Page 49 of Neighbors at War

Her thoughts turned to Helen, aware that her friend’s grieving would have little effect on Nazi officers determined to carry out orders from their Führer. ‘I must warn Helen.’

Tony’s face paled. ‘Yes, and as soon as possible. Unfortunately the Jerries keep meticulous records and she’ll be on their lists as not being local.’

The enormity of what this would mean to Helen’s life dawned on Peggy and her heart raced, making her slightly breathless. ‘She’ll need to go into hiding now. There’s nothing else for it as far as I can see.’ She decided to speak to her mother about Helen’s predicament as soon as she got home.

He rested his hand on hers. ‘Try not to panic.’ He cocked his head towards the door. ‘You don’t want someone noticing you acting differently, and they will do if they see you upset. We’ll come up with a plan,’ he said quietly, a determined look on his face.

Peggy took a steadying breath. ‘You’re right, I need to calm down,’ she agreed, trying to regain her composure. ‘I think my family can sort something out for her. We’ll certainly try.’

He didn’t seem convinced. ‘Are you sure? If you’re caught you’ll all face prison.’ He hesitated, fixing her with his gaze. ‘Or worse.’

She was past caring. The world was a terrifying and dark place and as much as she didn’t like the prospect of putting herself or her beloved mother and sister’s lives into jeopardy, Peggy was certain that they could no more live with the knowledge that they had stood by while their neighbour and her dear little boy were deported than she could. ‘It’s a chance we’ll have to take.’

‘And you’re sure your mum and Babs will agree with you?’

Peggy stared into his eyes. ‘What do you think?’ Before he had a chance to answer, they heard heavy footsteps coming along the corridor towards her office. Peggy waved for him to leave. ‘You should go.’

Tony leant forward and kissed her. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help, promise to let me know.’

‘I will.’

‘Good,’ he whispered, ‘and if for any reason your mother is concerned about hiding them, then I’ll find somewhere else for them to go. Don’t feel you’re on your own with this, Peggy. Promise me.’

‘I know you’re always there for me.’

He went to the door, then turned, a thoughtful look on his face. ‘Tell me exactly who they’re planning to deport this time.’

She reread her translation. ‘People and their families whose permanent residence is not on any of the islands. So any who were on the island when the war broke out, and non-islander English males between the ages of sixteen to seventy.’

‘That sounds like quite a lot of people.’

‘Feldkommandant Knackfuss has instructed that they want at least twelve-hundred people sent away, but I can’t see how they can make that happen. Not quickly, anyway.’

‘Neither can I, but we all have enough experience of them to know if that’s their orders, then they will do their utmost to make it happen. And soon.’

He was right. Helen had to move as soon as possible. Peggy covered her face with her hands and tried to steady herself. ‘I’d better get this work done,’ she said. ‘So I can leave a little early and start putting everything in place for Helen.’

He blew her a kiss. ‘We’ll sort this out, somehow, Peggy.’

As Peggy hurried home she thought how, with all that had happened in the past two years, this surely was the lowest point so far for them all. Poor Helen had dealt with far too much already in her life and now this. It was too tragic.

Her mother was walking out of the living room when Peggy arrived home.

‘What’s happened?’ Ida asked, a look of dread on her tired face.

‘Let me take these things off and I’ll join you and Babs in the kitchen.’

Her mother knew her well enough to guess the gravity of whatever was bothering her. ‘I’ll go and put the kettle on,’ she said from the bottom of the stairs. With one hand on the banister, Peggy called up to her sister. ‘Babs, come down here.’

A few minutes later Peggy had explained to her mother and sister what had happened and her plans for Helen and Bobby and she sat waiting for them to speak.

‘I understand if either of you don’t agree with my suggestion.’ She didn’t want them to feel guilty in any way. ‘Tony knows and has offered to help find somewhere for them if you think it safer for us not to have them here.’

Her mother folded her cardigan over her chest and leant back in her chair looking grim. ‘I’m aware we would be putting ourselves in danger,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘But that dear girl has already been through enough. It would be unfair of us not to have them here. At least they know us and it’s only next door to number 2, so she might be comforted to be close to where she lived with her aunt.’

‘I agree, Mum,’ Babs said. ‘They can’t go to be with strangers, it would be too cruel. And it’s less frightening for them here.’

Peggy relaxed slightly. ‘I told Tony you’d think the same way as me.’