Page 119 of The Last Library of Paris

‘No, not just Nazis. You know how it is. If you’ve got enough money, you can do anything.’

‘Gosh, I think you’re right,’ I said slowly. ‘I remember Bea complaining that people with money and the right credentials were able to move across occupied Europe easily.’

‘That could be a solution,’ Henry said.

‘It depends how infrequent it is,’ I pointed out. ‘If it’s not leaving for another month, then it’s not an option. If it’s in the next few days, then it could work. Even waiting a while for a train could be quicker than trying to cross the mountains ourselves.’

‘I can find out.’

‘Can you?’

‘I know some people at the railway station,’ Henry said. He looked a little embarrassed. ‘I like trains.’

I smiled at him.

‘My brother liked trains, too.’

‘I’ll go and see what I can find out. But it’s bound to be expensive.’

I waved my hand. ‘We can charge it to the embassy and worry about that later.’ Rule breaking was apparently becoming a habit for me.

Henry nodded. ‘Good,’ he said, his tone suggesting it was anything but. ‘Well, this seems to be forming into a plan.’

‘Although …’ I began.

‘Although?’

‘We can’t travel on our own papers.’

‘Really?’ Henry sighed. ‘No, I suppose not. British embassy staff members wouldn’t blend into a train full of Nazi officers and aristocrats.’ He pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘What do we do about that?’

‘We travel on fake papers,’ I said.

Resigned, Henry nodded again.

‘Edith will help us,’ I told him.

‘And these fake papers?’ he asked.

‘We’ll be assuming the identities of exiled aristocrats,’ I said.

‘Seriously?’ Henry looked stricken. ‘How on earth are we going to do that?’

I grinned at him. ‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘I’ve done it before.’

Chapter 32

Henry went to see what he could find out about the train, and I went to find Lara.

I actually didn’t have to go very far, because when I left the embassy to walk down the hill to the bar or the bookshop, she was on her way up.

Her face was like thunder.

‘What on earth is going on?’ she said as she approached. ‘This is an enormous mess. Bea’s frantic about her friend Frances. I can’t believe this is all because of that sodding Parrish? Is this all him? Just a tiny man making a huge impact?’

‘It seems to be,’ I said. ‘It’s too much of a coincidence otherwise. He told the Nazis about Frances helping airmen and now this has happened.’

‘So it’s all true? It’s true that no one knows where Frances is?’