Page 45 of Whispers At Dawn
‘Lev has been asked to organise the escape of a downed airman,’ she said, making a show of tidying her hair, whilst barely moving her lips.
Jack raised his cup to his mouth. ‘Where is he?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, smoothing down her apron. ‘He said to meet him at the usual place this afternoon if you can help.’
Marguerite took off without looking back and that was the last they saw of her that day. She’d accomplished her task, and the other patrons kept her busy until they left.
‘What a mysterious one she is,’ Jack said.
Lizzie murmured in between bites of the pastry. ‘This is delicious, you’re right. Here,’ she said, holding up her fork for Jack to take a piece.
They stayed at the café a while longer, as if they had nowhere important to rush off to, and when they finished their coffee and cake, they stood in a leisurely fashion and walked away at a measured pace without making eye contact with their messenger.
‘Our first agents are in play,’ Jack mused, as they walked hand in hand across the Place du Capitole.
‘It’s a great start,’ Lizzie said. ‘I find it disconcerting we can move about here as though there isn’t a war on. It’s very different from Paris or Reims.’
‘It is an unusual situation, given our proximity to the occupied zone,’ Jack agreed, raising Lizzie’s hand to his lips and kissing her palm. ‘The whole thing is odd, and I think it might get a lot weirder before we’re finished.’
They approached the Café de Paris and entered. It was dimly lit, and the smoke formed an acrid smog. It took a while for Jack to locate Lev, who sat alone in a different corner from last time. Jack steered Lizzie towards the table.
‘You remember my wife, Madame Dubois?’ Jack asked, indicating Lizzie with a flourish.
Lev stood and shook Lizzie’s hand. ‘A pleasure to see you again, madame.’
‘Oh please, call me Isabelle. There’s no need to be formal.’
Jack pulled out a chair for Lizzie and she sat down. ‘What will you have?’ he asked.
Lizzie said she’d had enough coffee for one day and would have a juice. And Lev asked Jack to tell the barman, the same again, for him.
Jack went to organise the drinks at the bar and Lev turned to face Lizzie.
‘How do you like Toulouse?’ he asked.
Lizzie said she found it charming and was enjoying it so far.
‘It must be quite an experience to live in the château.’
Lizzie agreed it was and told him she’d not lived so grandly before, and it took a bit of getting used to.
Their conversation tailed off until Jack returned and put the drinks on the table. ‘I see you two are getting acquainted.’
‘Indeed. I take it Marguerite gave you my message, and this isn’t a serendipitous meeting,’ Lev said, cutting through the small talk.
‘You are correct. Whilst serendipity is a miraculous thing, I prefer not to depend on it.’
They chinked their glasses and smiled like old friends meeting for a catch up. ‘Santé.’
‘Tell me about the man,’ Jack said, dropping his voice and looking at Lev.
‘Actually, I’ve now discovered there are two of them. British. They were shot down and are making their way here.’ Lev tilted his cigarette pack to Jack, who took one, and Lizzie declined with a gracious smile.
Lev lit his cigarette and exhaled. ‘Then we’ll need to get them to Marguerite’s contact who will arrange to take them across the Pyrenees.’
‘That sounds like the beginnings of a plan,’ Jack said.
‘Every day they stay in the same place, the risk of being discovered increases. It’s not as dangerous as in occupied territory, but we have our share of traitors and informants here, too.’
