‘Because Dido installed it after the war. Long after the war.’ She explained the story the vicar had told her about Dido paying for it and having it designed.
‘And I don’t know who that man is but …’ She trailed off as Will walked up to the window and stood, neck strained to look up at it.
‘Do you think it might be—’
But he was cut off as the vicar arrived. ‘Hello, thought I heard voices.’
They greeted him in return and Lucy introduced Will. ‘We came to look at Dido’s window,’ she explained.
‘Did you indeed? It is captivating. When the afternoon sun catches it, just like this, it’s pure delight.’
‘I’ve been curious about the image,’ Lucy admitted. ‘Why it’s a woman and a man on a beach, walking towards the sun. It’s to commemorate Persephone – you told me that much. So is this figure supposed to be Persephone?’ Lucy asked pointing to the image of the woman in the window.
The vicar nodded. ‘Yes, I thought you knew that.’
‘No,’ Lucy said. ‘I was guessing. It just made sense.’
‘So who is this man?’ Will asked.
The vicar looked at them individually. ‘You didn’t ask about her death so I assumed you knew.’
‘Knew?’
‘About Persephone and her—’ he looked around the church making sure there were no parishioners in hearing ‘—her German boyfriend.’
Will gave Lucy a look.
‘It took Dido a very long time to explain to me the story behind the window she’d chosen,’ the vicar started. ‘When she returned, she knew that people could be so very judgmental – not everyone – but … some. And she didn’t tell everyone about it. Preferred to keep quiet, which of course just lets people come to their own conclusions, which can often work against one,’ he said ruefully.
‘The man …’ Will said. ‘Is it Captain Stefan Keller?’
‘Yes,’ the vicar said.
Lucy stared at the window as if seeing it for the very first time.
Will nodded. ‘But he’s not in a German uniform,’ he pointed out.
‘Well no, that might have been taking the biscuit a bit don’t you think?’ the vicar suggested. ‘Can’t imagine the parishioners would have loved that stark reminder of the Occupation every time they came in for a service, which of course was why Dido kept very quiet.’
‘So it’s in tribute to both of them,’ Lucy said thoughtfully.
‘Very much to both of them. Stefan Keller had been Dido’s friend as well as the man who loved her sister. And of course they died so tragically. A mine exploded. It took Dido a long time to find out the truth. By the time she’d returned, the Germans were long gone, but she found out in the end. They died doing something truly good, in helping two other friends escape the island, one a Jewish woman whose life was in considerable peril staying here and the other, a spy.’
‘A what?’ Will asked.
‘An island man who got stuck here on a failed spying mission. And a Jewish girl who would have suffered in the gas chambers, most likely. Although they couldn’t have known that at the time. No one knew exactly what was going on in Germany just then. But they knew it was right to get her to safety. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but thankfully not necessary in this case.’
Will could barely speak. He was staring past the vicar, out towards the door but his eyebrows were knitted together.
‘Thank you,’ Lucy said to the vicar.
‘My pleasure. I’m locking up in a moment but you’re welcome to stay here until I’ve tidied a few things up first.’
‘Thanks,’ Lucy said as they said goodbye to the vicar. Will was still unable to speak.
The vicar left and she moved over to the remembrance candle stand, took the taper and closed her eyes, issuing a silent and not very coherent prayer for Dido, Persephone and Stefan. She lit three candles, in a row, watched as the wick took on each and the flames glowed brightly. She replaced the long candle that she’d used to light the three and glanced back at the window one final time at Persephone and Stefan walking along the beach towards the sea and the warmth of the sun.
Lucy and Will said goodbye to the vicar on their way out of the church. Will’s forehead creased in the middle where his frown had deepened. Lucy led a stupefied Will towards the small collection of family graves, the mound on Dido’s fresh burial flattening into the earth so very slowly.
