‘She thinks he’s going to get her a good price for her necklace,’ Margaret said. ‘No other reason to wear pearls to breakfast. He’ll have a friend somewhere who’ll take them and provide a valuation. While the supposed valuation’s taking place, they’ll swap the necklace with a fake. Give the fakes back to the countess, then disappear. She’s too embarrassed to go to the police, and he goes back to Manchester with a few hundred pounds.’
Bunny nodded politely and sipped his tea.
‘Not really what we trained you for,’ he said.
‘I’ve met about twenty Nazis since I arrived,’ she said. ‘Would you like me to have a list typed up?’
Bunny pretended to consider it. Margaret watched him. Waited.
He finished his tea. Poured more hot water into the pot. Waited for it to brew.
Margaret pretended to ignore him. Two old friends, watching the world go by.
‘How would you feel about going back to Sussex?’ he asked, as if the thought had just occurred to him.
‘Why would I do that?’
‘Why wouldn’t you?’ Bunny asked. ‘You and Cook. He’s good for you, you know.’
Margaret felt a flush of colour in her neck, her body betraying her. She hoped Bunny saw it as anger.
‘I’ve done everything you’ve asked,’ she said. ‘I’m wasted down there and you know it.’
‘I know no such thing,’ Bunny said.
‘You’d have me playing the farmer’s wife,’ she said. ‘It’s like having a racehorse and using it to pull a cart.’
‘I’d have you smack in the middle of the invasion zone,’ he said. ‘Even if Hitler doesn’t invade this autumn, we’ve got no idea what his plans are next spring. And if he doesn’t invade, we’re going to have to start thinking about a counter-attack. Either way, Sussex is in the thick of it, and I can’t think of a better place for someone of your talents.’
‘You’d have to make it up to me,’ Margaret said.
‘No I wouldn’t,’ Bunny said, with a twinkle in his eye. ‘This is exactly what you want. You’re just too pig-headed to come out and ask for it. Everything has to be a battle.’
Margaret drank her tea.
‘I’ll think about it,’ she said.
‘Well, there is one thing,’ Bunny said. Margaret braced herself.
‘There are some people who worry about you,’ he said. ‘You’ve done too good a job of playing both sides. I take full responsibility of course, but it’s something we have to deal with.’
‘What do these people want?’ Margaret asked.
‘I’m not sure there’s anything that would convince them, I think it’s more a matter of giving it time,’ Bunny said.
‘They sent you here with a request,’ Margaret pressed.
Bunny sipped his tea.
‘I’m assuming you had to make certain promises in order to get away,’ he said.
Margaret looked at him, impassive.
‘There’ll be a handler,’ he said. ‘Someone who’ll make contact with you. I’m sure they can’t wait to hear what kind of intelligence you’re able to gather and pass back. The girls at Bletchley have picked up some chatter – the Germans have got high hopes for you.’
‘You should be a novelist,’ Margaret said. ‘I hear Peter Fleming’s making a go of it. You should pick his brains. You’d make a fortune.’
Bunny leant forward. He lowered his voice.
