by Clara Benson
Henry then turned to talk to Clemmie, and Angela had a few moments to observe what was happening around the table. Gertie was sitting next to the Foreign Secretary and giggling at his amusing story of a recent encounter with an important French politician. Lady Strathmerrick, meanwhile, was doing her best to cheer up Mrs. Buchanan, who was picking miserably at her food. Freddy had somehow wangled himself a seat next to Priss, and she was looking rather like the cat that had got the cream. As the two of them flirted discreetly, Angela glanced at Claude Burford, who was also sitting next to Priss, and saw that he was staring across at the Foreign Secretary and completely ignoring Miss Foster, who was sitting on his other side. Sandy Buchanan was just finishing his anecdote, and as he concluded, Claude burst out laughing and said, ‘Oh, I say, that’s very good, sir.’
Freddy said, ‘Pass the salt, Claude, old thing. Priss wants it, but you’re ignoring her.’
‘Am I?’ said Claude. He passed the salt to Priss and then went back to hanging on the Foreign Secretary’s every word. Eventually, he seemed to remember that he ought to be paying attention to his fiancée, and turned towards her. This gave Selma Nash the opportunity to engage Freddy in conversation.
‘Have you ever seen snow like this?’ said someone at last.
Gus and Bobby, the Strathmerricks’ two youngest children, who had until then been concentrating on their food in respectful silence, perked up immediately at the mention of snow.
‘I dare say you’d like to go out and build a snowman tomorrow,’ said Sandy Buchanan to the boys, with a twinkle in his eye.
‘Oh, yes, sir,’ said Gus immediately.
Bobby, his younger brother, nodded.
‘You can help us if you like,’ he said to Gabe Bradley, who was sitting opposite him.
‘Don’t bother Mr. Bradley with your nonsense, Bobby,’ said Claude. ‘He has important work to do.’
But Gabe laughed.
‘Why, I should love to,’ he said. ‘That is, if I can. I don’t get much of a chance to play these days, I’m afraid, and I may be wanted tomorrow. But if I get a moment, why, nothing will keep me away—you’ll see!’
‘Let’s all go out,’ said Gertie.
‘We shall see, dear,’ said the Countess.
Shortly afterwards the ladies retired to the drawing-room, and Freddy tactfully followed suit, suspecting that the men had business to discuss that could not be disclosed before him. He sat down by Priss, while Gertie and her two brothers began a noisy game of beggar-my-neighbour and Clemmie took up a book and buried herself in it. Selma Nash and Eleanor Buchanan struck up a conversation about the ballet, at which the latter seemed to forget her customary wariness and became almost animated, while Lady Strathmerrick bickered gently with Miss Foster.
Angela wandered over to the window and stood by it for a while, gazing out onto the terrace. The light from the drawing-room made it difficult to see, so she drew the curtain further across the window recess to shut out the glare. The snow was still falling thickly and had begun to drift against statues, urns and ornamental walls. What looked like a small fountain was almost entirely covered and had become an amorphous mass of curves, with the occasional protruding black shape in places where the snow had not settled. As Angela stared out, she thought idly of the past few hours. It was an interesting gathering, with an intriguing mixture of people, and she had begun to enjoy herself despite her previous reservations. Most importantly, she felt that she had acquitted herself well with the Countess, who had been rather stiff at first but was now beginning to unbend.
‘There you are,’ said Freddy, who had come to join her behind the curtain. ‘How are you getting on? Not too bored, I hope.’
‘Not at all,’ said Angela. ‘Everyone seems very pleasant.’
‘Yes, there are lots of good-looking men for you to exercise your charms on,’ he said. ‘And women, of course,’ he said as she threw him a glance. ‘I don’t mean to say I consider you to be some sort of man-eater.’
‘I should think not,’ said Angela in some surprise at the idea.
Freddy went on, unabashed, ‘You were getting on rather well with that American fellow at dinner.’
‘Of course I was,’ said Angela. ‘I told you, I’ve known him for years. And his wife,’ she said with some emphasis.
‘I wonder what happened to the other chap who was supposed to be coming,’ said Freddy. ‘What is he? A Swedish professor, wasn’t it?’
‘Danish, I believe,’ said Angela. ‘I doubt he’ll make it here now, in this weather.’
‘I wonder why nobody mentioned him.’
Angela glanced at him sideways.
‘By the way, Freddy, I think you’re right,’ she said. ‘I think something secret is going on at Fives.’
Freddy was all attention.
‘Oh?’ he said. ‘Why is that?’
‘Because Henry Jameson is here.’
‘The civil servant? Is that his name? Any relation to our friend the inspector?’
‘They’re brothers,’ said Angela.
‘Good Lord, I had no idea,’ said Freddy. ‘Is he important?’
‘He is, rather. He’s very high up in the Intelligence service.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Freddy, picturing the owlish Henry Jameson to himself and shaking his head in perplexity. ‘How do you know?’
‘As a matter of fact, I worked for him during the war,’ replied Angela.
‘You? I thought you were in America then, running through rich husbands and living a life of idleness and ease.’
‘I don’t know where you get your ideas from,’ said Angela. ‘My home was in America, but I didn’t spend the whole war there. And I have not “run through” any husbands at all,’ she added with dignity.
‘So you worked for Intelligence?’ said Freddy. ‘Typing up secret memorandums and what-not in an office, eh?’
‘Something of the sort,’ said Angela dryly. ‘Anyway, from what I remember, Henry Jameson was not the type of man to travel about the country unless the country required it of him. If he’s here at a house party in Scotland with the Foreign Secretary and the American Ambassador, then you can be sure something is going on.’
‘I see,’ said Freddy. ‘I wonder what it is, then. I mean to say, it requires no great stretch of the imagination to see that Nash and Buchanan might occasionally find themselves at the same do, but I can’t see why on earth this Intelligence chap should be here at the same time. And then there’s the Danish professor. What was his name?’
‘I don’t remember,’ said Angela.
‘Perhaps he has something to do with it.’
‘Well, they’re not likely to tell us anything, are they?’ said Angela. ‘Especially not when the Clarion’s most inquisitive reporter is sneaking around the castle with his notebook.’
‘I am briefly off duty, having found other means of entertaining myself,’ said Freddy.
‘Ah, yes,’ said Angela. ‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed you foisting yourself onto Priss.’
‘I haven’t foisted anything onto anyone,’ said Freddy. ‘No foisting has taken place. I never foist. Both parties are entirely and wholly willing. And that ass Burford needs taking down a peg. I don’t know what she sees in him.’
‘Oh, I see,’ said Angela. ‘You’re doing it to annoy him. Why?’
‘I’m not just doing it to annoy him, but I do have a score to settle with him. We were at school together, you know, although he was a few years older than I. He was just the same then: perpetually sucking up to the bigger boys in order to gain advantage. And he was a terrible bully to the smaller boys. I fagged for him and he used to kick me mercilessly. I don’t suppose he even remembers it.’
‘Poor you,’ said Angela sympathetically, and then gave him an odd look. ‘Somehow I can’t imagine you suffering that kind of thing for long,’ she said. ‘I should have expected you to do something about it.’
‘Oh, I did,’ he assured her. ‘I set fire to his bed one night
while he was in it. I’d be obliged if you wouldn’t mention that, though, as they never found out who did it, but the police got involved and things were rather unpleasant at school for a while.’
Several remarks came into Angela’s mind at once, but she contented herself with merely saying, ‘But that means you’ve already settled the score, doesn’t it?’
‘Not really,’ said Freddy. ‘Some rotter woke him up just in time and he got out completely unhurt. I shall always remember it, though. I was a poor, motherless child and nobody came to my rescue.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Angela. ‘Your mother is alive and well and very fond of you.’
‘Nevertheless, we Pilkington-Soameses have long memories,’ he said darkly. ‘We are like elephants—we never forget.’
‘So, let me see,’ said Angela. ‘In order to get revenge for something that happened many years ago when you were both children, you are now bothering the fiancée of a respectable junior Member of Parliament.’
‘Bothering? Nonsense,’ said Freddy. ‘She’s hardly beating me off. Why, anybody can see the poor girl is bored to tears by him. I shall let a little light into her jaded life and bring a smile to her face once again, if only for a day or two.’
‘Well, I wash my hands of the whole thing,’ said Angela. ‘Don’t associate me with your schemes. I am already doing rather well in convincing Lady Strathmerrick that I am not some sort of adventuress—which I believe was her earlier conviction. I have brought my most respectable frocks and am determined to behave as demurely as a nun.’
‘Yes, you look very nice,’ said Freddy approvingly. ‘I should think you’ll pass all right. But look, your hair has got caught in your earring. Let me get it out for you.’
He moved nearer, and Angela inclined her head towards him as he attempted gently to extricate the offending curl from the little diamond drop. They were standing in this attitude of concentration, his face close to hers, when Lady Strathmerrick, who wished to look out of the window, suddenly joined them behind the curtain.
‘Oh! I beg your pardon,’ she exclaimed in embarrassment. ‘I—I didn’t realize anybody was here.’
It was quite evident what she thought they were doing. Angela and Freddy turned in surprise, and Angela, to her horror, felt herself going red.
‘It’s quite all right, Lady Strathmerrick,’ she said hurriedly and somewhat confusedly. ‘Freddy was just helping me with my earring.’
Even to her own ears it sounded feeble. The Countess darted her a glance of disbelief and withdrew before anything else could be said, leaving the two of them standing there, staring after her.
SIX
Once the ladies and Freddy had retired to the drawing-room, the rest of the men relaxed a little. Port was handed round and cigars were lit.
The Earl of Strathmerrick, while of little actual importance in the real business of government, was known for his impressive acumen in bringing the right people together at the right time, and acting as a sort of go-between for key events in the national and international sphere. It was at Fives Castle that an important treaty had been signed which, it was thought, had prevented another war from starting immediately after the last one had ended. It was here, too, that during three days of talks between two great men, one of them had agreed to abandon his ambitions and allow the other a free run at becoming Prime Minister in return for an unspecified reward. Most people were unaware of the Earl’s reputation, but to those in the know, if Lord Strathmerrick invited people for a weekend at Fives Castle it was a sure sign that something important was afoot.
This vital auxiliary of world affairs now lit his cigar and gave a cough.
‘Filthy weather,’ he began. ‘When did you say Klausen was going to arrive, Jameson?’
‘He didn’t say,’ replied Henry. ‘He was very vague about the whole thing.’
‘Well, it may be too late now,’ said the Earl. ‘I gather the road is impassable already. Why do these scientific chaps have to be so damned secretive? It’s all very well keeping it from the world at large, but if he’s going to convince us that he really has come up with the goods, then he’s going to have to do better than this. How do we know he’s really going to turn up and that this isn’t all some kind of childish joke on his part?’
‘Come now, Strathmerrick,’ said Sandy Buchanan. ‘I don’t think there’s any cause for concern yet. Klausen is merely demonstrating a healthy sense of caution—not unreasonable when one’s dealing with something as potentially explosive as this.’
Aubrey Nash laughed shortly.
‘Yes, “explosive” is the word, all right,’ he said.
‘Tell me, Nash,’ said Buchanan. ‘What do your superiors think of it all?’
‘Oh, they’re very interested indeed,’ the Ambassador assured him. ‘Of course, this whole thing has been arranged at the last minute, so they had to put me onto it as there was no time to send someone over from the Department of State—but make no mistake, if Klausen’s discovery can be proved to be the real thing, then they will be very keen to come in with the British Government on the development side—very keen.’
‘What is the nature of this weapon, exactly?’ said Claude Burford. ‘I mean, I know it’s some kind of powerful explosive, but I don’t quite understand how it’s meant to work.’
‘Oh, neither do we,’ said Buchanan with a laugh. ‘We are having to take Klausen on trust. All I can tell you is that he has been conducting experiments on certain chemical substances with the aim of breaking them down into their constituent atoms. I believe he has been attempting to make these atoms react to each other in such a way as to create energy. Beyond that, however, I’m as much in the dark as you.’
Gabe Bradley now addressed the Foreign Secretary: ‘If this weapon is as powerful as Professor Klausen seems to think, then I guess the United States and Great Britain won’t be the only countries to be interested in it, is that right, sir?’
‘Yes,’ said Buchanan. ‘We already know of two or three other countries that are working on the same thing. According to our intelligence sources, one country in particular—I think we can all guess which one—has come close to a solution. It’s vital that we get there before them—all the more so, as we know that until recently someone here was informing them of our progress.’
‘Ah, yes,’ said Aubrey Nash. ‘The famous Whitehall spy scandal that blew up so spectacularly last year.’
‘And cost Ogilvy both his ministry and his seat in Parliament,’ agreed Buchanan. ‘His constituents would never forgive him for his part in allowing a spy to operate so close to the heart of the Government, practically in full view of everybody. He pleaded incompetence, of course, but there were mutterings at the time that he must have been involved himself, which is nonsense, although I must say he didn’t exactly cover himself with glory. His wife was very ill at the time, however, so that must be his excuse for not paying attention to what was happening right there under his very nose.’
‘They caught the fellow, though,’ said Claude.
‘Yes, but not before he’d passed on who knows what highly confidential information to his superiors,’ said Buchanan. ‘It was all extremely embarrassing for the Government and quite frankly it’s a wonder we survived the scandal.’
‘Are you quite sure the whole thing was cleared up?’ said Aubrey Nash. ‘I seem to recall there was some suggestion that this spy, whatever his name was, was not working alone.’
‘We’re as sure as we can be, which is not very,’ said Henry Jameson frankly. ‘Golovin was clever—he knew his job all right, but he swore he was a lone agent.’
‘And you think he may have passed on news of Klausen’s work?’ said Nash.
‘It’s possible,’ said Jameson, ‘although he can’t have passed on anything of great importance in that respect, since even we don’t know very much about it. Klausen didn’t want to reveal all until he was quite sure of his facts.’
‘And now he is?’
‘So
he says,’ said Jameson. ‘He told us only last week that he’d finally confirmed his theories. He was terribly excited about it and wanted to share the news immediately. That’s why this meeting was arranged at such late notice. I’m sorry if you had to cancel your other plans.’
Aubrey Nash waved his hand.
‘Don’t worry about that,’ he said. ‘We had nothing planned that couldn’t wait. This is much more important.’
‘I only hope he manages to get here, then,’ said the Earl. He looked worried.
‘I’m sure he will,’ said Jameson. ‘Besides, he promised to telephone if there were any difficulties.’
‘What if he doesn’t come, though?’ said Gabe Bradley. ‘It’s a pity he didn’t let us have a copy of the documents before the meeting.’
‘Oh, he did,’ said Sandy Buchanan, and the other men looked at him in astonishment. Henry Jameson was sure the Foreign Secretary was enjoying the sensation he had caused.
‘Then why didn’t you say so?’ said Nash. ‘We might have taken a look at them in preparation.’
Buchanan shook his head.
‘Klausen entrusted me with a copy on sufferance, only because I insisted that it would be better for security purposes if he did—and on condition that I show the documents to nobody before he got here.’
‘But surely that doesn’t matter now?’ said the Earl. ‘Why, we are all here for the express purpose of looking at them.’
‘True,’ said Buchanan. ‘But as Klausen explained to me, the documents themselves are completely useless without his presence, since they are so advanced in nature that only he or someone equally qualified can explain them. Believe me,’ he went on in response to their protests, ‘if I thought it would do any good I should go and get them now, but it won’t. I’ve looked at them, and can’t make head or tail of them. They seem to be in some kind of code, for one thing.’
‘This Klausen fellow must have a sort of morbid persecution complex, to go to all these lengths,’ said the Earl.