‘Good evening, Frau Richter.’
‘Fergus, please call me Mrs Richter. I’m not in Germany now.’
Fergus nodded in agreement. Accepting his mistake, he tried to make it up to her. ‘Can I take your bag?’
‘No, it’s all right, thank you. I’m just going to my room.’
‘Oh, that reminds me. Wait a moment, please. There’s a letter from Otto for you.’ Fergus fetched it from the desk and handed it to her. Sure enough, on the back of the envelope, Otto had signed his name.
‘You sit down and read it; I’ll take your bag up to your room.’
‘It’s all right; I’d prefer to read the letter in my room,’ she said with a smile to show she meant no offence. She dropped the letter into the bag and grabbed the handles before Fergus offered again, her heart fluttered.
Safely in her bedroom, she hid the radio under the bed, making sure the soft pink seersucker counterpane draped down to the carpeted floor. She carefully opened the letter. She felt close to Otto as she read; his neat handwriting reminded her of Willy’s.
She heard footsteps on the landing.
‘You are back, dear. How was your visit?’ Mother entered the room in her mauve apron and sat on the bed. Hilda held her breath as the counterpane rucked up and the bag became visible. If Mother swung her legs, her feet would collide with it – and how was she going to explain what it was?
‘Very pleasant, we had a delightful time in Inverness. But, look a letter from Otto.’
The letter had arrived at the most opportune moment. Mother’s attention now focused exclusively on her only grandchild.
‘He tells me he’s at the officer training school in Marburg.’
‘Going to be an officer, that’s good.’
‘He says he’s now an Untersturmführer.’
‘Oh, I see. What’s that?’
‘A second lieutenant, the lowest of the officer ranks. Nevertheless, he goes on to say that after a year, he will be an Oberstumführer, a lieutenant. They must have a high opinion of him.’
Madge’s fingertips tapped her knees. ‘So he’s no longer staying with his uncle?’
‘No, he’s at a military college now.’
Madge looked sullen. ‘He’s not going to be a doctor then, like his father?’
‘Not yet, Mother. After his training, they will need doctors too. He has not gone off the idea. It’s more that the nation needs a strong army, and he has to follow orders.’
‘I see. Does he say anything else?’
‘He sends his love to you and granddad. It is a short letter. I suspect they are told how much to write.’
Madge had a dreamy look about her. ‘I never saw him as a soldier. Hilda, I hope he will be well looked after, he is still a young man.’
‘I’m sure he’ll look after himself too.’ She swallowed hard and breathed deeply to quell her racing heart. She wished Mother would leave, but she could hardly ask her to.
‘When you reply, make sure you send our love.’
Hilda took her mother’s hands. ‘Of course, I will, from both of you.’
Mother left the attic and returned downstairs to the kitchen. Hilda pushed the radio further back under the bed and went down to the ground floor lounge, hoping to use the telephone. She was in luck; the lounge was empty.
‘Mr Dynes?’
‘Speaking. Do you have the news?’
‘I have the radio and call signs,’ she said in hushed tones.
‘Whose call signs?’
‘Mine and Eicke’s.’
‘The radio, what make?’
‘Delphin 7. You know it? It has an eight-hundred-mile range.’
‘Yes, you’ll need that. Don’t transmit yet, please. I need to see you.’
‘But Eicke’s expecting me to contact him soon. Don’t you trust me?’
The questions slowed down. There was silence; clearly, he was considering her position. She waited, twiddling with the telephone cord.
‘Very well, Hilda, send a brief message about receiving the Delphin from the Browns, and note his reply.’
‘Of course.’
Fortunately, no one had asked who she was telephoning this time or the times before, but she would have to think of some excuse for that and for any other actions which might compromise her. This spying business was more complicated than she had realised; the potential for lies grew by the day.
Shortly after midnight, she opened the radio. She had a sharp pencil to hand. Her bedside light was on; the hotel was as quiet as the night itself. She opened the top of the window gingerly. It resisted, and as she tugged, it made a rasping noise. She listened intently to hear if anyone had been disturbed.
All remained quiet. She placed the box on her bed and turned the set on, seeing the bulb illuminate moments later. Her codebook lay beside her on the bedside table. She took the aerial and plugged it into the back. The cable led through the open window to the stone rear wall of the dormer window. She secured her headphones and then gave her call sign.
Avalon to Muskel.
She waited for a reply. She held one earpiece in place, leaving the other ear free to focus on any hotel noises. Her stomach was in knots. She took a mouthful of water from the glass she had brought up with her for the night. How had she fallen into this espionage trap? Would she ever get out? She dialled again.
Within twenty seconds, the set came to life.
Muskel to Avalon. Greetings. Hope all well. Reminder: Advise of any troop movements and airfields in northern Scotland. In January, report back to Hamburg in person. Over and out.
Eicke’s message was so clear as if he was much nearer than Hamburg. He also seemed to be a man of few words when transmitting. He was well trained. What he said was unambiguous. She replied simply that she had understood and had mastered the radio. She took the aerial down and packed the set away.
She lay awake half the night, turning his message repeatedly in her mind. How could she report troop movements or count airfields when she was told to return in January? That would be a problem for Dynes and Thornton.
Before breakfast the next morning, she telephoned Thornton to relay her conversation with Eicke. It was a cold, wet day. Hailstones fell on the roadside outside the hotel, rolling down the hill like scurrying marbles. Winter assaults like this were common in the north. Towards midday, as she watched through the lounge window, a car slowly drove up, its windscreen wipers flapping vigorously. It parked just out of sight of the hotel entrance. There seemed to be two occupants, but they were very hard to distinguish. She alerted reception that they had guests and requested that Fergus be made ready to receive them. She made herself scarce, retiring to the kitchen where she placed a kettle of water on the stove.
From the corridor, she heard familiar voices. She grabbed a towel to dry her damp hands and walked smartly through to greet Mr Dynes and Mr Thornton.
‘Fergus, three lunches please. We shall dine in the library, not the dining room.’
She led the men along the corridor to the library situated on the east wing of the hotel.
‘Stunning views,’ said Dynes, standing by the window looking quite relaxed.
‘I wish my lawn was as well kept,’ said Thornton.
They looked around the room and Dynes closed the library door.
‘You will stay for lunch, I presume?’ Hilda asked.
‘Indeed, that will be much appreciated.’
Hilda was not sure how to begin. When she did, it sounded defensive. ‘Well, you received my call. What do I do now?’
‘I don’t think Herr Eicke will be looking for a quick response. After all, he has set you off on a wild goose chase looking for troop movements,’ said Thornton, fiddling with his pearl cufflinks.