Page 43 of Whispers At Dawn
‘Would you like to take a walk?’ Jack asked. The sun’s not as hot now and it’s a beautiful day.
The sky was bright blue with only the occasional tiny puff of clouds overhead, and the sun had lost its intense heat. The temperature was ideal for a walk.
Lizzie said she would love it, and they set off together with Beau across the courtyard and into the field towards the vineyards. ‘How was your meeting?’
‘It was fruitful. Lev’s family is being persecuted for being Jewish, so he clearly has the motivation. He has a small team, and they have carried out random acts of sabotage. He’s hungry to do more and wants to work with us.’
They crossed the field hand in hand and Lizzie said, ‘How do you know we can trust him?’
‘It’s just a feeling, really, although his story is solid. He considered getting out of France to join De Gaulle’s Free FrenchForces, but decided he was better positioned to fight from within.’
‘He sounds like the ideal Resistance leader,’ Lizzie said.
‘Yes, my thoughts exactly. He is a skilled artist and forges documents for people on the run.’
‘That’s handy! Seems like you had more of a useful afternoon than me.’
‘We got lucky meeting Marguerite exactly when the Vichy mob turned up. Otherwise, we might never have got into the conversation which connected us to Lev.’
Jack helped Lizzie across a bumpy patch, and soon they were surrounded by vines. He filled her in on more details as the grapes on the vines rustled gently in the breeze.
‘What if he’s pretending to be on our side but informs on us? I read accounts in London where people inform on friends in exchange for money and food.’
Jack sighed. ‘You always get informants who sell out their own in times of war. It’s a chance we must take. It’s highly unlikely based on my assessment of Lev, but if for some reason he did tell on us, I could easily throw doubt on his accusations.’
‘Do you believe he is Jewish?’ Lizzie asked.
‘I do. He told me his family on his mother’s side have been here for generations and his father’s parents fled persecution in Iraq. It’s a very elaborate story to concoct on the off chance that a newcomer to town is of any significance.’
‘True,’ Lizzie agreed.
‘The Vichy officials wouldn’t trust a Jew, even if he has an ulterior motive,’ Jack said.
‘But couldn’t that be part of his entrapment efforts? Maybe he’s not Jewish at all.’
Jack laughed. ‘I see my work is done. You suspect everyone and everything. No wonder you make such a brilliant spy.’
‘I’m just playing out the potential scenarios, like you taught me,’ Lizzie said. She paused and added, ‘Mind you, he looks Jewish.’
‘What does a Jew look like?’ Jack asked, his tone slightly mocking.
‘Olive skin?’ she said.
‘Next you’ll be saying they all have the same nose.’
Lizzie shrugged. ‘That’s the antisemitic stereotype, isn’t it, but Hannah is blonde and blue-eyed with a small nose, so that puts holes in that theory.’
‘I recall Hannah saying her ancestors came from somewhere in the Middle East and eventually settled in Germany. Hence, her colouring. It’s no secret Jews have endured forced conversion to Christianity and Islam over millennia. Some would have intermarried.’
‘We’ve not talked about our religion before. How well do you know your bible?’ Lizzie asked, her eyes searching Jack’s as they meandered through the vineyards.
‘We used to study it at Sunday school. My parents encouraged us to attend, and we did for years. Are you Catholic or Church of England?’
Lizzie said, ‘Roman Catholic. My school was quite religious, and we did a lot of bible study, both the Old and New Testament. I remember belting out in assembly:Let My People Go, at the top of my lungs. The hymn about Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery and to Israel, the promised land. I thought little more about it until I met Hannah.’
‘At least, we won’t need to toss a coin for which church to marry in.’
‘That’s something we didn’t consider. What denomination are Michel and Isabelle Dubois?’ Lizzie asked.
