Page 27 of Shadows In Paris
‘Do we need to send a message to London to let them know you’ve arrived safely?’ Hannah said.
‘Yes, please. Jack asked me to let him know when I arrive. 6 p.m. is the time we agreed I’d aim for.’
They walked up another two floors and entered a dark attic.
‘It’s almost six now, so let’s get set up.’
‘I’m looking forward to seeing this place in the daylight. It’s spooky like this,’ Lizzie said.
Hannah said, ‘It doesn’t help we can’t have the windows bare, but better safe than sorry. They are strict about the curfew and blackout, so that’s rule number one. When you’re working with members of the network who I’ll introduce you to over the coming days, always make sure they aren’t being sloppy about these things.’
‘Will you stay here at night, or will you need to be stationed in the city for the new job?’ Lizzie asked, not relishing the thought of long nights in the spooky farmhouse alone.
‘If I can get back, I will. I won’t know until things are underway and I learn more about what the job entails.’
Hannah pulled out the wireless set from a hidden cupboard in the wall and showed Lizzie the different keys. It was like the ones she had practiced on.
‘We can use your novel for the coding next time. For now, let’s use the existing codes. Jack will recognise those too.’
At six on the dot, the call signal came in.
Hannah fired off a message in Morse code so quickly, Lizzie wondered how she did it. It took her ages to plan out her messages before sending them.
‘How on earth did you know what to send off the top of your head like that?’
‘It’s easy when you send brief messages. It was only three words. They just need to know you’re safe. There’s no other news. I’ll show you how I send a longer message as soon as we need to.’
If Lizzie was in awe of Hannah before, now she was even more impressed.
Hannah flashed Lizzie a cheeky smile. ‘Come on, Seagrove, let’s organise something to eat before you fall asleep on your feet. We’d better get you tucked up in bed for a good night’s sleep because we have lots to do tomorrow.’
They put the wireless set away and headed back down to the kitchen.
Lizzie’s head was spinning. She couldn’t stop thinking about how proficient Hannah was with the wireless.
‘What were the three words?’ she asked when Hannah reappeared from the pantry.
‘Have a guess,’ she said.
‘Umm. How about “We are safe”?
‘Try again,’ Hannah said, shaking her head.
‘Hello from Paris?’
‘No, I’m starving, so I’d better tell you!’
‘Go on then,’ Lizzie laughed.
‘Seagrove has landed.’
‘Ah, that makes perfect sense. Short and to the point.’
After a simple meal of hard black bread and cheese, Hannah accompanied Lizzie to her bedroom. Once she was settled in her room, Hannah said goodnight.
‘Goodnight, sister,’ Lizzie called after her, and Hannah blew her a kiss.
CHAPTER 12
