Page 50 of Summer of Fire
The envelope had her name on it, but no sign of the sender. She tore it open hurriedly, and a piece of notepaper fluttered out and landed on her shoe. The letter was only one line and signed off with just an initial. Lizzie’s heart sped up as she read it:
We need you at HQ. Please come first thing tomorrow.
V
That evening, dinner was a jolly affair, just as her mother had promised. Evie bubbled with news about her sewing endeavours and the fabulous women she was working with. It was good to see her so enthused, and Lizzie was pleased for her but slightly envious that her baby sister had such an innocent pursuit, and could share the details so joyfully, whilst she couldn’t say a word about her time in occupied France.
It felt like she was acting someone else’s role in a play—the old Lizzie—and had to pretend everything was normal, when inwardly her world was tumbling down around her.
Juliet was late home for dinner and popped her head into the dining room. Her face was grease marked, and she wore dungarees, and a headscarf covered her hair.
Lizzie stared at her and exclaimed. ‘Juliet. Look at you!’
A lot really had changed in the short time she’d been away.
‘Lizzie, there you are, dear sister. How wonderful! I must change and I’ll be down shortly to hear all your news. Don’t go anywhere.’
Mr Beaumont studied Lizzie’s face carefully when he arrived home. ‘How did it go?’ he asked, releasing her from a warm hug. ‘It’s good to have you back.’
‘It was fine, Pa. Lots of boring translation work but a wonderful group, so we had some fun.’
‘Excellent, excellent. I was concerned I’d inadvertently sent you into the lion’s den and got you embroiled in some kind of dangerous intelligence work. The services are always on the prowl for fluent French speakers, you know. Glad you’re home, my girl, safe and sound. Back to the office for you tomorrow, then?’
Lizzie nodded, hating herself for lying to her father. Whilst he was a highly respected boffin at the War Office, he didn’t work in the field. No wonder he didn’t like the idea of her on active duty in France.
‘Back to the office.’ It wasn’t strictly a lie, she reasoned. She would be back at the office—just not at the office in Whitehall. Not first thing, anyway.
Juliet bounced into the room and piled food onto her plate. ‘I am absolutely ravenous. Haven’t eaten all day. No time,’ she gushed. ‘This is a wonderful spread. Makes a change. You should go away more often, Liz,’ she laughed. ‘So come on, tell us what you’ve been up to.’
Lizzie made her fictitious week on the course sound extraordinarily dull, to the point where Juliet yawned, and started telling her about her new job. Grateful for the change of subject, Lizzie listened and asked questions whilst trying not to let her thoughts stray back to Jack and his whereabouts.
‘It sounds as though you’ve found your calling, Jules,’ she said. ‘I’m so happy for you.’ Lizzie was relieved Juliet had something to keep her mind off Oliver. With RAF pilots being shot down every day, it was a wonder she could keep it together, poor love.
That night, as Lizzie lay in bed trying to fall asleep, she wondered why she had been summoned back to SOE.
What on earth did Val want that was so urgent?
CHAPTER 24
Lizzie woke early and went downstairs for breakfast, excited about her meeting with Val. She hoped they had some news from Jack. The thought of him being arrested and tortured by the Gestapo plagued her.
What did Val want? She’d done what they’d asked of her, and Jack said her mission was over. It was an anti-climax after the tension of the past few weeks, and she wondered how she would settle into everyday life.
Lizzie finished breakfast, and her father and sisters left for work. As soon as they were out the front door and her mother was pre-occupied talking to Violet, she hurried to the telephone and called her boss.
‘Good morning, Drake, here,’ he answered the phone after two rings.
‘Good morning, sir. This is Lizzie Beaumont.’
‘Well, I am pleased to hear your voice. I won’t pretend I wasn’t concerned, but let’s say no more on the telephone,’ he said.
‘Thank you. I just wanted to let you know I must go to the hotel this morning and then I will be back to work.’
‘No problem at all. Do what you have to do, and I’ll look forward to seeing you later. Take care.’
Lizzie didn’t understand her boss’s connection to SOE. On the one hand, he oversaw the French translation department at the War Office, but on the other, he seemed to be very close to Jack. She noticed he was in and out of SOE when she was in training.
Was no one what they seemed in this war? It brought out the chameleon-like qualities in people. If it weren’t for the war, she would probably be dating a nice young man in Jersey and thinking about getting married soon.
