Page 75 of A Night of Secret Surrender

Such a change in topic was welcomed.

‘Perhaps de la Tomber may have been happy with such a result. It strengthened the remaining agencies, the Ministry of War included, though I did not stay around the city to be sure of that.’

‘I don’t think he would have seen it in such terms.’

Celeste caught the edge of something. ‘Why?’

‘He was unveiled, I suppose, which is a difficult thing to be when you wish to work as a spy. The same might be said of you, Celeste. Being unveiled, I mean?’

‘Once that was true.’

‘But now?’

‘Now I have other more important responsibilities.’

She could see he was more than interested to know what these might be, but was too polite to ask.

‘What else did de la Tomber say to you of Guy Bernard?’

‘He said he had taken a long while to get back to full strength after his “accident”. He also said he was a wild cannon whom no one now had any time for.’

‘Which makes him doubly dangerous.’

‘I thought the same.’

‘Where was his information coming in from?’

‘Clarke’s office, I suppose.’

‘A second source, then. My warning was from Caroline Debussy.’

‘And I hold a third. Bernard was seen coming off a fishing ship late last night in the English port of Dover.’

Celeste frowned. ‘Then he will be here today.’

‘Which is why I want you out of it. I want you gone.’

‘No.’

‘Your presence will only make the meeting more difficult, given the last time he saw you, you cut his throat.’

He was striving for cold distance and she could not allow it. ‘Two sets of eyes are better than one and I can fire a gun with expertise.’

‘The bloodthirsty Celeste Fournier?’

‘He is dangerous to us.’

‘Us?’

‘All of us,’ she amended and looked away.

‘Me. You. Who else?’

‘Anyone around us. He will kill anyone at all to get what he wants.’

‘And you lived with a man like this?’

‘He helped me once. He helped me survive.’