Page 21 of Shadows In Paris
Their fate wasn’t in their hands. All Lizzie could do was follow her orders and implement them to the best of her ability. And all Jack could do was wait for news from her, his agent, and the woman who had captured his heart.
They had lain on his bed, their warm limbs entangled and covered by a blanket to keep out the winter chill. ‘We’re in an impossible situation, my darling,’ he had whispered to her, and she heard the heartbreak echo in his voice.
When they first met, she would never have guessed he could be so tender and romantic. Back then, he had seemed like a bit of a brute, but underneath his tough exterior was a gentleness and passion that spoke directly to her soul.
She had read a book about soul mates and how they were connected through time and space and could feel each other’s presence no matter where they were physically. Sitting on the train in occupied France, the thought that she could feel Jack’s presence gave her strength. He said he was her raven, always watching over her, and now she had to trust that she would find her way back to him.
Lizzie tightened her coat around her and smoothed the woollen material over her legs as the train rumbled to a stop and the cold air seeped under the crack of the compartment door.
Her hand froze on her knee when she heard loud voices speaking in German. A Nazi officer’s face peered through the window and her senses reeled as she watched in slow motion as his manicured hand opened the door and he entered the compartment.
‘Bonjour, madame,’ said the officer, his voice cultured and smooth.
As he spoke, Lizzie saw his eyes flicker to the hand that rested on her knee. The narrow gold band on her ring finger had done the trick. On her last mission, she had run into serious trouble and Val had suggested her cover this time should be that of a married woman.
‘Do you think the Germans care whether a woman is married if they want her?’ Lizzie asked Jack, one afternoon when he walked her home through Regent’s Park.
‘Some do, I imagine. Many don’t. But it can only help give you an extra layer of protection. And if they don’t care, it won’t matter either way.’
It was settled. She would pose as a married woman and on further questioning she would say she hadn’t heard from her husband for months but believed him to still be in a labour camp. It wasn’t a perfect cover story, but it would have to do.
Lizzie guessed the officer who had just entered was in his thirties. He was tall, blond and good looking, and he fixed his gaze on her and tried to engage her in conversation.
‘It’s a fine day, madame, is it not?’
Lizzie nodded politely and looked towards the other woman who sat opposite them, but she kept her head firmly in her book and the officer showed no interest in her.
‘Do you live in Paris?’ he probed, undeterred by Lizzie’s unenthusiastic response.
‘I am going to stay with my sister,’ Lizzie said, her heart thudding as she fought to maintain her composure. She reasoned it could be seen as quite normal for a French woman to show discomfort around a Nazi officer. It wasn’t like they had been invited to take over France.
The officer took the hint and fell silent.
The panic in Lizzie’s chest gradually subsided, and she breathed normally again as she looked out the window at the snowy banks passing by in a blur.
It was bad luck to be sharing a compartment with an officer, but Val and Jack had prepared her for every scenario. Lizzie rehearsed her cover story in her mind, ready for the real thing.
After a few minutes, she turned to discreetly look at the officer. She needn’t have worried, his head lay at an angle against the seat, and he had fallen asleep to the hum of the train.
Lizzie let herself relax. The weariness of the previous night and lack of sleep was catching up with her. Terror had spiked her energy, but it drained out of her just as quickly when she saw he didn’t pose an immediate threat.
Just as she was getting comfortable and settling back against the seat to make the most of the quiet time before reaching Paris, the train ground to an abrupt halt. Onceagain, she heard loud voices and this time, she saw German soldiers running onto the train. Lizzie could barely breathe.
Had they been tipped off she was on the train and come to arrest her? She sat rigid with fear, but doing her best not to show it on her face.
The officer awoke and stood to look through the door. After a few minutes, he disappeared into the corridor and Lizzie sat there clutching the seat.
The older woman opposite her cast her a sympathetic look. ‘Don’t worry, they check the trains like this often. As long as you have nothing to hide, you’ll be fine.’
Lizzie attempted a half-smile but it was more like a wince. She had everything to hide, and the woman’s observation only increased the panic spiralling through her.
The officer re-entered the compartment.‘A routine check,’ he said, his voice reassuring as he looked at Lizzie.
It didn’t stop Lizzie’s heart drumming, and she sat there praying inwardly that the soldiers would abandon the train and leave them in peace. It felt like forever, but then the door swung open again and two soldiers entered.
Lizzie listened carefully to the officer and understood enough to know he asked the soldiers what they were looking for.
One of them replied with a mutter, and turned away as he spoke, so she couldn’t make out the meaning of his words.
