“Perhaps you believed that this might be more exciting than whatever mundane, domestic life you lived before but I must impress upon you the dangers of this undertaking. I’ve had extensive instruction in languages, weapons, and stealth and am fully prepared for the rigours of this mission. As such, I am confident that I will be able to use my considerable charm, ability, and intellect to put myself into a position that will guarantee success.”

“How reassuring,” Sophie remarked acidly despite her best intentions to remain unruffled.

“Indeed,” Gerard confirmed, seemingly oblivious to her sarcasm. “Now, there is a small chance that I may need you to act as a distraction at some point. Dressed in a pretty frock and red lipstick, you’ll most certainly draw a German officer’s eye away from my endeavors. But I doubt it will come to that.”

Sophie took a deep breath and forced herself to consider the man called Gerard Beaufort much the same way she had considered the fear she had felt tied to a chair in a Hampshire cellar. She reminded herself that he was not her enemy, no matter how arrogant he might be. The truth of the matter was that he was now her partner. Months of training and preparation had already gone into their cover and their mission, and to complain or protest not only served no purpose, it would undermine everything she had already accomplished as a female agent.

Gerard’s opinions were simply that. Opinions. No different from the matriarchs appalled at her extensive studies, the clerks resentful of her embassy position, the officers who didn’t believe she had a place at Bletchley, or the espionage instructors who had waited for her to fail.

The opinions of others had never stopped her before. She would simply focus on what mattered. Indignant outrage in the face of unpalatable sentiments served no purpose.

Sophie gripped the folder she held tightly. “During the course of your…extensive instruction, did you train alongside any female agents?”

“One,” he sneered. “And like most women, she was overly emotional and prone to hysterics. She lasted not even a week.”

“Hmm. That is unfortunate. And how many men washed out of that same training?”

Gerard sputtered. “That is not the point. I know what you’re trying to do here. But you also know that I am only speaking good sense.”

“Of course.”

“Of course?” Gerard narrowed his eyes. “What, no distraught protests?”

“Monsieur, one thing that you will come to learn about me is that I pick my battles very carefully. You are but a single man, and your opinion of me is not a battle worth waging. An argument in this hallway over my capabilities will waste both my time and energy, and I have no inclination to waste either. You may evaluate my capabilities at a later date. I’d suggest somewhere in France. Before we enter Paris would be my recommendation.”

Gerard looked at her, nonplussed.