Velvet Undercover Read Free Page B

down. “Is this her?”
    Miss Tickford nods. “Samantha Donaldson. GG number one twenty-eight. He’s expecting her.”
    Hesitating for a moment, I draw in a breath for courage, and then I walk in. Once I’m inside, the scents of dust and pomade tickle my nose. Captain Parker is sitting at a desk as large and battered as the one in the anteroom. It’s precariously stacked with mountains of papers and official-looking green journals and it shoots a hole in the notion that military personnel are tidier than everyone else.
    The look he gives me is friendly, and I feel myself relaxing.
    â€œSit, Miss Donaldson. We have quite a lot to discuss.”
    â€œThank you,” I murmur, taking the seat he’s indicated across from his desk.
    â€œHow are you and your mother getting along without your father, then?”
    I blink. “As well as can be expected. We keep faith that we will hear word of him soon.”
    The captain nods. “I’m sure you will.” His dark eyes regard me seriously and I resist the urge to squirm underhis scrutiny. He straightens. “We’ve had our eye on you for quite some time, Miss Donaldson. I’ve been told by your superiors that you are smart and respectful, and that you carry out your tasks promptly. Last night, I had a chance to see just how intelligent you are, and I feel quite confident that you are able to accomplish any task set before you. I take it you are amenable to being reassigned?”
    â€œYes, I am.” I lift my chin, grateful for his words. Last night’s loss bruised my ego more than I care to admit. I wonder where they’ll send me. Military Press Control? The Propaganda Section? A thrill of excitement runs through me at the possibilities. Cryptography would suit me best, but they won’t send a seventeen-year-old girl to Room 40. I just hope I won’t be going to Censorship. Reading through hundreds of letters a day is not my idea of fun.
    â€œI understand you spent the first part of your childhood in Germany, yes?”
    Even though he poses it as a question, I can tell that the captain already knows the answer. I nod. He sits silently and an uncomfortable moment stretches out before I realize he’s waiting for me to explain myself. “As an ambassador, my father worked in many different countries. He received a long-term assignment and we moved to Berlin as a family in 1902, when I was four. I’m sure this is information you already have?”
    Mind your tongue, Sam.
    The captain raises an eyebrow at my tone and I shift in my seat. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I’m tired of explaining myself. My mother and I avoid discussing ourBerlin years publicly, and indeed the years we spent in Germany almost kept me from getting a position at MI5, even though I’d been a member in good standing with the Girl Guides for over five years. It wasn’t until my mother called in a favor from a family friend that my application was accepted.
    â€œI know your written German is flawless. How is your spoken German?” His voice is casual, but the sharp way he looks at me is not.
    I can’t help but show off. “Ich spreche fast perfekt Deutsch. Ich spreche auch fließend Portugiesisch, Italienisch, Französisch sowie ein paar Brocken Niederländisch.” I grin. “I have my father’s gift for languages.”
    Captain Parker raises his eyebrows and returns my smile. “Ah yes, I seem to remember that about your father. Tell me. Do you have his proclivity for mathematical puzzles as well?”
    It’s my turn to be surprised. I’d always thought my father’s love of cryptography was private—something we played with at home or when on one of our outdoor excursions. On the other hand, this is Military Intelligence. If they’re offering me a job, my life, as well as my father’s, has probably been thoroughly investigated. According to popular