Chapter 27
Lara – thank goodness – took charge.
‘We need to close the bar,’ she said, clapping her hands. Miguel joined her, apologising in English, Portuguese and German as they hustled customers out of the doors.
‘So sorry,’ Lara said. ‘Please come back again tomorrow.’
Miguel even went into the kitchen and told a baffled Camila – who’d missed all the action – to go home early.
When we were the only ones left, Miguel turned the key in the lock and leaned against the door, looking at me with raised eyebrows.
‘What is this?’ he said, gesturing to me, where I still sat on top of Parrish.
‘This?’ I said, finally getting to my feet. ‘Is a bloody nightmare.’
Parrish got up too, his face red and bruised on one cheek where I’d pushed it into the floor. He rubbed his arms and turned to me, looking furious.
I held my hand up to silence him before he started.
‘Don’t,’ I said, suddenly feeling terribly weary. ‘Just don’t say a word. Sit down there and don’t move.’
Parrish did as he was told. He sat down on a chair, arms folded, and stared at me.
He looked like a sulky schoolboy rather than someone who could have just risked the lives of hundreds of brave soldiers and airmen for the sake of a few extra escudos in his wallet and to get revenge on me because I’d turned him down and bruised his ego.
The thought chilled me.
‘Shall I call Digby?’ Lara said quietly. ‘If you keep an eye on him?’
‘Please.’ I was grateful she’d offered because I wasn’t sure what to say to Digby. And I was even less sure what I would say to Archie, who’d worked so hard on the escape lines.
Lara vanished into the back of the bar, and Miguel and I stood in silence, our eyes trained on Parrish.
When she came back, she simply said: ‘He’s on his way.’ Then she joined us, standing watching Parrish.
Eventually Miguel’s patience gave out. ‘Has he been passing information to the PVDE?’ he asked.
I couldn’t even look at Parrish, I was so disgusted. ‘And the Nazis.’
‘Right,’ said Miguel. ‘And what did he mean about the library in Paris? Frances?’
I bit my lip. But actually it didn’t matter anymore. If the Nazis knew, there was no point in keeping anything quiet.
‘Frances Reed.’ I glanced at Lara, who was pale.
‘She’s Bea’s friend. She’s an American librarian in Paris.
She’s been helping us send information to lost airmen.
And now the Nazis know she’s working for us,’ I said in despair.
‘And she’s in Paris, which is occupied, and full of dangers anyway, and I think …
I think …’ My voice cracked and I stopped talking, because I didn’t really know what I thought.
I just felt sheer dread for poor Frances Reed, who would be going about her business, distributing books, unaware that her secret was out.
They would shoot her. Without asking questions.
This clever, brave woman, whom Bea had sung the praises of so highly, would be gunned down without warning. And it was all my fault.
Our only hope was for Digby to contact our sleeper agent in Paris and get him to warn her. But could he get to her in time? I didn’t know.
I dipped my head so I could wipe away a tear, just as there was a knock at the door of the bar.
Digby.
He wasn’t alone. He had two British officers with him, straight-backed and stern. And behind him was Archie Valentine. I breathed in sharply, wrapping my arms round my torso. All those hours he’d put into establishing the escape routes. All the work he’d done. All ruined.
I looked down at my feet as Lara let the men in and locked the door behind them.
Digby was a tall man anyway, but he seemed to fill the space as he glowered at Parrish.
‘Stand up,’ he said. Parrish scrabbled to his feet, hunched over. Digby raised his chin. ‘Strictly speaking, I should ask the PVDE to arrest you,’ he said. ‘But I think we both know that’s not an option.’
Parrish didn’t speak.
Digby sounded almost jovial as he carried on. ‘You could hang for this, you know? It’s a real possibility.’
Parrish dragged his gaze up from his feet to meet Digby’s cold stare and for a second I thought he was going to argue with him, but he didn’t. Instead, he let the two officers take him by the arms.
‘We’ll keep you in the embassy overnight and then you’ll be taken back to London tomorrow.
The flights are leaving now the weather has cleared, and I’ll pull strings to get you out as soon as possible,’ Digby said.
‘It’ll be up to MI5 how they deal with you.
But I rather hope that whatever they decide leads you to feel the awful fear the people you have betrayed will be feeling. ’
Digby nodded to the officers. ‘Take him to the car,’ he said.
The men walked Parrish to the door of the bar. Lara, Miguel and I watched him go, but he didn’t glance in our direction. I was glad.
The door banged shut behind them and Digby straightened his hat.
‘It’s astonishing,’ he said. ‘You’d think the threats come from the people high up, the ones with the knowledge and the power, who can be tempted over to the other side.
But the really dangerous people are the ones like Parrish.
Just enough knowledge and resentment to cause real damage. ’
Archie was standing to one side. Now he cleared his throat. ‘I feel responsible,’ he began. ‘I knew Parrish was selling information, but I underestimated how dangerous he was. I should have got him back to London before he could do so much damage.’
Digby shook his head. ‘I suspect he’d have got up to no good in London too,’ he said. ‘The damage is done, Valentine. But it’s up to you to fix it.’
‘Of course,’ Archie said, sounding uncharacteristically subdued.
I swallowed. My throat was dry and when I spoke my voice was cracked. ‘Digby?’ I said. ‘Parrish had a problem with me, personally. I think me losing my temper with him made everything worse.’ I glanced at Lara who was gazing at me sympathetically. ‘He made a pass at me and I turned him down.’
‘He tried to force himself on you,’ said Lara. ‘You had to fight him off.’
‘Well, yes,’ I said, oddly embarrassed even though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. ‘I think I humiliated him and he lashed out in the worst way.’
Digby looked at me. ‘Parrish is the sort of man who is intimidated by a clever woman. Or a brave woman. Or a strong woman,’ he said. ‘You, Cassandra, are all three.’
My breath caught in my throat, and I pinched my lips together.
‘Lara, we’ll leave you and Miguel to clear up if that’s all right,’ said Digby. ‘We’ll compensate you for the loss of takings due to you closing early.’
‘Thank you,’ said Lara. Miguel nodded.
‘Cassandra, I need to get Parrish back to the embassy.’ Digby looked at me with what seemed to be genuine concern. ‘I think you should go home.’
I nodded, unable to speak.
‘I’ll see her home,’ said Archie.
‘Good man.’ Digby slapped him on the shoulder. ‘We’ll let the dust settle overnight and catch up in the morning, yes?’
I found my voice, finally. ‘Digby, what about Frances Reed?’ I said. ‘Can we warn her?’
‘I’ll get hold of our chap in Paris,’ Digby said, as though getting in touch with a Nazi double agent was the easiest thing in the world. ‘We’ll make sure she’s safe.’
Slightly reassured, I nodded.
‘Until tomorrow then,’ said Digby. He pulled his hat down to shade his face and went out of the door.
We all looked at one another.
‘Come on, Cassie,’ said Archie. ‘I’ll walk you home.’
‘Will you be all right?’ I asked Lara. She reached out and squeezed my fingers quickly.
‘We’re fine, aren’t we, Migi?’
Miguel nodded.
I turned to Archie. ‘Let’s go.’
Together we left the bar. It was getting dark already. All the drama had taken more time than I’d realised.
In the street, Archie paused. I looked at him, questioningly.
‘I don’t know where you live,’ he said.
‘Oh.’ I felt a little silly. ‘It’s not far. This way.’
We walked in silence.
‘I’m fine to go alone,’ I said after a few minutes. ‘If you need to get to the embassy.’ I wasn’t being entirely honest. My legs were trembling and I felt quite light-headed. But I didn’t want to take up more of Archie’s time, when he could be helping Digby.
‘Cassie, at the risk of sounding terribly offensive, you look awful,’ said Archie. ‘I’ve never seen someone look so pale. I just need to know you’re home safely.’
I nodded quickly, before his kindness made me fall apart.
‘It’s down here,’ I said, as we reached the side street where my apartment was. ‘Right at the end.’
We turned into the road, which was quiet, away from the main part of the city. Suddenly, a couple of boys darted out of a cut-through to our left. They were chasing a ball and whooping, but the sudden sound made me shriek in fear.
The boys didn’t even notice but Archie caught me by the shoulders, and I was glad because my legs were shaking so violently, I wasn’t able to stand up properly.
‘They’re just playing,’ he said calmly. ‘Breathe, Cassie.’
He looked me in the eyes. ‘Follow my breathing,’ he said. ‘In, out. Good. Keep going.’
I tried to keep my breath regular, in and out, and eventually my racing heart began to slow.
‘Better?’ said Archie.
‘I think so.’
‘Do you have your door keys?’
I felt in my bag for them and held them up, noticing my hand was still shaking a little. Archie swiped them from my fingers.
‘I can open my own front door,’ I complained. But Archie didn’t reply. He put the key in the lock and opened the heavy, black-painted door, then shepherded me inside.
‘Which floor?’ he asked.
‘Right at the very top.’
‘The penthouse,’ he said.
I managed a small smile. ‘I like the view. But the lift is broken.’
‘Come on, then.’
Together we marched up the steep, narrow stairs, up and round, up and round again, until we reached the very top floor.
‘This is it,’ I said. There were two apartments on each of the other floors but mine was the only one at the top. I held my hand out for the keys, but Archie didn’t give them to me. Instead, he opened the door to my flat.
‘I just want to see you in safely for my own peace of mind,’ he said.
‘Fine.’ I nodded. ‘Come in.’
Inside, I put on a lamp, hung up my coat and took off my shoes.
‘I’ll get off,’ Archie said, hovering by the door. ‘If you’re all right?’
‘Would you like a drink?’ I said, surprising myself.
There was a pause and then Archie nodded. ‘Actually, I could do with one.’
He shrugged off his coat, just as I had done, and then took off his shoes and put them next to mine. Seeing his feet in socks on my white wooden floor seemed oddly intimate.
‘Sit down,’ I said. ‘I’ll get some drinks.’
I found a new bottle of port in the kitchen and uncorked it, then took it and two glasses into the living room, where Archie was sitting on the sofa.
I poured two generous glasses and handed him one. Then I sat down next to him and curled my legs underneath me.
‘You mustn’t blame yourself,’ he said, taking a sip. ‘None of this is your fault.’
‘Parrish acted as if I should have been flattered by his interest in me,’ I said. ‘But then I made a fool of him and it flipped to hatred.’
‘And you warned us that he might have been listening, and I didn’t take it seriously,’ Archie said. ‘If anything, it’s my fault.’
‘No,’ I said. ‘Nonsense. Parrish is the only person to blame.’
‘Now say that again and make it sound like you believe it,’ said Archie.
I shook my head. ‘When my brother died,’ I began.
I took a sip of my port, feeling the comforting warmth reach my belly.
‘When he died, I blamed myself. Because the last time I’d seen him, we’d teased one another about our desk jobs.
He didn’t even work at a desk. He was a vicar, like our dad.
’ I grimaced. ‘He didn’t need to join up at all, but he wanted to do what he could. ’
‘How old was he?’ said Archie.
‘He was twenty-seven when he died.’ I drank more port. ‘He’d had his birthday the week before. A month or so after he was killed, my mother received a letter he’d written telling her how he’d celebrated with some of his men and thanking her for the present she’d sent.’
‘Lord,’ said Archie.
‘When I said to my dad that I blamed myself, he said the only person to blame was Herr Hitler.’
‘Your dad speaks sense,’ said Archie.
‘I know.’ I took a breath. ‘But it’s hard to forget me teasing him about being behind a desk when his friends were all joining up.’
He made a face. ‘I blamed myself when my brother died, too.’
‘You were just a boy.’
He shrugged. ‘He wanted to impress me.’
‘That was his decision, not yours.’
‘Just as your brother decided to join up.’
He looked at me, and I looked at him, and the silence felt loaded between us. Slowly I leaned forward and our lips met for a second. Then Archie pulled away.
‘Sorry,’ I said, embarrassment flooding me. ‘Sorry, it’s been an awful day, I just misread …’
But this time, Archie kissed me, sending a jolt of electricity through my body.
‘This is a very bad idea,’ he murmured, pulling me closer to him.
‘A dreadful idea,’ I agreed. ‘Should we stop?’
‘Absolutely not.’ He took my glass from my hand and put it on the coffee table, next to his.
‘What about Nancy from clerical? I saw you with her the other day,’ I said, slightly breathless as he pushed my hair from my face and kissed my neck. ‘Or Penny?’
‘Nancy is engaged to a lovely chap called Eric,’ he said. ‘And though I don’t know for sure, I suspect Penny’s flatmate Louise is not just a friend.’
I let him push me back onto the sofa cushions and gazed up at him, admiring his chiselled jawline and piercing eyes.
‘I really didn’t like you when we first met,’ I said.
He kissed me again, more urgently this time. ‘How do you feel about me now?’
I pulled him down to me. ‘I’m still deciding,’ I said.