‘We’ll be five minutes,’ said Abby with as much charm as she could manage. ‘Five minutes, that’s all we need. My friend wanted to say hello.’
‘You’d better be quick,’ said the nurse with a weary shrug.
Abby knocked on the door. Victoria’s voice summoned them inside.
Victoria was out of her chair, and was standing holding a cane. Her face visibly paled when she saw Ros. As the two women looked at each other, Abby could see the years melting away, a bristle of rivalry vanishing as quickly as it had come, softening to a look of nostalgic complicity.
‘Ros,’ said Vic
toria quietly. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
‘Hello, Vee. It’s been a long time.’
They stood in silence.
‘I saw this card on the nurses’ bay,’ said Ros finally. ‘Your birthday card to Tracey, I believe.’
Abby didn’t miss the sharp look that darted between the two women.
‘You sent me the postcard, didn’t you, Vee?’ Rosamund’s voice started to crack.
‘What’s going on?’ whispered Abby.
Ros handed her the birthday card and Abby read the message inside.
Darling Tracey. Wishing you much happiness on this special day, best wishes, Victoria H.
At first she didn’t understand its significance, until Ros rooted around in her handbag, pulling out the postcard that she had shown Abby in the Chelsea Physic Garden.
‘I recognised the handwriting, Vee,’ said Rosamund slowly.
‘Victoria sent the card?’ said Abby.
‘Should we walk?’ said Victoria after a moment. ‘I have to do a lap of the garden every day. Not the easiest thing with two artificial hips.’
‘We’ll take it slowly,’ said Rosamund, holding her arm.
The sun was out and Victoria’s cane sank softly into the grass as they stepped through the French doors on to the manicured lawn.
‘Perhaps you’d like to close the door,’ said Victoria, turning to Abby. ‘Most of the residents are stone deaf, and the staff only seem to be interested in celebrity tittle-tattle, if the publications behind the nursing station are to be believed. But still, what I am about to tell you is private.’
Abby did as she was told and then returned to the two older women.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked as she caught up with them. ‘Why did you send Ros the card, Victoria?’
‘Because I didn’t want her doubting Dominic,’ she said, turning her full attention to Rosamund. ‘I know how much you loved him, Ros. We both did. I didn’t want you to believe that he was a traitor.’
‘What do you know, Vee?’ said Rosamund desperately. ‘Tell me everything you know.’
It was several seconds before Victoria spoke again.
‘A few minutes ago, your friend Abby asked me whether Dominic gathered intelligence on behalf of the Russians. The answer to that question is yes. Yes, he did.’
‘So he was a spy?’ Abby turned to her in surprise. ‘And you knew that?’
Victoria nodded, her tiny head bobbing like an apple. ‘But he was also gathering intelligence for the British government.’
Rosamund stopped walking.