The Oslo Affair (Shadows of War, #2) CW Browning (sci fi books to read TXT) 📖

her face was permanently fixed into place, and she held out her hand automatically as the man stopped before her. Instead of taking her hand, he pressed something into it. Looking down in surprise, she found herself holding a business card.

“Miss Ainsworth, I’m very sorry for your loss,” the man said. His voice was deep and low. “My name is Jasper Montclair and I was an associate of your fathers. He spoke often of you.”

Evelyn looked at him more closely. Jasper wasn’t a tall man, but what he lacked in height he more than made up for in charisma. His eyebrows were thick and dark, but his eyes were what really caught her attention. They were sharp and bright, giving the impression that he rarely missed anything.

“Thank you,” she murmured, dropping her gaze to the card in her hand.

“I know this is a very difficult time for you and your family, but I would very much like to speak with you. I understand from William Buckley that you are stationed in Scotland?”

“Yes. I’m in the WAAFs.”

“I know you’ve only been given a limited amount of leave,” Jasper continued. “I’m terribly sorry to intrude on you at such a time, but it really is quite urgent. Can you come to London tomorrow? The address is on the card.”

“Go to London?” Evelyn repeated, staring at him. “What on earth for?”

“I know it’s very inconvenient, and believe me when I say that I would not ask it if it weren’t of the utmost importance.” Jasper smiled apologetically. “Buckley will vouch for me.”

Evelyn frowned and looked more closely at the card in her hand. The address was in London, but it wasn’t one she recognized. The crest on the card, however, she did recognize and she looked up, startled.

“Are you—” she began but he cut her off.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” he asked, the smile still on his face. “Shall we say one o’clock?”

“I suppose so, if I must,” Evelyn said in bemusement, slipping the card into her small clutch purse.

“I’d be very grateful,” he said, holding out his hand. “Again, my sincerest condolence. Your father was an amazing man.”

Evelyn shook his hand and nodded, then he moved away, mingling back into the crowds. Her brows came together in consternation, but the look disappeared as Rob joined her.

“If I have to hear that someone is sorry for my loss one more time, I think I’ll do something altogether shocking,” he announced, slipping his arm through hers and turning her towards the lane that ran past the churchyard. “Come on. Let’s start off home.”

“What about Mum?” Evelyn looked around. “Where is she?”

“Mrs. Buckley is collecting her; they’ll be along directly. I think we’ve all had enough.” He glanced down at her. “Who was that man just now?”

“Someone who worked with Dad, I think.”

“Didn’t he introduce himself?”

“Yes. His name is—”

“Jasper Montclair.” A new voice spoke behind them. They turned and William Buckley smiled apologetically. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing.”

Evelyn smiled and held out her hand to him.

“You can eavesdrop all you like, Bill,” she said warmly. “I appreciate everything you and Marguerite have done.”

“Yes, thank you,” Rob added, shaking his hand when Evelyn had finished. “I understand you’ve been a great help to my mother through all of this.”

“It’s the least we can do,” Bill said, falling into step beside them. “I didn’t know you were acquainted with Jasper, Evelyn.”

“I’m not. I’ve just met him. He says he was an associate of Dad’s.”

“In a way, I suppose he was,” Bill said obscurely.

“He wants me to go to London tomorrow,” Evelyn said after a moment. “He wants to meet with me. Do you have any idea why?”

Bill looked at her, clearly surprised. “To London?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’d better go,” he said bluntly, shooting her a sharp look. “It’s not often that Montclair requests a meeting.”

Evelyn caught his sharp glance and nodded imperceptibly. If Bill said she was to go, she supposed she was going to London tomorrow.

“Why would he want to meet with Evie?” Rob demanded with a frown.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Bill said reassuringly. “More than likely, he just wants to make sure that you both know you have allies in London should you ever need them. It’s our way of taking care of our own, you see.”

Rob continued to frown. “I don’t see, but if you vouch for him, I don’t suppose I can say anything to stop it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Evelyn said with a quick smile. “I’ll take the train down in the morning and be back after dinner.”

“William!” a voice called from behind them. “Come tell Madeleine about when you and Robert got stranded in Marseilles!”

Bill grinned apologetically and turned to join his wife and Madeleine, walking quite a way behind. Evelyn tucked her arm through her brothers again as they walked along the lane.

“I think I want to know what happened when they got stranded in Marseilles,” she said. “Can you imagine Dad stranded anywhere?”

“No,” he admitted. “I feel sorry for whoever was ultimately responsible for it.”

They walked along in silence ahead of the others. The day was crisp and cool, with the sun shining brightly above. They went up the main road of the village, thanking those who stopped and called out their condolences. Then they were in the countryside, the road lined with thick hedgerows and tall trees. Surrounded by the comfortable smell of boxwood that Evelyn would always associate with home, she took a deep breath of fresh, clean air and looked up at Rob.

“How’s the flying?”

He looked down at her with a smile. “Fantastic. How’s the top-secret training?”

Evelyn couldn’t stop the grin that crossed her face. When the RAF resurrected the WAAFs over the summer, they had unwittingly provided the perfect cover story for her. Bill had quickly arranged for her to be assigned to a WAAF training base in Scotland. No one in her family knew what she did there, nor would they ever know. All she told them was that