Come into my Parlour by Dennis Wheatley

certain people the impression that he’s a bad lot.”
    Erika smiled. “We all felt sure that he must really be innocent as he was one of your private guests.”
    â€œYou did, eh?” Sir Pellinore’s bright blue eyes suddenly hardened. “Never jump to conclusions about a thing like that. I’ve got plenty of friends who’d be wearing broad arrows now if they’d been fools enough to be found out. Anyway, young what’s-his-name is being groomed for a special job and he’s due to start on it at the end of the second week in August. There should be just time, though, for him to take you out and have a preliminary snoop round at this chalet place. If your husband’s really there it should be all right for you to go ahead,but if the place is occupied by anyone else that’ll show there’s something phoney about it, and you can return with Piers to England.”
    â€œThank you so much. Is there any other point in the letter that strikes you?”
    Sir Pellinore poured himself a second glass of port and read the letter through to the end.
    â€œI don’t think so,” he said, taking off his spectacles and handing it back. “By and large, the story seems too logical to be fishy. Reading between the lines, I should say your husband is just as anxious for a divorce as you are. He obviously thinks you’ll be in no position to support him in the future and would like to be free to sell his title to some rich man’s daughter who wants to put a coronet on her undies.”
    â€œI imagine it is not easy to get to Switzerland now Hitler is in control of Northern France and Vichy France is closed to us, but I take it you will be able to help me about my journey?”
    â€œYes. If you wanted to go only on personal grounds, to get this divorce, it might be very awkward. But in view of this new type of warfare business I can say with a clear conscience that you’re going out to do a job for me. We send long range aircraft over now and again with the bags for our Legation, and I can get you a passage in one of them. I’ll fix up the money side of it for you, too. Get you a credit for twelve hundred at a Swiss bank and have a chit sent to our Minister there that he is to weigh out any bigger sum that you may require if you can do a deal over the secret information.”
    When Erika had thanked him he finished his port and they went upstairs, where it was agreed that she should return to Gwaine Meads the next day and wait there until she heard from him.
    A week elapsed and on the following Thursday morning she received a letter in Sir Pellinore’s bold, flowing hand. It was extremely laconic and simply said:
    A plant will be leaving on Sunday. Suggest you arrive here early Saturday afternoon. Have written instructing your escort to place himself at your disposal. You can now tell him whatever it is strictly necessary for him to know. Bless you
.
    P
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    Piers Gaveston had also received a brief chit from Sir Pellinore, by the same post; and, glancing up from it, he smiled at her across the breakfast table. He was a tall fair young man with nice brown eyes and a slightly upturned moustache. They made no comment on their letters but as soon as the meal was over, on seeing her go out on to the terrace, he drifted casually after her.
    As soon as they were out of earshot of Madeleine and the Professor he said with a grin: “I’m instructed to report for duty, madame! What are your orders for the day?”
    â€œNothing very onerous,” she smiled. “Let’s walk through the woods as far as the little Greek temple, and as we go along I’ll tell you why Sir Pellinore has asked you to help me.”
    They fell into step, and, leaving the gardens, strolled slowly down the long grassy glade while Erika told him about the journey they were to make and her husband; but she said nothing of the secret work upon which Kurt von Osterberg had been