He rose, as did the other board members and all those gathered; they remained so until the panel members had left the room.
The commander said with a chuckle, ‘The Galloping Major will not like this one bit.’ He rubbed his hands together. ‘Lunch?’
The commander and Alex left Room 5 together and went downstairs to the refectory for lunch. The consensus was that the board’s chairman was going to succeed in ruffling some very important feathers.
The refectory was a seething mass of military uniforms of all descriptions interspersed with the occasional civilian, but the commander sailed through the throng in the manner of a galleon under full sail and entered another room that was far more civilised, with hardly anybody else present.
‘This is the senior officers’ mess,’ Jeffers announced to Alex, ‘but we have permission to be here today because of the board of inquiry; they do not want us mixing with the hoi polloi! What will you have?’
Alex answered, ‘Whisky and soda, please.’
They sat down at a dining table set for four.
‘The food’s pretty much boarding school fare, but at least it is brought to you and you do not have to queue, plus it does not cost anything!’ stated the commander.
‘Really?’ asked Alex.
‘Well, it theoretically does,’ explained the commander, ‘Officially, officers sign for their food and drink, which is then added to their mess bills. However, because many senior officers have illegible signatures and nobody wants to cause affront by asking a senior admiral or general exactly who he is, it became common practice to sign your name so badly that nobody could read it, and therefore you were not charged. Nowadays, they don’t even bother asking you to sign.’
‘Rank hath its privileges!’ Alex observed.
‘Indeed, it does,’ the commander agreed.
They both ordered the day’s special and shared a bottle of red wine, generously giving Colonel Swann a glass when he joined them for an update on the day’s proceedings.
The commander gave an excellent analysis of what had occurred so far and relished describing the events just before adjournment.
‘MI(Q) has put up a black,’ the commander explained. ‘One of their lot introduced Horváth, and they have either spirited him out of the country or supplanted the guilty party with a ghost; either way, they sent a minor functionary to read out a statement from this mysterious Second Lieutenant James Smith, who then had the affront to tell the board of inquiry that he was not authorised to answer questions. Danvers was apoplectic, and ordered the sergeant-at-arms to take a troop to Baker Street to bring Ralph Shakesheff to the board of inquiry this afternoon, by placing him under close arrest, if needs be!’
There was, undoubtedly, no love lost between Colonel Swann and Major Shakesheff, so the former rubbed his hands together in glee. ‘That will teach the arrogant bugger!’ Colonel Swann enjoyed the moment. ‘I might even come in to see him account for his arrogance!’
*
The afternoon session began with a smart and unmistakably military man being taken to the stand by the noisy sergeant-at-arms. Brigadier Danvers was about to address the assembly when the man sought permission to speak; the brigadier nodded.
‘For the record,’ the man began, ‘I want it noted that I object in the strongest possible terms to the manner by which this man…’ The major indicated the sergeant-at-arms, then continued, ‘has brought me to this inquiry—’
‘Noted,’ the brigadier interrupted. ‘Are you Major Ralph Shakesheff, who is attached to Military Intelligence, specifically the division known as MI(Q)?’
The man replied stiffly, ‘I am.’
‘Are you notionally the commanding officer of Second Lieutenant James Smith whose statement we have heard read this morning?’
‘I am.’ The stiffness was not dissipating.
‘Was Second Lieutenant Smith sent on a mission before this board convened?’ continued the brigadier.
‘He was.’
‘Was that a deliberate attempt to deflect the due diligence of this board of inquiry? No, do not answer that. Does Second Lieutenant Smith even exist?’
‘What? Of course he exists.’
‘Why, then, is there no Second Lieutenant James Smith in the Army List attached to your department?’ The brigadier seemed to be enjoying himself.
‘He has only joined us recently.’
‘When did Second Lieutenant Smith join your department, and from where?’
‘I believe it was in December last year, and I believe it was from one of the Welsh regiments.’
‘Can you explain why the only two Second Lieutenant James Smiths listed in the Army List are from…’ The brigadier checked a piece of paper on the table. ‘The Pay Corps and the Anglians?’
‘No, sir, I cannot.’
‘I ask you again, Major Shakesheff, does Second Lieutenant James Smith even exist?’
‘I cannot answer that question as it would compromise operational security, sir,’ replied Shakesheff.
‘So, in all likelihood, he does not. Sergeant-at-Arms, you are to take Major Shakesheff and hold him under guard until whenever this board of inquiry concludes, and, at that point, I shall deal with his contempt for this process.’
The sergeant-at-arms took hold of Major Shakesheff’s arm.
The brigadier continued, ‘And detain that man, also.’ He pointed at the bookish man who had read out Smith’s statement.
The sergeant-at-arms escorted both men from the board of inquiry, and the clerk sought the permission of the chairman to continue. Brigadier Danvers nodded.
‘We shall now hear from Lieutenant Alexander Carlton, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve,’ the clerk ordered.
The brigadier was heard to utter sotto voce, ‘Assuming he is here!’
Alex rose and went to the stand to give his evidence.
The brigadier smiled at him. ‘Lieutenant Carlton, I apologise that you had to witness that scene, but let it worry you not; if you speak truthfully, answering all of our questions openly, that will be sufficient to ensure that you do not share the same fate as Major Shakesheff. When you are ready, please explain to us your involvement in this affair.’
Alex recounted the events of 30th September 1939 as clearly and as comprehensively as he was able. He did not conjecture, nor did he stray from the truth; he merely gave an accurate account of the events that led up to the death of Horváth. It took forty minutes for him to recount the story, and, afterwards, he awaited questions.
Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell asked the first, ‘Why did you take your sidearm to H17? Were you expecting trouble?’
‘No, sir,’ Alex responded respectfully, ‘When the armourer, Petty Officer Harris, issued me with a sidearm, he told me that I was taking responsibility for the pistol. I had the weapon with me because I was under the impression that wherever I went, the sidearm was to go with me.’
‘Do you have your sidearm with you today?’ questioned the lieutenant-colonel.
‘No, sir; the weapon has not been returned to me as yet,’ Alex replied.
Commodore Nash asked, ‘What were you doing at H17?’
Alex looked at Commander Jeffers, who shook his head almost imperceptibly, so Alex responded, ‘Sir, with respect, I would prefer not to answer that question in depth, but my senior officer, Commander Jeffers, is in the room and might be better placed to do so. I will say that I was ordered there to learn certain skills.’
The commodore nodded sagely and appeared to accept Alex’s response.
There were several other searching questions, and Alex answered each honestly, with a straight bat, if he knew the answer, and for those that he did not know the answer, he merely stated that he did not.
It took nearly two hours before Alex was stood down, and Brigadier Danvers called the day’s business to an end, adjourning until t
he same time tomorrow, and warning those present of the “restricted” nature of the inquiry, with the direction not to discuss proceedings with any third party.
The sergeant-at-arms saluted and enquired whether the brigadier would care to deal with Major Shakesheff and the other gentleman at that point. The brigadier thought for a moment before reiterating that he would deal with them both after the board had concluded its business. He instructed the sergeant-at-arms to look after the major and his colleague well, but securely and not too well, until that point. The sergeant-at-arms smiled slightly, and informed the brigadier that it would be his pleasure. The major was patently disliked by many!
XXXV
Almost at the same time as Alex was giving his account to the board of inquiry, Teddy was sitting in the waiting room of Dr McLintock, awaiting his consideration of her concerns, although she had almost decided not to go as she had not experienced any further symptoms. When the doctor called Teddy through, she explained her worries about the sharp pain she had suffered and the spotting of blood in her panties. The doctor did not appear too concerned, but he decided to examine Teddy anyway, so she undressed and clambered onto the couch, while the doctor affixed some arms to the sides of the couch. When she lay down, he placed her legs gently in the stirrups at the ends of the arms, so that Teddy’s most private area was exposed to the doctor’s attention; her embarrassment was more acute when he took a cold, metal implement and examined her. Using a torch, the doctor began his thorough examination.
After about ten minutes, Dr McLintock helped Teddy off the couch, so that she could get dressed before sitting with him at his desk. He asked her whether she and her husband were still engaging in intercourse, to which Teddy explained that they were; Dr McLintock made a note on his pad.
‘I do not think there is anything wrong; your body seems to be adapting well to pregnancy, and you are a healthy young woman,’ he explained. ‘It is not unusual for there to be a little bloody discharge as your body adapts; after all, some considerable changes are happening so that baby can arrive safely. Consequently, it is not unnatural. Indeed, it is quite usual, for there to be a few twinges, so I am sure there is nothing to worry over. But it might be beneficial to get a second opinion, so I am going to refer you to the consultant at the hospital, but please do not read anything sinister into my suggestion; I am merely being cautious.
‘I see you have moved to Onslow Gardens; there are some nice houses there. How are things going with married life? Is there any news about when you will be moving to…’ He consulted his notes. ‘Gloucestershire, is it?’
Teddy told him that married life was marvellous and that, as soon as the renovation of the new house were complete, they would be moving. She asked whether having sex with Alex was safe, and the doctor said that, within moderation, it should be all right.
As she rose to leave, Teddy experienced another twinge, causing her to fall back into the chair, breathing deeply to take away the pain.
‘Aha,’ said the doctor, ‘that was fortuitous. Where was the pain?’
Teddy showed him, guiding his hand to the spot where the pain hurt most, so that he could try to feel if anything was wrong. Finding nothing unusual, he told her again that there was nothing wrong, explaining that the twinges were probably the slight movement in her pelvic bone as it adapted to Teddy being pregnant.
‘If it gets too painful before you see the consultant, or if you get more than a few blood spots in your pants, then get yourself admitted as an emergency,’ he suggested, helping Teddy to rise and put on her coat. ‘Whatever you do, don’t worry. I will prescribe you a tonic that will help, but taking it easy is far more important. Anxiety is far worse for the baby than the mother!’
Teddy thanked the doctor and left with his prescription for the tonic, which she took to get filled at the local pharmacy before heading back to Onslow Gardens.
As she approached, she saw Uncle Walter’s black Rolls-Royce parked against the kerb outside the house, and she wondered whether he had brought Alex’s mother as well. Over the past few days, she had missed the dowager countess, with whom she desperately wished to discuss her concerns.
As Teddy opened the front door, Klara explained that she hoped that she had done right by placing the guests in the drawing room to await Teddy’s return. Teddy thanked her and asked if they might have some tea.
She went into the drawing room to join them. As they waited for the tea, they engaged in small talk, which prompted Uncle Walter to ask about the new acquisition to the household. Teddy explained that she needed help with Onslow Gardens, especially when Alex was away, so they had contacted the agency that Uncle Walter had recommended, which had sent three potential candidates. Of the three, both she and Alex had agreed that Klara was by far the most suitable.
‘She’s very young, though,’ Uncle Walter said.
‘Yes, but she is cultured, she is not afraid of hard work and, until recently when she got married, she was a student at the Guildhall studying music. Her husband is with a Welsh regiment in France or Belgium, serving with the expeditionary force,’ Teddy explained, ‘Klara’s Polish, you know…’
‘Is she, by Jove,’ said Uncle Walter.
It was notable that one of Uncle Walter’s eccentricities of late was to punctuate sentences with terrible British idioms, so much so that Alex had commented on it. It made Teddy smile.
Klara brought in the tea, and, thoughtfully, Uncle Walter removed some periodicals from an occasional table, so that Klara could set the tray down.
‘Mrs Carlton tells us that you are Polish and a musician,’ began Uncle Walter.
‘Yes, I am, sir,’ Klara replied to him, ‘I study the piano.’
‘The piano, eh?’ Uncle Walter was thoughtful. ‘I inherited an old piano when I moved into Bedford Square, so perhaps you might entertain us one evening, my dear?’
‘I should like that, very much, sir; since I married, I have missed playing music,’ Klara said. Reverting her attention to the tea, she asked, ‘Who would like lemon and who prefers milk?’
‘Lemon for me,’ the dowager countess said.
‘And me also,’ concurred Uncle Walter.
‘I shall have a little milk, thank you, Klara,’ Teddy said.
Klara served the teas before retiring, leaving the pot with them.
‘She seems very nice,’ Alex’s mother said, ‘and she was so thoughtful to provide lemon as well.’
‘I wonder if you would wish for her to come to Gloucestershire with you, my dear?’ asked Uncle Walter pensively.
‘We thought so, yes,’ Teddy said, ‘When the baby comes, I shall need all the help that I can get, so we rather thought that she could muck in; she really is excellent, you know.’
‘It will be another pair of hands, which may be beneficial as my housekeeper does not want to come with us, as she prefers to stay in London close to her family, so I suppose she might be quite useful,’ Uncle Walter said reflectively.
‘I’m sorry,’ Teddy apologised, ‘if it was a little presumptuous of us to assume that it would be all right for her to come without asking.’
‘That’s all right, my dear,’ said Uncle Walter dismissively, ‘Think nothing of it. We shall just have to get something done with respect to a servant’s room.’
Even though Uncle Walter was smiling, Teddy had the distinct impression that she had just received the mildest of rebukes, so she decided to discuss the matter with Alex later. If she was going to have to ask permission before doing anything, perhaps Gloucestershire might not be so much fun, after all!
‘Have you heard how Alex’s meeting went today?’ Uncle Walter asked, changing the subject.
‘No,’ replied Teddy equably, ‘but I am sure that he will tell us what he can when he gets home.’
‘Does Alex think it will conclude today?’ he continued.
‘He thinks not; he said the e
xpectation is for two days, so he hopes that it will be over tomorrow.’
‘I am sure that everything will be all right,’ Uncle Walter concluded.
‘I am sure also.’ Teddy seemed determined to have the last word in her own home.
Alex’s mother sensed that, although everything was amicable, there was a distinct feeling of one-upmanship in the air, so she decided that it was time to intervene. ‘Come along, you two; I am sure that everything will be all right. Teddy, how is your pregnancy progressing? Are you experiencing any cravings?’
‘Nothing particularly unusual or strange,’ Teddy said, ‘I do get a bit of an urge for fried fish, which is strange because the smell of all other fried foods repulses me, but that is all at the moment.’
‘If you can get by without any unusual cravings, you will do very well – I had several when I was carrying Sasha. When we were in Russia, it was quite easy to satisfy them, but, as things became more difficult, I think I may have become quite unreasonably demanding.’ She smiled at the memory.
‘Of course,’ she continued wistfully, ‘my greatest craving could never be satisfied, which was to get my Kolya back; I hope you never have that craving, Teddy, as it is terrible to sense that you will never see your husband again. But enough of my melancholia.’
Klara tapped on the door and opened it slightly before asking Teddy if she might have a word. Teddy joined her in the hallway and shut the door behind her.
‘How many will be dining?’ Klara asked, as she needed to know if she needed to stretch the food for two additional guests.
Opening the door briefly, Teddy asked if Uncle Walter and Alex’s mother would like to stay to dinner.
The dowager countess answered for both, ‘Yes, that would be lovely, if it is not too much trouble?’
‘Of course not,’ Teddy said. She turned back to Klara and told her, ‘Four’.
‘It’s no problem,’ Klara confirmed. She smiled as she returned to the kitchen, humming a vaguely recognisable tune.
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