Chapter 40
After dinner the following evening, Hannah went up to the attic as usual whilst Lizzie stepped into the freezing blackout. Hannah had offered to go with her, but they agreed it would be less suspicious if she stayed behind, and Lizzie mentioned she was seeing a family friend off on the train.
There was an argument for Lizzie not to risk going to the station at all, but she felt duty bound to make sure the Kaufmanns made it onto the train safely. And her heart insisted she say one final goodbye to Liesel.
The family would travel under their new surname: Müller.
Only Miriam’s first name was changed because it was too obviously Jewish, and she would now be known as Maria.
Lizzie had instructed them to slip out of the convent in pairs after dark and travel separately to the station so they wouldn’t be recognised.
The weather was ideal for concealing their identities and they were to wear multiple layers and hats.
They could only take a small bag each for what was supposed to be a routine business trip, so it made sense for them to wear as many clothes as possible.
Lizzie had the same feeling as a few weeks earlier that she was being watched.
She checked around her and walked by the masked streetlights, but it was hard to see properly in the eerie darkness.
When she reached the crowded U-Bahn she was relieved to board the underground train and be surrounded.
Despite the awful weather, the trains were still busy in the evenings, and after she changed at Potsdamer Platz, she disembarked at her destination.
As she entered the massive station with its tall arched ceilings and ornate décor, it seemed like a lifetime since she and Hannah had arrived at Anhalter Bahnhof just the previous month.
So much had happened during their brief stay in Berlin, and she had met some brave people she would never forget.
The station was packed with travellers waiting for the night train to Stuttgart, and Wehrmacht-uniformed soldiers milled around, and their families waved them off to various postings. Mothers wept and wives clung to their husbands before they must face the inevitable last seconds together.
War was heartbreaking, no matter what side you were on, Lizzie reflected.
Many of these young men would not come home, just as Henry would never return to London.
The sad scene summoned her brother Archie and Juliet’s fiancé, Oliver into her mind, and she desperately hoped they would both visit home in good health soon.
And that one day they would all be reunited in Jersey with their grandparents.
It was quite some time since her family had seen either of them, and they all worried increasingly about the boys, with every report from the Front, every radio broadcast and every unexpected knock at the door.
‘Anna!’
A child’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see Liesel straining towards her through the crowds, and Miriam Kaufmann clinging onto her hand to keep her at her side.
Lizzie reached out, and the woman released her so the little girl could run to her. Liesel’s small hand curled into hers. ‘Remember we mustn’t attract attention, darling girl. I came to see you off on the train, like I promised.’
An announcement for the train to Stuttgart reverberated around the draughty hall, and people rushed to the barrier with their luggage.
Lizzie steered Liesel back to the Kaufmanns, who stood to one side, clutching their small bags, looking lost.
‘Come, you must make your way to the platform,’ Lizzie said, smiling at the family as if they were only leaving on a business trip and weren’t fleeing the city of their birth and their only home.
‘Your train will leave soon.’ Lizzie knelt next to Liesel, whose lip wobbled.
‘You’ll have to be very brave, just like we talked about, remember? ’
The little girl nodded, her trusting eyes not leaving Lizzie’s face. ‘Will you come to the train with us?’
Lizzie shook her head. ‘I’m afraid I can’t, my sweet. I don’t have a ticket, but I will watch you from here, I promise. Wave from the window if you can.’
Frau and Herr Kaufmann turned to Lizzie before they reached the barrier, and she saw the terror on their faces.
‘Stay calm. Your papers are good,’ she warned, her voice low. ‘Do you have your tickets ready?’
They nodded in unison. ‘We can’t thank you enough,’ said Miriam. Friedrich remained silent, but she saw gratitude etched into his pleasant features.
Another call for Stuttgart echoed over the loudspeaker.
‘You’d better go,’ Lizzie said. She didn’t want to make a scene, so she kissed Miriam on the cheek as if they really were old family friends. Then she whispered in her ear, ‘Follow the instructions and take care. Don’t show you are scared. Good luck.’
Rosa waited for Liesel, who still clung onto Lizzie’s hand.
Lizzie bent down to talk to her again. The little girl’s dark eyes threatened tears, and she did her best to prepare her for the most dangerous moment when they would have their documents checked.
‘You must act as if you are with your parents and older sister, like we practiced. If anyone asks, remember you are travelling together to Switzerland for your father’s job, and it is an adventure for you and Rosa. ’
Liesel nodded, but her eyes now brimmed with tears. ‘I don’t want to leave you, Anna. And I like living with my friends at the orphanage.’
‘I know, my love, but it will be better for you. You’ll have your own family now. You’ll see it will be good once you get there.’
Liesel flung herself against her, and Lizzie cradled her in her arms before Miriam tugged her gently away, and they hurried towards the barrier and waited in line to have their papers checked by the military police.
Lizzie fell back and held her breath as she watched them.
This was when Eli’s forged documents would face their first major test. One by one, they passed through the checkpoint after what appeared to be a cursory glance at their papers.
The long queue must have worked in their favour as the rail staff called for people to hurry to board their waiting trains.
Porters and travellers rushed across the hall to catch their train, and the station had a manic energy as if time was running out.
Lizzie’s last glimpse of Liesel was of her waving with one hand and gripping the coloured patch she had knitted at the orphanage with the other.
Lizzie waved back, but the sweet little girl was gone. Her chest burned as she fought her emotions. Sniffing and burying her hands in her pockets, she turned to leave and found herself face to face with Herr Vogel.
‘Good evening, Frau Weber.’