However, Pickford was right: if the Germans could not use the phone lines, they would have to use radio, and then the Allies would know what they were saying. Destroying the telephone exchange at Sainte-Cdcile would give the Allies a crucial advantage.
But the mission had gone wrong. “Who was in charge?” Monty asked.
Graves said, “I haven’t seen a full report-”
“I can tell you,” Fortescue interjected. “Major Clairet.” He paused. “A girl.”
Paul had heard of Felicity Clairet. She was something of a legend among the small group who knew the secret of the Allies’ clandestine war. She had survived under cover in France longer than anyone. Her code name was Leopardess, and people said she moved around the streets of occupied France with the silent footsteps of a dangerous cat. They also said she was a pretty girl with a heart of stone. She had killed more than once.
“And what happened?” Monty said.
“Poor planning, an inexperienced commander, and a lack of discipline among the men all played their part,” Fortescue replied. “The building was not heavily guarded, but the Germans there are trained troops, and they simply wiped out the Resistance force.”
Monty looked angry. Pickford said, “Looks like we shouldn’t rely too heavily on the French Resistance to disrupt Rommel’s supply lines.”
Fortescue nodded. “Bombing is the more reliable means to that end.”
“I’m not sure that’s quite fair,” Graves protested feebly. “Bomber Command has its successes and failures, too. And SOE is a good deal cheaper.”
“We’re not here to be fair to people, for God’s sake,” Monty growled. “We just want to win the war.” He stood up. ~’I think we’ve heard enough,” he said to General Pickford.
Graves said, “But what shall we do about the telephone exchange? SOE has come up with a new plan-”
“Good God,” Fortescue interrupted. “We don’t want another balls-up, do we?”
“Bomb it,” said Monty.
“We’ve tried that,” Graves said. “They hit the building, but the damage was not sufficient to put the telephone exchange out of action for longer than a few hours.”
“Then bomb it again,” said Monty, and he walked out.
Graves threw a look of petulant fury at the man from MI6. “Really, Fortescue,” he said. “I mean to say.. really.”
Fortescue did not respond.
They all left the room. In the hallway outside, two people were waiting: a man of about fifty in a tweed jacket, and a short blonde woman wearing a worn blue cardigan over a faded cotton dress. Standing in front of a display of sporting trophies, they looked almost like a head teacher chatting to a schoolgirl, except that the girl wore a bright yellow scarf tied with a touch of style that looked, to Paul, distinctly French. Fortescue hurried past them, but Graves stopped. “They turned you down,” he said. “They’re going to bomb it again.”
Paul guessed that the woman was the Leopardess, and he looked at her with interest. She was small and slim, with curly blonde hair cut short, and-Paul noticed- rather lovely green eyes. He would not have called her pretty: her face was too grown-up for that. The initial schoolgirl impression was fleeting. There was an aggressive look to her straight nose and chisel-shaped chin. And there was something sexy about her, something that made Paul think about the slight body under the shabby dress.
She reacted with indignation to Grave’s statement. “There’s no point in bombing the place from the air, the basement is reinforced. For God’s sake, why did they make that decision?”
“Perhaps you should ask this gentleman,” Graves said, turning to Paul. “Major Chancellor, meet Major Clairet and Colonel Thwaite.”
Paul was annoyed at being put in the position of defending someone else’s decision. Caught off guard, he replied with undiplomatic frankness, “I don’t see that there’s much to explain,” he said brusquely. “You screwed up and you’re not being given a second chance.”
The woman glared up at him-she was a foot shorter than he-and spoke angrily. “Screwed up?” she said. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
Paul felt himself flush. “Maybe General Montgomery was misinformed, but wasn’t this the first time you had commanded an action of this kind, Major?”