Fall of Giants

Maud’s mind was in a whirl. Married secretly! No one would know. Walter’s superiors would still trust him, not knowing about his marriage to an enemy, and he could fight as his honor demanded, and even work in secret intelligence. Men would continue to court Maud, thinking her single, but she could deal with that: she had been giving suitors the brush-off for years. They would live apart until the end of the war, which would come in a few months at most.

Fitz interrupted her thoughts. “What does he say?”

Maud’s mind went blank. She could not tell Fitz any of this. How was she to answer his question? She looked down at the sheet of heavy cream-colored paper and the upright handwriting, and her eye fell on the P.S. “He says Germany invaded Belgium at eight o’clock this morning.”

Fitz put down his fork. “That’s it, then.” For once even he looked shocked.

Aunt Herm said: “Little Belgium! I think those Germans are the most frightful bullies.” Then she looked confused and said: “Except Herr von Ulrich, of course. He’s charming.”

Fitz said: “So much for the British government’s polite request.”

“It’s madness,” said Maud desolately. “Thousands of men are going to be killed in a war no one wants.”

“I should have thought you might have supported the war,” Fitz said argumentatively. “After all, we will be defending France, which is the only other real democracy in Europe. And our enemies will be Germany and Austria, whose elected parliaments are virtually powerless.”

“But our ally will be Russia,” Maud said bitterly. “So we will be fighting to preserve the most brutal and backward monarchy in Europe.”

“I see your point.”

“Everyone at the embassy has been told to pack,” she said. “We may not see Walter again.” She casually put the letter down.

It did not work. Fitz said: “May I see?”

Maud froze. She could not possibly show it to him. Not only would he lock her up: if he read the sentence about one night of happiness he might take a gun and shoot Walter.

“May I?” Fitz repeated, holding out his hand.

“Of course,” she said. She hesitated another second, then reached for the letter. At the last moment she was inspired, and she knocked over her cup, spilling coffee on the sheet of paper. “Oh, dash it,” she said, noting with relief that the coffee had caused the blue ink to run and the words had already become illegible.

Grout stepped forward and began to clear up the mess. Pretending to be helpful, Maud picked up the letter and folded it, ensuring that any writing that might so far have escaped the coffee was now soaked. “I’m sorry, Fitz,” she said. “But in fact there was no further information.”

“Never mind,” he said, and went back to his newspaper.

Maud put her hands in her lap to hide their shaking.

{II}

That was only the beginning.

It was going to be difficult for Maud to get out of the house alone. Like all upper-class ladies, she was not supposed to go anywhere unescorted. Men pretended this was because they were so concerned to protect their women, but in truth it was a means of control. No doubt it would remain until women won the vote.

Maud had spent half her life finding ways to flout this rule. She would have to sneak out without being seen. This was quite difficult. Although only four family members lived in Fitz’s Mayfair mansion, there were at least a dozen servants in the house at any time.

And then she had to stay out all night without anyone’s knowledge.

She put her plan into place carefully.

“I have a headache,” she said at the end of lunch. “Bea, will you forgive me if I don’t come down to dinner tonight?”

“Of course,” said Bea. “Is there anything I can do? Shall I send for Professor Rathbone?”

“No, thank you, it’s nothing serious.” A headache that was not serious was the usual euphemism for a menstrual period, and everyone accepted this without further comment.

So far, so good.

She went up to her room and rang for her maid. “I’m going to bed, Sanderson,” she said, beginning a speech she had worked out carefully. “I’ll probably stay there for the rest of the day. Please tell the other servants that I’m not to be disturbed for any reason. I may ring for a dinner tray, but I doubt it: I feel as if I could sleep the clock round.”

That should ensure that her absence was not noticed for the rest of the day.

“Are you sick, my lady?” Sanderson asked, looking concerned. Some ladies took to their beds frequently, but it was rare for Maud.

“It’s the normal female affliction, just worse than usual.”

Sanderson did not believe her, Maud could tell. Already today the maid had been sent out with a secret message, something that had never happened before. Sanderson knew something unusual was going on. But maids were not permitted to cross-examine their mistresses. Sanderson would just have to wonder.

“And don’t wake me in the morning,” Maud added. She did not know what time she would get back, or how she would sneak unobserved into the house.

Sanderson left. It was a quarter past three. Maud undressed quickly, then looked in her wardrobe.