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Behind him, the Chief said softly, “So it was like that, was it?”
Chavasse turned slowly. “When I entered this office, I intended to hand you my resignation.”
“And now?” the Chief said.
Chavasse smiled, and that slight, rather boyish smile illuminated his entire face. “Now, I think I’d like that holiday you promised me.”
When the Chief spoke, he sounded relieved. “That’s more like it. For a moment there, you had me worried.” He chuckled. “You’re overtired, that’s what it is. I know it hasn’t been much fun handling two tough assignments one after the other, but now you can get away from everything for six weeks or so and relax. Soak up a little sun. They say Bermuda is nice at this time of year.”
Chavasse raised his eyebrows. “No expense spared to keep the help happy, eh?”
The Chief smiled. “See Jean on your way out. Tell her where you want to go and she’ll arrange the tickets for you.” He sighed and picked up a file. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to rush through an official report on this affair. The Foreign Secretary is having di
He opened the file and picked up his pen, and Chavasse went back into the other office.
Jean Frazer was standing at the filing cabinet, and she turned with a slight smile of inquiry on her face. “Got what you wanted?”
He nodded. “I think you could say that.”
She picked up a memo pad. “Where’s it to be – Bermuda?”
He shook his head briefly. “You can telephone El Al. Book me a seat on their first flight out to Tel Aviv in the morning.”
As he crossed to the outer door and opened it, Jean Frazer said blankly, “But why Israel?”
He turned and smiled at her. “There’s a hill I’d like to climb just outside a place called Migdal on the Sea of Galilee. A promise I made to a friend a long time ago.” And he closed the door gently.
A long time ago? As he went down the hall, he smiled and shook his head, because already she seemed close to him again.