Page 8 of Neighbors at War

He had told her he loved her. She gave him a gentle nudge as she tried to recover from the surprise. ‘The feeling’s mutual,’ she admitted happily.

‘You two still fine to do this?’ Helen asked, slowing and turning to them.

‘We are,’ Peggy reassured her, now more determined than ever to see it through.

‘Absolutely ready,’ Tony said. ‘The housekeeper and gardener don’t know we’re coming, I assume?’

Helen shook her head. ‘I considered telephoning the house but didn’t want to alert the officers in any way. I’ve never phoned before so it might look suspicious. I’m just hoping Mrs Edwards will still be there.’

‘What about Tommy, though?’ Peggy asked, doubting the gardener would still be at work that late in the evening.

‘It’s fine,’ Helen said. ‘He lives in a cottage across the road from the park. I’ll point it out to you, Tony, so you two can go and speak to him and tell him our plans while I go into the house and speak to Mrs Edwards.’ She had a thought. ‘In fact, he’ll be able to let you into the garden. He rarely comes into the kitchen and never the house, so he must have a shortcut from his cottage.’

Tony nodded. ‘Then we’ll do that and wait for you in the garden whenever you’re ready.’

They reached the corner where St Aubin’s Road veered off to La Rue de Haut and watched Helen walk towards the entrance of the imposing house where she worked, before continuing down the main road towards Tommy’s cottage. At the first of three cottages they stopped and, opening the iron gate, walked up the short pathway and into the porch. Tony knocked on the front door. Peggy marvelled at the vivid red shards of light streaked across both their bodies by the setting sun shining through the coloured glass in the porch.

The door opened after a few seconds and a wizened man with a suspicious look on his face glared at them. ‘Yes?’

‘May we come inside for a moment, please?’ Tony asked. ‘We have a message from Helen, er, Miss Bowman. She’s with Mrs Edwards as we speak.’

‘You’d better come this way.’ Tommy frowned and stepped back to let them in. ‘I’m not sure what this is about,’ he said, softening slightly towards them.

Tony explained about their plan. Tommy brightened and within a few minutes was leading them along a through way to the side of his cottage. ‘This is the best way to get into the garden without being seen,’ he said keeping his voice low. ‘But we need to be careful. They’re crafty buggers, those Jerries.’ He stopped and peered past Tony to Peggy. ‘Sorry about the language, Miss.’

‘Please don’t worry,’ Peggy said, liking the man and relieved she had offered to help him.

‘You’re very good to help us out like this,’ Tommy continued. ‘I’m not sure what her ladyship would think if we didn’t manage to keep her precious things safe for her. She’s always been very good to me. She’s nearly eighty, you know.’

Peggy thought of Florence Boot and how she and her husband had always been so generous to the people of the island. She was glad to think the elderly lady didn’t have to witness all that was happening to the island and its people that she loved so much.

They reached the garden and once inside crept silently along the border among the trees to the vegetable patch. Tommy stopped once and pointed up at a balcony stretching the width of the house and overlooking the long, immaculate lawn to their right.

‘They go out there for a sneaky ciggie sometimes,’ he warned. ‘There’s others at the entrances to the house and at the front. There’ll also be a couple patrolling the garden every hour, so we don’t have time to waste.’

‘What about spades?’ Tony asked when they reached the vegetable patch and were standing in the shadows next to a carefully trimmed hedge that blocked anyone’s view of them from the property.

‘I’ll fetch them now.’

Tony slipped his arms around Peggy while they waited. ‘How are you holding up?’

Her legs were like jelly and she wasn’t sure they were strong enough to keep her from falling over, but she had no intention of letting him know how terrified she was. ‘I’m fine,’ she lied, forcing a smile. ‘I’m glad we’re doing this together.’

He pulled a face. ‘I can’t say I am. I’d feel much happier knowing you were safe at home.’ He kissed her lightly. ‘But I have a sense that we’ll remember this night for the rest of our lives and it’s something we can bore our grandchildren with during family gatherings.’

‘You think we’ll have grandchildren?’ she asked, delighted to think he saw a future for the pair of them.

‘Don’t you?’

She slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. ‘I do now.’

Hearing footsteps, they broke apart and Peggy held her breath, terrified in case they were about to be discovered.

Tommy stepped out between two bushes holding two spades, closely followed by Helen carrying two more.

‘I found Miss Bowman waiting for me at my toolshed.’ He cocked his head towards a bed of spinach. ‘It’s under there.’

‘And where’s the bonfire?’ Tony asked.