Page 27

J ack and Lizzie sat in the shade on a blanket with a picnic of baguette and cheese, freshly picked fruit from the orchard, and a bottle of Luc’s finest white wine.

Jack had positioned the blanket in their favourite viewing spot.

The pink city spread before them, melded in the sparkling valley.

Lizzie thought early summer was the best time of year to be in France.

The countryside was in full bloom and the landscape was adorned in vibrant colours.

To one side, pink-hued lavender waved at them in the soft wind, and to the other was a lush carpet of vines laden with the promise of the new wine season.

‘Luc is very generous to us,’ Lizzie said, finishing a delicious chunk of cheese and wiping her hands on a tea towel.

‘He is. We couldn’t ask for a more considerate host, especially when you think what baggage we brought with us.’

Jack opened the bottle of wine, the familiar Chateau de Saint-Clair label on the front, and poured the crisp, fruity white wine into two small flutes from their picnic basket. He passed one to Lizzie. ‘Santé.’

They talked in French, just in case anyone overheard them. They were always careful to keep their voices low, but one word in a foreign language, especially English, would stand out even if the listener couldn’t make out exactly what they said.

‘The only downside of our arrangement is I feel doubly responsible for keeping Luc safe and protecting the chateau.’

Lizzie said, ‘I know what you mean. It’s making us more cautious than usual.’

‘Ahh, drink your wine, it’s delicious.’

They sat there for a while, savouring the wine and appreciating the breathtaking view.

‘We’ll tell our children about this one day,’ Jack said.

His words startled Lizzie. Of course, she’d daydreamed about having children together in some mythical future, but they’d never discussed anything tangible beyond getting married after the war.

Everything had to be on hold until the war was over and there was never time to think about much else.

Winning the war dominated every part of their lives.

‘How lovely. We’ve not talked about having children,’ she said, touching his hand.

‘I know, but I’ve thought about it a lot. I can just see a little Isabelle playing in the park, eating ice cream.’

Emotion rushed through Lizzie. ‘And I can just see a little dark-eyed Michel running around, causing mischief.’

Jack grazed Lizzie’s lips, and she rested her head against his chest, and they lay on the blanket, both imagining their future children in a peaceful world.

‘Do you find it difficult to envision the war being over?’ Lizzie said.

Jack lit a cigarette and pondered as a hazy hoop of smoke drifted away towards the sky. ‘I find it’s best to live in the moment in our line of work, but I think it’s important we visualise a future beyond this crazy war. It will pull us forward.’

Lizzie agreed. ‘You are wise, Raven.’

‘I’m not sure about that, but whatever wisdom I’ve gained was won the hard way. And of course, I’m so very old. You will be as wise as me when you reach the grand old age of thirty-four.’

Lizzie dissolved into laughter when he tickled her side, and she did the same to him, but with no reaction. ‘How are you immune to tickling?’

‘It’s a mind game. One day when I was a kid, I just decided I wouldn’t be ticklish.’

‘Well, I know you can be stubborn! As simple as that, aye?’

‘As simple as that.’

They tidied their picnic remnants away in the basket and sipped another glass of wine. Even in the shade, Lizzie could feel the intense heat on her skin.

‘We’d better get down to business,’ she said.

You are a hard taskmaster,’ Jack sighed, shaking his head.

‘I promised to help Suzanne make jam later this afternoon. She works so hard, and I like to give her a hand.’

‘You have quite the sweetest nature, darling. It’s just one of the many, many things I adore about you.’

Jack never failed to build her up, and if she’d had any doubts about herself before they met, his constant admiration had chased away the shadows.

‘Thank you for always believing in me,’ Lizzie said, a wave of sentimentality overwhelming her.

Jack’s eyes shone as he held her tightly to him and for several moments, neither of them spoke. The feeling between them was more powerful than any words could ever be.

When they pulled away, Jack asked what she thought they should do about the airmen. ‘Shall we tell Luc or not?’

They ran through the pros and cons. If Luc knew, he was better equipped to help them hide the airmen, and he would be prepared in case anything went wrong.

On the other hand, if they didn’t tell him, he wouldn’t be compromised. If their operation was exposed, and the airmen discovered, Luc could genuinely claim he knew nothing about it and that might go some considerable way with his friend, the commissaire.

Jack picked a blade of grass and trailed it across his chin as he peered into the distance, seeking the answer.

‘What does your gut say?’ he asked, eventually.

Lizzie stayed quiet for a moment. She had learnt to listen to her gut under Jack’s mentoring. At first, she had thought it a strange thing to do, but she had trusted him, and it had never led her wrong.

‘My instincts say we should tell him. He deserves to know the risks we’re taking in his home.’

‘I’m inclined to agree, but what if he refuses to let us do it?’

‘Do you think that’s likely?’

Jack shook his head. ‘No, but it’s a possibility. This chateau and the vineyards have been in the family for generations. He may not be willing to risk everything for two British airmen, especially when he’s so friendly with the commissaire. It’s a lot to ask.’

‘Well, we’d have to get Lev to take them somewhere else. If we weren’t staying at the chateau, we would still be involved in helping them. People find a way when they have no choice.’

‘Now, who’s showing their wisdom?’ Jack said, impressed.

‘It’s true though, isn’t it? Under pressure, I’ve done things I would never have imagined I could do. Imminent capture by the enemy has an incredible way of focusing the mind and making you come up with alternatives.’

They discussed it a bit more, and concluded they would tell Luc that evening after dinner, so he could give them his blessing to shelter the airmen, or they would arrange a different safe house.

After dinner, as usual, they went out to the terrace.

Lizzie joined them most evenings and drank a tipple of Armagnac, which she’d come to appreciate.

She liked to gaze out over the valley and watch the sun set on the horizon, but tonight she was tense, knowing the next moments could mean everything was about to change.

If Luc didn’t support their mission, they would have to figure out a place to move to where they could hide the airmen.

To be effective, they needed a base they could use as a safe house.

They had planned that Jack would tell Luc, and the men stood looking over the wall, smoking. Lizzie heard their muttered exchange but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Then Luc turned to face her and smiled. ‘It seems you two are even more resourceful than I realised.’

They didn’t say anymore. The staff were likely to arrive at any moment to clear away the dessert dishes, and they were all aware of what was at stake. The fewer people in their tightly knit circle, the safer they would all be.

As if on cue, Suzanne appeared to ask if they would like anything else, and Lizzie thanked her for the delicious apple pie. When she left, silence fell over the terrace as if they all knew this was a turning point and there was no going back.

Jack winked at Lizzie to confirm all was well. Lizzie exhaled slowly, the tension gradually leaving her body.

Luc poured them another round, and they went inside to sit at the table. He pulled out an atlas and pointed to the Pyrenees region.

‘Where do you plan to smuggle them out?’ he asked.

Jack replied, ‘The contact who gets them into Spain is based in St. Girons.’

‘I know the area quite well from my younger days. It’s at the foot of the mountains.’ Luc pointed to the map and ran his finger along the page. ‘It’s about 100 km from here to there.’

Jack said, ‘God willing they make it safely here. Let’s hope they are in a fit state to resume their journey soon.’

They looked at the map and Jack asked Luc some questions about St. Girons. Then they talked about possible places to hide the airmen.

After some deliberation, Luc said, ‘The safest place is undoubtedly the cellars in the vineyards. That way they’re some distance from the chateau. Occasionally we have visitors, but we must orchestrate it, so no one goes down there whilst they’re here.’

When they returned to their rooms, Lizzie and Jack readied themselves for bed, exhaustion creeping over them. They lay on the large mattress, curled into each other’s arms, and fell into a sound sleep.