When I first arrived at Hamarray after my capture, I was convinced that the strange lights I saw on the headland were part of my paranoia. But I kept seeing beams of reflective light during the day and odd flashes at night. Finally, at my wits’ end, I asked the servants—and they too had witnessed the phenomena. Those who maintained the house year-round swore it had been going on all through the war.
I began to record the lights, along with who visited the island. I discovered that the highest occurrence happened when Astrid brought bird-watchers to Hamarray.
Regardless of who is creating them, I believe the lights are a way of communicating with German U-boats, giving them the details of the Grand Fleet’s movements in and out of the Flow. The servants did say that the flashes were more active right before the HMSHampshirewas sunk.
Before I could discover more, I received news that the nurse who had saved me had been captured. Upon my arrival on Hamarray I had told Astrid of her. Mybrother, I fear that she may have conveyed the identity of my savior to the enemy.
Unlike my other findings at the Home Office, I have only weak evidence of a plot. And I do not wish to accuse your family of such dastardly dealings. Yet if they are giving information about the movement of the Grand Fleet to the Germans, they must be stopped—even Astrid, who I still hold dear despite everything. I know you have the strength to see my final investigation through, and to take the proper action if my horrible suspicions are correct.
Your best friend and brother forever,
Reggie the Bold
The paper in Thorfinn’s hand shook. He read it again and again ... until the light failed him. He knew it would not stay dark for long. The sun would rise shortly and begin the next day.
A day Thorfinn didn’t want to face.
Because it meant discovering whether his cousin was a traitor.
He could not, would not, risk false accusations without consideration. It would destroy all of them. But he could not deny that Astrid’s bird-watching clients were once again visiting Hamarray—just as they had on and off for the past five years. If he found out that Astrid was indeed involved, he would expose her. The peace of his family was not worth that of the world.
Late spring in Orkney was absolutely divine, Rose decided as she, Myrtle, and Percy walked among cars lined up on the drive in front of Muckle Skaill. They’d purposely scheduled the race for low tide, allowing for a quasi-road and quasi-closed-circuit extravaganza. Thedrivers, including her and Percy, would begin at the top of Hamarray. After shooting down the bouncy hillside road, they were to dash across the exposed strand, zip around Frest five times, and climb back to the big house to the grand finish.
Old friends Rose hadn’t seen in years waved to all three of them, eager to chat. In some ways, it was as if the intervening war years had never happened. In others, the change was heartbreakingly clear. Comrades who should have been there smiling and pulling on their goggles weren’t. Some lay in France, some in Italy, some in Russia, some in Turkey, some in Africa, some in Britain, some in the United States, some in Germany, and some in places no one knew. Others had become the enemy, separated perhaps forever by country allegiance.
And Rose wasn’t the same.
She was no longer the blithe, carefree girl who cared only about speed—who’d never known deprivation or true fear or sacrifice or even real, honest love.
But who shewasnow ... well, that—that was something she was just now beginning to define.
“Miss Van Etten?” Thorfinn’s voice broke into her oddly philosophical musings for a race day.
“And now we make ourselves scarce,” Myrtle said as she tugged on Percy’s right elbow. “Why don’t you show me your latest race car? Is it as fancy as the speedboat you had me bring from Stromness to Frest for you?”
“Fancier,” Percy told Myrtle. Then he untangled his left arm from Rose’s and gave her a wink. “I’m sure you have importantestatematters to discuss with Mr.Sinclair.”
Laughing at her friends’ thinly veiled matchmaking efforts, Rose waved goodbye to them before she turned toward Thorfinn.
“You can call me Rose in public ...,” she began and then trailed off when she caught sight of Thorfinn’s face. He looked ... gaunt. Despitehis pallidness, his white scar seemed even more predominant while light bruising marred the skin under his bloodshot left eye.
“Did something happen with the earl?” Rose rushed to him. “I thought he’d parted peacefully by the way Freya phrased your message to me. Did he do anything to raise alarm—on any front?” She should have gone looking for Thorfinn last night instead of staying to the very end of the ceilidh, but she’d been having so much fun, and Freya had assured her that her brother had been in a fine mood. Had Thorfinn been hiding something from his sister and her? Perhaps Mar had attacked Thorfinn again or had done something suspicious that could tie him to the spying.
“The former laird sailed away without looking back. He never even noticed I was following. There was nothing particular about his behavior to note. I just had a peedie bit of trouble falling asleep. That’s all.”
If there was nothing for Thorfinn to report on Mar’s exit, his unspoken worries must be of a personal nature, then, and not about the espionage. Rose glanced around at the well-dressed crowd swarming the front lawn. “Do you wish to discuss your confrontation last night?” She thought he’d handled it marvelously, but that didn’t mean that he agreed.
Thorfinn jerked his head toward her wristwatch. “Isn’t your big event about to start?”
Rose uttered the words she’d never thought she’d say. “Never mind the race. I can skip it.”
“You would miss it. For me?” Thorfinn looked as poleaxed as her by the revelation.
“Yes.” Rose cocked her head. “Gollyyy, it wouldn’t even bother me one iota. How oddly refreshing.”
A smile momentarily breached Thorfinn’s otherwise grave expression. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
“Well, it had better, buster,” she teased, gently poking his arm. “I wouldn’t cheerfully give up a race for just anybody.”
