Page 46 of A Song in the Dark

chapter Seventeen

Rick smiled as he watched Melanie hold another swatch of fabric out to Chaisley. The ivory satin glowed in the warm firelight.

“This one looks lovely with your skin tone.” Melanie had taken charge of all things wedding and glowed almost as much as his bride-to-be.

The grin that split his fiancée’s face was a sight to behold. How had he become so blessed? The most wonderful woman in the world was going to be his wife. And to have her grandmother’s blessing and encouragement was more than Rick had thought possible.

It all happened so fast, and yet, it was perfect.

The butler appeared at the door of the large drawing room, clearing his throat. “Mr. Rick, you have a visitor.”

“Oh?” He scratched the side of his face. Who would come to see him here? No one knew he was here except his senior office—

Oh.

His heart skittered to a stop then picked up double time. If Fairsworth was here, then ... what had happened? He kept his tone light so he wouldn’t upset Chaisley. “Where is my visitor, good man?”

“In the parlor, sir.”

Rick glanced at the girls. Their heads were together as Chaisley felt the fabric in her hands. Well, he wouldn’t interrupt them. Best to see whoever this was and send them on their way before the ladies even knew he was gone.

He slipped out and followed the butler down the hallway. With a bow, the older gentleman left him at the closed door.

Lord ... help. Please don’t let us be at war. He took a long breath then opened the door.

Fairsworth sat on a couch, his hands folded in front of him.

Rick frowned and strode across the small room to stand by the couch. “The news can’t be good if you came here in person.” He crossed his arms and arched a brow. “Well?”

The older gentleman’s face softened. “Hello to you, too, Friederich. I’m well. Thank you for asking.”

Why was he always so… contrary? Like he wanted to start an argument. Just because he was on edge and really wanted to get married didn’t mean that he should be such a bear. “My apologies. But your visit is ... unexpected.”

Fairsworth clapped his hands on his thighs and stood. “Command thought I should give you this news face-to-face. Especially under the circumstances of your upcoming nuptials.”

A sensation he didn’t like prickled up Rick’s spine. Not war. Please, not war. The world wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready. “What news?”

Fairsworth’s expression changed from his usual indecipherable Cheshire cat imitation to something more serious.

“All agents are to escalate their efforts regarding section D. The Munich Agreement has not only given Hitler what he wants, it has apparently inflamed his hunger for power. The reports we have received are disheartening. The world will be at war before we know it. Hitler is unstable, at best.”

Rick bit the inside of his cheek. Of course the Munich Agreement would fail. He saw that coming from a mile away. “What exactly do you mean by escalate? I’m supposed to get married on Saturday.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, mate.

You need to talk to your fiancée about the very real possibility that you won’t be here on Saturday.

Every single target on each of our lists must be hit.

Now. We cannot delay. The faster we knock out their communications the more time we buy for the prime minister and other leaders to figure out what they want the next united step to be. ”

He was going to be sick. How was this going to work? He’d have to tell Chaisley everything he’d been doing the last few months and postpone the wedding. He rubbed his face.

She was going to be upset. But more than that, she would be hurt that he hadn’t told her. Especially once they were engaged.

Fairsworth grabbed Rick’s shoulder. “I know you love her. And while many agents would call you a fool for getting involved with someone during wartime, I won’t do that.

” His voice was low. Kind, even. “But you better make this right with that girl before you have to leave. And you need to leave within the hour. Orders are orders.”

He swallowed hard. “Thank you for coming.”

“I’ll slip out now. I hope all goes well with your fiancée. And that God protects you.”

“He’s protected me from the Germans so far.”

Fairsworth gave him a wink. “I’m talking about the wrath of a woman having to postpone her wedding.” With that, the agent slipped out of the room and out the front door without a sound.

Rick stood in the parlor, staring at the empty hearth for a long moment.

All the joy had been sucked from him. He’d been a fool to not tell Chaisley everything and to get caught up in the dream of a future at a time like this.

More than anything, he wanted to marry her.

Maybe he should start with that. He inhaled sharply and then let out the breath as he counted to five.

Making his way back to the large drawing room, he made his way toward the women, who were now enjoying cakes and cups of tea.

“There you are!” Chaisley put her cup in the saucer and slowly slid it onto the table in front of her. “Where did you disappear to?”

Her senses were uncanny. Rick licked his lips and glanced at Melanie. She tilted her head, an eyebrow arched in question. He shook his head with a frown.

This was a conversation he had to have in private. He owed Melanie an explanation as well, but after he talked to Chaisley. “Mel, would you mind giving Chais and me a few minutes?”

Her gaze flicked from Rick to her friend. “Of course. I need to see the housekeeper about a matter anyway.”

The click of the door echoed through the now-silent room. Rick took Mel’s empty seat and reached for Chaisley’s hand.

“You’re making me nervous.” Chaisley’s voice shook. “Are you about to tell me you want to call off the wedding? I know this was sudden, but...”

Rick closed his eyes. Her vulnerability sliced through his heart. “Never!” The fierce whisper burst from him as he squeezed her hand. “But I do have something to tell you, and I pray you’ll give me time to explain everything before you ask questions.”

He cleared his throat and began telling her about that night outside of Berlin when he met Agent Fairsworth. He explained what he had been doing for his superiors as an agent of Section D and the news Fairsworth shared about Hitler.

Chaisley withdrew her hands from his and grew still. She was scared. It was written all over her face.

Father, I hate hurting her. “I have to leave within the hour to finish my part of the mission. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all of this once we were engaged.

Frankly”—he rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants—“I didn’t want to put a damper on the sweet time we were having.

But ... we need to postpone the wedding. ”

Her brow was etched with a deep V , her eyes dark. “You should have told me.”

Never had he seen her so hurt. Never. And he’d done that. He wanted to wrench his own heart from his chest. Why had he kept it from her? “My reasoning at the time doesn’t make sense to me even now. I’m so sorry. I’ve been a fool.”

Her face turned toward the window. “I never asked you to divulge the secrets of your work, Rick. I only asked you to tell me the truth. Why was it so hard to tell me that you had a mission but you couldn’t give me the details? I would have understood.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks and the sight of them was a knife slicing through him.

She placed a hand over her heart, as though trying to press the pain away. “You’ve had almost two weeks to tell me. Did you not trust me enough to let me carry this burden with you? Even if I didn’t know the details, I could still walk with you in it. Pray with you. That’s what hurts.”

He moved to sit beside her and pulled her into his arms. Her shoulders shook with soft sobs. “I was wrong. I’m so sorry. I thought we had more time...”

Why had he ever thought there would be more time? They were in the middle of watching a dictator spin out of control. “I’m so sorry.” The words sounded inadequate and stupid to his own ears.

Her sobs stopped, and her breathing calmed. After a few moments, she sat up and pulled away. One thing she was definitely good at—composing herself for an audience. “You have to leave right away?”

Something inside him felt snapped in two as she put on the brave show for him. “Yes.”

She patted his chest. “You have no idea when you will return?”

“No. I’m sorry.” Watching her pull herself together and knowing the inward struggle it was made him want to volunteer for a good flogging.

Her face grew stoic.

But blank.

“We will pray for you, Rick. Every day.”

He’d crushed her. “Thank you. Chaisley, I—”

“No more apologies. I will look forward to your safe return, and we will have the wedding then. Grandmother has been rallying, so that is good news. The end of my two-week hiatus is almost up. So I will find another driver and go back on tour.” Her words were all business. No emotion.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and drew her close. Kissing her gently, slowly, he trailed a few kisses along her jawline and whispered, “I love you.”

Her eyes closed and a single tear slipped out. “I love you, too. Please...” She choked back a sob. “Please come back to me.”

Germany—Friday, November 4, 1938

It had been twenty-one hours since Rick last slept and fourteen hours since his last meal. Hunger and exhaustion were now the least of his worries though.

As soon as the SIS implemented their plan in earnest, the Germans had been quick to get on the defensive.

He’d had to set out on foot to stay off roads, paths, trails, and any other detectable way to hit his targets. So far, he’d sabotaged or destroyed every target on his list except for two. And if what he’d overheard from the last German checkpoint was true, his fellow agents had succeeded as well.