and control yourself, Browning,” Mr. Parker snapped in irritation.
Damn, she was making a fool of herself. She had been instructed to be in command of her emotions, though at the moment she was unable to recall any of the training. “Quite right, sir.” Gillian gulped deeply and looked up to see Mr. Newman holding out a handkerchief toward her. Nodding in thanks, she took it and promptly blew her nose. “I apologize for my emotional outburst.”
“You loved him,” Mr. Newman stated in his flat tone.
“No, but I did become infatuated with him. He told me he fell in love with me, I never returned the sentiment. As I stated, he was willing to leave his wife. That is another reason I requested to be extricated. In all honesty, I should have requested it three months before as I’d already collected all the information there was to get. But…I didn’t want to leave him. I had grown fond of him.” Gillian wiped her nose. Otto had turned out to be a passionate man, a surprising development. And not entirely unwelcome.
“She’s telling the truth,” Mr. Newman said.
“How did the wife find out?” Mr. Parker speculated to no one in particular.
“He wouldn’t have told her, I am sure of it. Otto went to great lengths to hide our affair.” Gillian wiped her eyes and exhaled shakily.
“Was there any physical evidence of your affair? Letters, poems, photographs…” Mr. Newman interjected.
“No. Wait; there were photos from a business trip. I accompanied him. They were a bit personal, us at the beach, a lady took one shot with the both of us embracing. But I asked for them and burned them and the negatives before I left.”
“She is telling the truth…yet, could it be possible Kroger kept his own copies as a remembrance?” Mr. Newman stepped closer. “He was entirely bereft at your sudden departure he could not bear to part with them?” The last sentence ended on a sarcastic note, enough to make Gillian bristle. How dare this walking lie detector make judgments? He knew nothing of her feelings or of Otto’s.
“Bloody hell, if that’s the ruddy case, then the Nazis have a picture of her. It would explain how they tracked her to England.” Mr. Parker rubbed the bridge of his nose in obvious irritation. “Give me the address where your sister lives. We will have to extract her right away.”
Gillian’s blood chilled. Could Otto have had his own copies of the photographs? Oh, you sentimental, stupid man. She recalled posing provocatively on the blanket, giving him a sultry look as he snapped the shot on his Leica III camera. Face it; both of them were stupid and sentimental. He was in love, and people in love acted in a careless manner. She never should have let it get as far as it did. She had been trained to know better. And yet she allowed a brief infatuation to grow and it caused her slapdash actions. Yes, she should have ended the assignation months before she did. Now she placed Joan in harm’s way. “My sister won’t go easily as she’s attached to the neighbors and a member of the WVS. I should go and explain to her…”
“Absolutely not,” Mr. Parker said. “You are not to see her again.”
“Not even to say good-bye?” she questioned.
“No. You’ve lost that luxury. What does your sister do with the WVS?”
“All manner of volunteer services, she’s had nursing and first aid training…”
Mr. Parker held up his hand to silence her. “Luke, I can place Miss Simm with my parents. What do you think? They need assistance, she has nurse training, and their place is hidden away.”
Luke nodded. “It could work.”
“Why can’t she come with me?” Gillian asked. “Wherever I’m going?”
“Have you visited her in the past two weeks?” Mr. Newman asked.
Well, she couldn’t lie, not when Mr. Newman’s hidden stare bore through her like a blazing light. “Yes, I went to her flat yesterday.”
“Then no, Miss Browning, she cannot accompany you. At least not right away, if at all.” Mr. Parker pushed a blank piece of paper toward her, then handed her a fountain pen. “Is she aware of your service with MI-6?”
“Joan knows I work for the government, but I never told her the particulars and she never asked.” Gillian looked toward Mr. Newman. “Well?”
“She is telling the truth.”
“Fine. Write a note to her stating due to your previous assignment, you are being transferred immediately and cannot see her in person to say farewell. Mention Mr. Parker, the deliverer of this letter, is to be obeyed as her and your safety depends on it. You know what else to say.” Mr. Parker pushed the paper and pen closer.
Gillian nodded briskly, sliding her chair closer to the desk in order to write the letter. Joan knew her handwriting at least. She scribbled quickly.
My dear Joan,
I am terribly sorry to put you in this position, but it seems my past has caught up to me. Mr. Frederick Parker, who will be delivering this letter to you, has only your safety in mind, and you must follow his instructions implicitly. Both our safeties depend upon it. It will mean you will have to leave Aberavon Road and the people you care about and as I cannot say farewell in person, you cannot say your good-byes to your friends and neighbors. I cannot apologize enough for all this.
My employer believes I am in danger. I do not yet know where I’m going and when I will be in contact with you again, but try and remember me fondly, as I will remember you. I admire your resilience and pluck. Mr. Parker has a safe place for you. I know you will amend to your new circumstance.
I am sorry we did not have more time to get to know each other better.
Love,
Gillian
With an exhale, she screwed the top on the pen and laid it across the paper.
Mr. Parker picked up the letter and read it. “This is sufficient. I will go to her when we’re finished here. Now, we’ve sent a number of agents to Canada and there have been no difficulties so far. It is where we will send you. Regardless, it will take some time to arrange your transport, organize your Canadian identification, and craft your cover story. In the interim, Luke will be accompanying you to a safe house where you will lay low until I can send further instructions.” Mr. Parker opened his desk drawer and slid papers and a rations book toward her. “Use this identity for now, that way you can procure food at the village shop. You could be there for close to two weeks.”
“What village?” Gillian asked.
“Charlwood.”
* * * *
Luke could not believe it. Of all the damned villages in England, Fred picked Charlwood. Luke’s former home. The place he’d been buried, reanimated, and fell in love with Glenna. Damn it all, he was practically run out of the village with torches and pitchforks. Well, a slight exaggeration, but not far from the truth. “Have you lost all sense?” Luke snapped in annoyance.
Fred pressed his intercom. “Mrs. Travers, please accompany Miss Browning to the outer office until we have need of her again.
