In Love and War (24 page)

‘I've seen the young man,' she said, taking a cup from the dresser and filling it with coffee. ‘I'll need some carbolic acid, which I can only get from our good doctor.' She sipped her drink, frowning. ‘Have you seen Hendrick this morning? I want him to go immediately to the doctor's house.'

‘He went out. He didn't say where he was going.'

Valentine slammed her cup down on the table. ‘He's impossible. He should have checked with me first.'

‘I could go for you,' Elsie volunteered. ‘I know where the doctor lives and it won't take me long.'

‘You should be resting.' Valentine eyed her thoughtfully. ‘But Anouk is fully occupied. It seems as if the entire German army is on the move.'

‘I could be there and back in ten minutes,' Elsie said confidently.

‘All right, but if anyone wants to chat you must make an excuse and move on quickly.'

‘I understand.'

‘You must ask to see the doctor in person. His busybody of a wife will probably tell you that she is able to dispense medicines, but she is a gossip and can't be trusted to keep her mouth shut. Tell the doctor that Hendrick has a recurrence of his old problem and that I require a bottle of the usual strength carbolic acid. He will know what you mean.'

‘I'll go at once.' Elsie picked up her plate and took it to the sink. ‘Do I need any money?'

‘He will put it on my account.' Valentine glanced at the eggshell and smiled. ‘I see that Hendrick has been making a fuss of you. You are honoured, Lotte. He doesn't take to many people.'

‘I understand, and I'm very grateful. The egg was delicious.' Elsie left by the back door and set off for the doctor's house. It was still early but the station was alive with movement and noise as the next troop train drew to a halt. As she walked down the street she realised that very few of the villagers were about, and she wondered if they went to ground, like a fox pursued by the hunt, when such trains pulled into the station. This was the first time that she had been out alone, and she was suddenly nervous. She walked quickly, looking neither left nor right, until she arrived at her destination. To her relief it was the doctor himself who opened the front door and ushered her into the surgery, telling her to wait while he dispensed the antiseptic. ‘Give my regards to your aunt,' he said when he saw her out. ‘I'm glad she's keeping well.'

‘Thank you, doctor. I'll pass on your good wishes.' Elsie hurried on her way, although she would have loved to linger by the river and take deep breaths of the country air. The earthy smell of the muddy banks mingled with a hint of woodsmoke and the leaves were already burnished with the colours of autumn, but she had a mission to fulfil and she walked on. She did not see the German soldier until it was too late. He stepped in front of her, barring her way.

‘Good day, mademoiselle,' he said in heavily accented French. ‘Why are you in so much of a hurry on such a beautiful day?'

She recognised him as the soldier who had tried to attract her attention when she was out walking with Valentine. She forced a smile, hiding the bottle of carbolic acid in the folds of her full cotton skirt. ‘I was running an errand for my aunt.'

‘You do not come out very often,' he said, falling into step beside her. ‘It does not seem right for a young lady to be shut up in the house all day.'

‘I am kept very busy. My aunt is not a well woman.'

‘I have seen her striding about the village. She looks very healthy to me.'

‘She has a weak heart,' Elsie said, improvising wildly. ‘She has to be careful.'

‘She is a lucky woman to have a devoted niece like you.'

She shot him a suspicious glance, but there was no sign of mockery in his blue eyes. ‘She does not complain.' They were nearing the station and Elsie came to a halt. ‘It was nice to talk to you, but now I must say goodbye.'

He seized her hand and held it, looking into her eyes with what seemed to be a genuine smile. ‘My name is Dieter. May I know yours?'

‘Lotte Peeters.' She snatched her hand free, hoping that Marianne had not seen them from her vantage point at the window. The train was about to depart, and she would have to complete her notes before the next one arrived. Dieter was saying something, but his words were drowned by a blast of steam and the screech of metal against metal as the train began to move. Elsie seized the opportunity to smile and walk away, praying silently that he would not follow her. She did not look back, but as she entered the house she had the feeling that he was still there, watching her. She was aware of conflicting emotions as she went in search of Valentine. The young man she had just met was far from home and probably lonely. In another life she might even have liked him and wanted to know him better, but their countries were at war placing them on opposing sides.

She hurried upstairs to the attic room and found Valentine tending to the injured man. His eyes were closed and he was babbling incoherently. ‘How is he?' Elsie asked anxiously. ‘Will he be all right?' The smell in the stuffy room was almost too much to bear, and she covered her nose and mouth with her hand, but Valentine worked on apparently unperturbed by the rank odour. She had already stripped Jim of his tunic, and had begun to clean off the layers of dirt that had accumulated on his body.

She dipped a flannel in a bowl of water and wrung it out. ‘I've seen worse. Did you get the antiseptic?'

Elsie placed the bottle on the floor beside her. ‘Is there anything else I can do?'

‘I think you'd better put Anouk in the picture before you do anything else.'

‘I will, but please call me if you need help.'

‘I will.'

It was a relief to leave the room and breathe air that was musty but uncontaminated by human suffering. Elsie went downstairs to Marianne's room. She had barely crossed the threshold when Marianne turned her head to glare at her. ‘Why were you chatting to a German soldier? Are you out of your mind? Are you completely crazy? You know what Valentine said about fraternising with the enemy.'

Elsie slumped down on the bed. ‘If you'll shut up for a moment I'll tell you.'

‘All right, but it had better be good. I've just finished counting hundreds of dried peas, potatoes and cabbages, and I'm heartily sick of them. This stuff is driving me mad and there you were, out walking with a bloody Hun as if you were on a date.'

‘It wasn't like that,' Elsie said tiredly.

‘I'm listening.' Marianne sat back in her chair, folding her arms. ‘This had better be good.'

‘The first night we were here I heard noises coming from the attics. Last night I went down to the kitchen and found a British Tommy sitting at the table.'

‘What?' Marianne's lips formed a circle of surprise.

‘Hendrick and Valentine are part of an escape route organised by La Dame Blanche. Jim Smith seems to be one of many they've helped, and he's in a bad way. That's why I went to the village. I had to get some antiseptic from the doctor.'

‘So this is a safe house. They're taking a terrible risk.'

‘No more than having us here and passing weekly reports to a British agent.'

‘But that doesn't explain why you were getting so pally with Fritz.'

‘He just appeared in front of me, and I had a bottle of carbolic acid clutched in my hand. Luckily he didn't spot it or I'd have had some explaining to do.'

‘Didn't this nice polite German want to know where you'd been?'

‘He didn't ask. I know it's irrational, but I felt quite sorry for him.'

‘Don't waste your sympathy on the Boche. Just remember that they're the ones who'll man the firing squad if we're caught spying on them.'

‘I know that, but Dieter is a human being. I can't hate him simply because he's on the wrong side. Anyway, I won't see him again so it doesn't matter.'

‘You might find that difficult,' Marianne said, turning her attention to the street below. ‘The bastard is still hanging around out there.' She leapt to her feet. ‘I'll put a stop to his little game. He's probably spotted you for an innocent and thinks you're easy prey.'

‘What are you going to do?'

‘Take off your frock and give it to me. He's only met you briefly, and I'm almost as good an actress as Felicia when I put my mind to it. I'll go out there and put him straight.'

‘No, Marianne. It's a huge risk and it's really not necessary.'

‘Yes, it is. You're too nice, Elsie. You don't like hurting people, but I'm not so tender-hearted, especially when it's a German. Take it off and give me your hair band.'

‘I'm not sure about this.'

‘But I am, and it's the only way. These men are predators and he's got his eye on you. I'll sort him out once and for all.'

‘I can handle it on my own.'

Marianne cocked her head on one side, curling her lips in a cynical grin. ‘Oh, yes? Elsie darling, you have a heart the size of the Pacific Ocean. You felt really sorry for the chap. I know, because you're as transparent as glass.'

‘I just saw him as someone who was far away from his home and family, but if you're determined to speak to him you should clear it with Valentine first.'

‘Sometimes one has to take the initiative.' Marianne held out her hand. ‘We'll swap places for the first and last time, I promise.'

‘You will be careful, won't you?' Elsie said as she slipped off her frock and handed it to Marianne. ‘You won't do anything rash.'

‘Don't worry. I'll be the soul of tact and diplomacy, but I'll make certain he won't bother you again.'

‘I'm really not sure about this,' Elsie protested, but Marianne had already left the room. She ran to the window and looked out, hoping that Dieter might have gone, but to her dismay he was still there, leaning against a lamp post, smoking a cigarette. She waited, hardly daring to breathe. Her heart was pounding and she felt sick with apprehension as she saw Marianne emerge from the house and cross the street. It was like watching a film at the pictures in which she was the leading lady, only it was Marianne who had taken her role, and she was playing a dangerous game. Elsie was tempted to open the window and call her back, but she knew that would be a fatal mistake. She leaned forward in an attempt to get a better view.

Dieter had discarded his cigarette and he drew himself up to his full height. She was too far away to see the expression on his face, but they were standing close together; too close, Elsie thought, crossing her fingers and praying silently that Marianne would resist the temptation to claim yet another heart. Making men fall in love with her seemed to come naturally to Marianne. Elsie had seen it happen on too many occasions in London. She breathed a sigh of relief when the encounter seemed to come to an amicable conclusion. Dieter snapped to attention and bowed from the waist and Marianne blew him a kiss as she walked away.

Elsie ran from the room and tore downstairs to meet her in the entrance hall. ‘What did you say to him?'

Flushed and smiling, Marianne gave her a hug. ‘Don't worry. He won't bother you again.'

‘What did he say?'

‘He asked me if I would like to take a walk by the river. He offered to bring a picnic, and I was actually tempted to say yes. I wasn't expecting that.'

‘But you didn't.'

‘No, of course not, silly. I told him how strict Aunt Valentine was and that I was rarely allowed out, so it would be impossible for us to meet again, and he said that he was very sorry, but he understood perfectly.' Marianne stripped off Elsie's dress and tossed it to her. ‘I suppose he can't help being a German, and he's probably a nice enough chap, but I think he might be gentleman enough to leave you alone.' She slipped on her own clothes, checking her appearance in the mirror with a satisfied smile, and patted her hair into place.

‘I hope you're right. We're in a dangerous situation here, Marianne.'

‘It's exciting, isn't it? I love this work.'

‘You said you hated it a few minutes ago.'

‘I was bored with counting vegetables, but things have taken a turn for the better. We've got a wounded soldier to hide, and a German officer to confuse and keep at bay.'

‘Don't. You make it sound like a game, and it's anything but.'

Marianne gave her a hug. ‘I know that, Elsie my love. But now we're not simply stuck in a backwater waiting for the next train to pull into the station; we're really in the middle of things.' She walked purposefully to the window and looked out. ‘He's gone.' She slumped down on her chair. ‘Oh, well, I suppose that's that.'

‘Marianne, don't.'

‘Don't what?'

‘Don't give me that innocent look.'

‘Honestly, darling, I don't know what you're talking about.'

‘Yes, you do. You're bored and you'd enjoy flirting with him just for the hell of it.'

‘Who me?' Marianne pulled a face. ‘What nonsense you talk, Elsie. Do you really think I'd do anything so foolhardy and downright dangerous? That's crazy talk.'

ELSIE WENT TO
her room and lay on her bed, but she could not sleep. She had seen the sparkle in Marianne's eyes and she was uneasy. Eventually she got up and went to the bathroom. She ran the water, undressed and climbed into the cast iron tub, careful to avoid the rough patch where the enamel had worn away. She closed her eyes, shutting out the clinical white tiles, and imagined herself back in Felicia's luxurious bathroom, where hot water gushed from gold-plated taps, and fluffy Egyptian cotton towels hung from a heated towel rail. She opened her eyes and sighed. The water was tepid and there was no soap. She stepped out of the bath onto bare linoleum and dried herself on a threadbare towel that felt like sandpaper on her skin. She had hoped a hot bath would make her sleepy but now she was refreshed and wide awake. She knew she could not rest until she had checked on the patient and she dressed quickly before making her way upstairs to the attics.