China Blue (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 3) by Madalyn Morgan (top 100 novels of all time TXT) 📕

‘My pleasure, miss.’

Claire turned to Alain Mitchell. ‘Well, this is it,’ she said, grinning nervously. ‘Thank you for the lift, Captain Mitchell.’

‘My pleasure, Miss Dudley.’ They both laughed.

Picking up her case, Claire walked towards the front door. ‘Miss Dudley?’ She turned to see Alain Mitchell at her side. ‘As an English WAAF, you speak and understand German, but as a French girl you only speak and understand French. Remember that. That you understand German will work to your advantage. But if anyone speaks to you in German while you are here, no way must you let them know you understand what they are saying. Right?’

‘Right! Thank you, sir!’ She daren’t watch the captain walk away. She was too excited, too nervous. She needed time to compose herself, so she focussed her attention on the beautiful gardens. The lawns were short and neat – what her dad would call manicured – and beyond them she could see the River Beaulieu sparkling in the sun. She would explore the grounds and the river when she had time, but now she needed to sign in at the SOE Finishing School.

On her first morning, Claire was taken to meet Olivia the makeup artist. Olivia showed her ways of changing her appearance. She gave her a pair of reading glasses and a scarf. ‘The glasses aren’t a strong prescription, so they won’t hurt your eyes, but if anyone puts them on to check they’re authentic, they’ll know they are.’ Claire slipped them on. ‘Now put the scarf on over your hair and tie it at the nape of your neck instead of under your chin,’ Olivia said. ‘You’ll be surprised how different you look.’ Claire did as she was instructed. ‘Now let’s add lipstick. What colour do you usually wear?’

‘Dusky rose, sometimes a deeper pink.’

‘Good.’ Olivia took a lipstick from her makeup case. ‘Look up. We’ll see what this looks like.’ Claire lifted her face, made her lips taut, and Olivia applied a maroon-coloured lipstick. ‘What do you think?’ she said, holding a mirror up so Claire could look at herself.

‘Good Lord. I wouldn’t have believed that by making a few changes I could look so different.’ She looked to the left, and then the right. ‘I don’t wear glasses, so that’s an obvious change, but with the scarf worn this way I look quite sophisticated.’

Olivia untied the scarf at the back and tied it at the front. ‘And now?’

Claire laughed. ‘Wearing the scarf like this, with the dark lipstick, I look much older.’

‘It’s amazing what a hat, or a different hairstyle, can do to change your appearance. Hats are provided by London, but if you need any help with your hair come and see me again before you leave,’ Olivia said. ‘I’ll show you how to dress your hair in a couple of styles that you can do quickly yourself.’ Before Claire had time to ask Olivia more on the subject of her hair, she heard the door open.

‘And a change of character will make an even bigger difference,’ a man trilled, as he entered the room.

‘Claire, this is Billy. He’s an actor and he’s here to help you change your voice.’

‘Voice is only part of it, my dear, as well you know,’ he said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly at Olivia. ‘A change of voice is not sustainable without a personality to go with it.’ He pursed his lips. ‘How good is your memory, Claire?’

‘Pretty good,’ she said modestly.

‘Excellent, darling. Now…’ Billy drummed the fingers of his right hand on his chin and looked to the heavens for inspiration. ‘I want you to think of a situation, something that happened recently, that made you feel young and carefree.’ Claire thought for a moment, and then nodded. ‘Right! Tell me your name and tell me something mundane that you have to do. Then tell me what you would rather be doing – and it must be with a young and carefree air.’

‘My name is Claire LeBlanc, monsieur. I am going to the market to buy vegetables.’ Claire took an imaginary piece of paper from her pocket and read it. ‘Cabbage!’ She shuddered. ‘I would rather be going to the boutique to buy a new dress, monsieur,’ she said, wrinkling her nose playfully.

‘Good.’ Billy gave a little clap. ‘Did you notice how your voice changed when you allowed yourself to be young and carefree?’

Claire did. She noticed her voice was different with several other personality changes too. When she thought of her older sister Bess, how sensible she was and how well she dealt with difficult situations, her voice took on a serious, understanding and caring tone. When she thought of her sister Margaret, she became chatty and cheeky. And when she remembered how she felt when she received the news that she’d passed the Eleven Plus, even though her parents couldn’t afford the uniform so she didn’t go to the grammar school, her voice was confident and assertive.

‘Thank you so much,’ she said to Billy and Olivia when they had done with her. ‘It’s a relief to know I won’t have to carry wigs and padding about.’

‘That would be a real show stopper if you were searched by Uncle Gerry.’ Billy pursed his lips. ‘You’d end up playing the lead role in a high security venue, darling!’

In the days that followed, Claire was asked about her French parents and siblings. She was asked where she was born, brought up, went to school – and about her extended family. She was given instructions about code names and cover names. An agent’s code name was their signature, and should only be used when communicating by wireless. The name on their identity papers, their cover name, must be used at all other times. When working with a partner you