marble floor. He grasped the door handle, taking a deep breath of the bees wax polish on the pristine ash panels, and then stepped inside.
There she was.
Emily sat busily tapping away on the typewriter. Her golden brown hair was tied back, but a few stray locks had escaped to frame her perfect complexion. Nash soaked up her slim, elegant features. The white blouse and business suit concealed an athletic, but feminine physique.
Nash walked quietly up to the desk and waited. The delicate fragrance of lavender filled his senses.
‘I will not keep you a moment, sir.’ Emily, head down, kept typing. The letter for Mr Churchill was urgent.
Nash smiled as he took in the view of her cleavage for a second, then stopped himself.
‘How are you Emily?’
The clatter of typewriter fell silent. Emily looked up.
Nash dropped the smile, and searched the blank expression on her face.
He spoke quietly. ‘So, how are you?’
Her eyes filled with tears.
‘Emily?’
She stood up abruptly, pushing back her office chair. It coasted gently back on its rollers, sinking into the lush carpet.
Silence filled the room.
Heart pounding, Nash moved slowly around the desk.
‘Emily, I… ’
‘Where have you been? I thought… I thought… ’
‘I am alright. I… ’
‘Father said you were on another mission.’
‘Yes.’ Nash shrugged.
‘You just vanished without saying goodbye.’
‘I am sorry, it just happened that way. You know how it is. King and country and all that.’
Nash stiffened against the crushing lump forming in his gullet.
‘Danny, I thought you were lost.’
‘I was in a manner of speaking, but I am back now.’
‘Oh, Danny!’
She flung her arms around his neck.
Nash hesitated. Lifting his arms robotically, he found the curve of her waist and pulled her in. He closed his eyes, and soaked up the moment.
She was the only one who could take the pain away.
CHAPTER 10
Dönitz
K essler sat at his desk, making involuntary adjustments to his tunic. He cleared his throat before picking up the receiver.
‘Admiral Dönitz, this is Kessler, how may I be of service?’
‘You received my telegram I trust, and have located Professor Mayer?’ The Admiral’s voice crackled down the long-distance phone line.
‘Yes, Admiral, I received your telegram and personally took charge of the situation. The Professor was detained within an hour of your orders arriving.’
‘That is good Commandant. I have some new orders from Berlin. From the Führer himself!’
‘Of course, I am at your disposal.’ Kessler sat up sharply.
‘The Professor has some skills that are essential to the Wehrmacht. He will be moving to Berlin and you will accompany him. You are responsible for his safe passage. Please report to the Armaments Corp on the outskirts of Berlin by 21.00 hours tomorrow.’
Kessler registered the new orders. ‘Yes Admiral, it will be done; but what of my preparations here for the Führer’s visit?’
‘These must continue in your absence, but you will return in a few days. Now the priority is to deliver Professor Mayer to Berlin,’ clarified Dönitz.
‘May I ask, is this related to the Professor’s work here at the University?’
‘I am afraid I am not permitted to discuss this. However, you should be clear that the safe and intact arrival of the Professor at the Armament Corps is of vital importance.’
Kessler got the message. Mayer was now valuable cargo.
‘Then I should also like to report an incident that occurred at the University last night: a break-in, and theft of some of the Professor’s papers.’
‘What? A theft you say?’
‘Yes Admiral. It was late last night. Unfortunately, the perpetrator got away, but not before dropping a couple of pages of the documents he was stealing.’
‘Pages? Pages of what?’
‘I am not exactly sure yet, sir. Some kind of technical information.’ Kessler stared at the mud-stained pages sitting on his desk. ‘The Professor says the pages are
There she was.
Emily sat busily tapping away on the typewriter. Her golden brown hair was tied back, but a few stray locks had escaped to frame her perfect complexion. Nash soaked up her slim, elegant features. The white blouse and business suit concealed an athletic, but feminine physique.
Nash walked quietly up to the desk and waited. The delicate fragrance of lavender filled his senses.
‘I will not keep you a moment, sir.’ Emily, head down, kept typing. The letter for Mr Churchill was urgent.
Nash smiled as he took in the view of her cleavage for a second, then stopped himself.
‘How are you Emily?’
The clatter of typewriter fell silent. Emily looked up.
Nash dropped the smile, and searched the blank expression on her face.
He spoke quietly. ‘So, how are you?’
Her eyes filled with tears.
‘Emily?’
She stood up abruptly, pushing back her office chair. It coasted gently back on its rollers, sinking into the lush carpet.
Silence filled the room.
Heart pounding, Nash moved slowly around the desk.
‘Emily, I… ’
‘Where have you been? I thought… I thought… ’
‘I am alright. I… ’
‘Father said you were on another mission.’
‘Yes.’ Nash shrugged.
‘You just vanished without saying goodbye.’
‘I am sorry, it just happened that way. You know how it is. King and country and all that.’
Nash stiffened against the crushing lump forming in his gullet.
‘Danny, I thought you were lost.’
‘I was in a manner of speaking, but I am back now.’
‘Oh, Danny!’
She flung her arms around his neck.
Nash hesitated. Lifting his arms robotically, he found the curve of her waist and pulled her in. He closed his eyes, and soaked up the moment.
She was the only one who could take the pain away.
CHAPTER 10
Dönitz
K essler sat at his desk, making involuntary adjustments to his tunic. He cleared his throat before picking up the receiver.
‘Admiral Dönitz, this is Kessler, how may I be of service?’
‘You received my telegram I trust, and have located Professor Mayer?’ The Admiral’s voice crackled down the long-distance phone line.
‘Yes, Admiral, I received your telegram and personally took charge of the situation. The Professor was detained within an hour of your orders arriving.’
‘That is good Commandant. I have some new orders from Berlin. From the Führer himself!’
‘Of course, I am at your disposal.’ Kessler sat up sharply.
‘The Professor has some skills that are essential to the Wehrmacht. He will be moving to Berlin and you will accompany him. You are responsible for his safe passage. Please report to the Armaments Corp on the outskirts of Berlin by 21.00 hours tomorrow.’
Kessler registered the new orders. ‘Yes Admiral, it will be done; but what of my preparations here for the Führer’s visit?’
‘These must continue in your absence, but you will return in a few days. Now the priority is to deliver Professor Mayer to Berlin,’ clarified Dönitz.
‘May I ask, is this related to the Professor’s work here at the University?’
‘I am afraid I am not permitted to discuss this. However, you should be clear that the safe and intact arrival of the Professor at the Armament Corps is of vital importance.’
Kessler got the message. Mayer was now valuable cargo.
‘Then I should also like to report an incident that occurred at the University last night: a break-in, and theft of some of the Professor’s papers.’
‘What? A theft you say?’
‘Yes Admiral. It was late last night. Unfortunately, the perpetrator got away, but not before dropping a couple of pages of the documents he was stealing.’
‘Pages? Pages of what?’
‘I am not exactly sure yet, sir. Some kind of technical information.’ Kessler stared at the mud-stained pages sitting on his desk. ‘The Professor says the pages are
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