Page 63 of Summer of Fire
‘It’s passable. Not like my French, but I can get the gist of a conversation or written piece.’
Jack shook his head. ‘Drake really is going to kill me if this goes wrong.’
‘But if we pull it off, he’ll thank you,’ Lizzie fired back.
Pierre looked uncomfortable at the sizzling tension between them and excused himself for farming duties. Camille followed him out.
They now sat alone at the table, staring at each other.
‘Why are you so angry at me?’ Jack asked, his dark eyes glittering.
‘Why are you so determined to stop me from playing my part?’ Lizzie countered.
‘I’m not—I’m only trying to keep you alive.’ He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head.
The kitchen clock ticked loudly in the silence between them.
‘It’s good to see you,’ he said after a pause, his voice dropping to a velvet caress that made her shiver despite the clammy heat in the house.
Lizzie’s heart lurched, but she stopped herself from replying. She would not be fooled into falling into his arms again, no matter how besotted she was.
She dropped her gaze and studied her coffee.
Jack reached out and stroked her wrist. His touch was like an electric force, and she jerked her hand away as goosebumps covered her skin.
‘You still haven’t answered my question,’ he said. ‘I know we had words before you left. Are you still angry at me because of that?’
Lizzie shook her head and changed the subject. ‘Did you find Hannah?’
‘No, but the wonderful news is she is alive. I crossed over to the Free Zone and found out she had been at one of the Maquis safe houses last week. I would have stayed longer to meet up with her, but I wanted to get back to see you.’
‘You must be over the moon,’ she said, an unmistakable edge to her voice even though she tried to sound neutral.
‘It is the best news. I thought we’d lost her. She was my first Resistance recruit, you know?’
The emotion clogged Lizzie’s throat and threatened to bubble into tears.
Jack rose from the table. ‘Come for a walk with me. I need some air. This heat is oppressive and if you keep shooting those daggers my way, I’ll explode before the airfield!’
Lizzie laughed involuntarily. How fierce she could be when antagonised was a standing joke in her family.
Jack crossed to the front door and held it open for her and she passed through. Then he set off across the yard and she did her best to match his fast pace.
They walked around thefarm, weaving through sun-kissed golden fields and he slowed so she could keep up with him.
‘It’s unbelievable how beautiful it is here, even though we’re tangled amidst a net of pure evil,’ Lizzie said.
Jack entered the barn and Lizzie followed slowly, memories of their stormy night together, rolling over her.
They sat on a hay bale and talked about what had happened since they parted. Jack wanted to know about the Blitz and the latest goings on at SOE.
‘It seems like I’ve been away for months, not weeks,’ he said.
Lizzie relaxed her defences as she told him about the terrifying first day of the Blitz and how she’d sheltered in the Underground.
‘Now tell me the truth. Why are you still so angry at me? You’ll have to tell me because honestly, I don’t know.’
Lizzie’s fuse rekindled just as quickly as it had fizzled out. ‘You don’t know?’
