Legacy Read Online Free Page B

the one that gave the best results was the old-fashioned briefcase sort used by the man at the table on the far side, opposite you.’
    Charles hadn’t spotted him. She spoke quietly and, against the general hubbub, he had to concentrate on what she was saying. Twice, even before she was seated, she had pushed back her
hair. Her accent was educated southern English. ‘You’ve lost your accent,’ he said. ‘And your little girls.’
    ‘My borrowed accent. My husband is A/1, desk officer for London operations. We were in Prague. The children were not borrowed, though. But office wives are, for this sort of
thing.’
    ‘It was very convincing.’
    ‘Not to anyone who knows.’
    ‘Do you speak Czech?’
    ‘Shopping Czech – queuing Czech, I should say. Menu Czech.’
    There was a pause, filled by the noise and laughter of the others. The loudest laugh was Gerry’s, as he went from desk to desk. They looked at each other for a moment before speaking.
‘That pianist,’ Charles said.
    ‘I know. It was wonderful. So simple. And so dramatic.’
    Charles knew he should resist staring so directly. She crossed her legs and glanced down at the square toe of her polished brown boot. The leather jacket on her lap creaked softly.
‘I’m Anna,’ she said.
    ‘I wasn’t sure whether I was allowed to know you as anything other than Mrs A/1. I’m Charles Thoroughgood.’
    ‘I know, Gerry briefed us all. I’m supposed to tell you how you did. So embarrassing.’ She smiled again.
    ‘Was I that bad?’
    ‘No, no, you were fine. Very good, very natural. There’s nothing else to say, really. There’d be more if you were bad. No, it’s just – you know – the
necessary pretence of these necessary games.’
    ‘Fun, though,’ Charles said, hopefully.
    ‘Oh yes, fun, of course.’
    Gerry shambled over and laid his hand heavily on her shoulder. ‘ Eh bien , Anna, how did student F perform?’
    ‘Student F was brilliant, Gerry. Best yet.’
    ‘But he’s only your first.’
    ‘Second.’
    ‘Absolutely, spiffingly, world-championly brilliant? Remembered everything, no muffed lines, no use of his own name, no feet in his own mouth or on your toes?’
    ‘Not a foot wrong anywhere.’
    ‘Great. I still long for you, Anna. You know that?’
    ‘I’m so pleased, Gerry. I thought the wait must have wearied you.’
    ‘Never. Tell Hugo I’ll step into his shoes tomorrow.’
    ‘I think he knows that. You tell him every time you see him.’
    ‘I mean it. Well done, Charles. Don’t forget the write-up.’ Gerry moved on to the next desk.
    ‘So funny to think of Gerry in charge of all you babies,’ she said. ‘He and Hugo joined together. It’s hard to take anyone seriously when you’ve trained with
them.’
    Charles thought she was about his own age. ‘You did the course as well, then?’
    ‘No, but we were already married so I used to hear all about it and go to the parties and so on. Then when we got our Sovbloc posting we did the enhanced tradecraft course – spouses,
too, you see, and the office pays for all the child-minding – and Gerry was on it because he was going to Warsaw.’
    ‘I didn’t know he’d been in Warsaw.’
    ‘He hasn’t. His marriage broke up. You had to be married for a Sovbloc posting, you see. I’m not sure you do now.’
    ‘I think you do.’
    ‘You’re not, are you?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Better get a move on, then, if you want to join the Sovbloc mafia.’ She stood abruptly, as if prompted, and held out her hand. ‘And I’d better get a move on to pick up
my children. They’ve had to be kept busy for the office’s benefit, too. It’s nice to have met you. Well done.’
    ‘Thank you for making it easy. They seemed very well behaved.’ He had to repeat himself amidst the scraping of chairs as others stood to go. He wanted to say something else about the
pianist, but hesitated too long.
    ‘They won’t be by now.’ She too hesitated as if about to add something, then