Read Online Frankie's Letter by Dolores Gordon-Smith - Free Book Online

for.’ Sir Charles put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. ‘Now, before the war, the money raised came from the New York Irish. Guess who else has taken an interest.’
    Anthony looked at him sharply. ‘Germany?’
    Sir Charles nodded. ‘Germany. As I said, the Germans aren’t stupid. If there’s a rebellion in Ireland, we, the British, would have to do something about it. That means troops and supplies tied up in Ireland which would otherwise be used on the Western Front. Cavanaugh was all for a Free Ireland but he didn’t want a civil war and he certainly didn’t want the Germans involved. He published his story and all hell broke loose. From then on he was a marked man.’
    â€˜You mean his life was threatened?’
    Sir Charles nodded. ‘Several times. Cavanaugh changed his name, came to London and made it his business to get in touch with me. He’d learned enough in New York to realize there was an active Irish-German link in London and was stubborn enough to want to get to the bottom of it. He joined a London group called Sons of Hibernia, which, like its American counterpart, was supposed to be a Friendly Society, aiding poor Irishmen and women. It wasn’t, of course. Having learned from bitter experience, he was rather more cautious this time round and he uncovered some very valuable information. However, it was only part of the story. By his own request, he went to Germany to try and get the other end. There are Irishmen in Germany, honoured guests of the German government, and he wanted to find out exactly what they were doing.’ His mouth twisted. ‘It seems as if they got to him first.’
    Once again he looked at the notes he had made. ‘“Spy in England. Gentleman. He must be a gentleman. Seems to know everything. Knew about me. Frankie’s letter. Read Frankie’s letter.”’
    â€˜That sounds as if Frankie betrayed him.’ Anthony clicked his tongue. ‘And yet, it’s odd, isn’t it? Frankie and the Gentleman sound like two different people.’
    Sir Charles nodded. ‘Yes. So we’ve got a gentleman spy and his assistant, Frankie, who’s in touch with the Germans or the Irish in Germany, which is much the same thing. So who the devil are they? A gentleman in England
. . .
It’s not much to go on, is it?’ he added in disgust. ‘England’s full of gentlemen, particularly if you use the term loosely.’
    Anthony reached for another cigarette and lit it, smoking thoughtfully. ‘D’you know, that’s exactly what he didn’t do,’ he said after a pause. Sir Charles looked at him enquiringly. ‘Use the term loosely, I mean,’ he explained. ‘Perhaps it’s because he was American, but I’d noticed that about him before. To Cavanaugh, to call him that, an English gentleman was a fairly technical term. He never used it politely or ironically but meant the sort of bloke who mixes in fashionable society and gets invited to house parties or who is asked to come for a few days’ fishing or play a bit of country-house cricket.’
    Sir Charles sat very still for a few moments. ‘A real gentleman, you mean?’ He swallowed. ‘My God, I hope not. The information a gentleman spy could pick up is frightening.’
    â€˜What are you so worried about?’ asked Anthony, his forehead creasing in a frown. ‘Unless the gentleman’s a military type or got special information of some kind, I can’t see they’ll know anything out of the ordinary. I don’t want to be flippant, but I can’t see the Germans would be much wiser for knowing anyone’s batting average or how the trout are rising on the Cam.’
    Sir Charles shook his head impatiently. ‘Of course they wouldn’t. But don’t you see, Brooke, someone who does know that sort of thing, someone who’s really in the heart of