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Cambridge Five Spy Ring — Part 10

74 pages · May 23, 2026 · Broad topic: Intelligence Operations · Topic: Cambridge Five Spy Ring · 74 pages OCR'd
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husband return to London for psychiatric treatment. In May, 1850, he flew honte {,and shortly afterwards Melinda and her mother took the ‘children tor ; a” holiday (, Spain, <; Early in Seatember, they had been apart for nearly “four months, Melinda received a Pe curious letter from her hus- when band. it was in somo way a letter fof renunciation, suggesting that She was nat the man for her, and that they would be well advised * On recelving this letter Melinda decided to end her Spanish holi- day. $ha took her mother and her children to Paris and flew |] over to London te ste him, The talks she had in Engiand with him, with some of his * relatives, and with the psychia- 4\trist. were probably the most [momentous Meunda had ever had, for they again obanged the k course of her fife. TOGETHER AGAIN She was asked and advised to resume ordinary married tife Rwitn him, After acute heart -p.searchings, Melinda apresd. * They spent a fortnight together En London before Donald decided ; that they would ilve together again, Melinda returned to Paris } ta fetch the children. (“TRE "Meotted they would tive a. Mocked at himself = at hims in the country near enough to London for Donald to go up and down to the Foreign OMce each day, but far enough away so that ‘if he were to reach heme reasonable tims for dinner th could be no Joitering in bar Five days before Christmas, 1850, they moved Into Beacon- shaw, in the little village of Taisfield, not far from Wester- ham, in Kent. i OUTBURST The first twa or three monihs At Beaconshaw were among the happiest In Melinda's married life. But by the spring Maclean began first to miss the early irain, and then to miss the train ailogether and spend the night in own Early in May, Melinda's sister ~ Harries and her husband Jay Sheers came over from Parla to Spend a few days at Bescon- shaw, and it was during, this week-end that Maclean re~ vealed to some extent what he was thinking and feeling in an (extraordinary conversation with her and -her-husband. First, he openty supported communism, and although he did {ot setwaty on {Communi ._, Harriet dig not at the times take this ‘outburst seriousiy; in the past be had trequently teased har and she fait he might be going 40° again, But later on this Conversation took on a new and axtromely important ilght, ‘Then Maclean took Jay Sheers to have « drink In the local pub, and there he railed bitterly at his life and his Job; he mocked self as ® ahi amongst hordes of other sheep, going off to London every day with his black hat and neat black sult and fittle Diack brief case, He sald that he was sick of It all and longed to “out adrift ‘The next day, however, Mac- an ssemed his parmal seit. And In London Maclean was impressing his friends with an unaccustomed serenity as he want through the daily routine of work at his Foreign Office desk, juncheon partlas and even occa~ sional drunken évenings. But the end was now very near. On May 25, 1951, | Maclean and Burgess | disappeared. The story | of that extraordinary | night was recounted in | an earlier instalment, TODAY is told how: Melinda gradually realised the troth le ONALD had bc when Christ: Christmas withc New Year. It was about this time - to accept the fact that he The months of suspense were changing Into no less unhappy. months of uncer- tainty: what should she do for the best ? She could ‘not make up he: mind. She remained con stantly Joyal to him, so far a the outside world was cor cerned, “but: did she- ti) lov him? Later events seem to me { prove that Melinda never real stopped loving him entire! but there is no doubt that fro early 1952 onwards she oft: said she no longer loved hi: and undoubtediy at the tin she thought this was the ca. In the spring she spent thr weeks in a London hospit where she underwent a mir. operation. During these rait tedious weeks she talk freely to a friend. Melinda sdmitted ope: that she was no Jonger in | with Macieat! and-Mtended
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