Page 55 of Neighbors at War

Babs frowned thoughtfully. ‘Something’s wrong, though, I can tell.’

‘I’m still concerned about the three of you taking us on and the risk that goes with it, but I’m also worried about him.’ She indicated Bobby with a tilt of her head. ‘Am I doing the right thing by taking him into hiding?’

Babs gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘I can’t see you have much choice. If you’re not here, you’ll have to hide somewhere else on the island or be deported, and surely you can’t think that would be a better option.’

Helen shook her head. ‘I don’t.’ She pressed the heels of her hands against her tired eyes. ‘I just wish there was a third option.’

‘What, like the war had never happened?’ Babs teased, giving her a sympathetic look.

‘Something like that, yes.’

‘If only that was the case.’ Babs took Bunny from Bobby and pretended to hide it in her cardigan. He squealed and tugged open one side, laughing when Babs pulled the toy out and waved it in his face before handing it to him. ‘Anyway, Mum said you’re both to come down to the kitchen and eat something. I think she’s worried they’ll come searching for you both sometime today and wants to be certain you’ve eaten.’

‘That’s kind of her.’

‘I’ll leave you both to get dressed.’

Helen watched her friend leave, closing the attic door behind her. ‘Come along, poppet. Let’s get you ready for breakfast.’

* * *

Peggy poured Helen a cup of weak tea and placed a couple of toasted bread soldiers for Bobby to eat on the table in front of where he was sitting on Ida’s lap. ‘I was thinking we need to set up an area for you both to hide in when you’re in the attic,’ Peggy said.

‘A hiding place within their hiding place?’ Babs said in between sips of her tea. ‘Is that necessary?’

‘I agree with Peggy,’ Ida said, handing Bobby the next piece of toast. ‘We can’t be too careful.’

Peggy continued, ‘I thought we could block off part of the eaves on one side and make a small section at one end into a cubby hole for the pair of you to go if any soldiers do go up there searching for you. That might work.’

Helen tried to picture what she meant. ‘But who will make it? I don’t have any carpentry skills.’

‘I’m sure I could, with help,’ Peggy said, ‘and we have enough pieces of wood and boarding stacked up there to be able to do it. What do you think?’

Helen shrugged. ‘If you think it’s necessary, then I’m happy to go along with it.’

‘It only needs to be somewhere small that you two can fit into. We can arrange the room so that it won’t be obvious when they do come.’

‘Don’t you mean if they come?’ Babs asked.

‘No, it’ll be when,’ Peggy said with an assurance that frightened Helen. ‘Don’t think we won’t be the first place they look, Babs. I’ve had enough dealings with these men to know they are clever, thorough and above all determined. We will need to be prepared for any eventuality and must never underestimate them. I have had an idea what to do and I’ll get started as soon as we finish eating.’

‘I’ll help you,’ Helen said, wanting everything ready as soon as possible. She hated small spaces but if it meant keeping Bobby safe then she would hide wherever Peggy thought best. ‘I’m going to need to clear everything away each morning too, just in case they do come unexpectedly, and we don’t have time to make the room look uninhabited.’

Peggy gave her a reassuring smile. ‘I can see I’ve frightened you and I don’t mean to. I promise we’ll make a good job of it. I have no intention of letting them find you.’

If only that was all it took, Helen thought, sipping her tea and struggling to swallow.

Chapter Thirty-Four

PEGGY

Peggy pulled the paper from her typewriter with such vigour the page tore in half. ‘Damn it,’ she grumbled, crumpling it up, before realising she would need to keep it to copy if she didn’t want to start the translation from scratch.

She was halfway through retyping it, when there was a single knock on her office door and a German officer walked in. He locked eyes with her and didn’t move for a few seconds. Unsure why he was acting so oddly, Peggy tore her eyes from his gaze and straightened the pile of papers on her desk.

He still didn’t speak and, not seeing anything in his hands, she forced herself to address him. ‘Is there something you wanted?’

‘Ich, er, I must fetch a document.’