Page 7 of Fire Must Burn

‘Why would a double agent be running a marriage bureau?’ asked Sparks.

‘It’s as good a front as anything. It allows you to meet people from all walks of life, including any level of His Majesty’s government.’

‘What specifically are you asking me to do?’

‘It would involve both of you, in fact,’ said the Brigadier. ‘And your marriage bureau. There is a man we’re concerned about who has been with our Far East operations based in Shanghai. He’s transferred back home to work under the Foreign Secretary. Bevin likes him, so he looks to be on the rise, and will have access to a number of ongoing operations and their personnel. Most importantly, he’s single.’

‘Ah,’ said Sparks. ‘I think I see where this is going.’

‘The Secretary prefers career civil servants to be stable and married,’ said the Brigadier. ‘I’ve personally never seen anycausal connection between matrimony and stability, but there you are. There are two parts to this plan. I want you to get this man to sign up for your professional services. Then I want you to set him up with someone who can delve into his affairs.’

‘A honeytrap?’

‘Not quite that involved. More of a sounding out in a way that will be less likely to set off his alarms. Once we’re satisfied, she’ll break it off, and, depending on which side he falls on, we’ll move in as appropriate.’

‘I have a question,’ said Mrs Bainbridge. ‘What if he proves to be loyal to the Crown? What does The Right Sort do with him then?’

‘If he’s loyal, go ahead and find him a proper bride,’ said the Brigadier with a shrug.

‘How are we supposed to recruit him?’ asked Sparks.

‘That’s the main reason I chose you,’ said the Brigadier. ‘You already know him.’

‘Who?’

‘Anthony Danforth,’ said the Brigadier, watching her closely.

‘Tony,’ she said, closing her eyes for a second. ‘Tony Danforth. I knew him at Cambridge.’

‘We know,’ said the Brigadier. ‘When is the last time you saw or heard from him?’

‘When he came back from Spain,’ she said. ‘Late ’38 maybe? We had dinner. He had plans to go to Singapore then. We exchanged a few letters, but we lost touch after that.’

‘I have to ask you this, Sparks, and it is absolutely essential that you be truthful with me,’ said the Brigadier. ‘Were you lovers?’

‘Lovers?’ she repeated. ‘No. Friends. Good friends for a while. But it never reached that level.’

Gwen willed herself to keep her expression blank as she watched her partner.

‘What I find interesting, knowing you as I do,’ said the Brigadier, ‘is that you haven’t leapt to his defence or attempted to dissuade me from this course of action.’

‘I’m not a wide-eyed student any more,’ said Sparks. ‘I fully respect the dangers of the world we live in. I know who Tonywas then. I don’t know who he is now, but I think I know what he was capable of becoming. And I think I know you well enough by now to know that you wouldn’t be asking me for help unless the situation was serious.’

‘It is,’ said the Brigadier.

‘I also noticed that you have cloaked all of this in a semblance of choice, rather than pointing out the obvious.’

‘Which is?’

‘That you have us both under your thumb. If I said no right now, would you honour it?’

‘I would,’ said the Brigadier.

‘What do you think?’ Sparks asked her partner.

‘I follow your lead in this,’ said Mrs Bainbridge.

‘But what do you think?’ persisted Sparks.