The Iron Storm by CW Browning (classic literature books TXT) 📕

footsteps could be heard coming down the corridor. A few seconds later Josephine came into the kitchen in a flurry of excitement.

“Oh good! You’re down!” she exclaimed, tossing her hat onto the table and pulling off her jacket. “Have you seen anyone yet?”

“No. You’re the first one.”

“Goodness, are you making coffee? You’re a saint!”

“Not really. It was empty and I wanted a cup!” Evelyn replied with a laugh, setting the pot over a burner and lighting the gas.

Josephine tossed her jacket over the back of a chair and crossed the kitchen to turn on the tap over the sink.

“Marc and Luc have gone into Maubeuge to get the latest news, but from what we heard earlier on the radio, it isn’t good,” she said, scrubbing her hands with a sliver of soap under the water. “The Germans are moving quickly. One thing that might interest you, though. Your Prime Minister resigned yesterday.”

“What?” Evelyn stared at her. “When?”

“Last night, apparently. Winston Churchill’s taking over.”

Relief washed over Evelyn and she couldn’t stop the wide smile from curving her lips.

“Oh that’s fantastic news!” she exclaimed.

Josephine looked at her doubtfully, shutting off the faucet. “Do you think so? I’m not so sure. We’ve heard that he’s a bit of a loose cannon.”

“Oh he has his moments, but he’s better than the alternative, believe me!” Evelyn went over to sit down while she waited for the coffee to percolate. “He’ll stand and fight, not cow tail to Hitler and his henchmen. It’s really official? The King invited him and all the rest?”

“I don’t know about all the rest, but the radio said he met with King George last night and was now Prime Minister.” Josephine dried her hands on a towel and tossed it onto the counter. “You haven’t eaten, have you? We have bread and cheese, and I believe there’s some fruit. I’ll get it for you.”

“You really don’t have to go to any trouble,” Evelyn protested, but it was too late. Josephine had already disappeared into the pantry. “Where are the others? Did they go into Maubeuge as well?” she called.

“No. They went across the border to Bois-Bourdon to find out what they can,” Josephine called back, her voice muffled. “I didn’t want them to go, but they insisted. We have a contact there, and they are going to try to get him to come back with them. They will be gone for a few days most likely.”

She emerged from the pantry with a tray of crusty bread, a variety of cheeses, and huge pile of grapes. Carrying it over to the table, she shook her head when Evelyn would have gotten up to help.

“You sit and eat your breakfast,” she said, setting the tray down. “I’ll get a knife for the cheese. Is your friend up yet?”

“I haven’t seen him,” Evelyn said, reaching for the grapes. “I’m sure he’ll be along shortly. We had a long day yesterday.”

“So did the Germans, by the sounds of it.” Josephine set down a knife for the cheese and sat across from her. “They’re already through Luxembourg, and they’ve been bombing everywhere, it seems. Brussels and Antwerp are getting hit the hardest.”

“Really?” Evelyn looked up from spreading cheese on a piece of bread. “Brussels wasn’t that bad when we left.”

“It is now, and so are all the towns around it. The bridges and communication towers are all destroyed or out of commission, so now they are focusing on the civilians.” Josephine made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “There won’t be much of Belgium or Holland left by the time they’ve finished.”

“Is it bad now?” A new voice asked from the door and both women turned to watch Jens come into the kitchen, a frown on his face. “What’s happening?”

“The Luftwaffe is targeting Brussels and Antwerp with heavy bombing,” Evelyn told him. “We left just in time.”

He crossed the kitchen to drop into a chair at the table. “I’m not surprised. It’s why I wanted to make sure you got back to France. They’ll be targeting the civilians soon.”

“They already are,” a deep voice said grimly.

Marc strode into the kitchen, followed closely by Luc. Neither of them looked happy.

“It’s worse than we thought,” he continued, looking at Josephine. “We didn’t reach Maubeuge. The army had the roads blocked so they could feed supplies in to the fort. We talked to some men on the road. They’d just come from Trélon. The Germans are bombing France.”

“What? Already?” Josephine stared at him, her face paling. “But they’re still in Belgium! Our army is battling their attack there. How can they be turning their attention to France already?”

“They’re already through Luxembourg, and Panzer divisions have been spotted in the Ardennes,” Luc said, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest.

“The Ardennes!” Josephine and Jens chorused.

“Yes. The impenetrable Ardennes.” Marc glanced at Evelyn. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“I’m not so much surprised as resigned,” she replied, tearing another piece of bread off the loaf on the tray. “This is just another example of everyone underestimating Hitler’s resolve. He said himself that this would be nothing like the last war, and yet all our commanders and generals insist on expecting it to be just like the last war.”

“But the Ardennes!” Josephine shook her head, clearly shaken. “How will they get through?”

“With their tanks.”

“That’s not the worst of it,” Marc said. “All of our strongest troops are in Belgium. If the Germans make it to Sedan, we’re lost.”

Silence fell over the kitchen until, with a start, Evelyn remembered the coffee. Getting up, she went over to lift the pot off the stove, pouring hot, black coffee into a clean cup.

“What about the bombing?” Jens finally asked. “You said they were bombing France.”

“Yes.” Marc picked up one of the cups from the table and carried it over to refill it with the fresh coffee. “So far, they’ve hit Bruay, La Fere, Nancy, Colmar, Pontoise, Lambersart, Lyons and Abbeville. There are reports of them heading towards Henin-Lietard, Lens,  Bouai,