by Julie Rowe
“Johann has prepared our new passports for us. We are now officially Anton and Rose Humphrey.” He took her by the hand and led the way out of the room. “And I think we should tell people you’re pregnant. It might distract anyone who questions us.”
“All right.”
He took her outside where a car was waiting for them. Johann was in the driver’s seat. He took them to the train station and they boarded a train bound for Aachen, Germany, a town near the German and Netherlands’ border.
They settled in a small berth with upper and lower beds. She sat next to Herman on the lower bed. “Talk to me. We know each other, but we don’t.”
He put his arm around her. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Rodney. Tell me about your bother. He was a pianist. What else?”
He cleared his throat. “He composes, too, and loves the opera. But mostly he loves to play for an audience. To tell stories with his music and see those stories reflected in the faces of his listeners.”
“The loss of his hand will be difficult then.”
“He wants to die. He wants me to let the infection kill him.” Even Herman’s heartbeat sounded sad.
“Who is looking after him now?”
“I had him moved to the hospital at the palace earlier today. The maggots worked. His infection appeared all but gone and his fever had broken.”
“What will your uncle do?”
“I’m not sure. I left him a letter explaining my decision and actions but little else. He’s a smart man. He’ll be angry and he’ll denounce what I’ve done, but I hope he’ll forgive me eventually.”
“Your parents?”
“Both dead. A few years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“They would have loved you.”
Theirs wasn’t the love she wanted.
“Tell me about your family,” he asked, squeezing her shoulder. “Your father is a rector? Perhaps I should ask him for some professional advice.”
“Be careful what you wish for. He’s notorious for providing advice and life lessons at the same time.”
“I’d appreciate his efficiency.”
“But maybe not his sense of humour.”
Herman’s answering chuckle made her smile, but it didn’t last.
“I can’t even imagine what he’d say to our current situation.”
“You don’t think he’d approve?”
“Heavens no.”
“Why not?”
“Well, we’re...I mean it’s not like we’re going to stay...married.”
“We have to get out of Belgium, to a neutral country, first. We should talk about children.”
“Children?”
Herman coaxed her to move closer to him. “We should discuss it. We’ll need these kinds of answers ready. How many children do you want to have?”
“I’d let God decide that, but three or four would be nice.”
“We could name our first son and daughter for your parents.”
“I think I’d rather name them after yours.”
Herman was silent for a long time and she put her head on his shoulder. She’d almost drifted off when he said quietly, “You know we can’t go to England right away, don’t you?”
“We can’t?”
“If anyone found out who I really am, I’d be arrested.”
“If anyone finds out who you really are in Germany, you’ll be shot. We both will.”
“We should eventually go to the Netherlands. In a neutral country, we’ll both be safe.”
“Could I send a letter to my family? Let them know I’m alive and safe?”
“Of course, but we’ll still need to be careful.”
“Why?”
“I don’t trust anyone to keep our secret.” He stared at the wall opposite them with a resigned expression then murmured something about it being the only choice he could have made and stroked her hair. “Some might view what we’ve done as treason.”
* * *
A pair of brown haired children, a boy and a girl, with her eyes and Herman’s smile ran into the tiny room. They laughed and asked her to play with them.
“Rose.” Herman called to her.
She didn’t want to leave the children.
“Rose, wake up.”
She opened her eyes to discover her head in his lap. “What?”
“This gentleman needs to ask you a few questions.”
“Now? I was having the most wonderful dream. About a boy and a girl,” she told him, their faces still fresh in her mind’s eye. “Twins.”
Someone cleared his throat behind her and she blinked the last of sleep away. She turned to find a man of indeterminate years in a German military uniform standing in the doorway. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “Please excuse me.”
“It’s quite all right, Mrs. Humphrey. My wife dreamed of babies when she was with child. The entire time.” He handed passports back to Herman. “Thank you, sir. Have a pleasant trip.” He left and closed the door behind him.
“Where are we?”
“Liege. We’re not far from Germany now.”
Rose stared at the closed door for a moment. “What was that all about?”
“The military is looking for someone,” Herman whispered. “He didn’t believe me when I said you were pregnant.”
“Oh. Well. I’m glad my dream proved useful.”
“Very.” Then he smiled. “Twins?”
She could feel the heat crawl up her face. “It was only a dream.”
“A good omen.” He stroked a hand down her neck and she sat up.
“I need a few private moments. Do you mind?”
“Certainly not. Take all the time that you need.”
She smoothed out her dress and touched her hair, but it seemed reasonably neat.
“You look lovely.”
Surprise had her blinking at her husband. “Really? I usually look rather rumpled after a nap.”
He scanned her body from the shoes on her feet to the ribbon in her hair. “Lovely.”
Such want was stamped on his features it made her catch her breath. “I may go in search of some tea,” she managed to get stutter then stepped out of the room.
The ladies’ room at the head of the car was thankfully unoccupied. She entered and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Bedraggled, just as she thought. She was going to have to suggest Herman consider wearing glasses. The thought of the expression on his face made her heart pound.
Desire. She wasn’t used to it directed at her.
A cup of tea would definitely help settle her. She’d just nip forward to the dining car and see if she could procure some, along with a bit of bread and cheese.
* * *
Herman stared at the door his wife had just departed through with a wide smile on his face. Since he’d spoken his wedding vows, he couldn’t seem to stop smiling.
The woman had bewitched and enchanted him. He’d always thought her attractive, but now, having seen and touched her nude, curvaceous form, he was on fire for her. Her passionate and uninhibited response to his lovemaking only made him want her more. Add that to her wit and intelligence and he’d married his perfect woman.
All he had to do now was show her he was her perfect man.
He laid back and considered his possible courses of action.
A moment later, someone knocked on the door.
He rose and opened it. A German soldier faced him, his uniform declaring the rank of captain. Behind him stood two enlisted men with rifles in their hands.
“Dr. Geoff, how surprising to find you on board,” the captain said with a smile that was altogether too predatory.
Hate had him wishing he could strike the smile off the other man’s face. “How surprising to discover you’re a captain, Carl.”
Carl hadn’t revealed his rank when he’d arrived with the military police to arrest Rose, just that he’d been investigating her.
The orderly-turned-officer looked around. �
�Where is your wife?”
“My wife?”
“Come now, Doctor. I know all about your marriage and assumption of your dead cousin’s name.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. As you can see, there’s no wife here.”
Carl’s smile was all teeth. “I’ve talked to the church man who married you, Rodney and Dr. Fuchs. The doctor was most helpful. Your brother less so.”
Anger washed over Herman. He wouldn’t put it past this bastard to have used unsavory methods to obtain this information. “My brother is injured and not well.”
“No, he isn’t. A shame you had to leave him in such a hurry.”
“Did you hurt him?”
“Me? No, of course not. You did most of the damage.” Carl shoved past him and into the room. He picked up Rose’s cape and held it up. “I’ll ask again, where is your wife?”
“She’s gone.”
“Where?”
When Herman didn’t answer right away, Carl circled to face him again and asked in a hard, icy tone, “Where is Rose Culver?”
“I don’t know. When we arrived here she said she needed some time to herself. I believe she was frightened. She hasn’t come back.”
“You lost your wife already? How careless of you.” Carl sneered. “You’ll remain here under guard while we look for her.”
“I assume I’m being charged with a crime.”
“Indeed. Dereliction of duty, abandoning your post and aiding the enemy.”
* * *
Tea had never tasted so good.
Rose sat at small table in the dining car and watched people rush about the train station in Liege. Most of the other passengers in the car were men dressed in German military uniforms. None had spared her more than a glance or two, and she was able to relax enough to ignore them in favour of pondering her predicament.
Married to a man she respected and desired. Put that way, things didn’t seem untoward at all. But that was just the beginning. She was married to him because he’d decided to save her life. His compassionate nature had compelled him to do it. Not the honest desire to marry her.
He was a good man, her husband. Too good to burden with an unwanted wife, no matter how he tried to reassure her he’d make the best of things. Yet, what could she do? The whole of Europe was at war and they were from opposing sides. Neither of them could go home. If they did, the other risked arrest—or worse.
No, their course was set. For now, the future would have to take care of itself.
It was time to return to their berth. The least she could do was bring tea and sandwiches to share with her new husband. She purchased a pot of tea and the snacks and loaded a tray to carry back to Herman.
She entered their car and noticed a soldier standing next to their door. Already walking down the hall, she couldn’t stop now. The soldier had already seen her. She pasted a smile on her face and walked by him into the next car.
As she passed, she glanced inside the berth. Another soldier was with Herman. Somehow they’d been found out.
She hesitated in the next car, uncertain and trying very hard not to panic.
She could get off the train and run. She still had contacts within the underground and could find her way to the Netherlands. But she couldn’t leave Herman. He’d risked everything to save her. The German military would execute him, of that she had no doubt.
She wouldn’t leave him behind.
Her breathing calmed as she made her decision. She could do this. It was her turn to rescue him.
She went back to the previous train car and came to a stop directly in front of their berth.
“Afternoon,” she said to the soldier guarding the door.
“Ma’am.” He nodded.
She raised a brow expectantly. “This is your tea service, sir.”
He frowned. “We didn’t order tea.”
“Well, someone did. For two.” She glanced through the narrow window. “There are two of you aren’t there?”
“Yes, ma’am, but...” He looked around as if a solution to this sudden tea problem would magically appear.
“May I set this down at least?”
“Yes, ma’am. Of course.” He opened the door and she went in.
“Good afternoon,” she said brightly to the second soldier. “Your tea is here.”
“Tea?” he asked, as confused as the first.
Herman stared at her with his mouth hanging open.
She let her gaze slide over him as if he were a piece of furniture. If she looked at him at all it would show on her face and the jig would be up.
“Um? Where can I put this down?” She turned in a circle and lifted the tray higher.
The soldiers urged Herman to his feet and out of the way. One bent to remove her bag from the seat.
Then she brought the tray—including hot teapot, cups and sandwiches—down hard against the back of his head.
The soldier slumped to the floor, and she spun towards the other one. He gaped in astonishment as she thrust the edge of the tray at his face. He blocked it with his rifle and knocked it out of her hands. She jerked back, raising her hands to ward him off, but he came to an abrupt halt.
Herman had the unconscious soldier’s rifle. “Inside,” he ordered. The soldier entered and Herman slid the door shut behind him. “Take his rifle, dear.”
She did, purposely not meeting his gaze.
“Tie them both up.”
She nodded and rooted through her bag for something that would hold two men for more than a few minutes. She finally settled for ripping up a chemise, using the strips to render both soldiers immobile. Once they were restrained, Herman took their rifles and shoved them into the closet.
“Come along.”
“Where are we going?”
“Hush.” He opened the door, checked the hall then pulled her out and closed the door. He moved her forward to the front of the car to the washrooms, pushing her into the vacant ladies’ room.
Once inside side he yanked her close, his arms going around her.
She returned his embrace, her arms shaking and burrowed into his shoulder. “I can’t believe I just did what I did.” Even her voice was shaking.
“I can’t believe it either,” he said into her hair. “I’m so proud of your quick thinking.”
They both breathed as if they’d been in a long foot race.
“Carl. It was Carl who found us. He knew we’d gotten married. He questioned my brother, Johann and probably Jesper and Nan.”
“Did he hurt them?”
“He implied that he did, but I don’t know if it was a lie or not.”
“What can we do?”
He swallowed hard. “Nothing.”
“Nothing.” She nodded quickly. “Now what?”
“Now we hope they think we’ve left the train.”
“You think that’s what they’ll believe?”
“It’s the most logical thing for us to do, get off the train and make a run for it. Which is why we’re not doing it. We’ll wait until the train has left the station, then we’ll try to find a way off before we reach the boarder.”
“You mean jump?”
“Very possibly.”
“Won’t that be dangerous?”
“Not if we land in water or a bog, or if we jump while the train has slowed down.”
“This isn’t how I pictured my honeymoon.”
“Looking on the bright side again?” He kissed her forehead and she could feel his lips smiling.
Shouting outside the washroom, followed by running feet and more shouting had them both eyeing the door, but no one stopped in their frantic rush to chase after them to check the ladies’ room.
A few minutes later, the whistle went off and the train began to move.
“How long shall we wait in here?” she whispered to Herman.
“A few more minutes at least.”
Twice while they waited, women knocked on the door. Rose made excuses each time, but they coul
dn’t monopolize the room for too long. Someone in authority would eventually investigate and finding a man inside would start their problems all over again.
Finally, he allowed her to unlock the door and slip out. The hall was empty. They went to the end of the car to see if they could jump, but the train was going too fast.
“There’s a sharp turning coming,” Herman said. “The train may slow down for it. We might be able to jump then.”
As the train approached the corner, it slowed. Along the edge of the track was a thick border of grass.
“Ready?” he asked as he opened the door.
No. “Yes.”
“Push away from the train and try to roll when you land.”
Any kind of reasonable landing was all she hoped for, but nodded anyway.
The train began to enter the turn.
Herman yelled, “Go.”
She jumped.
Chapter Nine
For a moment she seemed to float above the ground. This must be what it was like to fly. Then she hit the ground and found herself rolling whether she liked it or not, her feet going one way, her arms another. It all came to a stop with her on her back. For a long second or two, she let herself focus on breathing and nothing more.
“Rose, are you all right?”
She pushed herself onto her elbows and when that worked, up to a seated position. “Nothing appears to be broken.” She flexed her fingers and toes. “So far anyway.”
Herman crouched in front of her with a hand extended. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. Other than some general bruising, she felt no other injury.
She inspected Herman’s body as minutely as he inspected hers. “You look none the worse for wear.”
He snorted. “I think my nerves are done in.”
That made her laugh. “You lose your nerve? Not possible.”
He considered that for a moment. “I think I’ll take that as a compliment, even though I’m not sure it’s meant as one.”
“It’s a compliment, dear husband.” She looked around. “Which way now?”
He glanced at the sun and pointed. “The border with Germany is northeast. The border with the Netherlands is northwest. That way, I think.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her across the tracks.