Maisie Dobbs

Maisie drives to Kent, taking in the beauty of the countryside and the summer flowers. She stops at the local post office for directions to the Retreat. The postmaster warns her to approach cautiously, as the men there are very conscious of their security. Maisie decides to take her feelings of anxiety seriously and visit after consulting with Maurice.

Upon arriving at Chelstone, Maisie has tea with her father. She is touched by his latest gift for her, a new pocketknife with tools. As she approaches the manor house, now Maurice’s home, Maisie reflects that he lived there only sporadically during the war, likely engaged in espionage work for the Crown. His current interests, gardening and pruning roses, bely his intellectual prowess and significance for Britain.

Maurice greets Maisie warmly, and they walk in the apple orchards and discuss the case. Maurice perceptively points out that the case may be more than the search for truth, as Maisie portrays it, given her personal stake in the war. Maisie assures him she has confronted her past already. The two agree to meet again the next day, as Maurice plans to consult with the local police constable. He presents Maisie with a copy of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, reminding her that war has innocents on all sides, though some use it to “mask” their desire to do evil. He urges her to “consider the nature of a mask. We all have our masks, Maisie” (223).

Maisie approaches the Retreat, struck by the fact that the farm is walled off and not readily visible. The red roses climbing the wall remind her of the barbed wire of wartime trenches, and she works to master her emotions. A man greets her, and when she notices he is missing an eye, with no prosthesis or mask, Maisie is careful to maintain eye contact. She explains she is hoping her brother might become a resident.

The man introduces himself only as Archie, but Maisie notices that he refers to Jenkins by his rank. Jenkins meets her, and Maisie finds herself “looking for the scars of war. But there were none. None that were visible” (226).

Over tea, Jenkins explains to Maisie that work and community help most of the men, though he alludes to others dying, perhaps by suicide. He explains that first names help the residents recover their lost humanity, taken from them by the military. Maisie introduces her cover story—that she is there on Billy Beale’s behalf as his sibling rather than his employer. She explains that Billy has no facial injury but has reduced mobility and enduring trauma. She agrees with Jenkins that it is cruel that British society accepts its soldiers’ sacrifices but will not fully acknowledge their traumas.

Reflecting on her tour, Maisie wonders about the transactional status of the Retreat’s members, specifically those who benefit from the men contributing their fortunes to it. Maisie is skeptical that the farm has no medical or psychological professionals. She is also curious about Jenkins’s service and personal history. She returns to London, wondering what Billy will make of the environment.

Billy assures Maisie of his continued loyalty and willingness to live at the Retreat for two weeks to uncover more about the community and its secrets. She explains that they will meet with Maurice before Billy departs for the farm, and she will supply funds for Billy to sign over. The window for success is narrow, as Maisie hopes to have uncovered enough information to protect James Compton from whatever might endanger him there.

As they stand together in front of Lady Rowan’s car, Billy admits that he has not left London since returning from his military service and that he endures frequent night terrors. Maisie recalls Maurice taking her to see Khan years before to encourage her to recount her own struggles. She briefly alludes to “the truth of what had happened to Simon” (236), but no more is explained. Billy says that on the nights he cannot rest, he wanders the streets, finding himself in the company of other silent men. Maisie remembers her work with war survivors in a psychiatric setting, reflecting that the majority are like Billy, making the best of their ordinary lives with the burdens they carry.

On the drive, Maisie briefs Billy about her methodology and priorities, telling him to trust his intuition. Though she does not doubt Billy’s skills, she questions whether she is endangering him, given the uncertain situation at the Retreat. She “prayed for the confidence and courage to face whatever was hidden in the darkness” (237).

Maisie introduces Billy to Maurice. Billy is struck once more by the farm’s name, reflecting that it might refer to abandoning a position in favor of safety. She lets Maurice and Billy spend time alone, certain her mentor has wisdom to impart.

Before entering the farm, Billy and Maisie plan where and how he can set up a secret telephone line so they can speak in an emergency. Billy rigs a hidden connection to the nearest telephone box. After testing the line, he buries the equipment. The two establish a meeting schedule at a nearby location.

As Archie lets them in and departs to summon Jenkins, Billy is struck by the other man’s injuries. He assures Maisie that he is eager to do what he can to help fellow veterans. He tells Maisie that the wounded men likely want peace more than modern plastic surgery.

Maisie and Billy take tea with Jenkins. Maisie is struck that the farm’s leader ushers her to a comfortable chair but sends Billy to sit in the sun, only urging him to a comfortable seat once he is visibly sweating. He is effusive and uses open body language, professing deep regret. Maisie wonders if this is a subtle exertion of personal authority or an act of real compassion. Maisie finds herself uncertain whether Jenkins is a compassionate man or a master manipulator and resolves that she will solve the case as soon as possible to assure Billy’s safety.