‘You don’t have to explain yourself, Augusta,’ said Philip. ‘We know you as Augusta Peel and that’s all there is to it.’
‘But I want to tell you now. Having prepared myself for my secret being out in the open, I realise now that I’m ready to talk about it.’
‘Alright then.’
She took another sip of tea. ‘There are a few reasons why I don’t use my real name,’ she said. ‘I suppose the main reason is that I’m estranged from my family.’
‘I’m sorry to hear it, Augusta,’ said Philip.
‘I’ve led a very different life to the one they wanted for me. They wanted me to become a wife and mother. But I wanted to do lots of other things first.’
‘That’s understandable,’ said Fred.
‘I had everything I needed as a child. I received a good education. I had a governess, then went to school.’
Philip raised an eyebrow. ‘A governess? Was your family wealthy? Oh, sorry. You don’t have to answer that.’
‘The governess bored me,’ said Augusta. ‘She had wiry grey hair and an enormous nose. She taught me and my sisters and I’m afraid my behaviour was quite poor. My governess told my parents they should send me away to school.’
‘Boarding school?’
‘Yes. In Berkshire. And I actually really enjoyed it. Unlike many other girls, I was delighted to be away from home.’
‘And how old were you at this time?’
‘Ten. I had some good teachers, and I did well there. I learned a lot. And so it seemed strange to me when I turned sixteen that all my parents could talk about was finding me a husband. I was resistant to the idea. As punishment, they sent me to boarding school in Switzerland for two years. My parents clearly hoped the place would refine my manners and attitude. I perfected my languages while I was there and I found opportunities to get out and explore the area. Sometimes I had the school’s permission and sometimes I didn’t. But I enjoyed it. It was better than being at home.
‘I was eighteen when I returned home and my parents introduced me to the man they wished me to marry. While I had been away, all the arrangements had been put in place.’
‘They didn’t ask your permission?’ said Philip.
‘No. They were convinced they knew what was best for me. The date for the wedding had been arranged and all the guests had been invited.’
‘No!’ said Philip. ‘That really is quite astonishing! I realise things were a little old-fashioned when we were young, Augusta. But to actually choose your husband for you and arrange your wedding without consulting you at all? That really is beyond belief.’
‘I was very unhappy about it. His name was Bartholomew, and he had a very long surname and a receding chin.’
‘Even worse.’
‘I had some terrible arguments with my parents about it. Nothing would change their minds. So there was only one way out. I left them and came to London. There was a family friend in London and she helped me. She disapproved of the way my parents had treated me. So I stayed with her and her husband for a short while until I could find a job and pay rent for myself. I found a job in a library.’
‘So you’ve always loved books, Augusta.’
‘Yes, I have. As soon as I could read, books provided me with a sense of escape. I read all the time when I was away at school and working in a library was the perfect environment for me. But I realised I could earn a little more money with some more skills. So I went to secretarial college and learned shorthand and typing. After that, I worked for a theatre company.’
‘Theatre?’
‘Yes. I typed scripts and helped organise things behind the scenes. And that was how I met Matthew Peel.’
She hadn’t said his name aloud in a long time.
‘He was an actor,’ she continued. ‘Not well-known at all. He was the same age as me and had been doing it for about ten years. He hadn’t had a lot of success and I’m not sure he was very good at it, really. But we fell in love and we planned to get married. It was 1914 and, for the first time in my life, I felt truly happy. I was estranged from my family and I felt enormously sad about that. But I had met Matthew, and he understood me and made me laugh. I met his family and got on well with them all. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. We had a lot of fun together and our relationship seemed like the most natural thing in the world. And then he went away to fight.’
Silence followed. Augusta knew the next part of her story needed little explanation. ‘He had only been gone two months when I received a letter from his family. He was killed in action at the Battle of Loos.’
‘Oh, Augusta. I’m so sorry,’ said Philip.
‘When he died, I felt the need to do something different. I saw a mysterious advert in the Evening News asking for well-educated, independent women. I was intrigued and didn’t know what I was applying for. I had to sit some tests and, after that, I met our mutual friend Mr Wetherell in the cafe on Tottenham Court Road.
‘When I realised I was working for British intelligence, I was determined to do my job well. I didn’t want Matthew’s death to have been in vain. So that’s what motivated me. Although I look back now and realise that the whole reason for the war made little sense. Matthew was one of millions who lost their lives. Everyone knew at least one person who didn’t come home. And in that respect, I don’t consider myself much different to anyone else.’
‘But you didn’t have your family for comfort at a time like that,’ said Philip.
‘No. But I found comfort in other things. And after the war, my comfort became books again. That’s how I found myself repairing books in a basement.’
Philip smiled. ‘Who can forget your basement workshop, Augusta. It was very dark and dingy down there. You really have made progress since then. And I understand now why you chose the name Augusta Peel. Matthew would have been your husband if the war hadn’t happened.’
‘Yes, he would have been.’ Augusta tried to ignore the lump in her throat. ‘But events were beyond our control. There really wasn’t anything different we could have done.’
‘One question,’ said Philip. ‘Who was the family friend in London who helped you?’
‘Oh, that was Lady Hereford.’
‘So that’s how you know her!’ said Fred.
‘And I’m afraid I have to ask another question,’ said Philip. ‘Your family could afford a governess and sent you away to school. Lady Hereford was a family friend. Who exactly were your family, Augusta?’
Augusta paused. It felt awkward to say it now, she didn’t feel a part of them anymore. ‘The Buchanan family.’
