“Cheers to that,” Evelyn said with heartfelt sincerity, lifting her glass.
Chapter Ten
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Evelyn looked out the window as the train rocked and swayed over the countryside. Anna sat across from her in the first class compartment reading a magazine as they traveled south. The day after they’d had dinner together, Anna had telephoned her brother’s friend. After speaking to her, he agreed to meet them for supper the following day.
Now, looking out of the window as the winter scenery sped by, Evelyn was having second thoughts about her ability to do what Jasper had asked of her. How on earth was she going to convince someone to send information to them at the risk of their own freedom and, quite possibly, their own lives? If the Germans did invade Norway, and if they were caught, they would be killed. How exactly was she supposed to sell that?
“Cheer up,” Anna said, breaking into her thoughts.
Evelyn looked at her, startled, to find the other woman peering at her over the top of her magazine.
“What?”
“You look as if you’re on your way to the gallows.” She closed the magazine and tossed it onto the seat next to her. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” Evelyn hesitated, then shrugged. “Well, nothing that can be fixed, at any rate.”
“Would you care to share? Maybe I can offer some insight.”
“I’m just wondering how on earth I’m going to convince your fellow countrymen to do something so potentially dangerous,” she said reluctantly. “You’ve seen how quickly things can go off the rails, especially if the SD gets involved. Why on earth would anyone voluntarily jump into this war?”
Anna looked at her for a moment, a faint smile on her lips. “You did.”
“Yes, but I...well, I had my reasons.”
“And so will they. It’s not your job to convince them to be patriotic. It’s your job to give them an option to help their country if the worst happens. That’s all.”
Evelyn nodded slowly, shifting her gaze to the window again. She was right, of course. It wasn’t her job to convince them to take the risk. All she could do was offer them a way to move the information that they would come across in the course of their daily lives. It was up to them to decide whether or not the risks were worth it.
“What’s his name?” she asked, glancing back at Anna. “This friend of your brothers?”
“Kristian,” she replied. “Kristian Nilsen.”
“And he doesn’t think it’s strange that you’re coming down to see him suddenly out of the blue like this?”
“Not that he said, no. It’s not as if he doesn’t know me, after all. I told him that I’d seen Erik recently and that he’d mentioned him. One thing led to another and I brought up his radio.” Anna grinned. “I’ll warn you right now: he gets very passionate about his hobby. I didn’t understand most of what he went on about. When I said I had a friend who was interested in speaking to him about what he was picking up on the thing, he didn’t seem surprised at all.”
“Does he know you’re working for the British Embassy now?”
“Yes. I think he’s probably put two and two together. Kristian was always very clever.” She looked at her watch. “We should be there soon. He said that he was looking forward to meeting us both.”
“I hope he’s not disappointed,” Evelyn said with a short laugh.
Anna looked at her, obviously amused. “I doubt that he will be. I’ve seen how you turn heads,” she said dryly.
Evelyn waved that away, turning her attention back out the window.
“Don’t wave me away,” Anna said with a laugh. “It’s true. The problem with you is that you don’t see it as a weapon.”
“A weapon?” That got Evelyn’s attention again. “What are you talking about?”
“You! You’re sitting over there worrying about how you’re going to recruit people, especially men, to your cause and you’ve never once considered the biggest advantage you have!” Anna shook her head at the blank look on Evelyn’s face. “You, you silly goose!”
“But I’m not up for grabs!” Evelyn protested, laughing despite herself. “I may be a very independent and modern woman, but I’m not that modern!”
“You don’t have to be. They don’t have to know you’re not available. Trust me. They don’t even have to necessarily want anything from you. Sometimes it’s enough just to know that they’re doing something that will make a beautiful woman very happy.” Anna leaned forward. “I’m being very serious. If this war continues, and you and I both know that it will, you’re going to have to use every weapon you have available. We all will. And yours is the face and body that you see in the mirror. Use it to bend people to your will.”
Evelyn frowned. “You make it sound so calculating.”
Anna threw her head back and laughed. “But it is, Marlene, my dear! And so are you! You have to be. You may not think of yourself as a calculating woman, but you are. You’re trying to build a network of people who will die to get information to help your country win a war that they have nothing to do with. If that’s not calculating, I don’t know what is.”
“Oh God, you make it sound so cold and heartless!”
“But it is,” she said practically, sitting back on her seat. “War is cold and heartless. Its warriors must be as well. And please don’t make the mistake of thinking you are not one of England’s soldiers because you are every bit as necessary and formidable as one of your British Expeditionary Forces, or one of your fighter pilots. You’re just fighting in a different way, and in a different theater of operations.”
Evelyn stared at her for a moment.
“When did you become so wise?” she asked finally, her lips twisting wryly. “I thought I was the one with all the experience here.”
Anna shrugged.
“I’ve learned so much over the past few months,” she admitted.
