Page 34 of The Secrets We Left Behind
She hadn’t been expecting a smile in return, but a smile was exactly what she received. Something about his demeanor changed, and her immense fear of him slowly fell away as his eyes softened.
He said something to his men in German, and then waved them away, leaving the two of them alone.
Cate gulped. Was he staying with her? She liked the way he’d seemingly reprimanded his men, but the way he’d suddenly decided to accompany her wasn’t what she’d been expecting. Had she chosen the wrong house? Was there something he knew that she didn’t? Suddenly her fear grew and she knew how naïve she’d been to relax around him for even a second.
“I, ah, I can walk back alone,” she said. “I don’t want to trouble you.”
“Not at all.” His French was perfect as far as she could tell, and she hadn’t expected a German officer to be so eloquently bilingual. “But I’m sorry to say I haven’t seen a dog. I hope he comes home to you, but it’s not safe for you to be out here looking for him. You shouldn’t go out in the dark again.”
He’s playing with me.He wants to go to this house, and I’m not going to know why until it’s too late.Cate fought to keep her head high as they walked together, keeping as much distance between them as she could without showing how fearful she was of him. There was something about him; he was so handsome, but despite his friendliness, he was as cold as ice. His good looks were chiseled and his height was intimidating, especially in such a well-fitted uniform jacket that showed off his broad shoulders, but it was his calm, precise way of talking, as if nothing could ever scare him, that upset her the most. Perhaps it was her overactive imagination, but she could almost sense what he was capable of, and it terrified her. And she had a feeling he was toying with her, the way he’d feigned interest in her missing dog.
They walked the rest of the way in silence until they reached the house, and she glanced at him as he stopped.
“Thank you for your kindness,” she said, half-turning, waiting for him to leave. “I’m fine from here.”
But he didn’t go. He waited, smiling still, and she knew then that he wanted to see for himself.He doesn’t believe that this is my house.
Cate’s knees knocked; she couldn’t stand in the drizzling rain any longer, playing this dangerous game. Her fate would be sealed by whoever opened the door, and she knew then that he was capable of killing as quickly as he could squash an insect beneath his boot.
She walked up the two steps and knocked, realizing as she did so that if it were her home, she wouldn’t have to knock. She would have walked straight in.
The German cleared his throat behind her, and she knocked again, louder this time, her knuckles stinging. Had he realized that? Was he about to level his gun at her for making such an obvious mistake? But now that she’d knocked, she had to stick with it, didn’t she?
This time she heard feet padding on timber from inside, and as the door swung open, she was greeted by a pretty blonde, her brown eyes wide as she stared back at her, followed by a loud yap as the smallest, scruffiest dog she’d ever seen came flying between the blonde’s legs.
“Oscar!” the woman scolded, at the same time as Cate took her chance to scoop the unsuspecting canine into her arms and shower him with kisses.
“Darling! There you are!” she cooed, almost using English and giving herself away. “I can’t believe you came home on your own! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
“I see your dog was home all along,” came a deep voice from behind her.
But as she turned, stepping slightly away from the door, the soldier appeared decidedly less interested in her. His eyes were trained on the other woman who’d answered the door, all the silent menace of before disappearing without a trace as his smile reached all the way to his eyes.
“Miss DuPont,” he said, taking a step forward. “We meet again after all.”
Cate studied the other woman, taking in the upturn of her mouth but not missing the tense way she clasped her hands behind her back, knuckles interlaced.
“So we do,” the woman replied, an obvious waver in her voice. This woman was understandably scared of him too, just as she’d been, but how were they already acquainted? Was this woman a German sympathizer? “What brings you here tonight?”
Cate cuddled the small dog closer to her, burying her mouth against his soft fur and wishing she could scream.
“This is your sister?” he asked.
“Cousin,” Cate interrupted, lifting her lips from the dog. “I am her cousin.”
To her credit, the other woman didn’t miss a beat. She didn’t so much as glance sideways at her, when she could have given her away as a fraud within seconds, but she did smile and nod. Cate had taken a risk in trusting her, but it had paid off in spades.
“Your cousin?” he repeated.
“She is. Thank you for escorting her home.”
Cate moved beside her, heart racing, the warmth of the home at her back beckoning her in, making her long to curl up beside the fire. But this was only the first hurdle; the minute she was safe, she had to find a way to go back for Jack. To brave soldier-infested territory again and somehow smuggle Jack to safety, whatever that might look like.
“May I call again to see you?” the soldier asked.
Cate watched the tremble in the woman’s top lip, and she reached for her hand, standing in solidarity with a stranger as they both faced the enemy. She knew then that he was interested in the woman, and that the feeling was most likely not reciprocated; but he hadn’t seemed to notice, or if he had, it certainly wasn’t putting him off.
“Yes, Wolfgang, you may,” the woman replied with so much warmth Cate wondered if she’d been wrong in her assumption.
