London, January 26th 1944
Actor sat quietly in the carriage as the train chugged its way steadily towards London. He was pretending to be absorbed in the book on his lap, but in reality he was watching the girl opposite him, trying to work out what she was actually thinking. Emerald herself was staring blankly through the window as if she was watching the winter countryside pass by, but what with the condensation streaming down the inside of the glass and the smoke dirtied outside she would have been hard pressed to make out any detail.
Had he done the right thing, manipulating things so that she was offered an interview for a job in London?
When the suggestion had first been broached, she'd jumped at the chance to make a new start. Being a land girl alongside her twin sister Sapphire, with her aunt living only half a mile away and a second sister, Amber, working as a nurse at the nearby hospital had been fun… but with Saffie leaving after her pilot husband became a PoW, it wasn't fun anymore. But Emerald had hated her office job before the war. Would this be any different?
The girl certainly looked different, thought Actor. Her dark blonde hair was in a neat chignon topped with a small hat and she was wearing a figure-hugging skirt suit. The only thing that ruined the impression was a voluminous brown woollen top-coat, presumably borrowed from her aunt. She wouldn't have had time to send home for any of her own clothing.
A sixth sense told Emerald that she was being watched, but for the moment she didn't feel like making small talk with the suave Italian conman opposite her. In some ways she would have preferred to have made the journey alone.
G G G
Siobhan made her way to the office she had borrowed from SOE on Baker Street and spread the contents of the dossier out in front of her. Pamela's staff had excelled themselves putting it together at such short notice, not that there had been much to find. Everything there backed up the information Actor had given her. The interviewee was clever, resourceful and self-reliant. Her father was well respected by the people at Bletchley Park and it seemed likely his daughter had inherited his analytical abilities. It seemed as though she'd chafed at the bit working in the local solicitors office.
The Irish girl had to smile reading between the lines in that part of the report. The partners had clearly wanted someone more malleable who would do as she was told without question, not try to tell them that there might be a better way of doing things and, not create a fuss when wanderings hands made inroads on stocking tops. It seemed that there was relief on both sides when she'd left to take up a job as a Land Girl.
Siobhan turned over the page and kept reading. Three other sisters, one who seemed equally feisty, was a nurse at the military hospital near the country house where Actor was living. Her twin and eldest sister were back home with their mother. The youngest was just finishing school. Nothing there to cause concern.
Why had the conman pointed Emerald in her direction? That was something that she had yet to work out. She was pretty sure they'd not been lovers. He didn't know very much about her work - so why did he think she might want to hire an admin assistant? A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought.
A young woman that she didn't know stuck her head around the door. "Your guest is here. Shall I show her up?"
Still thoughtful she gathered up the papers and put the dossier back in her briefcase. "Please". Well, it looked as though she'd come on her own, even though she knew Actor had accompanied Emerald to London on the train. He'd called to tell her he'd be in the Capital overnight and suggested dinner at the Savoy. She'd left it as a 'maybe'. She had to admit the man intrigued her and curiosity was one of her worst traits.
There was a tentative knock on the door and the girl in question came into the room. Above average height, blonde haired, not heavily made-up, trim and smart in a suit with a brown coat slung over her arm. Siobhan liked what she saw, but more than that she liked the way that Emerald looked at her confidently, despite her obvious nerves.
"I hear you might be looking for a job..." began Siobhan.
G G G
Two hours later and an exhausted, but exhilarated, Emerald made her way back down to the street. Yet again she'd be taking another leap into the unknown, moving to London. She'd found it hard to believe that the innocent looking Irish girl that had greeted her was one of the War Office's top analysts. That she, Emerald, would now be joining the team of planners. Her fingers itched to tell Saffie, but with the ink barely dry on her signature of the Official Secrets Act, that was now out of the question.
At her side was another young woman, Yvonne, that she'd just been introduced to. This would be her potential flat share - something else that Siobhan had set up 'just in case'. Of Actor there was no sign, but Em wasn't surprised. Presumably he had things to do in London other than be her escort.
In fact, Actor was there watching the young woman leave. He waited until she had disappeared from sight before making his way into the building and approaching the Security Guard to show his credentials. With his paperwork in order he was escorted up to the office where Siobhan was still sitting at the desk adding a few final notes to Em's dossier. She looked up at the dark Italian and smiled. He raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"You're right - she has potential." The Irishwoman closed the file and slipped it into her briefcase. "I've sent her off with one of the SOE girls - there's a room in a house she can have if she wants it. I didn't suppose you'd be offering her your place." It was more statement than question but spoken in such a way that he could have contradicted it without issue.
Actor shook his head. Nice though Emerald was, he had no romantic interest in her and no intention of cramping his style. "That sounds ideal. Is she coming back here afterwards?"
It was Siobhan's turn to shake her head. "No, she's going straight back to the station. Wants to get home before it gets dark. You're off the hook as a chaperone." She laughed.
Feeling he was being made fun of, Actor changed the subject. "Did you think about my offer of dinner tonight?" He tried to sound nonchalant, but he realised it was something he wanted very much.
She hesitated, knowing that this was the point of no return. She'd given this man her phone number in a fit of madness a few weeks ago. Now the moment had come she was slightly nervous. What had seemed a good idea after a couple of gins in the pub was a different matter in the cold light of day. 'You want him,' said her inner voice traitorously. 'It's only dinner, where's the harm in that?' 'But it won't be just dinner, will it?' retorted her conscience. 'Oh, what the hell, I can always say a few 'Hail Mary's'', she decided, putting her conscience back in its box.
"OK, you can pick me up at seven." She scribbled an address on a scrap of paper and passed it across the desk.
Actor glanced at what was written, surprised. Belgravia, that was one very expensive part of London. "They must pay you better than I thought."
Siobhan smiled. "It belongs to the family. Don't get your hopes up, I'm poor as the proverbial church mouse."
Actor didn't believe that for a moment, but he wasn't about to argue. She'd said yes to dinner. It was a start.
G G G
It was dark when Emerald's train pulled into the small station that was nearest to the Mansion and the farm where she'd been working as a Land Girl for the past few months. Will, her aunt's fiancé and Adjutant to the American Lieutenant whose special forces group were based at the Mansion, was waiting for her, at the wheel of one of the black saloon cars from the motor pool. He was wearing his sergeant-major's uniform tonight, so presumably this counted as 'duty'.
Will opened the passenger-side door for his soon-to-be niece then made his own way round to the driver's side. "How did it go? Did you get it?" He hoped the answer was yes. From everything Molly had told him, it wouldn't work for Em to go back home to her mother and sisters - she'd be climbing the walls within a few days with all the enforced domesticity.
Em closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly exhausted after everything the day had thrown at her. "Yes, I don't know why, but I've been offered the job. Actor's word must have counted for something. I'll be working for an Irish lady called Siobhan."
"Siobhan? Petite, short blonde hair?"
Em opened an eye. "That's her. Unusual name isn't it. How do you know her?"
"She was involved in that hush-hush meeting at Beauchamp Place last month. Can't tell you more, luv, but if that's who you'll be working for you'll have some interesting times ahead I guarantee you."
He was speaking to himself. Em was already asleep.
G G G
Seven o'clock found Actor, smartly dressed in a dark grey suit with a black overcoat and hat, ringing the doorbell outside Siobhan's house. A small buzz and the door swung open to reveal a sumptuous, tiled hallway with a sweeping staircase. He quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind him to avoid letting light out onto the street.
His date was already making her way down the stairs. She was wearing a mid-calf dress of soft beige jersey, topped with a fur coat and a tiny hat pinned to the back of her head. The Italian tipped his head approvingly, breathing in the faint smell of the French perfume she was wearing.
"Femme de Rochas," he said, identifying the distinct scent.
"Yes, a friend brought it over from Paris."
Was that a warning that he wasn't alone in seeking the company of this enigmatic lady? Actor decided that it was. Still, she was his tonight, and he wouldn't have the reputation he had both with women and as a conman without some skill in seduction. He followed her out onto the street and into the waiting taxi.
The Savoy was its usual elegant self, despite the stresses caused by the war. The Italian was well known to the maitre d' - he'd frequented the hotel many times before his incarceration and since he'd returned to the UK as part of Garrison's team, he'd made a point of renewing as many connections as possible. Tonight, that groundwork had paid dividends. Despite the restaurant being full he'd been allocated a good table and the waiting staff were alert to his needs.
He watched Siobhan swallow the last oyster and follow it with a sip of champagne.
"It's been a long time since I've eaten an oyster. I'm surprised they're available." The Irish woman patted her lips delicately with the napkin. Her accent was stronger tonight, he noticed, perhaps because she wasn't 'on duty'.
Gradually, Siobhan let down her guard and started to tell a few stories of her childhood growing up in Cork and London. In return Actor regaled her with his life as a teenager growing up in Italy, carefully steering away from his criminal past. He should have known he couldn't escape scot free, however.
He was just about to swallow the first mouthful of fillet steak when she asked the question he'd been dreading. "How did you go from a life of luxury to one of crime?"
Actor hesitated, unsure of which particular 'back story' he should tell her. He settled for the one that was closest to the truth. "We might have been minor counts, but after the war we had no money and the depression made things worse. I started at medical school but couldn't afford the fees, so had to find a patron who could help me out."
"It's a long way from being a gigolo to pay your fees to a maximum-security prison in the States."
"Perhaps another time, when I know you a little better." Actor deflected the question. He had the feeling that she wouldn't let the matter go and she was clearly a skilled interrogator, but tonight he wanted to enjoy himself. "I'm still curious about your hair. What happened?"
Siobhan took the change of topic in her stride, expecting nothing less from this skilled conman. She was pretty sure the tale he'd told so far wasn't the truth. That he probably wasn't even minor Italian aristocracy, but he'd acquired his languages and knowledge of artwork and jewellery somewhere and that took time and resources.
"Perhaps another time, when I know you a little better," she retorted.
Actor laughed. "Touché." He topped up their wine glasses, waited until Siobhan had picked up hers then clinked the two together. "In that case here's to getting to know you better."
For the remainder of the meal, they both kept to impersonal subjects, but the conman still felt he was being assessed in some way, especially when the topics moved to the political. Well, she would show her hand at some point he decided.
Taxis were in short supply in wartime London, with so many being redeployed to war work, but the Savoy doorman prided himself on securing them for his most influential guests - and it was the blonde woman rather than the tall Italian who was the one he would look out for. She'd been here a few weeks ago with a small party that included the Prime Minister, and he never forgot a face - well not a pretty one like that.
The taxi drew to a halt outside the Belgravia building just as the air raid sirens sounded. Siobhan looked at the skies, where searchlights were now criss-crossing the darkness.
"You'd better come in." She passed a few notes to the taxi driver and watched him speed away, keen to reach a place of safety before the raid started in earnest.
Actor followed closely on her heels as Siobhan made her way into the house and down to the cellars. The stairs were well built and lit with electric bulbs. This clearly wasn't just something cobbled together for the war. Reaching the bottom, the Irish woman pushed open a heavy door to reveal a large room, well furnished with couches, chairs and a table. Two men and two women, presumably their wives, were already installed.
"Our neighbours... we've given them keys to the basement," explained Siobhan. "Not everyone has a reinforced cellar like this one. It wouldn't be fair not to help out."
Actor's heart sank. He'd been hoping to have Siobhan to himself, at least for the duration of the raid.
"Bridge or Monopoly?" asked one of the men.
"Monopoly," replied Siobhan. "We'd need another two players otherwise."
"Or play Brisbane," responded the second man. He saw Actor look puzzled. "It's a type of three-handed whist," he explained."
"Let's stick to Monopoly," reiterated Siobhan, knowing that if they played cards she'd be stuck with the two wives who she already knew were deadly boring. In truth, Actor wasn't the only one to be disappointed that the neighbours would be sharing the cellar tonight.
G G G
It was three am before the all-clear sounded. So far as they could tell, no bombs had fallen in the near vicinity. The two wives had given up playing some time ago and retreated to the couches, but Reggie and Percy as Actor now knew the two men were called, had soldiered on regardless.
Siobhan stood up and stretched luxuriantly. "You'd better stay until it's daylight, don't want you falling into a crater in the dark. Night Reggie, night Percy." Neither of the other men were showing signs of moving from the cellar as yet and in fact were topping up their glasses and retrieving a cribbage board from the stack of games.
Tiredly Siobhan led the way upstairs. "I think they actually like it when we have a raid, it gives them a chance for a bit of male bonding."
Actor laughed. "I have to admit that I prefer female bonding, especially when the female looks like you."
They reached the first-floor landing and Siobhan opened the door to a bedroom. "The guest room," she advised. "It has its own bathroom and there'll be towels and a razor. Just let me know if you need anything else."
"I can think of something I need very much," replied the conman, reaching to take the Irish woman into his arms.
"I'm sorry Actor, but tonight is not the night. Maybe three hours ago, but now I'm tired and I have to be up at dawn for a meeting. Stay as long as you like in the morning, just pull the front door closed behind you."
Actor gave a small nod in acquiescence and followed it with a chaste kiss, then watched Siobhan open the door to her own room and close it gently behind her. Philosophically he made his way to his own bed. Trust the Nazis to ruin his evening, he thought.
G G G
Siobhan was long gone before Actor stirred. He'd slept well, despite the unfamiliar bed. He looked at his watch. He just about had time to return to his own flat to change out of his evening dress and return to Paddington for the late morning train. He couldn't afford to be too late - he'd tested the Warden's patience enough in the last two days, he couldn't afford to push things too far, especially if a mission had reared its head whilst he'd been away. He scribbled a quick note thanking Siobhan for the pleasure of her company and left it on her pillow. Satin sheets he noted in passing. Hopefully she would not be adverse to another liaison in the future and next time, perhaps, the fates would be a little kinder.
G G G
Actor arrived back at the Mansion just in time to take part in the briefing for the latest mission. The Warden gave him a hard look of disapproval but kept his thoughts to himself. Yes, the conman was late, but travelling to a schedule, especially by train, in wartime was an impossibility.
For once Garrison didn't have any photographs or films to show. In fact, there weren't any dossiers on the table at all. He lit a cigarette and threw the packet onto the desk for Casino, Goniff and Actor to help themselves.
"Yugoslavia," he started. "We'll be going in with a supply drop to Tito's communist partisans. Casino, you'll be showing them how to use the explosives and timers they're being given. Actor, you'll be looking after training a couple of their guys on how to take meteorological observations and radio cyphered messages to our base in Bari. You'll be shown what to do on the flight out to Italy - we'll have one of the experts sharing the flight with us."
Actor nodded. He was confident he could pick up what was necessary.
"Chief, Goniff, you're our lookouts. Diesel, sorry, you're sitting this one out."
"Hey Warden, you know I can't shoot straight. Why not take Diesel and leave me at home," Goniff suggested hopefully? The idea of staying at the Mansion on his own appealed immensely, especially if Millie wasn't too busy with her farm work.
"Sorry Goniff, Diesel's going to be in Scotland whilst we're away. You'll just have to do your best."
Diesel already knew where he was going - the Lieutenant had talked to him privately early that morning. The letter had arrived in the previous day's mail bag, complete with a Washington postmark. Diesel was to be sent on mountain survival training. The fact that both the Lieutenant and the Mohawk himself thought it was a waste of time was irrelevant.
"Any questions?"
There was silence, even from Casino.
"In that case get your gear together and grab a bite to eat. We're leaving straight after lunch."