The Dardanelles Conspiracy by Alan Bardos (you can read anyone txt) 📕

believe I once explained that I had a fiancé, Excellency,’ Esther sighed demurely.

‘But that was surely a childhood infatuation,’ Enver said.

‘That is true, Excellency,’ Esther said.

Breitner realised he had blundered in without a hope of regaining Esther’s heart after the idiotic way he had behaved. Now she would dismiss him as a childish infatuation and he would be humiliated, but he had to try.

‘Excellency, I do have the honour of being Miss Weisz’s fiancé,’ Breitner said, daring to hope that she would support him.

Esther arched her eyebrow and stared at him for an eternity, and then bursting into a radiant smile, took Breitner’s hand.

‘Major Breitner and I are engaged, naturally we are awaiting my father’s permission, but I intend to publish the news in all the Budapest papers at once.’

‘Very well, Esther Hanim, may I offer my congratulations. I had understood that you had recently been in the company of a German diplomat when you paid a call on Talat, and I had assumed that you were not formally connected to anyone. But I see that you have found someone infinitely more suitable.’

‘Herr von Jager is just a acquaintance, Excellency. Major Breitner is the love of my life,’ she squeezed Breitner’s hand.

The brief joy Breitner felt evaporated and the professionally honed instinct of a hunter took over, the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together in his mind.

Chapter 26

‘I’m delighted to report that the delegate I sent to Constantinople has persuaded Talat Pasha to meet with our representatives and agree terms.’ Sir George looked proudly at Churchill and his cohorts assembled to consider his Dardanelles initiative. He was in his rightful place at the centre of the discussion.

‘Aren’t we getting a little ahead of ourselves, Smyth?’ Hankey asked. ‘As I see it, Talat Pasha has only agreed to a meeting in principle.’

Sir George adopted the offhand manor he’d developed to demonstrate his superiority over those less gifted than himself. ‘Nonetheless, Hankey, we are now in a position to persuade the Turkish Government to leave the War.’

‘Leave the war indeed, like retiring from a cricket match,’ Churchill drawled impatiently. He evidently did not consider the scheme to be a bold masterstroke anymore, but a bit oily. ‘You want the British Government to bribe the Turks to leave the field of battle? Just when we are getting on so nicely, Kitchener has finally promised troops, the two forts at the entrance to the Straits are destroyed and we’ve moved onto the inner defences. We’ll be in Constantinople within the next two weeks, hey, Fisher?’

‘Quite so, quite so,’ Fisher said drowsily. The old Admiral looked exhausted.

‘With the Naval bombardment underway, the next logical step is to prepare land forces, not continue a reckless cloak and dagger stunt.’ Hankey said, ‘we’ve already dispatched colonial troops and the 29th Division to reinforce the Naval Division on route to the Aegean.’

‘Is that all really necessary? I believe the original intention of this little exercise in gunboat diplomacy was to show a bit of stick and get the Turkish government to the negotiating table.’

Churchill frowned at Sir George. 'If, as is very likely, the Turkish government falls apart and revolution breaks out we will need troops to take Constantinople and restore order. They will then act as an occupation force, compelling the remaining Turkish forces to surrender - either by combat, negotiation or… bribery.'

Churchill emphasised the last word with distaste, leaving Sir George in little doubt that he had changed his mind about the nature of the operation and unwittingly Sir George had gone against his chief in front of his staff. The ground had shifted and he was on the wrong side.

Sir George began to pull himself together. ‘Sending troops to the Aegean doesn’t have to stop the negotiations. A stronger show of force would in fact aid them. However, my operatives in Constantinople have asked for greater flexibility in their discussions with the Turkish Government, concerning the future sovereignty of Constantinople.’

Churchill exhaled cigar smoke for a moment before answering. ‘Quite impossible, Constantinople has been promised to Russia since 1908. Reneging on our agreement would provide an excellent opportunity for them to make a separate peace.’

Sir George couldn’t fault his logic. It was the usual Foreign Office line. Keep Russia onside to mitigate their threat to the Empire.

‘First Lord, I take it you have no objections to our continuing the negotiations with Talat Pasha? We do have an opportunity to obtain the Goeben.’

Churchill tensed, the German battlecruiser was his nemeses and Sir George was giving him the opportunity to get his hands on it.

Churchill turned to Hall. ‘Do you think it worth it, Captain, is there a hope of pulling that off?’

‘Well, First Lord, time is pressing. The fleet could well be at Constantinople before we make any headway in the negotiations.’ Hall’s expression lightened and Sir George felt that he was being given enough rope to hang himself. ‘But if Smyth thinks it worth pursuing, then I have no objection to continuing the negotiations. If there is a chance of getting our hands on the Goeben.’

Sir George was too seasoned an operator to allow himself to be steered down a blind alley like that. ‘If time is a crucial factor might I suggest that we reduce our offer for every delay the Turks make in meeting with our representatives.’

‘Won’t that annoy the Turks?’ Churchill asked.

‘It is a common negotiating strategy when dealing with Ottoman officials. Our representatives can always renegotiate terms when they meet with the Turkish delegation.’

‘It’s a lot to put on the Grand Rabbi’, Hall said.

‘My man Swift will be able to assist him.’ Sir George realised that he must be getting desperate to bring that lout to his aide.

Hall blinked agreement. ‘Quite so, must be a handy fellow to have survived this long over there. Why not try him?