Stealth

7

When they were settled into their comfortable sitting room, Stone produced a bottle of Knob Creek from his bag. “Are you feeling adventurous?” he asked, holding it up.

“I expect I will be, after a dose of that,” she replied.

Stone poured them each one, and she sampled hers judiciously. “My word,” she said. “That is quite drinkable for a foreign spirit.”

“Speaking for my country, and the state of Kentucky, I thank you for your broad-mindedness.” Shortly, they had another.

The train moved, and Rose said, “I’m feeling a bit peckish. Shall we be among the first for the first seating in the dining car?”

“Of course.”

They made their way to the next car and were seated immediately. Industrial Glasgow was passing their window, but soon it gave way to a more rural vista. The sun was already setting.

“It gets dark early at this latitude this time of year,” Stone said.

“I expect it’s one of the reasons so few people reside in the Scottish Highlands,” she replied.

They ordered the lamb and Stone found a decent claret on the wine list. After dinner they took a couple of large cognacs with them back to their suite, and soon they were once again entwined in bed.

“What time do we get to King’s Cross Station?” Stone asked, kissing her ear.

“Quite early, so we’ll miss rush hour. Still, we have a good seven hours to go.”

“Barely enough time for this,” Stone said, turning his attention to another area of her physique.

“Take all the time you need,” she said.

When they were sated they sat up in bed, tended to their cognac, and watched the Scottish Lowlands fly by their window, under a half-moon.

“When do you have to be back at work?” Stone asked.

“A week from tomorrow,” she replied.

“Then why don’t you join me for a night at the Connaught, followed by several days at my house on the Beaulieu River, in Hampshire.”

“What a nice invitation. Will I have time to restock my wardrobe?”

“Certainly, and you will have room for whatever you want to bring. It’s a roomy car.”

“Then I accept.”

They finished their cognac, then turned again to each other.

At King’s Cross they found a taxi and had a fairly quick drive to the Connaught Hotel, in light traffic. Stone gave her the cab to drive her home. “What time will I see you?”

“Oh, by the cocktail hour, I expect.”

“I’ll let the front desk know you’re coming.” Stone sent her on her way and checked in. He was relieved that his suite was ready, and he managed a couple more hours of sleep.

Later, Rose was escorted up to the suite by an assistant manager, and her bags were set up on folding racks.

“Where are we dining?” she asked.

“At Harry’s Bar,” Stone replied. “Do you know it?”

“Only by reputation.”

“I predict that you will like it.”

“May we have a dance at Annabel’s later?”

“I’m very much afraid that Annabel’s is now Annabel’s in name only, having been closed by its new owners and moved next door. I was a member for a long time, and I was told nothing about all this. I was also told that if I wanted to be a member of the new club I would have to reapply and give references. I asked if I might see the new club before making that decision and was told only members could enter. I decided that I did not wish to belong to a club who would treat an old member in that manner, so I declined to reapply. It’s a pity, because I loved the original.”

At dinnertime they took the five-minute walk to Harry’s Bar and were given a corner table.

“Stone,” Rose said, when their drinks arrived, “did you notice, on our drive to Glasgow, that there seemed to be another vehicle following us?”

“I did not. I was wedged into my seat with my foot on the front armrest, so turning around would have been uncomfortable.”

“Our driver noticed,” she said, “and he eventually put more distance between us.”

“What do you think that was about?”

“Word around the base was that there may have been more intruders than the one who shot out your tire.”

“Any thoughts on how many?”

“All sorts of thoughts, from a pair to a platoon.”

“Then I expect the colonel will hunt them down to a man.”

“I hope so. Tell me, is there anything about you that would cause them to set you apart for being dealt with?”

“That’s an interesting thought. Are you thinking of my acquaintance with Dame Felicity?”

“Perhaps. I thought it might be that or something else.”

“My only dealings with Russians have been, not with the military, but with the criminal element.”

“You mean the Russian mafia?”

“Yes. I’m on the board of a hotel group that opened a new one in Paris last year, and in their attempt to buy us out there were attacks on the persons of both me and my French partner. And they were very persistent.”

“It seems unlikely that such people would find you at Station Two.”

“It does. I suppose, if they were looking for it, the Aston Martin could have caused them to think it would be driven by Dame Felicity.”

“I suppose it might have.”

“What about you, Rose? Any reason for them to single you out?”

“I think not, and that view is supported by the fact that I was not sought out.”

“Perhaps I should take some precautions on our drive south tomorrow,” he said.

“What sort of precautions?”

“I also serve on the board of an outfit called Strategic Services, which is a large international security company. I’ll have someone from the London office watch our backs tomorrow.”

“Oh, good,” Rose said. “I feel better already.”

“They are very able people,” Stone said. “Now, what would you like for dinner?”