asked as he walked in, his hat and poncho dripping all over the floor. He was a big man and looked even larger in his cloak and headgear. He removed his hat to reveal his thick head of white hair. ‘Louisa!’ he cried, grinning broadly as if he were a much-missed uncle. He reached for her hand, pulled her towards him and gave her a kiss on each cheek.
Louisa smiled politely while trying to disguise her discomfort. ‘This is indeed a pleasant surprise.’
‘You look even more beautiful, if that’s possible.’ When he saw Stratton, Steel did not look remotely surprised at the operative’s presence. ‘You still here, Stratton? I thought you’d be on your way back to good old Blighty by now.’
Stratton forced a smile of his own.
‘Well, this is all nice and cosy. Do you mind if I join you?’ Steel asked, tossing his hat on a chair by the door.
‘You know you’re always welcome,’ Louisa said.
‘And I come bearing gifts, as usual, but this time of the edible kind.’ Steel dumped his poncho on the chair too. A leather bag hung around his shoulder. He opened it and took out a bottle of red wine which he handed to Victor and a brown paper package that he gave to Louisa. ‘Cheese,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what kind but they served it after dinner last night in the city and I had to bring some for you because it tasted so good.’
Victor inspected the wine label and, none the wiser, set about opening it.
‘Christ, it’s raining out there,’ Steel declared, vigorously warming his hands at the fire. ‘I tell ya, I’ve been in some deluges before but I swear this country takes some beatin’ when it comes to surprise cloud-bursts. Where’s the old man?’
‘He’s retired for the evening.’
‘Retired? Well, get ’im up. Steel’s here. And if that’s not a good enough reason tell ’im we got things to talk about that can’t wait till morning.’ Steel had a huge grin across his wide face as he sat down. ‘Mind if I help myself ?’ he asked, looking at the food. ‘Been a long road,’ he said, reaching for a hunk of bread and some meat and filling a glass from the wine jug. ‘I got a ride along that highway a dozen klicks east of here. Then I got myself a mule the rest of the way. I hate walkin’ if I don’t have to and I haven’t had to in a while,’ he said, laughing as he filled his mouth. ‘Excuse my appetite but I haven’t had a good meal all day.’
Victor found the wine palatable. ‘The government troops patrol that road,’ he said.
‘Sure do. Not as well as they should, though.’
‘What do you tell them when they stop you?’
‘Hell, I’m an American tourist.’ Steel laughed. Then his face took on a slightly more serious expression. ‘They know who I am, Victor. You think I don’t talk to them too? Just remember, it’s you people I’m behind.’
He looked around the room, stopping at the painting of the Jarama Valley battle. ‘Sebastian tell you about his grandpappy?’ he asked Stratton.
‘A little.’
‘Did he tell you that’s somethin’ we have in common? In the Spanish Civil War my grandpa was a member of an American volunteer force, the Abraham Lincoln Bridgade - fought alongside Sebastian’s grandpa. Hell, we got our asses well and truly handed to us at that party. Lost more’n half our men. My father told me something my grandpa once said about the Jarama Valley scrap. When it was over, those who survived said they figured out why their brigade was named after Abraham Lincoln. Because he got assassinated too.’ Steel burst out laughing.
Stratton tried to smile politely. But there was something about Steel that he just did not like and the more the man talked, the stronger his hostile feelings became. He could not believe Steel was so thick-skinned that he did not know when people were uncomfortable around him.
‘So. How they been treatin’ you?’ Steel glanced only briefly at Stratton as he asked him the question. ‘How’s the training comin’ along? I thought you’d be done and gone two days ago.’
‘Stratton’s lucky to be alive,’ Victor said.
‘Come again?’ Steel asked. He looked worried but there was no way of knowing if his expression was genuine.
‘A box of your weapons was booby-trapped. Two of my men are dead, one may not make it and another is seriously hurt.’
‘I don’t believe it!’ Steel exclaimed. ‘When’d this happen?’