Page 72 of The Secrets We Left Behind
How could a man have such different sides to him? How was it possible for him to be so cruel, and also so kind?
“Nothing, I just—”
He smiled and stood in front of her, opening his arms. “Come here. We can just stand here a moment.”
She clung to him, her fingers clenching his jacket and her cheek to his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. Addy didn’t believe for a second that he’d hurt her, but she couldn’t shake the memory of those British soldiers, falling one by one.
“Is something on your mind?” he asked.
She forced the thoughts away, knowing she had to say something,anything, other than the truth. “Talking about your family before, it only reminds me that you could be gone soon.”
His chuckle was loud against her ear. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, certainly not back to Germany,” he said. “Perhaps closer to Paris, but I won’t be leaving France.”
She swallowed. “You sound so sure.”
“Adelaide, your prime minister resigned today, and he’s been replaced by Marshal Henri Pétain,” Wolfgang said. “The war in France is over, they’re probably signing the armistice as we speak. France has officially been conquered.”
Tears welled in her eyes. Her beloved France had actually fallen.
He must have sensed her emotion because his fingers curled beneath her chin, tilting her face up to his.
“Is something upsetting you? Something you need to tell me?”
Fear arrowed through her body as if her blood was on fire with it. It was almost like he knew, that he was giving her the chance to tell him. But there was no possible way he could know they were hiding soldiers; surely he would have stormed the house already if he’d had even an inkling.
“I just, well, I suppose I keep thinking that this can’t go on forever between us,” she said, which wasn’t a lie. She had been wondering what this was and what was going to become of it, and how long it could last.
He softened then, clearly believing her. “That’s all? There’s nothing more?”
She shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip, embarrassed at what a performance she was giving him. Since when had she become such a good actress?
“How about we just enjoy each day as it comes,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead as his fingers dropped away from her chin. “Just know that I have no intention of ever forgetting about you, Adelaide, nor leaving you behind.”
She laughed, despite it all. “I think my sister would have something to say about that.”
“Well, maybe we’ll have to find her her own German officer,” he said. “Unless she’s already spoken for?”
Adelaide thought of Harry, seeing her sister curled into the crook of his arm in bed when she’d looked in on them before sneaking out to see Wolfgang. “No, she’s not,” she lied.
Wolfgang took her by the hand again and led her back to the pretty meadow. She’d gotten herself way in over her head with the commander, and she had no idea how to get back out.
Or if she even wanted to.
“Adelaide?” Elise’s voice jolted her from her thoughts and she turned, her mother’s pearl necklace still in her hand. “I’m sorry about before,” Elise said, sitting on the bed and patting the space beside her. “Can we sit for a bit?”
Addy joined her and traced her fingertips over the pearl necklace.
“I miss her so much,” Elise said. “Her and Papa. Some days I feel like we’re just biding our time, waiting for them to come home. It’s as if we’ll walk through the door one day and Papa will be asleep in his chair and Mama will be singing and cooking in the kitchen.”
Adelaide could see them just as Elise described, only she imagined her brother walking through the door too, tossing his hat on to the table as he passed.
“I miss them too,” Addy replied. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
“Addy, you asked me not to treat you like a child, so I want you to know that I trust you. If you think you can help us by luring Wolfgang away, then it seems sensible.”
Addy couldn’t hide her surprise. “You do?”
“I do. I suppose I was so worried that you might develop feelings for him that your allegiance to Cate and the others might be compromised, but I can see that was unfair. It was you who fought to save them from the very beginning.” Elise enveloped Adelaide in a big hug. “I love you so much, Addy. I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you—it’s only because I want the best for you.”
