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

‘How do you know?’

‘André and Frédéric were watching from the woods. They went back after moving me here, to make sure we hadn’t left anything behind that would lead the Germans to suspect we were part of the Resistance. They have burnt out other farmers, and always put the fires out as soon as they’ve left. It is bully-boy tactics only. They want to keep the farms intact to farm the land themselves when they have brought France to its knees. Ha!’ Édith guffawed and pretended to spit. ‘They have no intention of destroying our property. It is our morale they wish to destroy, but that will never happen. You must be hungry, child,’ she said, pulling Claire’s coat from her back and hanging it up on a hook on the back of the kitchen door. ‘I shall make something to eat.’

Claire handed her the shopping basket. ‘There isn’t much, I’m afraid – just bread and cheese, a little fruit and a couple of buns. But there is this,’ she said, taking the false bottom out of her shopping basket.

Édith’s mouth fell open. ‘How much is here?’

Claire handed Édith 100,000 francs. ‘And there is 25,000 in each of my shoes,’ she said taking them off.

‘Good God, child, how did you manage to walk on all this?’

‘It wasn’t easy. It was very uncomfortable,’ Claire said, rubbing her feet, ‘but Alain wanted me to carry it in case he--’ Tears fell from her eyes.

‘Come now, child, don’t upset yourself. The Gestapo stop people all the time, keep them overnight for questioning, and release them the following day.’ Édith looked at the money again and shook her head. ‘We must hide this,’ she said, taking a brick from the side of the hearth. She rolled up the cash and put it into the hole, replacing the brick and brushing dust up against it. She stood back and looked at the hiding place, then put her arms around Claire. ‘Thank you, child. Money buys many things, including information. If Alain has not been released by this time tomorrow, we will use some of it to find out why. But now you must eat. And when the boys get here, after they have eaten, they will fetch the drop.’

Claire couldn’t get the girl in the well out of her mind. She looked across the room at Édith, already busy boiling pans of water and chopping vegetables. Claire had no idea where André was, or how long it would take Frédéric to find him. What she did know was that she needed to speak to Édith now, because her sons could be back any minute. ‘Édith, will you sit down? I need to tell you something.’ Édith carried on chopping carrots, smiled and looked up questioningly. ‘Please,’ Claire said, ‘it is important.’ Claire waited for the older woman to sit.

‘What is it, child? Out with it. You’re worrying me.’

Claire cleared her throat. ‘There’s a young woman at the farm--’

‘What? Living there?’

‘No. She was dead.’

‘But why would a young woman be at a deserted farm? Where did she come from? How did she--’ Suddenly a look of horror crossed Édith’s face.

‘What is it, Édith?’

She closed her eyes and put her hands together in prayer. ‘No, no, no. Please God,’ she howled, ‘do not let it be Monique.’

‘Monique? Frédéric’s fiancée?’ Claire put her arms round her friend. ‘Hush now. I’m sure the girl isn’t local. When we arrived we heard Germans soldiers bragging that they pick up girls from the town and bring them to the farm. It is more likely to be one of them. A local girl would be missed. Monique would be missed.’

Shaking her head, Édith lifted the skirt of her pinafore and wiped her tear-stained face. ‘The day after we left the farm Monique was going to visit her grandmother in--’ She waved her hand in the air as if to say the name of the place didn’t matter. It didn’t. ‘She promised to call to say goodbye on the way to the station. Frédéric went to the farm, but Monique wasn’t there. He went to her house and her mother said she had left, that they must have missed each other. Frédéric was disappointed that he didn’t get to see her, but with transport unreliable these days we assumed she had caught an earlier or an unscheduled train, and didn’t have time to stop by.’

‘Has no one been back to the farm since?’

‘Yes. The boys went over a day, maybe two, before the drop and it was clear then that German soldiers were using the house as a brothel. They wanted to send a message to London, to arrange another field for the drop, but as you know Jacques’ wireless wasn’t working, which is why Alain brought the crystals...’ Édith Belland’s face was suddenly as white as flour. She put her hands to the crucifix that hung from her neck. ‘You don’t think the Germans…?’

‘I don’t know… No. Alain said it looked like an accident.’

‘An accident? Where was she? If you saw her, why didn’t the boys see her? You must tell me, Claire. If it is Monique, I need to prepare Frédéric.’

‘The girl we found – and I’m sure it is not Monique – was in the well.’

Édith Belland began to tremble. ‘We will say nothing, Claire. We must not speak of this to Frédéric, or André, not until we know whether or not the girl is Monique. Yes?’

‘Yes,’ Claire agreed. ‘But how will we--?’ Édith pulled her coat from a hook on the back of the kitchen door. ‘You’re going to the farm, aren’t you?’ Édith looked at Claire. She didn’t need to speak. ‘I’m coming with you.’ Claire grabbed her coat and followed Édith out of the house.

Édith opened the door of a small shed next to