Page 111 of Neighbors at War

‘No?’ She shook her head. ‘Peggy Hamel, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’

‘Yes, Tony Le Gresley. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.’

He took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger. It was a little too big, so Peggy put it onto her middle finger for the time being. ‘Just so I don’t lose it,’ she explained. She looked at the pretty sapphire with several small diamonds around it and didn’t think she had ever seen anything quite so perfect before. ‘It’s exquisite.’

‘It was my grandmother’s. I hoped you’d like it.’

She pulled him to his feet and flung her arms around him, kissing him over and over. ‘It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.’

Chapter Seventy-Three

HELEN

Helen heard another footstep on the stairs leading to the attic and covered her little boy’s mouth with her hand. She forced a smile. ‘Remember, Bobby,’ she whispered, ‘we mustn’t make a sound.’

His small hand moved hers away. ‘Because the Nasties are in the house?’

Helen nodded, her heart breaking to think that hiding in an attic from the Nazi officers who were billeted next door was part of his daily life. ‘That’s right.’

‘We’re safe in our fort though, aren’t we, Mummy?’

She raised a finger to her lips, hearing heavy soles slowly making their way to their tiny hiding place, behind the secret cupboard under the eaves.

Seeing he was about to speak she covered his mouth again and pulled a silly face. ‘We are safe in here, but we must shush now,’ she said, hearing an unmistakable creak on the floorboard directly outside their attic room, followed by a squeak as the door was opened.

Desperate to clasp Bobby tightly against her, Helen resisted, aware that to do so might alert him to the seriousness of what was happening. He looked up at her, his large blue eyes so like his father’s, and for the first time Helen saw fear.

Staring at the tiny shard of light piercing through a gap, Helen tensed as blackness enveloped them when the person entering the attic blocked the light as he passed their hiding place.

She felt Bobby’s hands wrap around her arm and kissed the top of his head to comfort him. He began trembling almost as much as she was but didn’t make a sound. He shouldn’t have to be this brave at his age, she thought, struggling to control her emotions.

‘Helen?’

She stilled. It was a man’s voice. A deep one. One she thought she recognised. She closed her eyes tightly. She was imagining things. Opening her eyes again, she looked down into Bobby’s. They were wide and staring up at her.

‘Helen, are you up here somewhere? They said you would be.’

They? The only people who knew where she was were the Hamels and Tony, and Helen knew they wouldn’t tell anyone about her and Bobby.

‘Helen? Please. It’s perfectly safe now, I promise you. The island has been liberated.’

Richard? It couldn’t be him. Could it? She must have fallen asleep and was dreaming. Or she was delirious, that was it.

‘Helen, I promise you everything will be fine now.’ The voice she was hearing sounded so much like the one she had imagined time and again over the past five years, but how could he be here? She covered her mouth to stifle a whimper.

‘It’s Richard. Sweetheart, I’m here with the liberating forces,’ he said gently. ‘I promise you it’s safe to come out now.’ She heard his voice crack with emotion. ‘I’ve come for you and Bobby. I promise no one will hurt either of you ever again.’

Bobby glanced at the low door then back at her. ‘How does that Nasty know my name, Mummy?’ he whispered trembling.

‘He isn’t a Nasty, Bobby.’

‘Who is he?’

She felt a sob escape as she struggled to answer. ‘He’s your daddy.’

Light filled the tiny space as the door slowly opened and Richard, looking thinner and older, knelt on the attic floor. ‘So this is where you’ve been hiding?’

His voice was gentle, and Helen knew he was trying not to frighten Bobby.