Free Come into my Parlour by Dennis Wheatley

away I want you to write to some of the best London house agents and find out what they have to offer. Pellinore’s secretary will make arrangements for you to go to see anything that sounds attractive, and if you find anything you really like buy it. I’m leaving you a power of attorney for the cash.”
    She nodded and with tears dimming her lovely eyes leaned her cheek against his. “Oh, Gregory, darling. What heaven it would be to really have a home of our own. I’m afraid it’s too like a dream to ever come true. And you seem to have forgotten one thing—I’m married already and, as far as we know, Kurt is still living.”
    â€œThat’s true,” he murmured, after a moment. “For months at a stretch I almost forget the fellow’s existence. But we’ll get rid of him somehow.”
    â€œIt may not be so easy, you know. He’s just a colourless little man and he married me mainly out of vanity I think. His only real love is his scientific experiments and they positively eat money. As he is a scientist, it’s most unlikely that he will be sent into any place of danger where he’s liable to be killed; but if I’m able to get anything for my German investments after the war we might be able to buy him off. The worst stumbling block will be his mother. She’s rather a fine person; a real
Grande Dame
of the old school, and with the exception of Goering she regards all the Nazis as
canaille
. But she is terribly dictatorial and disapproves most strongly of divorce. Unfortunately, Kurt is absolutely under her thumb and it’s not going to be easy to make him stand up to her, even if we can get him to agree himself.”
    â€œWe’ll fix them both one way or another, even if I have to fish my guns out of the Thames and take a last trip to Germany.” Gregorysmiled, with an attempt at lightness. Then he lifted Erika off the balustrade and set her on the ground, as he went on:
    â€œLet’s not talk about them any more tonight. Time’s too precious. Look, the moon’s just coming up over the yew hedges of the maze. Let’s get ourselves lost in them.” And with their arms about one another’s waists they walked down the stone steps to cross the moonlit lawn.
    When Gregory compared notes with Kuporovitch the following morning he learned that Madeleine had taken the news of Stefan’s departure equally bravely. After a year spent in the French Resistance Movement and as one of the earliest members of it she was much too courageous to harrow her man with a scene because he had elected to go back into the battle.
    The two girls stood the test to the end, although their eyes were dimmed with tears as they stood, hand in hand, at the porch, to watch the car drive off that carried Gregory and Stefan to unknown perils; but when it had vanished from sight round the curve of the long drive they went in and wept together quietly for a little. Then the time came for Madeleine to go on duty in one of the wards, and Erika went up to her room.
    From the drawer of her dressing-table she took a letter that had arrived in the post only that morning. It had been re-addressed to her from London, but it bore the frank of the Swiss Legation and the original superscription was in a thin spidery hand which she had recognised immediately as that of her husband.

Chapter V

The Letter
    Erika had read the letter immediately on its arrival. She now ran through it again more slowly. It was headed,
Villa Offenbach, Steinach, bei Rorschach, Bodensee, Switzerland
; and said:
    My dear Erika
,
    I expect you will be surprised to hear from me. That is, of course, if this letter ever reaches you; but I hope it may, as I have good reason to believe that you were in England a few months ago. You are much too beautiful to escape remark—wherever you may be—and it is to that I owe receiving news of you
.
    You will see from the above address that I am now in