Joan was silent for several moments. “I don’t know what to say,” she said eventually.
“I don’t know what to think,” Janet sighed. “He says he loves me, but he disappeared on the first day of our honeymoon. Then again, he does say that someone’s life is at stake. I’d feel terrible if I found out that someone had died because Edward was with me.”
“He’s meant to be retired.”
“Yes, I know,” Janet sighed. “I’m starting to wonder if he’s ever truly going to retire, though.”
“You should have had his colleagues wait while you read the letter,” Joan suggested. “You could have demanded more information.”
“There’s no way Mr. Jones would have told me anything.”
“His name is Mr. Jones?”
“That’s what he told me. It may not be his real name, though. Do agents get special, extra-dull names when they become agents?”
“That’s something you’ll have to ask Edward.”
“If I ever see him again,” Janet said darkly.
“He said he’d be back soon.”
“Yes, I know,” Janet sighed. “I just don’t know what to believe. Maybe I’ll just come home.”
“But then you’ll miss your honeymoon.”
Janet looked down the list of activities that Edward had booked. “There are a lot of things on here that I want to do,” she admitted. “But I’m not sure how much fun they’ll be if I’m alone.”
“Part of me wants to encourage you to stay and part of me wants to tell you to come home,” Joan said. “I don’t know what’s best.”
“Neither do I. I’m going to have to think for a while.”
Another knock on the door made Janet jump. “There’s someone at the door,” she hissed.
“Again? Who is it now?”
“How should I know?” She crossed to the door and looked out through the peephole. The younger of Edward’s colleagues was standing outside the door.
“It’s one of the men back again,” she told Joan. “Hold on.” She pulled open the door. “Yes?”
“Hi, it’s me. Mr. Irrelevant,” he said with a grin. “If Mr. Jones asks, I was never here.” He handed her another envelope and then turned and dashed back down the corridor towards the door marked “Emergency Stairs.” Janet was still staring in surprise as he disappeared through the door.
“What’s happening?” Joan asked.
“He brought me another letter,” Janet told her as she pushed the door shut and locked it. “This one is sealed.”
“From Edward again?”
Janet looked at her name on the envelope. “Yes,” she said, sitting back down and tearing open the envelope that had a small, hard lump inside it.
“What does it say?” Joan demanded.
“I’m still opening it,” Janet replied, pulling out the sheet of paper. “This one is handwritten. ‘Dearest Janet, I truly can’t tell you anything, but I wanted you to have something more than the printed message that was deemed suitable by my handler. Please try to enjoy what you can of our holiday. I promise to make this up to you in a million ways just as soon my mission is complete. If you follow our itinerary, I’ll be able to find you the moment I become free. Remember that I love you, Mrs. Bennett. Your loving husband, Edward.’”
“He could have told you more,” Joan said.
“That would have been nice,” Janet agreed, running her fingers over the small marble heart that had been tucked inside the note. “I still don’t know what to do,” she sighed as she slipped the heart into her pocket.
“Perhaps you should do as he asked and follow the itinerary,” Joan suggested. “Unless you’re cross with him. If you’re cross with him, you should come home.”
“I don’t think I’m cross, exactly,” Janet said slowly. “I’m sad and disappointed, but that’s more with the situation than with Edward. I’m certain this isn’t what he wants, either.”
“Should I get your room ready? Are you coming back to Doveby House?”
“Not today, anyway,” Janet said. “I’m going to give Edward some time, at least a few days. I’ll ring you if I change my plans. Otherwise, I’m going to do what I can to enjoy everything that Edward has planned.”
“What are you doing tonight?”
Janet looked at the itinerary in the first letter. “An evening tour of the Louvre, with dinner,” she replied. “That’s the first thing on the list, actually. I imagine he was worried that we’d both be tired this morning after our late arrival.”
“How will you pay for things?” Joan, always practical, asked.
“Edward added me to one of his credit cards last month,” Janet told her. “He gave me the card a few days ago. I can use that.”
Joan sighed. “I’m very sorry, darling. I was really hoping that you’d have the same sort of wonderful honeymoon that Michael and I had.”
“It’s my fault for falling in love with a spy,” Janet sighed.
“Ring me again in a few days,” Joan told her.
“Don’t worry if I don’t. I may be having such a wonderful time that I’ll forget. I’ll ring you at the end of the fortnight, before we’re supposed to be moving on to Italy, if not before,” Janet promised.
They chatted for a short while longer, but without saying much of anything. When Janet finally put her phone away, she still wasn’t certain whether staying or going home was the better choice. She’d told Joan she was going to stay, though, so now she was determined to make the best of it.
As she took
