‘Come in and make yourselves at home,’ she said. ‘The beds have fresh linen, supper will be ready in an hour, the fires are lit for you and there’s piping hot water if you want baths. I do hope you’ve had a pleasant journey. And before you ask, Mr Eaton and Mr Cashbone will be down from London first thing in the morning.’

When he had been here before, he had assumed Mrs Kemp had been sent here merely to act as his instructor, and he was surprised to find her still here.

‘I had thought you would be long gone, Mrs Kemp.’

‘I’m live-in and permanent, Professor Wilde. Didn’t you know? Teaching German is perhaps the least of my duties.’

He recalled that he had slept downstairs and that her rooms were on the top floor, at the back overlooking the garden.

‘I’m here to provide all of your requirements, sir, for as long as you’re here,’ she continued. ‘Now then, coffee, tea – or something a little stronger?’

‘Thank you.’ Wilde took a second look at the woman. ‘And yes to the last of those drink options as far as I’m concerned.’

‘Very well, sir – I recall your tipple is Scotch whisky.’

‘You remember correctly.’

‘And how about you, Frau Somerfeld?’

‘I think I’d like a coffee.’

‘Klara?’

‘Lemon or orange.’ Her voice was flat, sullen.

‘Well, that’s easy – and you’ll find plenty of books to read in various languages, including some lovely children’s volumes which I have acquired especially for you. I’ll just get your drinks, and then leave you to yourselves. Oh, and there is a telephone for emergencies, but Mr Eaton specifically asked that you do not call home just yet, professor. He’ll explain why tomorrow. Your wife has been informed that you are home safe but that you will be out of contact for a little while during debriefing.’

*

They ate supper together virtually in silence, utterly wiped out by the gruelling journey, then Klara said she wanted to go to bed. Sunny took her up to her room and returned ten minutes later to the sitting room, where Wilde was reading the British and American newspapers from the past week. He looked up.

‘What now? What are the plans?’

‘I think we’d better wait until we meet your friends tomorrow, Tom.’

‘I mean you – what will you do? Would you like to return to Germany, or go to your other homeland, America?’

‘I need time to think about that.’

‘You know you haven’t really told me how you became involved in all this.’

He said the words casually, but it was a question that had been troubling him from the beginning.

‘Jim Vanderberg asked me to help.’

‘Just that? You weren’t involved with Romy Dietrich before that?’

Did he sense a certain tenseness as he asked the question?

‘No,’ she said.