pushed it away. Now was not the time for flights of fancy.
“Mr. Lacey is ready for the major whenever he’s available,” I said.
Oscar nodded. “I’ll tell him.”
I went back to the major’s office. Felix, to his credit, had returned all of Jocelyn Abbot’s letters to their envelopes and tied the twine about them once more. I felt better, somehow, knowing the love letters were no longer out in the open.
The major came in a moment later, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Less than an hour,” he said. “Are you sure you have it perfected?”
“Judge for yourself,” Felix said, pushing a sheet along the desk.
The major stepped forward and picked it up. His eyes scanned it briefly and then he looked up at Felix. There was a long moment of silence before he said, “You could have fooled me with this letter.”
Felix grinned. “I shall take that as a compliment, Major.”
Major Ramsey didn’t answer. I supposed he hadn’t exactly meant to compliment Felix on the quality of his forgery, but, under the circumstances, I thought it fitting. The way I looked at it, good work was good work. Credit where credit is due.
Felix rose then, rolling down his sleeves and pulling on his jacket. “If that’s all, then, Major?”
Major Ramsey nodded. “You’ll come back early in the morning, say around four o’clock? We’d like to make the switch before sunrise, if at all possible.”
Felix nodded. “I’ll be here.”
I also made a move to rise, to accompany Felix out, but the major’s voice stopped me. “You’ll stay for a bit longer, Miss McDonnell?” he asked, still looking at the documents on the desk.
He wanted to have a word privately with me, then. I turned to look at Felix. He, too, had understood the request, and gave me a short nod.
“I’ll be on my way, then,” he said.
“Our car will drop you anywhere you want to go,” Major Ramsey said.
“I can walk.”
“Felix…” I began, but then I stopped. He knew his limitations better than I did, and it would only embarrass him for me to mention his leg.
His gaze flickered over to me. “I’ll see you later, Ellie?”
“Yes, I’ll ring you up.”
He nodded and turned back to Major Ramsey. “Good afternoon, Major.”
“Good afternoon.”
He left then, and we were alone.
Major Ramsey was silent for a moment as though thinking something over. It was something I had learned in my short acquaintance with him, that sometimes you just had to sit and let him think. The silences weren’t uncomfortable. I don’t know if he meant them to be, but I found there was something reassuring, almost soothing, about them, as though answers were coming together in the quiet.
“Do you trust him?” he asked at last.
It wasn’t exactly what I had expected, but it was easy enough to answer.
“I wouldn’t have recommended him if I didn’t.” Under other circumstances, I might have been affronted, but I knew how seriously Major Ramsey took his job. I knew how serious all of this was.
“I trust him, too,” he said.
I looked up at him, surprised. I hadn’t expected such an admission, especially not when he had not particularly cared for Felix. I ought to have known, however, that it wasn’t a compliment without restrictions.
“He’s exactly the sort of chap I wouldn’t trust in regular life, which is what makes him perfect for this job.”
There was a gibe in there somewhere, but I smiled nonetheless. “He’s a very good sort of person when he makes up his mind to be. And he’s very good at what he does.”
The major nodded, looking down at the letter again. “That’s apparent.”
A silence fell over the room then, as we both looked at the stack of letters on the desk. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I felt suddenly like I ought to let him know that Felix and I hadn’t been sitting here together sifting through the pieces of his broken relationship.
“I … I didn’t read her letters,” I said.
He looked up at me. “You could have. There’s nothing in them I wish to hide.”
“Yes, but…”
He waited, but I didn’t know what I wanted to say.
“I … I’m sorry,” I said at last. “That she was involved, I mean. I know it must be unpleasant for you.”
“Things were over between Jocelyn and me long before this.”
“Yes, but…” I sighed, the weight of all of it hitting me suddenly. “It’s all so awful, isn’t it? All the secrecy and deception, not knowing who can be trusted. All these solid British