Page 76 of Whispers At Dawn
‘Do you know your way home through the woods?’ Lizzie asked, as he stood at the exit with his doctor’s bag.
‘I was born in the village, madame, you need not worry about me. I will make my way home through the woods and stay out of sight.’
Lizzie thanked him again and said she would be in touch.
‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘I will pray for Billy and for your plan’s success.’
After the doctor left, Lizzie talked to the other airman. ‘Get some rest. It must be difficult, but we will try to get you out of here tomorrow.’
‘Billy won’t make it across the mountains like that,’ he said, desperation in his voice.
Lizzie patted his shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll return in the morning and will know more about how we’ll get him to safety then.’
Lizzie told Suzanne about Von Schneider and his driver staying over as they hurried back through the shadowy vineyards illuminated only by the moonlit sky, and towards the château.
Suzanne frowned. ‘I couldn’t have picked a worse time to leave.’
‘My husband went to warn Monsieur Luc and distract Von Schneider.’
Suzanne said she knew which rooms to give the guests, but they needed freshening up. When they let themselves in quietly through the staff entrance, only the butler remained in the kitchen, reading a newspaper.
‘The others have retired for the night. Where did you disappear to?’ he asked, looking at Suzanne, clearly surprised to see them enter together.
‘Apologies. I lost my wedding ring on an errand in the vineyards this afternoon and went in search of it. Madame Isabelle saw I was distressed and was kind enough to help me look for it.’
‘Did you find it?’ he asked.
‘I’m afraid not,’ Suzanne said, sniffing dramatically as though she may break down in floods of tears at any second.
‘How unfortunate,’ he said.
‘It’s the only thing I have left of my dear departed husband.’
The butler looked uncomfortable and fell silent.
Lizzie lay her hand on Suzanne’s arm. ‘Never fear. These things have a way of turning up. I shall help you search again in the morning when we can see what we’re looking for.’
Suzanne thanked Lizzie, and they scuttled off together to the housekeeping stores to prepare rooms for their unwanted guests.
That night, Von Schneider slept in the château’s largest guest suite. In its heyday it was the grandest but was now shabbily elegant. Lizzie had requested Suzanne put him as far away from her rooms as possible, and despite the ominous situation, their spirits were giddy as they made up the beds.
Being in terrible danger sharpened the senses. She had noticed it on her first mission, and realised she was addicted to the thrill of working undercover. For a fleeting moment, she wondered whether life after the war would seem dull. It was difficult to imagine being married to Jack and living in London with no war raging. If the SOE didn’t need them anymore, what would they do? She shook herself back to the present and Suzanne thanked her.
‘It’s so kind of you to help like you do. I shall miss you when you leave.’
The housekeeper’s words touched Lizzie, and she wondered how long they would stay. They had barely established the Resistance network, but their cover could be compromised at any moment, so she never knew.
‘I wish I had a scorpion to hide in his sheets,’ Lizzie muttered, and they both dissolved into laughter at the thought of the entitled Gestapo officer stung by a scorpion in the middle of the night.
When Lizzie finally climbed into her giant bed, she was bone weary, but her mind raced as she waited for Jack to return.
It seemed ages until he quietly let himself in and sat heavily on the bed next to her. ‘Are you awake?’
‘Yes, of course. Did you do it?’ Lizzie asked, turning to face him.
Jack ran his fingers over the bearded shadow on his face. ‘Yes. It’s late, but Val should get my message first thing.’
‘Do you think they’ll send a plane to pick up the airmen tomorrow?’ Lizzie couldn’t get Billy’s haunted cries out of her mind. ‘You should have seen him tonight. He’s in a desperate way.’
