“Different machine, same moaning.”
Elliott was far more surprised to hear that Hugh had gone on to become the headmaster of a prep school in Sussex.
“I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Nor did Rosamund. She told him she’d divorce him if he took the job.”
“And did she?”
“What do you think?”
“I think I should look them up next time I’m in the country.”
“Do that. I know they’d like it.”
Their plates were being cleared away when Elliott mentioned, “By the way, I saw your house in a magazine.”
“It’s not my house.”
“I’m sure as hell glad it’s not mine. Where’d you get your inspiration from—a fish tank?”
“It’s called modernism.”
“That’s not what the guy who wrote the piece called it.”
Max laughed. “You can’t please everyone.”
The glass and concrete villa had been his first private commission since qualifying as an architect. The best that could be said of it was that it had “divided the critics.”
“Well, at least you’ve got a wife who’s made something of herself.”
She appeared as if on cue, being led by Mario toward their table. She was wearing a strapless silk taffeta evening dress that Max had never seen before. As ever, he gave silent thanks for his good fortune.
Elliott caught his expression and turned. “Oh yeah. I forgot to say, she’s joining us for coffee.”
They both got to their feet, and Elliott stooped to kiss her hand. “You look radiant.”
“You do,” said Max, kissing her on the cheek.
“Friends again?” she inquired.
“You’ll have to ask your husband.”
Max looked long and hard at Elliott. “I don’t see why not.”
Lilian smiled.
“That’s good,” she said. “That’s very good.”
HISTORICAL NOTE
The fly-in of new Spitfires on May 9, 1942, marked the turning point in Malta’s fortunes. The following day, sixty-three enemy aircraft were shot down over the island. A German broadcast declared, “Malta can be reduced by other means.” It never was. In 1964 the island finally gained independence from Great Britain.
While trying to remain as true to the period as possible, I have, inevitably, taken certain liberties for the purposes of the story. My apologies for these, and for any other errors I’m not yet aware of. The majority of the characters in the book are entirely fictitious. Those who aren’t bear no relation to their real-life counterparts, whose impeccable wartime records speak for themselves.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As ever, I owe a big debt of gratitude to my agent, Stephanie Cabot, for her tireless enthusiasm and support. I would also like to thank my editors, Jennifer Hershey and Julia Wisdom, for their expert insights and guidance. My thanks also go to Bara MacNeill.
Of the many books I read while researching the story, I would like to make special mention of
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MARK MILLS graduated from Cambridge University in 1986. He has lived in both Italy and France and has written for the screen. His first novel,
Copyright © 2009 by Mark Mills
Maps copyright © 2010 by Daniel R. Lynch
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Random House,
an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
