‘Well,’ she said, pinching him, ‘I’ll forgive you this time but no more secrets. You promised, remember?’
‘I promise.’ Edward hesitated but he had to ask. ‘What do you feel about David?’
‘I’m glad he’s dead,’ she said flatly. ‘A great weight has fallen away from me. I never knew how much I feared him. Do you think it was suicide?’
‘How would I know? I don’t think so. It wasn’t in his nature. I think he just took one risk too many. He sacrificed himself for the Party. It wasn’t an ignoble death.’
‘And it was quick.’
‘Yes, I hope my end will be that sudden.’
‘Don’t talk about that.’ She shivered. ‘We’re just beginning aren’t we?’
‘A pact then,’ he said, taking her hand. ‘No gloomy thoughts and no secrets.’
‘No more secrets, husband,’ she agreed, kissing him. Frank and Sunita were married on Saturday, 11th March, and on 15th March Hitler entered Prague as conqueror and raised his standard over Hradzin Castle, the ancient palace of the Bohemian kings, and the republic of Czechoslovakia ceased to exist. In Britain, all leave for the armed forces was cancelled and Frank had to join his ship after the briefest of honeymoons.
Verity went to see Lord Weaver at the New Gazette. As many of his reporters were about to be called up – unlike in the previous war, conscription was brought in even before war broke out – he welcomed his star foreign correspondent back with open arms.
‘I was sorry I couldn’t come to Mersham for the great party. The Prime Minister wanted me at Chequers,’ he bragged, ‘but Van said it was a great event. I hear you are no longer a member of the Communist Party?’
‘I’m still a Communist,’ Verity said, rather too aggressively. ‘In fact, I think it’s the Party which has left me.’
‘Well, be that as it may, it makes my life easier. I’ll be able to send you to places where you might not be too welcome as a Party member. I’ll be in touch.’
As they shook hands, he added wickedly, ‘How’s that husband of yours?’ but she did not rise.
‘He’s going to join the Foreign Office. Van thinks he has a job for him.’
‘It sounds as though your married life will mostly be spent apart?’
‘It seems like that – at least for a year or two – but we think we’ve found a house, somewhere to call home. I can’t move into Edward’s “set” in Albany and my flat is much too small.’
‘That’s good. Where is it?’
‘Sussex – near our friends the Hassels.’
‘Well, you’ll be safe there,’ Weaver said comfortably. ‘No dead bodies in Sussex, so I would imagine.’
Historical Note
Adam von Trott did visit Cliveden in February 1939 and Nancy Astor introduced him to a number of British politicians but his final attempt to prevent the two countries he loved going to war was doomed to failure.
Joe Kennedy was never forgiven for his support for appeasement. When war broke out Churchill preferred to deal with President Roosevelt’s personal representative, Harry Hopkins. Kennedy did his best to persuade Americans that ‘this is not our fight’ and to stay out of the war. He resigned in 1940 and died in 1969.
His daughter Kathleen, ‘Kick’, married William ‘Billy’ Hartington on 6 May 1944 against the wishes of both their families. Billy was killed by a German sniper four months later. Kick was killed with her lover, Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, in a plane crash in May 1948.
Joe Jr – who really did ride the Cresta Run in February 1939 – died on active service on 12 August 1944. Jack Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic President of the United States and was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on 22 November 1963.
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