I was shaking. I had no option any more.
“Molly and Frank were talking in the barn before we knew the man was there. And Frank told Molly that Winston Churchill was coming here on Thursday.”
The colonel’s face paled. Private Willis made an outraged noise.
“From where had the boy received that information?” asked the colonel.
In my mind’s eye I saw the kind, generous faces of Uncle Bert and Aunty Rose, and I felt like the world’s worst traitor.
“That’s the terrible thing, sir. Uncle Bert told Aunty Rose in secret.”
The colonel made an impatient gesture. “Who are you talking about?”
“Sorry, sir. Mr and Mrs Dean, sir. My foster parents. Molly and Frank’s parents.”
“Go on.”
“Mr Dean heard it from the butler at Ashcombe House. The butler said he’d been told to expect a very special visitor on Thursday, and he’d been asked to get a certain type of champagne and cigars, which he said were Mr Churchill’s favourites. So he thought Mr Churchill must be coming here to inspect the troops on Thursday. Uncle Bert – Mr Dean – told it to Mrs Dean in secret. But he didn’t know Frank was in the Anderson, and Frank overheard everything, and then he told Molly in the barn.”
Private Willis gave an exclamation of disgust.
“Molly didn’t know what Frank was going to tell her, and Frank’s only seven. And they had no idea anyone else was in the barn. Once we knew he was German, we realised we’d given away a really important secret to the enemy. But Frank and Molly were frightened that if we reported him, and he said what he’d heard, then their dad would be arrested.”
“Do you know exactly what Frank told Molly in the barn?” said Colonel Ferguson. “I mean exactly.”
“Yes, sir. I asked them afterwards, and they told me every word. Molly has a really good memory.”
“And can you tell me every word now?”
“Yes, sir.”
I repeated the conversation exactly as Molly and Frank had told it to me. The colonel asked me to repeat it again, which I did.
“Judging by your account,” said the colonel, after he’d heard it twice, “neither of the children mentioned the name of this village, or any other place name, during that conversation. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re absolutely certain of that?”
“Yes, sir. That’s how we were able to trick him, sir.”
The colonel continued to regard me in silence. Under his gaze, the icy-cold feeling crept over me again.
“You say there’s another entrance to the barn?” he said. “An entrance that can’t be seen from the loft?”
“Well, it’s just a thin gap in the wall. We can get through it but a man wouldn’t be able to.”
“And apart from that, is there only one way in and out of the barn?”
“Yes, sir. The big main doors.”
“Are there any windows, or gaps in the barn wall, from which this man could see the approach to those doors?”
I pictured the barn in my head. “There’s only one window in the loft. It’s on the opposite side to the door. It overlooks the lane to the village.”
“Is the window big enough for a man to climb out?”
“No, it’s just a little slit. It wouldn’t even be big enough for me to climb out of.”
The colonel started pacing up and down the long room, his eyes on the floor. Then he stopped pacing and wheeled round to face Private Willis.
“Escort Miss Schlesinger back to her house, Willis.”
I stared at him. Was this the end of it? What would happen now?
“What about the man, sir?” I asked. “Shouldn’t I go back and guard him?”
“Certainly not. Private Willis, Miss Schlesinger will show you the barn, and you will guard the entrance until relieved. I shall arrange for a guard to be permanently stationed there from now on.”
The soldier saluted. “Yes, sir.”
“But what shall I tell the others?” I asked. “I’m supposed to wake Molly at midnight. She’ll want to know why I didn’t wake her.”
The colonel ignored me.
“Thank you for your valuable service this evening, Willis. You may rest assured it will not go unnoticed.”
The soldier’s face almost broke into a smile. “Thank you very much, sir,” he said.
“Wait outside for a minute, will you?” the colonel said to him. “I need to have a word with Miss Schlesinger.”
“Yes, sir.”
Private Willis saluted and left the room. Once the door had closed behind him, Colonel Ferguson sat at his desk again. He gave me an intensely serious look.
“Everything that I am about to tell you,” he said, “is of the utmost importance to our national security. Can I trust you to follow my instructions to the letter?”
“Of course.”
“Listen very carefully. When Molly questions you in the morning as to why you didn’t wake her, you will tell her that when you left the barn at midnight, a soldier was patrolling the yard near the barn door. He was suspicious as to what you were doing in the yard. You told him you had been looking after a sick animal in the barn. You didn’t wake Molly because you knew the man in the barn wouldn’t be able to escape with a soldier stationed outside, and you didn’t want the soldier’s suspicions to be further aroused by the appearance of another child in the yard in the middle of the night.”
He paused and looked hard at me. “Have you got that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Take the man food and water in the morning, exactly as you arranged, using the main entrance to the barn. Make absolutely sure that Mr and Mrs Dean don’t notice or suspect anything out of the ordinary.”
“Yes, sir.”
“There will be a soldier stationed near the door of the barn. He will know who you are. Do not speak to him. Warn the other children not to speak to him either. If anybody speaks to him, the man in the barn will be alerted to his presence.”
“But, sir – I mean, excuse me, sir, but what about all the farm workers, and Uncle Bert and Aunty Rose, and the farmer? There’s always lots of people at the farm. They’ll all see the soldier, and they’ll probably speak to him.”
“Everybody in the area will be informed that, for reasons of national security, extra troops will be stationed at various points around the village,” said the colonel. “People will be asked not to speak to or otherwise distract the soldiers on guard duty. Your job, Miss Schlesinger, is as follows. If the man gives you a letter to post, or anything else to deliver anywhere, you must bring it straight to me. It is vitally important that you do this. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Give your name to the duty soldiers at the main gates, and I’ll make sure they’ll be expecting you.”
“Won’t it look a bit strange though, sir, me walking up the drive for no reason? Should I bring some eggs with me? Then I can look as though I’m just delivering eggs to the house. We sell eggs around the village, you see.”
The colonel looked much more cheerful all of a sudden. He rubbed his hands together happily. “That’s a thoroughly good idea. And I’ll be very happy to buy as many eggs as you can sell me. Marvellous.”
Then he gave me a stern look. “It’s of the utmost importance though, Miss Schlesinger, that absolutely nobody has any idea that you are doing this. And that includes the other two children. There must be nobody else involved at all. Is that quite clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
I didn’t know how I was going to keep this secret from Molly and Frank, but I would have to find a way. It wasn’t going to be easy.
The colonel strode to the door and ushered me out.
“Thank you, Willis,” he said. “Escort Miss Schlesinger home and stay at your post until relieved.”
The soldier saluted. “Yes, sir.”
“Can I have Uncle Bert’s gun back?” I asked.
The colonel handed the gun to Private Willis.
“Lock it up again as soon as you get home,” he told me.
“Yes, sir.”
We left the room. As Private Willis closed the door, I heard Colonel Ferguson pick up the telephone.