The Black Baroness Read Online Free PDF Page B

down.’
    ‘Why?’ she asked in an astonished voice. ‘Whatever makes you think that?’
    ‘Well, the sort of man you want is a chap with a will of his own who wouldn’t stand any nonsense and if he saw you flashing those lovely eyes of yours at anybody else would take you home and give you a good spanking.’
    Paula’s colour deepened a little under her make-up and Gregory knew that he had judged her rightly. She was a strong, highly-sexed young woman who would thoroughly enjoy occasional rows with her lovers and derive tremendous kick from a mild beating-up in which she was finally possessed forcibly, so that her sobs of anger gave way almost imperceptibly to gasps of passionate emotion.
    ‘Well,’ she admitted slowly, ‘if one loves a man one naturally expects him to assert himself at times, otherwise how can one possibly respect him?’
    ‘That’s just it,’ Gregory nodded, ‘and although I don’t think I’m really a weak character—certainly not as far as my job is concerned—once I fall for a woman I find it utterly impossible to say “no” to her. I just follow her around saying, “Yes, darling,” “Of course, darling,” and give way to her in every single thing. I suppose you’ll think me an awful fool to have told you that, but it’s just a stupid weakness that I can’t get over.’
    ‘I see,’ said Paula with a tinge of disappointment in her tone.
    ‘Still,’ Gregory went on more hopefully, ‘some women prefer a quiet life and having their own way in everything without any trouble.’ He lowered his voice to a murmur. ‘Of course, I’d haveto be careful about Erika, but if you think I wouldn’t bore you too much—couldn’t we—er—meet somewhere just for—er—a quiet meal?’
    Paula stiffened slightly. ‘I’m afraid you’ve rather misunderstood me,
Herr Oberst-Baron
; but perhaps that is owing to the turn our conversation took. We were only talking nonsense, and, in any case, it’s one of my rules never to pinch my girlfriends’ men, so let’s say no more about it.’
    ‘I’m so sorry,’ Gregory murmured awkwardly, and as he spoke his face wore such a hang-dog look that Paula almost laughed. She would have been livid with rage if she had known the real Gregory and how inside himself he was laughing at her and the thought that he had got her just where he wanted her.
    He was, however, very far from laughing when he and Erika had returned to their hotel and were discussing matters together.
    ‘It’s incredible!’ he exclaimed. ‘D’you realise that if what Paula said last night is true, about her knowing at least forty German girls of her own class who have been sent over here on this job, there must be scores of them having affairs with half the leading men in Norway. They’re undermining the whole political structure of the country and if we can’t do something to stop it the place will fall into Hitlers’ hands without a shot being fired.’
    She nodded. ‘It’s rather amazing that we should so quickly have tumbled to what is going on. I don’t suppose the real Norwegian people have any idea of it at all, and we shouldn’t have, either, if we hadn’t happened to run into Paula last night; but, naturally, she assumed that I was just one more of the lovelies whom the Nazis had sent to do their dirty work and opened up the whole business to us. What’s our next move?’
    ‘We must stick close to the von Steinmetz, then she’ll lead us to the other women who are playing the same game and we can find out which Norwegian leaders are still trustworthy and which have succumbed to Hitler’s fascinating secret weapon.’
    ‘That shouldn’t be difficult. I saw her making a play for you at the end of lunch.’
    He grinned. ‘She cooled off when I intimated that, although I’d love to play, I’m really a bit of a weakling when it comes down to brass tacks.’
    ‘Oh, darling,’ Erika roared with laughter and flung her arms round his neck, ‘what delicious