The Oslo Affair (Shadows of War, #2) by CW Browning (read after .txt) 📗

starters, she thought disgustedly. Instead of daydreaming about a pair of green eyes back in England, she should have been paying attention to her surroundings. That was lesson number one. When she was in enemy territory, and they had been very clear that she would go across enemy lines, a mistake like tonight would get her killed. She had to be aware of her surroundings and who was in them at all times, even when thoughts of Miles Lacey intruded as they had tonight.

Evelyn stretched her feet towards the fire and leaned her head back. She would have to be more careful going forward. Just because this was a friendly city didn’t mean that it was safe. Daniel had made it seem as if it was just like London, but it wasn’t. Tonight had illustrated that very clearly. There were obviously people moving in the shadows just like her, and they wanted information as well. How someone had discovered her already she had no idea, but obviously someone had. Clearly she had to be much more alert, and much more careful.

Or she wouldn’t last the week.

London, England

Jasper looked up as a shadow fell across his table. He was seated at his usual table in the Grill at the Savoy at the height of the lunch rush. Everyone knew not to intrude upon his hour of solitude, and his eyebrows crooked in surprise at the sight of William Buckley standing next to his table.

“Bill!” he exclaimed, setting down his knife and fork. “What are you doing here? I thought you had gone back to Paris with Marguerite.”

“She left this morning and I’ll follow tomorrow,” Bill replied, motioning to a chair at the table questioningly.

“Please do.” Jasper waved to the seat and picked up his knife and fork. “Have you eaten?”

“Actually, no. I just came from Waterloo Station.” Bill seated himself with a sigh. “I was called into the War Cabinet to give a report, for all the good it will do.”

He couldn’t disguise the bitterness in his tone and Jasper shot him a sharp look.

“France?”

“Among other things.” An attentive waiter came to the table and Bill nodded to him in greeting, taking the proffered menu. “Are you sure you don’t mind my joining you? I know you’re protective of your lunch break.”

“That doesn’t extend to you,” Jasper assured him, guiding a forkful of potatoes to his mouth. “You don’t inundate me with meaningless drivel. When is your meeting?”

“In an hour. I came for a quick bite before going in.” Bill set the menu aside after a cursory glance. “I’m not sure why I was called, to be honest. They never listen to a word I say.”

“I know why.” Jasper looked at him. “Chamberlain is under tremendous pressure over how he’s responding to this war. The Commons are demanding action at the same time that the Lords are demanding caution. He’s caught in rather uncomfortable situation.”

“Of his own making,” Bill pointed out, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I understand the difficulty, but I can’t help but think that what we need now is to take a strong and decisive stand against Hitler.”

Jasper made a sound close to a snort. “You’ve been listening to Churchill.”

“The man makes a point.” The waiter returned and Bill ordered his lunch of poached fish and potatoes. Once the man had retreated, he looked at Jasper. “I know you’re close with Winston. Don’t try to tell me that he’s not one of the few who are taking this war seriously.”

Jasper shook his head. “On the contrary,” he said. “I think he speaks a lot of wisdom. I also think he speaks with a lot of heart, and that is something we can do without. However, regardless of my own thoughts on the subject, this country needs a leader. And we don’t have one.”

“On that, at least, we can agree.” Bill nodded in thanks as a pint of ale was set beside him. He waiting until the waiter had disappeared again, then looked at Jasper. “Can we speak frankly, Jasper?”

“You know I’ll always speak frankly, Bill, even to the detriment of my political well-being. What’s on your mind?”

“I’ve received a message from the embassy in Oslo,” he said, lowering his voice. “There seems to be a slight issue.”

Jasper looked up from his meal sharply, his eyes narrowing.

“What kind of issue?” he demanded.

“The kind that exposes agents,” Bill said grimly. “I think Jian may have been compromised.”

“In what way?”

“She was followed last night. Now, it could be nothing. Daniel Carew seems to think she’s overreacting and that it is nothing. Simply another pedestrian out on the streets late at night.”

“And you? What do you think?”

“I’ve known her for most of her life, and have worked with her for well over a year now. I’d be very surprised if she’s overreacting. I’ve never known her to do so before. In fact, quite the opposite.”

Jasper considered him for a long moment, then carefully set down his utensils.

“Go on.”

“There’s no way she could have compromised herself already. She arrived late in the afternoon and didn’t leave the boarding house. The next morning, she went to the embassy and met with Carew before going straight back to the house. She stayed there until evening, when she went to the Hotel Bristol with one of our interpreters where she engaged in making contact with a German scientist who was also dining there. She was followed leaving the hotel.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. As you can see, she could hardly have been more careful.”

Jasper studied him for a long, silent moment.

“You have a lot more to say, Buckley. Just spit it out, will you?”

Bill sipped his ale and raised somber eyes to the man across the table.

“If I didn’t know the agent as well as I do, I’d probably agree with Carew and say it was nerves on her first assignment and there was nothing there. But I do know her, and I know that unsteady nerves have never been one