Shadows In Paris (Seagrove & Raven #2)

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

T he woman on the farmhouse doorstep looked around and then back at Lizzie before she spoke softly. ‘The frost lays thick on the ground today.’

Her statement startled Lizzie, but then she stood aside and invited the visitor to enter. ‘Come into the kitchen,’ Lizzie said. ‘It’s slightly warmer.’

The woman’s face was pink from the fierce wind that whipped around the house, and Lizzie offered her a cup of tea.

‘I can’t stay long. I only came because I have an important message to deliver.’

Lizzie fixed her gaze on the woman. ‘Go ahead, although Angel isn’t here, I’m afraid.’

‘Yes, she warned me she wouldn’t be around, and I promised only to come if it was critical.’

‘Are you alright? What is it you need?’ Lizzie asked, stepping into her new role as stand-in for Hannah, or Angel, as she was codenamed in the Liberty Network.

The woman’s voice was now so low that Lizzie had to lean closer and strain to hear .

‘There is a Jewish family that needs moving. I reached out to a sympathetic contact who helped us in the past, but they have no room for them now. There was a Nazi search last night, and they took someone in.’

‘I see,’ Lizzie said, feeling like she was already in over her head on the first morning without Hannah. ‘Angel didn’t mention it. What would you like me to do?’

‘Angel probably hasn’t heard yet, but she will know where to hide them. Can you reach her somehow?’

Lizzie shook her head. ‘There’s no way to reach her now. Perhaps later this evening, but I can’t be sure.’

The woman chewed her lip.

‘Who shall I say called when I see Angel? I promise I will pass on your message as soon as possible.’ Lizzie touched the woman’s arm and guided her towards a seat. ‘Come sit. Let me make you some tea.’

The woman perched stiffly on the chair. ‘No, thank you. I must leave. You don’t understand the severity of the situation. The family needs moving today.’

Lizzie replaced the kettle. ‘Alright, tell me what you think Angel would do if she were here.’

The woman’s craggy face brightened, making her look younger briefly. ‘Thank you,’ she said, sinking back against the chair. ‘Angel would find somewhere for the family to stay until we can get them out of Paris. They are in grave danger.’

Lizzie took a deep breath. ‘Where is the family hiding now and how many of them are there?’

‘They are in my bedroom. There are four of them. An eminent scientist who the Nazis would love to get their grubby hands on, and his wife and their two young children—a boy and a girl.’

‘If we don’t move them today, they will be arrested. My flat is small, and I have neighbours who will inform on me if they suspect I’m harbouring Jews. ’

Lizzie pondered for a moment. ‘How about hiding them in the Jewish Quarter? Surely someone would take them in.’

‘Do you have the list?’

Lizzie racked her brains and after a pause said, ‘What list?’

‘Angel has a list of contacts who volunteered to help us. We can’t put this family in the Pletzl.’

Lizzie looked at her blankly.

‘That’s the name of the Jewish Quarter.’

‘Why can’t they hide there?’

The woman sighed. ‘Because it’s the first place, they’ll search for them, my dear.’

‘Oh, right,’ Lizzie said, feeling as dense as she had during her time at Bletchley Park. ‘That makes sense. I hadn’t thought of that. Sorry I’m new to this.’

‘It’s a terrible business. There are more Jews under threat of arrest every day.’

‘What do you suggest until I see Hannah?’

The woman looked around the room. ‘This is a big house. I could bring them here.’

Lizzie knew it was a bad idea, but she couldn’t think what else to do. ‘Why do the Nazis want this scientist so badly?’

‘I don’t know the specifics, but they want his research. He says he’d rather die than give his life’s work to them. Sadly, he just might if we can’t get him and his family out.’

Lizzie made up her mind. ‘Alright. Can you get them here tonight after dark?’

‘What about curfew?’

‘If the Nazis are hunting for them, under cover of darkness will be your best chance of getting them here without being stopped. Come through the forest.’

The woman nodded. ‘Yes, that’s the way I came this morning.’

They discussed the plan and then Lizzie saw the woman out and hurried to get her coat. Now she was late for her meeting with Francois about the next rail attack.

The day passed in a blur of activity. Francois was still waiting even though she was half an hour late when she arrived breathless to the Jardin des Tuileries.

‘I’m so sorry I’m late,’ she said, as she dismounted her bicycle and fell into step with Francois. He was an attractive man with a noticeable limp. She guessed he was in his late twenties. Lizzie had spotted him from a distance when she approached their rendezvous point.

They walked side by side and he reached for her hand. ‘It’s best to pretend we are sweethearts. Less suspicious.’

Lizzie’s hand was stiff in his, but she played along.

‘Relax, I won’t eat you,’ he said, his voice soothing.

‘Sorry, I’m not used to holding strangers’ hands.’

‘We won’t be strangers for long with Angel busy elsewhere.’

‘True. Talking of which, what train will we catch to Vichy?’

Francois was quick-witted and knew she was asking what train they planned to sabotage next. Briefly, he told her it was all under control. He and Philippe would handle it with the help of a few members of the network.

‘Do you want me there?’

Francois said, ‘It’s better we only call on you when we are low in numbers. Angel is usually in charge of the logistics.’

Francois released her hand and lit a cigarette that he passed to her, an amused smile on his lips as she took a puff and handed it back to him.

He smoked and reeled off what the network needed in the next drop from London, as though he were reading from a shopping list .

‘How’s your memory?’ He asked.

‘Quite good.’

‘Let’s see. Repeat the list back to me,’ he said, the challenge in his warm eyes.

Lizzie repeated the list word for word.

‘Excellent. You’ll do,’ he said.

‘Just as well, because there’s no one else waiting in the wings.’

Lizzie found him charming, if a little cocky.

‘I will let you know when to expect the supplies,’ she said.

They agreed on a day and time for their next meeting and walked to the gate of the park where Francois took her by surprise and kissed her passionately on the lips.

‘I suppose that was necessary for our cover too,’ she said, raising an eyebrow.

‘You’re getting the idea, Jacqueline. Perhaps when all this is over, I can ask you on a proper date.’

‘That’s gallant of you, Francois, but I have a boyfriend.’

‘Too bad,’ he said.

They parted and Lizzie thought about the intriguing Resistance member whom she was certain was not really called Francois.

But then she wasn’t really called Jacqueline and was only just getting used to her new cover name.

Life was never dull as an agent. She had already met two unusual characters today, and there was still a busy night ahead of her when all going to plan, the family would arrive at the farmhouse.

It was an enormous risk she was taking when the Germans were searching for the Jewish scientist, especially with Hannah undercover at German High Command. Had she miscalculated, and in trying to save one family, endangered the whole network?

She passed long lines of people queueing outside shops, looking weary and hopeless. Lizzie pedalled faster, turning sharply to avoid a group of soldiers in the distance. Once out of the city, she breathed freely again, and the fear gradually dissipated.

Lizzie had made her first solo rendezvous with the network member Francois. No one had stopped her, and she had arrived back at the farmhouse safely. A glimmer of excitement flickered in her.

Now she would send her first message to Jack using their own codes.