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Breakfast was sentup, and they had it in bed.
“You mentioned riding,” Vanessa said. “Is that in the cards today?”
“If you will forgive me, I’d like us to stay indoors today, perhaps out of an overabundance of caution.”
“I’ve no objection,” Vanessa said. “Do we have to get out of bed?”
“Eventually, otherwise the staff will talk among themselves.”
“Are they very talkative?”
“They are human, and thus talkative.”
“And at what hour will our guests arrive?”
“Felicity at six-thirty, as will her guests, the Parkers. Lance is liable to turn up at any time, but I won’t acknowledge his presence until the same time.”
“Is Lance bringing someone?”
“Felicity will be his date, as it were. Have you ever met Lance?”
“A few times, with John.”
“How did the two of you get along?”
“Well enough. Also, I may as well tell you, before Lance lets anything slip. I didn’t actually meet Johnafterhis Farm days. We met there, where we were both in training.”
“I don’t know why I’m surprised,” Stone said.
“I never fully joined the Agency. Wasn’t for me, but it was good learning. I did become a model after, that wasn’t a lie. Were you ever at the Farm?” she asked.
“Once, for two or three days. I’m still trying to forget the experience.”
She laughed. “Oh, come on, it wasn’t all that bad.”
“The good days must have arrived after my departure. Once, however, I lost a bet and had to do the full course at the MI6 counterpart, in Scotland.”
“How was that?”
“The weather was worse than at Camp Peary.”
She laughed.
“The weather is one of the few things you can count on, in Scotland.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“Nothing that wouldn’t have been covered at the Farm if I’d hung around long enough. The drill sergeants were equally odious.”
“Sergeants are like that,” she said. “I was there when Holly Barker did a guest lecture, you know.”
“I did not know. How did she conduct herself?”
“Whip smart and a better shot than our shooting instructor.”
“That sounds like her.” He sought a change of subject. “How were you recruited?”
