either Sir Nigel or Leslie Turner-Hill were involved,” he said. “No one has implicated them directly in the plot. It may just be that their slanted loyalties put them in with the wrong crowd.”
“Hopefully they’ll realize the error of their ways,” I said.
“That remains to be seen.”
Silence fell for a moment.
“And that was why I called you here,” he said. “To tell you how it’s all worked out. To wrap things up, as neatly as possible in situations such as these.”
There was something like finality in his tone.
“And so this is it?” I asked.
“You’ve fulfilled your side of the bargain,” he said. That familiar half smile touched his lips. “More than that, in fact. I asked you to open a safe; I think you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty.”
I didn’t know why I suddenly felt so dreadfully sad. I had been annoyed to be roped into this, after all. I hadn’t wanted to work with Major Ramsey. I’d been forced to participate against my will.
But that was before we had been able to stop a traitor and a German spy, done our part to save the country. That was a bit dramatic, I supposed, but there was the feeling that we had done something that really mattered, that we had been a small part of history. A part that would never be told, perhaps, but an important part nonetheless.
And now it was over.
“You’ve acquitted yourself admirably,” he said. His choice of words was not lost on me.
“You had to blackmail us into it,” I reminded him.
“In the end, though, it was your choice. And the end is really all that matters.”
The end.
I looked up at him with a smile I didn’t feel. “It’s all been most enlightening, Major. I’ve enjoyed it. Truly.”
There was a moment of silence, and then he put the book he was holding on the desk and pushed it toward me. “I thought you might like this.”
It was a thick, leather tome with gold embossing. I picked it up and looked at the title. Gods and Heroes: Tales of Courage and Cunning in Greek Mythology.
Suddenly, I could think of nothing to say. Even if I’d wanted to, there was a lump in my throat.
“I hope, when you read it, you’ll remember that the warriors in that book are myths, not men,” he said, his voice low and warm. “Achilles and Ajax and Hector, those heroes have nothing on ordinary people who step up to do the impossible when they’re called upon. People like you, Electra McDonnell.”
The tears did spring to my eyes then, but I couldn’t brush them away because his gaze caught mine and held.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Thank you.”
I nodded, my throat too tight to say more, then stood and turned toward the door. I had just reached it when his voice stopped me. “Miss McDonnell.”
I turned.
“You’re still on the payroll,” he said, his commanding officer tone restored. “You and your uncle are to stay out of trouble and be ready if I need you.”
I smiled, a strange sensation of happiness flooding through me. “You know where to find us, Major Ramsey.”
Then I left his office and closed the door behind me.
Bidding farewell to the cheerful Constance, I stepped out of the office into the fresh, damp air. There had been a brief rain shower while I was inside, it seemed, but now the sky had cleared and the sun was shining.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Everything was bright and clean, and I felt a new sense of appreciation for the homeland I had secretly helped to defend from the enemy. Then I turned and started down the street, an ordinary citizen of London on her way home.
“Going my way?” a voice asked.
I turned. “Felix!” I said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
He came toward me, looking dapper and handsome in a pinstripe suit.
“I stopped by the house to see you, and your uncle was quite evasive about where you’d gone. I figured you’d come here.”
I smiled. “Just wrapping things up with the major.”
“All’s well then?”
I nodded.
“And may I escort you home?”
“I’d like that very much.”
We walked along together in companionable silence for a few moments.
“I’ve written to that shipmate of mine,” he said. “I suppose it shouldn’t be too long before I hear something back.”
“Thank you, Felix,” I said. I couldn’t think too much about it now, about the possibility I might learn something about my mother’s innocence. I would wait until we received a reply. Today had brought too much contentment to consider the past.
“I had supposed, after our adventure, that life would go back to normal,” Felix said after a few moments. “But it occurred to me that normal no longer looks the same as it used to.”
He was right, of course.
Would life ever go back to normal, the way it had once been? I supposed that it wouldn’t. It couldn’t. Nothing could ever be the same after this war. Despite the idea that we would endure until the end, despite our unwavering confidence that we would win, it was going to change us. None of us could be what we had once been.
And perhaps that was a good thing.
I took Felix’s arm, holding Major Ramsey’s book in the other, and walked toward the Tube station feeling quite on top of the world.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing may seem a solitary task, but any writer will tell you that there are so many people who are instrumental in the creation of a book. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude to everyone who has had a part in the process.
I would like to thank Ann Collette for being not only a terrific agent but a good friend, for her excellent advice, and for her belief in my stories from the beginning.
I am extremely grateful to my wonderful editor, Catherine Richards, whose skill, insight, and keen eye for detail helped to shape this story and bring Ellie and company fully to life.
Many thanks to Nettie Finn for her valuable input and unfailingly cheerful assistance. And to everyone at Minotaur who worked to turn my manuscript into a beautiful book.
To the many wonderful friends who have offered encouragement, companionship, and commiseration throughout the writing process, I am also indebted. Thanks to Angela Larson, Stephanie Shultz, Sabrina Street, and Becky Farmer for writing buddy sessions and late-night pep talks. And to Chalanda Wilson, Amanda Phillips, Courtney LeBoeuf, and Ty Cedars for both daily laughs and deep conversations.
And, finally, many, many thanks to my wonderful family—Dan Weaver, DeAnn Weaver, Amelia Lea, Caleb Lea, Larson Lea, and Shauna Weaver—for all the love, support, and good times.
My most heartfelt appreciation goes out to you all!
ALSO BY ASHLEY WEAVER
THE AMORY AMES MYSTERIES
Murder at the Brightwell
Death Wears a Mask
A Most Novel Revenge
Ibntrigue in Capri (ebook short)
The Essence of Malice
An Act of Villainy
A Dangerous Engagement
A Deception at Thornecrest
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ASHLEY WEAVER is the technical services coordinator at the Allen Parish Libraries in Oberlin, Louisiana. Weaver has worked in libraries since she was fourteen; she was a page and then a clerk before obtaining her MLIS from Louisiana State University. Her Amory Ames series includes Murder at the Brightwell, which was shortlisted for the Edgar Award. A Peculiar Combination is the first in the Electra McDonnell series. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Acknowledgments
Also by Ashley Weaver
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
A PECULIAR COMBINATION. Copyright © 2021 by Ashley Weaver. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover art: woman © Interfoto/History/Alamy;
London © Enea Kelo/Shutterstock.com; combination safe dial © Mingirov Yurly/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Weaver, Ashley, author.
Title: A peculiar combination: an Electra McDonnell novel / Ashley Weaver.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020053225 | ISBN 9781250780485 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250780492 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: War stories.
Classification: LCC PS3623.E3828 P43 2021 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053225
eISBN 9781250780492
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First Edition: 2021