The FitzOsbornes in Exile by Michelle Cooper

Author:Michelle Cooper
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781742740805
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2008-12-31T13:00:00+00:00

21st February, 1938

VERONICA, SIMON AND I HAVE arrived at Montmaray House brimming with fresh purpose, charged with determination. And so it is fitting that I set aside my tattered old exercise book, filled cover to cover with my blotchy scrawl, and turn to the first page of my beautiful, new sky-blue journal. I even have a non-leaky pen, a Christmas present from Toby. I do believe that, as a result, everything I write this afternoon will be significant and hopeful – and unsmudged.

The weather, it must be admitted, is not very encouraging. Yesterday, we were shrouded in a thick grey fog. This morning, an icy gale arrived, direct from the Arctic. Now sleet is splattering itself against the sooty windows, making the library even dimmer and colder than usual. Perhaps in an attempt to counteract this, Veronica and Simon are embroiled in yet another blazing row. (Just because they’ve agreed to work together on the Montmaray campaign doesn’t mean they agree on anything else.) This argument seems to be about ... the Prime Minister? No, apparently they’re debating which government department is most likely to be helpful to our cause. Simon thinks the Ministry for Coordination of Defence will have the greatest interest in us, given that the Germans seem to be using Montmaray as a military base.

‘Where’s our proof of that?’ says Veronica. ‘Besides, everyone knows the Minister of Defence is completely useless. “The most cynical appointment since Caligula made his horse a consul”, that’s what they said when the PM announced Thomas Inskip had the job. He was chosen to do nothing.’

‘Inskip!’ says Simon scornfully. ‘Who said anything about approaching him? It’s the senior civil servants who make all the decisions in that department. If we talk with them, they’ll get in contact with the navy and the air force–’

‘And then they’ll do what, exactly?’ says Veronica. ‘Send a battleship to Montmaray? So it can sit there, doing absolutely nothing, just like that ship they sent to Spain?’

Simon scowls at her. ‘The mere presence of a battleship might make Germany have second thoughts. There’ll only be a few Germans actually there on the island, they won’t be capable of offering any real resistance.’

‘Oh, for Heaven’s sake! They’ll know it’s a bluff!’ snaps Veronica. ‘This is a crisis requiring international diplomacy. It’s the Foreign Office we need to target! First of all, we need the British Ambassador to deliver an official letter of protest to Berlin. Now, who’s the new Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs?’

‘Sir Alexander Cadogan – and give me back that pen! I’m not letting you draft that letter! What you know about diplomacy and tact could be chiselled on the head of a pin–’

And so on. Oh good, the footman’s just come in to announce that luncheon is served. Now they’ll have to call a temporary truce...

Much later. We had apple dumplings with butterscotch sauce and clotted cream for pudding, and even that didn’t improve Simon’s mood. He’s stomped off down the corridor to the little room Aunt Charlotte uses as her office, after announcing that Veronica was driving him mad.

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