“Can we go to Lyons Corner House?” the boy asked.

“We’ll see,” the blonde said. “She also said to see that you did your lessons.”

“We haven’t any,” the boy said. “We done ’em all at school.” He turned to the girl. “Didn’t we?”

“Don’t be a noddlehead,” the girl said. “He’s got spelling, and I’ve got maths. But I’ve done my history lesson.” She pulled a paper out of her satchel to show the blonde.

The Alf and Binnie he’d seen that morning at St. Paul’s would never have done lessons in their life. Or have voluntarily gone to school.

It wasn’t them. He’d jumped to the conclusion it was because he’d been thinking about Eileen. He’d broken off his call to Denys Atherton for nothing, damn it. He watched the children, whoever they were, pile into the car, waiting for it to drive away so he could go call again. He’d have to tell the woman he’d talked to that he’d been cut off. Maybe the interruption would turn out to be a good thing. Atherton might be back by now, and he’d be able to talk to him instead of leaving a message.

The car rounded the corner and was gone. Ernest got out of the car and started over to the phone booth. And there was Cess, trotting toward him, waving. “They told me you’d come over here to park,” he said, coming up to him.

“Did you hand the colonel over?”

“Yes,” Cess said. “Now all I have to do is report in to Lady Bracknell, and we’re free to go home.”

If only that were true, Ernest thought, watching Cess as he went into the phone booth to call Bracknell. How was he going to call Atherton now? He might not have a chance to get away on his own for days, and he was running out of time.

“No luck,” Cess said, coming out. “I couldn’t get through.”

“We can try again on the way home,” Ernest said. And next time I’ll see to it I’m the one who makes the call. “An hour or two won’t make any difference now that the colonel’s been safely handed over.” He got into the car.

“Right,” Cess said. “It was a near thing, though.”

“A near thing? What do you mean?”

“After I’d handed him over and was leaving, who should I run into but Old Blood and Guts—”

“General Patton?”

“None other,” Cess said. “He looked straight at me, and I could tell he was trying to place me, and I was afraid he was about to remember he’d seen me at the reception and shout out ‘Holt!’ in that carrying voice of his. But luckily his aide came up just then and dragged him off, and I was able to get away with the colonel none the wiser.”

“And Patton didn’t see you with him?”

“No, and I’m fairly certain he didn’t remember where he’d seen me. But the sooner we’re out of here, the safer I’ll feel,” he said.