Page 122 of The Last Night in London

“He’s dangerous. He’s working with the Germans. Lord Merton...”

“We know,” Graham said.

“‘We’?”

More footsteps approached, and before Graham could movehimself and Eva back into the shadows, David appeared in the doorway. He gave a short nod of greeting to Eva before turning to Graham. “We’ve got to go.”

David sent Graham a serious look before returning to the hallway, his rapid footsteps echoing against the bricks. Graham turned back to Eva.

“There is so much unsaid between us, Eva. We haven’t got time now, but we will. Later, when this business with Alex is over.” His arms tightened around her. “Alex doesn’t know Georgina is dead, and we need to keep it that way. I need you to continue delivering the envelopes to Chester Terrace. Except they will be collected by one of my people first, before they reach their intended recipient.”

Her head was pounding as she moved aside the endless questions pressing against her skull, trying to get out. “They’re empty, you know. The envelopes. There’s nothing in them—I checked.”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “They’re actually not empty. They contain microdots, barely visible to the human eye, stuck inside the folds. Once they’re transferred to a slide, they can be read under a microscope.”

“What sort of information is it?”

He shook his head. “Just know that the information will be altered before being passed along.” He placed a gentle hand on either side of her face, cupping her jaw. “I will let you know when you can stop, but you can’t tell anyone. Especially not Alex. Can you do this?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“You are much braver and stronger than you believe you are, Eva. Never forget that you are both. Never forget how far you’ve come.”

“I’m not brave or strong. I’m not.” She clutched his lapels, feeling him begin to pull away from her. “Just tell me you still love me,” she whispered. “That’s all I need.”

He responded with a kiss, a hard, searing kiss that made her want to weep and shout at the same time. When he lifted his head, he simply stared at her as if memorizing her features.

“We’ve both made mistakes, haven’t we?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “We can only hope that when this is all over, we will find our way back to each other and learn how to forgive the unforgivable.”

“Forgive—”

He cut her off. “Be careful, Eva. I once promised to keep you safe, remember? And I intend to keep my promise.” He turned away.

“What side are you on?” she asked through bruised lips.

He stopped, looked over his shoulder. “The good one.” And then he was gone, his uneven footsteps disappearing into the darkness.

Eva waited there until the all clear was sounded, then returned upstairs with the other guests, joining a conversation with two women as they climbed the stairs so that it would appear she’d been with them the entire time. Alex met her in the lobby, holding her mink and her bag; then he escorted her to his waiting car. Eva could barely look at him, still tasting Graham on her lips, hearing his words over and over in her head. They were halfway to Marylebone before she spoke. “Why are you betraying your country?”

Alex laughed, an odd hollow sound. “Are you developing a conscience, my darling?”

She turned away, unable to look at him, her loathing making it difficult to breathe. “Would it matter to you if I were?”

He chuckled. “No.” They were silent for a long moment. Eva stared out her window, seeing the glow of smoldering fires as wardens rushed to put them out, the piles of rubble where people’s lives and histories had been snuffed out simply because they wouldn’t give up and surrender. Because they would willingly suffer to prove a point.

As they pulled up in front of her building, when she thought he wouldn’t answer, Alex said, “I have too much German blood in me to turn my back on the Fatherland. England will fall. All of their inbreeding has made them weak. And I never bet on a losing horse.”

She looked across the darkened backseat, feeling a burning heat rise up from her core, licking at the ice around her heart. “Good night,” she said, then stepped out of the car. Alex didn’t insist onaccompanying her, and she was glad she didn’t have to look at him for a moment longer.

It was nearly four in the morning when she let herself into the flat, noticing that the hallway and bathroom lights had been left on, and Precious’s door was ajar. She knocked gently and, when there was no response, pushed the door open, then turned on the overhead light.

Precious lay on her side in the bed, sniffling, her face swollen from crying. The room smelled of unwashed sheets and dirty hair and a sour odor that reminded Eva of her mother. Eva had always likened it to the scent of despair, if there were such a thing.

She rushed to Precious’s side and placed the back of her hand against her forehead and cheeks, as she remembered her mother doing. They were cold and clammy enough to cause Eva concern. “I’m going to call for a doctor.”

She made to move away, but Precious caught her wrist. “Don’t. Please don’t. I’m not sick.”

“Of course you are. Look at you—you’re definitely not all right.”