9London, Great Britain
The man from the foreign office sat beside Samuel Goldsmith on the bench in Hyde Park. The two men ignored each other. To all outward appearances they were strangers.
“When you called, I assumed it would be only you and I,” Goldsmith said meaningfully. He popped salted peanuts into his mouth. He was referring to the man and woman sitting nearby on the grass. A weaved basket lay within easy reach of both. To Goldsmith’s discerning eyes, they could not be more conspicuous as back up . He imagined the basket contained guns instead of a picnic lunch.
The man from the foreign office sighed. “Not my decision, Samuel.” Then, “Others insisted they be at the rendezvous should you behave… inappropriately. I hope it will not come to that. But if it does, go easy on them.”
