Inside, half a dozen Conservatives who had been described as "difficult" for most of their careers were already gathered around a pot of stale coffee.
They discussed the visit in low voices.
Some were angry most were simply tired.
One of them said, "If we speak too loudly, the whips will have us skinned."
Another said, "If we don't speak at all, who explains anything when the map moves again?"
Churchill listened more than he spoke.
When he did speak, it was short. "Do not mistake decency for a strategy," he said. "Do not mistake quiet for safety. And stop hoping someone else will do your work for you."
They agreed to meet again.
They left by different doors.
Chartwell at night was a world of its own lamps lit like small moons, the smell of smoke in the library.
Outside, the wind lifted and dropped against the panes with the sound of coats shaken out for church.
Inside, Churchill sat at his desk with a heap of papers and a pen.
He wrote to the First Sea Lord.
