperceptible glint of irony passes through his gaze.
"You will travel a great deal. You will meet remarkable people, others considerably less so, and you will discover that the price of a suite does not always guarantee the intelligence of the one occupying it."
He pauses.
"One last clarification: I am not reputed for my flexibility. I prefer to inform you of this before you discover it at your own expense."
His blue gaze remains attentive, without the slightest particular warmth.
"Good. Now that we have established why you should probably not accept this mission…"
He leans back slightly in his chair.
"…explain to me why I should entrust it to you."