Page 72 of Whispers At Dawn
‘Since my time in Paris, I have become quite the connoisseur,’ he said, and Lizzie felt a sudden urge to punch him in his arrogant mouth and watch him bleed.
Sometimes, her reactions to the Nazis surprised her. Before the war, it had never crossed her mind that she had such a violent streak.
Luc was leading the way, and at the entrance, he picked up a lantern and the two men followed him down the steps to the cellars. ‘Welcome to the Château de Saint-Clair cellars.’
Lizzie’s mind raced. Luc knew the doctor had visited earlier, but she hadn’t been able to warn him he may still be there. She prayed the doctor had got out in time and he or Suzanne had properly concealed the secret room.
If Von Schneider or the commissaire noticed anything suspicious, it would be the end for them all.
CHAPTER 36
Lizzie hung back, trying to put as much distance between herself and Von Schneider as possible. When he disappeared into the dark cavern with Luc, she turned to Jack, who waited for her. ‘What if he suspects something? He asked me so many questions.’
Jack put his arm around Lizzie’s shoulders, and his voice was low. ‘Remember, the Gestapo are the secret police. They try to trip people up as a matter of routine.’
‘Umm,’ Lizzie said.
Jack continued, ‘Judging by his expressions, I’d say you have a keen admirer, and his questions were just an excuse to keep talking to you.’
‘Let’s hope you’re right. I don’t know where the doctor is.’
Jack frowned and said in an urgent whisper, ‘You mean he might still be down there?’
Lizzie nodded. ‘Suzanne ran to warn him, but only just after dinner.’
Jack said, ‘We must stay calm. It will be tricky to see down there at this time of night and the odds are they’ll notice nothing. We’d better join them. Did you bring your pill?’
Lizzie nodded solemnly and pointed to her locket. Val had issued them with the usual suicide pills shortly before they left.
Jack reached for her hand. ‘If anything out of the ordinary happens, we’ll improvise.’
Lizzie entered the stairwell, her heart strumming so hard it reverberated in her chest. They heard the men’s voices and soon reached them in the outer wine cellar. Von Schneider held a bottle and was studying the wine label. ‘This looks like a very fine vintage.’
‘Take that with my blessings,’ Luc said.
‘That is most kind of you. I will,’ Von Schneider replied. ‘The Führerinstructed us to source only the best for Germany. Earlier, I mentioned my team of specially appointed wine agents. Their mission is to select the top wines to export to the Fatherland. You will, of course, receive a fair price for them.’
‘But of course,’ Luc said, his face devoid of expression. ‘Unfortunately, beyond a small supply for your personal consumption, we won’t be able to contribute.’
‘Why is that?’ Von Schneider asked, a steely current rippling through his voice.
‘I’m sure your wine agents will tell you. Last year’s harvest was one of the poorest we’ve had in years, so we haven’t much to offer.’
‘What about the bottles from previous years? Impressive vineyards such as these must have produced plentiful harvests before the war.’
‘Indeed,’ Luc said, his voice measured and polite as ever. ‘Please forgive me mentioning this if it is in poor taste, but as you are in earnest in your quest to export French wine to Germany, it’s important you have the full picture. I wouldn’t want you to waste your time. When your troops invaded, much of the wine from our region was taken. After several visits, most of our stockwas gone.’ Luc avoided saying his cellars had been looted, but the inference was clear.
Von Schneider raised his eyes from studying the label. ‘What a shame. I had heard something about wine being seized in the early days. The troops were understandably excited by our victory, but we have corrected the situation now. I confess I hadn’t realised you were personally affected. Please accept my apologies for any unruly behaviour.’
Lizzie gritted her teeth. Luc had told them the German soldiers had entered the cellars and informed them they would confiscate cases of their wine immediately. Luc had explained that was partly why the château struggled financially now. Even though they were permitted to sell to Germany and the Axis countries, the currency exchange rate was so poor it was like running a charity. The Nazis made it look as though they were operating a fair market, but when the French wine merchants traded with them, it was more like daylight robbery.
Lizzie hoped Luc’s dismal account of wine stocks would end the Gestapo officer’s zeal to see more of the cellars, but he was not so easily curtailed.
He held onto the wine bottle and coughed. ‘Nevertheless, I should like to continue the tour. I am fascinated by cellars and vineyards and find them quite the most interesting thing about France.’
They resumed walking slowly and neared the entrance to the secret room. Lizzie spoke in a loud voice to warn the airmen and possibly the doctor, they had company. ‘Herr Von Schneider, it is a pleasure to have someone so appreciative to show around.’
Please, please do not let them make a sound.
