Bryce accompanied David to his quarters and continued briefing him on the latest information. David removed his medal, placed it in its case and slid it into a pocket of his packed satchel, then looked around the room. "That seems it."

Hudson knocked, entered and saluted. "Your taxi is in the Square, Sir."

"Thank you, Hudson." David walked across the room and extended his hand to shake. "I'll miss your thorough attention, Hudson." He pointed to the portmanteau and satchel. "We can handle these ourselves. You are now excused, though I wish I could take you with me. You've been of immeasurable assistance these past three months."

"Thank you, Sir. You've been a pleasure to work for." He saluted, turned and left.

"A fine young lad," David said after he had heard the footsteps fade down the corridor.

"He's been with me since my commissioning, and I'm eager to have him back."

"He was your batman?"

"I thought it best that you not have to train one with everything else you've had to handle here." He smiled. "Let's get you to your cab and on your way." He bent and picked up the portmanteau.

London — Friday 15 October 1915

David took a taxi from Paddington Station to his hotel in Pall Mall, and once in his room, he unpacked his lounge suit and hung it to allow the wrinkles to fall out. That's for dinner, but I should continue in uniform. Easier than trying to ignore the white feather women. God, they're persistent. A man's not left in peace out of uniform.

He refreshed, then descended to the lobby to speak with the concierge. "Have you a map of this area?"

"Yes, Sir." He pulled one from a folder. "May I assist you in locating anything?"

"I need to replace this watch. Is there a shop nearby that handles Hans Wilsdorf?"

"You'll not find that name on their watches now, Sir." He frowned. "They've changed it to Rolex. German names have become unpopular." He pointed to the map. "Garrard and Company carry Rolex and other leading brands. They're in Albermarle Street, here." He ran his finger along the route as he spoke. "Along Pall Mall to Saint-James, which becomes Albermarle when it crosses Piccadilly."

David thanked him, picked up the map and studied it for a short while, then folded it and put it in his pocket. He crossed the lobby and went out the Haymarket doors. I'll visit the bootmakers first.

He walked along Haymarket to Jermyn Street, then along it two short blocks to Eagle Place and to Foster and Son. Inside, he showed his swagger stick to the clerk who had welcomed him. "The stitching appears as if it wants to undo here." He pointed to a widened seam.

The man looked at it, then stretched the seam with his thumbs. "This is not to our standards, Sir." He motioned toward the back of the shop. "Please, follow me and let's select a correct one."

David sorted through the dozens in the box the clerk had brought from the rear and selected three with the most pleasant grain in both the wood and the leather. He chose among them. "This one appears the finest of the lot."

"And your boots, Sir. The fit is to your satisfaction?"

"From the moment I first put them on. They seem as a part of my feet."

"As they are meant to, Sir. How else may we serve you?"

"I'd like a small portfolio for my wife to carry her medical papers and books to and from school. Something useful, but elegant."

"I'll have Mrs Fownes assist you with that, Sir. She understands ladies' tastes better than I."

Twenty minutes later, David tucked the wrapped package under his arm and paused as he looked left and right. Up to Piccadilly or back to Jermyn Street? Piccadilly. So many of the cadets talked of it.

He turned and walked the short distance to Piccadilly, then headed along it toward Albermarle. Nothing exciting about this. Maybe its width is the thing. Three minutes later, he began passing the display windows of Fortnum & Mason. Half a block of luxury on display. He reached the end of the block and looked along Duke Street. And It continues all the way to Jermyn. He counted the building's storeys. Half a city block square and seven storeys tall, filled with fine goods. This is likely the attraction. I might come back after I've finished my chores.

He continued to Albermarle, then turned into it and walked the two blocks to Garrard. So many fine shops along here. He was greeted as he entered the huge premises. "May I direct you to a department, Sir?"

"Yes, please. I need to purchase another wristwatch."

The floor manager signalled a young woman, who escorted David to the watch department. "The salespeople are all busy at the moment. Were you interested in other items, as well?"

"I could look at some necklaces for my wife." He glanced at his watch. "I've plenty of time."

"This way, Sir, it's the next department."

David explained to the saleswoman what he wanted. "I haven't had much time to think about it, actually none until now. Have you something closer to a collar than a necklace? Something to show off her long neck. Maybe emeralds to match her eyes."

"Too many emeralds would overwhelm. We suggest a mix of diamonds and emeralds." She handed him a card as she led him to a showcase. 

"We've been the official jewellers, goldsmiths and silversmiths to the Kings and Queens since Victoria appointed us to create her first crown." She pointed to the displays. "These are some examples of pieces we can create for you. One, two, three and four-strand diamond collars in which we can mount emerald accents."

"I've never looked at gemstones, but I'm sure diamond prices have collapsed with the tons now being mined in South Africa."

"Diamond prices don't seem to have been affected by the increased supply, in fact, they had been steadily increasing until this war."

"That makes no sense. With the dramatically increased supply, they're no longer rare. Britain fought two bloody wars in South Africa to capture the supply."

"I've heard the diamond supply is being withheld from the market to control prices."

"Diamonds are a poor purchase, then. Have you a selection of all emerald necklaces I can look at?"

"Emeralds are too rare to do that. We can certainly have one designed and made for you."

"So emeralds are more expensive than diamonds."

"No, the other way around. Diamonds are more than twice the value of emeralds."

"Higher price maybe, but not higher value. If emeralds are more rare, why are they less expensive?" He glanced across at the watch department. "Thank you. I think I'll tackle something that makes more sense. There seems a lull with the watches."

David was greeted when he arrived at the counter. He shook his head and unstrapped the watch. "Confusing with the diamonds."

"Yes, I've not made sense of it myself. This is a fine piece." The salesman took it and looked closely. "How may we assist you?"

"This is on loan from the family, and I need a replacement so I can return it before I head back to the Continent."

"They've now changed their name to Rolex. We have a selection of their watches here." He motioned to a case, unlocked the door and pulled out a tray. "These two models carry certificates as chronometers. The larger, a First Class from the Bienne School of Horology and the smaller, a Class A precision certificate from the Kew Observatory. We are unaware of any other wristwatches having been certified as maintaining chronometer accuracy."

David examined the watches. "These are more accurate than the Hans Wilsdorf? I've been impressed with its timekeeping."

"He's always been respected for the precision of his movements. Changing the name to Rolex changed nothing else. They're still all crafted in Switzerland, and now the major test facilities are acknowledging and certifying their timekeeping."

"The smaller is silver. Do they both come in gold?"

"Yes, they're both made in gold and silver."

"Good. I'll take them both in gold."

"I'll get them from the vault, Sir."

A while later, David paused from examining the smaller watch and looked across at the necklace department. This is a far more practical gift. Surely I can find a paste emerald and diamond collar in Switzerland. He laughed to himself. They seem more practical in most things.