Page 46 of Hearts of Resistance
‘I’m sorry. I was trying to be practical, that’s all.’
‘You’re right, of course you’re right,’ Rose said, rubbing her index fingers to her temple now as if she had a headache. ‘I’ll discuss it with Sophia in the morning. Get some soup into our guest, make him comfortable, then come into the back room with me. Sophia will give you your instructions.’
Hazel nodded, pleased she had her radio with her. She was better at operating the radio transmitters than building them, and she only hoped it hadn’t been damaged when she’d landed.
‘We need to get news back to Paris before anyone else is compromised. And they need to know we might have another delivery.’
Hazel hurried back to the other room, finding Harry slumped over and snoring. She took a moment to look at him, the light almost gone, and admired his face. She didn’t suppose there was anything wrong with looking at him; she might be engaged to be married but she couldn’t exactly help noticing a handsome man. Besides, it had been a long time since she’d last seen John.
Harry was tall, which was why it had been so hard to move him and poor Sophia had buckled beneath his weight so easily. His eyebrows were dark, almost black and darker than the thick shock of hair on his head. She could recall his deep brown eyes, too, had looked into them when he’d been braced for the pain about to be inflicted on him to put his leg back into position. They’d taken his trousers off him after that, cut them clean off his legs and washed him down before replacing them, awkwardly, with a spare pair from upstairs. So he looked like a civilian now, although how you could explain a man his age with an English accent...She shuddered. It wasn’t worth thinking about what would happen if the house was raided.
She set the mug of soup down and moved closer, taking a folded blanket from a nearby chair to place carefully over him. He’d wake in pain and in shock, but for now he was warm and safe.
‘He’s asleep?’ Sophia asked from the doorway, surprising her.
‘Oh! Yes,’ Hazel whispered, pleased the light was so dim so Sophia didn’t see her cheeks flush at being caught staring at him. ‘I thought you went up to bed?’
‘I did,’ Sophia said. ‘But all I did was think about the messages you need to transmit. You haven’t started setting up your radio yet? What have you been doing?’
Hazel wasn’t sure if she was imagining the sharpness of Sophia’s tone, or whether she was just being sensitive, but she wasn’t going to push her.
‘I was just trying to help with Harry,’ Hazel said. ‘I’ll get on to it now.’
‘Without a working radio, we’re as good as dead. You’re here as an operator, not a nurse,’ Sophia said, still standing in the shadows. ‘Here’s hoping you’re as good as Rose keeps saying you are, because the last thing I need is someone to babysit.’
Hazel obviously had a lot to prove.
Sophia led the way and Hazel followed her through to another room, where Rose had already put her case on the table. Hazel took a deep breath and sat in front of it.
‘You can both go to bed,’ she told them confidently. ‘I’ll radio any messages for you, and then tune into the BBC in case they’re broadcasting.’
‘No disrespect, but I’d rather stay up and watch,’ Sophia said.
Hazel knew then that she hadn’t imagined the sharpness in her tone earlier. She shrugged and ignored her, well used to having to prove herself.
‘We can trust her,’ Rose said softly. ‘She’s not the enemy here, Sophia.’
‘We’ve been working together a long time,’ Sophia replied. ‘I can’t help it if I don’t trust her.’
There was silence around Hazel after that, the only noise her fingers placing all the parts. The metal was cool beneath her skin, and she worked instinctively, checking everything and setting up, trusting her ability. Minutes later she heard soft footsteps, and then a hand fell on her shoulder.
‘She’s gone to bed,’ Rose said quietly. ‘I know she can be prickly, but she doesn’t trust easily. The truth is, we’ve been partners for so long, it seems odd to be working with anyone else now.’
Hazel nodded. She’d already figured that out.
‘Sophia is one of the best agents in the field,’ Rose explained. ‘She’s been lying low here with me the last few months, but before that she developed quite a reputation blowing up tanks and train lines. Sophia has been instrumental in setting up cells in the area and coordinating attacks and weapons drop-offs.’
Hazel paused, looking up at Rose. ‘She’s the one they whisper about? The woman they call “the fox”?’ Hazel remembered hearing about her during her training, about the Resistance member who managed to pull off explosions and escape from the scene each time as if she’d never been there at all.
Rose laughed. ‘She is. And I tell you, from what I’ve seen of her, the name suits her perfectly! She’s as cunning as a fox, and just as clever and adaptable.’
Hazel smiled to herself as she worked. So Sophia might be difficult, but she was obviously very clever, and that meant Hazel wanted to prove herself to her even more.
The following night, after Rose and Sophia left for the rendezvous, taking Samuel with them, Hazel lay awake, listening to the soft patter of rain on the roof. She hated being left behind, knowing that her friends were in such danger, and yet here she was, safe and dry. She’d been in France less than two days, and she was still on edge, still shaking. She went to hold up her hand, then put it down again, not wanting to see the reality of her nerves.
She pushed herself up on her elbows when she heard Harry moan from the other side of the room. He’d not been in any state to be moved.
‘Are you all right?’ she asked, standing and walking over to him. ‘I’m here.’
