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This is as far as I have got....but more in two weeks time. I'm away now for 6 days. Miller
6
As the train left Aberdeen and headed inland, Fleur contemplated her arrival at Elgin. She could see why Messrs Dynes and Shadbolt had been interested in her but hopefully they were satisfied that Germany would not feature in her plans in the near future, apart from sharing any information she found about the German agents. It was therefore important for her to co-operate with her British handlers.
One hour and twenty minutes later the Aberdeen - Inverness train pulled into Elgin. Steam ran along the side of the train as Fleur stepped down with her suitcase and black box. She walked through the station, crossed the street and walked down Hay Street and there before her was the welcome sight of the family hotel.
Fleur climbed the steps to the reception and rang the bell of the Nethybrig Hotel. A door from the kitchen opened and Fleur’s mother, Madge, appeared.
‘Darling, you’re home,’ she said fast approaching with her arms open wide. Fleur placed her bags down. They hugged.
‘Welcome home,’ said the bell boy. ‘I’ll take your luggage to your room.’
‘Thank you.’
‘It’s wonderful to have you back home, darling. Wonderful. Yes in the attic if you don’t mind. Dad’s in the back bedroom,’ said Madge.
‘The back bedroom? How is dad?’ asked Fleur.
Madge began to cry. ‘He’s not well,...not well at all. In fact he’s not got long..... to live. That’s why I hoped you would come. You had better go and see him while I organise a cup of tea for us, and some shortcake.’
Fleur went through the corridor to the back bedroom. She opened the door but her father seemed to be sleeping. She approached. She bent forward to kiss him. That woke him. A faint smile crossed his lips and his eyes shone a welcome as he recognised his daughter’s return. His voice was weak.
‘Fleur.....darling...Fleur.....forgive me.....
‘You have nothing g to forgive dad,’ she replied with a lump in her throat.
‘Forgive me...forgive my past....forgive...my...foooli........sh....
The effort to speak had exhausted him. Her vital father was slipping away. Fleur placed her hand on top if his and squeezed it lightly. He tried to smile. He failed but she felt he was at peace with his daughter, even although the forgiveness he sought had not been clarified nor understood.
Major James Bruce took his final breath two days later. The atmosphere in the hotel was sober but not depressed and Madge found great strength and gratitude that Fleur had managed to see her father before he died.
After his funeral and then at the gathering at the hotel, there were representatives of his regiment, and the town’s bankers and clergy nor to mention the regulars who frequented the public bar most nights and who would retire to their Howff before the sun would set.
In a quiet moment, Fleur found her mother on her own.
‘Before he died, Dad seemed to be asking for forgiveness. Do you understand what he was trying to say?’
‘Forgiveness? Then I suppose it was about his army days. He never spoke much of those times,’ said Madge.
‘I don’t think it would have been his army days. Any forgiveness there would have been dealt with accordingly. No, he seemed to be apologising to me! I can’t see why,’ said Fleur puzzled.
‘I would put it out of your mind. You won’t find the answer to that, so why search? I am afraid I can’t help you there Fleur. Let him beg his forgiveness whatever it was with the Good Lord, who will be with him now.’
Fleur smiled at her mother. If it was of little concern to her, it would have been of less concern to Fleur. It niggled as a thought but Madge was right. There could be no answer.
On the night of 10th/ 11th November 1938 Germany descended into a state of horrid retribution. On the pretext of the assassination of Ernst von Rath by a German born Polish Jew in Paris, Kristallnacht brought with it the arrest of 30,000 Jews and placed in incarceration. 91 Jews were killed in riots and more than 1,000 Synagogues were burned to the ground; in Vienna 95 were erased. Reports spoke of the atrocities being perpetrated by SA paramilitaries and German civilians. In the London Times, a Journalist recorded: ‘No foreign propagandist bent upon blackening Germany before the world could outdo the tale of burnings and beatings of blackguardly assaults on defenceless and innocent people, which disgraced that country yesterday.’
Fleur read the newspaper with sadness rather than disbelief. Germany was descending into a new level of evil. Her relief at being no longer in that country gave her little comfort. Otto was part of that new Germany as was Karl and Renate. She had received letters from Otto and Renate but they were of little comfort to her. They lacked any personal touch and provided no information. It was clear that they feared censors.
The following week two men asked for Fleur at the hotel reception desk. Fleur approached them suspiciously.
‘Frau Richter? Can we find a private room to talk?’ asked the older of the two men.
‘This way,’ gestured Fleur.
They were shown into a side room and Fleur ordered three coffees. The men took their seats around the fireplace. Logs burned brightly behind a brass fireguard.
‘Greetings from Gerhard,’ said Conrad Kopp, a brown suited man around forty years of age.
‘How is he,’ asked Fleur.
‘Anxious to know how you are,’ said Joachim Wolff, the younger man with a double breasted jacket and grey flannel trousers. He was also the shorter of the two men, with a red handkerchief for show peaking above his jacket’s breast pocket.
‘We are confirming you are here and remaining loyal to our Fatherland. You understand?’
At that moment the coffee arrived. Both men stood up nervously until they saw the waitress came in alone. Fleur filled the cups and offered fingers of shortbread. Conrad bit into the buttered biscuit with relish.
‘Hmmm ...good. They are good. I like the Scottish biscuit,’ he said.
‘I hear from my son from time to time and my brother in law too,’ said Fleur.
‘Good. And you write to them too?’
‘I have done,’ said Fleur knowing she too was careful in what she told them fearing censorship.
‘The British people, how are they responding to events at home?’ asked Joachim.
‘Krystallnacht was well reported as you know. That caused concern.’
‘But you have a Jewish problem too don’t you?’
‘In Britain?’ Fleur clarified unnecessarily but giving her more time to respond.
‘Yes in all of Britain,’ said Joachim impatiently.
‘They run businesses everywhere here as in Germany. It is a concern,’ said Fleur convincingly. ‘But I can’t see the British responding as our own people did.’
Conrad smiled as Fleur talked of ‘our own people’.
‘Let me come to the point. We have satisfied ourselves of the strengths of defences from Orkney to the north of Scotland. We will need to brief Herr Eicke and his superiors. We are both returning to Hamburg next week,’ said Conrad.
‘I see,’ said Fleur realising she might never see these two agents again.
‘That places you as our agent in the north of Scotland. You understand?’ asked Joachim.
‘Yes, but if you are not here, who do I report to?’
‘Don’t worry, it will become clearer soon. It won’t be Herr Eicke. It will be an officer of the foreign department.
‘And how will I make contact?’ clarified Fleur.
‘Here is his card’.
Fleur studied the card. It was a military rank that she read. ‘So, I should write to him soon? After you have returned home?
‘Here are the codes you will need. Keep them safe at all times. Study them. You will soon understand them. We cannot be too careful. Messages are being deciphered and censored from both sides,’ Joachim.
‘And when do you return. I mean when do I take over?’ she asked to retain her facts correctly.
‘We are heading off to Aberdeen tomorrow to take the crossing to Hamburg. But I suggest you take over from today. We will have to make sure we leave no trails in travelling. You know how circumspect we must be!’
‘Then it is an honour to undertake this role,’ said Fleur.
‘Indeed it is and I have full confidence in what you are expected to do for the Fatherland.’
Conrad raised his hand as Fleur had seen Hitler do in newsreels.
‘Heil Hitler,’ he said.
Simultaneously the words were repeated but Fleur’s voice was much quieter.
Fleur saw the men leave the hotel. She mounted the stair to the top of the building and entered the attic. From there could be seen the main street and Fleur saw them stand at a bus stop which would take them west. She waited and waited. The men stood smoking one cigarette after the other.
Madge knew Fleur was in the attic.
‘You all right up there?’
‘Yes, mother. I’ll be down soon.’
‘What are you doing? Need a hand?’
‘I’ll be down soon. No, I’ll manage.’
Fleur saw in the distance, a bus appear. It was heading west and should be about to take on board the German agents. She noticed it was not going as far as Inverness. It was the Nairn bus. That was probably where they had come from. Unless they took a bus from Nairn further east. Fleur remained perched by the window until she was satisfied the men were on board. Yes, she was an agent now most certainly, a double agent. She had to get in touch with Shadbolt.
8
Fleur lifted the telephone from the telephone box in the town. After three rings a voice replied.
‘Hello.’
‘Sir your meeting has been booked at the Nethybrig hotel in Elgin. Please report to reception at 10am tomorrow. Have I have I made myself clear to you?’ said Fleur.
‘You have indeed madam. I’ll be there tomorrow.’
Fleur smiled with satisfaction. She was playing her cards just as both masters would have wished.
The following morning Mr. Shadbolt arrived with Mr. Dynes. Once more they were led into a back room and served with coffees.
‘So they have gone back to Aberdeen. They should be on the boat this morning to Hamburg’ said Fleur.
‘Yes, they are,’ confirmed Mr Shadbolt.
‘What had you picked up from them?’ asked Mr Dynes.
‘I have a feeling they won’t be back. They seem to have covered the north of Scotland rather well. They have been to Orkney and seen Scapa Flow; know the frequency of flights in and out of the new Lossiemouth Air Base and seen the Seaforth Highlanders presently based at Fort George by Inverness. They were impressed by the musical standards of the pipe bands there apparently,’ said Fleur.
‘I tend to agree. There’s not much more they could have seen except one area you have not mentioned,’ said Shadbolt.
‘I think I’ve recalled all they knew. I can’t remember them mention another venue of significance,’ she said.
‘Well, there is but that’s all I’ll say,’ said Dynes.
‘We’ll have to give some thought about what you will tell the Germans. At this rate of aggressive expansionism we must not show our hand too clearly,’ said Shadbolt.
‘No I suppose not,’ said Fleur.
‘We will advise you what’s to be said once you have heard from their source. It will be interesting to see how long it will take to write to you. It may show their priorities,’ said Dynes.
‘Tell me how much do your parents know of your roles?’ asked Shadbolt.
‘Very little. My father is very ill and knows nothing of these meetings. My mother is somewhat aware but does not talk about it.’
‘Hmmm...,’ thought Dynes.
‘It will be Christmas in five weeks. I think we may have plans for you in the New Year. But I can’t give you any information at this stage,’ said Shadbolt.
‘Enjoy the seasonal break. I know it will be with only half your family but make the most of it. We will both be in London next week for a couple of weeks. You have out telephone numbers if something comes up?’
‘I do, sir,’ replied fleur.’
That concluded the meeting and both men make their departures. Madge saw them leave.
‘They seem important men, dear,’ she commented.
‘They are mother,’ said Fleur.
‘Will they be back?’
‘I expect so, in the New Year.’
‘I know I should not pry but, well, they are not local.’
‘Mother, these are important men who wish to know about what’s happening in Germany. That’s why they come to see me.’
‘I see. Well that’s fine’ said Madge.
Christmas was a quiet affair in Scotland. In fact it was an ordinary working day except for the Church services. The hotel was busy serving Christmas meals top wealthy families in the area and as Fleur was so busy, she hardly thought of Karl and Otto and what they might be experiencing in Hamburg.
But by 29th December, Fleur had other matters on her mind.
The letter seemed innocuous. It bore no stamp. But she knew the feel of the envelope was German. It was a printed envelope and Fleur was quick to spot an error in the address. ‘Elgan’ indeed.
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Web Site:
The Solo Oboe
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Ron