30

Anya was shocked by what Anouska had told her. ‘Scientists? Why are they here in France, living among the enemy? It doesn’t make sense.’

‘I know it is ludicrous, but my father has lived here for many years and was of the opinion the Germans were not interested in him. I’ve begged him to leave; we could have been safe in America by now.’

‘What does your husband say about this?’ Anya asked as she went to the door, placing her ear against it to check if anyone was nearby. She nodded to Anouska to continue speaking.

‘He is old and no longer cares about the war as long as I am with him. He has friends here and thought he would live out his final days here in France,’ she said, looking troubled.

‘How old is he?’

‘Seventy-six. He is three years younger than my father.’

Anya found it difficult to imagine having a husband so much older than her. But then, if it was a match made mainly for security and companionship, why did it matter?

‘Is he ready to leave with you and your father, if we can get you away from France?’ she asked. She knew she was talking out of turn, but even so, she couldn’t just stand by and watch as Anouska and her loved ones from the old country suffered at the hands of the enemy.

Anouska couldn’t look at Anya as she replied. ‘I don’t know, but we could try.’

They fell silent as Anya thought carefully about what could be done. ‘There may be a way . . .’

‘I’ll do anything,’ Anouska promised, holding on to Anya’s hand and imploring her, ‘Please help us.’

‘First, I need to speak to the people who brought me here. I am in their hands, as I will need their help to get back to where my courier is waiting to take me back to England. Where are you staying?’

‘We have an apartment a few streets away from here. We plan to go back there tonight when the dancing has finished.’

‘Is it possible you could return earlier? My comrade will expect me to leave once the dinner service has finished.’ Anya didn’t add that once she had identified Anouska, she would be able to return to where Mildred was hiding. Their journey from the coast to Vaux had been slow as a result of Mildred being incapacitated, and she expected the return trip to be equally slow.

‘I can pretend to have a headache. I do suffer with them, so my father will understand.’

‘Will he be agreeable to leaving France with you?’

‘He will. I’m not so sure about Tomek, but he loves me in his way, so I think he will agree.’

Anya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure Domino would be impressed with her returning with three people in tow, all of whom had to be transported across the Channel to safety. ‘You will have to travel light, so dress in clothes that will keep you warm and dry. Tell your husband and father to do likewise. Now, go back to the banquet and try to act as though nothing has happened – perhaps your head is starting to ache?’

Anouska went to the door and removed the chair that was wedging it closed. ‘Thank you, Anya,’ she said before hurrying from the room, her skirts floating around her in a rustle of silk and organza.

‘God, what have I done?’ Anya muttered to herself as she turned towards the mirror. She ran cold water into the white marble sink and splashed her face until she felt refreshed before doing her best to clean the mess from the front of her uniform. Then she readied herself to face Natalie and tell her what she’d promised Anouska.

‘You’ve what?’ bellowed Natalie when Anya found her in the busy kitchens and explained. Around them, pots and pans crashed and staff shouted over the din.

‘I said we would take Anouska, her father and her husband back to England and safety. Why is that so wrong?’

‘You have no idea what you have done.’ Natalie shook her head in disbelief. ‘Get back to your work and I will speak to you later,’ she scowled.

Anya slunk back to the banqueting hall and helped to collected dirty crockery, keeping well away from the top table and avoiding the gaze of the demon who was holding court over his fawning followers. She also suppressed all thoughts of picking up a sharp knife and freeing the world of the tyrant, reminding herself that she had to think of her son and getting back to him.

For the next hour, she worked hard while wondering what had been decided about helping Anouska and her family get to safety before she was whisked away to Berlin by her lover. What must it be like to have a high-ranking lover who provided one with beautiful gowns and invitations to important social functions?

She thought about what Anouska had been like as a child, back home in Poland. Anya couldn’t remember much, apart from that the girl had been popular and top of the class; meanwhile, Anya herself had simply done her best to stay caught up at school and to be a good daughter and, later, a good wife. It was only after their village was decimated by the invading Germans that the two women had found themselves thrown together, fleeing for their lives. They had parted ways in France when Anouska had gone to search for her father in Paris, while Anya had found someone to smuggle her into England. She had been following her husband to an unknown Kent airfield, where she had heard that he flew planes alongside other Polish pilots who had escaped capture or death during the invasion of their homeland.

Feeling fit to drop, she returned to the kitchens, where she hoped to find Natalie and learn whether a decision had been made about what they should do next.

As she looked around the vast room full of preparation tables, ovens and people in white overalls, she gradually realized that Natalie had left without her. She would have to find her own way back to Mildred. A chill spread through her body as she fought to quell the panic clutching at her throat. She was alone in France, and Adolf Hitler was in the building.

After going back into the banqueting hall and continuing to help the waiters and waitresses clear the tables, Anya decided she ought to at least try finding her way back to where she and Mildred had spent the night. Domino had taken them to a small hostelry where he seemed to know the landlord. The room they had been given was in the loft of the building, with two small cot-like beds, one coarse blanket on each covering a straw-filled mattress. They had been offered a meal of some kind of stew with hard, almost black bread – it had been warm, filling and very welcome after their journey, although Mildred reckoned it was horsemeat. Anya had slept for a while before being taken by Domino to where Natalie was waiting for her. She had never expected to come face to face with Hitler.

She took a quick glance over towards the evil man, who was making his way towards a pair of double doors leading onto a ballroom. Wasn’t this when Anouska had said she was planning to leave, blaming a headache for not wishing to dance? Moving over to the long table where the Polish woman was seated, Anya pottered about, collecting silver cruet sets and placing them on a tray as she had seen other waiting staff do. After a few moments, Anouska rose to leave. She walked past Anya, brushing against her. Anya felt something pushed into her hand and quickly slipped it into her pocket; it felt like a piece of paper.

Bobbing a curtsey, she hurried away to the staffroom and took her outdoor clothes from the locker. She was about to get changed when she thought better of it: if she was stopped while walking back alone, it would be better to be dressed in a waitress’s uniform than in her everyday clothes. Looking around, she found a discarded bag made of rough sacking and used it to hold her usual clothing.

She’d just stepped out of the staff entrance when a man’s voice called after her, causing her to freeze mid-step.

She turned. The head waiter was waving a pay packet. Anya took it from him and bobbed her head in thanks before walking away at a brisk pace. She wanted to run, but there were too many people about and she didn’t wish to draw attention to herself. In the distance she could hear sirens and hurried as best she could.

Unlike in England, where the streets would have been in darkness, there was a lamp at the corner of the street which helped her identify the way back to her lodgings. With her heart beating rapidly and her head pounding with fear, she counted each step back to the relative safety of the hostelry, breathing a sigh of relief as the building came into view. Using the side door, she slipped inside and ran up the three flights of stairs to their room.

‘Thank goodness you’re back,’ Mildred said, turning away from the window. ‘Did you have any problems? There are a great many soldiers on the street.’

Anya sank onto her bed and kicked off her shoes. ‘It was hell. I never wish to spend another evening like it,’ she said, before relating every detail of her experience.

Mildred sat and listened without interrupting, only shaking her head and whispering, ‘Well, I never,’ a few times.

‘What news of Domino?’ she asked eventually. ‘I thought he would accompany you back from the banquet.’

Anya shook her head. ‘After I explained to Natalie that I had promised we would try to help Anouska, I returned to my duties. Later on, I found that there was no one about to help me find my way home. It seemed as though they had deserted me because I’d done something wrong; that’s why I came back here alone.’

‘You made the right choice. But are you sure you were not followed?’

Anya was honest in her reply. ‘I never thought about being followed, as I was hell bent on getting away from the banqueting hall. I am worried about Anouska. How are we going to help her, especially now that Domino and Natalie have disappeared?’

‘Your part in this mission was never about rescuing Anouska; it was to identify her and report back. Someone else was always meant to take over after that. She has put you in a difficult position.’

Anya put her head into her hands, trying to concentrate on Mildred’s words. Then she remembered something. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the scrap of paper Anouska had passed to her on leaving. ‘This is her address,’ she said, holding out the note. ‘I’m going to see if I can help her.’

‘Don’t be a fool; you are interfering with the mission.’

‘I have to help her. She is Polish, as am I, and we have to help our fellow countrymen. Goodness knows what will happen to her if I don’t do something.’

‘On your head be it,’ Mildred said as she bent to put on the shoes Domino had found for her. They appeared to have once belonged to a man and they were two sizes too large, but they greatly helped her to walk.

‘I’ll be quicker on my own,’ Anya protested.

‘And I will never forgive myself if something happens to you, so please do not argue with me. Collect all your belongings and let’s get moving.’

‘Why are we taking everything with us?’

Mildred shook her head. ‘We dare not leave anything behind that could get the landlord into trouble with the Gestapo. Besides, we may not be able to make it back here again if . . .’

Anya frowned. ‘If what? Please don’t talk in riddles.’

‘If we are separated . . . if we are followed . . . if we are arrested – does that make my comment clearer?’

‘I’m sorry. I never understood what you meant.’

‘That’s the trouble with you,’ Mildred huffed. ‘You never think – do you?’

‘I don’t understand,’ Anya said, hurt and confused. ‘Have I offended you? I know your feet are hurting, but I have done everything requested of me.’

‘And more,’ Mildred muttered as she pulled on an old coat over her crumpled cotton dress. ‘Come on. Let’s get this finished, and then we can go home.’

Anya prayed liked she’d never prayed before as they worked their way back through the now deserted streets. Deserted, that was, apart from the numerous soldiers on patrol, who stopped them on two occasions to check their papers and ask where they were heading.

Mildred answered in perfect French, pointing to Anya’s uniform and waving her hand in the vague direction of the banqueting rooms, which Anya thought meant they’d both been working and were on their way home. Each time, she studied Mildred’s face for any sign that she should be ready to defend herself, or indeed to run away. If we get out of this alive, she promised herself, I will learn to speak the French language.