‘I saw you from the window,’ the woman accused.
‘Yes. I … was looking for … I have the wrong house, I see that now.’
‘I’ve seen you before,’ she said. ‘You work with Miss Weber.’
‘I do.’ Persey wondered how the woman could know that. Persey didn’t think she’d seen her before so how did she know who Persey was?
‘I saw you. Leaving your office with Miss Weber after work. I was shopping in town. A few months ago. I saw you.’
Something about the woman’s forceful tone cut into Persey like a knife. ‘You have a very good memory,’ Persey said. ‘I’m afraid I don’t remember you.’
‘I didn’t introduce myself back then but I will do now. I’m Mrs Renouf. But I expect Miss Weber may have mentioned me.’
‘No, actually,’ Persey dared. ‘Not once.’ What was it Oscar Wilde had once said?There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
Mrs Renouf bristled and inside Persey leapt for joy. A small win but a win nonetheless. ‘You should have come over to say hello,’ Persey continued. ‘Always nice to meet new people.’
‘Not always nice,’ Mrs Renouf retorted quickly.
Persey was stumped at how to reply. The woman was such a joy.
‘I take it you are here to see your friend?’ Mrs Renouf said. Before Persey could respond, the woman continued, ‘Well, she’s not here.’
‘She isn’t?’ Persey asked. ‘Do you know where she is?’
‘She’s left.’
Persey raised her eyebrows. ‘She’s left? To go where? New lodgings?’
‘How should I know? She’s taken all her things. Not that she had much. And she’s left owing me money, I might add.’
‘Oh, that’s …’
‘She pays a month in advance, usually.’
‘A month?’ Persey queried, believing only a few weeks at a time at most was usual, perhaps even only a week. ‘Is that normal?’
‘On account of her being Jewish.’
Persey’s mouth gaped open at the sheer awfulness of this woman. She understood Lise’s concerns were not unfounded now.
‘I can see you didn’t know she was Jewish,’ the woman said, misreading the meaning behind Persey’s expression. ‘They’ll ask her to register soon, no doubt,’ Mrs Renouf mused. ‘She’ll have to wear a star like we’ve seen in the papers. Abhorrent really.’
‘What is? Her having to wear a star or her being Jewish?’
‘I’ve nothing against her. She lived under my roof for a year,’ the woman bristled.
‘She was paying you,’ Persey said under her breath.
‘Yes, well. She’s not the only one on the island who shouldn’t be here,’ Mrs Renouf said. It disgusted Persey that this woman was relishing gossiping about people’s possible fates with a relative stranger.
‘What do you mean, people who shouldn’t be here?’ Persey asked instinctively thinking of Jack. But the woman meant the Germans, surely.
‘I happen to know there’s one up at the hospital. A nurse. Already been arrested for being an enemy alien. Let her out now, though. Transpired she was a Jew.’
Good God. How many Jews were there on the island still? How had this happened? Persey’s brow furrowed in confusion and concern.
‘It won’t end well for them. You mark my words,’ Mrs Renouf said.
