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I
There was a phone call to Hugh's landline at 8 minutes before 8 p.m. It was Francine, not Geneviève. Sigh. And yet great. No really, better this way for the long term. Real, genuine Franka but he knew he was also her dissonance.
He was nauseated about Geneviève, what was she playing at? He looked at the phone ringing, then answered, gently: 'Franka.'
'Eight minutes, Hugh, would you come downstairs to help me up with some things?'
That voice, eternally Francine. A pause, then: 'I'll be right down.' He could hear the palpable relief at the other end.
.o0o.
It had actually diffused the meeting, the rejoining, both knew there was so much still to discuss. In robes. In bed. She'd already said she might still go to Nikki's for the night if either was not happy. Neither was happy in one way, obviously, and yet deliriously happy in being with one another right now. Adrenaline was flowing, breathing was short.
Supper took not long to prepare.
.o0o.
'Here we are, Hugh Bebe.'
'Yes.'
She laughed. 'My goodness, like two teenagers, life never changes, anywhere in the world ... well?'
'Are we alone, each of us, that's the issue. Speak, Franka.'
'You first.'
'All right. Easier for me, I'm greatly disappointed with Genie, really dismayed. It's a body blow. Both she and I, though, have now made a statement. Which leaves you. Jean.'
She lay back, head on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. 'He's such a child. He knows, I told him straight, I warned him four times in the past weeks, in that voice he knows. You and I know about the Lodge, how we'll arrange it. We've discussed it. He can have the Gardener's, provided he moves our bed in there and Ksenia's bed to my room. Our room. We'll live half there and half here. What's the matter?'
'The issue is -'
'You think I don't know? Look, Hugh, Bebe, I can't put him on the street, I don't want him with her.' A pause. 'Yes all right,' she snapped, more at herself than at him, conversing with herself, 'It can't be ... all right. I have a decision, don't I?'
He said not a word. She turned to face him. 'I would not be here, would I? I'd be at the Lodge with him, giving him another ultimatum. Yes, and I know the next part. If both did what we wanted, what then? Are we each other's consolation?'
'No, we have a history, from day one, there was something from the start, but too much else was going on. Just what were your thoughts? Day one I mean.'
'I thought it the most romantic thing, and Ksenia was not the romantic type. But we fixed that in her,' she smiled. 'You think we did?'
'Without a doubt. But you also loved the doings and goings here and there.'
She smiled happily. 'Very special, yes ... and now here we are. Bizarre but not bizarre ... maybe meant? Hugh, I'm ready, so if there's anything you'd like to ...'
II
After Easter, 2006
The most dismayed, reportedly, had been Nicolette, though she’d had to own they’d finally separated Mademoiselle and him, plus he’d gained acceptance within the Section for doing that, he’d grown into various inside roles as well, keeping the Paris end going while some of the girls kept the Lodge end running, it was working out.
There’d been a screaming match with Jean, resulting in his opting to stay with Charlotte’s family - Francine was flatly not going to allow that little minx into the Gardener's - no way, not for some time at least.
Geneviève’s renewed relations with Philippe had dimmed Hugh’s star with her, though everyone was awaiting the renewed infidelities from him and the dulling of her newfound fire.
As a person now connected to another man, having opted for that, Geneviève was not endearing herself to Hugh, to Francine nor to the other girls by sending the two of them in different directions on incongruous missions which did not dovetail. Everyone knew what she was up to and as Nicolette was not vocally against this, it was dismaying the ‘lower orders’ – the whole mess was having an effect on Section morale. Even Emma seemed nonplussed.
It needed a male to step in and as Hugh was caught up in the mess, the next most logical person was Marc, who had his own issues with Dilyara. Yet he did step in and hosted a meeting for the main lights at Jean Jaures, plus a couple of the juniors. Many times people were heard bitterly complaining about the principle of one man one woman – after all, every girl was a rescuee, all had been impressed by the mission of exposing and ending humbug, the Section prime directive. How could anyone countenance this turmoil?
Marc would lay it down with Mademoiselle, the danger the Section was now in.
III
May, 2006
Francine and Hugh were in the bath at his place, quite an undertaking with two people their size washing each other but they’d worked it into the repertoire ... his landline went. The answer machine was on and they heard the unmistakable tone of Jean, quite beside himself in a way he was increasingly becoming of late.
Jean wanted out from Charlotte, first person he’d obviously thought of was Francine and now here he was phoning Hugh’s home, Francine was horrified. ‘Merde! Merde! Merde! I have to think.’
‘May I add some thoughts?’
‘Please.’
‘Where would he have got my landline number from?’
‘Mademoiselle, Emma perhaps – there’s nothing written down in the Lodge and my phone is with me, I know everyone’s number. He’d phone Nikki first. Let me think, I have to be sure in my head.’
She thought for a minute and concluded, ‘It could only be Nikki, I know Mademoiselle is away and he doesn’t know Emma well enough.’
‘Can you phone Nikki at this hour?’
‘I can phone her at any hour, she’s on call.’
‘Use my landline, it’s cheaper.’
‘That gives her your landline and I don’t want that, not yet Hugh, I’m your woman. I’ll phone her on my mobile.’
She did, it was eventually answered by what seemed a sleepyhead at that end who then sprang to attention – he could make out the voice.
Nicolette spoke for some time, Francine muttering, ‘Comprends,’ from time to time. Then ‘Merci, Nikki, merci.’ Then, ‘No, do not think that about him, that would be very wrong, do you not trust me on this? Jean-Jaures? What time?’
She closed the phone and was far calmer. ‘Let’s just sit in chairs for now, Bebe, let us get our breath back. May we have coffee? You heard most of it. The biggest thing is not to tell a lie – you showed me it was a good strategy because the story does not then fall apart. Jean phoned Nikki all right but she says she did not give him your number, we don’t know who’s lying in this. I’d say he got it from one of the girls.
So he phones and gets Mademoiselle’s voice saying ‘they’ can’t come to the phone right now, he knows it’s not Mademoiselle’s home, therefore it must be yours. And you heard his message – he really does not know where I am. I certainly have to call him sometime and I don’t want because it starts all that again.’
‘What’s it matter if Jean did call? Why must you call him? I could have taken the phone and it would not have mattered at all, it’s Genie’s and my flat and you are my partner, no?’
She sighed. ‘Correct. Yes, it’s just me needing to get things clear in my head. I have to call Nikki again.’
She did, they spoke for some time, she put it all to Nikki in rapid French, she became agitated, while Nikki, he could hear, was calm yet persistent.
.o0o.
Francine had been tossing and turning most of the night, she got up and made ready for work, he put out the breakfast, she did what she had to in the bathroom, came back and kissed him to little bits, grabbed her bag and off she went.
.o0o.
She called him about 13:20, he said to hang up and he’d call her back – it was a long conversation.
Jean had not been roaming Paris, he’d in fact gone back to Charlotte’s place and that did not make things any better. Nikki had been at her, Francine, to cut the knot one way or the other, to not stay in this Mademoiselle-like halfway house.
‘Tell Nikki it’s the fault of both of us.’
‘You tell her, Hugh, she’s right here beside me and I think you know I’m on speaker phone, she can hear every word.’
‘Yes but I wasn’t sure it was Nikki there with you until you said it. Nikki, please help Franka and me, put some sense into both of us.’
‘Yes, Hugh.’
‘She doesn’t want to say any more,’ cut in Francine. ‘She’s actually shy and she’s using Melanie’s voice.’
.o0o.
Night had fallen at last, they were in bed at the flat, she’d been with Nikki all day on various missions.
‘No one wants you and I to stay together,’ he stated.
‘Do you?’
‘Yes, of course I do. Do you?’
‘Yes yes yes. But I do miss Jean, cutting him adrift is so hard.’
‘Do you remember you were talking about the little things counting? Well, two or three times, Genie crossed a red line without realising it. I’d not leave her over those things in themselves but I’d certainly tell her and it would make me open to good offers. You’ve been telling Jean those things you have for years now, he sees that he may have lost you but you won’t make him just a friend and that keeps him hanging on as Genie and I did. It might come down to this question, Franka – which one you can cut adrift? It might be that question which decides this. As for me, I've decided to be with you and there it is.’
She sighed, threw her head back, then looked at him. ‘On balance, you are the one.’
'It needs to be more than 'on balance', Franka.'
'I know.'
IV
Late June, 2006
There were two things which altered the landscape.
Firstly, Nikki was telling Francine constantly that this was no different to Mademoiselle and him – and even though Francine was not sleeping with Jean, he was not out of her head and Nicolette knew it was stressing Francine out something awful.
Relations in bed were the good part, they were in fact more intense than they’d ever been, but conversation was beginning to die away with the stress.
Secondly, Geneviève had re-entered the arena via a call to him, asking to meet at a cafe of his choice. She’d told no one about it and that was pressure on him. He promised to at least think about it, it would not be for some time.
V
July, 2006
They met on Jean-Jaures, Geneviève and him.
‘I’m a patient person, Hugh, you know that,’ she said over her profiteroles, ‘I was all for letting it take its own course but this sadness in Franka must stop, the pressure must come off her. You know that more than anyone.' He agreed. 'I do not mean you should immediately return to me, I think that may be difficult now, but I think you know you must release her … don’t you?’
He sighed, she continued. ‘I’m not neutral in this, neither personally nor for the Section, I have a stake in it, I admit this … but it cannot go on like this, Hugh, just as I know it cannot go on with Philippe and me. He offers one thing which involves keeping the Section going, plus he has a way with me as I told you … and yet you’re the better bet and I love you more.’
‘Perhaps it’s time to cut me adrift.’
‘You're not listening. The seniors will not allow that, they’re quite vocal about it, you saw the scene in your apartement. And Hugh ... I can't allow it either. Personally.’
.o0o.
Francine and he were in bed later that day, her eyes looking into his on the pillow.
‘Is it time?’ he asked out of the blue.
That sent her into near-hysterics, he waited, she calmed down, she whispered, ‘Will you let me do it?’
‘Of course.’
‘I don’t want you going back to playing second string to Philippe -’
‘I wouldn’t do that – there’s the one year ultimatum, it’s getting close and she knows I mean that. I’ll wait till then and if necessary, leave Paris, not to return to Russia but to go somewhere in Europe you’ll find out about and you can find me at. I'll be honest now ... I’d go with whoever turned up of you ladies – otherwise I’d make a life there in a different way.’
‘I think it would not be a long time, Bebe. It could easily be me. I’m not ready for this break now, I don't want it, I’ve agreed to do it and I know why you said it. It’s also wrong with Mademoiselle while Philippe hangs about, we all say so, it’s so destructive, Nikki is the most forceful about this. Hugh, I’m not ready to cut the knot with you, I might never do it, make love to me please.’
VI
August, 2006
Geneviève went away, only this one was unusual, Nicolette was particularly concerned because it was to Prague and she knew of a clinic there which had a reputation for being nasty, she also remembered her own trauma in that car … and now shuddered. She suspected that Philippe was behind this as he’d got Geneviève ‘back inside’.
But far more, she, Nikki, was the only one who knew the workings of the various clinics, apart from the now departed Ksenia – these were serious people they were dealing with, quite nasty. She could not send Hugh because she had not yet met him face to face and there were big issues with him, plus he was lumped in with Ksenia in their eyes, she could not send Francine because Franka was a mess, plus she had regular domestic tasks for the other Section members, none of the other girls were senior enough except Emma, and Emma was a lynchpin who needed to stay, the mobile one, the boys were irresponsible and she felt also possibly suspect in loyalty, she would never ask Philippe to help if he was the problem in the first place.
Then it dawned on her. By a stroke of luck, two of Jean’s work colleagues were Czech, from that town, they might even know of this clinic, she had to find out. They were also young enough to get in and get out quickly, they were not known by the cabal, not yet – should she risk their lives when they weren’t even part of the Section? Yet they had bikes and those might come in handy.
She still couldn’t get a plan together how to literally rescue Mademoiselle, kidnap her in fact, she needed help with this one. The three strategists were Emma, Hugh and herself, she didn’t want Emma in on this for her own reasons, she’d promised, till now, not to meet Hugh – Mademoiselle and Franka were both insistent on this, so she’d gone along with it. She was not averse because she’d heard Hugh was also playing along with it. Intriguing to Nikki, that was.
She didn’t like the way he was too freely available for the women – in fact, it appalled her – yet now she needed his help. She and he had to keep faith with Mademoiselle, so they could not actually meet, but they’d still discuss things. How? Phone was out of the question because it was tapped, besides – she did not officially know the number, although of course she knew it.
Nikki was a free thinker, inclined towards the lateral solution, even if it were line ball ethical and the one which suggested itself was to go into a church and while one would sit in the priest side of the confessional – her – the other would turn up and go into the penitent side – she felt that that would suit Hugh well for a change to be a penitent. Marc and Dilyara were currently in Paris, she knew where Marc went for a quiet coffee in the morning, it was morning and her driver, Melanie, was downstairs.
.o0o.
Two hours later, Marc was at Hugh’s downstairs outer door, soon he was in the living room sipping coffee, going through all the Section niceties about who could meet whom and in which way.
‘Above all on this job, Hugh, don’t use the phone. Now this is what Nikki is expecting …’ and the details followed.
VII
The security tokens had been exchanged through the grille, silly thing involving two glass figurines of fairies, in pale pink and turquoise respectively, Hugh heard Nicolette chuckle and liked it, they now went through the protocols.
In essence, the plan was for Francine and him to travel this evening by car near the various checkpoints, on routes and backroads notoriously unmanned or casually manned, a van would also travel ahead of them, they’d used it before and its quirk was a space each corner nearest the cab which was a false inside wall – it would not pass muster if scrupulously measured, it could not be used for mass smuggling but would conceal two people for maybe an hour and a half.
Nikki was the only one who knew the full tale of her partner, where she would be and by when. They were well within time. If this had been fully explored, it would have been discovered that Geneviève had been leaving markers the entire journey, she always had done that, she’d always gone voluntarily, not fully compos mentis but instinct had always seen her put in a series of calls patched back through this girl or that, none of the calls amounting to much in themselves but cumulatively, they’d give the lie of the land should Nikki ever need to attempt a rescue.
She never had till now and this was the culpable part. Nikki was pretty well aware what it was about, but had never taken the bait and found herself unprotected … except that once in Prague visiting Marc, she’d had that amazing escape from their clutches.
All of this she was telling Hugh in a rapid mix of English and French, he liked the voice and the earnestness. He asked if she still agreed they should not 'meet'.
Absolutely, for so many reasons, some of them quite personal. Ditto, he told her. He heard her intaken breath. Interesting. Noted.
Via the main routes in this rescue, Jean and his two colleagues would bike to near Prague, nothing untoward with them, they were visiting some mates, the mates would confirm. What Nikki required of Hugh was to make Francine think she was fully part of this but in reality, it was not just getting Mademoiselle Geneviève back but also … and was Hugh ready for this … it was for Jean to rescue Francine from a set up. Jean was already fully complicit. Did Hugh understand? Good.
The way this would be done was using mates of the mates – she hesitated to use the pun Czech mates, then did use it in English and apologised profusely – using them on bikes to lift Franka but Jean would be the one to rescue her – she might even wake up to the ploy but that would only help the cause.
‘The cause?’ he now asked.
‘Yes, Hugh, the cause.’ She let that sink in, relying on his nouse to fill in the blanks.
‘Ah.’
‘Yes, Hugh, we’re not running fun and games here, we’re dealing with the lives of human beings, of damaged girls, and you have your part to play, even if it means your future. I take you for a responsible man beneath it all, am I correct in assuming that?’
There was initial hesitation, he then replied, ‘Yes, Mademoiselle Nicolette.’
‘I’m not expecting a rapprochement between you and a certain lady, that’s your affaire, I am expecting that this particular lady who loves you but also loves her first love - that she can find some peace for some time. Your comment?’
‘You’re devastating.’
‘Merci, I’m an interested party in all this.’
‘I’m well aware of it. I am also an interested party, Nicolette.’
‘That’s why this is a confessional.’
‘I’m being evaluated. And Geneviève?’
‘You gave her an ultimatum, she understands ultimatums, she can respond when the man is firm. I am observing everything – her, you.’
‘Ah.’
‘Yes, ah. Am I out of order, as the English say, in having an opinion?’
‘I hear you loud and clear.’
‘That’s more reassuring than I can openly say. The person keeping his mind on the main thing, the thing he really needs, having done his homework and being ever so patient – he wins in the end, would you not say?’
‘I would say.’
‘Have we got all the details of this mission clear, all the protocols, anything else you need to know, to ask?’
‘Your English is good.’
‘I studied it, plus it was necessary for this meeting.’
‘You seem thorough, Nicolette.’
‘Lives are on the line, Hugh. It was a pleasure talking to you. Time you went downstairs. Here’s the registration and driver.’ Gloved fingers handed him a slip of paper. Slender fingers.
VII
September 2006
The Geneviève they'd rescued three weeks ago pulled up in the Lodge carport around 21:20, took her bag inside and only the also rescued Francine was there in the lamp-lit semi-darkness on her side of the house. Geneviève had washed and supped earlier, it was to be straight to bed for her in the Gardener’s.
‘Where’s Hugh?’
‘Through there.’
Francine watched her go through the connecting doors.
‘Hugh,’ she acknowledged.
‘Genie.’
‘Am I invited?’
‘It’s cold out, yes.’ That ignored the two other made up beds in the Gardener’s, scarcely the point. She disrobed and climbed under.
‘Franka did it well don’t you think?’ she smiled. ‘We need to talk first, get it all clear. I did miss you, truly I did.’
‘I did you too.’ But he still knew the terms and conditions were going to be everything, she was also well aware of that.
o0o.
Way too much was said – it would take hours here – but the gist, mainly from him, with her agreeing or disagreeing, and in bullet form was:
# Genie was being controlled, therefore her going back to the well was only partly infidelity, there was a lot of incapacity to do other in there.
# His own going from woman to woman – or so it seemed – meant he was the last one to judge. However, just as she was equally and in no order Section, woman and partner, he was parner and man first, but also also Section. (She accepted this statement.)
# She was destroying herself for the Section, for the cause. She had to have a man who could put up with her ways and she with his because if she could cut her controllers, then that man needed to be there. On the other hand, as a man, if he really was a man and not a robot, then he would detest the control of her. Fine to say (she put in) but who would pay for the Section?
# So even though he had given the ultimatum of a date to be free of her controller – how? How could she do that? Therefore, they needed a solution to her controllers but the controllers would know that too and if they suspected someone was threatening the game, then … well … yes.
# And as Hugh was never to tell the Section any of this, then for now, it must be him in the role.
# And as a woman, Genie had needs and she had them now. So could Hugh bear to oblige?
.o0o.
About 02:00, all talked out and loved out, they fell asleep within minutes of the other.
.o0o.
They could hear breakfast being made, Francine now came through with the towels, found the two in bed again, sat down on the footstool and did the mon dieu, mon dieu bit, the slapped thighs, even looking up at the ceiling. But she was sad.
‘Usual thing, you two – Hugh has this bathroom, you have mine, breakfast in twenty minutes.’
Geneviève climbed out and went through but Francine sat on the bed against his leg. ‘Well, Bebe, it’s done, it kills me as you can imagine. I so want to be held just now.’
He sat up and did so, she squeezed him, leapt up and went through to the other house.
.o0o.
Geneviève took him back up to Paris – they both had to work – and on the way, she it was who came back to the one year business.
‘I could ask for an extension for the months out with Anaïs and Franka but I won’t ask for that. It’s going to be the date we agreed on and I hope I’ll have good news for you that evening, I must have. You haven’t once mentioned Philippe.’
‘Nor shall I.’
VIII
Back into the routine of what seemed normal life, Hugh quite liked this new cafe in the area, Cafe Noir in the new shopping mall, and as far as he could gather, the owner, Jules Colbert, had another somewhere in the north of the city, much swankier but this was his local cuisine so to speak – it could never have been called ‘peasant fare’, although he offered really earthy, regional dishes and Hugh loved them, the bank balance now ran to such things as well.
Plus there was this waitress, Jeanette – young, a bit gauche – it would never go the way of Anaïs but for the purpose of this meal twice a week, it was perfect and she knew his tastes to a tee.
He glanced at le Figaro while he sipped – they were still pushing this International Year of Deserts and Desertification and this International Asperger’s Year, North Korea had claimed its first ever nuclear test. Pluto had recently been demoted to a ‘dwarf planet’ – he wondered if Pluto would be altogether happy with a group of people deciding he was a ‘dwarf’. He wondered if Pluto was even aware of what people on another planet were wondering.
.o0o.
Geneviève was taking a coffee break, also going through le Figaro but her mind was on other things. She wasn’t terribly good at decisions for someone in charge of a security section, she was reasonably sure it was right with Hugh again and that long talk they’d had where they’d got to the core of things – well that was reassuring but also worrying, because he did mean that final date. What’s more, she fully accepted it could be no other way. Would she try to test it?
Not try – only a lack of understanding would see it that way. More like hope the solution would be found before then. She pulled out a slip of paper with the name of one of her funders and what he was allegedly up to in both France and abroad – it was, quite frankly, sickening. She knew of one alternative funder but needed to find out his connections.
There was trouble on the way for France, also for the Section. And if so, then she suspected also for the two of them.
Chapter 1-22 here ... Chapter 2-1 here
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