‘No, no!’ he hastened to assure her. ‘You assisted a British agent to escape from the Nazis. That’s quite sufficient to enable me to save you from any unpleasantness of that kind. But there’s not much social life in Britain these days.’
She thanked him, and went on. ‘Naturally, then, I should like to find some occupation. I am fluent in several languages so perhaps I could get work as a translator. It is only the prospect of the first few weeks that troubles me. I know no one in London but yourself and Gregory and, er …’ she shot a meaning glance at Gregory ‘… he has already told me that his duties will keep him too busy to look after me. I’m afraid that quite on my own I shall find everything very strange and difficult.’
‘Perish the thought, m’dear!’ exclaimed Sir Pellinore gallantly. ‘To cast you adrift would be no way to show our gratitude. Plenty of rooms in this great barrack of a house of mine. You’re welcome to stay here until you can find a nice little place of your own. No hurry about that either. And don’t worry your pretty head about money. I’ve more than I could spend in a dozen life times.’
Sabine gave a heavy sigh accompanied by a pale smile. ‘Oh, if I might do that! You have no idea what a relief it would be to feel that I need not start life all alone for a while. I shall never be able to repay you.’
‘Nonsense! The debt will still be all on our side. And now, after that frightful journey of yours, you must be dead beat. I’ll get my housekeeper to take you up to the room she got ready for, er … Gregory’s Hungarian friend. Bed’s the place for you, m’dear, and twenty-four hours of it. Have a good sleep this afternoon. Dinner will be sent up to you. Then after you’ve had a good long night we’ll talk again tomorrow. As a refugee you’re entitled to some clothin’ coupons. I’ll have my secretary get them for you in the morning, and in the afternoon we’ll go out together. Long time since I’ve had the fun of taking a pretty woman shoppin’.’
Desperately tired but much comforted by this concern for her well-being, Sabine agreed at once, and when she had been given into the care of the housekeeper the two men went up to the library. As soon as the door was closed Sir Pellinore said grumpily:
‘Fine mess you’ve made of things!’
‘Don’t I know it!’ Gregory muttered, flinging himself into a chair. ‘But how the hell was I to know that Erika would be here?’
‘You might have guessed. Knowin’ you were on your way home I telephoned her yesterday to come down to meet you.’
‘That was good of you; but I wish to God you hadn’t.’
‘And I wish that Hitler was dead in a ditch; but he isn’t.’
‘I wouldn’t have had this happen for worlds.’
‘It’s your own fault. I’d have thought you were old enough to realise the wisdom of bein’ off with the old love before bein’ on with the new. It was downright wicked to spring this thing on poor Erika like that. If only you had tipped me off in your telegram I would never have brought her down from Gwaine Meads. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.’
‘I am. But I had expected to have a little time in which to fix things decently.
Sir Pellinore shrugged his great shoulders. ‘Well, what’s done’s done. Perhaps to have used the surgeon’s knife may prove kinder to her in the long run.’ His bright blue eyes took on a new ruminative expression and he went on, ‘I must say, though, you’re a wizard with the women. It’s no mean feat to have taken Ribbentrop’s mistress off him. And, by jove, this Toboso girl is something. She’s a stunner.’
Gregory sighed. ‘Yes, as brunettes go I’ve never seen her equal. Still, as far as I’m concerned, she’s all yours if you want her.’
‘Eh! What’s that? If I were your age wild horses wouldn’t hold me. But I don’t want to die yet. If that wench took me on she’d kill me in a fortnight. Seriously, though, d’you mean that you’re not in love with her?’
‘No. For the past month I’ve been suffering from a glorious madness; but that’s all there is to it. And unless I’m much mistaken it’s the same with her. She hardly kicked at all when I told her that if I did bring her to England I’d be able to see very little of her. The only real love in my life has been, and still is, Erika.’
‘God bless my soul! And you’ve cooked your goose with her. She thinks you’ve thrown her over for the Trombolo gel.’
‘I’m afraid so.’ Gregory agreed gloomily. Then he added, ‘As Sabine is going to be your guest you had better get her name right. It’s Tuzolto.’
‘Oh, she must stay here. No question of that; and for as long as she likes. My offer was not made because I believed her to be your new girl-friend, but because she got you out of Grauber’s clutches. And, of course, because I knew her father. But what else can Erika think? Damn it, man, she heard this shameless little hussy gaily admit that you’d been honeymoonin’ together on the Danube.’
‘I know. Erika arriving at that moment was the worst break I’ve had for years. Still, she has never pretended to be a saint herself, and she has a most generous nature. As soon as she gets back I mean to grovel, and …’
Sir Pellinore pulled an envelope from his pocket. ‘She’s not coming back. When we went down to lunch I found she had left this note for me on the table in the hall. Here, you’d better read it.’
Gregory took the single sheet of paper. On it Erika had scrawled in pencil.
I am going straight back to Gwaine Meads. Please have my things sent after me. Tell Gregory that I do not wish to see him. If he follows me I shall leave the house at once for some place where he cannot find me.
Throwing the paper down, Gregory stood up. ‘Hell and damnation! She can’t do this! She loves me. I’m certain of it; and I love her. Of course I shall go after her.’
‘I wouldn’t, if I were you.’ Sir Pellinore shook his head. ‘Not while she’s in this state. Odds are she’ll carry out her threat if you do. Poor gel’s hit hard. That’s clear. She’ll be all right up at Gwaine Meads; but if you go chasin’ her out of it she might do something rash. Don’t want an inquest, do we?’
‘God forbid! But I can’t just leave things as they are. It would be wanton cruelty to allow her to go on believing for longer than I have to that I no longer love her.’
‘You can say that in a letter. But keep it short. Just that, and that you want to throw yourself on her mercy as soon as she feels up to seein’ you. Throw the ball to her. If she cares for you enough she’ll come round when she’s had a chance to simmer down.’
Gregory nodded. ‘Better still, I’ll send her a telegram. She’ll get it on her arrival; and it may make tonight a little less miserable for her.’
‘Good idea. Now, what about your sloe-eyed Susan. Shockin’ waste of a good thing; but I’m afraid you’ll have to kiss her good-bye if you hope to patch matters up with Erika.’
‘You’re right there. I’d meant to anyway. I’ll go up and break it to her after dinner. I had intended to ask you for a bed, but I’d better not stay in the house while she’s here. I’ll telephone Rudd that I’m back and will be sleeping at Gloucester Road.’
‘That’s sound. You can dine here though. Then, after you’ve had your show-down with that lovely piece of wickedness upstairs, if there is anything left of you we’ll have a talk about your mission.’
‘I may as well tell you about it now.’
Sir Pellinore held up a big hand. ‘No. You are overdue for a few hours’ sleep. Write out that telegram to Erika. I’ll send it off and telephone Rudd. Your usual room is ready for you. Go straight to bed. I’ll have you called at half-past seven, in time for a bath, then we’ll dine.’
When they met again Gregory was no less worried but, physically, his sleep and a hot bath had done him a lot of good. Over dinner their talk was mainly of the war, ranging in turn over the many far-flung battle fronts on which the Axis and the Allies were at death grips. Then, fortified by two glasses of Cockburn’s 1912, Gregory went up to see Sabine.
He found her sitting up in bed clad in a nightdress of d
ark red chiffon that she had bought in Istanbul. She still had heavy shadows under her eyes as a result of their flight from Cyprus, but the colour of the chiffon set off her dark beauty to perfection. On his entering the room her expression hardened, and she said abruptly:
‘Well, what have you to say?’
‘Very little for myself,’ he admitted, taking a chair beside her bed.
‘That lovely blonde Countess is your mistress, isn’t she?’
‘Yes. And something more than that. We are engaged to be married as soon as she can get a divorce from her husband.’
‘I seem to remember your telling me that you were not a marrying type.’
‘That was true enough when we first met in 1936; but it seems the leopard can change his spots. Perhaps that’s because I’m older now. Anyhow, for a long time past I’ve wanted to marry Erika von Osterberg, and I still do.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me that last night on the barge that you had someone in England?’
‘I meant to. But, to be honest, I funked it. I was afraid that I would hurt you, and I’d hoped …’
‘To let me down lightly, eh?’ Sabine gave him a cynical smile. ‘That was most considerate of you. And now, I take it, the chicken has come home to roost. How unfortunate for you that, being uninformed of your situation, and knowing dear old Sir Pellinore to be a man of the world, I should have admitted to our having been lovers. That must have been a horrid shock to the Countess and, I fear, put an abrupt end to your engagement. Or have you made it up with her?’
‘No,’ Gregory replied dully. ‘She has taken it very badly, and left a note in which she says she will refuse to see me.’
‘Oh, my poor Gregory. I am so sorry for you.’ Sabine’s expression had suddenly changed and she was smiling at him.
‘You … you mean that you don’t mind?’
‘Of course I mind. It is a terrible blow to my self-esteem that you should prefer any woman to myself. But I’ll be honest about it. Love and attraction are two different things. I wasn’t particularly attracted to my elderly husband; but I came to love him. On the other hand, you and I were terribly attracted to one another from the moment we met. We should count ourselves lucky that our feelings were mutual and that for two periods of several weeks we have been able to give full expression to them. It may not have been love, but we hit the high spots. That sort of thing can’t last. It never does. But we’ve had it and should be grateful. After our talk that night on the barge, when you showed reluctance to bring me to England, I didn’t suspect that there was someone else, but I did realise that we were pretty well through with one another I dug my toes in because at the time you were my only sheet anchor. Now dear Sir Pellinore has promised to take care of me that lets you out. I’ll always have a soft spot for you, but I wouldn’t want you for life any more than you want me. I’m terribly sorry if I’ve bitched things for you with your lovely blonde. I wouldn’t have done it intentionally. But she’s not exactly just out of the school-room, is she? So unless she is a very stupid woman I expect you’ll be able to talk her into forgiving you. Anyhow, I hope so.’
Gregory stood up and smiled down on her. ‘My dear, you’ve taken a great load off my mind. I would have hated to really hurt you. Thank goodness you know enough about life to see things in their true perspective. Thank you too for everything. Whatever happens I’ll always be your devoted friend. If ever you need my help in any way, you have only to let me know and you can count upon it.’
Ten minutes later he was saying to Sir Pellinore, ‘I had a suspicion that her feelings for me where just about the same as mine for her; but I didn’t expect that she would behave with such generosity. To let me out without a word of reproach was damn decent of her.’
The corners of Sir Pellinore’s eyes wrinkled up in quizzical humour. ‘I must say, dear boy, there are times when I find your still youthful conceit most refreshing. High fliers like this pretty bird may enjoy coming down now and then to peck up a hearty breakfast from the lawn. But they live among the tree tops. You need never have feared that she might pine away in loneliness for you. She has only to show her plumage to have a Duke or millionaire industrialist in tow. Now, tell me about Budapest.’
Somewhat chastened, Gregory gave an account of his stay at Nagykáta with the Zapolyas, the formation of the Committee of Magnates and the final agreement to which that had led.
‘Good show!’ said Sir Pellinore when he had done. ‘Jolly good show! That stuff you picked up from Sabine about the Nazis gamblin’ everything on Stalingrad should prove very valuable. And by Jove, Gregory, you had something in your own plan! You were dead right. If we could have brought Hunary over to our side it would have saved Russia and altered the whole course of the war in our favour.’
Gregory frowned. ‘You speak in the past tense. Does that mean that nothing can be done about it? I realise, of course, that landings on the Continent could not be made as late in the year as this, but if only Stalingrad holds out they would still pay us this magnificent dividend in the spring.’
The Hungarians have stipulated for a force of fifteen divisions. There wouldn’t be that number sufficiently trained to do the job.’
‘Damn it all,’ Gregory objected. ‘It’s two and a half years since Dunkirk. There has been an enormous intake during that time, armaments have been pouring out of the factories, and American forces have arrived here in their tens of thousands. If the new troops aren’t capable of fighting yet they darned well ought to be. One doesn’t win wars with an army that is content to sit indefinitely on its backside.’
Sir Pellinore considered for a moment, then he said, ‘I take it you’ll be reportin’ back for duty at the War Cabinet Offices on Monday?’
‘Yes, I suppose so. That is, unless Erika says I can go up to see her. Anyhow, I’ll be back there early next week.’
‘Then there’s no reason why I shouldn’t tell you what you’re certain to learn in a few days’ time. Within a month or so all our first line divisions will have left the country. Big show is being mounted now. Dead secret, of course; but you’ll hear all about it when you get back to the War Room.’
‘I don’t understand. D’you mean that we really are going to do a cross-Channel operation? I should have thought that by the end of October the risk of bad weather would be far too great.’
‘It would; and even earlier in the year I doubt if it could have succeeded. The Americans pressed it on us, particularly General Marshall. They maintained that a full-scale invasion of the Continent was the only way to draw pressure off the Russians. Right up to July they fought tooth and nail for it. At one time it looked as if we’d have to give way to ‘em—at all events to the extent of seizing the Cherbourg peninsula and tryin’ to hang on there through the winter. They more or less threatened that if we wouldn’t play they’d go back on the agreed first principle for the grand strategy of the war—the defeat of Hitler before Japan—and send everything to the Pacific. That was the last thing we wanted. But our people didn’t want a Continental landing either. They maintained that it would have been murder. I think they were right. The Yanks have plenty of guts, but are still children as far as modern war is concerned. We just couldn’t make them understand the immense difficulties of landing great numbers of men and vast quantities of stores on enemy-held beaches against heavy opposition. But, thank God, Winston managed to argue them out of it and get his own pet plan adopted. It is, with or without the consent of the French, to occupy North Africa.’
Gregory looked a little dubious. ‘I don’t see how that is going to give very much help to the Russians.’
‘Not immediately, but it will if they can hold out till the spring. The occupation of Morocco and Algeria is only the first phase. When the Anglo-American expeditionary force has consolidated it will drive east into Tunisia. Simultaneously the Eighth Army will launch an offensive through Libya, to the west. When they’ve joined up Malta will be relieved and the Mediterranean once more be open to British shippin’
. It’s estimated that we’ll gain a million tons of shippin’ through no longer having to send our convoys round the Cape. Then the real squeeze on Hitler will begin. With the sea and air superiority in the Med. regained, we’ll be able to threaten the South of France, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy, the Adriatic coast, and the Balkans all the way round to Turkey. He’ll not dare to leave any part of that immensely long coast line unguarded. To garrison it adequately he’ll be compelled to withdraw at least forty divisions and half his air force from Russia.
‘I see. Yes; it certainly is a magnificent conception. But what are the odds on our pulling it off?’
‘Fifty-fifty,’ replied Sir Pellinore gravely. ‘No more. It’s an appalling gamble. If there is a leak and Hitler gets wind of our intentions he’ll order his U-boat packs to intercept and make suicide attacks on our convoys on their way down. That could cost us thousands of our best troops before they even reached their first objectives. When they do land, if the French decide to resist, it’ll be touch and go. Our forces will be a thousand miles from home, and with no air support except what the carriers and the one small air base at Gib. can give them. There can be no taking them off as there was at Dunkirk. If they fail to establish themselves ashore it will be a shambles.’
‘Then what it really boils down to is that everything depends on the enemy’s being kept in the dark about our intentions. Or at all events, as the cat can’t be kept in the bag once our convoys are sighted passing through the Straits of Gib., our getting ashore before the Axis has time to take counter measures for our reception.’
‘You’ve said it. Although after Gib. we shall naturally do our utmost to fool Hitler into believin’ that we mean to land somewhere other than in French North Africa.’
That night, before going to bed, Gregory followed up his telegram to Erika with a letter. But with Sir Pellinore’s advice in mind he kept it short: simply asserting that he loved her better than anyone in the world and begging her to let him come up to see her at Gwaine Meads.
Traitors' Gate Page 36
