Winston's Spy

by Robert Webber

  She looked up into his eyes, and tears welled up. ‘What does it mean?’ she asked.

  ‘It means, my sweetheart, that my orders have come through, and I will be leaving shortly. Although I do have work to complete before I leave, it looks like we shall have just over a week together.’ He smiled reassuringly at her as tears coursed down her face, and he kissed them away, gently. ‘I have promised you that I will take care of myself, and I meant every word.’ Without a word, Teddy reached up and, dragging Alex down towards her, she kissed him fervently on the lips.

  ‘I shall hold you to that, Lieutenant Carlton,’ she declared, and smiled.

  Alex remembered the note that he had written to his mother earlier that afternoon. ‘Oh God! I told my mother that we would dine with her this evening. Although, should you not feel like facing both our respective parents in a single day, I can call her and cancel?’

  ‘No, don’t do that; let’s go,’ Teddy sighed, ‘It will be nice to spend time with a civilised parent for a change! What time did you tell your mother we would be there?’

  ‘Oh, about 8.00pm, I should think; if we get there a little earlier, we can break our news to her before eating.’

  Hearing the clock in the hall chime 6.00pm, Teddy said that she ought to start getting ready, and it amused Alex that some women always took so long to get dressed. He switched on the wireless for the latest from the National News, which announced, ‘Germany has invaded Poland and has bombed many towns. General mobilisation is ordered in Britain and France. Evacuation of the children is going well. Parliament has been summoned for 6.00pm…’ Alex switched it off; he did not want to hear more, as he knew that war was imminent, and he wanted to savour every single second with Teddy before it invaded their happiness.

  ‘Come here for a moment,’ called Teddy from the bedroom, ‘and help me decide what to wear.’

  Alex strolled into the bedroom and leaned against the doorframe.

  Teddy stood there holding two dresses: one was emerald green, and the other a deep royal blue. ‘Which do you think?’ she asked.

  Alex made the pretence of considering both, but, in truth, he was admiring Teddy’s body as she stood there completely undressed and holding up the two coat hangers on which the dresses hung.

  ‘The blue, I think.’ He stepped forwards and gathered her into his arms as both dresses fell to the floor. He kissed her with a desire that was burning from within, then he picked her up and carried her to the bed, placing her gently on the eiderdown.

  ‘We haven’t got time,’ she said, slipping from the bed, and she ran to the bathroom, giggling.

  XIV

  Alex, and Teddy arrived at the house in Onslow Gardens just after 7.30pm, following yet another circuitous route in their taxi. His mother was already waiting in the drawing room; Alex took Teddy’s coat and, together with his own, handed it to the maid before turning to the mirror habitually, straightening his tie and placing his cap on the hall table. He took Teddy’s hand, smiled at her and winked, and together they entered the room where his mother awaited their presence.

  ‘Mother,’ he began, noticing that his mother was sitting at the furthest extremity of the sofa, upright and with an air of the matriarch dominant in her domain, ‘you recall my guest Miss Palmer from my birthday party on Tuesday evening? It was frightfully remiss of me not to clarify our relationship to you at that time, and you might have thought erroneously that it was by nature of being casual. For that, Mother dear, I apologise.’ He squeezed Teddy’s hand and looked lovingly at her. ‘It is with immense pride that I have to tell you that, this morning, Teddy agreed to become my wife. I know that this must come as a surprise to you, but I must also tell you that – apart from you, dearest Mama – there is no one in this world whom I love more, and I genuinely, most sincerely hope that you will grow to love Teddy as much as I do.’

  Tatiana Ivanovna looked at her son, then at Teddy, who had an expression of nervous anticipation furrowing her brow, and then back to her son. As the countess rose from the sofa, her haughty expression was replaced by the most welcoming of smiles as she opened her arms wide and said, ‘Podojdite ko mne, moi deti. [Come to me, my precious children.]’

  Alex and Teddy embraced his mother, and she kissed them both.

  ‘Please, sit and talk with me as we await dinner,’ she encouraged, and she resumed her place on the sofa, patting the cushion next to her, while looking at Teddy invitingly.

  Teddy sat down next to her prospective mother-in-law while Alex sat in the comfortable leather armchair that had once been his domain.

  ‘You must tell me all about yourself, my dear child, for if I am to bestow my only son on you, I must first satisfy my curiosity and assure myself that he is worthy of you.’ She smiled warmly at Teddy, and it was clear to Alex that his mother, who often muddled up the English language, had intended the sentiment precisely as spoken.

  They talked together for over an hour, and when the maid came to announce that dinner was ready, she was waved away dismissively on three separate occasions. It was only at the fourth attempt, when the maid looked appealingly at Alex and told him that she could not hold the meal any longer without ruining it, that his mother and fiancée rose and went together into the dining room. Alex smiled resignedly at the maid as he followed the women through for dinner.

  Dinner was a success, even though it was slightly overcooked, and the women did not stop talking to each other at any point. Alex was beginning to feel somewhat redundant, as his mother had not spoken to him once since his announcement, and he wondered whether he had hurt his mother unwittingly.

  The maid returned and announced that Uncle Walter had called and was waiting in the drawing room. As they had finished their meal, Alex followed the women through to join their visitor.

  ‘Volodya,’ the countess greeted Uncle Walter using the familiar diminutive of his Russian name, ‘Alexander has news.’ She turned and looked at her son.

  Alex was momentarily speechless; he could hardly repeat his earlier speech that he had prepared carefully for his mother. In the end, he merely said, ‘Teddy and I are engaged to be married.’

  The reaction of Alex’s Uncle Walter to this news was entirely the opposite to that shown by Teddy’s father earlier in the day. His smile was so broad and so bright that it could have illuminated the room all by itself. He went to Teddy and lifted her off the ground in a massive bear hug, such that Alex feared for her delicate frame. Walter placed her gently back onto her feet and came to Alex, hugging him likewise. Alex noticed that his uncle had tears rolling down his cheeks.

  ‘Primite moi Pozdravleniya, [Congratulations,]’ he said, struggling with his emotions and striving valiantly to find anything else to say, so he merely repeated the words several times as he shook Alex by the hand, then went to Teddy and gave her another bear hug, before planting a kiss on the cheek of Alex’s mother.

  Uncle Walter went to the cabinet in the corner and took out a bottle of expensive-looking vodka together with four beautiful, exquisitely enamelled, silver-gilt vodka cups, into which he deftly poured four generous measures of the liquor.

  Handing one to each, he proposed the toast, ‘Tost za Sashu i Teddi, chtoby oni prozhili mnogo let vmeste a chtoby u nih rodilos mnogo krasivyh detej! [A toast to Sasha and Teddy, may they live long together and have many beautiful children!]’

  With that, all four swallowed the fiery alcohol. Of course, those whose heritage is Russian were well used to the spirit, but as Teddy drank she choked at its heat, coughed and spluttered, which brought a burst of laughter from Uncle Walter and a smile from Alex.

  ‘Good Russian vodka is a taste that you must acquire,’ Uncle Walter pronounced, ‘but perhaps the occasion demands something just a little more refined?’

  Uncle Walter rang for the maid and demanded a bucket of ice, and, from the same corner cabinet, he produced a bottle of 1911 Louis Roederer Cri
stal Champagne, which he held lovingly, and announced, ‘I brought two cases from Russia with me. This wine was first created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, and has been a favourite of the Imperial family, and of mine, since that time. I have but three bottles left. One, I have reserved for my funeral; this one we shall drink today in celebration of your betrothal; and the last will be drunk at your wedding.’ He placed the bottle in the wine cooler. ‘But, first, it must chill for a while.’

  Alex was stunned at the generosity of his uncle, and Teddy looked imploringly at her betrothed as if to say, ‘This is too generous,’ but Alex was struck dumb.

  As they waited for the wine to chill sufficiently, the conversation resumed between Teddy and Alex’s mother, and it was not long before Uncle Walter joined Alex in feeling left out. His solution was to reach into his jacket’s inside pocket and extract two huge cigars, one of which he gave to Alex, and the second, having clipped the end, he rolled in his fingers and wet with his tongue before lighting it with a gold cigar lighter. Alex had never been a smoker, but he felt as though, in his uncle offering him a cigar, he had achieved a rite of passage, and so he followed Uncle Walter’s example and lit his own.

  ‘So, Sasha,’ began his uncle, ‘when will be the date of your marriage?’

  ‘Frankly,’ Alex replied, ‘I do not know. My orders have come through, and I am leaving in a week; I have no idea for how long I shall be away. I hope that we can arrange our marriage during my first leave.’

  ‘Do you know where you are going?’ Uncle Walter asked.

  ‘Honestly, I do not,’ Alex hated the untruth, ‘but, even if I did, I doubt that I would be able to tell you.’

  ‘I understand, Sasha; I understand. You must know that, while you are away, your mother and I will always be available to Theodora, should she need anything. Although you are not married, we shall treat her as one of the family, as if you were.’

  ‘Thank you for that, Uncle.’ Alex was genuinely grateful. ‘I know that she will be in good hands.’

  Uncle Walter stood up. ‘Now we must celebrate properly,’ he said, removing the champagne from the ice bucket, unravelling the cage and removing the cork with the faintest whisper of escaped gas. He took four delicate Venetian champagne glasses from the cupboard and poured some of the light-amber liquid into each.

  Alex’s mother, seizing the initiative, proposed a toast, ‘To my darling son, Sasha, and his beautiful wife-to-be, our daughter, Theodora!’

  As they drank the toast, Alex knew that Teddy had been accepted entirely by his family and that he could go to war in the sure knowledge that his family would care for and love his wife-to-be. Alex smiled at his fiancée, and she smiled back and blew him a kiss.

  The champagne was exquisite, and two lesser bottles were also drunk, with each glass accompanied by a toast, as is Russian tradition, and so when the time came for the happy couple to leave, both were decidedly unsteady on their feet. Rather than them having to try to find a taxi, Uncle Walter waved for his car. Alex shook Uncle Walter’s hand, and kissed his mother.

  She blessed him and whispered, ‘Theodora is adorable, and will be the daughter that I never had.’

  Alex kissed her again, and mouthed, ‘Thank you, Mama; thank you.’

  He and Teddy got into the car, which promptly set off. In the back of the Rolls-Royce, as they drove to Cavendish Court, Teddy snuggled into Alex.

  He said to her quietly, ‘I’m glad that’s over.’

  *

  The lovers had decided to go into town the next day to choose an engagement ring. They walked arm in arm, sharing Alex’s umbrella against the driving rain, to the Cromwell Road to catch a bus into Oxford Street. They had to wait a good while, as the timetable was in total disarray due to so many buses being called in for evacuation duty. Even though it had only been a day or so since they had last been in the centre of London, both Alex and Teddy were shocked at the changes that had occurred. There were more people in military uniform, both men and women, and; sandbags had appeared in front of the windows of the great department stores. As the bus had driven up Park Lane and past Hyde Park, they saw the recently dug in anti-aircraft gun emplacements, where children had played only a few weeks previously; a troop of cavalry, usually resplendent in their dress uniforms, were clad in khaki. But, mostly, the atmosphere had changed. Gone was the carefree light-heartedness of a vibrant metropolis, and desperation was its replacement.

  They got off the bus outside the Selfridge’s department store. This had not been their intention. They had anticipated alighting at New Bond Street, but the bus ground to a halt, and it did not seem as if progress would be soon; walking was clearly quicker, so linking arm in arm, and again huddling together under the protection of the umbrella, Alex and Teddy began their quest. There were many jewellers and goldsmiths, but none had quite the right ring to satisfy the different tastes of Alex and Teddy. Alex wanted to buy a ring that was unique and had enough clustered diamonds to shout to the world how much he loved his betrothed; Teddy wanted a modest solitaire diamond that showed that she loved the single most significant person in her life.

  Even Garrard’s, which had produced some of the most spectacular jewellery for the crowned heads of Europe, could not find anything that pleased the couple. Asprey’s, jewellers to the royal family, offered to design and manufacture a ring to meet their exact requirements, but there was no guarantee that it could fill commission by the time Alex had to leave. They had almost given up hope and were wandering aimlessly in the vague direction of Regent Street when Teddy noticed a small brass plaque next to a plain doorway that merely announced, ‘Goldman, Goldsmith’. Solely on the tenuous belief that any man with a name like that who purported to understand gold could sell them the ring that they sought, she knocked the door.

  A bespectacled, elderly man, wrapped in a tallit, and whose head bore the traditional yarmulke, opened the door a few inches and looked out.

  ‘Excuse me,’ began Alex, ‘we are looking for an engagement ring. May we come in?’

  ‘Not today,’ the man said, ‘it’s the Sabbath!’ The door was closed decisively before Alex could enquire further.

  ‘Well!’ exclaimed Teddy, astonished at the rudery.

  ‘Yes,’ responded Alex, ‘that’s my fault, I should have remembered that Simon Potts respected the Sabbath at school also. What shall we do?’

  As they moved away from the door, it opened again ever so slightly, and a business card appeared in a withered hand that Alex assumed belonged to the elderly Jew. ‘Try here,’ a voice said from behind the door, and as Alex took the proffered card the door closed again.

  The address on the card was in another side road off New Bond Street, and therefore not far away, so they set off in search of the destination printed neatly in formal copperplate, on the card. The address turned out to be a modest terraced house, and, on knocking on the door, Alex wondered what lay beyond.

  As the door opened, Alex stated their business, ‘I have been given this card by, I think, a Mr Goldman, who’s not far from here. We believe that you may assist us with an engagement ring?’

  The young man who had opened the door smiled and opened it further in welcome. Alex shook the excess from his umbrella, and both Teddy and he entered what must have been, at one time, the front parlour of a residential house, but gone were the homely furnishings, and all that existed in the room was an ornate desk surrounded by three chairs. The only other piece of furniture was a polished, good-quality mahogany chest of drawers that was placed behind the desk and against the back wall.

  ‘Please, come,’ the man invited, ‘my name is Joseph Feldman; how may I assist you?’ The pronunciation of his first name, where he replaced the J with a Y, caused Alex to wonder at his heritage.

  ‘We are seeking an engagement ring,’ began Alex, who continued, ‘but my fiancée, and I are struggling to agree on how it should be.’

&nb
sp; ‘My dear,’ Joseph addressed Teddy, ‘your thoughts, please?’ He turned to Alex, and continued, ‘Forgive me, sir, but the lady has to wear the ring and must feel comfortable doing so.’ He smiled and returned his attention to Teddy.

  ‘I want something simple: a solitaire or a small group,’ she ventured.

  ‘A perfect choice,’ Mr Feldman remarked, ‘and perhaps, sir, you might indicate how much?’ He edged a small pad of paper and a fountain pen towards Alex discreetly, with an apologetic smile.

  Alex thought for a moment and wrote a question mark on the pad along with an ambiguous, ‘What would you recommend?’ and folded the slip of paper, before handing it to Feldman.

  A knowing smile replaced the jeweller’s quizzical look, and Mr Feldman went to the chest of drawers, opened the third drawer down and extracted a leather box, which he placed deferentially on the table. After unrolling a small, black velvet mat, he opened the box and removed five twists of tissue paper. He untwisted each carefully and put a diamond from each onto the velvet mat.

  ‘Tell me,’ Mr Feldman enquired, ‘do you know diamonds?’

  ‘I know what they look like,’ said Alex rather fatuously.

  Teddy smiled charmingly, indicating that she had not a clue when it came to the world’s most alluring gemstone.

  ‘Diamonds are unique,’ Mr Feldman waxed lyrical about his specialist subject area, ‘although many may be similar, no two diamonds are precisely the same.’

  He continued, ‘There are four main considerations when choosing a diamond. The most important is the cut because that has the greatest influence on how the diamond sparkles. It needs to be cut in the proper proportions, and if it has been, then the light refracted out of the top of the diamond, which is called the table…’ he held a diamond in a pair of tweezers against the black velvet and indicated this point by using a pencil, ‘is glorious. If the diamond is cut too shallow, then the light leaks out of the bottom, and if the cut is too deep, then it escapes out of the side; in both these cases the diamond appears dull.