China Blue (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 3) by Madalyn Morgan (top 100 novels of all time TXT) 📕

up with him. ‘We’re not going down the lane to Belland Farm. We’ll carry on as far as the bridge at the back of the house. You fill the water bottle in the river and I’ll go into the trees opening my flies, as if I’m going to have a pee. I’ll be able to see if Gerry’s at the farm from the far side of the copse.’

‘What will we do if they are there?’

‘Walk on. And we won’t stop until we are far enough away that any suspicions the Germans might have about us won’t be linked to the Belland family.’

Claire filled the water bottle, scrambled up the riverbank and sat on the bridge. She dangled her legs over the edge and began to count the windows on the back of the farmhouse. Suddenly the window of her bedroom flew open, followed by the rug from the side of her bed and Édith’s head. After shaking the thin pegged mat and filling the air with dust, Édith waved. Claire daren’t wave back in case she was being watched.

‘No German vehicles in the farmyard, or on the lane leading to it,’ Alain said. ‘It’s clear.’

‘Good. Can we go in then?’

‘Yes, but not into the house in case the Germans come back. We’ll stay in the barn tonight. Come on,’ he said, ‘let’s go!’

They scrambled up the bank to the road, ran across it and rolled down the other side. As they neared the lane Édith was coming out of the kitchen door. Alain motioned that he and Claire were going into the barn. She nodded that she understood.

‘What has happened?’ Édith asked, joining them ten minutes later.

‘A Boche officer sweet-talked Claire and asked her questions,’ Alain said. Édith took Claire’s hand. ‘She didn’t say anything of course, except about the book she was reading and her bore of an older cousin, but they passed us on the road a mile back, so I think it best if we stay in here tonight, in case they decide to pay you a visit.’

‘Good idea. Get what you need from your rooms, and I’ll bring you some food. It will be cold, I’m afraid. The smell of cooked food would be noticed.’

‘Of course. Anything will do. Thank you, Édith.’

Claire ran upstairs and pulled on a thick woollen jumper. On her way out she grabbed her coat. Returning to the barn, Alain took a ladder from behind bales of hay and held it while Claire climbed up. ‘At the far end there’s a trap door,’ he said. ‘Open it and grab a couple of pillows and however many blankets there are.’

By the time Claire had made up two makeshift beds at the back of the loft, Édith was back with their supper.

‘I shall spread your clothes and toiletries between my room and the room Thérèse and André sleep in when they stay here. And yours, Alain, will be among Frédéric’s things in his room,’ she said, handing Alain the tray of food. ‘I’ll see you both in the morning.’

Alain gave the tray to Claire while he pulled up the ladder. They ate in silence. When they’d finished they discussed what had happened during the day in whispers and sign language. By the time they had analysed and every detail, it was almost dark.

Alain slipped the bolt from the door to the hay pulley, in case they needed to use it as an escape route during the night. Then they settled down on the straw fully dressed.

Claire lay and watched Alain as he slept. He turned over. His face was inches from hers; she could hear the rhythm of his breathing, feel his breath on her cheek. She felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach and closed her eyes.

The following morning, Édith Belland called them to the house for breakfast. ‘Did you sleep well?’ Alain asked Claire as they put away the blankets.

‘Yes,’ she lied. ‘Did you?’

‘Like a log,’ he said, shinning down the ladder. He lifted his arms and stretched. ‘Come on, China, shake a leg. I’m starving,’ he said, holding the ladder for her. As soon as she was on the ground he jogged to the kitchen ahead of her.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘China?’ Claire looked up to see Mitch walking along Baker Street towards her. ‘I thought I might see you today. Have you been to see the colonel for your debrief?’

‘Yes. Is that where you’re going?’

‘Yes and no. I’m going to see him but I was debriefed yesterday,’ he whispered. ‘Let’s grab a coffee. Here,’ Mitch said, opening the door of a restaurant a couple of doors along from Baker Street underground station. Claire followed him in. ‘Are you hungry?’

‘No. Just coffee for me, please.’ The butterflies in her stomach that had begun to calm after being debriefed whirled like dervishes the second she saw Mitch.

Mitch beckoned the waitress and asked for two cups of coffee. They didn’t have to wait long. ‘How was the DB?’ he asked, when the waitress left.

‘Fine.’ She hoped she didn’t sound over-confident and said, ‘The colonel wanted to know about troop movements, obviously, the different regiments in Gisoir, and the ranks of the German officers – whether there were fewer high ranking officers around now or more. And more specifically, if I had noticed any very young or much older soldiers.

‘And were you specific?’

‘Of course. You know, some of the youngest soldiers we saw were only boys. They should have had pens in their hands, not guns. And the older soldiers had probably fought in the Great War.’ Claire thought for a moment. ‘Why do you ask? Do you doubt my accuracy?’

Mitch laughed. ‘I wouldn’t dare, China.’

‘Stop it,’ Claire said, ‘I’m being serious.’ She sipped her coffee. ‘There was one thing I might not have been as specific about as the colonel