The Man in the Scented Coat

Summary

Sarah Grand (1854-1943) was a well-known Victorian writer and suffragette.

'The Man in the Scented Coat' is a story about an adventurous lady, Josepha, who gets lost in a pea-soup fog in London one evening. As she cannot see anything, she follows a scent of flowers, which turns out to emanate from a distinguished gentleman in disguise who is on a secret mission. First they are caught up with a gang of ruffians, one of whom recognises the gentleman as being a member of the royal family (most likely the character is modelled on the then Prince of Wales).

Josepha follows the mystery gentleman and his companion to a secret apartment hidden in an upstairs flat behind a revolving bookcase, where she discovers the Prince's shameful secret. Josepha, a thoroughly modern woman, stops to dine, talk and smoke with the Prince...and then, with the threat of imminent discovery, the party must take an unusual escape route.