Page 104 of Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure
“If they catch today’s Jewish man, we’ll definitely be in for it,” Clive said. “If they hadn’t taken Tommy away, I’d try to get out of here, pay one of the fishermen to take us to Corsica or wherever. But I’m not going to leave Tommy.”
“Neither am I,” Ellie said. “Let’s just hope.”
At last they went to bed, but Ellie couldn’t sleep. She lay awake, remembering Nico’s arms around her, the warmth of his body against hers. A new day dawned with mist hanging over the sea and the jutting cliffs along the coast receding in indistinct outlines. A seagull’s cry echoed eerily through the mist. Ellie drank a cup of herb tea and wondered if she’d be allowed down to the village to buy bread. That way she might get news of Nico. She had decided to go and ask the sentry, to use any kind of feminine flattery to appeal to his gentler side, and was halfway down the garden path when the gate opened and a German staff car drove in. The same officer got out. She waited for Tommy to appear, but he did not. The officer strode towards her.
“You are thinking of going somewhere?” he asked.
“We have to buy bread from the village before it sells out every day.”
“Of course you do.” That self-satisfied, mocking smile made Ellie want to slap him.
“Where is my husband?” she asked. “Why have you not returned him to us?”
He was still smiling. “Your husband told us many things, just as I knew he would. I have to think he is a simple man who didn’t quite understand what he was doing in offering shelter to Jews. You English are too soft-hearted.”
“So you’ve let him go?” She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Let him go?” The officer now laughed. “Oh no, dear lady. He has committed a crime. He is on his way to a camp, maybe in Germany.” When she gasped, he added, “You should consider yourselves lucky. I could have had you all shot here and now. As it was, your husband kept insisting that he was the only one involved in the stupid scheme and you and his nephew were completely innocent. So you can thank him. I’ve decided to give you the benefit of the doubt, for now. Since your little operation is no more ...”
He paused, observing her face, savouring the moment. “Oh, didn’t I tell you about your other friends? The so-called churchman and the fisherman? How remiss of me. Our navy met up with them, trying to flee to Corsica. Their boat was sunk, and both of them were shot in the water.”
“You monster.” She spat out the words. “Those were two good men. The best.” She glared at him. “How can you live with yourself?”
His expression did not change. “Everything I do is for the Fatherland,” he said. “And for the Führer. My orders are to eradicate all Jews and traitors. And I should warn you to watch your mouth, madame. I could shoot you at this moment for daring to speak to me in that way. Now go back to your house and stay there if you know what is good for you.”
She wanted to say more but noticed his fingers toying with the revolver at his hip.
She stumbled back to the house, not aware of putting one foot in front of the other. Clive took one look at her face. “Ellie. Is it bad news?”
She nodded, unable to speak. He took her hand and led her over to the nearest chair. Then she took a deep breath, and the words tumbled out. “They’ve shot Nico and the abbot. They sunk their boat and then shot them both in the water.”
“And Tommy?” He shouted the word.
“He’s on a train, going to a prison camp in Germany.”
“No!” The word came out an anguished cry. “Then where is that German bastard? I want to strangle him with my bare hands.”
“He’d shoot you first.”
“Then I want to go with Tommy. I’ll tell them I was also involved.”
“Don’t be silly. No good could come of turning yourself in.”
“But I want to be with Tommy, wherever he is. You know he’s not strong. He’ll get sick in one of those camps, or they might put him to hard labour ...”
“Clive, my dear.” Ellie put her hands on his shoulders. “I know how you must be feeling. I feel the same way, utterly lost. But Tommy is still alive. He may be released and come back to us. We have to keep on hoping.”
Clive stared at her, his face bleak. “But how shall I go on?”
“I’m asking myself the same thing. We will go on, because if we gave in and ended it all, then those murderers would have won. We have to stay alive until they are out of here for good.”
Clive nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Although there seems no point, does there?”
“No point at all.”
Ellie turned around as Roland came into the room. “I saw a German car. Is Mr Tommy back with us?”
“No,” Ellie said. “He’s probably been tortured, and he’s now on a train bound for a German prison camp.”
