Page 66 of Neighbors at War

Helen thought for a moment. ‘I do. He’s called Hauptmann Schneider.’ She shuddered. Then, continuing with the drying up, she added, ‘Try not to worry too much.’

‘I’ll try not to, but we’ll let Mum and Peggy know what’s happened, and we’ll all be more vigilant about keeping you and Bobby out of sight.’

Helen thanked her but wasn’t very reassured. The thought of spending even more time stuck in the attic was wearing. She was beginning to feel like a discarded ragdoll that rarely saw the light of day. She gave herself a mental shake. Feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to get her anywhere.

They finished their chores and took cups of weak tea through to Ida and Peggy. Helen wondered how many times the tea leaves had been reused. She was glad not to need milk any longer, now that there was so little to share among them.

‘Helen has something to tell you both,’ Babs announced, after picking up Bobby’s teddy and pretending to make it walk along the floor before handing it back to the giggling child. She took a seat next to Helen on the small two-seater sofa that had seen better days.

‘Go on, lovey,’ Ida said.

Ida and Peggy listened intently as Helen explained about recognising one of the voices the previous night. ‘He has black hair and a deep scar on his right cheek from here to here,’ she told them, running a fingertip from the right side of her mouth almost to her right ear. ‘Does that sound like the same man who comes to see you, Peggy?’

Peggy shook her head. ‘No. Anyway the soldier pestering me is called Captain Heinrich Engel.’

Helen closed her eyes with relief. ‘I’m glad about that. Although knowing Hauptmann Schneider is living next door is worrying.’

'Do you recognise any of the others?’ Peggy asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees.

Helen sighed. ‘Unfortunately, I do. His name is Leutnant Klaus Müller. He has fair hair and seems rather gentle, if a little creepy. I think he’s lonely rather than dangerous, though, unlike Hauptmann Schneider. They’re often together for some reason and both spent time at Villa Millbrook.’

‘I have to admit it unnerves me having them next door.’ Peggy thought for a moment. ‘What was the leutnant like with you? I mean, how did you find him?’

Helen thought back to the hard-boiled egg and meat he had given to her. ‘He was kind. In fact, he went out of his way to give me food to bring home for Aunt Sylvia.’ Helen felt the colour rise in her cheeks, hoping they didn’t jump to the wrong conclusion. ‘He had intended it for Bobby but obviously had no idea he couldn’t eat it. I think he’s quite young, and inexperienced about life.’

‘Hmm.’ Peggy nodded. ‘Good to know he wasn’t troubling you. And what about the Hauptmann?’

Helen groaned. ‘I just always felt there was some sort of underlying threat in whatever he said. It was never anything I could put my finger on, more how he leered at me and blocked my way so that I had no choice but to listen to what he wanted to say.’ She thought back to the other times she had seen him in the dining room. ‘I was always anxious in his presence, even when he didn’t speak to me.’

‘Pop some more wood on the fire, will you Peggy?’ Ida asked. ‘I think we need to be extra careful with them next door. We won’t be able to pretend you’re one of my daughters, Helen, not if they already know you.’ She frowned. ‘It’s rotten luck having them living at Sylvia’s.’

Helen couldn’t agree more. ‘I’m sorry to add to your worries,’ she said feeling a lump constricting her throat. ‘You’re all so kind and I’ve been an endless source of trouble for you all. Maybe I should let Tony find me somewhere else to move to?’

‘You’ll do nothing of the sort,’ Ida snapped, glaring at her. ‘And I’ll have no more of that talk. You’ll both stay here where I can watch over you for Sylvia. I’ve told you before we’re glad to be able to take care of you, and I meant it.’

Helen didn’t know how much longer she could stand the weight of her guilt, putting these gracious women’s lives at risk. Maybe she should take it upon herself to speak to Tony when he next came to the house? If she got the chance to talk to him alone, which she doubted would happen.

Chapter Forty-Two

PEGGY

March 1943

March arrived with little ceremony and overcast weather. Peggy would have welcomed sunshine to brighten the days, but the thought of 1943 being as bad as the previous year was depressing. She thought back over the previous twelve months. Little had improved; in fact quite the opposite. From what she heard islanders saying, there wasn’t much to be cheerful about as far as the Allied forces were concerned, either. Morale on the island had been at an all-time low since the deportations the previous September.

Peggy discovered from her boss that there had been a massive bombing raid on Berlin by the British and US forces on the first of the month with heavy casualties. She hated to think of innocent people being killed regardless of which side they were on, but seeing less exuberance in the German soldiers on the island did make her feel slightly encouraged that maybe the year might not be all that bad after all.

Hope was what they needed, and this had given them a taste of it. They just needed more. Much more.

She sat in Advocate Le Gresley’s office with her pencil and notepad waiting for him to dictate a couple of letters, but he seemed more thoughtful than usual.

‘Is everything all right, Advocate Le Gresley?’ she asked.

He sighed. ‘I’m concerned about the increasing shortage of food and now medicines. I’ve also noticed the petty crime on the island, too. There seems to be so much more of it now and it worries me.’ He shrugged. ‘I understand the frustration people are dealing with, and the desperation for medicine in some cases, but stealing from others, especially Nazis, really isn’t the answer. All it will do is bring bigger trouble to our doorsteps.’

‘It will.’ Peggy wished there was something she could do about it, and said so.

‘We all probably feel that way, Peggy,’ he said. ‘I know I do. Tony, his mother and I were talking about this only the other night and saying how much luckier we are to have a garden and somewhere to grow a few extra vegetables than those without an outside space.’ He gave an apologetic grimace. Peggy realised it must have shown on her face that she wished she was one of those with a garden. ‘I don’t mean to speak out of turn.’