What was happening on those other islands she could see from here? Were the invading forces making merry as tourists there too? How many soldiers were stationed there? How many were now stationed here? She had seen planes arriving and taking off all week. The Luftwaffe movements had been frenetic – there had been a steady influx of soldiers all week – and she’d reported all she could of use to Jack. Dido had been out also, looking at gun positions and enjoying her new task, barely making it home in time for curfew. And she knew Jack had been sneaking about the island, even after he said he wouldn’t and that he’d aim to lie low.
Add to that the arrival of Stefan, even though he was ensconced in his own sitting room, door firmly closed, classical music playingfrom the gramophone, and the house was in a silent, secret turmoil. Mrs Grant had become snappier than usual, worrying for Jack. Thank goodness Jack’s extraction was scheduled for tonight.
At quarter past ten, Persey sighed and made to move off from the statue when she heard her name being called. Turning, she saw Lise scurrying towards her, hat pulled low almost hiding her eyes and her flame-red hair. Lise had begun working at the insurance company six months ago when two members of male staff had gone to England to join up and the office found itself in need of at least one replacement. Since then, Lise, who had been to secretarial college, had been teaching Persephone shorthand and the two had bonded over this and the fact they were the only two women in their workplace.
‘I thought you weren’t coming,’ Persey said.
‘I’m sorry,’ Lise said, pushing her hat back a bit and revealing her brown eyes, red through crying. ‘I got held up.’
‘What’s happened?’ Persey asked, moving towards her friend. ‘Have you been crying?’
‘Only a bit,’ Lise admitted. ‘It’s all just becoming a bit too much now.’
‘What is?’
‘All this.’ Lise nodded her head discreetly towards the soldiers in the distance, taking photographs of the view towards the harbour at St Peter Port and the gardens around them.
‘I know. It’s dreadful, isn’t it? Unimaginably dreadful. We’ve one living with us, would you believe?’ Persey tried to push thoughts of Stefan, angry in the driveway, out of her mind.
‘No!’ Lise cried and then buried her face in her hands.
‘Lise? What on earth? Tell me what’s the matter?’
‘I need your help. I’ve no one else to turn to,’ Lise said between sobs. ‘I thought you’d have been in work but the boys at the office said you were staying away because of your poor mother …’
Persey enveloped a distraught Lise in her arms. ‘I’m due back next week.’ Persey couldn’t make the real pain in her chest fromlosing her mother go away. She’d had no time to wallow in the pain of her mother’s death. Events had moved so fast around her that she knew when she eventually did allow herself to sit and grieve, that waves and waves of tears would flood from her. She forced them away now, in public.
‘I know,’ Lise said, crying into Persey’s coat and pulling her from her thoughts. ‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be asking you for help at this time.’
‘You can ask me for help at any time, Lise. Of course you can.’
A woman walked past and looked between Lise and Persey before moving on. ‘Look, come over here. We’re bringing attention to ourselves,’ Persey said, taking Lise by the hand and drawing her over to a bench.
As the two women sat, Lise took a deep breath. ‘You know, don’t you, that I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t really need help?’
Persey nodded and waited.
‘Although,’ Lise said, ‘if you have a German at your house I’m not sure you can help.’
Persey narrowed her eyes and allowed a small, curious smile. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘I need somewhere to stay,’ Lise said.
‘All right,’ Persey said slowly, thinking. ‘How long for? You could sleep in my room and I’ll put a little fold-out bed in with Dido and share with her for a bit. I’m sure she won’t mind. We’ll be a full house what with Stefan. But I don’t mind if you don’t?’ Although in truth, with Jack going there’d be an extra room again. But she couldn’t mention that at present.
‘Stefan?’ Lise jolted her head suddenly. ‘You’re on first-name terms with one of them, already?’
‘It’s a long story,’ Persey replied with a sigh and then put the conversation back on track. ‘Have the Germans requisitioned your room at your boarding house?’
‘No,’ Lise said, still eyeing Persephone with suspicion. ‘But I can’t stay there anymore.’
‘Why ever not?’ Persey asked.
‘The woman who runs it, Mrs Renouf … she’s not very kind. I don’t trust her.’
‘I see,’ Persey said, not understanding at all.
‘I’m …’ Lise started then stopped, much to Persey’s frustration, but it was clear the other woman was choosing her words carefully. ‘I came to live in Guernsey in 1938,’ Lise said eventually.
