"You know, sometimes I think the same about you, my dear Lord Hawthorne!" Mary answered lightly. "But I hope, that lies still many years in the future!" She was actually a bit pleased with herself, that she had found a way to deflate his impenetrable british facade for a moment. Hawthorne was vulnerable. Good. She was determined, to make herself very vulnerable as well to this man and it was good to know, he was not the smiling statue he pretended to be.
"But I hope you'll be the death of Marie-Louise Krueger.
I'd suggest, she went missing in action fighting those Greenies on the "Dagger", when you send your report." She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were very large and serious; there was no hint of mockery in them.
"Lord Hawthorne, you know as well as I do, in our line of work, one does not simply resign. Therefore, the woman who took this assignment and boarded the Marigold, needs to be dead to the world. And even then, I suppose, it'll take all my skill, to cover my tracks. Once we get back to Europe, I should be able to take the necessary steps, to be rid of my pursuers once and for all."
Suddenly she cocked her head and listened, putting one finger lightly on her lips. She motioned to Hawthorne, to stay where he was and catlike sneaked up to the next corner. Gingerly she peeked around the corner - and pounced! There were sounds of a short altercation, then a thumping sound - and then Mary came around the corner, the inanimate body of another Prussian scout in tow.
"Look what I found!" she beamed.