“Quite.” Dame Felicity took leave of the ministry and got into her waiting car. She sat back as she was driven and allowed her mind to wander, in the manner that it wandered when it was required to dream up an operation. Her frontal lobe zeroed in on a house in Cap d’Antibes, in the South of France, which had been in her family since her grandfather’s time. She had used it in an operation a couple of years before, which had allowed her to renovate it and wire it for video and audio at her ministry’s expense, and since to maintain it with a two-person staff. She picked up one of her two phones, the scrambler one, and dialed a number from its contacts list.

“Barnes,” a pleasant voice said.

“Scramble,” Felicity replied.

“Scrambled,” he said, after a moment.

“Tim, it’s Felicity. How are you?”

“I’m quite well, Felicity. We very much enjoyed our evening at Windward Hall, and a note has gone off to Mr. Barrington to that effect.”

“I’m so glad,” she replied. “Tim, I suppose by this time that you have heard of the departure from my service of our mutual . . . acquaintance.”

“Word has reached me. He was very upset, and when he gets upset, unfortunate events sometimes follow.”

“My very reason for calling,” Felicity said. “I believe I have found a way to avoid unpleasantness in this matter.”

“How may I help?”

“Please write down this address and phone number.” She dictated, and he copied.

“Got it. What next?”

“That is the address of a very pleasant house in Cap d’Antibes that we sometimes use as a safe house for friends of our firm who are in jeopardy of one thing or another. It is cared for by a houseman and his wife, a very good cook. I would like you to offer it to our acquaintance for a holiday, sooner rather than later.”

“I can do that, and tell him that it belongs to friends.”

“Yes, and their names are Sir John and Priscilla Dover. You served with him somewhere or other. I’ll leave you to flesh out the details. The caretakers are Marie and Oskar.”

“All right. Then what?”

“Apprise me of his arrival and departure dates at Nice airport. And tell him he will be met by a car and driver. Also, you might mention to him that spa services, including a particularly well-recommended massage therapist, are available on-site. There is a list of phone numbers in the center desk drawer in the library. You may also tell him that food and drink will be provided, and that there is a private beach for his use.”

“You make it sound wonderful,” Barnes said.

“On some other occasion, I would be pleased for you and your wife to use it.”

“Thank you so much, Felicity,” he said.