Evelyn was silent for a long moment, her mind spinning. Two day ago, she would have thought this was a lark and would have jumped at the chance to have some excitement in her life. Yesterday, however, had served up a bit more adventure than she was anticipating. And that was nothing — only the beginning, if everything they had been discussing came to pass.
“And Josephine?”
“You may never see her again. Even if you choose to serve your country, your paths may never have need to cross again.”
“But she knows me. She knows what I look like. She even knows my name.”
“Not your full name?” he asked sharply, visibly relaxing when she shook her head. “I wouldn’t worry too much over that. Evelyn is a common enough name, and, if you continue, you will never use it again.”
“And if I don’t choose to continue?”
“You will go back to England and continue with your life. One chance encounter in Strasbourg will remain just that for everyone involved, and nothing more need be done.”
Evelyn stood up and took a restless turn about the room. Bill watched her silently, waiting for the questions to start.
“I would travel?”
“Yes, but not at first. You would have to undergo extensive training so that you’re better prepared than you were yesterday.”
“And how would I explain that to my family?”
“There are many opportunities opening up for young people willing to serve their country. There will be any number of jobs that would explain your absences. That will all be sorted out. Your family will have no idea what you really do. And that’s key. No one can ever know what you do, or who you work for. Not even your father.”
“I understand.” Evelyn continued pacing around the room. “You’re right. This is not an easy choice, nor one I feel I should leap into without serious consideration.”
“I agree.”
“But you said you would have to move quickly to establish my cover story that I gave to Herr Voss,” she pointed out. “I have to make my choice quickly.”
“Yes.” Bill glanced at his watch. “You also must return to England immediately.”
“What?!”
“Regardless of what you decide, you need to be out of Paris by nightfall. Should you decide to decline my offer, it is safer for you to be in England as soon as possible. If you choose to come work with MI6, you will need to be debriefed in London, the sooner the better. If we’re going to establish an iron-clad identity based on Maggie Richardson, we need to move quickly.”
“But…what am I to tell my aunt and uncle? And my cousins? I’m not due to leave for another three weeks!”
“Evelyn, I don’t need to tell you how serious this is,” he replied, standing and looking at her with a hint of regret on his face. “I’m sorry that I ever put you into this position, but we’re in it now. You really must return to England. I’ll make the arrangements and accompany you to London.”
Evelyn stared at him in dismay. Leave Paris? She wasn’t ready to leave Paris!
“I can’t just leave Paris! What am I going to say?”
“They know your father is in Vienna?”
She nodded, watching as he went around his desk and seated himself.
“Tell them your mother needs you home. Perhaps she is ill? Nothing serious, but she wants someone with her,” he suggested.
“I…suppose…oh, is this really necessary? I despise lying!”
He looked up at that, an unexpected gleam of laughter lighting his eyes.
“For someone who despises it, you’re apparently very good at it,” he pointed out. “Just ask Herr Voss!”
Evelyn waved a hand impatiently. “That’s different.”
The laughter in his eyes disappeared and he shook his head.
“No, Evelyn, it isn’t,” he said soberly. “If you decide to work with us, you will be lying to your family every day. It is no different from lying to the enemy. You must be as willing to convince them as you are to convince the enemy. It is the only way you will survive.” He reached for a bell pull on the wall behind him. “I’ll ring for Francois and he’ll take you to Marguerite. Have a cup of coffee with her and by the time you’re finished, I’ll have made the arrangements.”
Evelyn turned towards her vacant seat and picked up her handbag. There was no help for it. She was going to have to go back to England, and she would have to make a choice before she reached Dover.
Something stirred deep in her belly and her lips tightened imperceptibly. She knew that feeling, and it didn’t bode well for a continued peaceful existence. It was the same feeling she’d had years ago behind a hedgerow in Hong Kong, a feeling of excitement mixed with apprehension, and she was as powerless to ignore it now as she was then. It was the same feeling she’d had yesterday at the library while she sat at the table, debating whether or not to continue. It was the knowledge that her next choice would change the course of her life, for better or worse.
It was also the realization that the choice had already been made.
Evelyn had made the decision before ever coming here today. She had made it the moment she got up from the table in the library and went up the spiral stairs to retrieve the envelope from the book. She had known then, deep down inside, that there would be no turning back. She had committed to something larger than herself, and there was no returning, now, to the carefree existence she’d been enjoying, or the blessed ignorance therein. Herr Voss, Karl and Josephine had all shown her a world that was cloaked in shadows, shadows that at once terrified and intrigued her.
Shadows that
