by CW Browning
They reached the sports car and Miles opened the door for her. She ducked inside and he slammed it closed before running around the hood to the driver side.
“It had to turn to rain today, didn’t it?” he gasped, getting in beside her.
“At least the snow has stopped,” she replied. “And I don’t mind the rain.”
“Don’t you?” he glanced at her as he started the engine. “Tell me, Evelyn, is there anything you do mind?”
She thought for a moment.
“Do you know, I can’t think of a single thing,” she finally decided. “It must be all those glasses of wine.”
Miles laughed and pulled out of the parking lot. “In that case, remind me to invest in barrels of the stuff.”
Evelyn smiled and leaned her head back on the leather seat.
“I’m so glad we did this,” she said. “I’m sorry that you have to drive me all the way back to Northolt, though. Next time I go home, I’ll take the car back to Northolt. Robbie won’t miss it. Then you won’t have to do this.”
“I don’t mind.” He glanced at her with a smile. “It’s not that far.”
They were silent for a moment, then she chuckled.
“Were you very shocked when Freddie put me on his shoulders?” she asked, turning her head to look at him.
He grinned, his eyes on the road. “Not in the least.”
“He really is a bit much sometimes, but he makes me laugh.”
“He flies Hurricanes?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him with a smile. “Although he says he’d love to hop in a Spitfire and take one up. He’s heard such wonderful things about them.”
“It’s a fantastic kite,” he said with a shrug. “It’s faster than the Hurricane, but Hurries have better range. There’s also a lot more of them. I did a few hours in one last year. They’re easier to fly.”
“Are they?”
He nodded. “Yes. There’s a learning curve to the Spit, but I love it. It turns like a dream, and is more maneuverable.”
Evelyn smiled. “I suppose it’s all what you’re used to.”
He looked at her. “I’d love to take you up in one,” he said with a grin. “You’d love it.”
“Oh, I wish!” She sighed. “Maybe one day. After the war. Except then I expect it wouldn’t be a fighter plane.”
Miles turned his attention back to the road. “No, but I’ll continue flying after the war. I’ll take you up with me one day.”
Evelyn looked out the window over the dark, dripping countryside. They spoke so easily about after the war, assuming that they would both survive it. She sobered, unable to ignore the fact that they probably wouldn’t.
“Did you hear about the German ship we seized?” Miles asked suddenly.
“The Altmark?” Evelyn pulled her gaze away from the window. “Yes. We seized it in Norwegian waters.”
“And freed three hundred prisoners of war.”
“Yes, but we did it in neutral waters. Norway is furious.”
Miles glanced at her. “So is Germany. Did you see they’ve accused Britain of piracy?”
Evelyn couldn’t stop herself from laughing.
“Yes. And murder. As if they haven’t murdered thousands in Poland alone.” She sobered. “Although, it’s not really funny. Norway has always been our ally and now they’re furious because we breached their national waters. I can see their point. They’re trying to remain neutral. Now Germany is demanding reparations for one of their ships being attacked in Norwegian territory.”
“Do you think Germany will go after Norway?” he asked after a moment.
“I think it’s a fair bet,” she said slowly. “If they have control of Norway, and the Soviets gain control in Finland, they have total control of the North and Baltic Seas, as well as the North Atlantic.”
Miles looked at her, a strange expression on his face. She caught it and raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “It’s just strange to hear you talk about strategic positioning. It’s not what one usually hears coming out of the mouth of a beautiful heiress.”
She grinned. “Are you intimidated?”
He met her gaze and smiled slowly. “Not a bit.”
“Good.”
“I’m surprised we haven’t made any move to try to protect Norway, actually,” he said after a long moment. “We could be mining the water around them, at the very least.”
“I don’t think Chamberlain wants to get any further involved in this war than he’s forced to,” she said, unable to keep the derisive tone out of her voice. “He’s too afraid to do anything.”
“We have to do something, and soon. Finland is falling. It’s only a matter of time now. And once they do, they will have no choice but to align themselves with Germany. All we’ve done is send some planes and munitions. France has done the same, but it’s a half-hearted effort at best. What else are the Finns to do? They can’t hold off the Russians alone.”
“We’ve done a bit more than that,” she protested weakly. “You make it sound as if we’re just sitting and watching them fall.”
“Aren’t we?” He glanced at her. “I’m not saying we should have sent all of our forces up there, but we bloody well could have done more than we did.”
Evelyn was quiet for a moment. He was right, of course. Finland would have no choice but to ally with Hitler, and if Hitler took Norway, most of Scandinavia would fall under the cloak of the Nazi regime. She thought of Anna Salvesen, the woman in Norway who had helped her in November, and frowned. She would be trapped.
“You don’t agree?” Miles asked, mistaking her silence for disapproval.
“Oh no, I do,” she assured him. “I was just thinking about what would happen if Scandinavia falls under both Hitler and Stalin. If that happens, I’m afraid both France and Britain will have been responsible.”
“And yet Chamberlain does nothing.” He shook his head in frustration. “We’ll never make it through this war if he doesn’t grow a backbone.”
Evelyn nodded in agreement and they were silent for a few miles. Then, with a heavy sigh, he glanced at her.
“I’m sorry. This always seems to happen. We have a fantastic time together and then end up discussing miserable world affairs.”
“I’d rather that than have a lovely time together and then end up quarreling,” she said with a smile.
He laughed. “That’s true. And I have the strangest feeling that you would be deadly in a quarrel. I feel like you would fight dirty.”
She shot him a sharp look under her lashes, inwardly wincing. He had no idea about her training in what many called ‘dirty warfare,’ or about her study of the Chinese art of Wing Chun. In fact, he had no clue how accurate his offhand comment really was.
“Oh Miles, you have no idea,” she murmured, drawing a smile from him.
“You don’t scare me, ASO Ainsworth,” he said with a flash of white teeth. “I think I’ll hold my own just fine.”
Paris, France
March 4
Evelyn ran lightly across the side street, gaining the pavement on the other side a moment later. She carried a clutch purse in one hand and a bag from her favorite fashion house in the other. The weather was mild and the sun shone brightly over the city, coaxing Parisians and visitors alike outside to throng the streets. As she moved through the chattering crowds spilling along the Champs-Élysées, she breathed deeply and couldn’t prevent the wave of contentment that went through her. England was her home, and London her playground, but Paris would always hold a special place in her heart.
It was where she felt alive.
“Evie!” A woman called from a table outside a café, waving. “We’re here!”
Evelyn smiled and made her way towards the outdoor seating where her mother, Aunt Adele and cousin Gisele were seated with cups of coffee, enj
oying a short respite from an entire morning spent shopping.
“I’m sorry it took so long,” she said as she reached the table and dropped into an empty chair. “Madame Beaupellier insisted on showing me the latest summer patterns.”
“Did you see anything you liked?” Mrs. Ainsworth asked.
“Of course I did, and placed an order. It will be delivered on Thursday, just in time for me to return to England,” she replied with a laugh, setting her bag by her feet and laying her purse in her lap. “But where are your packages? I know the three of you didn’t spend the past hour shopping and not buy anything!”
“Oh George has already collected them and taken them back to the house,” Gisele said gaily. “He’ll come back for us. They filled the entire back of the car!”
“It’s been too long since I was here,” Mrs. Ainsworth said with a sheepish laugh. “I’m afraid I may have got carried away.”
“And you deserve to,” Evelyn said promptly, reaching out and squeezing her hand. “Who knows when you’ll be able to get back.”
“That’s what I told her,” Adele agreed, motioning to a waiter. “Will you have coffee, my dear?”
“Yes, please!”
“Do you really think you won’t be able to come again?” Gisele asked once the waiter had gone. “They’re saying the Germans won’t make it past the Maginot Line.”
“They also said they wouldn’t take Poland,” Evelyn couldn’t resist pointing out.
“Who can tell, Gisele? But I have to assume that if this war goes on for much longer, then it will be more and more difficult to get over,” Mrs. Ainsworth said, casting Evelyn an exasperated look.
Evelyn dropped her eyes, her lips tightening. Despite the fact that everyone was preparing for the storm that they all knew was coming, her mother insisted on not discussing the very real possibility of her beloved France being invaded by the Nazis. France was her mother’s home country. She was born and raised here, and it wasn’t until she married Robert Ainsworth that she had moved to England. While Evelyn could understand her reluctance to acknowledge the dangers France faced, she couldn’t help but think that her mother was burying her head in the sand to some degree.
“Never mind, Madeleine,” Adele said cheerfully. “If things do get bad, we’ll come to you. I suppose I can tolerate London if I must.”
Evelyn laughed at her aunt’s mild teasing. Adele’s love for the London theatre was well known, and when she did come to England, she enjoyed herself immensely.
“We have ample room for all of you,” Mrs. Ainsworth said with a smile. “There’s nothing I would enjoy more, and I know Robbie and Evelyn feel the same.”
“Of course we do! It would be lovely to have you all stay at Ainsworth Manor,” Evelyn agreed.
“Maman, you won’t really leave France, will you?” Gisele demanded.
Adele looked at her and something akin to sadness crossed her face.
“I wouldn’t want to, you understand, but if it’s the only way to remain safe...”
“Don’t worry yourself, Gisele,” Mrs. Ainsworth said, reaching out to pat her hand. “It won’t come to that. Not that you wouldn’t be very welcome in any case.”
“Where is Auntie Agatha?” Evelyn asked suddenly. “Didn’t she come out with you?”
“She went back to the house with George. Her feet were hurting her. It was the new shoes. I told her not to wear them, but you know Agatha. She’s as stubborn as a mule.”
Evelyn grinned and nodded in thanks as the waiter set a cup of coffee before her. She sipped it thankfully.
“Mmm...this is delicious,” she murmured. “How is she enjoying Paris?”
“I think she’s having a fabulous time. If she eats any more pastry, though, she’s going to gain ten stone.”
“I’m so glad the two of you were able to come over,” she said, setting down her cup and smiling at her mother. “You needed to get out of that house.”
“Just them?” Gisele stared across the table at her. “What about you? I haven’t seen you since last August!”
“I’m afraid I’m not a lady of leisure anymore, Zell. The WAAF is a very serious business,” Evelyn said with a wink. “I’m lucky I got the time that I did.”
“Madeleine says you’re a training officer?” Adele asked, sipping her coffee. “What does that entail?”
“Oh, it’s terribly boring. I train enlisted ACWs, that’s short for Aircraftwomen. I’m stationed on one airfield, but I travel to others to lead the training. In fact, I think I spend less time at my posting than I do traveling around England!”
“That sounds exhausting,” Gisele said decidedly. “What do you train them to do?”
“I can’t say.”
“How mysterious!”
“Not really, I assure you.”
“Well, we’re very happy to see you again,” Adele told her. “It really has been an age since you were here. And, do you know, I think you even look more mature?”
Evelyn laughed, tossing her head. “I can’t imagine why that would be!”
Mrs. Ainsworth tilted her head and studied her daughter thoughtfully.
“I think she’s right,” she said slowly. “I hadn’t really noticed it before, but now that she points it out, you do look more...I don’t know. Worldly.”
“I think military life must agree with her,” Adele agreed. “Although the thought of women working alongside the men on active military stations still seems very odd to me.”
Evelyn swallowed and reached for her coffee. If she looked more mature and worldly, she supposed she could thank the war for that. Sneaking around in the shadows and fleeing from SD agents in strange cities was bound to leave its mark somehow.
“Do you think you’ll continue when the war is over, Evie?” Gisele asked.
“Goodness, I hope not!”
“Perhaps that nice Miles Lacey will have an alternative,” Mrs. Ainsworth said slyly, her eyes twinkling.
“Miles Lacey?” Gisele latched on to the name. “Who’s that?”
“He’s a pilot who flies with Robbie,” Evelyn said, shooting her mother an amused look. “And before you start making wedding plans, he is just a friend.”
“He’s one of the Yorkshire Laceys, you know,” Mrs. Ainsworth told Adele, ignoring her daughter. “Very handsome. He’s been to the house twice now, and I was impressed each time. Robert would have liked him.”
“One of the Yorkshire Laceys?” Adele nodded, impressed. “And he’s a pilot?”
“Yes. Well, they’re all having to do their bit now, aren’t they?” Mrs. Ainsworth shrugged. “Look at Robbie.”
Gisele looked across the table at Evelyn, her lips curved wickedly.
“One of the Yorkshire Laceys?” she repeated, eyes dancing. “Oh he doesn’t stand a chance, does he?”
Evelyn couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out.
“Not with these two sitting here with that look in their eyes!” she agreed, finishing her coffee. “Come on, Zell. Let’s go and leave them to it. I want to look for a hat to go with the suit I just ordered.”
Gisele nodded and finished her coffee, then stood up and pulled on her gloves.
“You realize they will have your entire wedding planned before we get home?” she asked with a grin.
Evelyn picked up her bags and stood, glancing at her mother and aunt.
“Can we please get through the war first?” she asked with a laugh. “I refuse to make any plans when I don’t know where I’ll be next week.”
“We’re not making plans, dear,” her mother said complacently. “We’re simply noting that Miles is an excellent prospect.”
“Of course you are.” Evelyn leaned down to kiss her mother on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
“Have fun.” Mrs. Ainsworth waved her away with a smile. “Don’t forget the Buckleys are coming for dinner with Marguerite.”
“I won’t.”
She turned away from the table and smiled as Gisele tucked her arm through hers. It was lovely to be back in Paris with her family, even if the purpose of her visit wasn’t pleasure. The smile faded somewhat. Bill was coming to dinner tonight and, while he was there, would give her the address in Metz where she could find Josephine Rousseau. The war continued, even in Paris in the spring.
And she had work to do while she was here.
Chapter Four
––––––––
Evelyn looked up when the door to the music room opened and Gisele’s twin brother Nicolas strolled in carrying a sketchbook in one hand. His step checked when he saw her.
“Oh! I didn’t know you were in here,” he said. “Would you rather be alone?”
“Not at all.” She closed the book in her hands. “I was just reading. Auntie Agatha and Mum started arguing and I had to get away.”
He grinned and closed the door, crossing the room to drop his sketchbook on the table near the window. During the day, sunlight poured through the glass panes, making the light ideal for drawing. Now darkness had descended and the curtains were pulled across the bay window, blocking out the night.
“She’s your father’s sister, isn’t she? I thought they seemed to get along well.”
“They do, for the most part. Auntie Agatha is very outspoken and stubborn, but Mum tends to balance her somewhat. It’s only occasionally that something sets them off.”
Nicolas crossed to the piano in the corner and perched on the bench.
“And tonight was one of those times,” he finished. “Well, it’s bound to happen, I suppose. She’s staying with Tante Madeleine now, isn’t she?”
“Yes, for the time being. She closed her house in London. Said she couldn’t abide the blackout and the war preparations.” Evelyn set her book on the cushion beside her. “I think the company is good for Mum. It’s been an adjustment for her since Dad died. Robbie gets home as often as he can, of course, but it’s still difficult.”