The blue of his uniform makes his brown eyes shine. I notice he’s still wearing the white collar, poking out from beneath his jacket.
‘Oooh, Iamhungry,’ Serena says.
I doubt Serena has ever been hungry a day in her life, but I change into my uniform – stuffing my class pass beneath my pillow – and follow the girls out into the hallway where Marquis is waiting.
‘Nice uniform,’ he smirks, eyeing the brooch on my collar.
‘Likewise,’ I say, straightening his tie.
‘Sophie?’
‘She despises me, so the same probably goes for you, too.’
‘Ah.’
I watch as she heads towards the staircase with Serena, just ahead of Katherine and Dodie.
‘There’s a First Class girl who says Wyvernmire wants us to imitate dragons. That’s how she plans to win the war.’
Marquis tilts his head, trying to work out if I’m serious.
‘Are any of the boys codebreakers?’ I ask.
‘One,’ Marquis says. ‘Gideon. The tall, good-looking one. Apparently, he speaks several languages.’
My heart leaps. I remember the boy who glared at me back in the seminar room. If he’s a polyglot, too, then maybe this codedoeshave something to do with dragon tongues. I run ahand down the thin scars on my arm. The good grades, the awards, the acclamatory teacher-parent meetings . . . they’ve always been mine. And this dragon code will be, too.
The dining room is full of shadows, candlelight flickering like stars on the moulded ceiling. Portraits stare at us through the semi-darkness and the long table is set with silver cutlery and steaming dishes. The radio crackles below the noise of polite chatter. Marquis makes a beeline for Sophie and whispers something in her ear. She gives him a reluctant smile and he hugs her, lifting her off her feet. My blood boils. Sohecan get away with not writing to her, but I can’t? It’s odd seeing them together again, as if no time has passed.
My two best friends.
I take a seat opposite Gideon. He’s as handsome as Marquis said – tall with blond curls and a flushed complexion. I help myself to a spoonful of honey-roasted carrots. He gives me a surly nod, and I wonder how to begin a conversation. I decide to get straight to the point.
‘I hear you’re a codebreaker, too?’
Gideon, who has just taken a bite of chicken, pauses mid-chew. He glances nervously at Owen, who is standing by the door with his gun on his shoulder.
‘I’m not asking you to break any rules,’ I say quickly. ‘I don’t want to get into trouble, either. I’m just curious to know if we’ll be working together.’
He nods again.
‘Do you know anything about code?’
‘No,’ Gideon mumbles, staring down at his plate. He takes another bite and doesn’t look at me again.
‘Oh.’ I sit back in my chair, disappointed.
At the far end of the table, Katherine and Serena are comparing their class passes, which they clearly haven’t been able to bring themselves to remove. While Katherine’s hangs round her neck from a piece of string, Serena’s is threaded with a delicate gold chain.
‘I used to sew dresses for girls like you,’ Katherine tells her admiringly. ‘Trust me, it’s a lot more pleasant than packing chrysanthemums, although your hands do get stabbed by all the needles.’
Serena gives her a puzzled smile and I take a sip of wine. It’s rich and warm and makes my lips tingle.
‘It’s a bit of an extravagant meal for a group of misfits, isn’t it?’ Dodie says nervously. ‘Why have they gone to all this trouble? It’s not as if anyone outside Bletchley Park knows we’re here.’
I feel a jolt of unease at her words, but Marquis flashes her his winning smile. ‘We’re doing work that will change the course of the war,’ he says, imitating Ravensloe’s plummy drawl. ‘We are strong, healthy people with diamond-sharp minds who finally have a chance at … what was it? Respectability? Rejuvenation? Romance?’
The room rings with laughter.
