“Gosh, Aunt Diedre, could you arrange that?” Charlie asked, cutting in, awe echoing in his voice.
“Oh no, Charlie, I don’t have that kind of clout, but I know my superior’s had wind of the annual reception being given sometime soon. For important visitors to Berlin. I could investigate, find out if that’s true.”
“Hitler loves the British aristocracy. We all know that, and yes, of course, we would be safe,” Miles said in a positive manner. “And I see what you’re getting at, Diedre. Being feted at the British embassy would give us the stamp of approval.”
“Oh, surely we have that already,” Daphne exclaimed. “We’re the Clan Ingham. Everybody’s heard of us. We’re sort of, well, famous in our own way.”
“We’re certainly blond enough,” Charlie added. “And we all have blue eyes. Well, almost. One of us does not.”
Cecily cut in through her laughter. “I know I’m not a blue-eyed blonde. However, I am quite famous, too. Several German princesses are my clients.”
“There, you see, we’re in!” Charlie exclaimed. “Oh, Papa, do let’s go. I’m sure it would be quite an interesting experience.”
Hugo stared at Daphne, who looked troubled, and said very slowly, “Let’s talk about it, Hugo. Weigh the odds.” Turning to Charlie, she added, “We’ll let you know tomorrow.”
* * *
“I don’t know why you always do it!” Alicia exclaimed, sitting down next to her brother on the edge of the swimming pool. This was located on the far side of the gazebo, at the edge of the lake.
Glancing at her quickly, he asked, “Do what?” His blond brow drew together in a furrow.
“Announce something that’s really provocative and bound to cause trouble when we’re at lunch or dinner. Thank God you don’t do it at breakfast or tea.”
“I don’t think what I said at lunch was provocative at all,” Charlie protested. “You’re always exaggerating, and you’re very bossy.”
“I’m neither. And you were provocative because you mentioned something that was bound to upset Beauty,” she shot back, using the nickname they’d had for their mother since childhood.
“Suggesting I was going to Berlin doesn’t seem provocative to me. I was only telling her, them, my travel plans. Actually, I thought it showed initiative on my part. As a future journalist I am naturally curious, focused on the news. And Germany’s certainly in the news these days. This happens to be an extraordinary time in history. The world is changing even as we speak.”
“They won’t let you go,” Alicia asserted. “Remember, they always stand together. Knight and Beauty are on the same page.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, I know that, and why are you going on about it? They weren’t as bothered as you’re making out.” He was obviously exasperated with his older sister.
“Oh yes they were! I could see another unpleasant scene developing. That’s why I saved your bacon by changing the subject, spoke about Felix.”
“You enjoy talking about yourself, Miss Alicia Ingham Stanton. You’re all puffed up about your looks and your elegant figure. And your career.”
“No I’m not. But I am serious about my acting and getting my career off the ground.”
“That’s the way I feel about working as a newspaperman. I’ve definitely settled on being a war correspondent. There’s bound to be a war, and I want to be right in the center of it all, writing about it.”
“Oh my God, don’t tell them. Beauty will have a fit and the Knight in Shining Armor will put his foot down. Hard. Forget about Berlin. It’ll never happen.”
“Guess what, Miss Know-it-all, I bet you five bob we’ll go to Berlin. Aunt Cecily gave me the solution.”
“I’m sure you don’t have five bob to make a bet,” Alicia muttered, eyeing him sourly.
“Yes I do. And going en masse to Berlin will work. Pity you won’t be coming. You’re off to start your brilliant career as a film star. Ta-da! Ta-da!”
“Oh do stop saying that, you sound utterly inane, and it’s irritating.” She glowered at him yet again and he in return smiled at her, put his arm around her, and pulled her close. “Don’t be like this … you know you’re my best friend and true companion. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thank you for averting what might have turned into an angry confrontation with them, and he is always on her side, you’re right about that.”
“Mummy worries about you a lot … about all of her children, Charlie. That’s why she does seem a bit restrictive at times. Listen, she’s very smart and clever, that’s why I listen to her. Always. She just makes perfect sense. You, however, seem to flout her wishes and go out of your way to make dumb choices.”
“None of that’s true. I do not. And in case you’ve forgotten, I’m a man and I can certainly look after myself.”
“So can I.”
“Mmmmm.” He shook his head. “Not true. Sadly it’s a man’s world, Ally.”
“Don’t call me that! Mummy doesn’t like it and neither do I.”
“Let’s not quarrel.”
“We’re not quarreling,” she answered, her voice changing, becoming softer.
“We are bickering, though,” Charlie shot back.
“I just feel very protective of you, brother of mine. I don’t want you to get hurt in any way, shape, or form, and you can be a bit rash, reckless even, at times.”
“I know.” He laughed, took hold of her hand. “Guilty as charged, old thing. I’ll try to mend my ways just for you. To please you.”
When she was silent, he added, “You can’t be that mad at me. You came down to have a swim, as I asked you to earlier.”
“No, I came down to tell you off.”
“Liar.” He chuckled, his eyes holding hers.
Alicia leaned closer, kissed his cheek, then hugged him to her. She had mothered him since the day he was born, and still did. They were extremely close and had been hand-in-glove since their childhood. In a certain sense, they were more like twins than their siblings Thomas and Andrew, who were twins.
After a few moments of silence, Alicia murmured, “You win, Charlie, I did come down to swim with you. At the same time, I wanted to talk to you … to ask you to stop saying things that alarm our mother. She’s anxious enough. Remember, Uncle Guy died in the Great War.”
“I will, I promise. I know I sort of blurt things out, spontaneously shoot before thinking. I’m sorry, I’ll do better.”
“Just edit yourself a bit more, that’s all.” She jumped up, and he followed suit. They looked at each other, smiled knowingly, and dived into the pool in perfect synchronization.
Eleven
Whenever she came to stay with Daphne and Hugo at Villa Fleurir, Daphne always told her she could use the small office just off the library. And Diedre did so now. Everyone had scattered, gone off to do things, and she did have a need to do some thinking and make several phone calls.
Sitting down at the desk, Diedre glanced around, noting how much this room reflected Daphne and her taste. It had apricot-colored walls and matching silk draperies, and the comfortable sofa and armchairs were covered in an apricot cotton fabric. The room came alive with the vivid colors in the paintings hanging on the walls, and the cushions on the sofa.
Diedre sniffed and smiled to herself. The room was redolent of Daphne’s favorite perfume, lilies-of-the-valley, which had been created especially for her by Cecily.
A deep sigh escaped Diedre, and she focused on Cecily and her suggestion about Berlin. It would be a clever solution, please Charlie, and it would certainly suit her to go along with the family group, if Daphne and Hugo agreed. However, she would have to tell William Lawson, her immediate superior. She could see no reason why he would object; also, being in the middle of the Ingham family group was the perfect cover for her. Diedre had no intention of mentioning a possible extraction to Will. There was no need for him to know. Anyway, it was unlikely to happen quickly, if at all.
Diedre placed the call through the overseas operator
, using Will’s private number. He answered immediately, was obviously glad to hear from her. Once she had explained about the family trip, he had agreed she should go. “It might prove useful,” he said. “It’s the annual shindig next week. I’ll make sure you’re all invited. By the boss himself.”
“That would be wonderful.” She noted how careful Will was even though he was on a safe phone. “I thought I might see the sights … if you get my drift.”
“Your sister would enjoy it, too, if you get my drift.”
“I do. Solo out.”
“Correct. Don’t neglect me.”
“I won’t.”
They hung up. His last words had meant that she must call him every day. That was mandatory when she was in a foreign country.
Her next phone call, via the international operator, was to Berlin.
“May I speak to Toby Jung, please?”
“This is he, Daffy.”
“I’m checking in as you asked.”
“In the same place as yesterday, are you? Or did you do a bunk, follow your heart?”
“How did you guess?” She smiled to herself. How well he knew her.
“You sounded so serious, very intent. Nobody could’ve stopped you.”
“True.” Diedre settled back in the chair, staring at the painting of the autumn woods at Cavendon, painted by Genevra some years ago. Its russets and golds were perfect for this room. Her eyes remained on the painting as she went on. “No progress, I presume?”
“Nothing’s changed, Daffy. Everyone’s on the move, on holiday, going back home. And some are simply flying their own kites.”
“So your usual helpers have dwindled?” she asked.
“I’d say that.”
“Perhaps I should leave the suitcase with you, Toby. Just forget it.”
“You might have to, Daffy Dilly.”
“Thanks for keeping it for me. How’s the weather?”
“Boiling hot. Beastly, in fact.”
“I don’t like hot weather.” Diedre added, “I grew up in the north.”
“Are you thinking of making a trip here?”
“That’s a possibility,” she answered in a quiet voice.
“Daffy Dilly, that would be a treat for me!”
“And me, too. And perhaps I can just get rid of the suitcase.”
Ignoring the mention of the suitcase, he asked, “When?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“I’m free as a bird—” He cut himself off, and then after a moment he continued in a low tone. “There is a person who could no doubt get the suitcase to you. But you yourself would have to ask.”
“No. It’s not possible!” she exclaimed. “I cannot. I should say I will not. In fact, it’s out of the question. I must not involve him.”
“I understand. Please come, Daffy. We might even have a bit of fun.”
“We might. So long.” Diedre hung up the phone, leaned back in the chair, and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were whirling, and she asked herself if she should go to Berlin or not.
* * *
Diedre sat in the small office for another twenty minutes, running everything through her mind. Her main focus was on the trip to Berlin. It would work only if they went as a group, and it would be quite a large group. Six of them altogether, because Alicia would not be going. A group was not easy to miss so they would stand out. But they were the Inghams of Cavendon, therefore protected by their nationality and their famous name.
What Miles had said earlier was true. Adolf Hitler did have a fondness for the British aristocracy, and the two Mitford sisters were a prime example of his preferences. Diedre was also well aware that a number of highborn men in the establishment and certain politicians were admiring of a man she truly believed would become the dictator of Central Europe and in no time at all.
She could not understand why they didn’t see through him, see him for what he was. A man of evil who wanted world domination. Part of their problem was the fear they all had of Russia. They saw Communism as a greater threat than Fascism. Diedre let out a sigh. She held the view that they were facing a grim future and a worse horror than in the Great War.
There was a light knock on the door and Daphne looked into the room. “Are you busy? Can we talk for a moment?”
“Of course, Daphers.” Diedre rose and moved away from the desk, went and sat down on the sofa.
Daphne took the chair opposite her. “Hugo and I have just been talking about this idea Charlie has of going to Berlin. We don’t want him to travel alone; on the other hand we do understand why he’s interested. So what is your opinion?”
“I agree with you and Hugo, he shouldn’t go alone,” Diedre said. “I think any person without a companion in that city is very vulnerable at this particular time.”
Daphne nodded. “I realize you know Germany better than any of us. You’ve studied the country for years and you speak German.” Daphne suddenly smiled, then went on, “Not to digress, but I recall when you went off on a trip with your friends Maxine and Laura in 1914. Just before the Great War. And you came back full of warnings about the Germans rearming. You were very het up.”
“Gosh, what a good memory you have. Yes, it was a very revealing trip, indeed. I sensed they were readying themselves for war, and I was right.”
“And now they’re doing it again. Only twenty years later,” Daphne murmured, her expression grave.
Diedre nodded. “People in Britain remember the horror of it, the death, the destruction, and that’s why there’s all this talk of appeasement. But it won’t work.”
“Why not?” Daphne asked, leaning forward, paying attention to her sister.
“Because Adolf Hitler wants the war, although not necessarily with Britain involved. That’s why he, too, is encouraging the British to come forward with the idea of appeasement.”
“I understand. Getting back to Charlie, why can’t he go alone actually? I need to give him reasons.”
“Because Berlin is the most dangerous city in the world today. It’s militaristic, in a certain sense, filled with thousands of men in uniforms … the SS, the SD, the Stormtroopers. And the Gestapo. There is unrest, bigotry, anti-Semitism, and very loutish behavior on the part of many people. Not only German thugs, but vagabonds. Hundreds of Poles, Czechs, Hungarians, Serbs, you name it, have flooded in and Berlin has become a cosmopolitan melting pot.”
Diedre paused, letting all this sink in. After a moment, she said, “Here’s a scenario. A young man on his own, minding his own business, goes into a bar or a beer hall for a drink. He jostles somebody or something like that, and a split second later he could easily be in a fight, getting beaten up. People are tense, volatile, very taut. And that’s why anyone on his or her own is vulnerable.”
“I understand, Diedre, you have explained it well. Hugo and I want him to be independent, to fly, to be himself, but since it is unwise for him to travel alone, do you think this idea of going as a family would work?”
“If you wish to please Charlie, which obviously you do, I can make it work if we go as a family. I’ve spoken to my office and I can have next week off. And I would come with you.”
“That would be simply marvelous, Diedre. Actually, I honestly don’t believe we would go if you weren’t able to accompany us.”
“I’ll make all the arrangements. We’ll stay at the Adlon Hotel. I know it, and it’s the best. All we have to do is decide when we should go.”
“I’ll talk to Hugo, and we’ll settle on a date. Have you any thoughts?” Daphne asked.
“Tuesday of next week, actually. That’s when we should travel to Berlin,” Diedre answered.
Twelve
Much later, as she was dressing for dinner, Diedre’s thoughts went back to the two telephone calls she had made earlier.
William Lawson had been his usual cordial self, greeting her warmly, agreeing she could take the week off. Now two things stood out in her mind.
He had suggested the trip to Berlin with h
er family could be useful; he had told her not to go out solo. That had not sounded like a warning, but it was. Saying she might pick up something useful was a direct order. He wanted her to snoop wherever she could. Discreetly.
Will had given her permission to do what she had planned to do anyway. Not going out solo might present a problem. On the other hand, she had to listen to him because if anyone knew how dangerous Berlin now was, he certainly did. Will Lawson was much admired by others who were in constant touch with him. The Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, in particular. This aside, he was her boss and, also, she trusted his judgment.
Toby’s contacts had entirely vanished, from what he had said on the phone. The fact that he had suggested she speak to her old friend in the German High Command told her he was desperate. His other message to her had been a dire warning. Whenever he said the weather was hot she understood that the Gestapo were increasing their surveillance of many people and were all over the city, ready to pounce and arrest. Instinctively, deep within her inner self, she now realized that the professor had left it too late to flee.
Standing back from the cheval mirror, Diedre eyed herself, pleased with the way she looked. She had borrowed a simple chiffon evening dress from Cecily. It was delphinium blue, tailored, as usual, and had full sleeves and a flared skirt. Her only jewelry was her wedding ring, watch, and pearl earrings. Now she pinned Cecily’s famous white rose silk brooch on her shoulder as a finishing touch.
When she went downstairs Diedre realized she was the first, and then, as she looked around, she spotted Cecily standing at the bottom of the garden near the water’s edge.
“Cooee!” she called out, walked down to join her sister-in-law beside the lake.
“Another early bird,” Cecily said, turning around, smiling. “I knew you’d be down at the same time as me.”
“Aha! I understand, you want to talk to me.” Diedre stood eyeing her, a quizzical expression on her face.
“Just to thank you for agreeing we should accompany Charlie to Berlin. I wasn’t sure you would when I suggested that.”
“I didn’t want to deprive him of the visit since he’s so eager and sincere about his career as a journalist. And to be honest, it gives me an opportunity to speak to my contact in person.”