by Lily Baxter
Elsie held the small, work-worn hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘Thank you for everything you’ve done for my friend. I’m very sorry about your fiancé.’
Axelle bit her lip and her eyes brimmed with tears but she brushed them away. ‘Goodbye.’ She fled from the room and Elsie stood silently, listening to the patter of Axelle’s feet on the flagstone floor. She realised now that she had misjudged her completely: she had made assumptions that were wrong, and she was ashamed. These people were risking their lives by hiding and treating fugitives. She and Guy owed them a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid. She walked slowly back to his room and took her place at his bedside.
He opened his eyes, as if sensing her presence, and he attempted a smile. ‘I thought I’d been dreaming and that you weren’t really here at all.’
She took his hand and held it to her cheek. ‘I am here, and I’m not going to leave you, Guy. We’ll see this through together.’ She held his hand until she was sure that he was asleep, and only then was she able to relax and allow herself to drift off.
She was dreaming of home. She was a child again, living in Tan Cottage, and Ma was on her way back from working at the manor house. Soon she would walk up the garden path with a basket of leftovers from the manor kitchens. She was about to get up and go to the window to see if Ma had arrived, but someone was shaking her by the shoulder. She opened her eyes. ‘Ma? Is that you?’
‘It’s Axelle.’ The familiar voice was close to her ear. ‘There’s a change of plan. You have to leave right away.’
Chapter Sixteen
ELSIE WAS SUDDENLY wide awake and her heart was racing. She could tell by the urgency in Axelle’s voice that the danger was real, and an orderly was leaning over Guy, waking him gently. A wheelchair stood beside the bed.
‘What’s happening? Where are we going?’ Elsie demanded anxiously. ‘He’s too ill to be moved.’
‘Shh.’ Axelle leaned closer. ‘There is a German inspection in progress. They do this periodically and they descend upon us without warning. You must be quiet and leave the rest to those who know what they’re doing.’ She thrust a parcel into Elsie’s hands. ‘Medicine and dressings. Now go, and good luck.’ She whisked out of the room before Elsie had a chance to thank her.
The orderly lifted Guy into the wheelchair, covering him with a blanket. Elsie shrugged on her jacket and scooped up Guy’s uniform, hurrying after them as the orderly set off at a brisk pace. Negotiating the narrow corridors was like making their way through a rabbit warren, and Elsie had to run in order to keep up, but the smallest sound made her glance nervously over her shoulder to see if they were being followed. The orderly took them through the silent kitchens and outside into the darkness of the back yard. The chill of the night took Elsie’s breath away but she wrapped her jacket closer around her body and quickened her pace as they skirted the building, heading for a gateway which led into a service alley. They were in almost total darkness; the only sound was the soft thud of their footsteps and the crunch of the wheelchair’s rubber tyres on the gravel as they sped along narrow streets. Windows were shuttered and the street lamps were unlit. She had the eerie feeling that they were the only three people left in a deserted city and the rest of the population had fled.
Eventually, just as Elsie was beginning to tire, they emerged from the back streets into a wide square and the clouds parted, allowing the moon to cast its silvery light on what appeared to be a more prosperous part of the city. Large houses, outlined against the night sky, sat solidly behind iron railings that glinted with frost. The orderly stopped outside the grandest of these and opened the wrought-iron gates. He motioned Elsie to follow him as he pushed the wheelchair across the courtyard, and for a moment she thought he was going to knock on the front door, but then she realised that he was making for the rear of the building.
A figure emerged from the deep shadows as they crossed the stable yard. It was too dark to see her face, but it was a woman who took the wheelchair from the orderly and with a brief word sent him on his way. Elsie opened her mouth to thank him, but he had already disappeared into the gloom.
‘Come with me.’ The woman spoke in English with only the slightest trace of an accent. She pushed the wheelchair towards the stable block. ‘Close the door,’ she said when they were safely inside. ‘I’ll light a lamp.’
Elsie did as she was told and for a few seconds they were plunged into darkness. A scraping sound followed by a flash of light and the smell of sulphur was succeeded by the warm glow from a paraffin lamp. A whicker from one of the stalls made their new host turn to give the horse a comforting pat on the neck. ‘It’s all right, boy. They’re friends.’ She regarded Elsie with a hint of a smile. ‘I am known simply as the baroness, and I am going to look after you until your friend is well enough to be moved on.’
Guy’s head lolled to the side and Elsie leaned over him in alarm. ‘Are you in pain, Guy?’ She laid her hand on his forehead, uttering a sigh of relief. ‘He’s not feverish.’
‘He’s drugged,’ the baroness said in a matter-of-fact voice, as if having guests in such a state was an everyday occurrence. ‘It is for the best.’ She hung the lamp on a hook, wiped her hand on her baggy skirt and held it out to Elsie. ‘You are welcome, and you will be safe here until we can get you across the border into Holland.’ She glanced round the stable with a shrug of her broad shoulders. ‘It is basic, but we will make you as comfortable as possible.’
Elsie found herself slightly in awe of this imposing woman, who even in her shapeless garments, with her grey hair confined in two long plaits, was quite obviously someone of importance. ‘We are very grateful, madame, and greatly in your debt.’
‘Nonsense. We all do what we can to help our allies.’ She indicated the next stall with a wave of her hand. ‘A bed has been made up in there for the young man, and in the next one there is all you need for now. I’ll leave you to get some rest and I’ll be back first thing. I’ll have to lock you in because you mustn’t been seen outside these walls.’
‘I understand.’
‘In the morning we will see what can be done for your friend.’ The baroness rolled up her sleeves. ‘But first I’ll help you get the poor boy out of that contraption, and then I’ll leave you to tend to him. Nursing the sick isn’t my forte, unless it’s horses or dogs, and then I know what I’m doing.’ She looked Elsie up and down with a critical eye. ‘You’re probably stronger than you look. Let’s see if we can get him to bed without doing irreparable harm. Heave ho.’
Together they managed to ease Guy from the chair and laid him down on the straw-filled palliasse. He groaned but did not awaken from his drugged stupor, and for that Elsie was grateful. ‘Thank you, once again, madame.’
‘Get some rest, my dear. You’ll need all your strength in the coming days. You’ve still got a long road ahead of you, but La Dame Blanche will do its best to get you home safely.’ She left, locking the stable door behind her.
Having made Guy comfortable, Elsie went to the next stall and lay down, although she did not expect to get much sleep in such strange surroundings. The horse shifted about in his stall and the stable smelled strongly of urine and damp straw. It was a stark contrast to the clinically clean atmosphere in the hospital.
She awakened next morning to find sunlight filtering through the windowpanes. Her first thought was for Guy and she struggled to her feet, stumbling over her long skirts in her hurry to reach him. He lay very still and for a terrifying moment she thought that he had stopped breathing. She threw herself down on her knees at his side and seized his wrist, feeling for a pulse as she had seen Nurse Bosmans do on numerous occasions. The steady throbbing of blood through his veins reassured her and she sat back on her haunches. ‘You gave me a fright,’ she murmured.
He opened his eyes, blinking dazedly. ‘Elsie.’
‘Yes, it’s me.’
He sniffed the air. ‘I can smell horses.’
‘We’re in a stable,’ she said, ch
uckling. ‘I don’t know where we are exactly, but the hospital orderly brought us here last night because the Germans were doing a spot inspection at the hospital.’
‘But why are we in a stable?’
Elsie turned her head at the sound of the door being unlocked and opened. ‘I think we’re about to find out.’ She stood up as their new host entered, carrying a tray of food. In daylight she could see that her first impressions of the baroness had been correct. This was a woman used to giving orders and having them obeyed. ‘Good morning, madame,’ Elsie said, shaking out her skirts.
‘Good morning. I hope you slept well.’
‘Yes, thank you.’
‘I’ve brought you some coffee and rolls. I’m afraid there’s no butter or jam, but food is scarce these days.’
‘We’re very grateful for anything, madame.’
‘How is the patient?’
‘I’m able to speak for myself.’ Guy raised himself on one elbow. ‘May I know who you are, madame?’
‘I am the baroness, and my job is to see you and your companion on your way to the Dutch border.’
‘We’re very grateful that someone of your standing would want to risk everything by helping us,’ Elsie said earnestly.
A grim smile hovered about the baroness’s lips. ‘I am extremely unimportant these days. A title is more of a hindrance than a help, but fortunately the German official in charge of this area is easily impressed, and it does carry a little weight with him at least.’ She set the tray down on a bale of hay. ‘Eat your breakfast. I will return later and answer any questions you may have. There is a pump in the yard and an outside lavatory. I suggest you make use of them now. I trust my servants, but there are things it is best for them not to know.’
Elsie waited until the baroness had left them before sitting down to share the meal with Guy. He sipped the strong black ersatz coffee without complaint and managed to eat some of the bread. He pulled a face. ‘What I wouldn’t give for a dollop of butter and some Cooper’s Oxford Marmalade.’
‘You’re feeling better. I’m so glad.’ Elsie reached out to cover his hand with hers. ‘I thought I’d lost you.’
His eyes darkened. ‘Would you care very much?’
‘Of course I would, Guy. Don’t be so silly.’
‘You don’t have to do this, you know, Elsie.’
She stared at him nonplussed. ‘What are you saying?’
‘You ought to go on alone. Let them take you to safety. I’m just a hindrance, and I’m holding you back.’
‘I won’t listen to such nonsense. I’m not going anywhere without you. What sort of person do you think I am?’
He smiled and raised her hand to his lips. ‘A very brave woman and I don’t deserve such a friend.’
She snatched her hand away. ‘And you won’t have one if you keep talking such tripe.’ She scrambled to her feet. ‘Now, if you’ve had enough to eat I’m going to try to get you outside to the lavatory.’ She went to fetch the wheelchair and pushed it closer to the stall.
Guy bent one leg, keeping the splinted limb straight. ‘Give me a moment and I’ll be fine.’ He looked up with an apologetic grin. ‘I’m just a bit weak.’
‘Of course you are,’ she said sympathetically. ‘Take a breather, and then we’ll have another go.’
Eventually, after a considerable struggle, she managed to get him into the chair and across the yard to the outside lavatory. She was too intent on helping him without causing him additional discomfort to feel any embarrassment, and Guy suffered her ministrations without complaint. He even managed to hobble a few paces, but he sat down again quickly, leaving Elsie to get him to the pump. She washed his face and hands with a scrap of cloth torn from her petticoat. ‘I don’t think I’d make a very good nurse,’ she said, mopping the excess water as it trickled down his neck and soaked his shirt. ‘Sorry.’
‘You’re coping magnificently,’ he said manfully. ‘I’m the useless one. I’m as weak as a kitten and my right leg is useless.’
‘You’ll get stronger every day.’ Elsie paused for a moment to look round and was even more impressed by their surroundings when seen in daylight. ‘The baroness must be very wealthy to own such a place. She has such a lot to lose by helping us and others in a similar position. You’ve got to admire her.’
‘I just wish I wasn’t so bloody helpless.’ A note of bitterness had crept into Guy’s voice and he turned his head away. ‘Don’t take any notice of me, Elsie. I’m just feeling sorry for myself.’ He shot her a sideways glance. ‘I should be looking after you, not the other way round.’
‘And you would if our situations were reversed. You’re lucky to be alive, Guy Gifford.’ She realised that she had spoken more brusquely than she had intended and she leaned over to drop a kiss on the top of his head. His hair had been savagely cropped in the hospital, and now stood up in tiny hedgehog spikes, making him look younger and even more vulnerable. She brushed a trickle of water from his cheek. ‘You’ve survived – that’s all that matters. We’ll get through this together.’
He smiled weakly. ‘You’re a wonderful girl, Elsie.’
There was no doubting his sincerity and she was touched, but she turned away. This was not the time to weaken; she must be strong for both of them. She splashed water on her hot cheeks. It was ice-cold but invigorating and she dried her face on her skirt. ‘I’d give anything for some decent clothes,’ she said, steering the subject to safer ground. ‘I must look an absolute fright.’
‘You look beautiful,’ Guy said seriously. ‘I’ll always remember you like this. You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met, and the loveliest.’
‘You’re obviously feverish,’ she said, laughing. ‘Let’s get you back to the stables before the baroness spots us and tells us off for loitering.’ There were tears in her eyes as she seized the handles and began to push the wheelchair across the cobblestones. Guy was completely dependent upon her and she had to be brave, but deep down she was terrified. At any moment they could be discovered and shot as spies or at the very least thrown into prison for the duration of the war. Home seemed a long way away, and getting to the Dutch border was not going to be easy. They had just reached the stable door when she spotted the baroness hurrying towards them. She could tell by her tense expression that all was not well. ‘Is anything wrong, madame?’
‘There’s been a change of plan. You were supposed to remain here for a few days, but I’ve just been informed that my home has been commandeered by the Germans. They are going to billet some of their most important officers here.’
‘But that’s terrible, baroness. What will happen to you?’
‘I’ll be treated well enough, but for the time being my work for La Dame Blanche will have to cease. It would be too dangerous to carry on.’
‘So we must move on tonight?’
‘No, my dear. I’m afraid we will have to take a great risk. You will leave within the hour.’
‘How will we travel? Guy is too weak to walk.’
‘My maid’s husband is a farmer. It’s fortunate that today is market day, and he is already in town unloading his produce. He’ll be here shortly and will take you to one of our agents closer to the Dutch border. You’ll remain there until we can organise the next part of your journey.’
‘You are all taking such enormous risks,’ Elsie said softly. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’
‘We do what we can. Now go inside and be ready to travel. I’ll bring your documents to you before you go, but stay inside until I tell you it’s safe to come out. My unwelcome guests will be arriving shortly.’ She strode off in the direction of the house, leaving Elsie staring after her in awe.
‘What a woman,’ Guy said in a low voice. ‘I wish we’d had time to get to know her better.’
Elsie manoeuvred the chair into the stables and the horse whinnied as if in greeting. She paused outside his stall, stroking his satiny nose. ‘You’ll be glad of some peace and quiet, no doubt.’
‘I wish I could help,’ Guy said as he watched her clearing away evidence of their stay.
‘I can manage,’ she said cheerfully.
Guy watched as she rolled up his palliasses and tidied the stall. ‘So we’re going on a hayride.’
She looked up and forced a smile. ‘I don’t think this is going to be much fun.’
It was hot and airless beneath the canvas sheet that covered the cart, and the wooden wheels jolted over the cobblestones in town and bounced over the rutted lanes when they reached the country. The farmer had not had time to sweep the mud off the boards, and the smell of manure was suffocating, but Elsie lay huddled up against Guy, trying to shield him from the worst of the bumps with little success. He did not complain or cry out, but she felt the tremor go through him each time the jolt was severe enough to cause him pain. ‘It’s like a game of sardines,’ she said in an effort to make light of their discomfort.
‘Let’s hope no one finds us,’ he whispered, and even in the dark she sensed that he was smiling.
She gave him an encouraging hug. ‘I think we’re slowing down. Better keep quiet in case it’s a German checkpoint.’
The cart drew to a lumbering halt and Elsie held her breath. She tightened her hold around Guy and she felt his muscles tense. She could hear noises but she could not make out what was happening until the cover was drawn back, and they were in the cold light of a snowy landscape. She shielded her eyes and found herself looking up into the farmer’s weathered face. He held out his hand. ‘We’re here,’ he said, helping her to a sitting position. ‘Get out, mademoiselle, and I’ll do the rest.’
She jumped to the ground and found herself standing on hard-packed snow beneath the huge sails of a windmill. They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by flat fields with a silver ribbon of a river glinting in the distance. ‘Is this where we’ll be staying?’
The farmer helped Guy to the ground. He nodded. ‘You are only fifteen miles from the Dutch border. The miller will take care of you from now on.’