Kit was relieved by the news that Flora was safe and ready to hand over her parcels. Dr Fournier assured him the fracture would heal, but he must rest and be shielded by the Quintana family until such time as it was safe to return to Flora.
‘Don’t worry,’ Lise assured him. ‘She will see to her guests and stay until you’re fit again.’
He didn’t like the idea of Flora alone, with all that responsibility on her shoulders. The sooner their guide made himself known, the better.
Now there was a constant clatter of enemy vehicles up the cobbled streets. Kit peered out of the window, sickened to see those dreaded steel helmets and grey field uniforms. The sky threatened another storm.
Jean-Baptiste visited in secret one evening. ‘We must be more careful now. Too many village boys fled into the hills to avoid the conscripted labour and there’s sullen resistance to the foreign troops. They demand to be first in the queue for provisions, stripping apple lofts of fruit and caves of wine. No one knows how to react to them. Some are just boys, others are like hungry wolves. The mountain-trained men will soon scour the countryside for resistors and refugees.’
‘Then I must go now,’ Kit replied, trying to stand.
‘Don’t be a fool. For all your years in France, your accent is foreign, good but not local, and you can’t crawl uphill. Be patient. You are safe here. No one will denounce you, but they are searching for strangers, so don’t draw attention to yourself. Stay indoors, out of sight.’
‘But the longer I stay, the more this house is in danger,’ Kit argued.
‘Besides, you and your wife are doing good work by protecting those poor children. We must all help each other, until the day of liberation comes.’ Jean paused. ‘And it will come.’
Kit could hardly believe that day would come, a time when he and Flora could live out the rest of their lives together, without the dread of a knock on the door. Jean-Baptiste’s words were meant to give him hope but all they did was fill him with gloom. He was a useless drain on this family, a magnet for treachery. How long would his wretched leg take to heal? How long would he be imprisoned here?
*
It was Juliette who noticed the paper slid under the door. Silently, someone had passed on the message they had been waiting for, and then disappeared. It just read Maurice says, tomorrow.
‘What does that mean?’ Juliette watched Flora’s face for a response.
‘It means it’s time to meet Albert, the guide, who must be ready for us. We have to get everyone organised.’ Flora’s stomach churned at the summons. At last, the party would be on its way to freedom.
She hadn’t told Juliette that she was staying on, or that Juliette must guide the children, alone, to freedom. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, someone or something seemed to interrupt the conversation. Better to wait until they were at the farm. Better that they meet Albert first. Yet why did it feel as if she was abandoning them to an unknown fate? It was making her feel sick. Leaving Kit behind was unthinkable. They had spent so much time apart, most of their youth, and this past year had been so happy, so fulfilled. They were a team, two horses hitched to the same wagon. Flora could not bear to think of them being separated again. Then just keep busy. She began to gather the little sacks for each child to carry. It was time to dig out the tin box that held all their identity papers. Nothing must be left to show evidence of their presence here.
The women lined up the children for the visit to Maurice’s farm.
‘We’re going to take a long walk in the hills to find the farmer’s lost sheep, a really big adventure,’ she lied.
‘Is it a game?’ Ruth asked.
‘Perhaps,’ Flora replied.
‘Then I don’t want to go walking.’ Ruth stamped her feet and sat down, ready for another of her famous tantrums, but Juliette stepped in.
‘My baby will cry if you don’t come with us. Francine likes you to tickle her.’ Ruth smiled at this.
‘Thanks,’ whispered Flora, seeing Juliette was a natural mother and had a calming way with the group. Surely, she would manage them all on the journey? It shouldn’t take two of them to deal with four children and a baby.
Flora sat down to write a letter to Kit, for Maurice to deliver. It was just a note to say she was staying on until he could join her. She made no special farewell to the children’s house, as they had named it. Once the party was safely on their way, she would return. Just in case proof of identity was required by the guide, she took her own papers along, concealed under the shoulder pad of her coat.
Maurice was waiting, with a swarthy bearded man. So, this was Albert, the guide. He eyed them all up slowly. ‘You didn’t say anything about a baby,’ he commented. ‘It will be extra.’
Maurice shrugged, as he introduced the women. ‘Mesdames… I’m sorry but there is a change of plan. Albert is sick, but here is Monsieur Paul, who’s volunteered in his place. He knows the route Albert takes, but you must wait until first light, in case there are any border guards on patrol. Things are busier than they were, now the Boche are in control.’
Flora didn’t like the sound of this. ‘Do they go alone, or join another party?’ she asked.
‘If we make good time, there’s a meeting point by a shepherd’s hut and shelter for the night, but I can’t stop for stragglers,’ Paul replied. ‘You have brought food? The children must be quiet and not attract attention. There are bears and wolves roving about, but I have a gun.’ He smiled, revealing a line of broken teeth.
‘Bears… wolves? What does he mean?’ Juliette clutched Francine closer to her chest.
‘Don’t worry, these guides are experienced. He’ll know where they hide up,’ the farmer replied. ‘I have a rabbit stew, come, eat while you can.’ He ushered them to the table, where they sat together in silence, filling themselves for the journey. ‘Now the children must nap, rest for the hike ahead. Five or six hours should do it, if we are lucky,’ he added, drawing Flora to his side. ‘I’m glad you are going with them. I would not like to think of that lady alone. There is something about this Paul. I’m sure he is honest enough, but with a woman alone, I’m not so sure… I have heard tales… With two of you, I feel he wouldn’t dare take liberties.’
This was the moment to confess her own selfish plan, to admit to her desire to stay put, but Flora looked down at the sleeping children, her darling little ones: Alphonse, Joseph, Carlotta and poor, troubled Ruth. What on earth had she been thinking? How could she abandon them all now? It was just a flight of fancy to think that Juliette could manage to do everything all by herself, and with the baby, too. Even if they found another group to join, there was a glint in Paul’s eye that she didn’t like, a cold calculating look. Every instinct in her body screamed that he was not a man to be trusted. She could not give up her precious charges into his keeping, unless she was there by their side.
Flora nodded in agreement. ‘Don’t worry, monsieur, we will keep him in his place, but what did he mean that baby was extra?’
‘Mais non, there’s no money involved, I’m sure. If Albert recommended him, he may want a tip but nothing more. You must rest now.’
Flora felt the note in her pocket, but didn’t pull it out. ‘Please let Kit know once we are safely over the border. I will return and wait for him.’
‘Of course. May the Good Lord rain many blessings on you both for what you are doing.’ Flora found a corner to rest, checking the list, checking in her mind what they might have to carry. She was tired, but relieved that her little family would be safer with two pairs of hands to protect them. How could she abdicate her responsibility to get them to safety, no matter what the cost? Only after that would she be free to return, but first she must sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day.