Chapter 3
The man kept his hand over her mouth as he stared into her eyes through the slit in his knitted balaclava. ‘Don’t say a word.’
Persey nodded in startled agreement and then slowly the man lifted his hand from her mouth. Immediately she reneged on her agreement not to speak and realising she was looking at the housekeeper’s son cried, ‘Jack! What on earth are you doing here?’
‘For Christ’s sake, Perse, shh.’
She was quieter when she spoke this time. ‘We thought you were in England. We thought you’d joined up weeks ago.’
‘I was. I have.’ He spoke quietly and pulled her towards the back of the garage, as if the extra few feet of space between them and the house would make all the difference.
‘How are you here then?’ she asked with wide eyes.
‘I’ve been sent back,’ he said proudly. He looked at her expectantly, awaiting her reaction.
‘Are you that terrible at soldiering they’ve returned you already?’ She hadn’t meant to be funny but Jack laughed.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I’m only back because they needed to find someone local – someone who knows the lay of the land. And then, with any luck, I’ll be gone again, bursting with information to help win the war.’
Persey stared. ‘Are you a spy?’ she asked blankly. ‘Oh, Jack, they’ll kill you. You know that, don’t you? The Germans. There are so many of them. I’ve been past the airport and—’
‘And how many of them are there?’
Persey thought. ‘I don’t know. Lots. And I’m sure more will be landing imminently. And then of course troops will be coming in their droves by boat from France. You shouldn’t be here. It’s far too dangerous.’
He looked proud. ‘That’s exactly why I am here. Listen, do you think you could go past the airport again and take another look? Sit tight for a while, watch how many planes come and go over the course of the week?’
‘Are you asking me to spy for you?’
‘No, I’m asking you to spy for Britain.’
Persephone rubbed her hand over her tired eyes. It was too much. It was all just far too much.
He waited, a determined expression fixed on his face while she looked at him.
‘Jack, why are you in the garage? And …’ She looked him up and down. ‘And why are you wet?’
‘I’m wet because I had to wade in once they’d dropped me from the canoe. And I’m in the garage because, given the hour, I didn’t want to wake the house.’
For the first time in ages, Persephone laughed. ‘Oh my word. It’s not like you to be quite so polite. So you’re hiding in here, soaked to the skin because you didn’t want to wake us all up?’ She couldn’t help it, she laughed again.
‘I don’t wish to damage the good opinion you’ve formed of me but no, sorry. I don’t mind waking you all up one jot but I did rather want to stay put and keep an eye on the house for a few hours. See how many Germans came and went in the morning and see if it was safe to show my face at Deux Tourelles.’
‘Germans? Here?’ she asked. ‘Why would they be here?’ Although her mind moved back to earlier that day, when the young man in uniform had stood by her door. He’d never said what he’d wanted.
‘They’ll need somewhere to live while they’re here,’ Jack said simply. ‘Deux Tourelles is one of the closest houses to the airport. Stands to reason they’ll want to pop their heads in at some point. You might find yourself being turfed out.’
Persey’s stomach tightened.
‘Or even worse,’ Jack continued. ‘You might find yourself staying and then having one or two of them living with you.’
‘Don’t say that,’ Persey replied.
‘Well, listen,’ he said, ‘I’m here for a week. But I’ll need somewhere to stay so I’ll have my old room back, next to my mum’s if a German hasn’t moved himself in and if it’s not full of Dido’s clothes already?’
‘I know we’ve grown up together but you really can be very forward at times,’ Persey chastised.
‘You want me to know my place as the housekeeper’s son, is that it?’ He folded his arms.
‘No, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry,’ Persey said. ‘You know I don’t think anything like that. You’ve only been gone a few weeks so of course your room is still yours. As if your mother would let us do anything else. She’s going to be overjoyed to see you.’
‘I’m not so sure about that,’ Jack said darkly. ‘So it’s safe.’ He angled his head towards the house. ‘In there?’
‘No Germans yet but what if one does come? We had one earlier in the day and he said he’d be back.’
‘We don’t tell them I’ve joined up. I’ve been here the whole time. Never left the island. As long as we all keep to that story for a week, and I stay hidden out here away from prying eyes then it’s too easy.’
‘Too easy …’ Persey repeated thoughtfully. ‘We should wake the house and tell them. Get you dry and into some fresh clothes.’
‘Dido and your mother won’t believe their eyes,’ Jack said.
Persey stopped and dipped her gaze to the floor. When he asked what was wrong, fresh tears threatened as she told him about her mother’s death.
‘Oh dear God. That’s the worst news imaginable. Oh, Persey, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe it. She was fine when I left,’ he said as if that would change facts. ‘Your mother was always very good to me. Very kind to Mother after Father died,’ Jack said quietly. ‘The best sort of woman. I can’t believe she’s gone.’
Persey let the tears fall freely and Jack pulled her towards him, holding her close.
‘You’re wet,’ Persey said through her tears.
‘I am rather, yes, sorry. Those tears don’t help.’
Persey pulled back, sniffed and wiped her eyes. ‘Let’s go inside.’
The shouting between Jack and his mother went on and on in the kitchen at the back of the house. Persey and Dido sat on the stairs, their heads in their hands. And then when it became clear Mrs Grant was gearing up for another yell, the girls moved into the sitting room and closed the door to drown out the Grants’ argument. Persey backed against the door, tipped her chin up and closed her eyes. She wanted to block out the horrific, awful day.
Could one be classed as an orphan at the age of twenty-five? Because surely that’s what she and Dido were. Orphans. She looked over at Dido, whose expression was fixed, as she hunted around for something to do or touch or divert
