Page 73 of The Secrets We Left Behind
Adelaide inhaled and slowly let her breath go. “He told me today that France has officially fallen.”
Elise stood and walked back to the dresser, and Adelaide watched as she touched lightly all their mother’s possessions. “Papa’s friend said he was expecting it. It’s almost impossible to believe, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Adelaide, the day the others go, I’m going to go with them, to help guide them.”
Addy nodded. “I heard you say that earlier. It sounds like a good plan.”
“But I want you to come too,” Elise added, and Addy could tell there was something more, something bigger that her sister wanted to say.
“All right,” she replied. “I suppose I can somehow get him away and then double back and meet you somewhere.”
Elise came back toward her then, sitting and taking her hands in hers. “Addy, I want you to go to England with the others. To safety.”
Adelaide laughed. “You what?” But her laughter fast died away as she saw that Elise was serious.
“It’s too dangerous for you to stay, with Wolfgang here. What if he finds out you’ve deceived him?”
“Why? He won’t even know what I’ve done. It’ll be far more suspicious if I disappear!”
Elise squeezed her fingers. “But you’ll be gone. He can wonder all he likes, but at least you’ll be safe.”
“And you? Are you going, too?”
Elise shook her head. “No. I’m staying, but I want to help the resistance, so I don’t know what my immediate future looks like.”
Adelaide pulled her hands away as they started to shake, eyes locked on her sister’s as she stood. “Has this been your plan all along? To get rid of me?”
“To keep you safe!” Elise went to stand too, to reach for her, but Adelaide stepped away, wrapping her arms around herself.
“But I don’t want to leave,” she cried. “I don’t want to leave here, I don’t want to leave you, and I don’t want to leave ...”
Elise’s face fell. “I was right all along, wasn’t I? You are in love with him.”
Her sister’s words were soft, kind even, but the weight of disappointment they held was obvious, and Adelaide turned sharply on her heel.
“Addy! Don’t walk away from me,” Elise pleaded.
Adelaide spun around, anger pulsing inside her. “I’ll do my part, Elise. I’ll lure him away and I’ll help to get them to the beach. I’m capable of holding up my end of the bargain, but I won’t be told where I’m to live.”
Elise stared at her in silence, and Adelaide walked straight out of the door and into her bedroom, crawling beneath the covers without even bothering to change into her bedclothes. She wanted to hate her sister, wanted to scream at her and slam her door, but she didn’t.
Because everything Elise had said had been right, and now she had to choose between her heart and her head. Or figure out a way to choose both.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CATE
Cate sat on the edge of the bed, systematically checking over Jack’s wound. She’d avoided eye contact with him when she’d come in, telling him simply to take off his shirt, and now she was staring at his skin without really seeing him. The wound itself had healed well, despite her very basic stitching, but she could tell that he was still in pain, even though he’d gone to lengths most days to insist he was absolutely fine and didn’t need to be fussed over.
She looked up when he caught her wrist, his fingers curling around her skin. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Cate pressed her palm flat to his chest, taking a breath and fighting the overwhelming urge to cry. “Nothing’s wrong.”
“Liar,” he teased. “You can’t live in such close quarters with someone for this long without knowing something’s up.”
Cate squeezed her eyes shut, riding the wave of emotion before opening them again. “I’m worried that it all seems too good to be true, our escape I mean. I was there with Elise, I heard the plan and I know it’s our best option, but—”
