Interloper

by TechieInAK

Gunnar Svahnsson woke up with a start to the sound of his bedroom door slamming shut. He groaned and turned over, shielding his eyes from the bright light filtering through the crack between the curtains. Moments later, the bedroom was flooded in daylight as the footman pulled the curtains apart.

"Go away," Gunnar mumbled and waved his hand from beneath the covers. His head was pounding, no doubt the aftermath of a late night of too much drinking. "Leave me alone."

"I'm sorry, sir," the footman said, "but the Ambassador requires you immediately, in his study.

"Gunnar sighed loudly and turned over, facing the footman while he shielded his eyes from the light.

"What for? I'm off duty today."

"My apologies, but the Ambassador didn't share the reason with me, merely the urgency, sir."

"All right, all right," Gunnar said, sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The footman offered a glass of water, which he drank greedily.

"My clothes. Quickly."

"Of course," the footman said and dashed off. He returned moments later with the required garments. Ten minutes later, Gunnar stood outside the door to the ambassador's study. He knocked and immediately, the door was opened and he entered.Carl Bildt, the current Swedish Ambassador to England, sat behind an ornate desk, papers arranged in neat piles on either side of him. He furiously scribbled something on a piece of paper as Gunnar entered.

"Take a seat, Gunnar," the ambassador said without looking up.

Gunnar did as he was told and sat in one of the brown leather chairs in front of the desk. He waited in silence as the ambassador continued to scribble on the various papers on his desk.

After what seemed like an eternity, the ambassador put down his pen, removed his glasses and put them gently on the desk. He reached for a half-full glass of a golden liquid and took a sip. He poured another glass and pushed it across the desk in Gunnar's direction. Gunnar reached for it and held it on his lap as he waited for the ambassador to speak.

"The coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra is today," Bildt finally said.

"Yes, ambassador, it is," Gunnar said and nodded, and then took a sip of from the glass.

"I want you to go in my place."

Gunnar could barely contain whatever it was he had just drunk, forcing himself to swallow and not spit it across the desk at his boss. His body rewarded him with a coughing fit while he did his utmost not to spill the contents of the glass on the floor.

"With all due respect," he wheezed once he partially recovered, "His Majesty and the Queen will expect you, ambassador, not me, a mere advisor."

The ambassador waived his hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. "Nonsense. I just arrived in London. Mr. Lewenhaupt, my predecessor, was well-known in government circles. I don't want to cause a stir by making my first official appearance during the coronation of His Majesty."

"But, but-"

"Mr. Svahnsson, you have been employed here for how long?"

"I arrived with your predecessor, seven years ago."

"Would you not agree that your presence is well established in the city? Your presence at the Coronation would be a non-event?"

"I suppose so," Gunnar said and shifted nervously in the chair. Perspiration was forming on his forehead and his hands were clammy.

"It's settled then. You will go in my place. My driver will take you at the scheduled time," the ambassador said and returned to his paperwork.

Gunnar glanced at the clock above the head of the ambassador and took a quivering breath.

"Sir, your scheduled departure time is in only an hour."

The ambassador looked up at Gunnar, above the rims of his glasses. "Yes, that is an accurate observation. Is there a problem?"

Gunnar was about to explain that an hour was hardly time for him to have a proper breakfast, find clothes to wear, get those same clothes properly prepared and still make it on time to the coronation. Not to mention the headache that kept pounding inside his head.

"Well then," Bildt said, "Good luck."

Gunnar stood and left the study and rushed to his room. He shaved, found an acceptable set of clothes for the servants to prepare and even managed to wolf down a sausage in the kitchen. He made it to the waiting car on the dot, slid into the back seat of the car through the open door and collapsed with a groan.

"You must be Mr. Svahnsson," a soft voice from the other side of the back seat.

Gunnar gasped and sat up, bewildered. His eyes met the deep blue eyes of the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid his eyes on. His heart hammered his chest and he felt an unexpected tingling throughout his body as he reached out his hand to greet her.

"Gunnar Svahnsson," he said with a mere whisper. "And you are?"

"Hilda Bjornbo," she said and took his hand, with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you.""It's the perfect cover, my dear. Who would suspect a prominent historian and academic?"

~~~

As the car departed, Ambassador Bildt stood by the window, puffing on his pipe. A woman stepped up next to him and watched in silence as the car turned a corner.

"Did we do the right thing?" she said and looked up at her husband. "Are they a good match?"

Bildt chuckled and nodded. "I think so. She's new in town and she needs someone honest to look after her. If it leads to other...things, well, all the better. It can only benefit the Kingdom of Sweden to have a trusted ear in places where others may not. Intelligence is valuable, as you know, dear."

The woman giggled. "And they think you're merely a historian," she said.

"It's the perfect cover, my dear. Who would suspect a prominent historian and academic?"