‘As a dodo, Sir David. I saw him with my own eyes.’
‘Quite. But now I also have reports from some Special Branch officers in the field,’ he said, looking at another sheet in the file, ‘which are equally certain that Ehrlichmann is in England and is looking for you.’
‘Is there no chance that they might be mistaken?’ she asked.
‘There’s always that chance, Lady Hardcastle, as I’m sure you’re aware. But the officer in question, one Hugh Waring, was in China in the ’90s and knew Ehrlichmann well.’
‘Ah, yes,’ she said. ‘I remember Waring. Able young chap. I’m glad he’s doing well.’
‘Quite. And Waring maintains that the man he saw most assuredly is Ehrlichmann. He might have aged ten years, he says, but he would… let me see… “stake my pension on this being the self-same Günther Ehrlichmann as I knew in Shanghai in the ’90s.”’
‘Well that’s one mystery,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘The other is why he should be after me.’
‘Really?’ said Sir David. ‘I should have thought that was obvious. You’re a loose end. The Imperial German government doesn’t like loose ends. They had hoped to remove you and Sir Roderick from the field of play in ’98 and thought they had. But you pop up like a bad penny in Calcutta and then come home to make a royal nuisance of yourself to them and their plans in London. If I were them, I’d have wanted you bumped off long since. Damn glad you’re on our side, to be honest.’
‘I could understand it if they had tried to kill me as soon as I cropped up in England again,’ she said. ‘But why now? And why Ehrlichmann? And why isn’t the blighter still dead?’
‘I can’t answer any of those questions for certain, but we do know that German militarization continues apace and their new fleet is close to becoming a nuisance. My presumption is that they imagine you know something they don’t want us to know, something which might disrupt their current plans.’
‘Or perhaps,’ I said, ‘it’s just personal. Perhaps Ehrlichmann has been imprisoned or in hospital all this time and is only now free to pursue us.’
Sir David appeared irked by this impudent interruption from a servant. ‘Quite,’ he said, looking quickly away from me and back to Lady Hardcastle. ‘Can you think of anything you discovered in Shanghai that you might have previously neglected to mention? Anything at all?’
‘No, Sir David, everything I discovered during my time in Shanghai and Tsingtao is in the reports.’
‘Hmm,’ he said. ‘Very well. Still, at least we have you here in London now where we can keep you safe. Where will you be staying?’
‘With me, sir,’ said Harry.
‘Splendid,’ said Sir David, making a note on a large notepad. ‘I’ll have a man from the Yard pass by once in a while to make sure everything is tickety-boo, but you just leave everything to us and we’ll have this cleared up in no time.’
I decided that on the whole I’d rather be disliked for asking impertinent questions than simply for the outrageous crime of being a servant in a public place. ‘Is there a reason,’ I said, ‘why you don’t just pick him up and ask him?’
‘I beg your pardon?’ he said, clearly trying to restrain himself.
‘Well,’ I continued, ‘here’s this chap that you believe, however improbable it may be, to be a long-dead German agent. You don’t really know who he is nor what he’s up to, but you strongly suspect that whatever it is, it isn’t for the good of King and country. So why don’t you just lift him and find out? At the very least you could warn him off.’
He smiled an insincere smile. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘Yes. Yes, I suppose we could, but I prefer to let the game play out. If he really is Ehrlichmann, he’d not give anything up without us applying… pressure. And that would invoke the wrath of the Germans. And in the end we’d still be as ignorant as ever but we’d also need to be on the lookout for retaliation. And having tipped our hand, we might hamper our broader efforts to keep an eye on what the blighters are up to.’
‘We might stop the blighters from blowing holes in our heads, though,’ I said.
He looked briefly as though he might do the job for them, but he recovered quickly. ‘I can assure you, Miss Armstrong, that your mistress is in no danger now that she’s under our protection.’
I’d made my point so I decided to let it lie.
‘Thank you, Sir David,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘I’m sure that now we’re with Harry, we can deal with any eventuality. I appreciate your concern.’
‘You’re quite welcome, Lady Hardcastle,’ he said. ‘Unless there’s anything else you wish to ask me, I’ve covered everything I needed to.’
‘No, I feel suitable reassured. It was good of you to take the time to talk to us.’
‘Think nothing of it,’ he said. ‘Featherstonhaugh, can I leave you to show Lady Hardcastle out?’
‘Yes, sir, of course.’
We rose to leave. Harry ushered us back out into the corridor and I cast one last look over my shoulder as I left. Sir David’s answering smile was slightly more disconcerting than the glare I was expecting.
Out on the street, Harry was beside himself with glee.
‘What’s amusing you, brother dear?’ asked Lady Hardcastle.
‘It’s little Flo here telling the old man off like that. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wanted to ask him exactly the same question. Why the blazes doesn’t he just pinch the chap and put his heels in the fire?’
‘And why haven’t you asked him?’
‘Politics, mainly, sis. And craven careerism. No point in upsetting the apple cart. But he’s a good egg, Sir David, and if he thinks this is the right course, I trust him. But I’ve been itching to get him to spell it out. Good on you, tiny lady.’
‘It was nothing, sir,’ I said. ‘I don’t think I made him very happy, though.’
‘Oh, he’ll get over it. Just not used to being challenged by the lower orders, that’s all.’
‘Lower orders, is it? I’ll be sure to remember my place the next time you’re being roughed up by Hungarian toughs in an alley in the East End. Wouldn’t want to involve myself improperly in the affairs of the toffs.’
Harry laughed. ‘Don’t you dare,’ he said. ‘I’m pretty sure I owe you my life for that one. Now, what say we adjourn to the Ritz for a slap-up tea. My treat.’
‘Your treat, dear boy?’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘In that case, you’re on.’
He hailed another cab.