Page 67 of Whispers At Dawn
The patient writhed and his head jerked from side to side. A pearly coat of perspiration gleamed on his face in the soft light.
Jack stood and signalled to Lizzie to follow him. They moved away from the wounded airman and talked in low voices. Jacksaid, ‘I’m worried I’ll only make it worse if I remove the bandage. He obviously needs medicine. The question is, will the good doctor have any, even if I can find him?’
‘The sooner we see if he’s there, the better. We’ll need to find a different doctor if not. I should go. I’ll attract less attention than you,’ Lizzie said after a pause.
‘In what world is that true?’ Jack asked, raising one eyebrow.
‘You know what I mean. Suzanne told me she sometimes takes jam and freshly picked fruit to the households with children in the village. Many with big families can barely get by. They’re living on starvation rations, so every bit helps.’
‘Ah, I see. Yes, that makes sense.’ Jack’s tone was reluctant, but Lizzie knew he wouldn’t fight her on it because it made operational sense.
‘I’ll ask Suzanne to come with me and we can do the rounds and drop into the doctor’s house. That way, we shouldn’t raise suspicion.’
The airman’s groans grew louder. Lizzie emptied her pockets and put the produce on a small table. ‘See if you can get him to drink water,’ she told the other airman, who was pacing around the small space.
Outside, the sky had turned gunmetal grey, and the wind had whipped up even further. ‘It’s not ideal weather for making house calls, but that poor man will not make it if we don’t get him help,’ Lizzie said.
They agreed the plan was as good as they could manage in the circumstances and as they rushed back to the château, the rain started pelting down like stair rods.
Lizzie bowed her head and pulled her raincoat closer as she shivered from the chilly rain and battering winds.
Jack wore a thin shirt which was already soaked, but he wrapped his arm around Lizzie and tried to shelter her as they hurried along across the uneven ground. The lavender waslike a comforting purple sign in the distance, against the dark threatening sky.
‘How different it all looks this morning,’ Lizzie gasped as they pushed through the wind at a punishing pace.
Back at the château, they dried off, thankful to be out of the elements.
‘What does a benevolent member of the Saint-Clair family wear to make house calls to the needy of the village in the middle of a massive storm?’ she asked.
‘Wear the outfit we bought you in town last week. That says classy without being over the top.’
Lizzie dressed in the new clothes she’d bought with a combination of coupons and francs. It wasn’t smart to flash too much cash around. ‘How do I look?’ She turned to Jack.
‘Beautiful. Like always. But wait,’ he said, crossing the room and returning with something behind his back. ‘You swapped places to protect me, but endangered yourself. If it wasn’t a smart cover story, I wouldn’t go along with it.’
Lizzie smiled. She guessed the switch wouldn’t go unnoticed. ‘What are you hiding behind your back?’
He produced her yellow silk scarf with a flourish. ‘Ta-da, you’re not going without this.’ He tied it around her neck and swivelled her around to admire the effect in the tall mirror. ‘Perfect.’
‘It goes well with the outfit.’ Lizzie touched the scarf. ‘I always feel lucky when I wear this. Thank you for bringing it.’
They made final arrangements, and Lizzie reached up to kiss Jack. ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’
He held her tight against his chest, and she felt his lips brush her hair before he slowly released her. ‘Take care, Seagrove. If anything unusual happens, cut your rounds short and come straight back. That’s an order from your commanding officer!’
‘How will I know what’s unusual when I’ve never been there before?’ she queried, a wicked glint in her green eyes.
‘You’ll know. Watch Suzanne and take her lead.’
Lizzie promised she would be extra careful. ‘What will you do whilst I’m gone?’
‘I’ll sit down with Luc and run through potential avenues of escape for the airmen, so we anticipate any eventuality.’
Downstairs, Jack released Lizzie’s hand, and they went in separate directions, both looking back until they could no longer see each other.
Lizzie searched for Suzanne, and Jack went to see if Luc was in his favourite spot in the library. Events were unfolding fast, and the mission was in full swing. Lizzie tried to calm her fears, but she was anxious about the fate of the British airmen, especially Billy, the feverish one.
The timing to host a Gestapo officer for dinner could not be worse.
