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L izzie looked for Suzanne in the kitchen and handed her the bag of hard-won food.

‘You did well, madame.’

‘Thank you,’ Lizzie said, running her fingers over the large dog’s head as he clamoured for her attention. ‘Is Beau your dog?’

‘No, he is Monsieur Luc’s dog. He enjoys running around here in the daytime but sleeps upstairs with his master. Not much of a guard dog, really.’

‘You are a sweetie, Beau, aren’t you?’ Lizzie said, tickling his chest as he leaned against her hand and stared up at her lovingly.

‘He is adorable,’ Suzanne agreed. ‘I like having his company down here. It can get lonely in this great old place.’

‘May I do something to help in the kitchen?’ Lizzie asked.

The look of shock on Suzanne’s face made Lizzie smile.

‘But no, madame. That wouldn’t do at all. Monsieur Luc would be horrified.’ She paused, an expression of concern settling on her features. ‘Is there something you would like that I haven’t provided for you?’

Lizzie shook her head. ‘Oh no, not at all. Everything is wonderful. Please don’t take my offer of help as a criticism.’

‘Thank you,’ Suzanne said, relief in her voice.

‘It’s just that at home we have a much smaller house and since the war we barely have any staff, so I’ve grown used to helping out.’

‘I understand. Please don’t feel obliged to work here. We are more than happy to do our duties, but if it’s company you would like, feel free to drop in for a chat anytime. By the looks of it, Beau will be very happy to see you, as will I.’

Lizzie thanked Suzanne for her hospitality and kindness.

‘Is my husband back yet, do you know?’ Referring to Jack as her husband was still a novelty, but she said it casually as though she’d been saying it forever.

Every time she called him her husband, she felt a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest. It was like a dress rehearsal of when they would be married.

‘I haven’t seen him return,’ Suzanne said.

Lizzie worried about Jack just as much as he did about her. She was still trying to find her feet on this joint operation and there was no doubt that although she loved how they lived together, it added an extra layer of complexity that she would have to get used to.

When she worked alone on a mission, she followed her instructions from the SOE to a point, but then found her own way of doing things. The benefit was she reported her actions to Jack after she had taken them and rarely asked for permission. It was smoother that way and avoided delays.

Now they were together, she had to run everything by him before doing it.

His reaction to her going into the city alone was gut-wrenching.

It was hard for them both to balance their feelings for each other with their duties, but they must find a way.

The success of this mission depended upon it.

Lizzie dreaded to think what Val would say if she discovered the true nature of their relationship.

Lizzie’s thoughts flicked back to a conversation she had with Val before they left. ‘You realise you’ll have to share a bedroom with Jack to pull off your cover story? You’ll be newlyweds in the first flush of love.’

Lizzie had fought the heat stealing over her cheeks. ‘I understand. We’ve talked about it.’

Val had narrowed her eyes and appraised Lizzie. ‘Jack has something of a reputation. Well, he did before the war, anyway. I must say, he’s shown little interest in women since then, as far as I’m aware.’

Lizzie nodded, her heart hammering so hard the beat reverberated through her whole body. ‘I’m sure we’ll be fine. Jack is a gentleman.’

‘Yes, he is. I didn’t mean to disparage him in any way. It’s just that I’ve seen the damage that romantic entanglements cause in our line of work. We can’t risk it because falling in love affects our judgement.’

‘There’s nothing to be concerned about. We are co-workers, that’s all,’ Lizzie said, hating herself for lying to Val, whom she respected.

‘We’re both committed to the mission.’ Lizzie stopped herself from adding anymore reassurances because she was in danger of protesting too much.

Jack advised her to use words sparingly when under scrutiny.

The noise of an engine snapped Lizzie back to reality. ‘Ah, that could be him. I’ll go and see.’

Lizzie hurried out of the kitchen with Beau on her heels, and they both bounded down the exterior staircase and raced to the outbuilding.

The old car was parked in its usual spot and Lizzie wondered where Jack had gone. She walked around the corner searching for him, Beau at her side, wagging his tail and making little snuffling noises.

‘What are you so excited about?’ Lizzie asked him.

Then she saw Jack coming into view around the corner and she ran towards him, and he scooped her into his arms.

‘Where did you go?’ Lizzie asked. ‘I came to meet you when I heard the car.’

Jack’s expression was sheepish. ‘I went to check your bicycle was back in the shed.’

Lizzie laughed. ‘Oh, ye of little faith!’

‘Not at all. It’s just I don’t like the idea of you roaming around a strange city with no backup, should you need it.’

Lizzie luxuriated in the glow of Jack’s tenderness and the comforting circle of his arms. She turned her face up to his. ‘And what would you have done if the bicycle wasn’t there?’

‘I would have gone straight back out to look for you. Anyway, let’s forget what a lovesick sap I am …’ He rolled his eyes.

‘I love you, Michel Dubois. And I love how you look out for me. Honestly, though, it was fine. Uneventful really.’ Lizzie sounded disappointed. ‘I had hoped for more of a breakthrough, but I met some interesting people, so it’s a start.’

‘Would you like to take a walk?’ Jack asked. The sun’s not as hot now and it’s a beautiful day.

The sky was bright blue with only the occasional tiny puff of clouds overhead, and the sun had lost its intense heat. The temperature was ideal for a walk.

Lizzie said she would love it, and they set off together with Beau across the courtyard and into the field towards the vineyards. ‘How was your meeting?’

‘It was fruitful. Lev’s family is being persecuted for being Jewish, so he clearly has the motivation. He has a small team, and they have carried out random acts of sabotage. He’s hungry to do more and wants to work with us.’

They crossed the field hand in hand and Lizzie said, ‘How do you know we can trust him?’

‘It’s just a feeling, really, although his story is solid. He considered getting out of France to join De Gaulle’s Free French Forces, but decided he was better positioned to fight from within.’

‘He sounds like the ideal Resistance leader,’ Lizzie said.

‘Yes, my thoughts exactly. He is a skilled artist and forges documents for people on the run.’

‘That’s handy! Seems like you had more of a useful afternoon than me.’

‘We got lucky meeting Marguerite exactly when the Vichy mob turned up. Otherwise, we might never have got into the conversation which connected us to Lev.’

Jack helped Lizzie across a bumpy patch, and soon they were surrounded by vines. He filled her in on more details as the grapes on the vines rustled gently in the breeze.

‘What if he’s pretending to be on our side but informs on us? I read accounts in London where people inform on friends in exchange for money and food.’

Jack sighed. ‘You always get informants who sell out their own in times of war. It’s a chance we must take. It’s highly unlikely based on my assessment of Lev, but if for some reason he did tell on us, I could easily throw doubt on his accusations.’

‘Do you believe he is Jewish?’ Lizzie asked.

‘I do. He told me his family on his mother’s side have been here for generations and his father’s parents fled persecution in Iraq. It’s a very elaborate story to concoct on the off chance that a newcomer to town is of any significance.’

‘True,’ Lizzie agreed.

‘The Vichy officials wouldn’t trust a Jew, even if he has an ulterior motive,’ Jack said.

‘But couldn’t that be part of his entrapment efforts? Maybe he’s not Jewish at all.’

Jack laughed. ‘I see my work is done. You suspect everyone and everything. No wonder you make such a brilliant spy.’

‘I’m just playing out the potential scenarios, like you taught me,’ Lizzie said. She paused and added, ‘Mind you, he looks Jewish.’

‘What does a Jew look like?’ Jack asked, his tone slightly mocking.

‘Olive skin?’ she said.

‘Next you’ll be saying they all have the same nose.’

Lizzie shrugged. ‘That’s the antisemitic stereotype, isn’t it, but Hannah is blonde and blue-eyed with a small nose, so that puts holes in that theory.’

‘I recall Hannah saying her ancestors came from somewhere in the Middle East and eventually settled in Germany. Hence, her colouring. It’s no secret Jews have endured forced conversion to Christianity and Islam over millennia. Some would have intermarried.’

‘We’ve not talked about our religion before. How well do you know your bible?’ Lizzie asked, her eyes searching Jack’s as they meandered through the vineyards.

‘We used to study it at Sunday school. My parents encouraged us to attend, and we did for years. Are you Catholic or Church of England?’

Lizzie said, ‘Roman Catholic. My school was quite religious, and we did a lot of bible study, both the Old and New Testament. I remember belting out in assembly: Let My People Go , at the top of my lungs. The hymn about Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery and to Israel, the promised land. I thought little more about it until I met Hannah.’

‘At least, we won’t need to toss a coin for which church to marry in.’

‘That’s something we didn’t consider. What denomination are Michel and Isabelle Dubois?’ Lizzie asked.

‘Luc is Catholic, like my parents, although I think it’s unlikely anyone will quiz us on that.’

‘Anyway, we digress. You seem confident Lev can be trusted.’

‘Even in the worst-case scenario, I didn’t give him anything tangible to hang an accusation on. And I would just deny it and say he’s a crackpot.’

They reached the edge of the vineyards, with Beau still escorting them. Lizzie admired the haze of lavender ahead and told Jack she had entered the field earlier.

‘It’s stunning around here, that’s for sure,’ Jack agreed.

‘What an absolutely wonderful place,’ Lizzie said, raising her face to the soothing sun. ‘I could live here forever!’

Jack tugged her gently towards him and they stood there rocking back and forth, enjoying the moment surrounded only by nature. Then Beau barked and pawed at Lizzie’s leg.

‘The daft mutt is jealous!’ Jack said. ‘You’ve got yourself another ardent admirer.’

Lizzie bent to stoke Beau’s head. ‘Come on boy, I bet it’s time for your dinner soon.’

The orange-tinged sun sank lower over the lavender on the horizon, and they turned back to the chateau, enjoying their new life together, no matter how temporary it proved to be.