Page 47 of Summer of Fire
‘Yes,’ she said. Her voice was croaky to her own ears and her throat was clogged with emotion. ‘Please be careful.’
‘I will. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I know this territory like the back of my hand. We spent every summer here when we were kids.’
‘You can still change your mind about sending me home.It seems like it would be a lot safer if I were to go in search of Hannah, not you. You said yourself as a man of fighting age in occupied France, you have a target on your back.’
‘I appreciate your courage, foolhardy as it may be, but I won’t put you in any more danger. You’re lucky to have escaped after what happened. It’s bad enough Hannah has gone missing. Please go home now and I will follow you soon.’
Lizzie stared at him. There was no point in trying to change his mind. In the short time they had known each other, she had seen his strong will matched hers and when they disagreed, it got intense.
She didn’t want to argue with him again, so she let it go. He was in charge, and had the final say, no matter how much it irritated her.
They stood on the edge of the field, and he flashed his torch at the aircraft in the agreed pattern. Three and then one. Three and then one.
Lizzie stood there wishing she didn’t have to leave him, but not knowing what more to say.
Suddenly, he gripped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. ‘Safe trip, Lizzie. You’re incredible. Never forget that. Deliver the envelope to St. Ermin’s and then your mission is complete. Report back for duty at the War Office. I promised Drake, I would get you back in one piece, and I’m not a man who breaks his word.’
Then he released her, and she scrambled onto the plane, which took off into the dark sky almost as soon as it landed. She waved blindly, not knowing if he could see her or whether he waved back.
The tears rolled down her cheeks as she left her heart in Reims.
CHAPTER 22
Lizzie nodded off intermittently through the short choppy flight, trying to block out her worries about Jack. When she next opened her eyes, they were flying over the English Channel. She blinked as a startling chalky whiteness glimmered up ahead like a mirage in the pale moonlight.
The white cliffs of Dover were guiding them to safety like an old friend. Lizzie’s heart swelled at the sight. This was her home, and it was worth fighting for.
They landed soon after, with a few bumps at the airfield, in the early hours of the morning.
‘Welcome back to Blighty, miss,’ the pilot said, his voice cheerful.
‘Thank you for getting me home safely,’ Lizzie said. ‘It’s good to be back.’
But the truth was, she felt curiously flat when her feet touched British soil. A driver waited for her in the hut and stored her case in the car. When he set off without asking where she wanted to go, she enquired where he was taking her.
‘I’ve instructions to deliver you straight to St. Ermin’s first thing,’ he said, looking at her in his mirror.
Lizzie yawned. She was tired, but it was probably best to get the de-brief done. Jack had told her to expect lots of questioning, but she’d planned to go home and get some sleep first.
She nodded off in the backseat and when she opened her eyes; it was daybreak. They wound through quintessential English villages along curving lanes lined with chocolate box cottages. Everything looked so tranquil in the country. It was easy to imagine the war was a figment of her wild imagination.
No Nazi banners or German soldiers parading through the streets.
Thank God.
She prayed it would remain that way and England would be safe. It was too late for Jersey.
‘Did you hear the bloody Boche bombed the city? Hit the Barbican, they did,’ the driver said when they reached the outskirts of London.
‘Yes. How bad was it?’
‘Bad. Mr Churchill has sent them a powerful message in return, and good on him.’
A sharp sadness permeated Lizzie’s chest as she looked at the streets of London. There were sandbags stacked strategically to protect shops and buildings. It was a city prepared for bombing, and the sight of it was disturbing to behold.
She didn’t want to think what life would be like if the Luftwaffe started bombing London frequently. Until now, the devastation had happened elsewhere, but this made it seem very real.
Soon, the car drew to a halt outside St. Ermin’s and she entered the hotel, clutching her case and her raincoat. A police officer walked towards her and asked who she waslooking for, but before she could explain, Val magically appeared.
