Page 73 of Summer of Fire
Lizzie trembled slightly as she sat down on the chair opposite him and arranged her face into a false smile.
The general’s eyes skimmed over her appreciatively and lingered on her chest. Her skin prickled, and the blood rushed to her head as she remembered the incident with the soldier who tried to rape her.
She clasped her hands below the desk and kept her expression neutral, as if she didn’t know he was undressing her with his eyes.
He took a sip of his coffee. ‘You make fine coffee. From what I have seen, you are a woman of many talents. You are an exquisite young woman. I’m surprised you’re not married.’
Lizzie swallowed sharply and kept her eyes on him, not knowing what to say.
‘You will stay on here indefinitely,’ he said. ‘You are competent at the job and are a pleasure to have around.’
‘But today is my last day,’ she said, puzzled. ‘I’m only a replacement secretary, Herr General.’
‘You misunderstand me, mademoiselle. I meant I am commanding you to stay on permanently. The other secretary has met with an unfortunate accident and won’t be returning. Do you live nearby?’ He asked the question as if they were talking about the weather.
This wasn’t part of the plan, and her stomach clenched in panic. Then she recited the address Jack had made her rehearse over and over for a situation just like this.
The thought of him waiting for her at the farm this evening bolstered her courage, and she squared her shoulders and met the general’s stare as if she had nothing to hide.
‘Ah, that is near the Royal Hotel, if I am not mistaken. I have been staying there for the past weeks but am looking to billet at a house in town that suits me better. Perhaps yours will fit my needs, mademoiselle.’
Lizzie’s senses reeled.
Marie LeClair’s parents had died. Their home was bombed and, as a result, Marie hated the British. For that reason, she was amenable to working with the Germans.
All these facts rushed through her mind, as she took a slow breath to calm herself beneath the general’s stare.
‘I would be honoured to offer you hospitality in my home, Herr General, if only I had one. As it is, my family's home was destroyed in a bombing raid. I lodge with a family in a small apartment and only have one room, which obviously wouldn’t be suitable accommodation for a great war hero like yourself.’
The general preened at her words of praise.
He had bought her story.
‘That is a great shame. In that case, mademoiselle, I am very sorry for your loss. We share a common enemy.’
Lizzie nodded as she fought to keep her composure. ‘The British have a lot to answer for,’ she said boldly.
This comment pleased the general further.
‘Cigarette, mademoiselle?’ he offered.
Lizzie declined politely.
A smile curved his thin lips to show neat white teeth below his black moustache. He lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair as he blew the smoke into the air and seemed to consider his next move.
‘I would very much like to enjoy a glass of champagne with you. As a new employee, it is the least I can do to welcome you. It is a substantial loss you have suffered at the hands of those British pigs.’
Lizzie guessed the general would be well aware that if she were seen with him in public, she would be branded a collaborator by the locals and her life would be hell.
It was as though he read her mind when he said, ‘Perhaps, in the interests of privacy, it would be best if you came to my hotel. How about this evening at, shall we say, seven?We will have dinner in the private dining room.’
Seven was the time the team was due to arrive, and the operation would begin. Did this general have a sixth sense? Was he testing her somehow?
She thought swiftly and decided she was being fanciful. It must be pure coincidence. If she were to refuse, it might complicate the situation and draw unnecessary attention to her. He might stay longer in his office than if he knew she would meet him at his hotel.
The past few days, he had left promptly at six and they had been counting on the same pattern today. Jack warned her that if the general got in the way, they would have to kill him. But the job would be simpler if only the two guards were on duty in the transition between daytime office and evening raids.
He said it was the perfect time of day to strike because the Nazis were notoriously preoccupied in the evenings with opulent dinners and entertainment. They would be sluggish to respond to an attack.
