Learning His Place - Part One by Molly Sands

Author:Molly Sands [Sands, Molly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Venus
Published: 2020-09-26T04:00:00+00:00

LAURA AND JOHN spoke little as he drove out of town.

‘I’m sorry this is such a rush,’ he said, turning off the main road onto a country lane. ‘I’d have preferred a whole evening with you, at my house or in a restaurant, but I’ve been called back to London and I didn’t want to leave without seeing you.’

‘It’s fine,’ she said, taking in his strong hands on the steering-wheel, and liking the smell of his cologne. ‘After calling you it would have felt strange not to at least meet.’

‘It would have, and I’m glad you feel the same,’ he said, pulling into a stopping-place with picnic tables and a pleasant view of a slow-flowing river. Both of them opened their windows and let in the sound of the river and the birds singing in the trees. Theirs was the only car in the stopping-place and they unfastened their safety-belts and sat for long moments breathing in the lovely air, their nerves soothed by the sounds of the natural world.

‘How long does it take you to drive to London?’ Laura asked, knowing the answer but unable to think of anything else to say.

‘Two hours depending on traffic,’ he said, glancing at his watch. ‘I’m due there by two, so we’ve barely got half an hour.’

‘What is it you do?’ she asked, curious about how he’d answer.

‘Do?’ he said, looking uneasy.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘For work?’

‘Didn’t I tell you?’

‘No, you didn’t.’

‘I thought I did.’

‘You told me you were no longer in the army, but you didn’t say what you do now.’

‘I work for the government,’ he said.

‘The government?’ she said. ‘On a Sunday?’

‘More often than I’d like.’

‘I’ve heard you’re a spook,’ she said, peering at him mischievously, wondering how he’d react.

‘Where did you hear that?’ he said, entirely unruffled.

‘I’m not at liberty to say,’ she said playfully.

‘You can’t disclose your sources?’ he said, smiling in a way that made her smile back.

‘Exactly,’ she said, suddenly longing for him to take her in his arms and kiss her.

‘If you did, you’d have to kill me?’ he said, laughter in his eyes.

‘It would give me no pleasure.’

‘All right, then,’ he said, taking her hand and holding it gently. ‘Full disclosure?’

‘That might be best,’ she said, thrilled by the touch of his hand.

‘I work for the Intelligence Services,’ he said.

‘So you are a spook?’

‘If you like.’

‘And how does one become a member of the Intelligence Services?’

‘There are a number of ways an individual can suffer that fate. In my case I was in the Parachute Regiment for eight years until I joined the SAS where I was promoted to major. My time with the SAS earned me the highest security rating which made it relatively straightforward to move into Intelligence, and that’s all there is to it, really.’

‘Is it dangerous work?’

‘Not any more. I’m mostly behind a desk these days.’

‘Mostly?’

‘Sometimes I have to get my hands dirty.’

‘Do you have a gun?’ she said, partly to tease him but also because she was curious to know.

‘Yes, but not on me.

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