Chapter 45
Jack visited Lizzie’s father at the War Office to let him know she was safely back in London but was needed for debriefing and wouldn’t be able to return home until the following week.
Although she was debriefed extensively by Val and the team after such a complex mission, Lizzie’s face and body were still too cut and bruised to visit her family.
‘You can’t go home like that,’ Jack had warned, and when she looked in the mirror at her purple eye and facial injuries, she knew he was right.
‘I’ll just have to stay with you here then,’ she said, tilting her head. ‘Let’s keep it quiet so Val doesn’t send me off to some soulless safe house on my own.’
‘Not a chance! I’m keeping you all to myself. If she says anything, I’ll tell her you’re staying here for a few days and I’m keeping an eye on you after all you’ve been through.’
One evening, when Lizzie was feeling better, Jack helped her to dye her hair back to its natural chestnut.
‘I rather liked the black,’ she said. ‘It reminded me of yours.’
‘It suited you, but your own colour is perfect.’
They slept together each night in the large bed, grateful to be alone again after so long apart. Lizzie’s sleep was often troubled, and she cried out as visions of Heinrich beating her naked body with his buckled belt terrorised her dreams and turned them into brutal nightmares.
Jack shook her awake gently and held her in his arms. ‘Darling, you’re here with me. You’re home now. No one can harm you.’
He would make them tea, and one night they sat for hours in bed, holding hands and talking about all the things they would do when the war was over. Finally, Lizzie drifted off to sleep as light broke, and Jack covered her gently and left for the office.
Lizzie still hadn’t told him everything that had happened between her and the SS officer, and he didn’t press, knowing she would talk about it if she was ready.
Instead, he comforted her, and when he returned home from Baker Street, he cooked her favourite meals, and they curled up together on the sofa.
‘Did Val pass all the intelligence to the War Cabinet?’ Lizzie asked one evening after dinner.
‘Yes, Churchill has seen your photographs and notes and was mightily impressed. I’m sure Val will give you a rundown when you’re back at work. Frankly, I think you deserve a medal.’
Lizzie smiled. ‘Thank you. You’re incredibly biased though, darling.’
‘That may be true, but trust me, you still deserve a medal. You got us Hitler’s latest plans for the Brittany and Channel Islands defence fortifications. We wouldn’t know what was going on over there if you hadn’t done what you did. And somehow you also recruited a Resistance network!’
The following week after Lizzie’s bruises and cuts had faded, Jack surprised her by taking her to dinner at their favourite French bistro. Seated at a cosy table in the candlelit granite alcove, they sipped wine and chatted.
The conversation turned to Jack’s visit to the Highlands. ‘I spent quite a bit of time with Charlie. He’s a lot of fun.’
Lizzie said, ‘Yes, he is fun. A brilliant trainer too. The things he taught me in that early course have saved me more than once.’
Jack raised his dark eyes to Lizzie. ‘You know he took quite a fancy to you. He was even talking about looking you up when he’s in London. He wants to date you, the cheeky blighter.’
Lizzie laughed. ‘Yes, I know. He’s a bit of a flirt, that’s all.’
‘I had to bite my tongue not to say anything,’ Jack said, smiling ruefully.
‘You weren’t jealous, were you, Captain King?’
Jack pushed his floppy black hair off his forehead. ‘I hate not being able to shout from the rooftops that you’re mine. And when he talked about you like that, I had a terrible urge to punch him in the nose. It wasn’t my proudest moment!’
Lizzie touched his hand. ‘You must know by now I only have eyes for you.’
When the meal was cleared away, Jack withdrew a package from his pocket.
‘What’s that?’ Lizzie said, a soft smile playing on her lips. ‘Did you get me a present? You’ve already spoiled me so much, darling.’
‘I intend to spoil you forever,’ he said.
Lizzie watched him untie the velvet pouch and remove a ball of tissue paper. His fingers unwrapped the paper and revealed a glittering diamond ring.
She gasped. ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s stunning!’
‘I bought it for you in Inverness. Just knowing it was in my bedside drawer helped me get through those endless winter nights without you.’
‘My love, you are a true romantic,’ Lizzie said, staring at the ring, her heart thudding.
‘I’d better not attract attention to us by falling to one knee, but I wanted to ask you at our favourite restaurant.’
‘Go on,’ said Lizzie, a brilliant smile on her face.
‘Will you make me the happiest man on Earth by agreeing to be my wife, Elizabeth Beaumont?’
Lizzie’s eyes filled with tears of joy, and she blinked and nodded vigorously. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Oh yes, of course!’
Jack slipped the exquisite ring onto her finger, and the stone caught the light as they stared into each other’s eyes, completely oblivious to the world around them.
Jack said, ‘One of these days in the not-too-distant future, my darling, we’re going to be married with all our wonderful family and friends to witness our happiness.
It might be at Seagrove, or perhaps at Uncle Luc’s chateau in Toulouse, or even at home in London.
Wherever you want—we’ll make it your dream wedding. ’
Lizzie’s first dinner after her return home to Regent’s Park was a lively affair. Evie was on top form, regaling them with trainee nursing stories before rushing upstairs to get changed for another date with her dashing GI. Lizzie was pleased to see her little sister in such high spirits.
Juliet was also excited because she’d received a letter from her fiancé, Oliver, and he said she could expect to see him on leave soon.
It was always the same when she returned to the family—she felt like she’d never been away, and the cheerful banter was a soothing balm for her ragged nerves. It would take some time for her to feel herself again after such a close call, and Jack said she must be patient and take it easy.
After dinner, Evie went on her date, and the others bustled about, clearing up in the kitchen.
In the drawing room, Pa studied Lizzie over his spectacles. ‘You look tired, my darling girl. I know you can’t say much, but was it a success?’
‘Yes, it was, but I’m so happy to be home.’
It was the first time they had been alone together since her arrival at the house.
Lizzie took the opportunity to tell her father she had seen Nan and Pops, and they were well and sent their love.
When she broke the news to him that Seagrove had been requisitioned, his clasp on the whisky glass tightened.
His eyes grew misty. ‘My brave girl. Thank you for finding them. I bet they were thrilled to see you.’
Lizzie nodded. ‘It was overwhelming to see them after so long. I wish we could tell the others … They would be so happy.’
‘Me too, but it will only raise more questions than you can answer.’
Lizzie said, ‘Talking of questions I can’t answer, Pops said something intriguing that got me thinking.’
‘Oh, yes?’
Lizzie narrowed her eyes and moved closer to her father.
‘He implied you work in the Intelligence Service and that’s why you were called back to London urgently at the start of the war.
He said something about me being my father’s daughter.
I didn’t tell him any details of my mission, of course, but he seemed to understand what I was doing and wasn’t half as shocked as I expected about my turning up like that. ’
Pa raised his glass and took a sip. ‘He’s probably got the War Office and the Intelligence Service confused. It’s easy to do at his age.’
Lizzie raised one eyebrow. ‘He didn’t seem at all confused. In fact, he was just as sharp as ever.’
‘Well, that’s good to hear, anyway. I hope we will all be reunited at Seagrove soon.’ Pa changed the subject swiftly, as the chatter of the others filled the hallway.
Lizzie missed the family in St. Malo and regretted not being able to say goodbye to them, but she knew from experience that it sometimes went that way.
She longed to tell her father all about their activities—about lovely Aunt Giselle and her delicious strawberry jam, and how Uncle Charles had helped her infiltrate the Nazi HQ.
How Sophie had saved the Cohen family’s bookshop, and how Fabian and Judith were bravely sabotaging German transport networks. But she restrained herself.
If he asked how they were, she would tell him they were well.
That was all she could say for now. Jack told her he had transmitted a message from the farmhouse before the rescue trip, and Fabian was a quick study.
The Corsairs Network was official, and Fabian would be in touch as soon as he had something to report.
‘I’m proud of you,’ Pa whispered to Lizzie when she kissed him goodnight. ‘Sweet dreams, my love.’
That night before she climbed into bed, Lizzie removed the velvet pouch from her bedside cabinet and slipped the engagement ring onto her finger.
Tomorrow she would give the ring back to Jack to keep it safe at the flat. If her mother found it in her drawer, she’d have a hard time explaining her secret engagement.
Lizzie sat there, admiring the diamond ring and marvelling at what a wonderful homecoming Jack had given her. It felt wonderful to be officially engaged, even if they must keep it to themselves for now.
They were used to keeping secrets.
That night, for the first time in months, she slept a blissful sleep and dreamt the war was over and it was their wedding day.