Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
L izzie arrived back at Regent’s Park just after 11 p.m. and her mother was at the door when she turned her key to open it.
‘Oh, my God! Where have you been? I was about to rally a search party to go and look for you.’
‘It’s all right, Ma,’ Lizzie said, kissing her mother on the cheek and giving her a quick hug. ‘Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to telephone and let you know I’d be so late.’
Lizzie’s father looked relieved when she walked into the drawing room, her mother following closely on her heels. ‘Here she is, at last,’ she said.
‘Where on earth have you been?’ Juliet stared at her sister from where she was curled up in her cosy spot in an armchair in the corner of the drawing room. ‘Please don’t do that to us again. I can’t bear another evening of Ma pacing the floor, checking at the window every two minutes!’
Lizzie laughed. ‘Sorry, everyone. I didn’t mean to worry you.’
‘Well?’ said Evie, placing the book she’d been reading face down onto the table .
‘Well, what?’ Lizzie said.
‘Oh no, you don’t,’ Evie said. ‘You don’t get to disappear all day and night like that and then leave us without so much as a snippet of what you’ve been up to.’
‘It’s hardly all night, is it when I’m home by eleven?’
Evie grumbled, ‘I’m totally fed up with being cooped up in this house. I miss the sea. I miss my friends. All I’ve heard this evening is Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie! ’
Lizzie walked across the room and ruffled Evie’s copper curls. ‘You poor darling. I am very sorry for stealing your thunder and not providing enough entertainment.’
Evie was the baby of the family and although she was now a young woman, she was still thoroughly spoilt by them all, and was used to being the centre of attention.
‘I’m fed up, too. A few months ago, we planned to be married this summer, and now I don’t even know where Oliver is,’ said Juliet with a heavy sigh.
‘And you are a poor darling, too,’ Lizzie said, reaching for her older sister’s hand. ‘I’m certain we’ll get word from the boys soon and all will be well.’
Lizzie hid her fear for their brother and Juliet’s fiancé. The truth was, she was just as heartsick, but there was no point making everyone feel even worse than they already did about not hearing from the boys.
Rose stood looking at them. ‘Come on, girls. Do cheer up. Anyone would think this was a competition for who can be the gloomiest. There are millions of people a lot worse off than us right now. We have a roof over our heads and food on the table. And we’re together. Let’s please try and keep our chins up. We must be grateful for what we have and pray for the best.’
‘That’s my girl,’ Reginald said, looking at his wife with the devotion that made Lizzie yearn to be lucky enough to marry a man who would cherish her in the way her father did her mother.
‘Lizzie, come and tell us what you’ve been up to today,’ said Juliet, patting the sofa for her sister to sit next to her.
Rose brought Lizzie a cup of tea and a piece of toast with a scraping of strawberry jam, and she chewed hungrily in between chatting to her sisters. ‘It was such a busy day at the office—I thought I would never get out of there. I was about to leave when my boss asked if I would stay on because they had some emergency files for translation.’
‘What emergency files?’ Evie asked, her eyes widening as they fixed on Lizzie.
‘I’m not allowed to share specifics,’ Lizzie said, ‘even though, to be honest, it’s all quite boring.’
Evie huffed, ‘Oh my goodness, you are becoming like Pa with his state secrets! Soon we won’t be able to discuss anything in this house.’
‘What did you do today?’ asked Lizzie, anxious to divert her family’s attention from her clandestine activities.
When she started her job as a translator, she had been told not to talk about her work, but until today she hadn’t experienced anything remotely exciting that she would want to talk about.
All that had changed when she learnt that the new organisation called the Special Operations Executive was based on the fourth floor of St. Ermin’s Hotel. She would never have guessed that a secret espionage unit would hide in plain sight in a fancy London hotel.
It was the most incredible evening she’d ever had, and she was still digesting the fact that she would soon leave for Nazi-occupied France on a secret assignment. It was like something from a spy novel. She would love to share her excitement with her sisters, and she thought she might burst with the build-up of emotions, but telling anyone was out of the question.
Val, the impressive woman who had started her induction training, had warned her not to mention the operation to her father even though he worked at the War Office. ‘We keep the circle tight. The fewer people who know what we’re planning, the safer you will be.’
Lizzie’s head had been spinning by the time Val said she should go home and get some sleep and return early in the morning for a full day’s training. Lizzie was pleasantly surprised to see Jack reappear just as she was about to exit SOE headquarters.
‘You’re still here! I thought you’d gone long ago,’ she said, trying to act like the mere sight of him didn’t send sparks of nervous excitement shooting through her.
‘No, I had some things to take care of. As we’re both finished now, I’ll see you home.’
‘That’s so kind of you, but I can make my own way.’
‘I’m sure you can, but really, it’s no bother. I’d rather see you safely home.’
Lizzie’s heart leapt as she studied his face. She was developing a huge crush on him.
‘I looked for a driver, but no joy, so let’s use this time to run through what you learnt today. We are up against it, so we must make use of every spare minute.’
Lizzie’s hopes sputtered like a dying fire as she realised Jack was only seeing her home as part of her training. She told herself that was probably a good thing or her feelings would spiral out of control, and she’d make a fool of herself.
Keep things professional and you won’t get hurt.
But there was something about Jack that captivated her emotions. She’d never met anyone like him before. Something deep inside told her she never would again. But this was not the time to let her attraction to him cloud her mind. Val had drilled into her, every move she made in France could be a matter of life or death and she must pay attention.
‘I didn’t know you worked with this incredible organisation,’ Lizzie whispered as they crossed the dimly lit hotel lobby with a handful of late-night stragglers hanging about. Most of the guests had retired, and the blackout was in progress.
‘There are a lot of things you don’t know, Elizabeth.’
Lizzie cast him a sideways glance. ‘When you call me Elizabeth, I keep thinking you’re talking to someone else.’
‘But that’s what you told me to call you,’ Jack said, meeting her gaze and searching her eyes.
‘I was annoyed by how rudely you dismissed me during our first meeting.’
‘Ah,’ Jack said. ‘That was a tough day and I put my rather large foot right in it. So, what would you like me to call you?’
‘Call me Lizzie. Everyone calls me Lizzie.’
Jack smiled. ‘I’m honoured,’ he said, his tone amused.
They walked along Caxton Street and although it was fine weather, the breeze whipped up suddenly and Lizzie shivered.
‘You’re cold,’ Jack said. ‘The second time today, but I’m prepared now.’
‘Maybe a little cold,’ she replied.
‘Here, take this.’ He took his jacket off and slipped it over her shoulders.
It was so warming that she accepted it gratefully.
‘Thank you. Are you sure you won’t be too cold?’
He shook his head. They walked for a way, and she told him what she had learnt about what she would need to take with her. ‘Val is amazing,’ she gushed. ‘She kitted me out with clothing made in France and even gave me an expensive red lipstick.’
‘That’s good. What is it with French women and fashion? It is imperative we get it right or they’ll know you’re English in a heartbeat.’
‘British,’ she corrected him.
‘What?’
‘British. I’m from Jersey, which is part of the British Isles, so I’m British.’
‘I stand corrected, Jersey girl,’ Jack said, the amusement ringing in his voice again.
They wound through the subdued, dark streets. ‘I’ve never been out walking around London at this hour. Is it always this quiet?’
‘Recently, yes, but not before the war. People get home as soon as they can to avoid the blackout. We’ve been lucky in London so far. Further south, they are constantly running for shelter in the air raids.’
They walked on and when Jack didn’t speak, Lizzie filled the silence. ‘Do you think the war will be over soon?’
‘I wish I could say yes, but in truth, I think we have a long way to go. Our sources tell us Hitler has been planning this war since 1933, and he’s going to take some beating. The German invasion of Europe was not reactive or spontaneous—it was strategic. Hitler’s aim is for the Third Reich to rule the world, and if we’re to stop him, we mustn’t underestimate the lengths to which he will go.’
Lizzie shivered again, but not from the wind this time.
‘Regent’s Park, isn’t it? Are you alright to walk the rest of the way? I don’t think we’re going to have much luck catching a bus or the Underground at this hour. Besides, it’s such a lovely night.’
Lizzie nodded. The sky was starry, and it was a beautiful summer’s night. Secretly, she was thrilled to get the chance to hear his observations about the war and experience London at this hour—just the two of them.
By the time they arrived at her terrace, her feet were sore, but she was running on pure adrenaline, and didn’t want the night to end.
‘I’d better leave you here,’ Jack said as they approached her door. ‘It’s best you don’t mention me to your family,’ he added.
‘Alright.’ She nodded tentatively. ‘Val told me I must keep quiet about everything—even things I think are of no consequence.’
‘Here, don’t forget your jacket. Where do you live, by the way?’ Lizzie asked.
He shrugged the jacket over his blue and white pin-stripe shirt that accentuated his broad shoulders and lean torso. ‘Thank you.’
‘I hope I haven’t taken you too far out of your way,’ Lizzie said, curious to learn more about the mysterious Jack King.
‘No, not far at all. I’ll be home in no time,’ he said, avoiding her pointed question with ease.
It was clear no more details would be forthcoming, so she wished him goodnight. ‘Thank you again for seeing me home. It was very good of you.’
‘Nonsense. Let me assure you my motives are purely selfish—I am counting on you to get the intelligence and to find out what’s happened to our Resistance agent, Hannah.’ He gave her a wolfish grin.
‘Of course.’ Lizzie managed the brightest smile she could muster, but she was disappointed, even though she knew it was foolish to get carried away over a man so much older and more experienced than her. And he was her new boss…
Besides, Hannah was always on his mind. There was clearly something more personal going on between them than just work.
‘Night. See you tomorrow,’ Lizzie said.
‘Yes, you will. We’ll pick you up at 6 a.m. sharp. Night, Lizzie Beaumont. Great job, today. Well done.’