CHAPTER XVII
FINAL EXPLANATIONS
Daisy looked worried.
"Are you alright Nancy?" She sat beside Nancy and took her hand in her own, a gesture between them the others were now used to seeing in moments of affection or upset.
"Fine, fine, don't worry."
"Who was he? He looked sinister." Asked Dot, who had already thought of how to use him as an evil character in one of her future novels.
"Just an ordinary officer in the intelligence service." Susan sound almost bored and dismissive.
"A spy?" Dot's imagination had begun to run away with her again.
"No, not a spy Dot, but someone who sometimes has to keep an eye on people for their own good." Susan again was dismissive, but Titty was exasperated.
"Will one of you please explain what on earth is going on!"
To her, and all of them except Susan's, surprise it was Nancy who began to speak.
"It started back in the late fifties, I went to a CND meeting in London, mainly out of curiosity, Daisy was away for a few days and I was at a loose end. I'd read in the newspapers about what they stood for and thought it would be good to know more. But when I was there I saw someone I thought I recognised, someone from my service days, I didn't give it much thought or speak to her, then a couple of days later I had an official letter using my name and rank and was asked to attend an office to meet someone with regard to my war service. I went, and it turned out whomever I saw had mentioned me to someone else and so on. Once they chatted to me it was suggested, that if I went to any more meetings could I report back anything that they may find useful. I guess Susan you know how these things work?" Susan looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Yes, I do." She said no more so Nancy continued.
"Do you remember Daisy, we went on the Aldermaston Marches, only a couple, but it was the one when I left you for awhile and went off with a small group."
"I certainly do, and most annoyed I was too!"
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, well I knew the Aldermaston base as I'd been stationed there in 1942 before it was handed over to the Americans. I knew all the entrances and so on. I told a group of marchers I could get them inside the base, well, I thought I could, but…" She paused.
Titty again became agitated, before she could speak Susan took over.
"She was an infiltrator. She was there to see what she could find out about a possible connection between the anti-nuclear weapons movement and the Soviet Union. She needed to get that group on their own."
Daisy looked scornful, even upset.
"I thought you were fed up with me, making me walk those miles and then going off with them!" Nancy looked guilty.
"I know, I couldn't tell you, but when they approached me it was a chance to do something that really mattered, all I did in the war was drive things around I never saw any proper action. Now I could do something. I'm sorry." Daisy looked at her, it was clear to all of them that she still loved her.
"It's alright, you came back to me. It was just annoying at the time. I was so lonely and bored!" Dot looked confused.
"But why did you leave Scotland?" Nancy continued.
"Someone found out what my connection was with that time, how I don't know and I didn't know what they might do, nothing was said, they just let me know they knew, so we had to move on, Daisy inheriting the cottage was just one of those coincidences but it made things so much easier."
Dot had not finished.
"But Dick, how did you become involved?" He looked at his sister.
"You asked me to find Nancy, only I didn't know about Nancy's past, as none of you do mine. Susan had an idea about me but she has only found out for sure today. But before you ask I still can't say anything, and please don't ask Nancy or Susan anymore. You can see by our visitor the kind of thing that can happen…" Susan interrupted him.
"Dick's right, I'm retiring soon and as I understand things he and I will be able to say more in a few years time, the law regarding official secrets will be changed." She hoped this would explain things.
"Even to us?" Titty once again felt this was unfair.
"Yes Titty."