The morning after her arrival, Penny was shaken into wakefulness at five.
Here we go, said the other woman, who introduced herself as Francine.
I hope you dont bruise easily.
Penny watched as the first six candidates in their groupall at least a foot taller than sheattacked the course.
It was considerably harder than anything shed ever tackled at St. Marys or during FANY basic training.
It took a nudge from one of the men to remind her that that was her new name.
Isnt that you, sweetheart?
That first morning was awful.
Even the simple rope swing, which should have been right up Pennys street, was difficult.
The rope was wet and slippery and she couldnt get a proper grip.
Her hands were soon covered in burns from the rain-sodden sisal.
Her legs were still weak from the run, like cooked spaghetti.
Why were her boots, which pinched and rubbed, so heavy?
Penny seemed to spend a lot of time face down in freezing mud.
Why was she even there?
Could she ask to be sent back to London now?
Dont even think that.
Youve been called to serve your beloved France.
Face down in the freezing mud again.
Being chosen for this assessment was the most exciting thing that had happened to Penny in her life.
Thus she would climb, jump, dive, do whatever it took .
She was not on enemy terrain.
She might get hurt.
She might limp away covered in bruisesshe was already covered in bruisesbut they would fade.
Even a broken bone would heal in time.
Toujours gai,she muttered to herself as she threw herself at the rope swing one more time.
Instead she was moved straight on to another training course at another country house.
This time in Oxfordshire.
There was more PTendless PTbut now there was coding and telegraphy to master too.
Shed previously been quite pleased with her coding rate of ten words per minute.
Now she had to double that.
The F was for Francetheir cover would depend on their being able to pass as locals.
Trainers instructed the candidates in French slang and social etiquette.
The students were also brought up to date with the current rules in occupied France.
There were a great many things to learn.
She decided she would use elements of Aunt Claudines family history in her official back story too.
Meanwhile, there were other, more surprising, skills to master.
Three times a week, Pennys cohort attended lectures on disguise, forgery, burglary, and house-breaking.
There was weapons training too.
So this was new.
She was gratified to discover she was good at it.
Likewise the Flaubert pistols used by the French police.
In the occupied zone, certain of the French were just as much the enemy as the Germans now.
She was about to find out.
He didnt look like a Frank, Penny thought.
More like a Douglas.
He was tall and fair with movie star looks.
If a movie star hadnt been able to find the right doctor to reset his nose after a fight.
Frank claimed he had worked with Fairbairn in the Shanghai Municipal Police.
My job is to send you all away from here with the skills of a ninja, Frank said.
The male candidates shifted and grumbled.
They didnt like the suggestion they werent already the best of the best.
Penny too stood a little straighter, determined to prove this Frank chap wrong.
There is a fine line between practising your combat skills and accidentally committing murder.
Not that I think any of you will master the techniques first time round but you never know.
I want you to do everything with only half the force youll use in the field.
So, which one of you would like to be first up?
Penny could have predicted the first volunteer.
It was the trainee agent codenamed Jerome, an American.
From the moment she met him, Jerome had teased Penny mercilessly and not in an entirely friendly way.
He seemed affronted to have to train alongside women.
Now he stepped forward and stood in front of Frank, making himself large.
He had a whole head in height on Frank.
He was broader too.
Id take that gum out if I were you, said Frank.
Dont want to choke.
Jerome continued to grin but tucked the gum behind his ear.
OK, my friend, Frank began.
Come at me from the front and give a shot to get me in a two-handed stranglehold.
Jerome turned back towards the other candidates, playing to the audience.
Tell me when youre ready.
Im always ready, said Frank.
Jerome rushed at Frank with both hands out in front of him.
Before anyone had a chance to draw breath, Jerome was on the floor.
Frank addressed the others.
All you have to do is tip them that tiny bit further.
Jerome was still on the floor.
Nice try, said Frank.
Jerome wasnt grinning anymore.
It was a while before Penny found her way to the front of the queue.
I hear you already have some experience in Defendu, Agent Bruna, Frank joked.
Remind me not to ask you to the theatre.
I dont think being able to defend oneself is a laughing matter, said Penny.
Is there a difference?
Frank had no answer for that.
Penny waited for her instructions.
OK, said Frank.
Im going to come at you from behind and I want you to deflect me.
Always ready, she said, parroting his own words.
Though Frank had spoken softly, he did not come at her softly at all.
He tackled Penny with every bit as much speed and power as he had tackled the boys.
Penny was on the floor before she could blink.
There wasnt any time for her to adopt a defensive stance.
Definitely no time to come up with a counter-attack.
This was very different from training with George and the evacuees in the garden back at home.
Bastard, she muttered.
While Frank was turning to explain her mistakes to the othersFeet too close together.
Not ladylike to stand like this, I know, but youve got to .
Frank, caught totally by surprise, lurched forward.
Penny followed up by using her left foot to kick him in the arse.
He landed on his knees.
While he was down, Penny quickly scrambled to her feet and adopted a pugilists stance.
Always ready, she said.
The other trainees cheered.
Standing up again, Frank conceded the point.
And thats the kind of spirit youll need to demonstrate in the field.
AS THE MORNING went on, all the trainees stayed on their feet for longer.
Frank introduced the scenarios, demonstrated on a brave volunteer, then sent them away to practise in pairs.
So Penny had to practise with Frank himself.
He continued to make no concessions to her relative size.
The enemy wouldnt, after all.
By lunchtime, she knew that beneath her green overalls, she must be black and blue.
I think youll be rather good at it, Frank told her.
Later that same afternoon they were introduced to a new weapon.
Fairbairn himself, with his colleague Eric Sykes, the double-bladed Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife was the ultimate commando tool.
It was easy to wield, hard to drop unintentionally.
It could be used to stab or slice.
It could break the skin with only the slightest pressure .
So called because the trick is to cut the windpipe so your victim cant draw breath to scream.
Sounds good, said Jerome.
It shouldnt sound of anything at all.
Penny paid closer attention to Franks instructions now than she had ever paid to anything in her life.
Her old teachers at St. Marys would not have recognised her in such an attentive mood.
This time, when Frank called for volunteers, they were in short supply.
There was something about the glittering blade of the F-S knife that unleashed a primeval anxiety.
Frank called Penny to the front.
She stood in front of Frank with her feet apart and braced.
He tipped her head back and brought his sheathed blade to her throat.
He pointed with the tip to the best place to cut.
He let Penny go.
Shaky with shock and relief, she staggered back to the line-up.
Hang on, said Frank.
To have a go at kill me.
So it’s possible for you to see your mark.
Then he handed the blade to Penny.
Do your worst, sweetheart.
Frank turned his back on Penny and went to walk away.
Flooded with anger and adrenaline, Penny went after him.
In two steps, she was on his back like an angry cat.
Bloody hell, murmured one of the other candidates.
The rest were silent until, at last, Frank sat up, coughing.
Not bad, he said.
FRANK JOINED THE candidates for dinner that evening.
Everyone wanted to be near him.
They all wanted to hear his stories of working with the great man Fairbairn.
They all wanted to know how often Frank had had to use his silent killing methods in the field.
Penny tried not to stare at Frank.
She pretended to be interested in the conversation at her end of the table.
Usually, they both looked away quickly, but onceone glorious timehe sent her a small smile.
Come on, Frank, said one of the men, after much wine had been drunk.
Tell us how we did today.
Tell us which one of us you think is going to make the best agent.
I have no doubt that every one of you has what it takes, Frank said diplomatically.
He was doing his best not to be drawn.
But some of us are ready to go hand-to-hand with the Nazi bastards, eh?
While some of us should just stick to fiddling about on the radio.
That brought a laugh from the men at Franks end of the table.
The other female candidate, Francine, rolled her eyes for Pennys amusement.
Well, Ill tell you one character trait thats of no use in the field whatsoever, Frank said.
And thats arrogance; a trait some of you have by the bucketload.
There was grumbling at the mild ticking off.
But Frank, said Jerome.
You must have your ideas.
Ive got money riding on it.
So the men were running a sweepstake.
The women had not been asked to place their bets.
OK, said Frank.
If you really want to know.
The men hammered on the table.
Frank shook his head, but right afterwards he looked straight at Penny and everybody knew.
Instead, he pressed his elbow harder and harder against her throat.
Of course it was.
Teachers pet, he hissed in her ear.
Penny stamped down hard on his instep with the heel of her boot.
Howling with indignation, Jerome loosened his grip and hopped away swearing.
Bastards, said Francine.
Who needs the Germans when weve got that lot on our side.
Not as badly as Jeromes ego must be.
After Francine went to bed, anticipating another day on the assault course, Penny remained outside alone.
She needed a cigarette.
Hed blown excellent smoke rings.
What happened to him, she wondered?
She couldnt remember his name.
Had he ever told her?
It sounded like more fun than her former job at WRNS HQ.
She thought of their father still overseas.
When would he next be home?
Would this war be over before George had to sign up and fight?
Hearing the rustle of someone approaching, Penny sank back into the shadows, hoping she wouldnt be noticed.
The glowing tip of her cigarette gave her away.
Shed extinguished it slightly too slowly.
Mind if I join you?
Penny scooched along the stone bench.
Frank tapped a couple of cigarettes out of his packet of Players and handed one to her.
I saw what happened with Jerome.
I dont think I made you very popular with your classmates.
I dont think I was very popular to begin with, Penny said.
I dont understand it.
Were all fighting for the same cause, arent we?
Frank didnt have a lighter.
He had an old-fashioned silver matchbox, like the one Pennys grandfather carried.
In the glow of the match he struck against it, Penny saw that it was engraved.
Can I have a look?
He handed it over.
It was inscribed with a verse from a poem.
In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
